Absence makes the heart grow

 Stronger. And fonder. And thankful.

Our new family of 3 embarked on our first little road trip a couple weeks ago.  Accompanying Andrew to his away rotation at Travis Air Force Base in California was our mission. Due to a one month old (at the time) who needed frequent stops and to a mama who feared her little one would display her hatred for the car seat rather robustly the entire drive, we chose to make the 9 hour drive a two day event. 

 To our pleasant surprise, Bonnie did AMAZING in the car ... as long as one of us rode back there with her and as long as our day was framed around her needs (feed, play a bit, then back in the car for nap time and get as far as possible before she woke up!). Bonnie was also exposed to Andrew & Jenna's car trip concert extraordinaire! A.k.a.- Andrew sings beautifully and Jenna sings ridiculously loud and annoyingly and then we spend many minutes in out of control laughter. Over and over again... And you thought only Andrew was the goofy one... 

I sure hope Bonnie is taking notes on how to sing from her dad and not her mom.

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We spent the first night in Ashland, OR. What a neat little town! 

Next stop, Travis AFB. 

Andrew LOVES planes. It made my heart so happy that he wanted to walk around and "show Bonnie all of the planes." I found the shaded area and admired their mini daddy-daughter date from afar. It was quite certainly roasting hot the entire trip. 

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I sure love watching Andrew be a daddy. He's the best. Bonnie is one lucky gal.

 

A quick Chick-fil-a stop made for a great birthday treat before Bonnie and I caught our flight back home. My little travel buddy did a fantastic job once again.

 Literally counting down the hours until we get to see our guy again. And, they are very few! We are meeting half way for the weekend and couldn't be more excited! A certain Daddy is missing his little girl too much...

"I'm dying to get to the weekend so I can hold her again."

Heart melting over here... 

happy wife

 

Remember that dreaded surgery rotation? Well, it's over and I'm a happy wife. It thankfully went quickly and turned out to be quite the blessing that Andrew was placed at a certain hospital. You can't complain too much when there's free food for every meal! Andrew basically worked 80 hour weeks and somehow managed to keep up a positive attitude and even gain a little weight (opposed to the normal weight loss that occurs in this rotation). I especially looked forward to him bringing me home extra luna bar snacks each day. He is now finishing up his 3rd year with a pediatrics rotation. I'm so very proud of his hard working self and the way he remains so loving and kind through and through. So thankful to be his wife!

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Here is a sneak peek of baby girl's mobile that I made many many weeks ago. It is one of my favorite parts of her room and oh so simple! Full post to come soon.

Positive Attitude

It's here. The dreaded med school rotation....

Surgery. 

Dreaded on my end because of the non-existence of a husband it causes. I certainly enjoyed having my guy around a lot more these last few months. Thank you Psych & Family Med rotations; you were good to us. I've loved watching Andrew blossom this year from book-focused medical student to practicing physician under the guidance and teaching from some amazing preceptors. I am amazed at the knowledge he has gained, the patients he has helped treat, and the passion which motivates him day in and day out to continue onward.

Though a few months of "3rd year" remain, we look forward to what this next year holds. Not only will this guy become a father to our sweet baby girl, but he will also be applying, interviewing, and arranging for the next phase in this journey. Residency. 

I am blessed to be his wife and support him through this journey. It's fun to think back to when this all started. It doesn't seem like too long ago that our 16 year old selves were helping each other look into future careers. Or that I was taking and picking Andrew up from the airport week after week for interviews. My, how time has flown by. Here's to the next 5 weeks of surgery and a positive attitude!

Around here

Our home is happy around here these days. It's a nice change from what seemed like a very long and dark summer. Perhaps it's happy because I woke up this morning with the craziest boost of energy for which I used to deep clean the house. Windows, floors, and all. Whew! I'm liking these 2nd trimester little bouts of energy. When it comes, I run with it!

 

Perhaps it's happy because we've had a few loved ones as visitors over the past month.

My sister and nephew stayed with us for a few days in early January. What a joy to have little Reid around. His smile is contagious. His little baby cheeks are irresistible. I wish you could see this child eat real food. He's quite the patient & polite little fella. He sits with his mouth wide open, ready. What a sweetie. We also learned that baby-proofing the house needs to happen asap. This little guy is quite the explorer and got into everything. Children truly are a gift. I love watching my sister delight in her son. And I love being Auntie.

 

 Perhaps it's happy because little bits of life surround us. From photos of favorite spots, to each of our baby ultrasounds on the fridge, to a few lively plants, to the above meaningful painting of "Rock Gabriel" from my Dad. The day Andrew and I told my family we were expecting our first baby, Dad and I took a daddy/daughter date, chased the light, and painted this view as the sun was setting. What a meaningful little gift this was to me. A day to be remembered, a moment frozen in time. Dad, thank you  for this beautiful piece that livens our home.

Perhaps it's happy because Andrew always seems to be happy. He even wakes up happy. Sweet, giddy, and happy. Every morning, it still catches me off guard. I can't help but start the day with a smile waking up next to him (a nice change from the past 2.5 years of working nights and not being on the same sleep/wake schedule). 

Andrew is currently in the middle of his Psych rotation. This means that he spends his work days on the inpatient psych unit. As you can certainly imagine, it's quite the interesting place. He continues to keep a positive attitude and amazes me with how he takes each rotation and tries to find every way that it can apply to his future as a family practice physician. Andrew is already planning his next (& last!!!) year's schedule. It's exciting to think that the light is in sight and that this med-school journey is nearing an end. This week's sermon addressed the idea that besides salvation, people are the best gift God could give us. I couldn't agree more and am thankful every day that God gave me Andrew. What a gift.

Learning that this is our life

 We pass by each other at the entrance to the hospital. He's leaving. I'm coming.
His eyes light up and we embrace. "Perfect timing!" A sweet little surprise for the day.  
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He calls to say he's on his way home but won't make it in time before I leave for work. I say, 'let's meet in the middle for dinner at Chipotle!' Quickest dinner we ever did have, but the best company and a kiss to remember until we see each other again. 

Learning to appreciate the little things over here in the busy MS3 world. Learning that this is our life. Learning to make the most of it. Just thankful he's home, he's happy, and summer is behind us.
Med School- year 3, keep it coming....

Sun & Sand | Day 1

What a privilege it has been to spend the last few days in sunny San Diego. Andrew has a week off before beginning his ten-week internal medicine rotation, and this week could not have come at a better time. Our dear friends, Brandon & Catherine, even joined us! 

We ended up renting a little house through airbnb.com (great experience using this site so far) near Sea World. This centrally-located house was so perfect for our stay. After an early flight, day one included some much anticipated chick-fil-a, beach time in La Jolla, authentic mexican food, and an early bed time (at least for me).

Below are some photos from day one!

I keep hearing that Portland is rainy and cold this week. I'm glad we could extend summer just a few days longer with this trip.