Vacation countdown

As many of you know we are heading out for our family vacation in ONE WEEK!  Our plans include a drive to Chicago, a flight to Boston, then up to Maine for our good friends wedding.  Miles will accompany us to Chicago and stay with his grandparents while we fly East.  I am excited but nervous about leaving Miles, although I know he will be in good hands.  I know it will be harder for me (and maybe Jean:) than Miles!

In the meantime, we are enjoying summer!  Bryan is continuing to work hard on his Neurology rotation and my schedule changed so I am working in the middle of the week (to free up our weekends to travel when Bryan is away this fall).  And as I have said in the last few posts, Miles is EVERYWHERE!  And as I have heard, this is only the beginning of his bumps and bruises, but he face plants, spins, nose dives, and back busts so much!  I try my best to catch him but it happens so fast!  Luckily, Bryan assures me that kids are resilient and he always bounces right up.

Miles continues to enjoy bird watching, reading books, chasing the dogs, pulling up on everything, playing with his cars, and being in the pool!  I love this kid so much.  He is starting to say words intentionally: ball, bird, dog, teeth, whoa, drink, more, and dad.  "Mom" tends to come out during a good cry...but I am still 'patiently' waiting for him to say it in context!

We have enjoyed a few meals out this week with Miles.  As long as we have food, an interesting neighbor, and some toys we usually have a pleasant meal.  Bryan and I did sneak away one night this week for a date night.  We were both exhausted so we didn't make it out long, but it was worth it!

Also this past week, if anyone didn't watch, OKC Thunder won the NBA West Division Championship! We are waiting to see who we play in the finals, but we have enjoyed watching the games and seeing such a great group of guys play so hard!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!  Our next post will be in a few weeks with vacation pictures!  Can't wait to see many of you in our travels and hope to see our Arkansas gang soon as well.  Oh also, if you are reading this and are a mean person who wants to rob us while we are gone...I have someone really fierce staying here with the dogs...don't try it.  (For you mom and dad:)  Love you all! xoxo

Water baby

Miles and I went to visit my family in Arkansas this past Memorial Day weekend.  (Sadly, Bryan was working and on call)  We traveled to Clarksville Friday night then over to Heber Springs for the weekend.  Despite the cool and windy lake, we had a great time riding in the boat and playing in his inflatable pool!  We got into the lake briefly at the swimming area, but it was kind of cool so we didn't stay in long! So, needless to say our days of carefree laking are over, but replaced with lots of laughing and a different kind of fun!

We had so much fun...but missed Bryan so much!  We were glad to be home with him on Monday.  Miles and I had to sit through a little stand still traffic on the way home, but we made it to OKC around 4 pm and headed to the Opies for a Memorial Day BBQ.  The boys enjoyed the pool (until Wilder decided to go sans diaper...he had already been put in his pjs which obviously didn't last long!) but it was a great ending to a wonderful weekend!

Miles liked the pool so much I decided we needed one in our backyard!  Our friends Kandice and Colton came over on Tuesday and enjoyed a backyard dip!  This was the only pic I could get because I was busy keeping Miles' head above water!  He already has no fear!

Already bossy...where'd that come from!?

The rest of the week was crazy weather! Tuesday night we had hail storms and tornado warnings.  You can guess how that worked with a sleeping baby...it didn't!  Luckily we all were safe with minimal damage to the cars and we are getting our roof inspected.  Oh Oklahoma.

Speaking of tornadoes, my child is everywhere!  Pulling up on steady and unsteady things and learning the difference, slipping and sliding in his footed pjs, and hopefully learning that his push toy goes faster on the wood floors than on the rugs.  But he is having fun exploring the house and showing mommy where she needs to clean.  Haha.  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Love you all! xoxo

9 months stats

Miles turned 9 months old this past week.  What a cliche' to say, but it has flown by!  We had our check up on Tuesday and little Miles is measuring in the whooping 30th percentile for weight (19 lbs 8 oz) and 40th percentile for height (28 inches)!  Our doctor encouraged us to feed him pretty much whatever we/he wanted!  I am still trying to make most of his food and keep it healthy, but this past week we have experimented with pancakes, chicken and dumplings, turkey, and quinoa.  He is pretty good at finger foods too and loves his snack puffs.  He has three going on four teeth, two on bottom and one on top!  Of course I think he is perfect and growing more every day!

