7 Quick Takes, Vol. 67

Using 7QT for a Saturday photo dump/catch-up. Jen has more.

The last couple of weeks have been crazy, insane busy.


 

1. We packed up (most of) our stuff, and sent it off to Wichita via portable storage container.

Almost empty shelf. Who said packing was fun?

 
2. Charles' brother, Zak, came to help us with the move.

Clare helped too.

3. She has also been helping us clean before we leave Tuesday morning.

Cleaning the wall (with a paint sponge)

4. Yesterday, we drove to this little event.

Joe Cool.

5. And someone graduated!!!!

Can I get a woo hoo?!?

6. I am so, so proud of all that he has accomplished. I mean, it's a big freaking deal, and he did it.

And so happy, too.

7. This is my favorite shot of all the shots:

That's Dr. Daddy, young lady!

Have a lovely (rest of the) weekend! We've got some celebrating (and packing) to do.

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 66

Joining Jen for Friday fun (and my musings on the end of the school year).

1. Yesterday was Charles' last day of school. EVER. Not the end of training or the end of books or studying or the like, but the end of school. It is weird to reach a milestone that always seemed just beyond the horizon. So much excitement and joy!

2. However, graduation isn't for two more weeks. I keep teasing Charles about how he is still just a guy with a B.S. in biology. Looking forward to a couple of weeks of having him home, getting packed, and having some good family time.

3. It killed me all day yesterday not to share the results of my little mid-morning photo shoot. I printed these off for Charles' "big" last day of school present.

Yes, those are Charles' scrub top and white coat

Official caption: "we have awfully big shoes to fill."

4. And I made signs and set up a little celebration. It's a big deal around here -- and big deals need to be celebrated!! Even if that means being celebrated with crayons, since Clare is not to be trusted with markers!

Way to Go!

Woo hoo!

You're the best -- balloon style!

5. Speaking of the balloon, when we went to buy it at the grocery store, it was in a little cellophane package that you give the clerk to blow up. She then gives the package back, so that you can pay for the balloon when you check out. Clare latched onto it, though, convinced that it was a pack of stickers. No matter how many times I told her it wasn't, she was sure she knew better. Thankfully, when we got home, I was able to distract her and throw it away before the full realization that there were no new stickers in the package could result in a toddler-size meltdown.

6. I'm honestly not sure how I managed to do any of that, since yesterday saw me running on a teeny, tiny bit of sleep and a lot of caffeine. It was worth it, though, to do nice things for my guy. On the flip side, he got up with Clare, and let me sleep in until 7 something this morning. It felt so good!! Remember when you were 16 and the idea of getting up at 7 seemed like torture?!? My how the world changes.

7. Speaking of higher education, Peter has already selected his future Alma Mater. Mommy maybe only helped a little.

4th generation -- Bear Down!!

Have a lovely weekend! Enjoy Memorial Day, and stay safe!

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 61

Linking up with Jen.

1. Still here. Still pregnant. Still trying to not obsess over those facts. Photographic evidence of 40 weeks. Blegh.

2. I'm genuinely trying (without much success) to be more at peace with the waiting on baby situation. I'm blessed that we're both healthy, so I'm able to continue to give my guy the time he needs to cook. I know that I will eventually have a baby. I know that God's plan and will are bigger than my own. I know that I will grow from this as a mom and as a follower of Christ. I'm trying to pray and distract my way through it, and to remember that giving up control is an important lesson for moms to learn (and relearn), since kiddos certainly have minds and (free) wills of their own.

3. Moving right along, on the topic of God's goodness, yesterday morning (really still night), I was stirred from my attempts at sleeping by the always-fun combination of toddler and vomit. Needless to say, it turned into a long morning. I mentioned to several people that I didn't even know what I wanted, besides that I knew I needed prayers. Promises of prayers followed, along with lots of mentions of hope that I got some rest. Apparently, that was God's way of letting me know what I needed. I marvel at His ability to guide us (even using others) when we can't quite navigate ourselves. (And I actually slept pretty well last night, and got a cat nap while Clare napped in the afternoon, so I can't complain.)

4. The weather has been perfect for afternoon stroller strolls. A couple of days ago, Clare came equipped with all of life's necessities: sunglasses, phone, rosary (or, as she calls it, "bracelet").

Taking on the world.

