Ravings, Ramblings and Lunacies

Our family vacation...

2009-09-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Jacob is now 18 months old but feels more like a "terrible two" on some days! He is such a little rascal but so adorable about it that I can never stay cross too long... and he totally knows it. When we're having a staring contest (especially in the middle of a no-no activity) he looks at me for a long time then starts grinning and of course I can't resist his sweet "I love you mommy" smile, so I either have to turn around or start smiling and laughing!

In honor of becoming an even bigger boy, I took him to get a big boy haircut. I found a cute place called "Snip-Its" near SMU aka Highland Park, so needless to say we were both very under dressed to be seen in the area, but we went anyway! We also went to the Dallas Aquarium which was fabulous. It's more like an indoor zoo than anything else. It had the essentials: birds and fish, which are Jacob's current obsessions. Driving anywhere is now always a bird watching experience. It's precious that he still gets so excited about each bird he sees- there is always pointing and emphatic shouting of "bird, bird" but it sounds more like he has a British accent when he says it.

We just got back from our mini-vacation to San Antonio (we figured we'd better keep it close with a toddler). Our original plan was to go to Sea World and the zoo, but Sea World apparently has a very strange schedule and was not open on the days we had hotel reservations for. Luckily, the hotel we stayed at was AWESOME and was very kid-friendly. They had a lazy river and provided inner tubes so you could just ride around, relaxing. There was also a little "beach" for kids to play on and for people to sit out and soak up the sun. Jacob really enjoyed the sand and wading out into the water- it made him feel so big! He was quite popular with the middle-aged crowd when they would float by. Of course it helps that he really likes waving and saying "hi" to people right now.

We went to the San Antonio Zoo which was really great. They have a wide variety of animals and great places for the kids to interact. I just wish we'd had a good camera with us, there were some gorgeous animals! (My camera is still unusable after the Arboretum deluge in April 2009. Stephen told me to get one for my birthday but I still haven't found the right one that isn't too expensive for an amateur to carry around.) The zoo wore Jacob out and it was hard to get him to take a nap in the hotel room... but 45 minutes later he was passed out and I was able to read my new collection of Roald Dahl's short stories on the balcony! (I highly recommend any of his books.) As a consequence of all being in one room together in the hotel, Stephen and I also had to go to bed when Jacob did, otherwise he felt like he was missing too much and refused to go to sleep. I'm more of a night person than a morning person, so it was hard for me to go to bed so early. But at least I got over and above my daily sleep requirement :)

Since it was such a short trip to San Antonio, we didn't do too much else, it was a lot of playing outside at the hotel. Luckily, the trip was fairly uneventful and we all really enjoyed ourselves. I've posted some pictures below (sorry about the quality, it's a disposable camera we had lying around at home, which is most likely 5+ years old).

Jacob is walking with his great grandmother at her new home. We stopped in Fredericksburg, TX to visit her on our way to San Antonio.

Trying to get a closer look at the bird.

Helping Jacob walk across the concrete lily pads to the Kids' Nature Corner at the San Antonio Zoo. My little rascal kept intentionally missing the lily pads so that he could stomp in the water!

Jacob inspecting the fish

Jacob as a butterfly!

Watching the fish swim at the San Antonio Zoo

The Lazy River at our Hotel

"I am barely breathing..."

2009-07-13T18:53:00.001-07:00

Just a quick note that I'm still alive! I've made it to the second year of residency. I'm also exhausted. I knew starting out in the NICU would be difficult but had no idea that working 80 hours a week without hope of working one minute less would feel so much like being 80 years old! I hate that I only get a few hours with Jacob a day, but it is such sweet time!

Jacob stories:

-He loves to read to himself now, however every time I find him sitting on the couch and reading to himself the book is upside-down... so precious! And he points to the pictures just like I do. It's one of my favorite things he does.

-Jacob started daycare several weeks ago and it's still hard on all of us. I can't wait to be part-time and have control of my life again!

-He had his first swimming lesson and LOVED it.

-He loves balloons (as you could probably tell by his birthday part pictures) and calls them "boons"

-He also likes to throw up one to two arms and yell something that sounds like "GOAL!" when he throws his bath toy into the basket... it cracks me up!

So that's all I have for now, if I wrote anything else I'd just start complaining and who wants to hear that?! I have no reason to complain I have every single thing that I've asked for and God has been good to grant me those desires. Next I'll just start praying for a part-time residency! JK As soon as I get a new camera (ours died in the flood at the Arboretum!) I'll post some new pictures.

2009-03-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

He's extremely serious about his basketball!

He was a little uncertain as to what he should do with the cake in the beginning... so I gave him some on my finger and he just let loose-- he loved it of course! It was a cute basketball cake from McKay's Bakery in Abilene.

I'll post more pictures as I get them back from a friend who took pictures for us so that I could just enjoy the party and chaperon my boy!

We had such a great time, Jacob was on cloud 9 the entire day... probably because he got to spend almost all day outside and/or eating! I could tell he really didn't want to go to bed by the end of the day (part of that may have been due to the sugar rush) but he was completely exhausted once he slowed down. I think he slept 12 hours straight that night!

I still can't believe my baby is one year old already... it makes me sad that it's gone by so fast. Although, I love this age because his personality is really coming out now! He's going to be a hand full, I have a feeling :) My mom is already recommending the "strong willed child" book... I might be purchasing it soon so that I can have a head start!

It's been a long time comin'....

2009-03-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

So I finally got a break so thought I'd quit shirking my blogging duties. Plus Jacob turns one year old in 7 days, so of course it's a time of reflection for me. I can still remember bringing him home from the hospital with his wrinkled skin and chicken legs... and now he walks around the house calling "Mamama" when he needs to find me. It's such a miracle what can happen in a year. It truly is mind boggling that these little people learn such a tremendous amount so quickly... I wish I had the same capability these days!

Stephen and I are nearing the end of our intern year. I'm excited but also SO nervous about being "upgraded." I was ecstatic when they told me to come sign my new contract for next year... I'm also so insecure about things like that, you can't take employment for granted these days! I feel like I've learned an incredible amount since starting in June but I know that there is 100 times more to learn which is daunting and exciting all at the same time. My saving grace in times of exhaustion and near insanity is my clinic and my family. My clinic patients are wonderful, I love getting to know the families, educating the moms and getting to interact with little ones of all ages- every Friday afternoon I am reaffirmed that this is what I should be doing. Then being able to come home to Jacob running over to me with his arms up is the icing on the cake... my day wouldn't be complete without a slobbery kiss!

Maybe it's being a parent or maybe it's being a pediatrician in training that makes you look a little harder at the world. I think you can tell a lot about a culture by how it treats the young and the elderly. So many of the kids I see each day are not treasured like I feel they should be. The dark side of pediatrics is sometimes having to bear witness to tremendous suffering, sometimes for unknown reasons but way too often it's at the hands of those who are supposed to be their caregivers. I can't tell you how disheartening it is to know that there are people out there who continue to have children and yet take no responsibility and seem to feel no genuine love or a sense of gratitude for their kids. It reminds me every day that I can't take out the frustrations of work on my child... after all he was given to me to watch over, to care for, treasure and to teach. How will he learn to love if I don't show him love? It's so easy to become cynical but I'm trying to hard to keep my heart soft... even though it may mean more hurt, I'd hate to become calloused when it comes to the care of children.

Of course, there are those wonderful moms whose love for their children is actually palpable and those are some of my favorite interactions because we both want exactly the same thing! Luckily, there are more great parents than there are bad ones but unfortunately it's the really bad ones that seem to stick with you.

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end..."

2008-10-21T07:22:00.000-07:00

The week of vacation is sadly over... We had a fun week just being at home with the three of us, unpacking the last few boxes from moving, starting to put away Jacob's summer clothes and getting out the fall and winter ones, taking our family picture/Jacob's 6 month pictures and being a bridesmaid in my childhood best friend's wedding. Oh and one of the best parts, finding Jacob's first Halloween costume, he's going to be a puppy dog (it was either that or produce- pumpkin vs apple)! We also tried to make sure that all the grandparents got to see Jacob, so that meant lots of traveling.

The Jacob update: he is now a pro at crawling, transitioning to sitting, loves to sit on his haunches and bounce, is pulling up on everything in sight and now has TWO teeth! And much to mommy's horror, really likes crawling up the two stairs we have in the family room. You can tell he really wants to walk his brain is just working on coordinating all those muscles. He's also been expanding his vocabulary. His favorite phrase used to be "la la la" then on the Texas/OU game day he started saying "OOOOOO" (but pronounced like a long O) which is hilarious because now he does it when he sees us come home from work :) While we were in Abilene, he dabbled with "da da da" and "ba ba ba" he's quite the little talker, wonder where he got it from ;) I'm still waiting patiently for "ma ma"!

It was a busy week but I wish I had another one. Being off really makes me super lazy about starting back to work, I probably shouldn't be allowed to take time off. My next official vacation will be for Jacob's first birthday in March, so hopefully I can make it until then.

It's always so hard to go back to work after having so much time with Jacob but I really do appreciate our time together. I started NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) yesterday and boy was it a shock! Not only the hours (I was there at 5:15am, which still wasn't early enough and left at 5:15pm) but the patients are daunting, some of babies are only two or three pounds, some of them have severe problems.... it's just completely different from the rest of pediatric rotations I've been on. I'm still afraid of breaking them by moving them around but luckily the nurses are helpful and assure me that I won't :) This rotation also involves being on call every fourth or third night so needless to say, I probably won't be updating the old blog much for the next four weeks, but what's new?!

I hate starting a completely new rotation because it feels like the first day of internship all over again where I know nothing, there are all new terms and abbreviations I haven't heard before, and I'm so nervous that I'm sure I sound like a complete idiot while presenting! Luckily I had a very kind fellow and attending yesterday but yesterday was their last day, so tomorrow will be another first day... geez.

And of course, no vacation essay would be complete without photographs, so here they are!

Jacob and Daddy playing outside in Tyler.

Pretty sure Jacob is going to be the cutest puppy ever, this was only the dress rehearsal!

The amateur version of the family cowboy picture!

My two cowboys

And below: Jacob and Thomas, with Uncle John, in the matching Halloween sleepers Gram got them before they were born!

Some new Jacob pictures!

2008-10-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

We're still here!

2008-09-26T19:01:00.000-07:00

So life has been very busy lately, full of milestones and stories... many of which I meant to post long ago... but you know how those good intentions go :) Jacob is 6 months old now, just started crawling this week, we just discovered his first tooth today... it's ridiculous how quickly he's growing up! He's such a fun guy, so laid back and so happy, I really couldn't ask for a better baby. He's one of the best things to come home to.

