2013 in Facebook Statuses

First, let me preface this by saying that I do NOT expect you, loyal blog reader, to read this. But I found a cool little website in March that would store all my statuses on a Google doc for me, and I thought it would be a fun way to document the year for myself. Sort of like a mini-recap of our life.

Also, I really want to remember that 2013 was the monumental year in which Facebook #finally got onboard with #hashtags.

(#justkidding)

March 15, 2013 at 08:33AM Just hours left. HOURS!

March 15, 2013 at 03:03PM No moving van for us--matched for three more years at Wake, and this time Steven is a DOCTOR!!! Congrats hubs!

March 17, 2013 at 10:07AM What's as exciting as match day but even cuter? How about a third Walton baby? :)

March 18, 2013 at 02:32PM Anybody done a cruise or all-inclusive resort? We're thinking of doing a mini-vacation and I'm not sure where to start!

March 22, 2013 at 01:46PM I miss California a lot today. :(

March 24, 2013 at 03:07PM I love love love love my couch and my pajamas and a rainy day.

March 24, 2013 at 05:25PM Gracie has been thinking a lot about our baby's Halloween due date. Today: "Mom, if you go trick or treating with me, and you get some Reese's, then you can just hand the baby to Daddy so you can have the Reese's." This girl's always got my back.

March 25, 2013 at 10:43AM It worries me that sometimes I can't figure out Blue's Clues. That dog can be surprisingly obscure.

March 25, 2013 at 04:25PM Today I opened up a diaper I expected to be filled with poop, and it was instead filled with poop AND A MATCHBOX CAR. Charlie.

March 27, 2013 at 08:28PM I took an epic nap today. It was the best.

April 03, 2013 at 12:31PM Somehow it just hit me that I will have a KINDERGARTENER in autumn. Holy cow!!!

April 05, 2013 at 04:45PM I had some honey bbq chicken wings yesterday and now that is all I want to eat. Oh life.

April 08, 2013 at 01:44PM Thank you anonymous Frogurt groupon giver! I am so excited!! And I can only partly blame pregnancy hormones for the fact that I almost cried. Thanks for making me feel special.

April 12, 2013 at 10:57AM Ordered a purple Dyson. Stalking its travels on UPS. :)

April 15, 2013 at 11:22AM There's an ad for a fertility test in the sidebar of my facebook. Think that ship has sailed, ad-guys.

April 23, 2013 at 08:47AM Sometimes I add things to my to do list after I finish them just so I can check off another box. :)

April 23, 2013 at 11:55AM My favorite Charlie words: "pinkabutter" for peanut butter, and "apple goose" for apple juice.

April 24, 2013 at 03:51PM Anyone had a kid do summer camp in WS? I'm looking for something fun for Grace to do when preschool ends. :)

April 25, 2013 at 03:43PM I wanted a nap, but Charlie did not. And it is NOT safe to sleep when he is awake. :)

April 29, 2013 at 08:38AM The moment when I HAVE to get dressed in the morning often comes too soon. :/

April 30, 2013 at 01:13PM Okay Winston people, what fun freebies/deals do you love around here? We like kids-eat-free at Firehouse Subs on Saturdays, and free cake squares at Dewey's on Mondays! Nicole Madeline Kerry Christie Danielle Melissa

May 02, 2013 at 08:40AM Charlie started out calling me "Mommy Pommy" as a joke, and it morphed into "Mommy Palm Tree." :)

May 03, 2013 at 01:33PM Best date restaurants in Winston Salem? I'm almost over the morning sickness and I need to take my man on a date!

May 03, 2013 at 06:57PM Baby kicks!!!

May 04, 2013 at 01:21PM The more I think about it, the more I want to eat a Cinnabon.

May 05, 2013 at 07:18PM Has anybody tried one of those copycat Cafe Rio recipes that are all over Pinterest?

May 07, 2013 at 03:09PM I wonder what the ratio is for how often autocorrect makes me look like a numbskull versus how often it actually corrects me correctly?

May 14, 2013 at 08:15AM Does anybody have an air mattress (or two) we can borrow for the weekend? Parents are coming to visit for graduation!!!

May 15, 2013 at 09:11PM So far my most intense pregnancy cravings have been: Cinnabon, m&ms, and, currently, Keebler Fudge Stripe cookies. I guess this baby is going to be sweet. ;)

May 26, 2013 at 03:42PM Steve and I are sitting outside Charlie's door taking turns plopping him back in bed over and over again. He didn't get the memo about nap time. #Sunday #parenthood #norestforthetired

June 08, 2013 at 01:18PM Need more donuts.

June 11, 2013 at 08:31AM So, do you think baby #3 is a boy or a girl? We find out tomorrow!

June 12, 2013 at 02:25PM Pretty excited to get all the pink stuff out again--we're having another little GIRL!

