Jenna's Race for the Cure team invitation

Hey everyone! Finally, I can say I am almost as good as new and cancer free! Now, I have the opportunity to give back. Without the awesome advances in medical science and the message of early detection, my cancer would have gone undetected and more importantly, untreated.

Did you know that one in seven women will be stricken with breast cancer in her lifetime? Even at 31, I did not have to look far to seek guidance from other young women who fought the battle ahead of me.

On April 19, 2008, I will be participating in the Komen Ozark Race for the Cure®. I would be honored to have any of you or your friends join my team, which we have officially named, The Breast Brigade.

Join the fight by registering as part of our team or by supporting our efforts with a pledge contribution. The money raised through the Race will fund vital education, screening and treatment programs for underserved women in our own community and support the national search for a cure.

You can view our website at the link below and join our team there. When you sign up, you should also notice the youngest model/advocate for breast cancer awareness and the Komen Ozark Foundation. That is my Noah!

Chad and I have set a goal of $2,500 for our team. Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,
Jenna Sullivan

Click here to visit my personal page.

Click here to view the team page for The Breast Brigade

Join the Breast Brigade

"The Breast Brigade" is our new team freshly formed in the Ozark Komen Race on April 19th. You can go to here and put in "The Breast Brigade" under Join an Existing Team. It should be listed and make sure Jenna is listed as the team captain.

We are envisioning pink camo as our T-shirts. Go ahead and sign up for Jenna's team if you want in on the coolest team out there. I registered thebreastbrigade.com also and I'll let you know when we get stuff up on it.

Much love,
Papa Goat

A boy's weekend

Jenna went with Valerie to see our friends the DiCarlo's in Saint Louis. They left yesterday so Noah and I found ourselves alone. So last night to stave off the difficult task of handling Noah alone, I decided on some extra curricular activities. We went to the movies. I announced this plan earlier in the week to much jeering and laughter. Everyone thought I'd be wasting my money to take Noah into the theater and then leave a couple minutes in when he wouldn't sit down. I thought my theory was sound though. If I 1) had his pacifier 2) had snacks 3) wrapped him up in a blanket 4) sat up front and 5) went alone so no one was there to distract him- he would sit still in my lap for 2 hours of the Veggie Tales movie. I forgot to mention that he loves Veggie Tales.

I'm happy to report today that he was perfect. He loved the movie. He laughed a lot, pointed at and talked to the bad guy when he was on screen, and clapped after each song. When the other kids would laugh he would fake laugh which made me laugh which made him laugh for real. He had a little popcorn and drank his juice and sat in my lap for 1 hr. and 50 minutes. It was a lot of fun.

Meet the Sullivan's

Well our 5 minutes has come and gone. The cameraman, John, was here for about an hour before Neile showed up. He just filmed us. He filmed me feeding Noah, Jenna playing in the floor with him, and then all of us playing in Noah's room. It was like almost any night in the Sullivan household except we fed Noah broccoli and cauliflower and we were way over dressed for 6:30 at the Sullivan house.
We were interviewed separately, which threw off our usual conversational rhythm of me interrupting Jenna and her correcting me. I chased Noah and played with him in his room for most of Jenna's interview so I really have no idea what all she said. When it was my turn I felt like we were on the Newlywed game and Jenna had already given the answers and if I gave the same answers we'd get $5000 and a nice set of parting gifts.
I guess the interview went fine. I was surprised at how close to the surface the emotion of everything still is. When I started talking it was fine, but sometimes she'd ask these vague open ended questions like "What do you think the most important thing for husbands to know if this happens to their wife tomorrow?" That may not be a perfect quote but it was close. I was surprised that a lump was in my throat at some of the questions. I guess we still have more healing to go.
After the camera stopped rolling we had a nice conversation about a lot of stuff. She talked about Project 11 and we talked about the financial impact this has had on our lives. She thought Jenna looks like Reece Witherspoon (stop me if you've heard that before) and I told her I thought I looked like George Clooney. I think that hurt my creditability with her so she may pull my interview. We'll just have to see.
She said 2-30 minute specials will air sometime in the future and there will probably be footage of us in both of them. She'll let us know when that will be and I'll pass the information on to you guys so you can tune in or watch on their website.

Interview tonight

Up here in NW Arkansas, one of our local news anchors, Neile Jones, is super involved in the Race for the Cure and the Susan G. Komen-Ozark affiliate. She's done a lot of great things the past several years in NWA. Her newest project is called Project 11. Anyways she contacted Jenna a long time ago about talking to her on camera but nothing came of it. Well something has come of it now. The camera crew arrives at the house at 6:45 tonight. She is going to interview us as part of a series on women of all ages and backgrounds who have gone through breast cancer. I know they are really there to talk to Jenna but for some reason they want me there also. I've been practicing my adoring looks in the mirror so hopefully on camera my love and admiration for Jenna will show through. I'm pretty sure my main job will be to keep Noah from wanting to hold the camera. I think on another day they want to go with Jenna to work and follow her around for a little bit. This is gonna be crazy but I'll tell you how it goes and when it will be on.