Stephen and I are both surviving residency... one month at a time! We really couldn't do it without my mother helping us out because most daycares aren't meant to accomodate the weird and often erratic schedules of physicians. Plus, it's so nice to be able to let him sleep in his own bed and not have to worry about getting him ready and drop him off somewhere so early in the morning. My mother is also keeping our nephew, Zane, so we have quite the full house most days! It's so funny to see Zane and Jacob interact, Jacob is absolutely in love with anything and everything Zane does... I foresee a lot of tagging along in the future.

I have a slower paced rotation for the next four weeks, so I'm really hoping it goes by slowly so I can soak it up! I'm also going to use my vacation time to finish childproofing the house, especially now that Jacob is crawling up a storm and getting into anything and everything. It's so funny, I never thought I'd be so proud of all his little milestones, but I just can't help it! Earlier this week, I came home from work and was playing with him on the floor and told him to come get me... and he just started crawling towards me! I was almost bursting with pride, it's crazy the level of emotion that's involved with such a simple act... can't imagine what I'll do when he graduates kindergarten or is potty trained! I called almost everyone I know immediately.

So I'm loving being a mom and most days at work I really do like my job, so I feel like life is going pretty well right now; can't ask for much more. I'll be posting some pictures so stay tuned....

I'm an aunt... again!

2008-05-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my brother's first child, Thomas Wilson Fuller was born at 7:38pm! He was 6lbs 13oz and 19 inches and was born via c-section. He's an adorable little guy, looks just like his mother! We stopped by the hospital again today to get pictures with all of the little boy cousins together... I'll post those soon because they're all too cute to keep to myself :)

In other news, graduation is tomorrow... Stephen and I will be "doctors"- say what?! I think I'm still in denial.

House pictures...

2008-05-14T21:39:00.000-07:00

cute little back yard- lots of big trees, which we love!

patio, with a little built in sand box- perfect for little boys!

Master bathroom

The kitchen- one of my FAVORITE parts of the house

The front view

Guest room

Guest bath

Family room

Dining area- opens into the kitchen

We made an offer on a house...

2008-04-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

and it was accepted!!!! We are still in shock, it's all feeling pretty unreal at this point. I have never been a home owner before and I think I'm going to like it (that is of course, until the first major appliance breaks or the roof leaks or whatever). We are meeting the inspector today to go over the soundness of our new domicile! Barring any major disasters we should be able to move in by the end of May.

I'm slowly but surely, scratch that, QUICKLY acquiring all the adult responsibilities that I'd always thought were so far off into the future. Parenthood, home owner, doctor... what in the world?! I'm probably due for some sort of identity crisis or something, but I certainly don't have time for that :)

One month ago...

2008-04-22T14:24:00.000-07:00

Who knew a month could fly by so incredibly quickly?! Jacob was a month old yesterday and I'm already feeling like he's going to be a toddler if I close my eyes for an instant... I'm sure it will only get worse :( He just gets cuter and cuter every day and heavier to pick up out of his cradle in the middle of the night! I'm really enjoying being home with him. He's a big cat napper in the mornings, so I don't get as much done as I'd like to in the mornings, but luckily he does take a few big naps during the day which allows me to get a nap too or get some things done around the house.

We celebrated his month birthday yesterday by getting ice cream at Marble Slab (however, the guest of honor slept through most of it) and then today by going to the doctor! Poor guy had to get his first shot today but he did so well... he got really mad, then calmed down pretty quickly and took a big nap. The doctor says he's doing well, he's growing like a weed as they say. At birth he weighed 7lbs 5oz, was 21 inches long and today weighed 9lbs 8oz and is 22 1/4 inches long!! He's been eating like it's going out of style, so I guess that's what happens (which we are very thankful for). He ate so much this morning before the doctor's visit, I told Stephen he must be cramming for his weigh in ;)

I've been searching for good daycares in Dallas and I'm not having a lot of luck. The two that were recommended to me both have long waiting lists (of course) but at least I'm on the higher priority list and Southwestern since I'll be working there. So if you know of any quality baby care in Dallas, give me a holler, I would be eternally grateful! Luckily, my mother has offered to come be his nanny when I start work because I know he won't have a day care spot just yet... and let's face it, in my dream world, my mother would be able to take care of him all the time because I know he'd be getting the best possible care. (I guess in the ultimate dream world, I would be the one taking care of him every day AND somehow doing residency.) It's going to be the hardest thing dropping him off and letting someone else take care of him, but I know I'm called to be a doctor and that I just have to get through the next three years of training and then I'll be more able to make my own schedule. We all just have to make it through them first!

I'm also working on the house hunt...hopefully we will have made a decision in the next week or so because we need time to close and move before residency starts. We are praying that we will find the right house at a decent price. It's amazing how much more homes cost in Dallas than in any other place... sheesh! We are still debating about areas, we've found several neighborhoods that we really like and are very safe, but there are pros and cons to each regarding commutes for each of us as well as proximity to family for emergency childcare, etc. So please pray for us as we make this HUGE decision! That's about all the updates we have for now.

And now it's time for the best part... PICTURES!

Jacob is all better!

2008-03-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to everyone who has been thinking of us and praying for us over the past few days... it's been a rude introduction to the unpleasant parts of parenthood. Jacob has his follow-up visit today and it's all GREAT news! His bilirubin levels are much lower and he's gained 4 ounces in only 2 days!! It's also encouraging that he's been feeling so much better and eating so well- nursing is a lot more enjoyable now that he's feeling better and is calmer overall. We feel so blessed, God is good and answered all of our prayers about Jacob's health.

Jacob update

2008-03-25T14:19:00.000-07:00

Jacob had his first pediatrician visit today. The doctor said he looks good, the only problem is that his jaundice is worse than when we left the hospital. They did a blood test in the office and determined that his bilibrubin is higher than they'd like, so this afternoon Cook's Children's home health delivered"bili lights" to the house which will help him get rid of the extra bilirubin. Apparently Stephen had the same problem as a newborn.

The doctor is very nice and encouraging, she thinks he'll do just fine. She believes that in a few days his levels will be low enough to stop the bili lights. We have a follow-up appointment on Thursday morning to re-check the levels and see if we need to continue the phototherapy or not.

Needless to say I feel terrible that he has to stay in his bili light suitcase thing all day (I was a wreck in the doctor's office, of course). In order for it to work, he has to stay under the lights as much as possible except for feedings and diaper changes. It's hard not being able to hold him when he's crying but hopefully this won't last past Thursday. I'm just thankful that he doesn't have to go to the hospital and can stay with us at home. Luckily, Stephen was able to coordinate his ER shifts so that he can be at home with us for a few more days. Please pray that the bili lights do their job and that Jacob's liver enzymes mature quickly to be able to handle the extra bilirubin! (and for my sanity of course :)

I'm trying to keep a sense of humor though, despite the raging hormones and a mother's worrying... I'll have to post a picture of our "toboggan sunbather" at some point. Despite being sad when I see him in there, he still manages to look really cute!

Baby Jacob is here!

2008-03-24T10:06:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to let you know that Jacob (formerly known as Baby T) arrived Friday (March 21st) at 9:04pm! We still can't believe he's here... we're all home and doing well. I'll try to post more later, but here are a few pictures to get things started...

Baby T time?!

2008-03-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update.... Today may be the day Baby T is born! I started having some contractions yesterday while shopping at Wal-Mart (ironically, trying to get stocked up before Baby Time) around 4pm and they have continued until this morning. So I'm at home, trying to stay busy and active, hoping that they become close enough together by this afternoon that we can go to the hospital! I have a doctor's appointment late this afternoon, so at least she'll be able to tell me if I should go ahead and go to the hospital today or not.

Stephen and I are both very excited! Today is also our Match Day for residency, but the contractions have overshadowed that just a little bit :) I'm hoping that the regularity of the contractions means that we will have a baby by this weekend... but I'm trying to be patient, it's just difficult! That's all for now.

38 weeks pregnant... 14 days to go!

2008-03-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're getting close to single digits on the baby countdown! I was officially 38 weeks on Monday, so I'm now on the "short list" as my doctor put it :) Sunday night/Monday Baby T decided to drop down, which was an odd sensation and made it hard to sleep. This means breathing is much easier, bending over is a little easier, but I have to pee every 10 minutes and sometimes feel like I'm walking with a cantaloupe (to continue the baby=produce theme!) between my legs!! (Sorry if that's TMI.) So he may be here before too long!

In other news... Stephen and I are still waiting to see where we will end up for residency. We find out March 20th at noon!! With everything else going on, I haven't had much time to be worried about it, but it will be so wonderful to know so that we can start making moving plans.

Baby Center update...
"How your baby's growing:Your baby has really plumped up. He weighs about 6.8 pounds and he's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). He has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold his hand for the first time! His organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If he's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If he's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time he's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)"

You're 37 weeks- 21 days to go!

2008-03-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest Baby Center update...

"How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz."

Does anyone else think it's weird that each week they compare children to produce?!

Full-Term Thomason!

2008-03-03T11:54:00.001-08:00

Today marks another very important milestone, Baby T is now 37 weeks along, which means that he is now considered full term! It's a big relief knowing that even if he comes sooner than we expect, he shouldn't have any major complications. It's so odd spending so much time in the doctor's office lately, I feel like I am there all the time... probably because I'm there each and every week.

We had the last baby shower this weekend, so we are feeling a little more prepared, at least as far as having all the "things" that one needs to take care of a baby. I think I'm probably still in denial just a little bit about what the next few weeks have in store for both of us. My plan at this point is to expect the worst for labor and delivery so that if the worst doesn't happen, it will feel like a breeze! (Probably not a breeze, but at least not the worst case scenario). I figure there's not much I can do now and worrying about all the possibilities and contingencies would be exhausting... I'm just hoping to be flexible, while being as prepared as I can and try to maintain a good attitude. I've already told Stephen I'm not sure how I will react to labor... but I've already apologized in advance just in case :)

I have to brag on Stephen for a minute. He's been so sweet and thoughtful lately. I've been a pretty lucky girl during my pregnancy, no major issues or complications, and I've been blessed to have felt pretty good for the entire time (I attribute this to all of you prayer warriors out there!). In the last few days I've gone from comfortably pregnant to feeling EXTREMELY pregnant and more uncomfortable and tired. On Saturday I noticed some fierce swelling in my feet and legs which stayed with me almost all weekend and made my feet and legs really sore (not to mention gave me cankles and sausage feet!). Stephen has been so sweet, rubbing my feet and even giving up his pillow so that I could get comfortable and get some sleep. I can't wait to see him with Baby T, he's going to be such an adorable dad!!

