Last year, my friend Angela walked in  her first Breast Cancer 3 Day walk in Cleveland (60 miles in three days) with her mom who is a breast cancer survivor. They raised nearly $6,000 last year for breast cancer research and treatment. In order to participate this year, she has to raise a minimum of $2300.

Her good friend Margey of www.bellastradastudios.com has graciously offered to do a promotion with one of the products that she offers to help benefit her in her Breast Cancer 3 Day walk. Margey has generously offered to donate 20% of her proceeds from the Flying Wish Paper products that she sells to Angela’s walk. She is running this promotion for her from June 15th – July 15th.   Make sure you use the promotion code “3Day” so that the 20% can be donated!  (If you’d like to donate directly, click here)

This is such a great cause that I knew I had to pass it on too all of you!

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.

I actually have to start off this post telling you a story that happened today on the way home from preschool.  There were a bunch of high school kids running (I would guess that it was the cross country team), and Madison (my 5 year old) got all upset.  I asked her what was wrong, and she told me that “they shouldn’t be running, because it is a sidewalk not a siderun!”  Now, I refrained from laughing at that moment since she did have a point, and she spent the entire summer last year being told she couldn’t run ahead of us on our walks.

Now, that you got to laugh at my funny story (that has to do with walking), I have to tell you about a great cause that I am involved in this year. Have you heard of BeeWell Miles?  If not, this is a cause you definitely want to get involved with.

Well, Bumble Bee Tuna is currently donating 15 cents for every mile that is logged into  BeeWellMiles.com (up to $200,000) to the Breast Cancer Network of Strength.  Now, think about it?  How many miles can you rack up without even trying?  I’ll tell you this — you’ll be amazed.  Madison had to go for some bloodwork last Friday, and I put on 2000 steps (2000 steps = 1 mile) just walking around the hospital!  Now, I’ve got over 20,000 steps in that picture above (I haven’t zeroed it out yet, and yes, that did take a couple of days).  Now, those 20,000 steps equals $1.50 which doesn’t sound like a lot.  If it wouldn’t have snowed, I would have way more steps.  One of the things we like to do in the spring and the summer with the kids is walk around the block.  Why not earn money doing something you normally would have?

Now, there is around 210 days left in this campaign, so that $1.50 will add up quite quickly.  Can you imagine how many miles will be walked if we get everyone we know to walk and log their miles?  The other great thing is that the BeeWellMiles site has great resources for you to use.  Not only can you log your miles, but you can figure out how long your favorite walking/running route is and figure out how many calroies you are eating.  You can interact with other visitors and share ideas and tips with them too.  Who doesn’t love a great contest on top of all this?  Each day you log miles or enter game codes from the pink label Bumble Bee cans, you could instantly win one of 15,000 prizes!!

As some of you know, I have an aunt who had breast cancer (who eventually died of lung cancer), so breast cancer causes are near and dear to my heart.  I would be surprised if any of you didn’t know someone who had or has breast cancer.  Why not raise extra money to help Breast Cancer Network of Strength doing something you do every day?  If you walk more to help raise more money, even better!  Getting healthier and giving to a great cause — what more can you ask for!

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.

Will is still really off.  I made Bill get with him all night, and I guess he was up every two hours.  I thought formula was suppose to make him sleep longer not less.  Anybody have experience changing a baby over from breast milk to formula?

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.

Well, I finally have a name for what I have. It is called mastitis. It is a breast inflammation caused by infection.  This can happen when you become engorged or if your nipples become cracked or irritated.  I am already on antibiotics, so I have to wait and see if this clears everything up.  If it doesn’t, I was told that I would have to stop pumping.  I probably will feel crappy for a little while longer.

I did get some good news at my appointment though.  I lost 28 lbs. already.  Will will be 1 on Saturday, so I can’t complain about that weight loss!  I gained 32 lbs during my pregnancy, so only 4 more to go!  However, none of my pants fit yet, so I am little confused!

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.

That is how bad I feel right now.  I woke up at 1 am this morning to the worst pain I have ever had.  This pain is probably the equivalent of having a baby or a kidney stone (both of which I have had).  The worse part — it is in my breast.  (warning:  body parts conversation about to ensue).  I pumped at 1 and cried the entire time (and anyone who know me know I don’t cry — ever).  I then tried to go back to bed.  I put a moist heating pad on my breast and laid in bed and cried until 5.  I did some research and all I came up with was mastisis and a clogged duct.  Problem is, I don’t have all the symptoms for either one.  At 5, I finally remember that I have 600 mg of Ibuprofin left from when I had Will, so I took one of those.  I also pumped in extreme pain for 45 minutes.  My doctor’s office does not open until 9, so I had to suck it up till then.  When I did get ahold of them, they told me to monitor my symptoms and call back at 12 (which I did).  She told me that they were having problems getting ahold of the dr and that she would call me back when she did.  About 1:10, she called me back and said since I was not running a fever I most likely just had a clogged duct.  I should keep taking the Ibuprofin and if I spiked a fever, I needed to call.

2 o’clock rolled around and we had to take Will to his pediatric cardiologist appointment.  I took my temp again and it was 100.3.  Instead of calling the doctor, we went to Will’s appointment.  I know, typical mom.  His health is more important than mine.    Good news, the heart murmur is normal one and they are not concerned at all.  We have to go back in 5 months, so they can recheck.  However, they told me not to worry about it.

It was about 4 by the time we got home and my temp was about 97.9.  So I still didn’t call.  I pumped, ate something, and went to bed.  I woke up about 8:30 pm and pumped and took my temp.  I am now running a 101.3 fever.  I had the doctor paged and  she decided to call me a prescription for antibiotics in.  Being that I pump, I should not have mastis.  However, something is definitely going on.  If my fever does not go down in the next 4 hours, I will be going to the emergency room tonight.  What a great way to spend the 4th!

I’ll take any advice that anyone has!

Copyright © 2011 My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact mythoughtsideasandramblings.com @ gmail.com so we can take legal action immediately.