Best Day EVER!

Finally!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Katie, Alec's nurse just called and made us cry the happiest tears, ALL of Alec's tumors have SHRUNK! YES, SHRUNK! We are ecstatic, I can not remember the last time I have felt this much joy and relief! Thank you GOD! And seriously, THANK YOU ALL for the prayers!

We will know more details on Tuesday when Alec meets with Dr. Allen. Remember, shrinkage was considered a "bonus" and all they were looking for was stabilization. So this news is even better than we could have expected! He will continue chemo for as long as it takes, but now we know it is working! We however, know that it is more than chemo, it is every prayer and it is God's healing power! THANK YOU!

"The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."


Alec and Millie doing a happy dance!

Love,

Heather, Alec, Bam and Millie!

Troll Baby

A few weeks ago Alec's nurse practitioner who we hadn't seen in a while saw my belly and was very excited for us. She commented on how we were going to have good looking children. We both thanked her and laughed. She also said, "Well, at least you know it's not going to be a troll!" A troll!? Geez, thank you, I guess? It got me thinking though, I had never seen any baby pictures of Alec. Every time I picture our little baby looking anything like Alec, I picture a baby with a goatee. I met Alec 5 years ago, and he really has looked the same ever since. I suppose I could look back at the photos of when Alec was on chemo for the lymphoma and was completly bald, (he used to chase me around like a giant baby, saying "Mama" wearing Julias beach hat) It was scary! I decided to ask his Mom for some baby photos instead. She sent a bunch of pictures and I thought I would share a few. He was pretty cute...and what I love most are his eyes. I have always loved his eyes and think he has this mischievous look in his eye, it's a little twinkle...almost like he is thinking of something that might get him into a little trouble.

I showed Alec some baby pictures of me, and he calls me "monkey baby". He thinks I looked like a monkey because I had a funny upper lip and I was very, very chubby. My Mom admitted that although she thought I was the most beautiful baby ever, she now looks back and admits that maybe I wasn't as cute as she thought I was, especially she said, compared to Jill, who was really adorable. We both have some pretty strong genes in the family so it will be interesting. We often say we just hope it looks like me but has Alec's brains. Or at least has my nose and Alec's math skills. I am just glad it wont be born with a goatee (at least I hope not).

Alec as a newborn...notice all the blankets in the bassinet with him, my how the rules have changed. How did any of us make it through!? Me as a newbie, monkey lip not that noticeable...yet. See what I mean about his eyes? I am going to guess he was flushing something that was not supposed to be flushed! And here is the chunky monkey with the funny looking upper lip. Alec and his big sisters. Me and Jill (she was super cute!)

This one is one of my favorites, Alec still does his own oil change, I think he missed his calling as a mechanic.

So after looking over these old photos, I am at ease knowing our baby will look nothing like a troll. (Unless there was a mix up at the IVF lab, Alec keeps teasing me about it, "Maybe its Shaq's baby" he says, "We will be rich!") No thanks, I would like an Alec baby please. Anyways, I thought it would be fun to share how cute (or not cute) we were. Ultimately, we know a healthy baby is most important but its fun to create in our minds what Bam will look like. We cant wait to meet little baby, we both know that we will be totally in love and will think he or she is the most beautiful baby ever (even if it does resemble Shaq).

Love, Heather, Alec, Millie and Bam

So Grateful

Wow, we feel so lucky today. Thank you to our family and friends for a beautiful shower this past weekend. I actually could not sleep last night because I was so excited and having all this baby stuff in the house makes it feel so real!

It was overwhelming to walk into a room filled with so many friends and family who mean so much to us. It has been quite the journey and we could not be more grateful for the love and support we have received by all.