We're getting excited and anxious to see our little guy, but still hoping he holds out for at least 2.5 more weeks so that we can finish up our rotations and not have to worry about any tests or clinic time interfering with the experience!

36 weeks!

2008-02-23T07:29:00.000-08:00

We are getting close to the finish line! We had an appointment this week, which included another sonogram... our last peek at Baby T before we get to meet him in person! The doctor said everything looks great. We don't have any pictures to send, he's getting so big that it's hard to fit him into one frame. The doctor estimates his current weight to be 6lbs 4oz, so we're probably looking at an 8lb kid at delivery. He is not breech, has plenty of amniotic fluid to swim around in and looks healthy on the sonogram! Luckily, there are no signs that he's planning on arriving any time in the near future (as in, next week)... which is a relief, I'm hoping he holds out at least until 39 weeks so that I'll have time to finish my last rotation. I have a feeling my little man won't let me down :) I'm still predicting that he'll come on March 20th, which is our residency Match Day.

We also got to see his feet kicking me in the ribs. (I think I felt him wiggling his toes in my ribs this morning... it was a really funny feeling!) The doctor confirmed that what we'd been thinking was his butt is indeed his posterior, so now we can pat it with confidence! We're planning to go buy his car seat and stroller today, so we'll have all the absolute essentials in place for his arrival (at least we hope)! I'm sure once we get him home we'll realize that we are grossly under-prepared! I'm getting anxious to meet him, I have a feeling that once we bring him home parenthood will begin to feel very real. That's all the news we have for now.

Baby Shower Season!

2008-01-31T11:01:00.000-08:00

I've been blessed with lots of wonderful friends who want to help me and Stephen prepare for the arrival of our little boy, which means there are lots of baby showers coming up! I have realized that the "more pregnant" I get, the more forgetful I become, so if anyone reads this and would like to come to one of the showers, please let me know. (I almost left my mother's name off one of the guest lists last week... so please don't feel offended if I have forgotten to send you an invitation.)

We are starting to get even more excited as we come to the realization that within as little as five weeks our little boy could be home with us! We are anxious to meet him. However, I must admit, I'm hoping that he'll hold out for the 39 week mark (7 more weeks) so that I can finish up my last rotation and not have any more school obligations to worry about.

In other news... Baby T's favorite kick zone is one particular rib on my right side. I've had Stephen talk to him very sternly about treating his mother kindly, but that only seems to work for a few minutes... I don't think time outs would work well either, so we're running out of options! I guess I'll just have to wait until we both have more room to move around. In the meantime, if you see me walking weird and holding my side... I'm probably just trying to protect this sore region from Baby T!

31 week update...

2008-01-22T17:03:00.000-08:00

"How your baby's growing:This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy."

Baby T is definitely moving up a storm!!

The Baby Belly progression continues... 31 weeks!

2008-01-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

Our new crib!

2008-01-16T18:51:00.000-08:00

Less than 70 days to go!

2008-01-15T17:22:00.000-08:00

Here's the Baby Center update...

"Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)"

Brief Update...

2008-01-13T07:55:00.001-08:00

Being sick is never fun, but I must stay that being sick and pregnant has been the least fun. A large part of the discomfort is because of the limited amount of medicines I can take, especially all of the usual over the counter standards for the most annoying symptoms. And I feel terrible for Baby T because I'm sure my coughing in the middle of the night is jarring for him. Luckily, I can take Benadryl, which at least has helped me stay asleep a little bit longer, and sleep goes a long way in making me feel less miserable! I also borrowed a humidifier from a friend today to see if that will help; I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

I'm so glad that Stephen is back home from Houston, because at least I feel better just having him around... who else would do a silly dance to make me feel better so early in the morning?! I'm hoping to feel better this afternoon so that we can drive to Dallas and inspect the crib we're looking at and hopefully get it ordered before it's not on sale anymore. Actually having the crib in our possession will be a big milestone... our first major baby purchase! (I'm sure it will be the first of many, babies are expensive :)

Another milestone... I'm 30 weeks now! According to my calculations (and vague memory of elementary math class) 30/40 weeks means that we're three-quarters of the way to the end! Very hard to believe. I'm getting more and more anxious to meet him and Stephen seems to be getting more excited as well, which is adorable. It's so funny that Baby T seems to get stage fright whenever someone wants to feel him moving, he even does it to Stephen. What's even funnier is that when Stephen puts his head on my belly instead of his hand, Baby T kicks him in the head almost every time!! It's hilarious. It's fun to try and decode this behavior into his future personality. He's big enough now though that if he won't kick while someone's hand is on my belly, that at least they can see it; it's very Alien looking at times :) That's it for now, I apologize for all the whining in the beginning :)

Baby T= Big Kid!

2008-01-06T18:38:00.000-08:00

So we had another sonogram right after Christmas! We found out that he is still a boy (the first picture) which is good news. The middle two pictures are of his face, with his knees tucked up by his face. And the last one is of his little foot, but my scanner wasn't long enough... but trust me, it's cute and small :) It looks like Baby T is going to be large, as we suspected he might be. At 27 weeks, he already weighed almost 3 lbs!! And of course, his head was his largest measurement... and makes me nervous that he may come a couple weeks before the due date (which may complicate finishing up my last rotation before he's born). But we'll see, I can't worry about it too much now :)

I think Baby T had his first bout of hiccups last night... I couldn't figure out what was going on, but it lasted long enough and was rhythmic enough that I'm assuming that's what it was. It did not make my GI tract very happy though... hopefully that will be an uncommon occurrence.

We're getting excited about having our little guy at home with us. I decided over Christmas break that I had to clean out the guest room to make room for baby! It's been quite an undertaking, but I think I've finally made plenty of room for him, while cleaning out a bunch of junk. The added bonus is that if we clean it out now, we won't have to move it in a couple of months! I also went ahead and registered at Pottery Barn Kids (we couldn't resist) and Babies 'R Us. Luckily, I had my mom to help me figure out what the baby essentials are because each store gives you a HUGE list of things every new parents must have for their kid; needless to say, it's an extremely long list and some of it seemed questionable. I suppose there will be a lot of figuring it out as we go along.

Stephen and I both started our Geriatric rotation last week. So far, I've really enjoyed all of my patients, they've all been the sweetest little ladies so far... and they LOVE the fact that I'm pregnant. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to going to the dementia center or not, just because it makes me sad to know that each patient was "once" a vibrant person with opinions, distinct personality, with memories and a sense of humor... it's hard not to feel like there's been a huge loss, almost like a living funeral with no end. It just makes me sad because I know that has got to be hard on the families who have to see it. I wonder if the patients themselves somehow feel lost.

Other than that, Stephen and I both have three interviews left to go before we are done. I am going to be very relieved when interview season is over... traveling has gotten more uncomfortable since being pregnant, as well as walking around all day. And not to mention, wondering if my interview clothes will fit the next day or not... Baby T seems to have overnight growth spurts at times! And we're starting our childbirth/parenting class tomorrow night... so that should help make it all a little more real :) That's it for now...

Pregnancy update...

2007-12-20T07:07:00.000-08:00

So this is the e-mail I opened up earlier this week (my weekly update from BabyCenter) "You're 26 weeks pregnant, 98 days to go!" First of all, I can't believe that the countdown is now only in the double digits. Next week I'll be in my third trimester, which means that Baby T's arrival is becoming more eminent (so excited, so nervous). He's definitely getting stronger. At my Baylor interview yesterday, he kicked me ferociously three times in a row, right into the ribs, and it actually took my breath away. I think the senior resident thought I was going into labor or something but when I started laughing and explained that my feisty boy was apparently trying to escape, we were able to move on. (What I really think is that he was tired of me walking for over two hours to be able to see both HUGE hospitals.)

My legs are very sore from waking up with huge calf cramps and then compounded with walking around all day on tours. Needless to say, I'm hoping that a maternity massage is under the Christmas tree this year... even if it's just my lower back and calves, I would be in heaven. That's the short update... more to come next week, because I'll have more sonogram pictures!

How your baby's growing:
Your baby now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber), from head to heel. The nerve pathways in his ears are developing, which means his response to sounds is growing more consistent. His lungs are developing now, too, as he continues to take small breaths of amniotic fluid — good practice for when he's born and takes that first breath of air.

A photographic update...

2007-11-25T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here's the baby belly at 23 weeks... starting to look more pregnant, I think! What's funny is, that the size of my belly can change quite a bit in the course of even one day. I haven't figured out if it's something to do with Baby T's position (as if he's hiding out near my spine sometimes or then "floating" out near the surface), or what I've eaten, etc.

It's funny to wake up and realize that I'm finally starting to really fill out the maternity belly panel in my pants but then later that day, my belly will "shrink" (for lack of a better term) and I have to start pulling up on my pants almost constantly again. It definitely keeps life interesting!

Baby T sighting!

2007-11-17T20:23:00.001-08:00

So on Friday (after my interview) I got a quick, free sonogram from a tech who had some free time and was missing baby sonograms!! It was nice to have a GIRL doing it this time because she took lots of time to look at his face. It was so crazy to see him kicking and punching with his arms and simultaneously feeling it... I must say feeling a baby move has been one of the crazier experiences of my life; I'm still not used to it! I'm sure people think I'm a freak when it looks like I'm just zoning out and holding my stomach.... but it's still so new and exciting, that it's hard for me to ignore, even though it happens all day. It's kind of fun knowing that my little boy and I are the only ones aware of our subtle "communication"!

During the sonogram, my sister decided that Baby T looks like Stephen (which is what I'm rooting for). I was just so excited to be able to see him that I couldn't think about too much, other than I was so happy to know that everything was OK. He was so adorable, yawning, sticking his tongue out (we think) and doing baby tae-bo! Unfortunately, the very nice sono lady was unable to print pictures because it was broken, but just seeing my little guy made it the best day ever :)

My doctor told me at my last appointment that I'll need to get another sonogram after Christmas because they didn't get as good a look at the baby's heart as they would've liked. At first, all they said was that I needed another sonogram... which made my heart sink, because I was afraid that something was wrong with the baby. But when they explained that they just needed more views, I felt much better... and at the same time, annoyed with the guy who went through all the motions so quickly, that apparently he didn't get all the pictures needed (including the obligatory profile pictures I wanted)! However, I can't be too angry, it's another chance to check-in on Baby T and it will be a WONDERFUL belated Christmas present! I'm just hoping a girl is there to do it this time, or I might have to get sassy with the guy and request sweet pictures ;)

That's it for now, I have to get back to packing for San Antonio. I leave tomorrow for four weeks on my last away rotation. I'm SO sad to leave, of course, but it will be nice to get a better idea of what residency is like down there as well as what the city is like. So if anyone is in that area between now and the next four weeks, you MUST look me up because I'm sure I'll need the company :)

21 weeks (almost 22)...