June 14, 2013 at 02:45PM Winston peeps: Anybody have a copy of Parenting with Love and Logic I could borrow?

June 16, 2013 at 05:14PM Can't beat a day dedicated to celebrating three of my most beloved people. Dads and best friends are my faves.

June 26, 2013 at 07:43AM Tried to have a conversation with the kids during breakfast. Me: How did you guys sleep? Gracie: (hears a random noise) What was that? Charlie: Aaaaaay B C D E F G! #ConversationFail

June 28, 2013 at 08:52AM Though most kids like being outdoors, Charlie is currently screaming, crying, and baby-swearing (yelling the worst word he can think of "nothing!!!") at me because I am making him play in the backyard with Grace and he is "messyyyyyyy!!!" #hardknocklife

July 03, 2013 at 09:25AM Steve left for work at 5am yesterday, got home at 10pm (exhausted) and still took the trash can out for me when he started it all over again this morning. #residency #hubsftw

July 05, 2013 at 07:35AM Gearing up to potty train Charlie... Any tips on training a boy? And on carpet???!

July 08, 2013 at 08:09AM Potty training day one... Wish me luck!

July 08, 2013 at 10:35AM A PORCUPINE totally just walked up to our sliding glass door! I'm not sure I've ever seen one in real life before?! So far since we've moved here we've seen a fox and had two deer sightings. So fun!

July 12, 2013 at 06:17PM Charlie just changed our printer language to Japanese.

July 13, 2013 at 09:21AM When you get to the end if your rope, tie a knot and hang on. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

July 13, 2013 at 03:24PM Winston peeps, anybody in (or know someone in) the MBA program at Wake? I have a friend who's looking into it. :)

July 13, 2013 at 06:36PM Gracie, in response to Phil Collins singing (in Tarzan), "I'll be there, always and alwaaays," said, "He won't be there ALWAYS. Sometimes he'll have to go to a store."

July 14, 2013 at 08:36PM Saw a picture of a donut. Now baby girl thinks we NEED a donut. Hopefully ice cream will do. :)

July 16, 2013 at 09:28PM 25 weeks pregnant and facebook is listing "Trendy Plus Size Clothing" in my sidebar ads. :/

July 17, 2013 at 08:56AM My minivan has some pretty sick bass.

July 18, 2013 at 11:38AM Japanese printer update: searched forever for how to factory reset it, and HP had noooo solution. Finally googled how to write "language" in Japanese and searched the preferences panel for a character match. Fixed! What did parents of curious two year olds do before Google translate?

July 19, 2013 at 07:20PM Bedtime: Me: Goodnight, little buddy. Charlie: Goodnight, little Mommy.

July 22, 2013 at 09:37PM Unsafely ejecting memory cards like a boss. Take that Macbook: I do what I want. #thuglife

July 24, 2013 at 10:05AM Gracie: "Dragons aren't real, so you don't have to be afraid of them. You can just imagine them. Imagine Dragons."

July 24, 2013 at 09:55PM Kind of wish the ice maker would shout out a warning before it starts making ice. Something along the lines of, "HEY! It's just me! I'm going to make some ice now, and I wanted you to know that I'm NOT a murderer/thief/crazy person banging on your door!"

August 01, 2013 at 10:01PM Why why why whyyyy didn't I buy something for dessert when I was at Target today? Should have had hindsight.

August 02, 2013 at 03:57PM Your kids might watch too much PBS if: when reading a book to her little brother, your oldest finishes not with "the end" but with "This book brought to you by the (made up word) Foundation."

August 06, 2013 at 01:34PM Gracie, when confronted with a third blueberry pancake: "Oh no! I really wanted to share this with you (Mom) but I really like it so I can't!"

August 21, 2013 at 06:40PM Anybody use SwagBucks?

August 23, 2013 at 11:56AM Charlie just told Gracie where he wants to go on a "date": "Airport first, then hospital, then HOME DEPOT!!!"

August 28, 2013 at 03:29PM 1st day of Kindergarten was on Monday! Since then she has reportedly played in a giant parachute, gotten mud on her shoe, hopped on one foot for a WHOLE song during "E.P." (PE), and met the boy she wants to marry. :) Love this girl.

August 31, 2013 at 03:48PM So my height/weight has my body mass index at 31 weeks pregnant at 29.3... So 4 more pounds and I will officially be considered obese! Ha!

September 04, 2013 at 09:35AM Gracie's kindergarten teacher has taught her to say "Yes, sir" and "Yes, ma'am." She's even ma'am-ed me a couple times! #lifeinthesouth #yesmaam

September 04, 2013 at 01:09PM $70 diaper bag for $31. Yay!

