Day 198

Ever since the day in the emergency room, Sarah has been doing pretty well! She has been at her mom’s helping with craft projects, playing with Roman when he’s there and doing one of her favorite tasks: organizing (it helps her de-stress). Tonight Sarah had the wonderful opportunity to go to the 5th Avenue Theater with her mom. Mom Hawkins has season tickets to the 5th Ave and often takes Sarah, but it has been awhile due to what Sarah has been going through. Sarah was kind of reluctant to say she would go mostly because she is so self-conscious about her drains. However, Sarah took one look at her favorite dress and said, “I am going to make this work!” She had probably one of the most creative moments when she found she could use her drains as quasi breast implants. I thought it was a strange idea at first too but it really worked! She said, “I’ll use my drains for what they took away from me.” Tonight she is going out on the town with drains as breasts and no hair or wig. This is scary for her, but I have to tell you that as a husband I could not be more proud. Sarah decided long ago that she would never let this cancer or the treatment thereof ever stop her from living. Let me tell you there have been a lot of tough times, but my Sarah has never given up…not for one second. This evening she has taken something truly awful and decided to celebrate in the midst of it. What a testament to God’s strength within her. I love you Sarah, with all of my heart.

Thank you all for your continued support in every way. My wife truly is blessed with the best support system a person in her situation could have. You all mean the world to her because she started the blog not knowing what would come of it and YOU her blog readers and followers have made something great out of it. We couldn’t do this without you.

Kirk

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Day 196

Last night Kirk called for prayer support. Sarah has been having disturbing dreams at night. When I arrived at their apartment Sarah was in her ‘green’ chair with tears running down her face for she was afraid to fall asleep. We prayed and then I asked her if I could read the Psalms aloud to her. I wish each of you readers could have seen what I was privileged to see. As I was reading about praising God, Sarah, in her mind’s eye, had her hands raised as high as possible giving glory to Him. She soon began to cry in earnest but this time they were tears of joy, for as she was praising her Saviour He came with a wonderful vision….Jesus was putting beautiful, long, white gloves on her. She also saw herself in the most gorgeous, shimmering, white gown….her hair long, thick, and braided into a lovely coil on her head in which baby’s breath was placed. In her sweet Sarah voice she cried out, “I look so beautiful!” And you all know she did!!

If you know Sarah at all you know how much she loves to cuddle and she decided that the three of us, with her in the middle, should all sleep on their queen bed. I have found that 12 inches of bed is enough! Of course I tried to convince Kirk to set the camera on a timer and take a pic of us for the blog but, alas, he was not to be talked into anything of the sort, so you will all just have to use your imaginations.

This afternoon Kirk made the decision to take Sarah to the emergency room for some much needed fluids and pain medication as she has been very nauseous the last few days with bouts of vomiting. The issue is that her appetite has not returned so it has been very difficult for her to get enough food in her system for all the meds she is taking.

Please pray that her appetite will increase, her pain decrease, that she can very quickly have her drains removed, and that her night hours will be filled with peaceful dreams.

Thank you again to all for your love, caring support, and especially your prayers!

Mom Lien

Day 194

A Note from Sarah: 
Yesterday, I had an appointment with my plastic surgeon Dr. Mathes. He told me that I was healing up very nicely and that I was right on schedule for the next part of his treatment; the expansion process. This upcoming Friday I have another appointment with him to start filling my expanders. The amount of expansion depends on how I am healing and what my skin will allow.

When I was going through chemo I always pressed through not letting it hold me down, make me depressed, or stop me from seeing people. At first, I took the same approach with my surgery. I didn’t want it to keep me down either. Surgery though, I have come to realize is much different than chemo. With chemo the more you get out of bed, the better you’ll feel and more strength you’ll have in the long run. However, with surgery the more I do, the more I pay for it later. It is important for me to be up and out of bed some, but I need to make sure that I still take it easy; which, much to my husband’s dismay, I have not been. Kirk has officially put me in the time-out corner. He has gotten after me too many times about how much I can lift and how high I can put my arms up. Unfortunately, I keep ignoring him and now he can say, “I told you so.” I have done one too many things today and now my body is screaming STOP! As I write to you I am in bed with pillows under, over, and across every part of my body and my arms and chest hurt like mad.

Please keep Kirk and me in your prayers as it is very difficult because I struggle to go…go…go while Kirk is always worrying that I’ll overdo it and pay for it. Thanks to all of you who have brought dinners and flowers over. Your thoughtfulness in my time of need means the world to Kirk and me.