2007-11-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

"Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. If you're having a girl, her vagina is formed now, though it will continue to develop until birth. Your baby is really on the move now. Fetal researchers say babies move about 50 times an hour even while sleeping. All that movement helps stimulate your baby's physical and mental development. You may not notice 50 kicks, punches, and twirls during the day, but as you're settling down at night, don't be surprised if your little guy seems ready to dance the night away. " Courtesy of Baby Center

Baby T is definitely on the move these days!

One interview down...

2007-11-11T17:44:00.000-08:00

Stephen and I both had our Temple (A&M) interviews on Thursday. We really enjoyed all the residents we met and both had great interview experiences... all of the people there seem genuinely happy to be there, which is a great thing to see! We still have many more interviews to go but it's nice to have one under my belt.

I also got to test out my "maternity power suit"... which is really just some slacks and a nice blouse, since I refuse to spend hundreds of dollars on a real maternity suit. I'm hoping the programs I'm interviewing will see this as sensible rather than lazy or sloppy! That's the quick update from us...

A milestone...

2007-11-03T14:05:00.000-07:00

Today marks the halfway point in the pregnancy! I can't believe it's already halfway over... it's unbelievable how quickly it's gone by, and yet I can't wait for the end result to be in my arms :) Funny that I'm so impatient... because I'm sure in little to no time I'll be wondering how it can be that our little boy isn't a baby anymore. I really am trying to make a conscious effort to try and take everything in and really appreciate the miracle while it is going on. For some reason, it reminds me of Mary when Jesus was born, "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart" Luke 2:19. I'd like to be more "ponderous" and reflective instead of just looking ahead to each new milestone... I'm afraid I might miss too many important lessons and moments if I'm in too much of a hurry! (Not to say that I'm remotely like Mary but I think there's a universal "mother principle" which applies :)

Also, I think I've experienced what is called "quickening" which is the first movements of the baby that you can actually feel. They've been pretty subtle thus far and sometimes hard to distinguish from digestion, but it's exciting every time I think it is him :) That's about it for now, just a quick update to mark this big day!

Baby Boy T...

2007-10-28T16:59:00.000-07:00

So the newest installment of pictures aren't as cute as they usually are (in my humble opinion); I guess that's what happens when you let a guy do the sonogram... he was very matter of fact and gave us more of the "Halloween view" of the baby's face (aka his skull) rather than his sweet face like my doctor usually does. But we were happy to see him under any circumstances! It was amazing to see how big he is now, he looked more crowded this time :) His body is much more proportional, as you can see his head and body are closer in size now (rather than the noggin-dominant configuration of four weeks ago).

The sonographer saw fit to outline the boy parts so that we would be able to show everyone the evidence! (I feel bad for the poor guy having all his business on display, I hope his modesty wasn't too offended.) According to the measurements taken, Baby T is right on target for his age, he already weighs 3/4 of a pound... he's our "three-quarter pounder"! The guy took a quick look at one of his lateral ventricles (an important structure in the brain), the stomach, nuchal fold, femur length, etc...and told us everything looked fine. I suppose we'll get the official report from our doctor at my next appointment. When I asked if he was on track for our due date, he said it was right in between the old one(March 19th) and the new one (March 25th) so no changes there.

It's hard to believe that the pregnancy is almost half way over, we can't wait to meet our little guy. We bought his first outfit on Friday night which says "little version of daddy," (which is what I'm hoping for... a mini-Stephen) so cute and so tiny! There was also another one at Old Navy that said "I'm new here" which I thought was adorable, but I'm trying to practice self control when purchasing baby items... really trying. We are starting to seriously consider names, now that we have a gender to concentrate on. I'm still learning towards Jacob Langston but we still have time to mull over all our options. It's a big decision, naming someone for the rest of their life... we're just hoping we give the poor guy something that he can live with from childhood to adulthood without too much embarrassment! That's all the news from us, hope everyone is well!

The Baby Belly...

2007-10-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken after a long day at the hospital in Tyler... but it will have to do! Can't wait until Friday to see our little one again :)

The Baby Update... 161 days to go!

2007-10-17T14:45:00.000-07:00

I had another appointment on Monday, it's amazing how quickly the 4 weeks have flown by since the last one! The doctor seems very pleased with the way the pregnancy is progressing. The nurse had no trouble finding the baby's heartbeat this time, it was a vigorous 155 beats per minute... we may have an active kid on our hands! She also measured my fundal height (which is the distance between the pubic bone and the fundus, or top of, the uterus) which was 16 cm, which is about on target for my 17 week status.

I also gained three pounds since the last visit, which my doctor was happy with. I was worried it would be closer to 10 pounds since I had a HUGE, decadent meal for dinner the night before (prime rib, lobster, asparagus and garlic mashed potatoes)! But my appetite has definitely picked up lately, I MUST eat every three hours now or the hunger quickly turns into ravenous without warning. This hunger has already become pretty annoying while on the wards but I've been carrying snacks with me and I grab a bite when I can. I've been lucky on this rotation, I've been with very thoughtful doctors who give me breaks.

Onto exciting boy/girl news... we did not get a sonogram at this visit like we were hoping for, BUT it turns out they'd already scheduled the anatomy sonogram for us. It will be next Friday (apparently that's the only day they do them), so with any luck, our little one will forget his/her modesty, just momentarily, so that we can find out if we're having a boy or a girl!! I can't wait to buy his/her first outfit... and to be able to have some more direction on names. We're still open to any and all name suggestions :) That's our update... hope this finds all of you well.

You're 17 weeks pregnant... 161 days to go

Your baby weights about 5 ounces now, and he's around 5 inches long — about the size of a large onion. The umbilical cord, his lifeline to the placenta, is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby can move his joints, and his skeleton — until now, rubbery cartilage — is starting to harden into bone. Some of it will remain cartilage for years after he's born. A newborn's skeleton has 300 parts (a combination of bone and cartilage). As your child grows, some of these parts harden and fuse together. By the time your baby reaches adulthood, he'll have just 206 bones.

Calling all prayer warriors...

2007-09-22T10:53:00.001-07:00

In the scheme of things, I worry about a lot of dumb, not-so-important things and sometimes obsess about worrying. Today is probably one of those instances, however, in the moment it feels like a huge deal! I'm playing the piano and singing in a friend's wedding today at 5pm and my stomach is already in knots. I think it will be OK, I just haven't played the piano in public since I was nine years old during a recital (so the stakes were pretty low). I would die if I ruined someone's wedding by stinking it up with cruddy music...

Needless to say, I'd appreciate any and ALL prayers you could throw my way :) Thanks.

Baby Update!!!

2007-09-16T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hello all, I thought I'd share the newest baby pictures, hot off the sonogram machine! It was a big surprise to me that I got a sonogram at my last visit, but I'm so glad my doctor did! The nurse tried to listen to the baby's heartbeat using the doppler machine, but she wasn't able to hear anything but mine. Needless to say this made me a little nervous even though I know that since I'm only 12 weeks it's on the early side of being able to hear anything. Since my morning sickness has gotten much more manageable, it made me nervous... because at least I knew the little one was doing well enough to make lots of stomach-upsetting hormones as long as I was throwing up every morning!

I've tried to scan the pictures and attach them for you all to see. I wish you all could've seen the live version... the pictures were so much clearer and it was exciting to see the little guy jumping around, kicking, and wiggling!! He's definitely a very active guy. (I decided to just go ahead and say "he" for now, just because it sounds too terrible to say "it" and be referring to your child! Maybe I'll alternate "he" and "she" each week.) The doctor took a peek between his legs, but nothing definite for sure just yet :) It's amazing to me how much has changed in only four weeks... our little peanut has grown so much already and looks more like a human baby than a legume! It still boggles my mind how life is created and sustained, how is this possible?!... God is amazing. I found a great quote by Maureen Hawkins, while I only can say that I relate to the first half, I have a feeling the last part will be 100% true as well:

"Before you were conceived I wanted you

Before you were born I loved you

Before you were here an hour I would die for you

This is the miracle of life."

I tried to give you some orientation on the pictures by adding notes under the pictures. (Sorry the quality isn't the best) She also shared all of my lab results with me and says everything is going great and expects no problems. I'll have another visit in four weeks. In other news, I think there's finally been a break in the morningsickness! I know Stephen is very excited about it, it makes the mornings much better for both of us :) I'm enjoying feeling like a normal person and being ableto eat and enjoy my food again.

Our first appointment!!!

2007-08-23T09:58:00.000-07:00

So here's all the information on our first visit to the OB doctor...

First of all, let me say I really like my doctor and her office staff, they're all really friendly and seem to be genuinely excited with you and for you! The major highlight was the sonogram!!! We got to see our little peanut floating around AND the best part was getting to see his/her heart beating! It was amazing, and still feels a little unreal, just because of the small scale and since I can't really feel anything yet, other than my evening/night sickness :).

The doctor took some measurements and determined the new and improved due date of March 25th! Which is actually perfect... as long as the baby holds on and doesn't come too early, I should be able to graduate without having to make up anything. That means we would have three months of nothing but learning how to be a mom and dad (and figuring out all that residency stuff, while house hunting and moving) BUT at least we won't have to worry about work for a little bit.

The doctor says everything looks like it should, so we were relieved! If you notice the visual aide... you'll see the little peanut inside the larger black peanut... that's the baby!!! The black part is my uterus/womb (hope that's not TMI). The appointment was the highlight of my week, however it came between taking our COMLEX step 2 on Monday and then the USMLE step 2 on Friday... I have a feeling I probably didn't test to my full potential, I was pretty distracted. And for the USMLE 2, I ran into some evening sickness issues because our test started later. Oh well, we prayed about it a lot, so I hope the results aren't too embarassing!!

I'll have an appointment every 4 weeks up until the third trimester and then it will be every 2 weeks... I guess that's about all for now. Thanks for stopping by... and stay classy!

One test down...

2007-08-13T19:35:00.000-07:00

And one to go. Thanks to everyone who said a puke-free prayer for me... all the prayers definitely worked, I had no nausea during the test AT ALL, it truly was a miracle because this last week has not been pretty. The test went OK... I of course wish I'd had more "feel good" time this last week so that studying was actually productive, but overall I feel like I knew enough to make good choices on the test (at least I think I knew...).