Ring around the Noah

It's so much fun when Noah learns a new game. Hide and seek is still a favorite but Jenna said that at Ms. Susan's Noah's been playing 'Ring around the rosies' and she had a mission tonight to play that with her son. After many failed attempts where Jenna was the only one 'falling down,' Daddy got into the action and it finally caught on. The three of us held hands and turned in a circle while we sang. Momma and Daddy fell down and then the funny part came. Noah didn't think just falling to his bottom was dramatic enough of a fall so he'd raise up on his tip-toes and then kind of jump up and then fall to his bottom. Then we'd all clap, he'd be the first one up and he'd grab our hands and then start singing something that resembled nothing like 'Ring around the rosies' but we knew what he wanted. After the 5th time we were all laughing so hard we couldn't get up. Then when we didn't get up quick enough Callie caught his eye and it was chase the 'Doggggie' time.

Sleeping beaux

We were in Texarkana this past weekend for a shower for Jared and Shauntel. The party was a good time and the overall weekend was a lot of fun. We didn't get to leave until 5:30 on Friday so we assumed Noah would sleep the entire way down there. We were wrong. He stayed awake for 4 1/2 hours in the dark in a quiet car. He was really good too. He didn't cry or fuss. He just sat there talking, holding onto Froggie, and watching cartoons for the most part. He fell asleep late that night (it had to be close to midnight) and popped up the next morning ready to go. While we were at the party that night, Noah stayed with Cara's parents along with Caroline. In case any of you don't know-Jenna's best friend from high school (Cara) has a daughter 1 week younger than Noah. So at 10 we start to think about heading to rescue Caroline's grandparents. We called ahead and Caroline had been out for a few hours. Not our little Noah though. It seems he had a little Energizer bunny in him. It was after midnight back at the Johnson house that he fell asleep.

Contrast this with yesterday when we left and Noah slept from Texarkana all the way to Fort Smith in the car. Then he fell asleep at 8:30 in his crib and didn't wake up until 7:15 this morning when I couldn't wait any longer and had to shake him awake. He was in a great mood the whole weekend but it's funny how when he's 'on the road' he just won't let the bed bugs bite.

Fame, Museums, and Sexy?!?!?!?!?!

Today we went to have Noah's pictures made with Amber Lanning, the girl who made him famous with the "When I grow up..." T-shirt picture. She told us that the PR person for "Kids for the Cure" had contacted her and wanted to use Noah's picture for the national kids for the cure campaign. The are going to edit out the Komen part on his t-shirt and put in Kids for the cure. Cool!
We took pictures at her new studio by the Shiloh Museum in Springdale. There were all these neat, old building and farm equipment that make for a great photo if you have a cooperative participant. We didn't, of course!! Amber did pose me in front of a building while Chad chased Noah. She told me to be sexy...what?? Anyway, we will see how they turn out.

Break coming to an end...

Christmas break is coming to an end. It seemed long and restful for the most part. I am recovering fine from the last surgery and am already anticipating the next surgery in order to get my new additions all finished. We enjoyed spending time with the Johnson Clan and the Sullivan Clan. I got some major projects done around the house and made lots of messes while doing it, which always leaves Chad shaking his head : )

Merry Christmas!

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday. Noah was visited by Santa in the night and really enjoyed his presents. He actually enjoyed them so much he wouldn't stop playing with them (especially the toy vacuum) to open the presents we got him. We spent our first ever Christmas at our home. This was the 2nd Christmas day I wasn't out of town and Jenna's first so it was a little weird especially when she and Noah took a 3 hour nap this afternoon. You can't do that at the Rotton house for sure.

I'm hoping tomorrow to put up a photo gallery of Noah the past few days for you to see. The pictures of him with his Tickle Me Cookie Monster are too funny.

Merry Christmas again and God bless.

Yikes its 1AM

Sorry I haven't been on to update since we left the hospital. The day got away from me and then tonight I've been prepping everything for the Johnson Christmas tomorrow...er...today rather. Did I mention Christmas is at our house?
Enough about me, Jenna's doing great. She feels pretty good and was awake for most of the evening. She can't pick up Noah and that had him mad a few times but after a few days we'll manage I'm sure.
Just so you know, I didn't think I had enough on my plate so tonight I'm starting to break Noah from his pacifier completely. He has already stopped using it during the day and he gets it for bedtime but now we're trying for the whole day/night. I only had to go in there 5 times before he finally went to sleep and he's been asleep for 4 hours solid now so here's hoping he makes it to morning.
If you hear sirens they're coming to pick up the pieces of my head that just exploded.

