snow day!

So apparently we brought the ability for it to snow with us from Ky when we moved...

yes he is shirtless on a snow day... we are fighting a rash.  I thought it was heat rash but now we are thinking he is allergic to detergent.  Momma is rewashing everything he owns right now.  Another story for another day.

Myles couldn't have cared less...

But his Momma sure was excited!!!!! I just love snow.  I was so excited to get to watch it yesterday and wake up with it still here.  Even if no one here knows how to drive and it was a little scary for Kyle to get home last night.  But they salted everything and this morning wasn't bad :).

Seeing this beauty though reminds me that there is a dark side to winter weather.  I'm  not talking about the freak snow storm going through the south right now... that is bad... I am remembering the ice storm that happened 5 years ago this week.  When Ky (and various other states surrounding us) were slammed with an inch or so of freezing rain/sleet/ice.  We went to bed with normal winter temperatures, and overnight things plummeted during a good rain.  My parents woke up to this:

Kyle and I were living in Owensboro at the time... not even married a year.  It was just as bad up there but thankfully we lived on the same power grid as the hospital so we were only without power for part of the day.  My parents were without it for about a week.  My boss at the time was without for over 3 weeks.  And we were all the lucky ones.

There were house fires from people trying to stay warm.  Carbon monoxide poisoning from people putting their generators in the house to keep it from being stolen.  My parent's town ran out of running water.  Thankfully my parents were able to use water from the pool (after breaking through the ice) to flush the commode.  They cooked food on their gas grill, moved their mattress into the living room to be in front of the wood fireplace.  My grandparents 15 miles away did the same with their gas fireplace... my dad showed them how to fix some coffee and heat up canned food on some bricks set up in there.  They made it through it well.  Others weren't so lucky. 

Doesn't a snow go by that I don't think of that awful time.  But I love it all the same.

blogging frustrations.

I miss writing on here. 

Part of it is that since I got my Kindle Fire for Christmas, I rarely get on my laptop anymore. 

But even if I did, I don't know what to write about anymore.  

I am really starting to wish that I had started writing this anonymously... so that I could talk about some of the frustrating things in life without anyone knowing who was involved... not as a gossip thing but as a "I learned a lesson about what not to do" thing.  

Because if I can't talk about that stuff... then what else is there to talk about?  Today I changed 8 diapers.  Today I did some laundry and luckily was able to vacuum the floor during Myles' nap.  He is making funny noises.

I don't think so.

Like it or not this is my life now.  That sounds terrible.  I don't mean it that way though.  Right now I am the mother of a 2 month old.  It is seriously fantastic.  I love being a mom.  But for the ability to blog; pull in new readers, keep the old ones coming... its kinda boring.  I'm sure you all like seeing pictures of him, and just love his monthly updates, but I can only stand writing one of those a month... I can't imagine that being the only thing I talk about multiple times a week, let alone anyone reading it (other than his grandparents).  

I have done a couple of updates to the house... but I keep not writing about them because the spaces are not finished.  Maybe I should just start sharing the small updates instead of hoping for some big reveal that may never happen.

I guess all I am trying to say is I feel stuck.  I think about this blog almost everyday.  But I feel like  I have nothing I can write about anymore.

myles oliver : monthbymonth 2

Today, Myles is 2 months old.  It has meant lots of snuggling, and his big 2 month visit to the pediatrician for his first round of vaccinations.  He did so good.  I would have cried too buddy... shots are no fun!  But we both survived and now he is sleeping on me while I write.  

Today, you weighed 11 lbs 1.5 ounces and were 24 inches long!  You are really growing!  When you were born you were 6 lbs 15 ounces and 19.75 inches long.  Such a big boy!

This month we started using the cloth diapers!  We LOVE them!  I change your diaper so much less often with the cloth than disposables and other than once (and it was my fault), we have had no leaks or blow-outs.  It has meant a little extra laundry but I really don't mind that.  They are pretty bulky and funny looking on you, but you seem to like them too!  The first night you wore them, you slept the longest you ever have.

Most nights your bedtime is at 10pm, and you sleep 4-5 hours at first, followed by 3-4 hours after that.  So I can usually get by with only getting up once with you...but I usually get up twice because I opt to sleep in, and you usually let me have an extra hour.  The biggest thing I have noticed this month is that I don't have to get you in a deep sleep before I lay you down.  You seem to prefer that I lay you down while you are still asleep so that you know I left you.  You are self-soothing really well... A lot of times I can just let you get over it on your own without having to check on you... eventually you just fall asleep.