Oh well, one more to go on Friday. All I can think about right now is our first appointment on Wednesday!! I had so many questions on the test about things going wrong during pregnancies that I was starting to get a little worried about my own, so being able to see the little one on the ultrasound will make me feel much better :) That's all for now. We're taking tonight off before we hit the books again for test #2! Peace out.

Testing and puking, never a good combination...

2007-08-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

We're taking the COMLEX tomorrow morning at 8am... I'm a little nervous. Mostly because my morning sickness has been pretty hanous this week. I'm praying for a reprieve between the hours of 8am and 4pm so that I'm able to focus on taking the test and not simulatenously trying to answer questions while stifling gagging!! I'm sure my fellow test takers would appreciate it as well :) I have our church and my parents' church on prayer patrol, but I would appreciate ANY extra assistance!

Then, the highlight of our week, is on Wednesday when we have our first OB appointment... we'll finally get to see our little peanut!! Then we're headed to Abilene to take the USMLE on Friday... so it should be a pretty busy week. That's all for now, I'm off to look at some cram pages before we head to Dallas!

A new favorite...

2007-07-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

"If the Brakeman Turns My Way" by Bright Eyes

When panic grips your body and your heart is a hummingbird
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you're breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well, but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out

Got a cricket for a conscience, always looks the other way
A cocaine soul starts seeming like an empty cabaret
Hey, where have all the dancers gone? Now the music doesn't play
Tried to listen to the river but you couldn't shut your mouth
Better take a little time to level out

I never thought of running
My feet just led the way

Mixed up signals
Bullet train
Cars are switched out in the crazy rain
I could meet you any place
If the brakeman turns my way

All this automatic writing I have tried to understand
From a psychedelic angel who was tugging on my hand
It's an infinite coincidence but it doesn't form a plan
So I'm headed for New England or the Paris of the South
Going to find myself somewhere to level out

Are your brothels full, oh Babylon, with merry middlemen?
Never peer out of their periscopes from those deep opium dens
All this death must need a counterweight, always someone born again
First a mother bathes her child, then the other way around
The scales always find a way to level out

I tried to pass for nothing
But my dreams gave me away

Mixed up signals
Bullet train
People snuffed out in the brutal rain
I could live to any age
If the brakeman turns my way

It is an old world, it's hard to remember
Like a dime store mystery
I'm a repeat first time offender
Who has rewritten history

Mixed up tea leaves
Phantom pain
Fuzzy logic in the the crazy rain
Getting better every day
If the brakeman turns my way

Mixed up signals
Bullet train

Cars are switched out in the blinding rain
He'll be smiling as he seals my fate
When the brakeman turns my way

Stephen's home!!!

2007-06-14T19:05:00.001-07:00

I'm excited, I have a horrendous psychiatric shelf tomorrow but I still don't care :)

Memorial Day Weekend...

2007-05-29T15:16:00.001-07:00

I had a great weekend! And luckily, our psychiatry supervisor made sure that all of us were off for the holiday... I'm not sure that that's ever happened on a rotation before! I spent most of the weekend with my family, which is always a blast. And I spent some quality time with my nephew, aka cutest two year old EVER, Zane. The plan was for my dad and me to take Zane to the Colonial PGA golf tournament on Saturday but the weather had different ideas. Of course it cleared up and they resumed play when it was too late for us to go; Zane definitely needed a nap during that time. Without a nap he turns into what we affectionately call "Mr. Destructo"... because nothing is safe in the path of this tired two year old!

So instead, we opted to take him to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. We started off by watching an Omni movie about Dolphins (scored by Sting which was a highlight for me) and then went to all the kids' exhibits. Zane fell in love with the Kids Zone- a place where everything is made for kids six years and younger. Boy do they know their demographic! Zane had a great time running from play car to play car, to play train... he couldn't decide which one he wanted to drive next, so he drove in most of them twice! He also got to shop in a kid-size grocery store for fake food and other goods. He loved being able to drive the pint-sized grocery cart himself and then scanning his items. I think he ended up with 5 grapefruits, a piece of cheese, and a tangerine... good thing he's not in charge of shopping for the real thing! We all had a great time, it's so fun to see him explore and learn. I've included a picture of Zane fishing for pollutants (it was an environment exhibit) with Papa, which he loved. Then we went to lunch where he scarfed down his corn until no kernel remained... it's nice to see passion for a vegetable instead of french fries!

We also went to a wedding this weekend. My cousin Adam got married, so of course it was yet another excuse to dress Zane up! He looked very sharp and sadly, mature in his khaki pants and polo shirt. While we all waited for the cake to be cut, he played with "Jeremy" his airplane and lounged on the stairs. It was definitely an interesting group of people there... we definitely felt like the oddballs. I'm still bummed that they waited so long to cut the cake, because that's usually one of the highlights for me at weddings!

It was awesome to have a long weekend and the best part was that Stephen was off Monday also :) So we met in the middle ("'neath that old Georgia pine"- Diamond Rio, anybody?!) in Abilene. We both left our respective cities as soon as Stephen got off call, so we both arrived about 12:45am on Monday. We were both so tired but it was nice just to be able to sleep next to him... it still felt like quality time. We went to go see "Next" one of the new Nicholas Cage movies. It was pretty good, can't say that I recommend it whole-heartedly. It was definitely an interesting concept, I just think it fell short on the execution. That's my weekend in a nutshell, just in case anyone was wondering! Have a great week

Christians vs Atheists...

2007-05-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some interesting videos that were aired on Nightline. It's the debate between Christians and atheists about the evidence there is for God. It brings up some great points that are worth thinking about.

The series is posted here...
http://www.wayofthemaster.com/abc_debate.shtml

Or you can watch the video here...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1229854964003619354

A word of advice...

2007-05-25T15:37:00.000-07:00

"Hot Fuzz"= hilarious, almost peed my pants, wonderfulness. You'll love it, go see it, the end.

Gwen Stefani "winds it up" in Dallas...

2007-05-06T19:43:00.000-07:00

We had a great time celebrating Cinco de Mayo at the Smirnoff in Dallas, listening to Akon and Gwen Stefani! I always look forward to hanging out with the OG Abilene crew; after all two out of these three people talked to me and were seen in public with me during the middle school years! They deserve brownie points for sticking it out :) As you can tell from the pictures, we had a great time singing along, acting stupid and dancing around... that's just how we roll!

I feel so lucky to still be such good friends with Allison, Becky, and Trisha after 12 years. The time has gone by so fast, and as we've aged I think we've all grown into ourselves a little more, changed in some subtle and not-so-subtle ways and have been through some of the more major life-changing experiences- death, marriage, careers, moving away from Abilene, etc. But somehow that underlying "glue" that brought us together during those awkward, unsure days has remained just as strong, if not stronger; which is amazing! I feel really blessed to have friends who laugh and love so fiercely and let me be as weird or as dumb as I feel like being... that's pretty rare. It's nice to be surrounded by people who get you :)

End of sentimental journey! And onto the concert itself...

The opening act was Lady Sovereign from the UK, who was kind of rapper/hip hop mix. She was OK. She's not really my style musically but at least she was entertaining; having an accent helped too. Akon was an awesome opening act! He has a really good voice and has a lot more hit songs than I realized. He was a lot of fun and got the party started.

Sadly, Becky and I were walking back from our funnel cake/diet coke run when Gwen started her first song, "Sweet Escape" which is one of my favorites. Luckily, we could hear it well, but had to try and find our way back to our table cloth lawn blanket in the dark! I got some pretty good pictures of Gwen, courtesy of the extreme zoom of my digital camera. I also had a lot of fun with the video feature; it's a fun way to be able to re-enjoy some clips from my favorite parts of the concert. I'm not sure I know how to post them... but I'll try! I thought Gwen did a really good job, her voice sounds just as good as on the albums she puts out, which is always impressive. She had tons of extravagant costumes and costume changes, which kept it interesting.

And she played the two songs I had come to see, "Cool" and "Sweet Escape." So all in all, it was a great show. She even wandered around in the audience during "Cool" which I thought was neat/cool (haha)... too bad she didn't make it back to the lawn seats, although she did give us a shoutout. (P.S.- If I'm ever a famous singer, I'm definitely making it back to the lawn... maybe I could fly in over the lawn seats or something. I'll have to work on that...) And she talked adoringly about Kingston, her son, which I thought was so sweet. She seems like a cool gal, even from a distance. One of her encore songs, "The Real Thing," was really touching because apparently she wrote it about her family.

All in all, it was a great night. On a melancholy note, Stephen left today for his six week stint in Odessa for his OB/Gyn rotation :-( It was a hard day for me, I hate knowing that I'll be coming home to an empty apartment each evening and won't be able to look forward to our lunch dates during the week. All this probably makes me a pathetic, needy, typical female... but I don't care! When you love someone, you want to be with them, and want them to be able to hug you when you've had a crappy day or make you laugh by making weird faces and doing impersonations... it's just not the same over the phone. But I know we will survive; we survived through six weeks of separation when I was in Corpus Christi. So if anyone reading this wants to hang out at ANY time, I'll most likely be totally free! Peace out.

PS- Sorry if my post is hard to read, for some reason, it keeps changing my formating... I'll have to experiment!

The worry wart returns...

2007-04-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

So it's been awhile since I last posted, as usual... apparently google has acquired blogspot, which gave me yet another excuse to procrastinate on posting! Life has been great for the last few months, since I last posted. I went to Corpus Christi for my pediatrics rotation and fell head over heels in love with pediatrics, which was a big relief. I was afraid I wouldn't like it and have to start figuring out what else to do with the rest of my life, but the kids were great and I was excited to get up every morning to go help them.

I also just finished my only elective month of third year, and got to work with a pediatrician in Fort Worth, learning the outpatient side of pediatrics. Now the new challenge in our life is figuring out where we'll be going for residency. We would love to stay in the DFW area, but there's only one pediatrics residency but two PMR (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) opportunities for Stephen. So I'm hoping that we'll both like the programs and will get to stay in the area and continue to in the vicinity of all of our family. We're going to apply for the "couples match" to give ourselves a better chance at matching in the same city. I've decided that if we don't match in the same city, I may just take off a year; I couldn't stand to be away from Stephen and I don't think it would be good for our marriage. I'm not sure exactly what I'd do in that year (being a mom has come to mind!), perhaps research.