Jenna's out

We just met with Dr. Atwood in the consultation room. Everything went according to plan for the most part. The left side had to be 'closed off'. This means he had to reestablish the lateral boundary of the pocket made for the implant. This stops the implant from moving around in her chest cavity. So now she's in stage 1 recovery for 30 minutes or so as she comes awake then we can go back there while she's in stage 2 recovery and then its home sweet home. I'll let you know when we get there.

In surgery

Weldon and I went back to the preop area for about 45 minutes before taking her back a moment ago. She got her IV sedative about 5 minutes before going back and I can honestly say she feels fine. Really fine :)

They'll give updates every 30 min to an hour. Hopefully things go quickly. I'm going to take her prescriptions to the pharmacy real quick while Weldon stays here so I'll update when I get back.

Jenna's in pre-op

Jenna's been taken back for preop and she'll get her IV and all that jazz. They'll come out to get me and I can go sit with her until she's taken to the OR. Her spirits were really good. It's amazing how far we've come and how much she's been through. She wasn't nervous at all. I told her this visit to the Surgery Center is so much more pleasant than the last one. She didn't remember why so I reminded her the last time we were here they were removing lymph nodes to find out how pervasive her cancer was. All she could say was how long ago that seems now.
I'll check back later.

Bye Bye Moon

Tonight I think Noah had his first sentence. He has had a little 'language explosion' just like the speech pathologists I know describe. He's added a lot of words and he's picking up the 'Baby Signs' like a duck to water. Tonight though (to my knowledge) was his first sentence. He and I went to the store earlier and when we got out of the car to go in the house he did his proverbial "Look for the Moon" thing. He usually points and gibberjabbers at the moon and makes sure we see it to. Tonight he looked up and couldn't find the moon. I had to point straight up in the air and he saw it and giggled and pointed also. When we got to the garage he waved and said as plain as day "Bye Bye Moo!" It may not be up there in the great pantheon of American oration but I was still very proud.

Bad shopper

Well I guess I should have known it was inevitable. Noah can no longer be taken shopping. He's just become too aware of toys and he now refuses to give them back. Yesterday we went to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to look for a gift. We saw a stuffed animal that is actually a speaker you plug into a MP3 player. We thought it would be perfect to plug into his car DVD player so he can hold the animal with the sound coming out instead of all of us having to listen to the Backyardigan's. I enjoy the Backyardigans as much as any adult but you can only hear 'Riding the Range' so many times before losing your mind.

Well of course Noah wanted to hold the frog one. Then he wanted the monkey one. Then he wanted another frog. Jenna said 'No.' She didn't scream it. She didn't pinch him as she said it. She didn't yank him up with a fire brand by his big toe. Of course, you never would have known that from his reaction. For the first time in a store, we became 'those parents.' People were leaning out of the aisles to see what we did to make our child scream and cry with such intensity. So of course we did what a 12 yr. pediatric occupational therapist and what a 8 yr. child psychologist would do in our situation. We gave him the other damn frog.

Then we started this new game of walking around the store and pointing stuff out to Noah to distract him while Daddy reached into the cart and secretly removed a stuffed animal speaker. This worked until we got to the checkout and he was holding onto the last frog for dear life since he realized the others kept mysteriously vanishing. I knew he was suspicious by the way he was cutting his eyes at me. I just whistled and kept pushing the cart. At the checkout, Jenna tried to cut a deal with him by offering him a different toy. It worked sort of. He threw down the frog and wanted her to pick him up. She just wasn't quite quick enough to pick him up and put down the floppy chicken before he got his grubby little fingers on it. So she walked around the checkout aisle while I explained to the man that no, we don't want this frog thing but please check my other stuff out.

I wrapped up the transaction and braced myself for the inevitable confrontation with a boy and a chicken. We locked eyes as I approached. Jenna had this helpless look on her face I hadn't seen before. I saw his grubby little fingers turn white as he grasped the nasty little thing with all his strength knowing how toys had a bad habit of jumping ship in this store. I thought about asking him for the thing, but of course I already knew the answer. I thought about pleading my case that it is without a doubt the ugliest toy I've ever seen, not to mention its probably tearable latex which can't be good for 19 month olds to possess. I thought about a lot of approaches, but then I did what I've seen countless other parents do when they are in a store and are 'those parents' with 'that kid.' I took it from him, handed it to the nice lady at the door who doesn't get paid enough to deal with 'those parents' and then hightailed it to the car before the other shoppers could find out the answer to the question, "I wonder how loud of a scream a 24 lb. mammal can make when betrayed by a parent?"