Stephen's Visit

Stephen made his first vows as an Augustinian friar on August 6 in Chicago.  Yay, Brother Stephen!  We were blessed that Stephen had a few weeks of vacation after that, and he came into our neck of the woods during that time.  We spent a weekend up in Wichita and the following weekend, Stephen came to Tulsa.  Julia got to meet her Great Grandma Ross while we were in Wichita too, as she had come from Topeka for the weekend.

We drove through a HUGE thunderstorm on the way to Wichita.  This is a photo I snapped as we were approaching the storm.  The rain was so hard and the visibility was so terrible that I was white-knuckled and praying hard as Aaron drove through it.  The lightening show was spectacular, though!

We spent some time on our Saturday up in Wichita out on the lake.  Julia dressed to impress in her swimsuit and hat from my cousin, and, of course, her life vest. 

After the lake, Julia took a nice bath and warmed up in a big warm towel.  I thought she looked like she was wearing a fur coat!

 

We went to mass that evening.  Stephen talked to the parishioners at the Isleys' parish about his vocation at the end of all the masses that weekend.  Julia sang a lot at mass, and sang more in the car on the way home.

Julia was a little confused by Stephen.  Who is this man in black who looks like Daddy but doesn't sound like him?

 

But Julia quickly became good friends with him since he let her chew on his long belt.  Leather is apparently a nice teething material!

 

And, of course, we had to get a few group photos :)  The grandkids with Grandma Ross...

Four generations.  Julia is the shortest, but only by a little!  ;-)

Julia with Daddy and Daddy's look alike, the dark-robed uncle.

The weekend Stephen came into Tulsa, our Militia of the Immaculata prayer village, the Upper Room, met for our monthly meeting.  After our breakfast and prayers, Stephen led a reflection based on the writings of St. Augustine, rather appropriately :-)  There were more people in attendance... I sadly didn't think to get the photo until after a couple people had already left.

It was the perfect opportunity for a photo of Julia with her godparents.  The godparents were excited.  Julia was rather nonplussed.  

We had a gathering that evening to celebrate Stephen being in town.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures.  I did take a picture of Aaron and Julia vacuuming before people came, though!  Haha!

It was a fun couple of weekends!  We look forward to the next time Stephen is able to visit!  Please keep Brother Stephen in your prayers as he continues his formation!

Eight months, baby!

It's been a very busy month!  Rotations wise, Aaron has been on a surgery and I've been on pediatrics.  I've been loving peds, but have had pretty long hours, especially this past week, which is why I've been terrible about posting lately.  I have lots to share about our rotations, Stephen's visit, how God is making Himself known to us, and more, but on my study day off, I wanted to at least put the finishing touches on the post I'd started a while ago about our daughter before she turns nine months in a couple weeks!  So, without further ado...
 
Julia Grace turned 8 months on the 12th!

Of note...

• Julia has gotten SO LOUD!  She's still making lots of fun sounds, but she's recently discovered the joy of VOLUME!  There have been times we've been around a lot of people, and Julia raises her voice above the crowd.  She's also been growling a lot lately - too funny!
• She's getting really fast at crawling, is a pro at standing up, and is getting better at cruising.  We have to keep a careful eye on her because she's on the move!
• Julia is now an omnivore with the addition of chicken to her diet!  She's also been eating a lot of pears, plums, and lima beans lately.  I didn't tell her yet that I don't like lima beans much ;)   
• Julia loves boxes!  She's been playing with an empty Kleenex box and an empty diaper box a lot lately, which is really funny to watch.  Oh, the simple joys!
• Julia is such a wiggleworm!  She will NOT lie still when we change her diaper or her clothes very often now.  As soon as we plop her down on the changing table, she flips over and tries to crawl off.  She also cries sometimes when we try to change her, since we have to hold her still.  As soon as we finish, the crying stops.  It's pretty funny that she gets that upset about having to be still for 30 whole seconds!
• Julia has been sleeping with a baby doll.  It's precious looking at her sleeping in her crib with her baby tucked under her arm or with her hand grasping the baby's hand.  
• Julia is a babyzilla!  We recently pulled out the blocks she was given as a gift and she LOVES destroying towers as quickly as we can build them.  She gets this crazed look of joy in her eye as she scurries toward the tower, often growling.  It's hilarious and so much fun!

