Ten for March

10. We saw the Hunger Games opening night!  I read the first book last summer and then got the next two in early fall.  I love, love, loved the books, and really hoped the movie stayed true.  Honestly, I wasn't at all disappointed.  Devin hadn't read the books, but knew how much I loved them and thus insisted on the opening night IMAX tickets for us.  It was very sweet.  We got there super early, and still had to wait in line to get in the theater.  It was all worth it, though.  Even Devin loved the movie enough to admit his wouldn't mind seeing it again!

9. We've found a new friend we lovingly refer to as "Mount Potate."  On at least a couple occasions this month, we've made him the star of our dinner--the main dish in fact.  We've learned that we really love a big pile of mashed potatoes, and have learned how to dress them up sans gravy.  It's been a little different every time, but they are generally a little healthier than the buttered and gravied counterparts.  And, we find them much tastier this way, too!

8. With the beautiful weather we've been having, we've made a return to the dog park.  We've been several times this month, and it's so much fun to watch the boys soak it all in.  Moose frequently turns himself into the center of attention for both the dogs and the people.  He's having too much fun and is just too adorable not to watch.  However, Blue can definitely hold his own, too.  He may not be quite so ostentatious, but he definitely has fun and draws affection, too.  It's fun to watch their personalities, see the other dogs, and chat with the other owners as well.  We're trying to take advantage of it as much as we can before the weather gets too warm to enjoy it anymore.

7. I've gotten "just because" flowers twice this month.  Add that on to the one time last month, and I've been pretty spoiled lately.  Devin's come to enjoy seeing them in the house, and knows how very happy it makes me.  I give him a hard time that they are actually a consolation prize for the fact that I'm getting so huge.  But, he insists they really are "just because," and I'm not going to argue too hard on that one.

6. My first baby shower was on the 17th!  I had a great time with my wives' club, and really appreciated all the gifts I received.  It was themed as a bring a book baby shower, so we now have a nice little library started in the nursery.  It was fun to sort and put them on the shelf.  There's a nice mix of nursery rhymes, Dr. Suess, Eric Carle, puppet books, Little Golden Books, and some more classic children's titles.  Devin has already laughed and enjoyed a couple of them, too!

5. On the baby note, my third trimester has officially arrived.  With it came some less than fun tests (which I passed) and an increase in appointments.  Strangely though, I feel better now than I have at any point previously in my pregnancy.  Many annoying symptoms have eased up, I'm sleeping well, and I'm loving feeling so much movement these days.  I know it's unrealistic to assume the entire final trimester will feel this great, but I definitely hope it stays this way for a while.

4. A lot of progress has been made towards Devin's next phase(s) of medical training.  He's now registered for both boards he has to take at the end of summer, we've been working out his schedule for next year, he's begun applying for away rotations during the upcoming school year, he's investigating residency programs, he's started on his CV and personal statement, and he's begun the process for match.  All of this seems to be happening crazy fast!  Honestly, I sometimes wonder how single students manage to do it all.  It's been a lot of work already, and we're just scratching the surface.  I don't mind helping him at all, but it really does take up time for both of us!

3. Last weekend we did a seven mile hike at Mistletoe.  We've been wanting to get our there for months, and we finally made it!  The dogs loved it, of course, and I handled it even better than I expected!  I didn't think I'd have problems, but I definitely was impressed with the pace we were able to keep.  It wasn't that much slower than pre-pregnancy!  Of course, Devin carried the day pack the whole time, we went through a lot more water, and I had to sneak off and pee in the bushes, but that's not that bad, right?

2. Devin has started his "radi-holiday."  The radiology rotation is notoriously easy, and has earned this nickname for sure.  I'm loving all the extra hours that I get with him, the totally free weekends, and the knowledge that there won't be a test at the end of this block!

1. It's officially Spring Break!  We have some great plans coming up, which I actually plan to blog about afterwards.  And, we kicked it off with the most perfect day ever yesterday--another post I've started to write.  Honestly, life is really good right now.  Having this week ahead only makes it better, though!

Two Decades Later

She used to be the "little sister."  I liked to dress her up, boss her around, and try to make her think I was the coolest person ever.  She's one of the very few people who ever thought I was cool for the first half of my life.  Mostly, she could be easily bribed.

 At some point, that all changed.  While I was only marginally more "cool," we actually had fun together.  I didn't even have to bribe her to spend time with me.  Sure, we take some pretty akward pictures, but the laughter behind them is all genuine.

 Two dacades later, she's not really a "little" sister.  She's just a sister.  Having a younger sibling turn into a friend has got to be one of the best parts of growing up.  I know longer mind being tied to you forever.  Happy 20th Birthday Jessa!  I love you!!

Springtime for Puppies

Do you see that poor, droopy, sad little eye?  It's about a hundred times better than it was three days ago.  After having lots of fun outdoors on Saturday, both dogs had pretty bad allergy attacks.  I've spent several days using special eye wash twice a day, applying a prescription ointment for Blue's worse eye, and administering Benadryl.  It's pretty pathetic.  We've actually skipped walks the last couple days because we were afraid to aggravate it.  Thankfully, they welcomed the official start of spring with things looking pretty under control this morning.

In an ironic twist, my allergies have given me very few complaints this year.  As in, I haven't even considered taking even anything mild because my symptoms have been so minimal (or nonexistent!).  I'm excited for a spring full of hiking, camping, and grilling without problems.  It's pretty exciting as far as I'm concerned!

Daylight

Daylight savings was rough for a couple days there.  I wasn't sure I'd ever adjust.  Of course, the fog and the cloudy skies didn't help at all.  This morning, though, I've watched the sky grow bluer and brighter as the sun finally peeked up over the hospital.  My plants seem to be willing themselves just a little closer to the rays.  And, I'm grateful that I'm here early enough to enjoy this scene.  If only someone would wash my window...then it'd all be perfect.