That's a short synopsis of the last few months, I've spent tons of time on the computer researching programs and trying to set up rotations at the ones we are most excited about. Please pray for us as we try to discern where and "what" we should be in the coming year. I can't believe that we only have 7 more weeks until we're upgraded to fourth years!! Which means that it's only a little over a year until graduation and being a doctor... this all blows my mind. But I have faith that we'll end up where we need to be; everything worked out wonderfully for medical school, even when I wasn't sure if God knew what He was doing! I can't wait to see what the next year has in store for us. Peace out!

See below... my new favorite song, "Home" by Daughtry

I'm staring out into the night,
Trying to hide the pain.
I'm going to the place where love
And feeling good don't ever cost a thing.
And the pain you feel's a different kind of pain.

Well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.Well I'm going home.

The miles are getting longer, it seems,
The closer I get to you.
I've not always been the best man or friend for you.
But your love, it makes true.
And I don't know why.
You always seem to give me another try.

So I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
I'm going home.

Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all,
And then some you don't want.
Be careful what you wish for,
'Cause you just might get it all.
You just might get it all, yeah.

Oh, well I'm going home,
Back to the place where I belong,
And where your love has always been enough for me.
I'm not running from.
No, I think you got me all wrong.
I don't regret this life I chose for me.
But these places and these faces are getting old.
I said these places and these faces are getting old,
So I'm going home.
I'm going home.

I'm moving on down to Corpus...

2006-12-15T18:22:00.000-08:00

...at least for 6 weeks. So I'm finally at the point in my medical school career where I'm required to do an away rotation. I've been dreading/excited about it for awhile now... excited because I've heard it's one of the best places to do a pediatric rotation (which is still what I think I want to do!) and dreading it because Stephen will still be here in Fort Worth :(

I keep telling myself that maybe being away in an unfamiliar place will be good for me; plenty of time to study (we'll see how that goes!) with fewer distractions, and time to start that ever elusive work-out schedule! So, if you're ever even remotely near the Corpus Christi area, please stop by and visit me. At least I'll be there with some really nice people from my class. I hope I do well and am able to tell if this is what I want to do with the rest of my life!

In other exciting news... we took our Internal Medicine shelf this afternoon, so that's one more test behind us! This officially marks the end of the first half of my third year of medical school, which is actually a kind of frightening thing to think about, ay yi yi.

And I just had yet another conversation with the incompetent people who work at Skypass Travel... once I mentioned wanting to speak with the manager, they were very motivated to help me... interesting isn't it?! I looked them up on the Better Business Bureau website and found out that they've had a few complaints, one almost idential to my own; interesting. Please avoid them at all costs for your own sanity! I hate arguing with people, especially over the phone. These are the moments I wish I had a personal assistant. I hate confrontation but I'm beginning to learn that it is sometimes a necessary part of being an "adult" and getting things done.

Well, I'm off to finish packing for the ski/anniversary trip to Colorado! Can you believe we've already been married one year, I can't! I hope everyone has a happy and safe Christmas and New Year :)

My meager golf accomplishments...

2006-11-25T06:44:00.000-08:00

So in my golf history, I've made 4 pars on par-3 holes, which is exciting... but I've been waiting and waiting for a par on a par-4 hole (and a birdie of course, but I'm not getting my hopes up just yet) and the day finally came yesterday! I was playing golf with my dad at a new course, made a great tee shot with my driver about 200 yards to the right of the fairway. Muffed my six iron shot, so the ball landed on the side of the mound that the green sits on top of. Then I had the chip shot of my life with the nine iron; the ball landed about 5 feet away from the hole. I had to take a deep breath and really size up the putt so that I could make this one THE one. I did everything I could think of, even visualized the ball rolling into the hole... and it worked!

The rest of the round was pretty embarrassing since I haven't touched my golf clubs in like three months, but that one hole, number 6, was enough to make it worth all the other terrible, frustrating shots. I can really understand how people get obsessed with golf now... it keeps luring you back with the promise of success and improvement by giving you one good shot or one good hole each round.

PS- forgive the poor golf commentary

Onto other news.... my laptop died, so I've spent way too much time on the phone and on-line with Dell "technicians" and computer-savvy friends trying to fix it. I'm almost to the point of using it as a coaster and just calling it a loss! So, just in case anyone reads this anymore, please leave a comment so I can find your blog again. I lost all of my links, favorites, pictures, MUSIC :( EVERYTHING, so I'm starting from scratch. Luckily a few weeks before I backed up iTunes, so I think I should be able to retrieve almost all of my library... I guess it could always be worse. Happy (belated) Thanksgiving to all!

So there are more Thomasons out there than I thought...

2006-11-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
28
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

A video for your amusement...

2006-11-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Click on it... it's short, sweet and adorable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pceyvuB1Ci0&NR

it's good to know I'm not totally retarded... for an eighth grader

2006-07-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

I passed eighth grade science!

You Passed Eighth Grade Science

Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?

How normal are you? I'm only 50%...

2006-07-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

You Are 50% Normal

While some of your behavior is quite normal...Other things you do are downright strangeYou've got a little of your freak going onBut you mostly keep your weirdness to yourself

How Normal Are You?

just wasting some time...

2006-07-15T11:53:00.000-07:00

You Are An Apple Tree

You are quiet and shy at times, but you have lots of charm and appeal.You are quite attractive: your pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, and adventurous spirit draw people in.Sensitive and loyal in love, you want to love and be loved.You are a faithful and tender partner - who is generous in sharing your many talents.You love children, and you need an affectionate partner.

What's" Your Celtic Horoscope?

Fond Birthday Memories...

2006-07-06T18:14:00.000-07:00

So I'm officially 24 (for 2 weeks now), it feels good... so Stephen and I are the same age for only one more day! Becky and Eileen planned a fun downtown birthday dinner at PF Chang's and then we just wandered around downtown. I absolutely love downtown, all the lights, the sounds of street musicians and bands floating through the air, and that there's lots of free parking!

I know you're all dying to know what I got for my birthday, so here it goes...
1. I got a keyboard piano from Stephen for my birthday... it's awesome, I can't leave it alone! Alex, Heather, Courtney, Trevor, Mike and my parents also chipped in to make it possible, so thanks guys!
2. Stephen's mom gave me an Ann Taylor gift card (which I spent swiftly)
3. Stephen's dad gave me a new golf bag and golf shoes (which I got to try out on the golf course the next day)... it was a rough golf day, but I did add a par to my "collection"... I'm up to 5! I just have to figure out how to start making birdies :)
4. A wonderful birthday dinner with my wonderful husband (after a horribly long, draining day of ACLS) at Outback
5. several yummy birthday cakes (Stephen even woke up really early to make me one): white, chocolate and spice (and the chocolate mousse at PF Chang's, but I don't know if that counts)

All in all, a very good birthday and no disasters like I'm always afraid of! Today was my first day of my orthopedic surgery rotation, more to follow...

2006-07-06T18:12:00.000-07:00

Birthday with the hubby :)

2006-07-06T18:09:00.000-07:00

My birthday dinner buds!

2006-07-06T18:08:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I dancing at med school "prom" (aka Boot Party)... we had a good time and had fun playing dress up!

2006-07-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Zane (and Cassie, my brother's dog) cooling off during the hot summer days! Isn't he the most adorable thing you've ever seen?!

I heart New York...

2006-06-22T07:31:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend, I went to NYC to visit Kimmy for a long weekend. It was great to have a local to guide me around and of course she's always fun to hang out with. We had a wonderful time just walking around, shopping at Chinatown, haggling, eating ice cream and seeing shows, etc. I think one of my favorite parts was just walking around in Times Square and 42nd street the first night I got there. It was hotter during the day than I would've liked (after all I was trying to escape the Texas heat) but at least it never hit 100 degrees... so I guess I can't really complain; the evenings were generally the perfect temperature.

This was only my second visit to NYC, but it was probably the best. The first time I went my mom was so worried that someone would mug and/or kill us that we didn't get out and do as much as I'd hoped we would. We did see quite a few shows though, so it has a leg up in that department. My most recent visit was more relaxing and laid back, so it felt more like a vacation than a sight-seeing, pack-it-all-in kind of trip. I actually spent quite a bit of time roaming the city by myself, which was great and amazingly I never felt unsafe. I loved going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and being able to look at it all at my own pace and with my own soundtrack (provided by the "shuffle songs" feature on my ipod mini); I highly recommend it! On the cab ride over, the cabbie asked me about art and what my favorites were... and then said, "perhaps you will be an artist in a future life; you never know, you could be an artist inside." It was really cute, and took me by surprise how persistent he was in this belief. I have always wanted to try out be an artist, but never got to take the classes (too many other fine arts classes). If med school doesn't work out, maybe I'll go to photography school (and/or be a back up singer, of course)!

I did some shopping on Fifth Avenue to pass the time (I stayed out of the hoity toity "designer" shops; I've seen "Pretty Woman" and how they can sense "those who don't belong"!) I got a really cute skirt at Ann Taylor (on sale of course, to make it jive with my med student budget) and then shopped around for a shirt to match. It was a lot of fun... despite the fact that my original plan was to go to the Museum of Modern Art on my last afternoon. I showed up at the museum at 10:30am (the open around 10am) and the line was already almost all the way down the block. I decided that I didn't want to spend my last few hours in the city in a line and then not have time to actually look through the museum.

My celebrity sightings for this visit number three. I saw Wendie Malick (the "old" model on "Just Shoot Me"), she walked past me on the street; David Hasselhoff and Brandy from about 30 feet away at the Today show. I'm not sure if Al Roker and Ann Curry count or not, but I took pictures of them anyway, since I watch them most mornings!

Kimmy and I also tried out for "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" on Saturday. We had to take a multiple choice test with thirty questions and out of about 50 people, they took about 6 to interview. Neither of us got an interview, so I guess we didn't cut it! I've decided I don't watch enough TV shows to be good at a show like that... I've never seen Bernie Mac, so how would I know what his youngest child's name is?! It was a fun experience, allowed us to see a different part of the city (I even got to walk by Julliard, which made me feel more musical!) and I got to chat with some native New Yorkers who were really friendly. It's another random thing that will be fun to tell my grandchildren someday. New York has such a palpable, exciting energy... I hope to visit again soon. That's it in a nutshell! I've posted some pictures from the trip too for your viewing pleasure.

2006-06-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

Radio City... I couldn't resist taking a picture on one of my shopping excursions.

2006-06-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

Kimmy and I went to see "The Wedding Singer" which is a wonderful musical! It kept us laughing, had some catchy songs and some hilarious costumes... all in all, a perfect vacation musical experience.