• Julia started clapping last week!  Not only that, but she claps whenever we ask her to, so she definitely connects the word and action!   Julia was with my mom and dad when she first started doing this, so my dad emailed me this picture.  She looked rather forlorn at the moment my dad snapped the picture, so my mom replied and said, "That picture makes her look like she is under duress, like we are MAKING her clap, no questions asked. She has to clap for every meal, toy etc..."  I then noticed Julia's bib: "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's."  Hahaha!
• More than 2/3rds of a year old... I can hardly believe it!  We love you, Julia Grace!

Tooth and Lullabies

Tiny penguin toothbrush!

Julia has cut her first tooth!  We felt it for the first time last Sunday at mass.  It's really hard to see it because if we can manage to get a look in her mouth, her tongue is almost invariably over her bottom gums, and if you try to move her tongue, she resists by wiggling it and closing her mouth. The good news is that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree -  Julia loves to brush her teeth tooth!  I'm delighted ;-)  My good friends know that dental hygiene is a passion of mine.  It became more of an obsession during college when my dorm room or apartment and, hence, my toothbrush, was always just a short walk away.  I would sometimes swing by my apartment just to brush my teeth.  I think it's a good thing that my toothbrush and floss are no longer as easily accessible throughout the day; I might not have gums by now if I were still living on a small college campus. 

Julia didn't want the fun to end...

So, she waves her arms and legs excitedly to indicate she wants to brush again!

Julia had recently fallen into some nighttime habits that we're trying to change.  We've lately been trying to encourage her to fall asleep in her own crib, instead of falling asleep while feeding.  So, we've been doing a lot of singing and back rubbing.  Aaron whips out Latin hymns a lot, but he also modified Hush, Little Baby.  I started laughing when he was singing it to Julia, which probably didn't help her sleep!

Hush, little baby, don't say a word, Daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird won't sing, Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

And if that diamond ring turns brass, Daddy's gonna buy you a looking glass.

And if that looking glass starts to fade, Daddy's gonna buy you a Gatorade.

And if that Gatorade is blue, Daddy's gonna take it away from you. 

I think I'd just keep the brass diamond ring if I were Julia, because it's all downhill from there!  She could always get the stone reset on a different band - haha!  

No blue Gatorade for you, baby!

Honestly, some popular lullabies have horrible messages!  Who wrote them?!  Hush, Little Baby is all about buying your baby the latest and greatest if any little thing goes wrong with the present you've already bought her.  Seems like a sure way to raise a child like Veruca Salt.   Rockabye Baby is about a cradle being suspended from a branch, the bough breaking, and "down will come baby, cradle and all."  Terrifying!  Haha!  I think we'll stick to singing hymns!

My Grandad

My Grandad Rick died last week, after a battle with cancer. Julia and I joined my parents and sisters in flying to Knoxville to attend his rosary on Thursday evening and funeral on Friday morning.

My Grandad Rick was a good man and a good grandfather and I love him a lot. He treasured his Catholic faith and I was blessed to have him as my confirmation sponsor. He was a joyful person with a marvelous sense of humor. I have so many wonderful memories of him. He will be so missed. I really wish Julia could have gotten to know her Great Grandad Rick on this side of eternity, but I am really glad that Aaron got to meet him on several occasions.

Julia did well on her first plane ride, and was so quiet and good the whole trip. She had a bit of a meltdown before take-off on our last flight on the way home, but she was completely exhausted by that point. A silver lining of the trip was that Julia had an opportunity to finally meet many relatives she hadn't met yet, including her Great Grandmom Anne.

 

 I take comfort in God's word, and am ever grateful for the gift of faith!

"'Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be.'" - John 14:1-3

"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform with his glorified body by the power that enables him also to bring all things into subjection to himself." - Philippians 3:20-21

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Behold, God's dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them (as their God). He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, (for) the old order has passed away.'" -Revelation 21:1-4

Seven months!