5. Charles might not graduate until June, but he got his graduation regalia in the mail yesterday. Needless to say, he decided it needed to be tried on ASAP. And I needed to share with social media just as quickly (#proudwife).

Insta-fied.

6. Clare was less enthusiastic:

The blur really adds to the sense of discontent.

7. He also officially signed his first-year residency contract this week. Being the #proudwife that I am, I jumped off the couch to photograph the monumental event. It's not exactly presidential, and he only used one pen for his already-primed-for-the-prescription-pad signature, and he laughed at me the whole time. But document it I did. I am not just a #proudwife. I'm a #21stcenturywife, too. Hashtags and all. :)

Photo journalism at its finest.

Have a lovely weekend!

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 60

One of these days, I'll do something other than nap during Clare's naps. Or have something to say that's not about me impatiently waiting for a baby.

In the meantime, I'm linking up with Jen, 'cause FRIDAY.

1. It is birthday week around here. Charles' was on Sunday and we had two yesterday: my grandma (96!!), and Charles' mom (29 again). Clare is good at saying, "Happy Birthday," but not on command, of course. She was already pretty good at eating cake, but is always willing to practice her skillz.

2. As a result, I fully expected that Mr. Man would join the crowd. He still has a couple of days left to get in on the action before he's far enough removed to just plain have his own birthday. Clare was born in Week 39, so here's hoping he's born before he sinks alllllllllll the way into my pelvis.

3. Please remind me of how impatient I was to have this baby in a week or two when I'm complaining about how exhausted and sleep-deprived I am. Thanks in advance.

4. At least I will have pictures of two cute babies to litter my posts with. These are all I have of my girly girl this week.

Tea party with Daddy

Star Struck with Grandma -- Photo courtesy of Uncle Zak

5. The actual big news, of course, was the Match last week. We're simultaneously excited to be heading to Wichita and terrified, since neither of us has really lived outside of Arizona for more than a couple of months. (Charles' two toddler years in New Jersey notwithstanding since he doesn't really remember it. At all.) So, we're in the midst of a whirlwind of figuring out moving plans and housing and all that jazz. Crazy!!

6. March Madness is killing me. Killing. Me. Last night's win over SDSU was a leeeeettle too close for comfort, but a win is a win and we're on to the Elite 8. Go Cats!!! Bear Down!!

7. 39 Weeks. Here's photographic evidence that I'm gestating a whale, not a baby. Doctor thinks its a baby. I think Clare might still be holding out for a puppy. Regardless, everything's good and healthy.

Have a lovely weekend.

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 59

FRIDAY?!?!?!! Linking up with Jen.

1. Today's the day!!!!!! Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!! 4 years of med school, 3 away rotations, lots of travel, lots of interviews, a good news email on Monday, and we're down to this. 1 of 8 geographical locations for residency. It could be as close as down the street or it could be across the country or plenty of places in between. Charles gets the news at 10am. Needless to say, we're freaking out just a little. It's an odd combination of peace and anxiety. More than anything, though, I'll be glad to have this stage behind us. I'll be glad to start making plans and organizing for a foreseeable life, instead of just waiting and trying my darndest to trust God and relinquish control to Him.

2. Between that and a birthday, odds are that I'll do some extra posting this weekend. It will make up for the distracted not-posting I've done all of this week. The upside of not posting all week (again) is that it makes writing 7QT that much easier. :)

3. This viral article about Super Mom-ing the holidays has been floating around, and it really resonates with me. Don't get me wrong, I love celebrating, but I think that only a few things need to be Big, Grand Celebrations. I also don't think there is a right or wrong way to do a celebration, necessarily, but I'm not going to go over-the-top for most holidays. My St. Patrick's Day (sans photographic evidence) is a good example. We wore green. We ate corned beef and cabbage with Charles' family. The end. If Clare were older, we might have talked more about St. Patrick or read a book or done a coloring page/craft, or made dessert, but, at the end of the day, I think we did plenty.  {Caveat: I get that we all have different charisms, passions, and gifts -- if going all out for holidays is yours, more power to you! I'm just envisioning myself, and lots of other moms, trying to out-holiday one another because of some sad social media peer pressure. If it isn't fun and doesn't feed you, it is just not a celebration at all. It's a chore. End rant.}

4. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, yesterday, Clare and I went with my cousin and her kids (Clare's "cuzzinz!!!!") to a local train park -- big playground, picnic, chance to "ride train" (as Clare excitedly told us). It was a great day, even if we were both exhausted by the end of it!

