You must be the change you want to see in the world ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

6 Months Old Already!!

I can't believe how time flies... just yesterday these little cuties came into the world, now they are ready to take on the world!

We're so excited to be 6 months old!



What's new since we last checked in with Rocco and Roxy???


Roxanne


She might be tiny, but Roxy is already a mover and a shaker! As soon as she's on the ground she's practicing  her gymnastics floor routine... might be a future Olympic hopeful?? Weighing in at 14lbs 7oz and 25 inches long she's in the 10/25th percentile for her height and weight. Her development is right on target and in some areas a little ahead of schedule. She's a smiley girl who loves to play with her brothers and eat squash. No teeth yet but the Doctor predicts they'll peek out soon!


Rocco


Little "Beefcake" Rocco is the happiest boy on the block... most of the time. When he's not, he kind of sounds like this guy...

The Incredible Hulk

Rocco is currently weighing in at 17lbs 4oz and is 26 1/4 inches long, not quite Hulk sized, but on his way! Rocco loves playing with his big brother Furio and watching his sister scoot around the floor. He is super relaxed and very much like his big brother. He doesn't like loud noises (unless he's making them) but he loves to chatter away. Rocco also loves eating squash and oatmeal and checking out the Olympics when we have them on. I think he has his eye on power lifting! 


Furio is having so much fun with his little brother and sister. The other day he told Rocco to grow faster so they can play cars together! He also loves finding toys for Roxy to help Mommy keep her busy. 

We're pretty lucky with these three sweet (and healthy) little monkeys of ours! Our family wouldn't be complete without them!

Friday, July 20, 2012

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pizza!

I decided to get into the kitchen and whip up something sweet... this was the end result, turned out pretty yummy!


Ingredients:


  • Sugar cookie dough (you can use store bought or the super easy recipe always use
  • Cream cheese (1 block, softened to room temperature)
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • Fresh Strawberries
  • 1/2 c. Semi sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press cookie dough into a standard size cookie sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
2. Once the cookie has baked and is cooling, cream together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with a mixer. 
3. When the cookie is completely cool spread cream cheese mixture on the cookie covering the whole surface. Top with strawberries.
4. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Drizzle over strawberries and allow to cool.
5. Enjoy your creation and thank Nikki for the party happening in your mouth!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Ladies Night Out!

This past Saturday we had a very special ladies night out to remember a very special lady who is no longer with us. Gina, Kristine, Julee, Anna (and her Little's), Traci and I all met up for dinner to honor a beautiful lady that meant so much to us all, Shannon. For those just tuning in Shannon was my amazing doctor who passed away suddenly back in March. Since her passing I have come to meet so many great new friends! Some were patients, some were her family and some were her close friends. It has been so nice having these ladies to lean on during such a difficult loss. Friendship through tragedy...

Gina, Julee, Anna, Lyla, Landon, Kristine, myself and Traci

This was such a fun night of making new memories I can't wait to meet up every month and I look forward to our little group growing!

Roxy Got Her Ears Pierced!


Last weekend while we were in Tucson spreading some Gold Canyon love, 
Roxy got her ears pierced! They look so pretty and don't seem to bother her at all. 
Let the jewelry addiction begin!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

We're 5 Months Old!


Roxy and Rocco are now 5 months old! 
They are getting so big and show more of their little personalities every day! 





Last nights squash was a hit!


What we're doing now:
Rolling
"Talking"
Eating veggies and cereal
Getting VERY close to sitting

Check back next month for a longer update after the twins have their 6 month visit!

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Your Friendly Neighborhood Gold Canyon Lady!

As many of you have seen recently on Facebook I am now an Independent Fragrance Consultant with Gold Canyon!  I'm only about 2 weeks in but already I love it!

What's so great about Gold Canyon??

