July 2013 Photos

July. What a month.

After orientation to residency in June, Aaron and I both started our jobs on July 1. Aaron was on Internal Medicine teaching service, and I was on Pediatric wards, which are our programs' different ways of saying that we were on teams taking care of patients on the general medical floors of our hospitals. So, in other words, we were taking care of the patients who are sick enough to need to be hospitalized, but not sick enough to need to go to an intensive care unit.

These months are the months (in addition to ICU months) with the most work and longest hours. We hit the ground running, often bumping up against the ceilings of our 80 hour per week work limits.

I had been really nervous about it, but I felt actual pretty well prepared for my work. The hours, however, were still a shock to the system after being on vacation for a couple months. 

I missed this sweet face while I was putting in such long hours in the hospital....

But, God is good, and He took care of us, as He always does. My sisters were home for the summer, so they pitched in a lot to help my parents with Julia while we were working.

As you will see below, we still managed to have a little summer fun in July, despite the craziness with work.

We had a lot of fun with the wiggle worm sprinkler in our front yard!

I found Julia's tuxedo-dressed bear, Baxter, with pink lips. Someone *cough*Julia*cough* had used a crayon for lipstick!

Climbing with help from Daddy!

A very rare day off TOGETHER!

There were some seriously awesome rainbows this month. What a great reminder of God's faithfulness in such a challenging month!

Julia named this blow up minion "Shobee Go" (???) initially, but later switched to calling him, "Joey." She always insists that Joey is her brother.

I crumpled Izzy! I was backing out a space, running out for some food for everyone while I was on a week of night float, and didn't notice the metal pole right next to my parking space in the parking garage. *Sniff*

Papa Mark came to town for work!

Uncle Erik reading to Blaise and Julia.

Gee, Papa, and the grandkids!

So happy together!

Dr. Mommy with Dr. Julia!

One Saturday that I had off (Aaron was working), I took Julia to a berry farm to pick berries. It was out waaaaay south of the city.

And it was closed. Fail.

So we drove the long way home, stopping at a farmer's market on the way back into town. I let Julia pick where we ate lunch. We will try to go berry picking earlier in the season next year!!

Julia's art really improved this month.

Enjoying some ice cream at Gee and Papa's house!

I made this cake for a fellow intern's birthday at the end of the month. At some point in the month, we had had a patient who had ingested poisonous mushrooms, so to tease him, I made a cake with "poison mushrooms" (caramel marshmallows and peanut butter cups) on it ;-)

Summer Reading Club 2013

Julia participated in the summer reading club at our local library again this summer! As a former summer teen volunteer at my local library, this warms my heart ;-)

She has participated every year since she was born - at around 7 months, around 19 months, and then this year at around age 2 1/2.

When she completed the program in July, Julia received a book of awesome coupons that we largely (or maybe entirely?) failed to use. She also got a medal again and a stuffed groundhog.

Aaron and I both love to read, and we've been trying to instill that love in Julia since she was a newborn. My parents, too, have fostered that love.

We go to the library about once a month, sometimes more often. Books check out for 2 weeks, but I usually renew them for a couple more weeks. My family was recently giving me a hard time for because the automated book check out machine was not letting me check out more books....

....because I already had more than 50 books checked out at one time.

Whoops.

I know, I know, it sounds ridiculous! But, the reason I had so many out was that I had some fiction books checked out for me, some cookbooks checked for recipes for my recent French cooking kick, and tons of picture books checked for Julia. Like more than 30 picture books.

My family was incredulous that I would want to keep track of that many picture books. I said that I only check out a ton because I get bored of the picture books! Julia is happy to read a few ones over and over and over again, but I like some variety in the rotation!

At least our library system eliminated overdue fines on children's books, preventing this from happening again...

December 2011 library fine receipt. Amazingly, for a receipt that long, I only owed $17.65, $11.95 of which was for one board book that I had to buy because Julia chewed and destroyed one of the corners.

Proud reader.

Hooray for summer reading club and hooray for having a fun daughter to read with winter, spring, summer, and fall! Sharing children's books together is such a unique delight! I can't wait to share some of my favorite books and book series with Julia when she gets a little older! Until then, I'm also enjoying my robust rotation of picture books! ;-)

June 2013 Photos

June was a good month. We got a lot accomplished around the house before starting residency, and also jammed in as much family fun as possible, soaking each other in before residency. I had to start residency orientation in mid-June, but Aaron only had a 3 day orientation, so he had more time with Julia after I'd already started. The big things in June were Fathers' Day, Alex's wedding, our fourth anniversary, and a family reunion, but here are some photos of many of the small moments that made June a wonderful month.

There was an awesome concert series in the auditorium at the library near our house. One week we saw the Que Pastas.

Another week we saw Charlie Hope. I loved her!

Julia's quite a bit bigger than the first time I took her photo by this statue, isn't she?

Cousin love!

Ultimate Frisbee spectators

Our men were playing frisbee, so we hit up the playground.

Umm... Meghan gave me a hard time about taking a photo of Mary-Claire's thighs... but who could resist? Are they not the cutest thighs you've ever seen? So squishy.

Aw, man. This photo of us in my parents' backyard oasis makes me miss the summer time. A lot, a lot.

I repainted a wall in the guest room. It had been blue ever since we moved in, but I decided to paint it to match the other walls.

Better, huh?

Julia got into markers. She said that she was "Tigger."

At a going away party for our friend, Alex, who was leaving to discern his vocation with a monastery in Ireland.

Aaron's mom and Jessica came to town to watch Julia while my family was out of town, and my family opened their pool to us ;-)

Remember these Lord of the Rings halloween costumes I made? Well, Julia loves having people dress up and dance with her in them! My family is full of good sports!

Gee, Papa, and their baby hobbit.

Good sports, I tell you.

ONLY Julia could convince them to dress us like this for her. Haha!

More splash pad fun! The night before our first day of residency (after orientation) we had a picnic in the park.

My new favorite picture of Aaron... haha!

Julia thinks this statue is Mary and Jesus. We let her continue to think so. She loves them.