Ready for fun in the sun!

5. The absolute highlight of her day, though, was the carousel. She'd never really seen one before, but once it caught her eye, she was all about it, every time she saw it. We took her first ride, and I wasn't sure what she thought about it as it was happening (I think the up and down motion surprised her), but the tears getting off said plenty. She's still talking about "ride howses" (sometimes, "like pwincess") today. There is nothing better than experiencing something for the first time through the eyes of a child. Watching it brought me as much joy -- perhaps more -- than experiencing it brought her.

Magic

6. Today is Arizona's first NCAA tourney game. Bear Down and beat Weber State!!

Yes, Wildcats say, "Bear Down!!"

7.  38 weeks pregnant today!! My not-novel guess is that I"ll have this guy before 40 weeks (due date), but moms have certainly been wrong on the ol' guessing game before. He just needs to wait until after we find out final news about the Match, because I've always said that we would know where we were going before he was born. We're close enough that I'd prefer to stick to that. The picture of my gigantic, resting-on-my-pelvis belly is from Wednesday, but there needn't be more pictures of this enormous mess than necessary. I mean, it's always bad when your biggest maternity clothes are starting to fit awkwardly.

Gigantic

Have a lovely weekend!!

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 58

It's Friday, so you know what that means . . . 7QT with Jen (author extraordinaire), of course!! Book tour? Yes please. I'm so there if you are anywhere near wherever we are when you're there.

1. Last weekend was so amazing -- busy, fun, full of friends and family and love and life! Once I get some more pictures tracked down (I am so terrible at taking my own pictures at these things!), I will put together a longer post. Suffice to say I am terribly, terribly blessed.

Clare and her Auntie at Auntie's shower

2. I would like to say that we've spent this week recovering, and we have, but I've also been doing my fair share of keeping busy, catching up on chores, getting baby stuff in order, and stocking up on odds and ends. Hopefully, the last of it will get done this weekend and the beginning of next week so that I can rest.

3. Ha! The day I went into labor with Clare, I was in desperate need of a grocery store run, and had big plans to run some errands before things got going. None of it ever happened, but now I feel a (somewhat) paranoid need to keep up with laundry and keep basics in the kitchen (cereal, milk, dry goods, etc.), so that I don't put myself through that again when this one arrives, especially since the time is ticking away on this pregnancy. (See also, #7.)

4. On top of that, there is some pesky pollen out there that has hit every single member of this household (all 3 of us ex utero people!), so we're collectively a sneezy, sniffly, allergic mess. The whole thing has left me exhausted. I even took a long nap Tuesday afternoon, and if you know me, you know that that just doesn't happen. It's a real testament to my exhaustion.

5. Meanwhile, we're gearing up for Match Week. And by "gearing up" I mean "anxiously, nerve wrackingly chomping at the bit." There is a preliminary Big News email that will come out on Monday. It tells residency candidates whether they matched or whether they have to pray super extra hard and work their butts off finding an unfilled position, which no one wants to do. Then comes the Big, Big News on Friday, which is the identity of the program where you matched. One piece of information that will disclose our fate for the next 3 years (and more for many residencies): where we'll live, what Charles will do, etc. Gah! The anticipation is crazy and mounting. Some schools have a big to-do on Match Day (Friday), but because of the spread out nature of everyone in Charles' school, they don't do anything special, so we'll have to have our own little celebration. :)

6. This is how Clare played for a good chunk of Tuesday morning after discovering her hat in the sock drawer. Crazy kid. You can't quite tell in the picture, but those are, indeed, ruffle socks.

7. I am now 37 weeks pregnant. People, that puts me in the "any time now" club. *deep breath* I don't think anything is imminent, but then, no one ever really knows. I have told Mr. Man that he needs to stay put through the end of Match Week, and if I were a betting person, I'd guess he'll come at the end of week 38 or beginning of week 39 (Clare was born at 39 weeks), but again, you never know. I'm trying not to get too caught up in the idea of going early, just in case it doesn't happen. But, oh!, how happy my hips would be!! I had my first weekly appointment on Monday, and everything is still good. Just a matter of letting him cook cook cook.