  • We're so much more than the worlds finest candles
  • We also offer a lot of flame less options like our Diffusers, Auto Fresheners, Scent Pod Warmers, bath and body products and our all natural cleaning products!
  • The wax used in our candles and scent pods are the best you can buy. They burn cleanly and evenly giving you more scent for your cents! 
  • The wicks used in Gold Canyon candles don't burn down like a traditional candle. Because of this trimming your wick before each use is extremely important. Not only will it ensure that you don't have a foot tall flame, it also helps your scent to last longer!
  • Dual wick technology! Because of the double wicks used in all Gold Canyon candles your scent throw is much greater. I can burn my favorite, Mimosa Rose candle downstairs and smell it upstairs! Not only our candles have the best scent throw your money can buy, but the diffusers, oil warmers and pod warmers are the same deal!
  • Our scent pods are better than any other warmers available for many reasons. All warmers come with a 4, 8 or 12 hour timer! The scent pods are offered in a huge variety of scents! Want to change scents? No scraping out hardened wax, just pop in a different pod! 
  • There is also a great line of essential oils! You can use these around the house in your cleaning, with an oil warmer, with the adapter plate in your pod warmer, in your little scent mate, or sprinkle a few drops on your air filters and scent your home every time your A/C or heat kicks on!

Why do I Sell Gold Canyon?
  • I love the flexibility it offers. I work when I have time to!
  • Along with a commission I also earn bonuses and free products!
  • The products sell themselves, everyone loves Gold Canyon.
  • I love getting out of the house and sharing these amazing products with others!
  • After losing over 150lbs I have a large amount of excess skin that must be removed. This is not something that insurance pays for! The extra money I earn with Gold Canyon goes into the skin removal fund. 

Want to check out what all Gold Canyon has to offer??
Check out my consultant site at: www.mygc.com/rollier

Love everything that Gold Canyon has to offer and want to take advantage of the perks? Become a consultant, just ask me how!

Want to share the great Gold Canyon product line with your friends? Host a private sniffing party! Contact me for available dates. 


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

An important post for AZ Mom's (and Dad's too!)

As of August 2, 2012 all children under the age of 8 must be restrained in a booster seat! Up until now the recommended age was 8, but required booster age was 5.

Check out all the details here

Photo courtesy of Britax



Monday, June 25, 2012

Start an Easy Affordable Garden



Want to start a super easy and inexpensive garden? Look at what's in your fridge or the produce section! Check out these great tips from The Krazy Coupon Lady!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Can you live on less than $28k a year??

This family of 6 does it!

See how by checking out her blog series

I learned a lot of great tricks and I think you will too!


Thursday, May 31, 2012

My Junior Firefighter...

We might have ourselves a little firefighter on our hands! Yesterday we got to meet with a few new friends/lovely ladies and their kids at the splash pad. However, when we arrived there was a fire truck parked out front and that soon became Furio's only interest! It turns out the Police, Fire Department and FBI (a few other groups too) were out doing finger printing, handing out freebies and giving fire truck tours! We couldn't have planned out outing better if we had tried. Furio was so excited and had such a good time playing with his new friends and being a Junior Firefighter. 


So excited to check out the fire truck!


Inside the fire trck

Getting comfy

Hanging out by the Diamonbacks ambulance

We had such a fun day! Thank you ladies for picking a great meeting spot and thanks to all the hard working Police and Fire department workers for keeping us safe!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Flowers for Shannon




As many of you know, my sweet doctor and friend Dr. Shannon Moorehead recently passed away. In her honor I wanted to create something for her family, friends, patients and co-workers. I don’t have much to offer, but I do make hair accessories and she really loved wearing flowers in her hair. I’ve had the pleasure of making items for her and her office staff in the past and wanted to create something simple and beautiful that everyone could enjoy. “Flowers for Shannon” was born. The flower I have created is a simple, white, heat sealed flower with a sparkly rhinestone center. The flower is attached to a medium sized alligator clip and can be worn in your hair, through a buttonhole as a brooch, or clipped on your favorite bag or hat. Please note that all of the flowers are handmade by me from start to finish. I may not have flowers available right when you donate, but I will respond right away with a wait time if there is one.

All I ask in return is a small, one time donation of $5. Proceeds will be donated to the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Shannon’s name. The Crisis Pregnancy Center was close to Shannon’s heart. Because of her compassionate nature it was important to her that Women had a safe and caring environment to turn to when they were facing uncertainty, no matter what their economic situation. The Crisis Pregnancy Center also offers medical care, compassion and counseling to those facing tough decisions and a lack of insurance or funds.

