Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas with all of our family. We started with my family and then went to Matt's parents house and then back home for our own little Christmas. We were spoiled with goodies and presents but most of all it was nice to be with everyone. I certainly tried to appreciate it more knowing that next year we will be a lot farther away and will probably not be coming back for the holidays. We are truly blessed to have families that love us so much.

Joshua explored his first snow.

Posing with my family and my sister-in-laws

Classic Joshua furrowed eyebrows

Our Christmas night/day after Christmas snow

Joshua loves cats

Saving a little rice for later

I love my happy little boy. Being a mom makes the holidays absolutely magical.

Cute Boy

If you want to see a cute story of my boy go here.

Anesthesia Residency...

Well we had three options

1. San Antonio

2. Civilian

3. Flight Surgery

The Air Force allows 5 people to train to be anesthesiologists in San Antonio and allows 10 others to train in the civilian world and the rest go to flight surgery. We were praying for option 1 or 2. The students that went to a military medical school are given priority, and they all only apply for option 1 and if they don't get that then they automatically go to flight surgery. There were 6 students in the military medical school applying for anesthesia so mathematically speaking we really thought there wasn't any possibility of San Antonio as an option. Matt had applied and interviewed at some pretty awesome civilian schools that were a lot closer to home. We had been talking ourselves into those programs since that's where we figured we were headed.

We opened our envelope for the military match and surprise we were selected to go to San Antonio. We were shocked for a moment and then sad for a moment and then really excited. We were sad because we love sharing our boy with our parents and siblings. The chances of going were very slim and we prayed we would go to the best place for Matt and for our family so we feel that if the odds were against us to go and we ended up going it must be meant to be. We are excited though for the chance to spread our wings a little bit more as we move 18 hours away from both of our families. The training is superb as the Air Force uses two hospitals to complete the training one being a level 1 trauma center and a major burn center. The pay is significantly better than in the civilian world and Matt feels that he will be better prepared to make the transition into military medicine this way as well. We are also thrilled to already know the results of match and to be finished early with interviews. The school had a very nice ceremony for all of the military students and we were reminded why Matt committed himself to this again. We look forward to serving our country this way.

I am so proud of Matt.

Two Taxi rides, 1 battery, and borrowed tools

Tuesday morning we took Joshua to play with his Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Jessi. This was the longest he was going to be away from me so I was a little hesitant but never fear I left behind plenty of my type A personality including a schedule. I also left the addendum that I knew it may not happen just as it happens with mom but that it made me feel better to leave the norm in black and white for everyone. Matt and I then started our drive to Charlottesville, VA. We stopped on the way for our first trip to IKEA. WOW! I will post more about my thoughts on IKEA at a later date probably after a shopping trip sometime after we relocate. :-)

We spent Tuesday evening at the applicant dinner and then Wednesday Matt went on his day of interviews and tours while I slept in, exercised, and then bundled up to tour the city myself. I finally left the hotel at noon and it was almost at 30 degrees brrrr! I did the whole afternoon on foot because I didn't have anyplace I really wanted to drive to explore so when Matt and I met at the car in the hotel parking garage to find a car that wouldn't crank we were surprised, disappointed, and frustrated to say the least. Then the real adventure began. We tried to find anyone that could help us with no luck. We called a towing company next door to the hotel and asked if someone could come and just try to jump our car off. They told us they would gladly come to the tune of 45 bucks and this didn't include the cost of actually towing us if that didn't work. We decided to try once more to find someone to jump our car off. We found someone, he tried, and no luck. We went back inside and used the internet to find an auto zone or a store like it. We found one but it was too far to walk but there was a taxi in front of our hotel. He said he had 20 minutes until his next appointment which shouldn't be a problem since the auto parts store supposedly had our battery and they kindly agreed to let us borrow the tools to change the battery. We drove over and they did NOT have our battery (oops they said). Our taxi did not have the time to drive us to the next auto parts store that did have the battery. We went back to the hotel and got another taxi and then set off for the next store which was like 3 minutes from the first store. We made it back , changed the battery, and then went to the 1st store to return the tools and the 2nd store to take our old battery for 12 dollars back on our purchase. We left VA at 5:15 which was impressive considering. We were thankful that Joshua was safe with grandparents as he would not have been as patient with the whole situation or the very late drive back home. We arrived much later than expected so we spent the night with the family and got up bright and early so Matt could make it to work the next day.

