Last Blog Post (Here) - We've Moved!

Since we're moving to a new home next weekend, I figured now would be a good time to "move" blogs as well - starting today, you'll find Liam over at http://www.lifeintheha.com/.

This blog will still exist, but I won't be updating it anymore after this post.  Here's what you need to do to make sure you don't miss a single post going forward:

• Subscribe to the RSS feed for our new blog,
• Add http://www.lifeintheha.com/  to your blogroll, or
• Bookmark http://www.lifeintheha.com/ so you can access it on your sidebar.

It's been real, Blogger - but we're moving on to the greener pastures of Wordpress.

10 Months Old Today!

Here are some pictures from after Dave's softball game last night and from today - Liam's 10 month birthday! Enjoy!

Finally! Website Launch and eBook Release!

As many of you know, I recently created a website called Practical Cancer Guide.  It provides information, inspiration and resources to people diagnosed with cancer and to the family and friends that form their support networks - because there are some questions your doctor can't answer.

And along with the site, I released my first eBook today called "Cancer Crash Course: What to Expect When You've Got Cancer".   It's been a lot of work, but definitely worth it - I think both the site and the eBook will help many people in the weeks, months and years to come.

All of this started back in 2006 when I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma.  At the time of my diagnosis, I was terrified.  The anxiety I had about getting a port, going in for chemotherapy and radiation, and all of the side effects from cancer treatments kept me up at night – and if I had been able to read first-hand accounts about others’ experiences with cancer, I think the whole ordeal would have been less overwhelming.  That's where the idea for my website and eBook came from - I decided I wanted to do something to help people who have been recently diagnosed with cancer.

Here's what you can do to support my website and spread the word to others that may benefit from visiting the site:

• Visit the Practical Cancer Guide website and read some of the blog posts
• Buy the eBook, "Cancer Crash Course: What to Expect When You've Got Cancer"
• The first 25 people that buy the eBook will receive a $5 e-gift card to Amazon.com (use the code "liamrocks" at checkout - without the quotation marks)
• The first 100 people that buy the eBook will be entered into a drawing to win a $100 e-gift card to Amazon.com (use the same code, "liamrocks", without the quotation marks)
• Subscribe to the newsletter on the website
• Subscribe to the RSS feed for the website
• Follow me on Twitter
• Become a "fan" or "like" the Practical Cancer Guide page on Facebook
• Pass the website link onto others that may benefit from visiting the site
• Forward this blog post on to your friends and family (anyone that wants to can use the codes noted above)

I know that's a lot of stuff - but I wanted to give you options!

Also, know that every dollar from the sale of the eBook goes toward improving the website: 

• More articles loaded with practical cancer information.
• More stories from cancer survivors.
• More tools, like chat rooms where people can connect with others who have cancer.

Finally, I welcome any feedback about the eBook or the website - positive or constructive. My goal is to make the site an invaluable tool for people with cancer.  Thanks so much for your help!  Cheers!

I'm Taking You Back...

...retro-style!  Here's a sneak peek of the awesomeness that is the new house we bought.  If you click on the collage, it will come up bigger on your screen so you can see the shots better.

And, yes, the room that Liam is sitting in is pink - but we'll be painting it before we make him sleep in it.

Our move date has been changed to May 14 - so we have lots of packing to do over the next few weeks!

Big News!

Now, be honest - how many of you thought I was going to announce that I'm pregnant?  If that's what you guessed, well, you're wrong.  Don't count on Liam being a big brother for another couple of years.  But we DO have really big news - we're moving!

We found an awesome house with a big yard and a lot of...redecorating needs.  These digs are straight out of the 1960s, including glitter walls in the basement, brown shag carpet (I'm pretty sure it's the same stuff that my parents used to have in their family room), a teal sink and bathtub in the guest bath and  - wait, wait, wait - a stainless steel ashtray attached to one of the glitter walls in the basement.  I'm telling you, this place is straight up COOL.  (Not that smoking is cool or that we even smoke - it's just that the finishes in this house are too cool for school.)

So, we'll be sad to leave our current neighborhood, but there are lots of things this new house has that we want - and the price was too good to resist.  So if anyone is interested in helping us move in mid June...oh wait, did I just hear a cricket chirp?

Liam the Buddy, who is also too cool for school.

Liam's Easter Torture Sequence

The poor guy...he didn't have a chance...

Where Did This 9 Month Old Come From?

Apparently I have been living in some sort of strange time-warp since Liam was born because now he's 9 months old - and I have no clue how that happened.

This also means that I have exactly three months to plan the coolest "monkey and crab" themed (don't ask - it has everything to do with a cake decorating class my mom and sister recently took) birthday party for our little buddy.  I'd better get rockin' and rollin' because if the next three months go by as quickly as the last nine have, then I should have started planning this party about two years ago.

Spring in the Ha

Well, Spring has finally found its way to Omaha, so I took the afternoon off work today, and Liam and I took a long walk to Memorial Park.

It's gorgeous outside!  And Liam loved being outside and taking it all in...

Chokey-chokey!

Liam was slightly miffed when his beloved Jayhawks lost to Northern Iowa last night in the 2nd round of the NCAA tournament.  His poor Jayhawk buddy took quite the beating:

March Madness is here!

Even though, he can't read or write yet (among other things), Liam insisted on filling out an NCAA bracket this week. Unfortunately, a lot of the teams he picked to win in the first round didn't make the cut, so he got mad and crumpled up his bracket.  Oh well - at least he still has Josh the Jayhawk to hang with while watching the games this weekend.