Julia turned seven months last week! She is getting better at crawling and she LOVES pulling herself up and does that at every opportunity. She says "Da-da-da" and "Ba-ba-ba" as well as lots of other fun noises and sounds. She keeps trying new foods - some of the latest include oatmeal, plum, chicken and rice, and she's been eating a lot of carrots, peas, and yellow squash lately (as those are the ones I've made the most of and frozen). Current favs include banana and mashed pumpkin. Julia is still such a happy baby - she waves her arms up and down and kicks her feet, all with a huge grin on her face whenever she gets excited, which is often. She also breathes quickly when she's excited... sort of like a puppy panting, haha! Julia continues to love to snuggle, read, play with anything and everything, dance to music, and splash in the bath. She's an explorer and loves getting into anything and everything. She laughs when I tickle her. She's the best!

Life Lately

Our first rotations are in full swing, and we're enjoying them!  Aaron's on OB/GYN at the hospital this month and on his first night had a baptism by fire... er... amniotic fluid.  He was assisting with a delivery, and when the baby popped out, he got drenched!  He stood there for a minute or two until a resident finally said, "Dude... go change your scrubs!"  Ha!  I'm on a family medicine elective at a clinic close to our house.  We're both learning a lot; things that we've learned in the past are sticking a lot better now that we're finally seeing things instead of just reading about them. 

One thing that has struck me is the amount of confidence and trust patients have in their doctors.  I had wondered if patients would feel shy about having a student in the room as they talked to their doctor, but it hasn't fazed anyone yet as far as I can tell.  By wearing a white coat, I seem to fade into the background, and patients talk freely.  I learn so much from the openness of patients, which is an amazing privilege, one that I hope to never take for granted.    

Julia started crawling recently!  She also pulled herself up to standing for the first time on the fourth of July - we said she was standing tall, proud to be an American ;-)  We have some work ahead of us babyproofing our house for mobile Miss Julia!  She has also been busy trying lots of new foods!  She is usually good about trying new things, but she seems to get tired of eating quickly, pursing her lips tightly and grunting as we try to get her to eat a bit more.  In other Julia news, she completed the Summer Reading program at the library and got a fancy medal, an inflatable airplane, and some coupons.  The teen volunteers told me I could fill out a form to enter her into a drawing to win more prizes.  I was about to, when I noticed the form said to be eligible, the child must have completed kindergarten.  "Sorry, Julia.  Maybe in a few years," I said to an oblivious Julia ;-)  Haha.

Aaron worked the night shift our first weekend of rotations, but he had off on the Fourth of July, so we we had a lot of fun with family and friends at my family's house, eating delicious food and playing water volleyball in the new pool.  This past weekend, we made a quick trip up to Wichita for yet another wedding!  A dear friend of ours from college got married, and we were so joyful to get to celebrate with her and had a blast dancing the night away with so many friends!  We also enjoyed some time with Aaron's family, and Julia caught her first baseball game - the Wichita Wingnuts!  Haha!

Julia turned seven months yesterday - more on that to come!

Jeopardy!, Three Weddings, and an Anniversary

Our summer vacation is quickly coming to a close, as we start rotations tomorrow.  As excited as I've been for rotations, I really hate to say goodbye to vacation.  It's been bliss.

We had a quick trip up to Kansas City the weekend after boards, for my Jeopardy! audition.  I'd tried out online back in February, and was invited via email in May to go to KC on June 13 for an in person audition.  As it was going to be after boards, we figured it'd be fun to take a little trip.  Julia cried almost the entire ride to Kansas City, but here's a fun photo from before the crying started.

See the tiny reflection of Julia in the mirror in the back?!

Julia playing on the hotel bed!

While Julia and I chilled at the hotel that evening. Aaron went out to get us dinner at a place we found on urbanspoon, but I guess they decided to close early for the night.  Instead, he ended up driving around until he found someplace that was still open and ended up getting us chicken for dinner.  Umm... a TON of chicken.  I think it was supposed to feed a family of four... haha!  We put the leftovers in the mini fridge... only to forget them the next day.  Of course.