Miles continues to perfect his crawling by trial and error.  He has a few bumps and bruises but is able to get pretty much wherever he wants.  I was in the middle of cleaning day (excuse the mess) but I have to show this picture.  He looks so cute just hanging out in the corner watching mom clean.

As usual, his current favorite toy is an empty paper towel rod.  And his new jedi ball...we spent a fun Saturday morning at Target and this was his choice.  Bryan and I are enjoying reacquainting ourselves with the toy isles!

For an update on our house/car repairs from our anniversary weekend, we have a restored refrigerator, a working Honda AC, and a NEW CAR!  (Well, new to us.)  Bryan and I purchased a Jeep Grand Cherokee from one of my sorority sisters and I am loving being a SUV mamma!  Bryan is also enjoying driving the Accord and having an air conditioner!!  We are sadly (sadly?) selling the red dragon so anyone who needs a beauty let us know!!

Bryan just began his Neurology rotation and we will bite our tongue on how we feel about this one!  But, we are excited about it wrapping up the end of his 3rd year and then VACATION!  We are anxiously awaiting our trip to Chicago/Boston/Maine!!

Looking forward to Memorial Day weekend! Love you all!
xoxo

On the move!

Last weekend on May 6, we celebrated our six year wedding anniversary. It has been a wonderful, busy, crazy, eventful, unimaginable six years!  It seems like yesterday we were moving cross country in a small U-haul from Phoenix preparing for our wedding.  In the past six years we have lived in 4 different homes, worked in 6 different clinics, acquired two rescue daschunds, got into medical school and survived it, had a baby and survived it, and had so much fun along the way!!

To celebrate our anniversary Bryan and I traveled to Arkansas to spend a night baby free!  We went to Clarksville Friday night then left Saturday morning for Fayetteville.  Miles stayed with my parents and although he gave them a run for their money I think they all had a great time!  Bryan and I stayed in a hotel on the campus of University of Arkansas and enjoyed walking down Dickson, visiting the new Crystal Bridges Art museum, and sleeping in!  We were both ready to see Miles on Sunday and despite his fatigue (from not sleeping the night before?!) he seemed happy to see us!

On the way home our AC went out in the car, we came home to a kitchen floor full of water, and after rushing our food to Jason and Elizabeth's we ordered cheap Asian take out.  All we could do was laugh!  It was a wonderful anniversary!

In the past few weeks we have been waiting, encouraging/not encouraging for Miles to crawl.  I have friends with moving babies. I was torn.  The physical therapist in me was looking up milestone ages, giving Miles strengthening exercises, and encouraging forward movement.  The mommy, tired mommy, in me was enjoying him staying in one place, my breakables on display, and my floor a little more dusty than it should be at times.  Well...the PT in me jumped for joy this past week as Miles became mobile.  And as you mommies know, we quickly put candles, appliances, and dust bunnies out of harms way.  It is so fun to watch little Miles track across the living room.  He is becoming a big boy!  Here is my view most of the day...

Notice the foot...he hasn't figured out how to get down yet! (Other than "timber!")

 Oh my.  Have a great week everyone! I'll be chasing my baby! xoxo 

Run Daddy Run

Bryan completed his first half marathon the last weekend of April!  He has been training for months and we are so proud of him.  It is not easy to be a father, husband, and medical student plus find time to run!  He works so hard at everything he does and this is just another example!  Miles and I set out bright and early to find a good cheering spot.  The race came right through our neighborhood so we didn't have to walk far.  Miles had so much fun clapping his hands and cheering for the other runners.  His face lit up when he saw Bryan run by!  Then we headed to the finish, but due to rain, just missed Bryan cross the line.  The atmosphere in the city was so fun for the race and we had a great weekend!