September 05, 2013 at 04:53PM Had to make cupcakes so I would have an excuse to eat the rest of the frosting eyeballing me from the fridge. (Steve gives me weird looks if I eat it by itself.)

September 06, 2013 at 01:26PM We're a little over 7 weeks out, and Juliette has no middle name. Suggestions? :)

September 06, 2013 at 01:47PM I must be pretty awesome to be a UPS guy. He's basically Santa Claus for grown ups.

September 08, 2013 at 08:58PM In Charlie's bedtime prayer tonight he asked (with no prompting) "...and please bless baby Juliette to be safe." This kid melts my heart.

September 09, 2013 at 07:22PM Snuggled up on Gracie's twin bed with her tonight to check in about kindergarten happenings and talk about dealing with new situations on her own. She listened carefully and then looked at me kindly and counseled, "But you know who's watching me when you're not? Jesus. So its going to be okay." Kind of just the thing I've been needing to hear since the first day of school. Love this sweet, sassy, brilliant girl.

September 20, 2013 at 01:29PM I miss sleep.

September 20, 2013 at 05:50PM Enjoying this brief but magical moment of motherhood during which nobody poops at the dinner table! #momwin #diaperbreak #smallvictories

September 21, 2013 at 04:11PM Charlie heard me worrying over Gracie's cough and now he keeps running over to her asking, "You okay, my lamb?"

September 23, 2013 at 11:34AM Just had a woman at the grocery store survey my pregnant belly and then offer to "explain how to keep that (pregnancy) from happening." Stay classy, awkward old lady.

September 24, 2013 at 08:48AM Does anybody have a baby bouncer we could borrow for baby girl? 5 weeks left!

September 24, 2013 at 05:22PM Better shopping experience: out with Charlie and Gracie and an old man behind me in line insisted on unloading my cart for me. Adorbs!

September 27, 2013 at 07:14AM How can kids start the day being horrible to each other? You guys just slept for twelve hours! How about some high fives and a dance number?

September 27, 2013 at 01:31PM Height: 4'10"; Weight: 147lbs; BMI: 30.7. I'm officially OBESE!

September 28, 2013 at 08:32AM Mom (to Gracie): You're a big girl. Charlie: I'm a backhoe!

September 30, 2013 at 08:33PM Pregnancy (me) + MICU rotation (Steve) = two night owls ready to sleep by 8:30.

October 07, 2013 at 06:59AM Soooo sad when someone wakes me up ten minutes before my alarm is set to go off. #monday

October 07, 2013 at 10:34AM Amazon.com has the best customer service. Turned my Monday around. :)

October 21, 2013 at 10:38AM Baby's coming tomorrow! (One perk of delivering a ten-pound Charlie: doctors who are suuuuper willing to schedule an elective induction.) Getting excited/nervous, working on my to-do list, and eating a LOT of mini Oreos. :)

October 22, 2013 at 08:49PM Juliette is here! 8lb 10oz and 21.5 inches long. Love love love her sweet self! And I need a really long nap. :)

October 30, 2013 at 07:36PM Charlie's dream came true today: He charmed some construction workers on our street and got invited to ride in a bulldozer. He was OVER THE MOON. He literally didn't speak for several minutes afterward. (And that is a big deal for him!)

November 01, 2013 at 01:44PM The USPS charges $1.25 shipping to send one sheet of stamps...! It seems like if anyone could swing a free shipping deal it should be them, right? Like couldn't they just hand them to my mailman? He's coming here anyway.

November 05, 2013 at 05:41PM Favorite podcasts???

November 09, 2013 at 05:43PM “If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived." -Jeffrey R. Holland

November 16, 2013 at 01:15PM Has anyone had an potty-trained big sibling regress after a baby comes along (or some other big change happens)? Charlie was golden--totally trained for months--but he's been struggling again since Juliette was born and I don't know what to do.

November 17, 2013 at 07:32PM Things parents say aloud: "No! No jumping while I'm wiping you!"

November 20, 2013 at 03:11PM Friends, which one of you left anonymous cookies on my porch yesterday? :)

November 22, 2013 at 03:33AM One perk of being awake at 3am: scouting Xbox Ones for Steve.

November 22, 2013 at 11:57AM Who wants to babysit cute (and/or sleeping!) kids some night so I can take my hubs on a post-baby date?

November 23, 2013 at 07:11PM Things parents say: Please don't floss your teeth with your hair.

December 04, 2013 at 12:00PM My baby girl has the stomach flu! So sad! :(

December 05, 2013 at 12:46PM Charlie, talking to himself in the other room: "I am altering the deal. PRAY I don't alter it any further..."