Shannon brought so much beauty to this world, lets continue her legacy. To make a donation please contact me directly. All donations accepted, but $5 per flower is requested. If shipping is required please add $2 to assist with shipping costs. Flowers will also be available at the Focus on Women office. Accepted payments are Paypal, cash and check. If you live in the Phoenix area delivery arrangements can be made.



Please check back quarterly to see up to date donation information!



Friday, May 25, 2012

Furio Says...

Furio's 3rd birthday is just around the corner and I feel like I blog about the twins a lot. So I wanted this post to be all about Furio and the crazy things he says these days!


Visiting Daddy at work and playing the ticar




"I dunno, what do you think?"

"Congratulations!"

"Oh, that's silly!"

"What do you want for lunch Furio?"

"Please, yeah that's fine"

"1, 2, 3, 6!"

"Did you hear that?"

"Whoa, what was that?"

"What was that for?"

"Ticar!" (guitar)

"Takina" (Christina)

"I wuv it!"

"Some wips..." Wips are lips and lips are chapstick. If he needs chapstick, he wants some wips. Which is usually followed by "I'm taking wips off"

I'm sure there are many others, but those are the main phrases that come to mind. That and we're very rarely "Mommy and Daddy" anymore, mostly it's just "Mom and Dad"... they grow up too fast!



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

DIY Dove Bodywash



What you'll need:

  • 3 Bars of Dove Soap (any scent you like, I like Summer Care)
  • 6 Cups of water
  • Grater

Place water and 3 grated bars of soap into a pan on medium heat. Stir occasionally until all soap is dissolved. Transfer body wash into a large bowl to cool. Once the soap has cooled pour into containers for shower use.  I used a large, empty conditioner bottle. Recipe makes just under 2 liters of body wash and should last nearly 6 months (depending on how heavy handed you are).

Price Breakdown:
3 bars of Dove soap = $3.50 (for nearly 6 months of body wash)
Store bought Dove Bodywash = $6.50 (for just over a month of body wash)




Just another great way to save some dough! Happy scrubbing!

P.S. To make your own neato vintage labels go here!

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Elina's Green Chicken Soup

Here is a recipe for an easy, hearty and very healthy soup that was created by a fellow VSG'er, Elina. This soup is especially great when your eating has become a little out of control and you need to do some damage control. Or if you feel you are consuming too many carbs and sugars this will help your body detox in a healthy and natural manor (no funky cayenne lemon drinks folks!). Many people that have had weight loss surgery like to rely on the 5 day pouch test to get their eating back on track. But there is a problem with this. I don't have a "pouch" like a gastric bypass patient, I have a sleeve. A great modification on the 5 day pouch test would be protein shakes and this delicious soup for a few days. It's filling, easy and really tasty. I also love that you can customize it however you like. I omitted the dill and zucchini, added broccoli instead of broccolini and I also added chopped green bell peppers. Add or remove whatever you like!

Green Chicken Soup

3          Large chicken boneless/skinless breasts with fat trimmed (31oz)
2          Large cans of fat free chicken broth, low sodium (49.5 oz per can)
1          Bunch of Broccolini chopped (8oz)
3          Baby Bok Choys chopped (9oz total)
4          Small zucchini chopped (10oz total)
4          Large celery stalks chopped (9oz total)
5          Medium garlic cloves chopped
½         Bunch green onions chopped (1oz)
3          Large Carrots chopped (11oz total)
1          TBSP Dill Weed chopped
½         Bunch fresh parsley chopped


In a large pot, combine all ingredients. Keep the chicken breasts whole (you’ll shred them later). Boil for about 30 minutes. Once the chicken breasts are completely cooked , remove them to cool (pull them apart a little bit  they’ll cool faster).

Meanwhile, put the vegetables and broth through a blender. (When doing this, it is a good idea to carefully pulse them in a blender with a towel around the blender lid and hold the lid firmly, as sometimes pressure can build with hot liquids in the blender. ) Then transfer the blended soup back into the large pot.