Love Always,
Sarah

Day 192

Yesterday was Sarah’s 25th Birthday! She has probably had better birthdays in the past, but we are going to take her out and celebrate again when she is feeling better. We had a fun night nevertheless. We all got together at Momma and Papa Hawk’s. Papa Hawk made Sarah’s favorite dish: Curry Dinner. After dinner we all gathered around the table and started working on a puzzle together. Even though she wasn’t feeling that great, it was nice for her to get out of the house for the first time since her surgery.

Today started out kind of interesting to say the least. Sarah woke up in the middle of the night with a 101.5 degree fever. I was kind of concerned as a fever can often be a sign of infection. We managed to get her fever broken by about noon and at 2:30 we had a follow-up appointment with Sarah’s breast surgeon. That appointment went very well! Dr. Calhoun examined her and told us that all of Sarah’s surgical sites look great. She also gave us a paper copy of the pathology report on Sarah’s removed breast tissue and lymph nodes. This proved as reminder to us that Sarah at this point is 100% cancer free! To top it all off, Sarah was also cleared to have one of her three drains removed! She can’t wait to have the other two taken out as well! Overall Sarah is doing very well; however, because of the extent of her surgery, she is still in quite a lot of pain. As I am writing this Sarah is all snuggled in her bed sleeping. I love to see her so peacefully resting, because I know that when she is sleeping she is not feeling the pain in her body. I love my Sarah so much and can’t wait to see her get past this huge hurdle in her journey.

Please pray the pain starts to quickly decline in its intensity. I am eager to see her more comfortable.

Kirk

Calling All Readers!

Would you like to ask Kirk & Sarah a question? Since Sarah is stuck in her bedroom for awhile, it would lift her spirits if all of her blog readers sent in a question. Send your query (along with your name, city and state) to sarahshope2010@yahoo.com and it will be featured in an interview blog post! Feel free to have fun and get creative! Serious or random – it’s up to you!

Day 190

Today, Momma Hawk came over to visit with Sarah and brought a special surprise along with her. She had planned to bring the Roaster along with her to lift Sarah’s spirits. Roman found the water fountain in our bedroom to be quite entertaining and Momma Hawk had to watch him like a hawk because the next thing he found entertaining was to try to drop Auntie Sarah’s phone into the toilet. Sarah and Roman also snuggled during naptime while she and her mom talked about the similarities in how they both felt after their own surgeries.

At noon a lady from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center came to talk to Sarah about her cancer story. Sarah wanted to be a part of this clinical study, in hopes of someday helping the next generation of cancer victims.

My parents came over tonight to celebrate Sarah’s birthday because she turns 25 on the 22nd. On their way, my folks stopped by my grandparent’s house to pick up some food that my grandma had made for us. She made one of my favorite things she makes which is a chicken and dumplings type dish. After dinner, Sarah had a fun time reading her cards and opening her gifts. Sarah absolutely loved the Beth Moore books that she received. After gifts we settled down on the couch and watched “America’s Funniest Home Videos”, which is very quickly becoming a family tradition.

As Sarah’s birthday is approaching, it makes me realize how fast life flies by. We have had quite a lot of difficulty this year and we can’t wait to leave this all behind us. I hope that the coming year will be a time of blessing and renewal for Sarah and I.

“Here’s me wishing you a Happy Birthday my darling Sarah! I love you so much! I can’t wait to spend the next 25 years and beyond with you.”

-Kirk

Day 189

A note from Kirk: 
Today Sarah was at home while I was at work. It was my first day back at work and I felt weird about leaving my precious wife home alone but I knew she was in good hands. My mom was with Sarah all day and it put my mind at ease knowing she would be well taken care of. Today was a little interesting because at about 3AM we ran out of Sarah’s pain medication. She has another kind but it doesn’t even come close to working as well. This morning, I had to call the surgeons office at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and have them write us another prescription. Momma and Papa Hawk were kind enough to go down and pick it up so that I didn’t have to leave work. Needless to say getting more of the right pain medication took all day. Because of this, Sarah had to use the other medication that doesn’t work as well and consequently was in more pain than she wanted to be in. It sounds like a bummer of a day, but good company and frequent napping helped Sarah keep her mind off of the pain in her chest.

Sarah has been very excited about the possibility of her readers asking her lots of fun questions for an interview blog post. So, I wanted to remind you to send in your questions soon!