Right now Myles, you are still ok with baths as long as you have eaten recently... otherwise you get a little fussy.  Diaper changes are your FAVORITE part of the day.  You are so weird!  You can be screaming, but as soon as your head hits the changing pad, you are all smiles and coos.  You make me laugh so much!  

You are totally wearing only 0-3 and 3 month clothes now.  I hope you stay this size a while longer because I just keep finding more cute things squirreled away in this size!  

You still sleep in the car some but it takes a lot longer than just backing out of the driveway to make that happen.  You do seem to like riding though.  As long as I pack a bottle for you, I can take you just about anywhere for as long as I want.  You have gone to the grocery every week and even went out to lunch with me.  You were awake the whole time at our last play date with the girls.  I think Ella and Emma are really going to have fun with you once you are a little older!  And soon you will have more friends to play with a little closer to your age!  

You are holding your neck a lot better now, so we need to start working on your core so you can sit up!  You are so alert and taking everything in when you are awake. Sometimes you get such a serious, thoughtful look on your face, and with all that hair, you look like a little boy instead of a baby a lot.  :-)

You are getting to be more fun every single day.  

Looking for his 1 month update?  Here ya go!  1 month

from the other side : the dinner

For those of you finding your way from the Medical Monday Blog Hop, welcome!  This is such a fantastic way to find people in the same boat as you.  Because really, not many people really get this strange life of ours unless they have lived it.  Hope to see you around!

Last Thursday, while Kyle's family was in (babysitters!), we were able to go enjoy one of the resident interview dinners.  You know, that casual night where interviewees show up the night before their real interviews, get free food, and get to ask the residents of the program for the scoop.

Kyle and I were the first to arrive at Mellow Mushroom, and so parked ourselves at the bar.  Eventually a few other residents showed up and we were waiting for our table to become unoccupied by its previous tenants.  I was glad to see that Beth, another resident wife, was also going to be there.

When Kyle was interviewing last year, I only made it to one of the dinners... Wilmington, NC to be exact.  I accompanied him to 4 interviews, but I wasn't feeling well for Savannah, wasn't invited to Charleston, and didn't realize I was invited to the one here in Greenville.  More on that here.

Oh how wrong I was... I have come to find out that not only do the residents here show up with their wives, but sometimes they bring their kids!  Hallelujah!

But I digress.

The interviewees began to arrive, there were 5 this time.  I was immediately struck with what I remember the most from the one dinner I attended.  The look on their faces.  They all had it.  It screams a range of emotions and thoughts all at once.  "Please like me!  What am I getting myself into? Are you guys cool?  Don't screw this up!  I hope the food is good.  I'm so tired of traveling.  Am I going to Match here?  Will I want to Match here?  What questions should I ask?  Should I be funny or serious?  Everyone says just be yourself, but what 'self' should I show right now?  Am I allowed to have a beer, because everyone else is, but is this a test?!"

Personally, I was a little worried about being there... how much am I, as the wife, allowed to share?  I mean, I know a lot of nitty-gritty stuff.  What was my role supposed to be?  I looked around... none of them had spouses with them.  Hmm.

I ended up interacting with 3 of the five... solely because they were the ones sitting close to me.  I found out that 2 of them were married... their wives just didn't join them on this interview.  I was able to share with them that the wives here make an effort to hang out officially once a month, but most of us are truly friends and get together more often than that.  I was also able to share with them how much we love it in this city... and how glad I am that MY husband is in this program.

Of the three I talked to, one seemed to be trying a little too hard.  Another made it his goal to ask lots of probing questions, and the other seemed to have mastered the balance of enjoying himself/remembering that this was part of the interview process as well.  Near the end, I came to find out that he knows one of the friends that I have made here, and his wife is hoping they end up at this program.

I hope they end up here too.

Overall, it was a really fun night.  Who knows if any of them will be here next year; that is just part of it with the Match.  I wish them the best; but for me, it was a nice time with my husband and his coworkers.  I was able to watch the pride they have for their program really shine, but not without being mostly honest with the interviewees about the realities of it as well.  It was nice to let loose without having to worry about Myles for a couple of hours, but I am also excited knowing that it is ok for us to bring him along if I want to go to any more of the dinners.

And the pizza was pretty great too.

Since it is Match Season and I am on the other side now, I don't want to leave without giving a little advice for those going through it:  

SERIOUSLY.  SEND THANK YOU CARDS.