When the whole chicken breasts have cooled a bit, pull them apart by hand and shred them . They should be a little stringy when in shredded form, with no large chunks. Add the shredded chicken back into the pot. Cook for about 10 more minutes, add salt & pepper to taste and enjoy!
 


1 Cup serving:

57 calories
3 Carbs
8 protein
1 fat
1 sugar
91 sodium


* Please remember the nutritional information is approximate and will vary depending on changes to the recipe.

Monday, May 14, 2012

It’s the Journey... Not the Destination


I’m not an “after” just yet, but I wanted to do a quick weight loss summary/update for those that are interested. As many of you know in January 2011 I had a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy. Currently I am 16 months post op and to date have lost 145 lbs. I would like to lose another 35lbs, but I’m trying to focus on the journey. After all, this is a marathon, not a sprint!





Some comparisons to date.

BMI: From 51.7 to 30
Inches Lost to date: 93.5
Ring Size: 11 to a 6
Clothing size: 28 to 12/14




Common questions VSG’ers receive:

Why the sleeve?
This is a really personal choice. There are a lot of weight loss surgeries available today, I felt the sleeve was best for me. I knew that expanding our family was a great possibility and I wanted to choose the option that would be safest. Apparently it worked because 5 months post-op I was pregnant with twins. The pregnancy was great (easier and better than my first) and the babies were around 6lbs. each at birth. I also liked that my digestive system wouldn’t be rearranged with the sleeve, nor would I have a foreign object in my body.


Weren’t you afraid to have 85% of your stomach removed?
Heck yes! But I was more afraid of continuing my life at 350lbs and not waking up one day.


Would you recommend the sleeve to someone struggling with their weight?
Yes, I would recommend the VSG to anyone interested in weight loss surgery. With anything though, you need to research all of your options, weigh your pros and cons and choose what’s best for you.

Is eating difficult with the sleeve?
Yes and No... Initially it’s hard getting used to the changes and difference in food amount that you can consume. Mentally you feel like you should be eating much more, but really only a couple of ounces is satisfying. Once you get used to eating solid food again and learn what agrees with you and what doesn’t, eating becomes very easy. I will say though, the closer I get to my goal weight the harder it is getting to keep my eating on track. It’s a daily battle, and always will be. A weight loss surgery vet once said “just because the monkey is off my back doesn’t mean the circus has left town”... so true!


Do you have a lot of loose skin?
Yep, and it’s no fun, but better than skin filled with fat right? If I were to win the Powerball I’d head to the plastic surgeon’s office the next day, but at this point that just isn’t an option. For now I’m going to give my body time to heal and continue to exercise and hope for the best, that’s all anyone can do.

This is my update so far... there have been a few bumps in the road, but all worth it! 35 lbs until I reach goal. Until then, onward and downward!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

2 months...

It’s been 2 months already that you’ve been gone, but some days it feels like only 2 minutes. Not a day goes by that you’re not on my mind, you, your Parents and your sweet boys. Some days I’m so sad that you’re gone, but most days I’m just so thankful that you were there for us for as long as you were.

Furio asks about you almost everyday. We had a conversation about how you’re an angel now, but I’m not sure he really understands. I hope he’ll always remember you though. The other day he was telling me how funny you are and that he misses you. He knows you are watching over him, and all the sweet babies you helped bring into this world. I know my kids will always know about you. They will hear how you were the first person to ever touch them and how you kept them safe for many months as they were growing. Many other kids will grow up hearing a very similar story about you. How special is that....

As Mother’s Day approaches I hope your family is celebrating the amazing Mother you are. I know I sure will be. Without you, I wouldn’t have a reason to celebrate, let alone three.

A few weeks ago, I finally planted my “forget me not” seeds from your service. I’m so excited to see four little sprouts popping up! I’m not sure if you had much of a green thumb (that’s one thing we never talked about), but I sure don’t! Of all the plants I’ve tried to grow, I’m really glad that these are growing.





Since your loss I’ve had the pleasure of meeting other patients of yours and even some personal friends.  It’s truly a beautiful thing to be able to bind together at a time like this to help each other heal. You were there for us, now we need to be there for eachother.

Through your loss I hope we all learn to appreciate each other a little more, appreciate life a little more and appreciate all the special people that walk through it.