Please pray that the pain Sarah has been having will start to decrease greatly over this week. As well please pray that she could get her drains removed quickly as she absolutely abhors them.

HAIR UPDATE: Sarah’s hair is growing back so quickly that I wanted to measure it. I am happy to report that her longest hair is now ½ an inch. Wow!!!

Thanks for your prayers!!!

Kirk

Day 187

It is getting harder and harder to keep Sarah still. She loves to do things around the house and not being able to for multiple days starts to make her a little stir crazy. Some of the medication she is taking makes her eyes a little blurry so when she wants to walk around the house I get nervous that she might fall. However, she needs to get up and walk some to help her recover more quickly. Right now not much has changed in how she is feeling but we are just trying to keep a handle on her pain levels. Sarah’s appetite really hasn’t come back but she is trying to eat as much as her stomach allows. Overall Sarah is doing Ok but she is having kind of a lot of pain. Please pray that in the few days to come her pain will start subsiding and she will be able to be more comfortable.

Thanks for all your prayers!

-Kirk

Day 186

An Update from Kirk:
Today has been another day of rest for Sarah. She has been in her bed or in her chair relaxing for most of the day. However, she did take a shower this afternoon. That really dropped her energy down and now she is not only resting but also sleeping to try to gain some strength back. Think about showering without lifting your hands above your head or reaching below your hips. It is pretty difficult and, needless to say, requires help. With all the time spent covering and redressing her bandages, we realized that next time we should do as much of that as possible while she is laying down because all of that time standing really took its toll. With all of the drugs Sarah is taking, her dreams are becoming much more vivid. Last night I woke up to Sarah grabbing at and pulling on my shirt over and over. When I asked her what she was doing she said, "I am trying to pull out the Kleenex’s." I laughed a bit and tried to ask her what she was talking about but seconds later she was already asleep. Sarah is getting very tired of sleeping on her back, but trying to turn over on her side a little puts pressure on her surgical wounds. She is desperate to find a new comfortable position to sleep. When she is in the bed, she has at least six pillows surrounding her and cushioning every muscle at all times. For now, I think that is as comfortable as she is going to be. Sarah also still has a sore throat from the breathing tube that was placed during surgery. I have been teasing her a little because she sounds like a 12 year old boy going through puberty, but I can say that because I am the one who administers her pain pills so she is very gracious with me.

We wanted to ask all of you to pray for a couple of definite things. Since the surgery, Sarah has not had much of an appetite so we are praying that would return soon and also that her throat and voice would be soothed and heal quickly.

Thanks for all of your prayers!

Kirk

Day 185

An update from Kirk:
Wednesday when we came home our bedroom had been turned into a garden oasis for Sarah. Father's House in Granite Falls donated all of the plants, curtains, flowers, and a water feature and Michelle, a gal from the church, to go shopping and to stage our room. It was a wonderful surprise for Sarah and has created a peaceful atmosphere for her to recover in. Thank you Father's House and Michelle for the wonderful display of love and care. I also need to thank Kristi, Sherri, and Mom Hawkins who all were also a pivotal part in creating this oasis for my Sarah. On a funny note, the water feature, which is completely restful for Sarah, makes me have to pee. Let me tell you...I NEVER get up to go to the bathroom, but with our wonderful new water feature I woke up a grand total of six times running to the bathroom and barely hanging on by a thread. On the other hand...Sarah really, really loves it and it helps her sleep giving her much needed rest. With all of the wonderful blessings poured out on us, Sarah is doing great and is continuing on her road to recovery!

Praise Report!!!
Dr. Calhoun, Sarah's breast surgeon, called this evening and gave us some fantastic news. All the pathology reports came back on Sarah tissue and lymph nodes that were removed. The tissue and lymph nodes from both sides were completely clear of any residual cancer cells. COMPLETELY CLEAR!!! Dr Calhoun was specifically clear on important thing: this result only happens in 30-40% of the cases. Isn't that incredible??? Thank you Lord for another miracle in our life!!!

Thank you for all your prayers. Let this show that prayer and faith go hand in hand. God does answer prayer!!!

As I am writing this, Sarah is snuggled up with a pink travel pillow around her neck, pillows underneath her arms, resting against the headboard, and drifting in and out. She is also cuddling with my sister (who is fading in and out as well). Sarah is doing as well as I could have ever expected and I can really see God sustaining her daily.

