Pilgrims at Oak Ridge

1. Naomi's language abilities are really starting to take off. My two favorite things: she has started to say "Hi!" a lot and expect you to say it back to her. And anytime she seems a picture of a duck she says "qua-qua". Adorable. 2. You should all seriously read this post , written by a friend from Greenwood where she talks about having her daughter who she was surprised to discover had Down Syndrome. You will be blessed. 3. I have loved reading Ali's African Adventures for several years. She is a pediatric nurse serving on Mercy Ships. She recently got a devastating diagnosis for her unborn son, Ethan. Please go read and pray for baby Ethan and his Mama and Daddy. 4. I've decided that I've been going through sort of a dry spell lately, especially as it comes to writing. I love writing. I miss writing. But every time I sit down to write, the words just don't come. So as much as I'd like to get back to regular writing about things oth...

We had a great visit with Jeff's mom and drove down to the Long Beach Aquarium while she was here. I always love aquariums, and this one was no exception. One of my favorite parts? The Chambered Nautilus! I have never actually seen one of these swimming around, but it looked like something out of a deep space alien movie. I guess I assumed they moved more like a snail, with the shell on top and so was surprised to see the shell in front. Judah's favorite part was the outdoor play area complete with water spraying animals. There were also penguins and seals, and my other favorite, jelly fish. I think I could watch these guys swim around for a long time. The reef exhibit looked just like the scenery in Finding Nemo. After the aquarium, we came back and played outside for a bit. Naomi is really getting into holding and picking flowers, which is extra cute.

I have been very jealous of all the snow pictures I've been seeing on Facebook. I know that those who have been pounded with snow would be jealous of the beautiful LA weather we've had, but I would have loved to be in SC for the big snow storms they got. Instead, I had to settle for rain. The way the weather people talked about this rain storm reminded me a lot of how snow storms are talked about in the South. It did rain intermittently for 3 days, which is definitely the most rain we've seen since moving here, though in my mind it's still hard to understand why there was so much fuss. We made the most of it by going out and playing.  Obviously, it wasn't that cold - Naomi's flip flops are a testament to the mildness of the weather.  The most fun thing we did was play a game Judah called "River" - a game in which I made tiny boats out of aluminum foil that we then launched down the run-off from the rain. And of course, after p...

I had my first clinic this morning. Or I was supposed to, anyway. The office didn't actually open up my schedule because our secretary was worried I would end up with a full clinic and knows I am still getting a handle on how to use our EMR. I did see a few patients to help out some of the other docs and had one of the more unsettling interactions I've ever had with a patient. She came in for a routine follow up for her blood pressure - she was higher than her goal at her last visit, so her doctor had started a few medication. This was a visit to recheck how that medicine was doing, as well as keep an eye on her diabetes. As I was talking about how her blood pressure was better than last time, but still a smidge higher than where I would like it, she began to tell me about how stressful her waiting room experience was today. Apparently, a mom was waiting with her child, who was crying. I told her I understood how stressful a crying baby can be. "No, no, no. There was...

Two weeks ago, I came home from my long day at work to a house that was spotless, and was greeted with flowers and a delicious homemade meal of pasta served on our fine china. I have an awesome husband. Obviously. It was such a sweet gesture for Valentine's day - and really made my week. At the same time, I was also in awe and intimidated that he was able to clean the house, make dinner, get both kids to nap, and get to the grocery store, all before I got home at 5:30. (!!) Because some days I can barely get dressed before Jeff gets home. Today, though, I came home after receiving several texts talking about "everyone being sad" and "descents into anarchy" to a house that looked a little like a tornado had come through. Naps didn't really happen, and I think maybe there were lunch dishes still on the table. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who has days like that.