You’re greatly missed...

Monday, May 7, 2012

We're 3 Months Old Today!

Blurry, but as good as it gets

What we are currently up to...

  • Eating
  • Sleeping
  • Smiling (rarely captured by a camera)
  • Playing with our big brother, Furio
  • Making new friends everywhere we go!



Next month we go back to the doctor to see how big we're getting! We'll make sure Momma updates everyone.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Words to live by...


Exciting Vendor Find!

Lemonberry Kiss had another great event yesterday! We were asked to join the St. Thomas the Apostle "Mom's Boutique" for a 2nd year! We sold some great pieces and met some fabulous people. 


I wanted to tell you about an exciting vendor I met yesterday. "Grace Abounding" was created by Janis Hughes and she specializes in handmade jewelry and vintage findings. Many of her items include hand stamped metal charms that she stamps using a hammer in her kitchen. There is a lot of work and love put into every piece and it shows! Janis was so sweet to gift me with a beautiful necklace of hers that I was in love with! My necklace reads "Blessed" with four sparkly rhinestones above it. Everything about this pieces is hand crafted from start to finish and it is truly stunning.



Janis is a local Phoenician and Mommy to 2 young ladies. After many years as a special ed teacher she decided to tap into her crafty side for a change of pace. Janis hand picks every detail of her pieces, often with her identical twin sister, for a truly unique product. Many of Janis's items have an inspirational feel allowing her faith to shine through. 



Grace Abounding is truly a treasure among the crafty community. You can shop Grace Abounding's unique items here

Monday, April 30, 2012

Twin Poem

Twins
By Wendy Silva

You were bonded together in the Heavens, before you came to Earth
You heard each others heart begin to beat, and you shared your day of birth.

If one of you began to cry the other joined in to show how much they cared.
You began learning about your differences, and about interests that you shared.

You have doubled a Mother's love in so many ways and in all the things you do.
I am truly grateful to have received such a special gift, for I was blessed with two.


I wanted to share this little twin poem that I was given by one of my lovely nurses when Roxy and Rocco were born. My nurse Marion is a twin and said she carried this poem with her everyday on her clip board to remind her of how special it is to be a twin. Thanks Marion!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Important words from Marilyn...


A Tough one to Write...


I have been fortunate enough to have a many strong, inspiring and compassionate women in my life. Sadly, on March 8th one of those women passed away. Just one month and one day after bringing my twins into this world my Doctor and Friend, Dr. Shannon Moorehead quietly left this world. The void that her death has brought is immeasurable. She meant so many things to so many people, to me, she meant the world.

I hadn’t planned on writing a blog post about Dr. Moorehead, but when I decided to start a blog, I knew one of my first posts had to be in her honor. I apologize in advance for the length of this post, there is just no simple or fast way to sum up my relationship with Shannon. Over the last month and a half I have poured over many words and stories shared by Shannon’s friends, family, co-workers and patients. Reading these stories of Shannon has become a great comfort. It’s a great reminder that she was so important to so many people. I hope that my memories of Shannon will provide similar comfort for others that are grieving.

Shannon’s departure was far too soon. She was only 39 years old and had so much life still to live. But, to understand my relationship with Dr. Moorehead we will have to start from the beginning...