Kirk

Day 184

Monday night's surgery went great, however the recovery was quite rocky there for a while. Sarah came out of surgery so sedated that for a couple of hours she was only breathing 4-6 times a minute. A little scary to say the least...at about 2:30 AM she finally woke up and started breathing normally on her own. Because of all the issues waking up they took her to the ICU for one night so she could be moinitored very closely. Since that night Sarah has been doing great!!! Yesterday she was transferred into a regular room and she had a flood of visitors all day. Even little Roman came to see his auntie. He brings Sarah so much joy, but she didn't like not being able to hold him. Today Sarah is doing even better than the day before. She has been checked out by all her doctors and they have cleared her to go home. I know that being home where it is more relaxing will just be great for Sarah. The doctor's are surprised by how well Sarah is doing. Her surgical sites look absolutely fantastic and she has almost no bruising or swelling to speak of!!!

"Thank you Lord for keeping our Sarah right in the palm of your hand."

Thank you everyone for all of your prayers!!!

Kirk

Day 182 - Update 2

Surgery Update: 9:15 PM
Sarah is all done with surgery and is headed to the recovery room. The breast surgeon came out and told us that the actual mastectomies went great! No complications. The reconstructive surgeon came out soon after and told us that the placement of the tissue expanders went great as well! We are all waiting to see her in the recovery room. Thanks for all the prayers!!!

Day 182 - Update 1

Sarah went into surgery at 3:00pm. We will provide an update as soon as we know more. The surgery will probably last anywhere from 5-7 hours. Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement today.

Day 182

Surgery Update:
We arrived at UW at about 7:00 AM; shortly thereafter Sarah was taken back for her lymph node mapping. For this they inject radioactive fluid that collects in the lymph nodes so that they can tell where they are.After the injection they needed so Sarah to move around a bit, so Sarah being Sarah she decided to walk up and down the halls doing the hokey-pokey. Only my Sarah would think of doing something like that. She is set to go back for surgery at about 12:50 PM. Please pray for her because she is having quite a lot of anxiousness.

More updates to come...

-Kirk

Sarah's Hope Youtube Channel

Check out Sarah's YouTube Channel!!!

Day 181

A Note from Kirk:
As we sit in the hotel room in Seattle waiting for the morning to come, we are constantly reminded of those who love us and the battle we are about to face. The enemy is so afraid of what Sarah and I will accomplish in our lives that he tries at every opportunity to bring us down. However, God has been so gracious to us and has truly held us up and sustained us through everything so far.

Please remember to pray for a sense of peace for tomorrow. Sarah has been hit by a lot of the natural fears of surgery, but she is remembering to daily put on the armor of God which includes the belt of truth. The truth is that Sarah will come through this surgery and her life will be long and fruitful. She has a lot of good things ahead of her and lots of kids to have. It is our future kids that keeps her mind stayed on the future and the promises that God has given us.

We will update you all as we know more tomorrow and also as time allows.

Thank you for all your prayers and numerous words of encouragement for Sarah. It truly has meant the world to her!

Kirk

Day 180

A Note from Kirk:
Today, Sarah’s mom took her to get her nails and toes done. Sarah really needed the relaxing time when she could try to put the worries of Monday out of her head. I am so grateful to have Barb help me through this time because she is caring for Sarah as a mother would but also knows all the intimate details of how Sarah is feeling right now. Barb goes above and beyond expectations and she knows exactly what to do in times of turmoil…duh…she is a nurse. She has been such a blessing in our journey with cancer because of her knowledge, generosity, laughter and her willingness to answer phone calls in the middle of the night just for a medication question. She has a love for her daughter that I will never know until I have my own kids. Both Sarah and I have great parents to rely on and we will definitely need them in the weeks and months ahead. We know that we have no reason to be afraid of being in need with our family surrounding us.

Please continue to keep my wife in your prayers as the pressure is building inside of her. I certainly hope that the lead-up to surgery will be worse than what comes after. Please pray that Sarah will feel God’s arms around her comforting her. I also wanted to thank all of you for responding to my plea and flooding Sarah with comments of encouragement and love! Keep it coming………

Kirk

Day 179

Friday we were very blessed to have Heather Mayer do a photo shoot of us. Sarah wanted some glamour shots without her hair to help herself see that she does have beauty even without hair. We met Heather at Granite Falls Alfy’s during the last fundraiser they did for us. She offered her services because she was touched by Sarah’s story. We couldn’t be happier with the results and Heather was so easy to work with. She made us feel so relaxed and comfortable. Heather has a great heart because of what has happened in her own life and her compassion for those suffering really shows. Thank You Heather for a wonderful day and we are so happy we met you and your family. Heather is a fantastic photographer and many of the shots she took of us are on her website.