It was made clear yesterday that this baby is loved so much already even though he or she still has 7 more weeks before the debut! Babies sure do come with a lot of gear, and I don't think we have to buy a single item after yesterday. Car seats, strollers, bibs, bottles, books, you name it, Bam got it, unbelievable! I must admit, my favorite gift was the rocking chair that Jill made for us. We had been looking for a chair and have found nothing, everything looked so manufactured. She took an old chair from our great aunts house when she moved and restored it, it looks amazing and I was so surprised! I cant wait to put it in the nursery and take some pictures. It will look perfect.

Alec and I both agree that having a baby was the best decision we have ever made, it has given us so much to look forward to and really has been our light on some otherwise very dark days. Talk about something worth fighting for. Having a baby has been a breeze so far, I am not sure if it is my perspective or if it really has been that easy, but I have not been able to complain yet. I feel 100% every day and we are both in complete awe of the miracle taking place!

It was such a perfect day and I could not have asked for more! (besides a few more whoopie pies). Thank you Mom, Jill and Tina for throwing such a great party (you sure are getting good at this!) To all our Family, Feehan friends, Salve friends, and my Mom's KP friends, thank you for making yesterday so special and for the beautiful gifts, it was an unforgettable day and we feel incredibly blessed. We could not have gone through any of this without you, each and every one means so much to us and you all have such a special place in our lives and hearts! This is going to be one lucky baby. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

With much love and gratitude,

Heather, Alec, Bam and Millie

"My whole life is turned around, I was lost, now I am found. A baby changes everything" - Faith Hill song

Spring in KBPT

It's official...Spring is here! How do I know? Take a look at the photos below and you will see a few signs of Spring at the Cyr house hold...

First of all, Alec is coming out of hibernation...he sort of "let himself go" these past few months. A shave, some sunshine and a little socializing will do him good.

He even forgot how to open the peanut butter jar, winters in Maine are tough I tell ya.

Next sign of Spring...Check out our MUDDY driveway! Yikes, it is hard not to get stuck in this. Good thing I got some new rubber LL Bean boots for Christmas.

And Lastly, Millie's sock collection is starting to show up now that the snow is melting. So far, 6 socks have been recovered (she buries them in the dirt but sometimes I will see a little white coming through) and I am sure there are many more. Anyone who has stayed over night knows about her sock obsession. Within minutes, she is in your bag, digging out your socks and bringing them to you, and it always catches people off guard "Wait, are those my socks? How did she get those?" Unfortunately, if she makes it outside with them it is usually a recovery rather than a rescue and the socks are no longer wearable. We do not know how she sneaks them out of the house and decided we need to perform cavity checks from now on. It will be interesting to see how many baby clothes she will sneak out and try to bury.

Here is Alec; project manager of the roof...its a rough job. The house looks fab, Alec and I are both super excited and relieved that we now do not have to worry about leakage or any other roof issues, like I said, not the best way to spend our tax returns, but it was worth it. If anyone needs a new roof we highly recommend these guys, they were awesome, super reasonable (5K less than one quote we got) and they were very fast and did a really nice job.

Before we had major curling and the roof was a reddish brown.




We went with a grayer color, that I was unsure of at first, but now happy with it.

We had a very low key weekend, I think I over did it the past few weeks and I became run down and felt lousy Sunday which was a bummer because I missed a shower. It is hard for me to remember (because I feel so good) I am not just one person anymore and I need to slow it down sometimes, there is a little Bam taking up a lot of my energy! We were able to attend church, which I needed like I need air. Sometimes I can get a tad overwhelmed with all that we have going on and I hate to complain or vent so going to church literally gives me that time to reflect and really pray. I actually felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders once it was over, it washes away all my worries and stress and gives me the strength to get through the next week. And I think it does Alec some good too :)

Alec had chemo today and things were just fine. The scan will be next Tuesday, but Dr. Allen said since every thing is going so well, (Alec feels great, his blood work is perfect, etc) that she is hopeful we will get some good news, good news being; stabalization, better news would be stablized, shrinkage and necrosed cells.

We just have to hope and pray for the best and trust in God that he will get us through whatever lies ahead.