2006-06-22T07:26:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my attempts to be a "street photographer"! I kind of felt like a stalker, but at least my camera has quite a zoom, so it was a little less invasive... I won't bore you with any of the others :)

2006-06-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Central Park... it was a warm day and a Sunday, so there were tons of people out enjoying the weather.

2006-06-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

I heart The Metropolitan Museum of Art... really wish I could live there! And I love how everyone just sits around on the steps after we were all herded out.

2006-06-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Moesha, Moesha, Moesha... Brandy was giving someone in the audience some attitude.

2006-06-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

The judges for "America's Got Talent" were at the Today show to audition some New Yorkers.

2006-06-22T07:18:00.000-07:00

Hey... don't hassle the hoff!

Die another day...

2006-06-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sure I'll face tougher tests in my life and I'm not necessarily looking forward to those days, but it is nice to have this first one under my belt and out of the way! I added up all the ones I wasn't sure about and I think I passed... Now let the vacation begin! I'll be leaving for NYC on Friday to visit Kimmy and I'll be back on Monday. Then class starts again on Thursday. So I guess I'm about 3 weeks away from starting my surgery rotation... ay yi yi! I think I probably should start studying right now... but I won't, I've got nothing left. Thanks so much for all the thoughts and prayers, I think it will be 3 months or so before I have and kind of results in my hand; but I have a feeling I'll have plenty to do to keep my mind off the anticipation. :)

I'll be sure to take (way too many) pictures and post some of the highlights. I'm really looking forward to buying some good books to read for my plane, cab rides and lazy days, etc... so if you have any suggestions, please let me know! Or if you have any NYC needs...

I'm brain dead, so I'm off to be to regenerate and to get some much-needed beauty sleep!

Death march...

2006-06-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I are leaving for Abilene this afternoon, which means that we'll be taking our boards tomorrow. WOW. Please pray for our success, I am super-duper nervous! I'd appreciate it... and if you're in Abilene, maybe I'll get to see you while I'm there!

Let the countdown begin...

2006-06-04T21:36:00.000-07:00

T-minus 10 days!! I came to the stark realization earlier this evening that tomorrow marks the beginning of the single digit countdown to the boards. Wow. This test is paradoxical to me... the more you study, the less you feel you know... it's like the information required grows exponentially as I learn one new fact. Perhaps I should just stop now and cut my losses!

I hope to kick it in to high gear tomorrow. The family that's been here all weekend will be leaving, which will help. I love seeing my family (especially Zane) but it's so hard to study when you have guests; especially a little guest. Zane has climbed into my lap numerous times this weekend to see what I was doing and to "help" me push buttons on the keyboard! Well, enough whining for now... I could use any and all prayer! Happy June!

Forget the forgetting...

2006-06-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

geez! So Heather T. gave me the link to my Johari window thingy (you da bomb!), so now I can actually look at it! So go ahead and visit if you haven't already and thanks to all of you who did. It is nice to know how you come across to other people. Apparently there's another similar one but that has bad adjectives on it... I don't know that I'm quite ready for that one yet. Perhaps I will be after my surgery rotation and have been yelled at everyday... As you can tell I've already started having nightmares about my rotations :( I'm still hoping for the best. Peace out!

Come to Jesus...

2006-06-01T09:09:00.000-07:00

While visiting my sister a few weeks ago we went to church with her and during the church service the childrens' choir sang "Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus)" by Chris Rice. I'd heard the song before and loved it, but there was something truly special and moving hearing the kids sing it. Since then, Stephen and I have become obsessed with it (aka put it on the iPod and listen to it wherever we go) and I'm going to try and find the sheet music! I really do need to get a piano, I'm getting desperate. Let me know if you anyone comes across a reasonably priced piano or keyboard (so I can drop some birthday hints to the hubby)!

Untitled Hymn (Come to Jesus) by Chris Rice
Weak and wounded sinner,
Lost and left to die,
O, raise your head for Love is passing by

Come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus and live

Now your burden's lifted,
And carried far away,
And precious blood has washed away the stain... so

Sing to Jesus,
Sing to Jesus ,
Sing to Jesus and live

And like a newborn baby,
Don't be afraid to crawl,
And remember when you walk sometimes we fall... so

Fall on Jesus,
Fall on Jesus,
Fall on Jesus and live

Sometimes the way is lonely,
And steep and filled with pain,
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain... then

Cry to Jesus,
Cry to Jesus,
Cry to Jesus and live

O, and when the love splills over,
And music fills the night,
And when you can't contain you joy inside... then

Dance for Jesus,
Dance for Jesus,
Dance for Jesus and live

And with your final heartbeat,
Kiss the world goodbye,
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side... and

Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus and live
Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus and live

"Foget about it..." hard to type accents!

2006-06-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

Forget about that last post... somehow lost the link to check what people have entered! Foiled again. I guess I'm destined to be in the dark forever!

Help me learn about myself...

2006-05-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

I ran across this from a friend's link... since I'm still discovering who I am and why I am the way I am, I figured it couldn't hurt! I'd appreciate your honest input :)

http://kevan.org/johari?name=emfull

Back to the books... 'mo study, 'mo knowledge?! I hope so...

Reunited and it feels so good...

2006-05-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hootie and the Blowfish came to see me last weeked (May 12th to be exact) at the Taste of Addison festival. It's been almost exactly 10 years since I last saw them in concert... hard to believe! And the amazing thing is I think I like them even more now than I did in 8th grade. And I got another t-shirt (which you can see to the right)! Which is a good thing, because my OG shirt was looking worse for the wear, in fact I retired it in high school. I felt like those were the years I became a die-hard Hootie fan, because I wore it after the new had worn off and had to deal with the "hatas" who thought Hootie and the Blowfish were past their prime. (Musical snobbery note: Obviously, they have only trendy musical tastes and an unrefined musical palate!)

I took a ton of pictures and had fun playing with the video function on my new digital camera... and most of them came out really well, even the sound, which was surprising. So now I can relive snippets of the concert at any time...excellent! I had such a great time and got to see some friends I don't get to see very often, especially Annie and Heather. I wasn't so excited about seeing "the Jim", but he wasn't scary, didn't do the creepy stare and seemed to be trying his best to be nice to me, which made my efforts much easier! We had all tried to go to a Hootie concert at Six Flags in early 2004 but we stood out in the rain for 2 hours all for naught... they canceled the concert. :( We were so sad and so miserable, but finally we got the concert we'd waited for! So it all has a happy ending. That's all I have for now... enjoy the pictures I've posted below!

2006-05-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

Darius says "Farewell"...

2006-05-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Cowboy Darius

2006-05-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

Darius Rucker and Mark Bryan... rocking out.

2006-05-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

The hardcore Hootie girls... we were up in the throng, eventually making our way to the second row!

2006-05-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Most of the Hootie fan club... and some random girl drinking her Miller Light.

I'm in love...

2006-04-29T20:21:00.000-07:00

...with a stripper, she ridin' ...(whoa, jk, it's just a really catchy song that gets stuck in my head way too much). I'm not only in love with my sweet, adorable husband but also with the Vespa Granturismo. That's right folks, I want a cute scooter to drive around town! Although, I'm sure I'd end up getting some shade of blue instead (surprise, surprise)!

Perhaps this love affair began when I fell in love with the movie "Roman Holiday" starring two of my favorites, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck! (I didn't even realize that they were driving an actualy Vespa until I did some research.) I've always seen adorable scooters randomly parked on a sidewalk or something and wondered what kind of carefree, fun life it's driver must lead. Probably an idealized and naive notion, but still it makes me happy to think that perhaps one day I too will be able to zoom around the Colliseum and the rest of Rome and beyond on a Vespa, with a tall dark handsome guy (who I happen to already be married to, which is very helpful... I already know how the love story ends!) I asked Stephen if I could go to the Vespa dealership in Dallas for my birthday to do a test drive... yet another reason I can't wait for June!

The beautiful weather lately has intensified the desire to go for drives with a little less material between the sunshine, breeze and me! And after much googling, I actually found a contest to win a Vespa!! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that one day I'll own one, and perhaps even get it for free... oh, wishful thinking, not holding my breath. I think this post would definitely be filed under the "rambling" category of my blog... sorry about that! I hope you've enjoyed looking at the pretty scooter :) Peace out.

Playoffs!

2006-04-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

I went to my first playoff game last night! I've been excited about it all weekend and had such a wonderful time, I'm so glad people were willing to go with me. We got the tickets off the Mavericks Trading Post website, so they were actually pretty cheap for playoff tickets (I'm assuming)... I have a feeling that as the Mavericks progress through subsequent rounds that the prices will be quite a bit higher, which is why this is probably my only playoff experience until I actually have a real job someday. *single tear* I had such a great time and couldn't have gone with a better group... everyone else was as loud or louder than me, so I didn't feel like a crazy! And what a great game! I was low-tech last night and took pictures with my old school camera, with film and everything. So the posting of the pictures will be somewhat delayed... That's all for now!

I need your help!

2006-04-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

So I'm applying to be on Deal or No Deal... I love that show!! And I really wouldn't mind having even $1,000 more than I do... although being able to pay off all of our massive school loans would be awesome as well! So the application asks some pretty tough questions, like...

What would your friends say are your best qualities?

What would your friends say are your worst qualities? (It's ok to answer, we'll still be friends!)

How are you competetive in every day life?

What is the most daring and dangerous thing you have ever done? (although, I'm afraid any "stalking" references might hurt my chances of actually getting on the show)

If you were going to be in People magazine, what inside info about you would be put up next to the picture?

Who is the most important person in your life that you have lost touch with?
...I'm REALLY stumped by this, because any one that I can think of has died, so is that really "losing touch"??

What is the weirdest thing about you?

Describe your most embarrassing moment.
**I KNOW y'all can come up with a ton of these!!

Seriously, I would appreciate any and all input... so DO IT!

Some belated honeymoon pictures...

2006-04-06T18:47:00.000-07:00

Since I didn't do anything remotely like vacation over Spring Break (I had to do a preceptorship most of the week) I thought I'd post some pictures from my last vacation along the sunny Mexican coast! And of course, there's a most recent Zane picture at the end! I hope this finds you all well. Now, back to studying, we have a final on Monday that I'm under-prepared for :)

2006-04-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

The formal night on our cruise.

2006-04-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

This was another favorite part... sitting on the beach, soaking up the sun and scenery! We were on a beautiful, private beach and got all the free cokes we wanted, aka paradise.

2006-04-06T18:25:00.000-07:00

These were smart Mayans... look at the view!

2006-04-06T18:23:00.000-07:00

Some of the impressive Mayan ruins we saw at Tulum.

2006-04-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Cute Zane mugging for the camera... he saw the camera and was trying to smile!