Despite the end to our adventure Matt still loved UVA. We will see next week if any of these interviews even matter or if we are San Antonio bound.

Happy Thanksgiving and other updates

Did I mention that Joshua was pulling himself up now? He has been enjoying this trick for the last couple of weeks now. It is exciting for him but it has also led to some bumps to the head as he topples over.

We couldn't capture a smile here even though believe it or not he had some at church today. Joshua is a little reserved out in public. Alyssa snapped this picture for us but it is just so hard to capture those baby faces with a regular camera....those 3-4 seconds make a difference.

We are blessed. I am truly in the best season of my life and enjoying my favorite season of the year.

Matt, Joshua, and I went to my hometown to visit with my family for the Thanksgiving holiday. We went the day before and I helped my mom cook. We got up early on Thanksgiving day and went to my ward's annual ultimate frisbee game. I had so much fun playing since last year I chose to sit out being pregnant and all. It wasn't that I was physically unable last year but I was still puking on a regular basis and overall just not feeling it. We had a blast playing and I even impressed Matt with my throwing and catching abilities. I was able to catch an interception and everything! Matt was of course a rock star on the field. Everyone knows him now and always wants Matt on their team.

We had Thanksgiving at a new location this year since my great-grandmother no longer lives alone in her old house. This is the place I've enjoyed every holiday since birth so it was bittersweet but we were still all together which is what matters. My uncle's new house will be the new location and it was just perfect. He has a wrap around porch so the front and back doors were basically left open with a steady flow of people visiting inside and outside. There was food, visiting, and music. It was a wonderful time.

Saturday the Turek clan stopped by our place on their way back from GA. We had another Thanksgiving meal at our house. I used my china which is always fun for me. :-) I love to entertain people. We had a nice visit with them as well.

Who am I kidding though the obvious star of all of our visits was Joshua. I am slowly accepting the fact that I am now Joshua's mom and Joshua's ride. He has a lot of grandparents and great grandparents that just love to absorb every minute they can of our little guy. I am thankful for that too. It is nice to be loved and to see your child loved.

6 months old

I can't believe that we are half way to my little boy being one year old! He laughs, talks, and smiles. He is crawling and pulling up to his knees to reach for items that are not meant for babies. He loves the tv console with the wicker basket filled with wii remotes and other "toys." He sucks his thumb and his pacifier which isn't ideal but what's a mom going to do. He is eating rice, some veggies, and drinking his formula from a sippy cup instead of the bottle once a day. He brings more joy than I ever thought possible to our family.

First Interview

The journey begins...

In December we will find out if we are doing an air force residency in San Antonio or a civilian residency someplace else. Next week we are off to our first interview. We are going to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville! I hope all goes well here because this is one of my personal top choices. The next week we have an interview at MUSC in Charleston. I will keep posting updates.

A Scary Dragon

Halloween Party!

Matt and I went to our friend's annual Halloween party on Friday night and my sweet sister Elizabeth came and watched Joshua. She watched him sleep because he is such a good baby. She put him to bed as we left and he was asleep before we even made it to the party. I made these bats.
It is a costume party every year and we have had fun dressing up each year. Our first year was lame because we didn't really know to dress up until the last minute but we have improved over time. :-) I couldn't decide what we should be this year though. I really didn't want to spend a lot of money on a costume and we just weren't excited to pretend to be any characters or any of the ideas that I came up with and then I found a suggestion to dress up as the host and hostess of the party. BINGO! This is our last year living here and we love Kim and Heath the hosts of the party so we decided to pay tribute to them as we became them for Halloween.