Thank you for the continued prayers and support, we are so blessed and grateful.

Love,

Heather, Alec, Millie & Bam

Diamond Rings and Baby Mamas

So it begins!

We kicked off the beginning of a very busy Spring and Summer on Friday night with a dress fitting for Jilly, followed by an engagement party for Kendalle hosted by Amy and ended the weekend with a baby shower for Catherine. And, lucky for Alec, he got to stay home :) Wedding planning and baby showers are just not his thing. It was a great "girls weekend" and with 4 weddings, more babies on the way our weekends are filling up fast!

While it was a wonderful weekend, it is hard to shake what has happened in Japan and we pray for those poor people. The loss is unimaginable and heartbreaking and really puts things into perspective, life is so fragile.

We have also added to our prayers Michael Maker, who is one of my best friends brother. He is in need of a kidney and waiting for a donor that would match. Please keep him in your prayers and thoughts. He has been through so much and hopefully there will be a kidney for him very soon.


Kendalle's wedding is September 10th and Jilly is August 6th! So much to celebrate!

Baby Mamas...Cath is due in 3 weeks and I have 9 weeks!!!


All the Feehan girls spoiling Cats baby already!


While Alec could not re-shingle our roof himself (our roof is very steep and scary) he did spend a few weeks researching roofers and gathering quotes. Bob and Tina just had their roof done and they used 2 guys from Northern Maine, they gave us the best quote and started Monday. The roof looks fabulous and now we do not have to worry about leaks or shingles falling off. Although it is such an expensive and un-fun home repair, we think it looks great and we keep going outside to look at it. Makes such a difference and there is nothing like knowing we have a sturdy roof over our heads!

This is an off week for Alec, so it was a nice chemo break. One more next Tuesday before the scan and we are praying every day we get some good news.

Thank you for your prayers and we will really need them over the next week or two. It is hard not to worry, but we are keeping the faith and know that God is on our side.


All our Love,

Heather, Alec,
Millie & Bam

Dancin in the Rain...

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass . . . it's about learning how to dance in the rain. -Unknown

Amy sent me this quote yesterday. I think it is so true and certainly describes how we have handled our adversities.

Alec had chemo today and his nurse Katie was talking about how he is the perfect example of a patient living with cancer. Nothing stops him, and when he gets knocked down, time after time, he only comes back fighting harder. While some cancer patients sit around complaining, waiting for either good or bad news, feeling sorry for themselves, Alec has thrived and continues to live life to the fullest. He makes me so proud :)

We had a nice weekend, we went to the Red Claws game in Portland with Alec's sister and friend which was so much fun. Although the basketball game was great, my favorite part was the half time show put on by the Stillson School of Irish Step Dance, all those adorable little girls dancing to Irish music, they were so cute! I told Alec if we have a girl, we are so signing her up for that type of dance. I loved it! Sunday we went to church and although I literally have to bribe, drag, or beg Alec to come with me, we always enjoy the service and he admits on the drive home he loves going and wants to get more involved. I just have to smile and ask him, "so next week will you come with me without giving me a hard time!?" Probably not. But either way, we both need it and we really feel like we found our place at this church and I am so grateful for that.

Alec is itching to put in new wood floors over in the guest house, so on Saturday we priced some pine...very exciting. I don't think we will EVER run out of projects around here. Always something...

Alec made Bam's cradle and I forgot to post the photos! He didn't use a template or anything, and its so adorable. I love it and think it will be a piece of furniture that we will have in our family forever, someday a great, great grandchild will tell their kids about their talented great, great, grandfather who made the cradle with his bare hands! That just does not happen any more.




Manny the Moose has been occupying the cradle until Bam is here. (Alec purchased Manny for me from a gas station in Maine when we first started dating and then had to buy Jill one too!)