"101 Ways to Fail at Looking Like a Supermodel"

2006-03-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

I ran across this article on the internet and all I can say is "amen"! It's true that there's some sort of unreal "ideal" out there that makes us all think that physical perfection equals our worth and what people think of us... sad but true. I wonder what the statistics are on girls, or even guys for that matter, that live up to that ever elusive ideal! Enjoy...

101 Ways to Fail at Looking Like a Supermodel
Written by Kierstin Casella -- Thursday, 02 March 2006

I’m in my PJs and socks. Drew Lachey is dancing on TV. The washing machine is whistling. And on the arm of the sofa sits my latest issue of InStyle Magazine with Julianne Moore on the cover. Across her purple dress it reads: Absolutely Beautiful.

The hefty cover also promises 146 shoes and bags, plus 99 tips for getting gorgeous. I must admit it: I want those things.

I suppose the reason I’m drawn to the latest and greatest trends in lip plumping, waist slimming, and eyebrow shaping is that in my mind, it equals a new and improved self—or at least the hope of one. And who am I kidding? Of course I would love to look like Kate Hudson or Jennifer Connelly, especially if it can happen in just five easy steps and a tube of expensive lipgloss.

There’s a deeper truth there though. It’s that I, maybe like you, find too much of my worth in the way that I look. I’m sure I don’t help the situation much---I’m the one buying the magazines! But I think it would be an issue even if I didn’t. I mean, unless I want to live underground, I’m faced with a steady onslaught of movie stars, billboards, diet fads, and skinny, skinny girls in butt-lifting jeans everywhere I look. I’ve become convinced that these are the standards I must achieve in order to be accepted. By who, I’m not sure exactly.

The funny thing is, I aspire to be a good cook, but I don’t tell myself that buying a great chef’s knife is going to turn me into Emeril. And while I want to be a good writer, I don’t read books by Anne Lamott or CS Lewis and feel like a failure because I can’t write as well as them. Why is it that in those areas of my life I keep a logical head on my shoulders, but when it comes to my appearance--something I can’t change nearly as easily as my cooking or writing skills--I set the mark beyond reach?

It is a difficult line though. On the one hand, I do believe it’s important to be healthy, to take care of my God-given self, and to make an effort to be attractive for my husband. I also know that indulging in any food I want, making excuses for avoiding the gym, and not washing my hair just to combat vanity is not the right solution. It’s also kind of gross.

On the other hand, when I find myself standing at the mirror telling myself I’m the fattest person who ever lived, or I don’t believe my husband when he tells me I’m beautiful, I realize how many more lies than truths I let inside my head on a daily basis. And that’s a problem. Because the truth is, no matter what some magazine picture tempts me to aspire toward, I am never going to have a personal trainer, a high-paid nutritionist, and a troop of stylists at my fingertips. I am never going to look like Charlize Theron in a bikini. I’m working with my tiny bag of tricks and a closet of clothes I bought on the sale rack. And I can’t airbrush out the parts I don’t like, either.

The truth is, when I peel everything else away what I’m left with is me. And doesn’t it make a lot more sense to work toward being that, rather than the girl with high heels and smoky eyes on page 257? I don’t even like eyeshadow.

I'm citing my source! http://blog.grassrootsmusic.com/?DCMP=EMC-030306

"I am practicing my purpose once again..."

2006-02-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

New favorite song from the commercial for "Conviction" on NBC. I finally found it on Itunes and downloaded it... I have a feeling I'll be purchasing their album (a real, tangible one, with liner notes and that pesky security tape all around it!) Not only is the music wonderful and moving, but the lyrics are also really positive and hopeful, which I'm a fan of. I think they apply to anyone who hasn't quite "arrived" yet and is still wondering if they're going to be successful, loved, fulfilled, etc... which I think is a majority of people (especially those around my age)! I've posted links at the bottom if you want to listen to the song on their website or myspace (it's free!). You should definitely take a listen. (P.S.- I'm also diggin' "Ever After You")

All Will Be Well
(written by: Gabe Dixon/Dan Wilson)
performed by: Gabe Dixon Band

The new day dawns
And I am practicing my purpose once again
It is fresh and it is fruitful if I win
but if I lose, ooh, I don't know
I'll be tired but I will turn and I will go
Only guessing 'til I get there then I'll know
Ohh, I will know

And all the children walking home past the factories
Can see the light that's shining in my window
As I write this song to you
And all the cars running fast along the interstate
Can feel the love that radiates
Illuminating what I know is true

And all will be well
Even after all the promises you've broken to yourself
All will be well
You can ask me how but only time will tell

The winter's cold
But the snow still lightly settles on the trees
And a mess is still a moment I can seize until I know
That all will be well
Even though sometimes this is hard to tell
And the fight is just as frustrating as hell
All will be well

And all the children walking home past the factories
Can see the light that's shining in my window
As I write this song to you
And all the cars running fast along the interstate
Can feel the love that radiates
Illuminating what I know is true

And all will be well
Even after all the promises you've broken to yourself
All will be well
You can ask me how but only time will tell

You got to keep it up
And don't give up
And chase your dreams
And you will find
All in time

And all the children walking home past the factories
Can see the light that's shining in my window
As I write this song to you
And all the cars running fast along the interstate
Can feel the love that radiates
Illuminating what I know is true

And all will be well
Even after all the promises you've broken to yourself
All will be well
You can ask me how but only time will tell

All will be well
Even after all the promises you've broken to yourself
All will be well
You can ask me how but only time will tell
You can ask me how but only time will tell

Links:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=21550741
http://www.gabedixonband.com/

oh man, I can feel the music beast rising again... I hope this doesn't start a music spree- buying all those CDs I've been holding myself back on, buying all that guitar and piano sheet music I've been craving... and then of course obtaining any form of a keyboard/piano to have at the house, so I can actually play on a regular basis. Why didn't we register for a piano?! Should I drop out of medical school and form a band?! Whoa, I think I'll stop there and try to lull the music beast back to sleep. Peace out.

Cute Zane anecdote...

2006-02-19T19:14:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this story with saying that Zane is the cutest, friendliest kid out there. Anywhere he goes, and anyone he sees is fair game for waving at and squealing at. He LOVES to wave at anyone, but especially other kids. While watching the Olympics from his Musical Learning Chair, Zane likes to wave back at the ice skaters as they wave to the camera!! It seriously is the cutest thing ever... we should hire a camera crew to document all the cuteness. He's so friendly and outgoing, I hope that's a quality he never loses... especially since not everyone is as friendly back. So if you're ever out and about and see a cute kid waving in your general direction-- wave back! Even if you're not the intended target I'm sure it'll make the kid smile.

What's the definition of you?

2006-02-19T18:59:00.000-08:00

It's been weird changing my name over the last 2 months. I've been a Fuller for almost 23 years and a Thomason for only 2 months, so when it comes time to sign something I have to take a significant pause and consider which name to use. It's pretty confusing and has cost more trees than I'd like to admit, but overall, I think I'm getting used to it and hopefully the bill/mail/DMV, etc places will all get used to it soon too! In the spirit of changing my name, here's a fun on-line quiz about what definition would be in the dictionary next to your name (old or new!)

Emily Thomason --
[adjective]:

Visually addictive

'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

haha, I think that's a stretch! But at least the definition of my new last name is an improvement over my maiden name....

Emily Fuller --
[noun]:

A person of questionable sanity who starts their own cult

'How" will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Want to join my cult?!! I'll call it the League of Karaoke Stars! Send me a $100 application fee and your firstborn child ;)

funny stuff!

2006-02-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

you should check out the "Chronic (what?!) les of Narnia" video clip from SNL http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/

If you're in the mood to waste a little time whilst giggling...

2006-02-09T16:24:00.000-08:00

then boy do I have the website for you! While procrastinating this evening, I stumbled across www.randomshirts.com... I dare you to look at it and not laugh. I might be purchasing all of their t-shirts tonight. I have my eye on a cute navy tee that says "karaoke champion Tokyo 1987" with the silhouette of a crazy bouffant hair-do singing man... it's a must have! (you should look it up under winter wear, then long-sleeves). Why didn't I come up with this business idea?! Let me know what your favorites are!

Name that tune!

2006-01-27T07:02:00.001-08:00

This is from an old Russian friend, Mary Louise's blog!

DIRECTIONS:
1. Go to your iTunes playlist - or whatever's on your computer.
2. Hit shuffle.
3. Choose the first 13 songs - YOU CANNOT SKIP ONE. If it's embarrassing you just have to live with it.
4. With those 13 songs you must post your favorite lyric from each of the songs.
5. See if anybody can guess what songs they are from. If they are guessed you can cross them out. Try to get rid of all of them. Have fun!

1. "You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye "
2. "You left your smell You left your taste You left me here with my mistakes"
3. "there is more that rises in the morning than the sun"
4. "if you're sleepin are you dreamin and if you're dreamin are you dreamin of me"
5. "I am nothing but a breath and you're nothing but a lie"
6. "Now watch me rise up and leave all the ashes you made out of me"
7. "You'll be my vacation away from this place"
8. "It's time to try anything to be with you"
9. "And in a white sea of eyes I see one pair that I recognize"
10. "I only live for today, but I'm one day behind"
11. "I'm not what you want, I'm not anyone"
12. "You may be from Venus, but I'm definately not from Mars"
13. "We're different now than when we started"

Someday all the good things will not fade away...

2006-01-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

I read a post on Andrew Osenga (formerly the Normals frontman) that I really liked. I think I like it so much because he is a much more articulate thinker and writer than I am... so I'm stealing it! He verbalizes well the times when you suddenly remember childhood days or any nostalgic time, event or place in your life. It strikes me most often when I'm driving around, especially in the evenings on those "perfect" days, and somehow it reminds me of being a kid and riding my bike (listening to my walkman of course) around the neighborhood until it was dinner time (or too dark to ride)... or something like that. It's not even that definite a feeling or memory but the emotion is somehow the same... if you know what I mean! I'll let Andy describe it better...

http://www.andrewosenga.com/blog/2006/01/18/someday-all-the-good-things-will-not-fade-away/

Which Superhero are you?

2006-01-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

Your results:
You are Superman-- You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others

Superman 90%
Spider-Man 90%
Supergirl 67%
Robin 67%
The Flash 60%
Green Lantern 55%
Wonder Woman 52%
Iron Man 50%
Hulk 35%
Catwoman 35%
Batman 30%

2006-01-13T20:28:00.000-08:00

Zane is only one year old and is already constantly on the phone... hope Eileen is already saving up for the cell phone bills!