Welcome Finian James Opie!

My best friend Elizabeth had her second little boy this past weekend! He was a week early just like his brother, Wilder, and Mom and Finn are doing great!  Bryan went over the the Opie house around 1 am on Sunday morning to hang with Wilder and Jason was home with good news by 6 am!  Finn has a full head of dark hair and so far has been a great sleeper and wonderful baby!  I feel so fortunate to be sharing these precious moments with our families!  Finn and Miles are 8 months apart and Miles and Wilder are about 10...We are in for some fun times and I am sure loads of trouble!!!

Along with that excitement, our family visited the zoo last weekend.  This trip was even more fun than the last for Miles, he was excited to see all of the animals.  The Children's zoo had goats, pigs, sheep, birds, monkeys...he loved it!  We also rode the Carousel and Miles hung on for dear life!  When the ride stopped and his horse (actually a goose I think) stopped bobbing up and down, he was not too happy about it! But we quickly moved on and he got over it quick!

Bryan started his Family Medicine rotation this past week and his schedule has been fairly nice and consistent!  He is here helping me in the mornings before work which is so great!  He works right across the street from me so we are able to meet for lunch on the days I am working.  Needless to say I kind of like seeing more of him!!  Bryan and I even got to go to a Thunder game this week thanks to some generous friends!!

We are waiting to hear about his away rotations in the Fall, but we are hoping he will spend a month in Chicago  probably around September and a month in Little Rock in November.  That is still up in the air and I will let everyone know specific dates when we know.  My schedule will be changing this summer to allow Miles and I to travel too!  Many of you are confused about this schedule...join the club! The most important time frame for us will be next March when we find out where Bryan will match for residency.  Then he will start there in July 2013.  Please keep us in your prayers that God will direct our path!  We have a sense of peace about it because we know we will end up where we are meant to be!

Miles has been doing so many cool things this past week! Along with becoming more mobile, he is starting to really play and follow commands.  I put a toy under 3 cups the other morning and I swear he picked the right one every time!!  We also have been playing with bubbles outside and he thinks that is absolutely amazing!  We are having so much fun!

We are planning our Summer trip this week and will be in Chicago June 16-22 for all of our Chi town friends and family!  Then off to Maine to see Cami and Roshan get married!  It will be a nice vacation and Miles will get to meet a ton of family!  We can't wait!

(who needs a bowling ball when you have hands?!)

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  Bryan is running his first half marathon Sunday so we will be cheering him on!  Love you all!! xoxo

Sprinkles to Tornadoes

As many of you know tornadoes came through the Midwest last weekend.  Being the daughter of an Emergency Planner and well known over-reactor, we made plans to spend the past weekend with the Opies and the protection of their basement.  Luckily we didn't have to cram underground but it was nice of them to let us stay!  We also planned a diaper 'sprinkle' for Elizabeth on Saturday as her due date is approaching quickly.  All of us at the shower have little boys so we decided to try to get a picture of our little men.  As usual, that wasn't on their agenda but they are all super cute!  'Finn' is scheduled to join us any day now!

After the busy weekend all three of us got a cold and have been battling it all week.  Miles seemed to be the toughest of the bunch!  Bryan got Wednesday and Thursday off to 'study' and as usual I was begging him to play with us.  So, despite being tired and sick, I was lucky enough to have Bryan a little more this week.  He also made some clutch soup and ice cream runs!!

Miles continues to be teething and now has two teeth on the bottom and one coming through on the top!  He has also begun to show interest in forward movement. 

This past week Papa G and Gramma Smith both celebrated birthdays on the same day, April 16th!  We weren't able to celebrate in person but hopefully will see both of them soon!!

Bryan is busy taking his Shelf Exam for Internal medicine this morning and then has the WHOLE WEEKEND OFF!!  I am trying not to make a million plans because I know he is tired, but I know we will have a great weekend all together.  He starts Family Medicine next week with the promise of a bit lighter schedule.  I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!
(Hmm...sorry this is posted late!  We had a great weekend and exciting times here in OKC. Stay tuned!)