I promise promise to post more soon, but in the meantime please welcome Simon's new half brother Baker who was born two days ago!  We're very excited to meet this little guy and his big brother Just Jack in a few short weeks.

Some Fall time pics

Studly

This picture totally makes me laugh, do you think I should sign him up for one of those crazy baby modeling things? I could very easily fulill the role of neurotic mother, oh wait, I already do...

Simon and Ian

Grumpa trying to convince Simon that canoeing really is fun.

These pics were from a fun day at the lake about a month ago with friends and family. An annual event that is so much fun, especially watching a new generation emerge and grow. We had such a fun summer and are sad to see it go, but with a passing summer comes early fall and apple picking and hay rides and Halloween and Wiggly concerts in Massachusetts, likely to be the highlight of our fall season this year. Simon is well of course, growing like a weed, talking up a storm and getting ready for football season, he's been practicing being "big Ben". Unfortunetly his being big Ben the other day ended him up in the toilet and crying for help, don't ask, I'm not even sure what happened :)

Simon is potty trained too! A big accomplishment that he and we are very proud of. No more diapers! It was a little (just a little) sad to put away all those cute cloth diaper covers and replace them with Handy Manny and Thomas the Train underwear, but I love not have all the laundry and it certainly make outings that much easier. Our boy certainly is growing up. Too fast.

I'm enjoying my new job, with all its newfound responsibility, although I still have to squelch that urge in the middle of the night when I get paged with, "Mr. X has a fever, his blood pressure is in the toilet and he can't breathe," to say, "Shouldn't you call a doctor?" I suppose everything in it's own time. However, I am on vacation this week and loving being home and spending time with people other than my coworkers, who I do love, don't get me wrong! It's just nice to have time to do other things like finally file Simon's second parent adoption paperwork. It has always irked me a little (okay a lot) that his birth certificate only has my name on it and says that I was "unmarried" at the time of his birth.

I'll try not to make it another two months without updates pics of the boy, but time is precious right now. Too precious. Blessings to those who put the cap on 80 hour work weeks though, it could have been much much worse.

I love my new job!!!

Hooray! I started my real job last Monday. It was a difficult week with the transition, although not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I am so excited about getting started for real and I love love love the team I am working with. We have had a really fun week in spite of the numerous hours of computer training and team meetings and CPR training. Yuck. I feel so fortunate, not only do I think the other residents are great, but the faculty are wonderful too. I did the call schedule for the year with another intern and it turns out that we only have 25 days on call for the year. That turns out to be about once every two weeks. A far cry from the every fourth night call that most interns have! I feel so lucky and glad to have such a well established program that we are able to do that. And I thin quite possibly the best things about my job is FREE FOOD! That's right doctors eat for free.

Things at home are great. Simon has had a ton of fun this fourth of July weekend, he got to spend the night at Grammie and Grumpa's house on Friday night after a fun day celebrating Merma's 81st birthday. She's doing well, it's sad when she has some insight that she isdemented like the comment, "I just don't understand why I can't remember that my mom and dad died already." Although she is just so funny when she says things like, "That Garth never was too bright!" After my brother (Eric) made some bonehead comment. Oh well.

Yesterday we went to a seafood place in Portland which was so yummy and then we went off to a baseball game. Today maybe the beach and then the first birthday party of the Barstow babies (Lion's Den). I can't believe they are a year old already! Congratulations and a shout out to Chris and Becca for making it through the first year. I was so blessed to be a part of the birth of these two wonderful kids (even though Liz won't let me near her right now). It's so amazing to be present at a birth and even more special when they're friends! Oh boy, getting a little sappy...I just love watching kids grow!

We have some friend staying with us this weekend too which has been fun. Xavier and I built a train city last night for Simon to play trains with that takes up most of the living room. Tomorrow, back to work! I think this may be one of the last times back to work ends in an exclamation point.

As promised, pics from graduation! It went off without a hitch, diploma received and I did not trip! Simon had lots of fun after eating the cookies, making new friends and playing with old friend we hadn't seen in a long while!

Simon and Mommy after the ceremony.

Simon feeding me the cookie he stole from a classmate of mine, I think he felt he deserved it more! Simon in his "graduyation hat!"

Simon and me and our friends Andrea and Iris, Iris was born our first year of med school in May and Andy took some time off with her baby too, so we were able to graduate together! With da besties...

A couple impromptu family shots outside of City Hall

And finally some time at home to relax with our favorite family of six... From left, Megan, Taryn, Shaelyn, Simon and Sean in the front...

Early AM conversation

Simon: I don't like juice.
Me: Really? What do you like?
Simon: Peaches and not the pit, bananas and Mommy!

June

...has turned out to se a very fun month for us so far. Yes, I made it to graduation day, I have lots of pics of the ceremony and the party, but have yet to find the camera cord in the moving madness but will certainly blog about graduation at a later date.

I do have some pics, however, of our very fun and special playdate with Simon's donor sister Ally and her mom Elizabeth and best pal Nancy. We were so excited to meet their little family and watch our children play together. The kids had a great time, a for two two year olds with missed naps were just wonderful. We played at the playgroup, took lots of pictures, got to know each other a little bit and had a yummy lunch complete with brownies for Ally and ice cream for Simon. It was just so cool to see the kids together, and I hope for Simon and Ally that this is just the beginning of a relationship they would like to continue. A wonderful day, two beautiful kids, a very special connection, we are so lucky. Here are some pics of our day!

Simon and Ally eat crayons (must be a donor trait!)