Speaking of Bam, time is flying, only 10 weeks left! I cant believe it. Its funny how people ask if we are "ready" or "scared" to be parents and to be honest, I feel like we can handle ANYTHING after this past year, and a tiny baby should be a piece of cake! Oh and speaking of cake, I am getting bigger by the day, Dr. Allen said today, "Well looks like you have gained some weight!" Umm...yep, you could say that again! I am not sure what is growing faster, my butt or my belly, oh well, I cant say I haven't enjoyed eating "for two"!

That's about all for us, one more treatment before the scan. Katie also said today that people put way too much pressure on scans and it also matters how the patient feels and looks. She said Alec looks great, feels great, and is otherwise so healthy, so lets just enjoy and not stress about scans. Amen to that!

Thank you all for your prayers and support. We are both feeling really good about things lately, and that's what its all about, one day at a time and enjoying every moment!

Love,

Heather, Alec,
Millie, Bam

Hello March!

I love that the days are getting a little longer and the weather a little warmer. It makes me rush home as fast as I can and take Millie for a nice, long walk. Feels so good and it helps me balance those hot fudge sundays I seem to be addicted to.

Did you know that March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month? Probably not. There is so much pink out there for breast cancer and lots of awareness for cervical cancer, but what about colon cancer? Why doesn't it get the attention it needs? This irritates me especially because colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States and there is no routine screening. Colonoscopies are so rarely done and only if you fit the "description", 50+, family history, over weight, unhealthy diet, bowel changes or bleeding. Well, guess what, Alec had no family history, he was 33 when he was diagnosed, he is not over weight nor does he have an unhealthy diet. I guess we have a long way to go in educating patients(and doctors too) and maybe that will be our mission when this is all behind us. In the meantime, if you or anyone you know has any changes in bowel movements, whether it be constipation or diarrhea, and or bleeding, you must be your own advocate and be proactive. Demand a colonoscopy, no matter what your doctor says.

We do not live with regrets, there was absolutely no way we could have known based on the few symptoms Alec did have, but what we can do is spread awareness of colorectal cancer and hope that one less person has to go through what we have.

On a brighter note, we had a great weekend with the Moguls, and Amy and Keith. We had so much fun just sitting around talking, laughing, and eating. Little Weston is SO CUTE! He is such a good boy, Alec and I were talking after they left and we concluded...we can handle becoming parents if Bam is anything like Weston. Weston loved the new door and running in a big circle around the house, I loved hearing the pitter patter of his little feet on the wood floors, so cute!




He loved Millie, and when no one was looking, Millie liked him too. But we are going to have a jealous dog when Bam arrives!
Not sure what he was planning on doing to Millie in this one!

Just playing!

Alec and John went snowmobiling in Fryberg, Maine and Alec said that it was the "second best day of his life!" Second to our wedding! (I hope he was at least half kidding). Maybe next year the guys will stay home with the babies and us gals will rent the snowmobiles.

Alec is still chipping away at his "honey do list" although its nothing exciting. A sump pump in the basement, in which he sought professional help for the electrical work this time from Uncle Rick. Fixing a door that had rotted and installing under the counter lights (second attempt after last weeks fiasco). Nothing really to brag about. But I do love the under the counter lights! He is also researching roofers, I think we have held off as long as we can and it looks like our tax money will be putting a new roof over our heads. What a bad way to spend extra money...I would have so much rather bought 2 new snowmobiles! Oh well, with a baby on the way we are trying to get our priorities straight.

Other than that things are going well. Alec has 2 more treatments before the next scan and we are just taking one day at a time because that is all we can do. That stupid word (scan) makes me weak in the knees and want to vomit, but like my mother always tells me, "not to borrow any troubles" so when I have those moments of weakness, I pray to God. Miracles happen every day right!?

Please pray for Alec and that this chemo is working. We really need it now, more than ever and we are so grateful for each prayer or positive thought you send. It is what gets us through.


God Bless!

Heather, Alec, Millie & Bam