Did You Know?

Check out this video that Sony played at a conference last year - some (if not all!) of the statistics in it will make your head spin!



Really makes you stop and think!

Shopping Carts

Picture this: me stopping in the middle of a Hy-Vee (our local grocery store chain) and snapping at least a dozen pictures of Liam's first experience sitting front and center in a shopping cart.  How mundane.  And cute (or at least I'd like to think so)!  Seriously, the kid is going to be scarred when he sees all of the ridiculous pictures I have on file:

For the record, our first trip in the front of a grocery cart involved a lot of effort on my part to keep the kid from licking things.  My purse, the handlebar, anything in tongue's reach.  Afterwards, I promptly ordered a super cute shopping cart cover on Etsy for future trips.

Omaha Young Professionals Summit

Dave and I attended the Omaha Young Professionals Summit yesterday at the Qwest Center in Omaha - what an inspiring event!  It was very well-organized, and the keynote speakers were energetic and motivating.

Our favorite was Blake Mycoskie of  TOMS Shoes - if you haven't heard of him, I highly encourage you to check out his company's website.  His business model is genius because it incorporates giving back at its core - for every pair of shoes he sells, he gives a pair of shoes to a child in need.  Single-handedly, this company has started a grass-roots movement to encourage other for-profit businesses to give back.  I love it!

Spending the day with other young professionals at the Omaha YP Summit made me proud to call this city home.

8 Months Old!

Our little hunky monkey turned 8 months old today!  He is now sitting up really well on his own (finally!), but he still hasn't decided whether or not he likes eating solid foods (i.e., pureed baby food).  Oh well!  He'll get it eventually - I have never heard of an adult that subsists solely on baby formula.  ;)

 

  

 

Florida: Green Grass and Sunshine

It was awesome to get away from the snow and cold for a full week - and even more awesome to see our friends from Ohio, Lindsay, Geoff and little Ryan!  We had a great week relaxing and soaking up the sun.  Here are some pictures from our winter escape:

 

And for the record, my worst fears about flying with a baby came true:  Liam had blowouts on both flights.  Sigh.  Well, as is true with many things, the fear of Liam having a blowout on the plane was actually worse than the actual occurrence; however, I will note that traveling with a baby is a character-building experience...that I would repeat over and over if we could go on vacation every week!

Facial = Heaven

My wonderful godchild, Grace, gave me a gift certificate to Faces Day Spa for Christmas, and I used it today to get my very first facial.  Oh my goodness - why did I wait until the age of 31 to start getting facials?!  Amazing!

It was definitely as relaxing as getting a massage, and the best part is that my face is as soft as a baby's and smells yummy, too.  An added bonus: the esthetician (Zhannon, but pronounced "Shannon") gave me a foot massage as part of the experience - and I LOVE foot massages!  You can bet I'll be visiting Zhannon at Faces again at some point in the near future.

We're off to Florida tomorrow morning, so be sure to check back in a week or so for pictures from our trip!  (And please cross your fingers that Liam refrains from pooping in flight - I really don't want to have to change a poopy diaper in one of those tiny airplane bathrooms.)

Liam and Kate Gosselin

Okay, so I've had more than one friend comment on the fact that Liam's hair resembles that of the infamous Kate Gosselin. Sadly, I can definitely see the resemblance:

Image of Kate Gosselin courtesy of http://www.exposay.com/

Note to self: consider using gel on my 7-month old's hair when going out in public.

Our Little Sock Monkey

Seriously, you should try this at home if you have a little one - put socks on their hands and watch them try to figure out what the heck is going on.  It's a riot, and good for at least 15 minutes of fun.

Oh, and a quote I found on the underside of my Honest Tea lid that I wanted to share because it rocks:

"Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out."

- John Wooden

7 Months Old Today!

Liam is seven months old today, and he gets to spend it at home with me because the poor little guy was diagnosed with RSV on Monday.  He's doing better, but we are having to give him a breathing treatment through a nebulizer every four hours.  You wouldn't know he was sick, though, looking at these pictures!

Liam is all ready to go for our trip to Florida with Lindsay, Geoff and Ryan in a few weeks!  Check out his new stroller!

Best. Pictures. Ever.

We had Jess of jaybee images take Liam's 6-month pictures earlier this month, and holy canoli - she is amazing!  Of course, it helps that Liam is absolutely adorable and loves to smile.  Here are three of my favorites:

Creative Outlet: Check

As some of you may know, I bought a sewing machine after Christmas. I know, I know, you're probably thinking "WTH? Ali is going to try to sew???"

Yep, I am. I desperately need a creative outlet because my day job just ain't cuttin' it. My friend Andrea made some really cute gifts for Liam when he was born, and that got me thinking...I can do that!

So, my first attempt at being crafty was to make this bib (based on the bibs Andrea made for Liam):

It actually turned out okay, considering my complete lack of previous sewing experience!  Now, I do have to give credit where credit is due: my mom came over on Saturday, I told her what I wanted to do, and I watched her make one.  Then I replicated her bib.  Hers had slightly straighter stitching, but, hey, she has been sewing for years.  I'll get there.

I know all you really want is to see a picture of Liam, so here is one taken late last week.  It's impossible to get a picture of the kid without his hands being in his mouth - that's his current "thing".

The Giggle Monster

6 Months Old!

Our little buddy is 6 months old today!  He is such a happy little guy...always smiling and laughing.

Liam on New Year's Day (apparently he partied too hard on the Eve...)

And the 6 month pictures we took today: