Peter -- 1 month

Somehow, my little Peter is a month old. I think I'm going to be saying that a lot this year. Somehow...

I don't like to post stats for my babies online -- Clare was a peanut, and it was hard to watch high-percentile babies zoom up the charts while she seems to have inherited her mama's metabolism, poor thing. It took a lot of prayer and patience to accept that every baby is different, and every mama needs to know that she is doing the best she can growing her baby to be the baby (with the body) that God gave him or her.

That said, Peter is growing to be the big, strong man he dreams of being. I had to finally stop being an ostrich and move him from newborn to 0-3/3 month clothes this week. Because my kids are (relatively) long and lean, they always outgrow clothes length-wise with plenty of room left in the middle!

When he needs something -- especially a fresh diaper or some food -- he lets us know in no uncertain terms that he's unhappy, but calms right down when he gets what he wants. He is a sweet, mellow guy, who loves to nurse and snuggle and hang out until he drifts off to sleep. And when he does, he sleeps like a baby champ, giving me 3-4 hour stretches at night (and generally going right back down after he's filled up on the ol' milk).

His neck is getting stronger -- Peter desperately wants to be able to hold his head up and look around. If he's 1/3 as observant as his sister, we're done for.

He's starting to crack a smile or two here and there. I can't wait until we get more!

And of course, there are more pictures:

P.S. As an early one-month birthday present, yesterday Peter got the best gift a kid could ask for: a cousin. Congratulations, sweet Whitney, and welcome Baby Makenzie (or Baby Keensee as Clare calls her)!!! We love you!

Currently (vol. 2)

Joining A Mama Collective for some reflection.

Thinking about: How fast time is moving these days. My baby keeps getting bigger. Clare keeps talking more. The calendar keeps flipping. There is so much I want to do -- people to see and places to go and tasks to complete -- but time is whizzing by (and I keep getting sucked into snuggling Mr. Tiny Snuggles on the couch).

Reading: The entire internet. At least it feels like it. Breastfeeding does that to me.

Listening: for the UPS truck. I've been waiting for a delivery, and wouldn't you know, they tried while I was at the grocery store on Friday. And, of course, I have to sign, so I'm anxiously awaiting today's arrival.

Dying for: a chance to get with the cool kids and read Something Other Than God. Doing so in the quiet, cool, bustle-that-is-not-my-kids of a Starbucks, drink in hand, would be even more ideal.

Thankful for: the weekend. It wasn't always fun, but we survived! Thankful for a successful trip for Charles, for mostly good sleep from Peter, for the company of family and friends, for a fresh today after a challenging yesterday, for the knowledge that I can do it, even if it isn't fun or easy, for Charles in so, so many ways.

Wishing: someone (not naming names, but he is the shortest member of the family) is getting dunked on Saturday. A couple of doctor's appointments and a little getting things in order for the baptism are the focuses of the week. Then, it will be another busy weekend with family in town and the festivities and Mother's Day and a million things to do in the next month. Wishing there were more time for down time as a family.
 

God's Hand -- Medical Mondays

Home sweet future home.

It's amazing what happens in a year.

Last spring, Charles and I were anxiously and eagerly obsessing over residency programs. He had 99% decided on family medicine, but choosing programs to apply to was something akin to finding a needle in a haystack. There are literally hundreds of programs out there.

A chunk of our (we approached this as a team project, so it has always been and will always be, a "we" thing) list was based on geography -- programs that were close to home in Arizona, or close to Charles' family in Colorado. A few programs on the long-short list were programs that had a good reputation for whatever reason. Sifting through the options, we felt overwhelmed, and as if the perfect program just.didn't.exist. And, of course, it doesn't. But we hoped for a perfect program for us. We were on a mission.

Last April, due to a series of coincidences, we talked to some new Church friends from Wichita. She mentioned that there was a program back home that she was familiar with that we should look into.

I was driving home from an event that day, and Charles was reading up on the program on his phone. As he read off one program feature/benefit/highlight after another, we (and especially he) got more and more excited. It was like checking off item after item off of a dream program checklist.

He emailed the program that weekend to see if, by chance, there was any way he could still get a sub-I (a sub-internship; an away rotation to allow him and the program and to check one another out). They let us know that they were already full, but that he was on a waiting list. We figured that was that; the odds of making it off of a mysterious waiting list seemed long. We moved on with plans for our already planned trip to St. Louis and Denver.

In May, it all turned topsy turvey when Charles was offered a sub-I position in October. Of course, we jumped all over it! But there were still a million things to figure out, including housing plans, which were slow to pan out.

In July, we found out that I was pregnant, and through another series of coincidences, our friends from Wichita found out that we would be there in October. Since they were planning to be away during that time, they offered to let us stay at their house, which ended up being just wonderful in all ways.

While we were in Wichita, in addition to a great program, we found the potential for a great community (city, residency community, Church) for our family for the residency season. The experience left them heads and tails above everyone else in the running.

Throughout interview season, and the turmoil-and-anxiety-filled months that followed, we knew that the Wichita program was our #1 choice, but we did our darndest to keep our dreams and expectations in check. It felt natural and like a long-shot, all at the same time.

Then, we got the emails:

Matched.

Wichita.

We couldn't believe it. A dream come true. Answered prayers.

It was clear to us, as each step unfolded in a way that was more and more unbelievable to us, that God's hand was guiding us and Divine Providence was opening doors and windows that we just couldn't expect. We're so excited for the next step of the journey, with all of its challenges and unexpected twists and turns around the corner, and excited to see where God leads us next.

Wichita, here we come!

Linking up for Medical Mondays with From a Doctor's Wife and Your Doctor's Wife.

 

Answer Me This, Vol. 3

Linking up with Kendra.

1. Are you becoming your mother? Not yet. I mean, I definitely am trying to incorporate some good things I learned from her into my parenting, but she was the classic extrovert and I am a classic introvert. I think that's why we got along so well.

Love this too much not to share again: my mom, my baby sister and me.

2. Coffee or tea? Coffee. I mean, I like tea and all, but coffee is where it's at. If you don't know that, you don't know me. And didn't read the name of my blog. :)

3. What foreign country would you like to visit? Italy. It sounds so cliche. Of course, I love all things French and would never, ever turn down a chance to visit (and practice my French, bien sur). But I've only ever spent a day in Venice. I want to walk, talk, breathe that religious history. And the vino, and the beauty and and and . . . It's funny, because I had a couple of chances to go when I was young and non-Catholic, and it never really worked out. I think, in a way, my heart was waiting until I was Catholic so that I can appreciate it more.

Via

4. Do you cry easily? Yes. Especially in the last 4 weeks. Man, postpartum hormones do a number on me. Newborn sleep schedules don't help.

5. How often do you wear heels? Occasionally. For a long time, I was a heels every day girl. Then, I got over my height issues, got some ballet flats and have never turned back. I am a big fan of the flats, but still rarely wear tennis shoes unless it is for athletic purposes. My notToms fall somewhere in the middle and work well for the park, walks around the neighborhood, etc. I wear heels for weddings and funerals and the like. I occasionally pull them out for Mass, especially when I wear slacks, because I feel like it makes the pants more feminine.

6. Do you play an instrument? I played piano from 4th-10th grade and could have been pretty good if I had practiced more. I can still play the right hand of the main theme of Fur Elise by memory, and can get my left hand going if I have the music in front of me. I could still be decent if I practiced. And had a piano. Clearly this is not a current priority. :)

Thanks to my first teacher, I've played on some really nice pianos. Via

Happy Sunday!! (And thanks to the tag, I'll most definitely be back next week! :) )

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 64

Must be Friday. Joining Jen, fancy pants author and all.

.

1. I love, love, love sweet teeny tiny newborns. What I don't love, and struggle, struggle, struggle with is the lack of schedule/routine. We are a household of routine people -- even Clare needs her routine or else -- and it (obviously) takes babies awhile to get into one. I know that we'll get there, so I'm feeling less twitchy about it with Peter than I did with Clare. I love the tiny baby snuggles and know they don't last long. But there are still plenty of evenings that leave me longing for the structure that that future must surely hold.

2. I have a problem. I am pretty much obsessed with this look. I retake the same photo at least once a week, because it is so sweet. These moments are so fleeting, and I don't want to forget.

 3 weeks

2 weeks

1 week

1 day

3. Sign that time is moving way too fast: Peter is going to be a month old next week. Wasn't I just complaining about still being pregnant? Where did the time go? On that note, fair warning that there will be monthly update posts for the next 12 months. :)

4. Always ready to assist Baby Peedow, Clare helped me get out the door to run some errands on Tuesday by buckling Peter into the car seat while I checked that there were diapers in my bag:

Nailed it.

Don't worry fellow car-seat safety obsessives. I fixed it. :)


5. The other day, I took Clare for a cookie and run at a local outdoor shopping area. She had been before, but she really noticed the fountains this time, and kept talking about "splashdown, water." I repeat myself, I know, but I love seeing everyday things through the eyes of my kids. Talk about seeing the extraordinary in the ordinary.

6. 'Cause she is just too cute.

7. Charles is off to Wichita this weekend for a little house-hunting expedition. Praying for safe travels, success on the housing front, and sanity for this Mama home with her two littles.

The gruesome twosome

Have a lovely weekend!