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!)

Hey where's that ticker go?

you know the one on graduation countdown...two weeks from today.

Back in action....

My oh my this whole month has been such a whirlwind and now it's Memorial Day weekend?? Where has the month gone? We had a really good time in Niagara Falls until Simon started puking the morning of Marks' Wedding. He didn't stop until well into the evening and we both missed the wedding. We were so so disappointed, I was looking forward to seeing Mark and his wife and meeting his family we've heard so much about. Impecable timing. Oh well, I suppose things happen, but what a bummer!

Simon was a trooper through his illness. He even made the comment after he threw up for the first time, "ewww that was dross (gross)". Poor little guy. He had a great time with his cousin Nicholas though, they were sooo cute together. Nicky is 10 months old and such a sweet little guy. Simon just loved to make him laugh, and cry apparently as one time I heard him yell for Kim from the living room, "Mama! I'm sitting on baby Nicky!" I don't know if he knew that sitting on your cousin earns you a time out. Life's big lessons learned on vacation in New York.

Simon also enjoyed the "big water" (the falls) and the Hard Rock Cafe. We tried to make a baseball game, but ended the trip a day early since everyone was feeling a little under the weather at that point. Oh and the trick to keeping a toddler entertained for 10 (!) hours in the car...borrow his big sister's portable DVD player. If I have to watch Wiggle Bay one more time...

Simon, baby Nick and cousin Tony

Heading out of town!

We are finally starting to feel settled in the new house. Simon has become more of his normal self, it is very very nice! We did some planting (flowerboxes) around the house and I dug up the garden for planting soon! We're heading out of town tomorrow to Niagara Falls to see family and go to our friend Mark's wedding! We always thought Mark would be the eternal bachelor, but he's marrying a wonderful woman this Saturday in Toronto. We'll probably be gone until the following Monday or Tuesday and we will update them with pictures of our trip. Think of us tomorrow, 10 hours in the car with a very active two year old...GROAN. And when we return, let the graduation fun begin!