The Doctors Wife

If My Pictures Could Talk...

Whoa Mom! Whatcha' doin' with that camera?

 

How about I choke hold brother?

NOM NOM NOM! DELICIOUS DRESS! NOM NOM!

Quick Mom! Take the picture while we're both looking at the camera!

Please pray for sweet Stellan and his family. 

Medical Mondays- Advice For The MSI's

With a new school year about to start, I thought we could share advice for the upcoming MSI's. The beginning of medical school can feel very daunting- moving, financial changes, job changes, school changes, role changes, are just a few things that you may be dealing with as your spouse begins medical school. When Mike began school I can remember days that I felt very overwhelmed- we had just moved to a new city and I did not know a single person. I knew that we were in for some major changes, but had no idea what to expect. So I thought I would share a few things that were helpful to me, and a few things I wish someone had told me.

• Get connected in your community, especially if you moved. Make an effort to get to know your neighbors, find a church where you can build a support system, etc. Medical school is not a road you want to go down alone!

• Get to know other spouses. If the medical school has a spouses group, I highly encourage you to join in. If they don't, start your own little group, invite other spouses out for coffee- it can feel a little ackward putting yourself out on a limb, but it is so worth it. Some of my very best friends are friends I met through the spouses group, and it is invaluable to have friends who are in the same boat. No one will understand what you are going through like they do, and that is just so important.

• While having friends in the same boat is invaluable, so is having friendships outside of medical school. Make an effort to maintain/ build friendships. You don't want everything to always be about school.

• Get your hands on a copy of your spouse's test schedule. It will be helpful for you to know when the tests are- you can make plans to be busy when you know they are going to be studying. Also be prepared for a LOT of studying the first semester. Your spouse is in a totally new role as a student, and they aren't sure how much they need to study to do well, they will find a groove after the first round of tests and hopefully things will settle into a more "normal" (ha!) routine.

• Remember that medical school is a season. There will be hard times, and good times and it goes by so quickly.  Make the best of the worst and soak up the best.

• Take care of your marriage. While studying, getting good grades, etc. are all very important, they're not as important as keeping your relationship a priority. Make time for each other, and remember that in this case quality is better than quantity. If you only have a couple of hours to spend with your spouse, don't waste them feeling sorry for yourself for only having a few hours. Plan date nights- once a week, once a month, whatever works for you, but plan them. Take advantage of the little moments- the little moments are what life is made of.

• Roles can shift a lot during the medical journey, and if things get too out of sorts they can really take a toll on a marriage, so don't let things get so far gone. Talk openly, honestly, and often with your spouse. I'm not saying nag, whine, and moan- but if you never talk about how you feel about things, you may find yourself in a place and wonder how you got there. Respect your spouse, and expect the same respect in return.

• Find a hobby. You'll have time to fill while your spouse is studying/ working/ away on rotations and having a hobby that you enjoy is a great way to "pass the time". Even if you feel like you're too busy to have a hobby, you'll be glad to have something you enjoy when you find yourself with some free time.

• Enjoy the ride. Medical school is a chance to make new friends, experience new things, and it really will go by so quickly.

You can go here to read other suggestions from others who have been down this road. Or if you have advice to offer, please leave a comment.

Note- I want Medical Monday's to be a generally positive/ encouraging read, so if you are offering advice, please keep it positive. Overly negative comments will be removed. I understand that being married to a medical student/ doctor is not always a bed of roses, but focusing on the negative aspects is not my style and this is my blog. Let's encourage each other and not tear each other down. 

Church Lady

Hannah loves to go to church, and that makes my Mama heart so happy. She asks everyday if we are going to church and I love Sundays when I can tell her "yes"! We live very close to our church and drive by it just about every day and she waves and says "bye bye church" when we pass by. 

Hannah starts Mother's Day Out in a few weeks and I know that she is just going to love it- she will get to spend two days at church! I am so thankful that she enjoys going to Sunday School, it makes church so much better for me because I'm not worried about her.

Daddy's at work this morning, so it's just the three of us, and it's a bit of a challenge to get everyone out the door on time by myself, but it is worth the effort, and I know that Hannah would agree.

Got Solids?

We started this big boy on solids last week, he's just shy of six months, and he is so very ready. I think he was a little disappointed with the rice cereal- I'm sure it tasted nothing like what he smelled. (our dinner) But I think he's happy to be included in the whole eating thing.  

Little Man

Are you

looking at

 

me?

I take a ton of pictures of my kids- and when I download them it always cracks me up how the slight changes in their facial expressions come out in a picture. And at the ripe old age of 5 1/2 months, David is getting used to the camera constantly being out, by the time he's Hannah's age he'll be an old pro.

I can't believe my little man is getting so big!

Brave Heart

Last week we met up with some friends at Bounce U for a little nap inducing fun. We had never been before and Hannah had a blast! 

She had so much fun and jumped her little heart out- but her favorite by far was the slides. I was a little reluctant to let her go down the big one- I had David in the bjorn and knew that if she changed her mind at the top I would not be able to quickly get to her, and it was kind of high- but she really wanted to try so I let her give it a shot.

 

I think my Mama heart stopped beating while I waited for her to go- she paused for a few moments and then down she went.

As a Mom you know that things like this can go either way, 

they can be scared and freak out or love it and want to go 

again and again. You just never know until they try.

This is my sweet little girl at the bottom- can you see the huge grin on her little face? She has a brave little heart, she LOVED it and went down that slide at least 20 times! We had so much fun and plan on going back again soon!

Medical Mondays

Agh! I had just about finished a post on tips for MSI's and I lost it! And now my post time is up and I have nothing to show for it! Hopefully I will get some free time later and can re-write the post. In the meantime if you have any advice for MSI's that you want to chime in on- leave a comment!

The Squeal Heard 'Round The World

David is generally a pretty happy baby, a little high maintenance, but happy. And when he's happy he will giggle and laugh. And he has an adorable little baby laugh, and I don't think there is any sweeter sound than a baby laughing. He will also squeal with delight, rather loud, high pitched, ear piercing squeals. (Sometimes I think they make me twitch a little) And when David is feeling a little grumpy and works himself up, he squeals. Loud, high pitched, ear piercing squeals that make me twitch and sometimes I wonder if my ears might bleed. It's kind of funny that it's basically the same noise for happy and angry. I wonder if our neighbors can hear? It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they could, because it is a seriously loud squeal. I've thought about ear plugs- because if he keeps up all the loudness I will be deaf by the time he is 2. Yes...earplugs....that's not wrong at all...

Another pic from 4th of July- I love the look on his face, but don't let the cuteness fool you- he can seriously hit decibels that could make your head spin!

Season Of Change

I feel like summer is already starting to wind down- even though it feels like it just started! I have been thinking a lot lately about my time- it seems I never have enough. I want to soak up my kids, have time alone with each of them, time alone with Mike, time together as a family, time to myself, and time to get everything that needs to get done, done. I think I could accomplish this if I had about five more hours in each day, or if I didn't need sleep. I have been reflecting and praying about how to use my time better, and find a better balance for this season of life. I feel like I have a plan- I need to get on a better routine, simplify our schedule, and get this house organized. I will be sharing some of what I'm doing in the next few weeks and will hopefully post some before and after pics- because I love me some before and after pics! Also Medical Mondays will be back next week, and I will also be sharing more "Taming the Two's" ideas soon!