🖤Cupid in My Ovary: February’s Tumor Signs

Something felt off this February—but I chose to ignore it. 🤷‍♀️ The biggest sign was the persistent brown spotting. I kept thinking my period was coming, but January passed without it. 🗓️🩸I assumed it was just pre-menopause. I was having hot flashes, sleepless nights, and constant fatigue. 🔥😴😓 It all seemed to fit. But I didn’t realize that the symptoms I dismissed as hormonal shifts were pointing to something far more serious—more morbid than I ever imagined.

❄️ February 2, 2025 – Grace’s Birthday Igloo Bash 🎉

It was Grace’s turn to shine! 🌟 She picked Hudson for her birthday dinner and reserved a cozy outdoor table inside an igloo dome—yes, you read that right! ❄️🍽️

Getting dressed for the party was... a journey. I couldn’t ignore how my belly had grown—I was feeling self-conscious and knew it was time to get serious about exercise and maybe a little diet reboot. 🫣 I went through a few outfit changes (okay, maybe more than a few), but eventually settled on all black: tights and my trusty snow jacket. Classic, comfy, and belly-friendly. 🖤🧥

Mayet and Luisa swung by the house, and I drove us there. 🚗 When we arrived, the ambiance was pure winter wonderland—aesthetic perfection! Twinkling lights, frosty decor, and that magical dome waiting for us. ✨🌨️

Before heading in, I made a quick bathroom stop—again. Not even 30 minutes after leaving the house, I was spotting dark brown and wondering if my period was finally showing up (it ghosted me all of January). Maybe it’s just pre-menopause doing its thing? 🤷‍♀️🩸

Inside the dome, our table was beautifully set, complete with a fire stove to keep us warm. 🔥 It was the perfect setup for Grace’s celebration. We ordered a feast—so much food, plus dessert! The chocolate cake? To die for. 🍫🎂

Grace blew out her candles, paused, and made a wish. ✨💫 After dinner, four of us decided to keep the fun rolling—literally—with a round of bowling. 🎳 We played two sets, and most of us actually improved! (Who knew we had hidden bowling skills?)

We headed home late, full of food, laughter, and birthday joy.  As I load the pics, to create some reels, I notice even though I am wearing black but my belly still shows, that was my mindset when I went to bed🥱❤️

❄️ February 9, 2025 – Hudson Hot Air Balloon Affair . My ovary is flying away..🎈

This was an event I’d been looking forward to—because hey, it’s February, and it’s usually really, really cold. 🥶 We’d been chatting back and forth about the weather, and at one point, we kinda decided not to go. The forecast was brutal: negative temps. 🌡️

But the night before, I messaged the group chat to see if anyone wanted to go early in the morning instead of in the evening, which would be even colder. I was hoping to catch the sunrise with the hot air balloons floating in the background—so dreamy. 🌅🎈

Most of them replied no—it was too early and too cold. Mayet was supposed to come but missed the message. So I asked Jacob if he’d go with me, and he said yes! 🧤 Even though waking up early is a pain, he’s always good company. 😊

Parking was a nightmare—we had to walk about half a mile to the launch site. 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️ As we got closer, I could already see balloons rising into the sky, and the sunrise was stunning. I’ve always loved watching sunrises and sunsets. 🌄✨

Even though we dressed for the weather, it was dang freezing! 🧊 But the colorful hot air balloons, both on the ground and floating above, warmed my heart. They were absolutely beautiful. 🎨🎈

Before heading back to the car, I made a quick stop at the porta potty (nature calls!). 🚽 The hike back was a struggle—I was slow, catching my breath, feet frozen, and totally fatigued by the time we reached the car. 😮‍💨🥾

We wrapped up the morning by looking for a place to eat before heading home. 🍳☕ A chilly adventure, but so worth it, hot Air balloons + making memories and bonding with Jacob.

❄️ February 15, 2025 – Galentine’s: Not Single, Just Willing to Have Fun! 💃💘

Mike and I kicked off Valentine’s Day with a sweet lunch break date. 💐🌮 We went to one of our favorite Mexican spots, and I ordered something so good that Mike couldn’t resist sneaking bites off my plate. 😂 He brought me flowers and chocolates—of course. Classic and thoughtful. 🍫💕

Later that day, Jane hosted a Galentine’s pajama party—and wow, I did not expect it to be that fun! 🎉👯‍♀️ Not only was it post-Valentine’s, but it was also a sleepover! Jane went all out with the decor—Valentine’s vibes everywhere. 💖✨

She got us started with mimosas (I just had a taste 🍊🥂), and then came the feast: lechon belly and Filipino comfort food galore! 🍽️🇵🇭 Then came the spa treatments—Jane curated a pampering basket for each of us. From head to toe, we were spoiled! 🧖‍♀️🛁💅

Once we were relaxed and full of Filipino goodness, we decided to make some reels—and oh my gosh, that was the highlight of the night! 🎬🤣 We probably made five, and every time we filmed, we laughed so hard my stomach hurt. 😂🎥

During a break, I showed everyone my tummy and let them touch it. I told them, “It’s been growing… I haven’t had my period, just spotting.” Jane confirmed, “Yep, your stomach feels hard.” 🤰🩷. I didn’t think too much about, I just felt I was having a hard time breathing because we where lol during the party!