I first began seeing Dr. Moorehead the summer before my 21st birthday when I knew my body wasn’t functioning correctly and it would be best to have things checked out. I went over a list of a hundred doctors covered by my insurance plan. Dr. Shannon Moorehead stood out for some reason. Her name sounded kind and she was from the midwest, I liked that. Also, I noticed that she was quite young and hadn’t been practicing for very long. That was important to me, even at that time I knew I wanted to find a doctor that could treat me through my childbearing years. I was so nervous at my first appointment, but she put me at ease immediately. She was so knowledgeable, confident and humble that I knew I had made the right choice. After talking for a few minutes she said that she suspected I had PCOS and would need further testing to be sure. PCOS can be a nasty thing, and it varies from woman to woman. Luckily, my case was pretty mild, but we knew it could still jeopardize my fertility in the future. Days after my first appointment I got a call from Dr. Moorehead. She gave me all of my test results and she had a plan of action ready to go. I didn’t know her very well, but trusted her opinion and went along with her suggestions.
PCOS can cause infertility in a lot of women. But, from the very beginning Dr. Moorehead assured me that when the time was right, I would get pregnant and I wouldn’t need her help or any medical intervention to make it happen. Turns out, she was right. Fast forward 2 years and I was pregnant with our first baby. We were so excited and Dr. Moorehead was excited for us. It had been a long 2 years of trying. But there were concerns. At the time of conception I was at my highest weight ever. I was also insulin resistant and borderline diabetic. These are all very scary things, but especially so when you are trying to grow a new life. Dr. Moorehead was always very proactive with my care and the care of our growing boy. During my pregnancy with Furio, Dr. Moorehead was also pregnant with her 3rd son, Jacob. It was an exciting time for both of us and I’m lucky we got to share that. As my due date grew near Dr. Moorehead strongly recommended a scheduled c-section for Furio’s delivery. I was skeptical and was set on a natural childbirth. She explained that due to my circumstances that might not be a possibility. I trusted her judgment and Furio was born via scheduled c-section on August 18th, 2009. The operation went very smoothly and she explained everything to me as we went along. She even held my hand and told me all about redecorating her son’s room to a Star Wars theme while the Anesthesiologist gave me my spinal just before surgery. During surgery she talked about how excited she was that she would be the one on the operating table in just 6 weeks and 1 day to welcome Jacob into the world. 



Dr. Moorehead and Furio - 8/21/2009

I continued to see Dr. Moorehead regularly over the next few years, often with different concerns. One appointment all we discussed was getting ready for baby #2. The next appointment we discussed my weight and how it was imperative to get it under control prior to getting pregnant again. You see, my weight has been a struggle my entire life. In all the years I had been seeing Dr. Moorehead she never once made me feel badly about it. She was always very gentle and non judgemental. She would offer tips and suggest programs, but year after year my weight kept climbing. In 2010 I decided to pursue weight loss surgery, a Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy to be specific. I knew that to get insurance approval, I would need Dr. Moorehead’s help. Since the time I began seeing her, not only was she my OB/GYN, but she was also my Primary Care Physician. I wrote her a detailed letter explaining the surgery I wanted and how I felt it would benefit my life. Within days of mailing the letter to her office I got a phone call from her. Unfortunately, I missed her call, but I’ll never forget the voicemail she left me. She literally squealed with delight that I wanted a VSG. She had a personal friend and colleague that had recently undergone a VSG and had fantastic results. She was very excited to help me get my approval and get on the road to a healthier life. She put in a lot of time to write a wonderful letter of recommendation for me. Thanks to that letter, my surgery was approved and scheduled very quickly.

I saw Dr. Moorehead for the first time since my weight loss surgery just 5 months after my VSG. I was down 80lbs and recently found out I was pregnant again. We were elated, but once again concerned. This time the circumstances were much different. My weight was in a healthier range and I didn’t have the diabetic concerns that I did last time. But I was freshly out of weight loss surgery and that’s not the best environment for a pregnancy to thrive. Prior to my first prenatal visit we bumped into Dr. Moorehead and her boys at Toys R Us one Saturday. She hugged me and assured me that everything would be ok and that these babies were meant to be and were right on time. She was right, week after week she would give me an ultrasound and there was not one, but two healthy babies. They were growing, thriving and looked perfect.

During my pregnancy with the twins I heard so much about Dr. Moorehead’s sister Heather. She had twins a few years prior, one boy and one girl. You could tell they truly had a special bond by the way that Dr. Moorehead would talk about Heather and her babies. Dr. Moorehead also mentioned to me (on a few occasions) that she had to honor of giving Heather a mid pregnancy ultrasound that revealed she was having a boy and a girl. I knew that moment was so special and meant so much to both Dr. Moorehead and to Heather. I loved to hear her talk about her family, they all meant so much to her.

Once again Dr. Moorehead worked her magic and on February 7th, 2012 Roxanne and Rocco were born by scheduled c-section. Once again the surgery went perfect and we were blessed with 2 more healthy babies.