Heather, it has truly been an honor getting to know you and your family. We are so blessed by your generosity.

Kirk and Sarah

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Day 178

A Note from Sarah:
Today was a rough day. It started well enough with singing happily in my shower and examining my head because hair has started to grow back but somehow the enemy can ruin a good day. Sherri picked me up this afternoon to do some shopping. I know you are thinking how can a day of shopping end up bad? Well it wasn’t the fun kind of shopping; it was the pre-surgery yucky kind of shopping. Sherri kept my mind off of what we were really doing with some errands of her own and fun girl talk and I so appreciate her because I was already on edge when I first said hello to her. Our first stop was to Mary Catherine’s, this shop is a whole store dedicated to women who have dealt with all steps of breast cancer. When I walked in the doors the memories of when my mom had to walk through these very same doors flooded my mind and I had to close my eyes and ask God for the strength to take another step. As always God did give me the strength to move forward and off I went into a fitting room with items I never ever wanted to try on. Sherri’s gentle smile gave me comfort and her motherly instincts took over and when I was asked a question and my mind went numb Sherri was there answering for me, just like my own mother would do. We got all our ordering done and we checked it off our list. Mary Catherine’s is a wonderful little shop that I wish no one ever had to visit. Our next stop was the pharmacy for post surgery supplies. This was a little bit easier because I just gave the list to the pharmacist and he dropped everything I needed into my basket. Carrying the bag to the car just put a knot in the pit of my stomach because I know how soon I will be having to use all this gauze, tape and creams. I know one of the hardest things in my life is coming up and I feel like I’m falling…you know like in Alice in Wonderland? I feel like I’m gaining momentum as I fall and I have a feeling the bottom isn’t lined with fluffy feathers but what is waiting for me at the bottom is 12 inch thick concrete.

Thank you Sherri for making a hard day a little easier with your warm smile and encouragement. You are truly a gift to me and I love you.

The only things that got me through today were a good friend like Sherri, a wonderful massage, comfy pajamas and the knowledge that God has more for my life than pain and hardship.

I love each one of you who are following my journey. This blog is helping me stay connected with the world and as I release all my emotions on to these pages I feel comforted that you are rooting me on and keeping me close to your hearts in prayer.

Love Always,
Sarah

Day 177

We realize that we haven’t written anything for a couple of days, but we have been running around like crazy trying to get ready for the surgery and Sarah’s recovery. Our minds have been completely focused on what we need to get done and we are letting some important things go by the way side including our precious blog. While Sarah is recovering, I am relying on you (the blog readers) to help me encourage Sarah every step of the way. I want to remind you that when you write a message or comment, it is forwarded directly to Sarah’s phone and she receives it in minutes. So, while she is lying in bed, I will be at her side reading her all of your words of encouragement. Please don’t hesitate to send something even if it is your first time. Your words really mean a lot to her. Men don’t often ask for help; however the responses on this blog really seem to touch Sarah’s soul in a way that is so special. I need your help to keep her spirits buoyed which I think will lead to a very speedy recovery. Let’s get Sarah back up on her feet as quick as we can!!!

Sarah acts strong like she can take on the world…most days she can…but deep down she is facing insecurities and has moments of fear. At these moments I have to fall on my knees and give Sarah up to God because only He can comfort her in the palm of his hand and sing a song of victory over her.

Thanks for all your Prayers,
Kirk

Day 174

A Note from Kirk: 
Today was all about church and family. On the second day of Sarah’s fast, it’s getting tougher for her body to deal with it because her body is still weakened from all she has been through so far. I need to be protective of my Sarah and call her fast off at two days and maybe do a three day along with her at a later time. However, good for her that she has the drive to do a three day fast. I know that cutting her fast short will be difficult, but she also is wanting to be wise in this time where there is already a strain on her body. This is the last full week before Sarah’s surgery and most of it will be spent in preparation. Please pray that we get everything done that needs to be accomplished prior to Monday morning.

