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.

Ten for February

10. February holds three family birthdays for us--two brothers and a nephew.  We had a lot of fun picking and pairing presents this year, which led us to a few gems.  My running brother received a hydration waist pack, since my running is currently done vicariously through him.  Another brother received Roast Beef Bubble Gum (among other things), which apparently led to fun times with friends and a cameo on Facebook.  Then, my nephew received candy legos--which I secretly wanted for myself.  I love to pick out presents for family, so three in one month was pretty fun!

9. In my last post, I mentioned the flowers that Devin spontaneously brought me.  I have loved having them around.  Seriously, I think it's one of the cutest and most thoughtful things when he gives me something "just because."  I'm a big fan of surprises, so this works out pretty well for me.  Even better, the flowers didn't loose their first petals until day 24 in our house!  I love that 7 day guarantee!

8. We celebrated Valentine's in the most wonderfully low-key way ever.  We made pizza together.  I made Devin a giant cookie.  He gave me a box of lindor truffles.  We watched some Netflix wearing pajama pants.  We both said thoughtful things and reminisced a little.  We ignored our phones.  Honestly, with how busy things have been lately during the weeks, it was the perfect day.

7. I frequently refer to the Moose as being "on crack" these days.  It's a great excuse whenever he's acting particularly odd.  But, he's also taken to sniffing the tiny gaps between our hardwood (original with the house from 1926) to try and find something of interest.  We have a few stray cats in the neighborhood that occasionally go under there, so we're guessing this is what he's trying to catch a whiff of during these super sniffer sessions.  It's pretty hilarious unless it's been going on for half an hour or more...or it's time for bed, and he won't stop.  Blue joins him on occasion, but mostly it's Moose who loves his crack.

6. I'm re-learning how to sew.  Last month, I said I might go buy a needle and thread.  Well, I've bought that and a whole lot more!  While I haven't actually taken the machine out of the box yet (tomorrow, maybe?), I have a plethora of basic sewing supplies and an assortment of fabrics.  I've already got a couple of projects lined up, and a bunch more I want to do if those turn out okay!  Pinterest has been a great help here...I'm pretty much addicted to that site these days.

5. Last week, the new kids (they might be 20) who just moved into the rental next door decided to leave their new LCD tv box in front of our house for pick up so that no one would know they had a new tv worth taking.  I was livid.  But, I practiced a great deal of self control and left it for Devin to deal with when he got home.  He talked to the kids, intimidated them a little, and broke down the box for recycling.  I think I would have yelled a bit more, cried in anger on their front porch, and generally made a hormonal mess of things.  So, I'm proud of my self control for not doing any of the above.

4. Devin is now in his pediatrics rotation.  He enjoyed the pace of outpatient clinic, and was able to get a lot of practice in during the two weeks.  He especially enjoyed advocating for some of the ADHD kids who came through.  Now, he's moved over to inpatient.  The days are much longer, but he's doing equally well.  Yesterday, a six year old girl gave him and iCarly thank you note telling him he did a good job.  It was adorable!

3. I love getting surprise mail from sisters!  For Valentine's day, I had one sister send me cute socks, tear-and-fold Valentines for me and the baby, and a giant bag of Smarties!  Just before Valentine's, I received an envelope with three new maternity shirts from my sister who is also pregnant!  She'd found a deal and decided to share the wealth.  And, it gave me a new pink shirt to wear on the 14th.  Add to that a glider that came in the mail yesterday and a crib that was delivered on the first (both gifts!), and it's pretty easy to see why I love seeing what's come when I get home from work!

2. Devin's prepped the grill again for the good weather season!  Last week, all the Boy Scouts from the troop he works with came to our house to learn how to grill.  So, he spent a Saturday clearing the patio of leaves, raking the back yard (in preparation for spring planting!), and re-seasoning all the grill grates.  When they arrived Wednesday evening, a delicious meal of steak, barbecue chicken, shrimps, and vegetables was grilled and served.  We've since had salmon and just bought some more foods to grill as well!

1. I'm now 24 weeks along in this pregnancy!  We are pretty excited to hit this milestone, as it increases the chance of having a healthy baby even if I go into preterm labor.  However, baby and I are both doing fine, so this isn't a huge concern--just a nice reassurance!  It also make the big day seem less distant as well.  Our nursery is taking shape, and we've been organizing the whole house in an effort to get ready for the big arrival.  June is feeling a lot closer these days!

First Phone Dump

For Christmas, my brother got me a mini SD card.  I've been using my phone camera more and more now that I can actually store more than a handful of photos...I love it!  So, I figure it's time to share a few of my favorite random shots.

A few weekends ago, our Saturday morning plans fell through.  Since we were already out, we rushed to Chick-fil-a, only to arrive just past 10:30.  The manager was not only kind enough to have the kitchen make a couple extra biscuits when they'd already switched to lunch, but she also threw in free hash browns!  Then, we spent the day discussing buying our own franchise someday.

Moose loves to bury his head while sleeping.  Lately, he's gotten a little extreme with it.  A couple weeks ago,  he snuggled up while I was watching tv, giving me a little Moose bow-tie from his ears.  Seriously, my dogs are awesome.

I don't even remember quite how this morning happened.  My phone tells me it was another Saturday morning shot.  I'm pretty much in love with Saturday mornings these days, so it's no surprise to me that this photo was taken then.  I do know I've got the three cutest boys living with me though!

That same Saturday I was low on cocoa krispies and peanut butter cheerios.  Add them together?  Yes please!!

Most days the boys come with me to pick up Devin at the end of the day.  (We ride together; I get done earlier than him.)  I was so excited to finally snap this shot at a stoplight.  I'm still trying to get one of Moose's ears flapping in the wind, but I can only try that when I'm not the one driving!

I received a Valentine's package from my sister.  She may be the only one who remembers quite how much I loved smarties as a kid.  I could get a whole pile of them in a trade for one fun sized snickers bar.  I loved Halloween for this reason.

A couple weekends ago, Devin bought me just because flowers.  They came with a 7 day guarantee.  They are now on day 18 in our house, and still look just this pretty.  Needless to say, I did not get new flowers on Valentine's day!

I've Found It!

True love is...

...finding someone who appreciates you while sweaty.

...finding someone who will embrace silly traditions with you.

...finding someone you love to get dirty with.

...finding someone to tackle a big challenge with you.

...finding someone who makes you laugh more than anyone else.

...finding someone who makes you feel like you've found your other half.

...finding that person you never want to let go of...and knowing they feel the same way.

I feel pretty fortunate to know that I've found all of these things.  I have a wonderful husband who shows me every day how much he loves me.  He insists I'm pretty and demands a kiss before letting me pass while blocking my way to the tissues when my allergies are acting up.  He reaches for me in his half asleep state when I stumble back to bed in the middle of the night after yet another bathroom trip knowing I don't like getting up and will probably be shivering...and he just wants to make it better.  He washes apples for me, cooks me dinner, and almost always does the dishes.  He warms blankets in the dryer for me, lets me hold the remote, and never misses kissing me goodnight.  Every day I find myself more grateful for him and more appreciative of the love he gives me.  Happy Valentine's Day my Babe!