I have also joined the gigantic belly club.

Have a lovely weekend!

Hurry Up and Wait (Medical Monday)

So much for 7 in 7, day 7. This was the intended post, and it clearly did not happen. C'est la vie. Because genuinely, life happened (getting home at 4 pm instead of noon, as expected, does that to a person, especially when they also have an evening commitment).

***

We have entered the great season of Hurry up and Wait. It is a real season of life for me right now. Everywhere I look, there is a deadline or a milestone, followed by a waiting period.

Doctor's appointment? Rush out the door and down the road, only to wait to be called back. Only to wait for the doc. (And in my OB's defense, I've rarely done much waiting . . . and I get that OB schedules are never predictable. Clare's doctors on the other hand . . . )

Unrelated but cute

Cookies Dinner in the oven? Wait.

Submit Rank Order List? Wait.

Monday of Match week? Pray for good news, then wait for the real news on Friday. {For those who don't know, on Monday, March 17 (this year), 4th year med students will find out if, in fact, they matched successfully. If so, they will find out where on Friday, March 21. If not, they move into a whole secondary process for finding a position. And really, no one wants to go there.}

Match? Wait until graduation. Wait until summer to start.

(Have a mentioned a time or 50 how annoyingly long and drawn out I find the residency application/Match process?!?)

Baby inching ever closer to his due date? Wait. Wait. Wait. And even when he does decide the time for his Grand Entrance has come? More waiting. (Through labor and delivery. For that epidural I'm not even pretending I don't plan on. For time to push. For the chance to hold that little wiggle worm in my arms.)

I'm trying to use the incessant waiting this month to practice patience. That was, after all, my word for 2014. I'm blessed to have lots of busy-ness coming up this month to make it more bearable, but I'm trying to wait patiently in the mean time. Trying being the key word.

Because really, March, let's just get on with it.

{Linking up with Your Doctor's Wife, From a Doctor's Wife, D-Isis, and LuLu's Big Adventure for Medical Mondays.}

7 Quick Takes, Vol. 56

Linking up with Jen and the rest.

1. I never officially declared my 7 in 7 intentions this weekend. Then, a Monday blog post never materialized. I am, however, pushing myself to do 7 in 7 a day late, with Monday being my 7th post. Saturday and Sunday are always my sticking points on these things, so we'll see how it goes this weekend.

2. I have never been happier that February only has 28 days. It has been one thing after another this month, so I'm glad that tomorrow will be the big calendar flip. March and all of your crazy goodness, Welcome! We're glad to have you!

Via

3. That means Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday. Which is late, but still somehow sneaked up on me. Like, I was so used to it being "late this year" and still a few weeks off that suddenly, here is it. I'm still sorting out exactly what my plans are, especially given that I will, essentially, be pregnant for the first half and in the newborn haze for the second half. 

Via

4. Charles finalized his rank order list for residency this week, which is good, because it was due on Wednesday. Anyway, there was lots of hemming and hawing and debating over slots 3-5, but I think we both feel good about the final list. 3 more weeks of waiting, then we'll finally know our fate. This whole residency applications thing has been a long, long process that I will not be sad to see end.

5. Today, my cousin's daughter is turning 8, which I'm pretty sure is not actually possible. My cousin is like an extra sister to me, so that means O is like my niece. I remember like yesterday the day she was born: sitting frustrated in rush hour traffic trying to get to the hospital; holding that sweet, long awaited bundle of joy; knowing, for the first time, that rush of unconditional love that only new little babies can bring. Happy Birthday, sweet girl! Just do me a favor and stop growing up!

6. When Charles was doing his nights in the ER, I sent him a lot of random pics of Clare, including a few of her sleeping. They make great filler:

7. Today marks my 35/35 point: 35 weeks pregnant, 35 days until my due date! It is definitely an exciting sign that the end is near. This week, I've been feeling a few more occurrences of baby hiccups (but still not as many as Clare had in utero) and gobs of crazy baby movement. Mr. Man feels like he's somehow dropped even lower in the last couple of days, which, um . . . yeah, I don't love. My interest in sweets has also been on the uptick for the first time this pregnancy. I had an appointment on Monday, and everything still looks good.{Hopefully, I'll actually update with a photo this afternoon!}

Have a lovely weekend!