My audition was held at the Westin Crown Center.  While I was busy, Aaron and Julia had fun exploring the Crown Center and played in the fountains outside.  There were forty people auditioning that day with me, but only twenty in my room.  We took another 50 question test, played a mock round of Jeopardy! with some of the other contestants, and also had a personality interview of sorts.  It was a ton of fun, thanks to the lovely folks from Jeopardy! who made it their business to ensure we all had a great experience.  I was impressed by how far some of my fellow contestants had traveled to be there.  I'm now in a pool of people that could get a call anytime in the next 18 months, inviting us to fly to LA to be on the show.  We were told we'd get about 3 weeks notice.  Two thousand people attend the in person auditions each year, and 400 get on the show, so the odds were better than I'd imagined they would be! 

When I was done, Aaron, Julia, and I went to a restaurant called Grinders for lunch.  One of the cooks chatted with us for a bit, and he mentioned that the restaurant had been featured on a show on the Food Network.  We had their Bengal Tiger pizza, which had tandori chicken and crab meat, among other toppings, and it was unique and fantastic.

Before leaving town, we took a walk around the grounds of the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art.  We were going to go inside, but had forgotten that many museums are closed on Mondays.  Whoops.  Julia was better on the ride home, sleeping most of the way.  I read the newest Louis Sachar book, The Cardturner, aloud to Aaron.  My grandpa plays bridge with Louis Sachar, and he'd gotten a copy of the book signed for my sister.  The book renewed our interest in bridge, and we've been practicing bidding and playing a bit ever since.

Enjoying the nice weather and sculpture gardens.

A Chiefs' fan, a tired baby, and a shuttlecock.

On Saturday, June 19, Aaron and I were honored to be among the bridal party for my sister Meghan's wedding.  The wedding mass was beautiful, the bride and groom looked spectacular and so happy, the reception was quite the party, and a good time was had by all.  We enjoyed getting to visit with all the family and friends who were able to make it, and it was special to get to introduce to Julia to many people who hadn't met her yet.

Last Friday, we had a wedding to attend up in Wichita, so we went up a bit early to enjoy some time with our family and friends up there.  The wedding was lovely and we had a nice time with some of Aaron's high school friends at the reception.

Julia, ready to go on a walk with her parents, aunt, and grandma!

Julia loved the little pool Grandma bought her!

Wedding reception

We returned to Tulsa the next day, only to shower, change, and drop off Julia at my parents' house before heading South for another wedding!  A friend of ours from med school was getting married.  It was in rural Oklahoma and, unfortunately, we got lost...
                                                                                ....so we were really late... 
                                                                                                               ....and we missed the actual wedding.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Oops. 
But, the reception was fun and we were glad we were able to celebrate our friend's special day with her.  One highlight of the reception was when we were asked to go inside, as the patio area was being evacuated due to the presence of three skunks.  Shortly after that, we heard a loud bang, and smelled skunk.  I'm not sure whether the gunshot killed a skunk or just scared them, but either way, it made for a memorable story!

We did a lot of driving that weekend, but the time passed quickly, thanks to an audio book from the library: Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculée Ilibagiza.  It's a very powerful and inspiring story that I would highly recommend.

Sunday was our two year wedding anniversary!  My, how time flies!  It seems like only yesterday that I was the one walking up the aisle.  Our dear friend Julie watched Julia so we could go out and celebrate.  We went to the movie theatre to see a film before having a steak dinner at Outback.  We made a quick stop to Target before having a walk around our park (the one where we went on a lot of dates, where we had our first kiss in a thunderstorm, and where we got engaged :)  The evening was such a treat!

At our park after dinner, a lovely end to a lovely evening!

The past two years have been the best two of my life.  God has truly blessed us with each other!  We pray daily that God will continue to strengthen our marriage and use it as a witness for the love He has for His Church.  We also pray, as Tobiah did, that we may live together to a happy old age!  Here's to many more anniversaries, for us and for all the couples who were recently married! :)


"He began with these words: "Blessed are you, O God of our fathers; praised be your name forever and ever. Let the heavens and all your creation praise you forever.  You made Adam and you gave him his wife Eve to be his help and support; and from these two the human race descended. You said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a partner like himself.'  Now, Lord, you know that I take this wife of mine not because of lust, but for a noble purpose. Call down your mercy on me and on her, and allow us to live together to a happy old age."  They said together, "Amen, amen,"" - Tobit 8:4-8