I found their pictures off of facebook. Then I cropped, enlarged, and printed the pictures and then glued them on to some cereal boxes to make our masks. Matt turned a USC shirt inside out and glued on a Georgia Bulldog emblem and also wore his swim trunks since Heath is a swim coach. I just dressed like Kim and wore some killer heels just as she would. :-)

It was a great time!

Apple Pickin'

Joshua loves to help.

Very big hill.....

We really needed the apples up this high...

We spent Saturday in Flat Rock, NC. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with blue skies and fall temperatures. Joshua played with his car seat toys and Matt and I were able to just visit about nothing important. The leaves were changing colors and the view was truly amazing. I forgot just how beautiful the south can be this time of year. We picked apples, bought cider, and pie. We explored some shops and ate some delicious barbecue. The pie was a treat we enjoyed back home that night. Matt's parents and one of his sisters joined us and seemed to enjoy our family outing as well. (Joshua always means a good time.)

5 months old

So these aren't the best pictures in the world but I wanted to still document being 5 months old! I would like a faster camera because it is really hard to capture those quick moments with one that has to think and think some more before it snaps the shot.

Joshua is being as sweet as ever. He still talks himself to sleep. He still loves to cuddle. He is up on all fours rocking back and forth. He is scooting and reaching to get anything out of reach but he isn't crawling yet. (thank goodness) He is constantly needing a bib but we still haven't seen a tooth yet even though the drool just keeps on pouring out of his mouth like water from a faucet.

Home Sweet Home

San Antonio was fun but.....

It doesn't replace sleeping in your own bed, seeing both sets of our parents, visiting with friends, going to church activities, or finally being able to drive places in my own car and go for long walks outside.

I am happy to be back in SC.

We apparently missed some record highs and brought with us from San Antonio some much needed rain. It rained an insane amount while we were in Texas apparently unheard of amounts. It rained for the first time in a long time while we visited my parents and then it has rained here since we have been back. We are bringing the rain folks...:-) Now, we are enjoying temps in the 70s. I LOVE FALL! This is one of my favorite times of year. Not to mention a special birthday is right around the corner. :-)

San Antonio, TX

We are here in San Antonio, Texas for an anesthesia rotation. Matt is working hard and Joshua and I are living in a hotel. It is a nice hotel but it doesn't replace home. I feel like the crazy lady that lives at the hotel because there are no sidewalks near the hotel and I have no car during the day. To get any fresh air I must walk laps around the hotel parking lot...thus the crazy lady.

I am glad that I came though because the Air Force is paying for the room, the car, and the food I just had to get myself here. Plus, it is always better when our whole family is together. We have also used this trip as a research trip since Matt may be assigned to do his residency here starting in 2011. We have found some parts away from the downtown area that would be really really nice to live in. These areas have their own grocery stores, shopping, and entertainment without ever having to really enter one of the treacherous loops. I am not from a big city nor have I ever lived in a big city so needless to say San Antonio has been a bit overwhelming to digest. There are a variety of people here from so many different cultures that it truly is a unique place.

We went to the Spanish Missions and I personally learned a lot and learned that there is large amount of history that I still need to learn.

We explored downtown. We could not get Joshua to look anywhere besides this fountain.

We enjoyed walking around Lackland, AFB.

More pictures from downtown. We don't have pictures but we explored the riverwalk, the market, la villita, and many other unique places. We ate food from a roadside stand and enjoyed random mariachi bands. There has been live music everywhere!

We spent the day at Sea World compliments of Sea World. I am such a kid. I loved seeing the dolphins and watching all of the shows. I pretended to show Joshua all of it too. :-)

We also ate lots of great food. I've had the best Mexican food of my life while I've been here. Pictured above is Joshua being posed next to a slice from our 42 inch pizza. We went to a local place that sports the largest pizza with some of the other medical students. Our pizza arrived and all of the sudden all of these strangers rushed our table and started taking pictures of our pizza and Joshua with our pizza. So if you see my child appear on any other blogs out there that's why.