Shaz by the Sea

I wanted to provide an update to my previous post re my diagnosis , so here is a recap of my recent doctor visits at Dana Farber and upcoming surgery details. Both Jim and Chrissy had the great suggestion that I go to Dana Farber for a second opinion regarding my diagnosis, the pathology report, and the surgery.  I felt very unsure about going with MGH for the surgery, especially considering how I received the original diagnosis through the patient portal. Moreover, I felt the body scan at MGH was rushed and they didn't pay very much attention. I also thought that they took the whole diagnosis/surgery very lightly and didn't seem to really care. Now I know, I went to the surgical oncology department at MGH and they deal with some really serious cases. I am SUPER thankful that I am not one of those serious cases. However, it is serious to me. I needed a little more from the doctors and surgeons there - and I wasn't getting that. My original surgery was scheduled fo...

*Note:  This blog post is strictly a result of my own experience with my recent melanoma diagnosis. This is not medical advice or anything related to a medical perspective. Please consult a doctor if you have any questionable spots on your body! I have always wanted my blog to be relatable.  I try to be open and honest about the challenges/positives about pregnancy, motherhood, moms with multiples, and life in general. I also use it as a reference in my own life, to re-read recipes or try to remember when someone starting eating solids, or when they took their first steps. With that said, I wanted to share some news with you all with the hope it will result in helping even just one person.  As you likely recall, my sister in law Lindsey shared her personal skincare story in 2016 with this blog post . It was eye opening. She wasn't even 30 yet! I think because of that, both Lindsey and Chrissy are now extra cautious with skincare and making it a point to visit the derm...

Another Fourth of July is in the books!! I think this year was our 12th annual Fourth of July celebration with this crew. What a blast. However it again went by too quickly. If you are interested in seeing past years, here is my  2016 Fourth of July post . We switched things up a bit and rented a house this year with my friends Katie and Julie (and Julie's family). Julie has two little boys the same ages as my guys - so we thought it would be super fun to get the 5 boys under the age of 5 together under the same roof! Haha. It honestly was awesome. All the kids did great. The house was on Ocean Street in Hyannis, so it was near the boats, some restaurants, and a few beaches. It was nice being in a rental and not our own house - so we didn't have to worry about lawn maintenance, and other things around our house. It definitely felt more like a vacation. Here are a few favs from the week! Our backyard had this cool bar. It had chairs to sit at the bar, a TV with ...