Dr. Moorehead with Roxy and Rocco - 2/8/2012
Sadly, one month later our Doctor and Patient relationship would come to an end. I’ll never forget my very last visit with her. It was my 2 week postpartum check up. Unfortunately, it was one of those days that the office was very busy and she didn’t have much extra time to chat. But we discussed my weight goals, what it was like to have a little lady in the house and how many bows and headbands I had already made for Roxy.

I’ll never forget the day I got that horrible phone call. I was one week away from my 6 week check up. When I saw her name come up on my phone I figured it was just another appointment confirmation call. The voice on the other end confirmed my appointment for the following week then said we had to reschedule because Dr. Moorehead had died suddenly the week before. I was in shock, and still am. These are the types of phone calls that are so hard to receive. I’m sure they were even harder for her staff to make. I’ll always be grateful that I learned of her untimely death just in time to attend her services. Being there was incredibly difficult, but I knew I would regret not going. The service was a beautiful celebration of her life and the number of people in attendance was a true testimony to how many lives she had touched.

Shannon will always be remembered for her warmth, her compassion, her knowledge, her charm, her humble nature and her impeccable bedside manor. She will also be remembered for her lightheartedness, her iridescent clogs that she wore often, and her ability to be real with her patients. She was silly, fun, caring and a little bit dorky. But these were all the things I loved about her. When times were good, she would celebrate with you and when times were bad, she would cry with you.

Shannon wasn’t just a Doctor and a friend, she was also a Daughter, a Sister and more importantly a Mom. She took her role as a Mother very seriously and I think it was her favorite time of day, when she just got to be “Mommy”. She talked about her boys Josh, Ethan and Jacob often. She enjoyed watching the boys at football practice in the evening, volunteering in their classrooms at school and singing “You are my sunshine” to them. I know these things because she told me about them and you could see the love in her eyes every time she had the opportunity to tell me a funny story about one of her boys. 


Shannon with 4 of her favorite guys. Her Father Lowell and boys Josh, Ethan and Jacob.
A big thank you to Shannon's Mom, Sandy for letting me borrow this beautiful picture.

Shannon always told great stories, even when they were about her doing things she wasn’t so proud of. At one visit while discussing our weight loss attempts she told me how she had inhaled an entire package of white chocolate covered oreos for dinner the night before. We had a good laugh about it and I have since heeded her advice and steered clear of those white chocolate covered oreos. According to her, they were very dangerous to have around. But, that was Shannon. She was never afraid to show that she was a real person too, just like the rest of us. That was all part of her charm and what made her so special and it’s also why so many people felt such a deep connection with her. I’m so lucky to have been one of those people.

I will miss having Dr. Moorehead as my doctor. But even more, I will miss having Shannon as my friend. I’ll miss all our little chats about silly things that really don’t matter, but they mattered to us. I’ll miss getting potty training tips from her, having girl talk with her and sharing our common struggles in life. I’ll never forget one of my prenatal visits this past November. I had just had some hot pink tinsel strands threaded in my hair. The second she walked into the room that’s all she could talk about. We talked a little about the twins, but they were looking good and growing well, so we had time to discuss girly things like glittery tinsel. She loved how fun it looked and we both agreed that we need a little a fun in our lives. At my next visit the following week there was Dr. Moorehead with a few gold strands of tinsel in her hair. It’s a silly memory of her, but I’ll think of her everytime I get tinsel in my hair and I’ll remember that we all do need a little fun in our lives.

I’ll never forget how when the twins were born she’d pop by my hospital room from time to time just to hang out. Technically, she was there to check out her handy work and make sure that things were healing well and looked good. Once business was taken care of though she would grab a baby and get comfy. It didn’t matter if there were others in the room or not, she would jump right into the conversation while smiling and making faces at the babies. The day we were discharged she dropped in a few times. The last time she stopped by, she brought us a bag full of samples and goodies from the nursery just to make sure we were covered for the first few days at home.

I will think of Shannon and her boys daily and be forever grateful to her for helping bring my 3 little angels into this world. She was and always will be one of the most classy, compassionate and intelligent women that I ever had the privilege of knowing. I hope you have found some peace Shannon.

Because we knew you, we have all been changed for good.