After all the giggles and reels, we settled down to watch a horror movie… which turned out to be terrible. 😬👻 So we ditched it and ended up sleeping in the living room—all of us bundled up like cozy chaos. 🛋️😴 I had a few bathroom breaks during the night and probably got only two hours of sleep. I was the first one up! ☕🌅

Naturally, we started the morning with coffee and a full Filipino breakfast spread: tocino, chorizo, hotdogs, corned beef, eggs, bangus, and rice. 🍳🍚🥓 My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

We wrapped up the morning with hugs, clean-up duty, and a big, grateful goodbye to Jane for hosting such a fun Galentine’s bash. 💞👋

❄️ February 26, 2025 – Nora’s Thaw & Ovary Symptoms: A February Saga 🧊🥴💃

How can you not visit the Ice Maze if you live in Minnesota? So of course, we all decided to go! 🧊🗺️ The tickets were even on sale—buy one, get one free. There’s a reason for that... 😅

Mike and I went together, and I remember struggling to climb the stairs—out of breath, tummy feeling huge. 😮‍💨 As I zipped up my winter coat, the zipper barely made it past my belly. That moment? Pretty depressing. 😔 Pre-menopause is really doing a number on me.

Every step felt like a workout, but Mike waited patiently. 🥹 He noticed the Vikings Museum nearby, with tons of jerseys on display. I remember him saying, “Let’s come back and buy our Viking jerseys.” 🏈💜

As we looked out over the Ice Maze… it was a melting mess. 🫠 Some ice sculptures were still intact, and the igloos were cool—they even had a ping-pong table! 🏓 We played for a few minutes, but that was about it.

We braved the maze anyway—it was soggy, slushy, and soaked our shoes. 💦🥶 Mike opted out (smart man), but Luisa’s husband was such a sport—he joined us and became our official photographer! 📸👏

After we finished the maze, Mike was already waiting outside, right by the exit. And in front of it? A giant ice slide! 🛷❄️ Everyone got excited, and Luisa and I decided to go for it. The moment I reached the top, I had second thoughts—I could feel my stomach pressing against me as I sat there. 😬

We talked it out and said, “You know what? Let’s just do it.” And sure enough—we did! 🙌 Can you believe I went down that slide? Out of breath, nervous, with a big belly… I swear, watching the video later, I thought, how did that tumor not burst?! 😳🎥 Thank goodness it didn’t!

After our icy adventure, we were cold, tired, and hungry. Grace was craving margaritas 🍹, so I dropped Mike off (he wanted to stay home), and we headed to a Mediterranean restaurant. 🥙✨

We had a relaxing conversation and enjoyed the food, though I barely ate—just the bread made me feel full. 🥖😵 We stayed until closing, soaking in the warmth, laughter, and sisterhood.

❄️ February 28, 2025 – Tubing Through Northern Lights 🌌🛷

We couldn't resist the Northern Lights tubing—it was the hottest ticket in town! 🔥✨ The only slot we managed to grab was for Friday at 8:30 PM. 🎟️

After work, I got ready and said goodbye to Mike (he didn’t want to come). 😅 Luisa was already waiting for me at the reception area. Before heading in, I wrestled with my snowpants—they wouldn’t zip! 😬 So I left them that way and laughed about it with Luisa while we waited for Grace. 👖❄️

We arrived an hour early and were lucky enough to get in right away since the crowd hadn’t built up yet. But after our second tubing run, we had to wait until our official 8:30 slot to go again. The line was long, but once we hit the hill—it was so much fun! 🛷💨

The lights and music were magical—like sliding through a winter rave. 🌈🎶 We managed four runs before our feet were frozen solid and we were ready to call it. 🧊🦶

We headed to one of our favorite bar spots nearby, hoping to grab food before the kitchen closed at 9. 🍽️ If I remember right, we ordered a big taco bowl, chicken tenders, and maybe one other thing. 🌮🍗 I was hungry... but also not. My stomach was bloated, and after just a couple bites, I was full. 😵‍💫

After all that tubing—climbing up and sliding down the hill—we were exhausted. 😮‍💨 We wrapped up the night with a late dinner and headed home—what a cool way to kick off the weekend before the brewing storm rolled in. 🌬️