January 2013

2013 started with a bang: January was a fantastic month.

I was doing my required ER rotation, which was 15 shifts, 1 of which was a nursing shift (to practice IVs, catheters, blood draws, etc.) and 1 of which was an EMS shift, riding on the back of an ambulance. Although it was hard to go back to work after having a month long vacation, it was great to ease back into rotations by having one where I only worked half of the days or nights of the month. To be fair, though, those days or nights that I worked were tiring. Twelve hour shifts just aren't my favorite. I did get to do more than on the average rotation, which was nice - stitches, incisions and drainages of abscesses, splinting fractures, etc. Aaron was on community hospital, which is a two month rural rotation. Fortunately, he was at one of the closest sites, about 45 minutes from home, and he had wonderful hours! Work-wise, we finally began to feel the joy of the easiness of fourth year that we had hitherto only heard about and had not yet experienced for ourselves. So nice.

Julia had a fun month, getting to celebrate the ongoing Christmas season, and getting to spend lots of time with Mommy and Daddy.

Enjoy our photos from the month!

Look! We found Mary in our play-doh! It's a miracle ;-)

Julia's heart is in Oklahoma :-)

Julia got a Christmas chocolate sandwich cookie off the counter and took one to the study/playroom to eat it. What a mess! Haha!

What talent!

Taking good care of Pooh. Forget honey... he loves his dairy.

At the park with Aunt Elizabeth.

Julia was starting to seem Gothic one day when the only color of paint she wanted to use was black.

Lunch is so much more fun on the floor! Mommy and Julia picnic :-)

And our "Teddy Bear Picnic" which had zero actual teddy bears in attendance.

Julia's super cool shades from the ophthalmologist to protect her dilated eyes. The doctor said her eyes have improved and she hopefully won't need glasses until grade school! We were really happy to hear it!

The knot on top of Julia's head is from her incessant hair twirling.

While I worked one Saturday, Aaron took Julia to the museum for some fun Daddy-daughter art time!

Cupcake baking in her new apron from Amy!

Eating at our favorite weekend place. They have $1.50 kids meals on the weekends (you can get two with one adult entree), so Aaron gets an adult entree and Julia and I get kids meals. The price is super reasonable and we all love the food!

Fun times at the mall with daddy!

Cousins! Mary-Claire riding in style in Julia's doll stroller :-)

"Painting" on baking soda with food-colored vinegar. The fizziness was so fun!

We thought we'd give Julia her three Christmas gifts (gold, frankincense, and myrrh... kidding!) from us on the feast of the Epiphany... but this was even later in January than that. Oh well. The liturgical season of Christmas goes well into January, so it's all good ;-) Julia loves her chef outfit!

And her box of percussion instruments!

And her pilot hat!