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

-Kirk

Day 173

A Note from Sarah: 
Today was a sad day as we drove away from the little blue cabin by the sea. Every day I spent at the cozy cabin was chicken soup for my hurting soul. I even got over the “fear” of going out wigless at the beach! People on the beach did give me double takes while walking by but maybe they were looking twice because Kirk and I are the cutest couple on the planet…that is what I’m going to believe! I did do some sunbathing while at the beach and the only bad thing about feeling free without a wig was I forgot to put sunscreen on my naked head! I won’t make that mistake again. Our last hours at the beach were a spectacular display of sun, kites and the perfect breeze. You don’t get many days of perfection down at Pacific Beach, so we considered ourselves blessed. On the way home the dreaded worry bug bit me hard and BANG…it started…I started counting all the things looming in the future that are unpleasant. Kirk out of the corner of his eye caught me staring off in the distance with wrinkle on the forehead and quickly changed the subject to something a little more cheerful. He reminded me that our “vacation” wasn’t quite over because we are house sitting for Sherri and Bob for a couple of days. I immediately perked up thinking about slipping into a relaxing bubble bath provided by Sherri’s gorgeous jetted tub. When we got to their house we were greeted by our gal pals Nikki and Zoe, two schipperkes that love it when we come to “puppy-sit” for them…probably because we give them treats and tummy rubs. I’m looking forward to snuggling up with Zoe for a romantic girlie movie later on.

On another note, I started a 3 day fast today. I finished a book called “Fasting” by Jentezen Franklin last week and I am so intrigued by what God will do in your life when you commit to a fast. Jentezen writes “The three duties of every Christian are giving, praying, and fasting.” Ecclesiastes 4:12 says “A threefold cord is not quickly broken”. I mean I pray and I give but I haven’t ever taken fasting very seriously, and I think I am missing out on many of the blessings God has for me. In Jentezen’s book he also writes “Look at it this way: when you pray, you can release that thirtyfold return, but when both prayer and giving are part of your life, I believe that releases the sixtyfold blessing. But when all three – giving, praying, and fasting – are part of your life, that hundredfold return can be released!” I don’t know about you but I want that hundredfold return! God I am so excited for what you have in store for me because I am following what your Word says to do. Bring on the blessings that You want to give your Sar-bear.

Love Always,
Sarah

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Day 172

A Note From Sarah: 
As Kirk and I sit in the cabin for the last night listening to the sound of the crashing waves, we are reluctant to think about going home in the morning. It is so hard leaving a peaceful place to come home and face the huge mountain in front of you. For the first few days, my entourage included my mom and nephew Roman. The Hawkins and Loewen girls spent many summer weeks here as kids and it was time for Roman to start the tradition. When I was on the beach with Roman, I felt like a little girl again splashing in the water, chasing seagulls, crawling on all fours, and getting sand stuck in every nook and cranny of my body. Some days, I even had more sand on me than Roman did. For my mother and I, this cabin holds a particularly special place in our hearts. She once said, “Coming here is like getting a hug from an old friend.” Every minute that we create memories here will last a lifetime in our hearts.

“Please Lord give me the means to buy my mother a place to retreat by the sea.”

Thank you Jim and Elona for opening up your special cabin by the sea to us! My heart and mind were at peace and I felt God’s calming presence with me.

A funny story:
One afternoon when we were returning from the beach, sand-logged in all the wrong places, Roman and I decided to take a shower to get squeaky clean. Now, taking a shower at the cabin is a little more difficult than at other cabins because there it is a “shower shed.” Don’t get me wrong, I have been showering in the “shower shed” for 24 years and it does hold a certain nostalgic value that is unforgettable. Roman on the other hand has decided to hate it. As soon as I turned on the water, little Ro-Ro started screaming bloody murder. At this point, we are both in the shower that is barely big enough to turn around in and I am holding a slippery baby who is clawing at my neck and grasping for the shower curtain. When I was done cleaning up Roman, I figured I would hand him to off to my mother who I thought was right outside because I was sure his screams could be heard for miles. As it turns out, my mother had mosied on down to the beach to look for her missing glasses. So here I am yelling for help, trying to be louder than my nephew, struggling to put a towel on, and all the while Roman is sliding down my arms and trying to get away from the scary “shower shed.” After a minute of yelling for Mom’s help with no reply, I cautiously ventured out of the “shower shed” into the great outdoors clothed only with a towel that was inching lower and lower with each step, showing my bald head in all of its glory, and holding a naked screaming baby. For an innocent bystander, a more gruesome and scary sight I cannot imagine. Needless to say, we bathed Roman in the sink from that point on.

Love Always,
Sarah

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