December 07, 2013 at 03:17AM Sitting in the dark feeding my pretty baby and listening to the rain outside. #blessed

December 11, 2013 at 11:38AM Charlie: When I'm a grown-up, I can have a MANGO! Glad he's got reasonable expectations of adulthood. :)

December 11, 2013 at 01:55PM Finally figured out a gift for the toughest person on my Christmas list! (I'm looking at you, Rick Rampton.)

December 12, 2013 at 09:15AM Okay Winston girls, who's planning to watch Season 4 of Downton in January?

December 15, 2013 at 06:14PM Charlie, checking out the Pooh bear picture on Juliette's diaper: "Oh. It's Sham the Pooh!"

December 16, 2013 at 10:58AM Has anyone done a Disney Cruise?

December 17, 2013 at 04:23PM So sad when the kids are in the middle of something fun and somebody decides to do something that warrants big time discipline. :( Maybe the worst part of parenting.

December 18, 2013 at 01:35PM Charlie, reaching to close a book I'd left open: "Let me 'The End' this."

December 21, 2013 at 08:35AM Just heard Gracie correct Charlie's pronunciation: "Charlie, it's not 'Haaaan' Solo it's 'Hahn' Solo." #parentingftw

December 21, 2013 at 10:11AM Before Juliette was born I bought a box of fifty thank you notes. Two months later I only have eighteen left! Thank you to everyone who has helped us with food, gifts, babysitting, and everything else! We are so lucky and blessed to have such generous and wonderful people in our lives!

December 27, 2013 at 05:18PM Juliette smells like my Dad's aftershave from being snuggled. He, my mama, and my "baby" brother just left on an airplane and I already feel a little homesick. :(

December 29, 2013 at 07:55PM Charlie: "When I'm a little grown-up, I can have a SUITCASE!" #CharlieOnAdulthood

...he's also a Captain.

Even more reason to trust Dr. Steve: he's also been officially promoted to Captain in the Air Force. 

Though we won't begin our military service until after residency at Wake, the final activity of graduation weekend was a small promotion ceremony for the HPSP (military) medical students. There were two Air Force and three Navy in Steve's graduating class, and we all met up at the med school campus for their swearing in.

They repeated an oath affirming their commitment to honor and to their country and were each given their new titles (for the Air Force, this meant moving up from 2nd Lieutenant to Captain).

Then spouses or family members were invited up to pin their new bars on their shoulder (Steve went from single to double bars). I was kind of excited to get to do that for him. :) And, bless his heart, he even bent down for me.

Love that smile. :)

And then Charlie presented him with some rocks.

Trust him, he's a doctor.

This past Monday marked exactly four years since Steve got his much hoped for "big envelope" news from Wake Forest: the day we knew that we would be packing up for the east coast with our baby-Gracie and that he would be starting medical school. 

It went by fast. In a heartbeat. Not to say that the days and weeks weren't sometimes very long, or that we didn't face challenges like we never had before, but somewhere along the way we caught up to the new rhythm of the life we chose together, and it is a good one. And he did it.

He's a doctor.

We were so thrilled to have parents flying in for graduation weekend (which was two weekends ago--I think we've only just now caught up on our sleep!). My dad arrived first, on Friday evening, just in time for the grandbabies to meet him at the airport and some of Steven's delicious burgers cooked after the littles were in bed. Then late that night Steve's mom and dad arrived, too, and were pounced upon happily by the kiddos when they woke up the next morning.

We spent most of Saturday hanging around home (Gracie had lots of stories read to her) and showing the fam around town (our old house, downton Winston, and a stop at a local park where a box turtle became our temporary pet). We also stopped by Firehouse Subs for lunch.

Saturday night the 'rents generously took charge of their grandkids so Steve and I could get dolled up and go to an awards banquet. There were a copious amount of speeches/awards, but also lots of good friends and yummy food (which was advertised as "heavy hors d'ouvres"--we were thinking maybe ribs a la Fred Flintstone?). I got to wear high heels and a (stretchy) fancy dress and walk around with my cute hubs seeing lots of people we love, and Steve got acknowledged for being one of a small number awarded the Gold Humanism Award for altruism and compassion in patient care. He's a good one. :)

Sunday we all rose at different hours (can you guess who woke up first? Hint: the same people as usual, and they are even smaller than me) and took our time getting ready. Steve's mama treated us all to her mom's famous cinnamon french toast before we headed off to church, where she then further amazed us by keeping Charlie placid and quiet for the entire sacrament meeting! After church we stopped home for a quick meal of burritos before heading off to the undergrad campus for the Hooding Ceremony.

This was one of my favorite parts of the weekend: everyone's families filed into this beautiful church on the Wake campus and watched as each of the soon-to-be-doctors were presented with their doctoral hoods (which really just hung down their back). It was very neat to see Steve and so many of his classmates (many of whom he has known from day one) receive this honor.

The chapel was lovely (except for the organ music--for some reason we were "treated" to a fugue as we awaited the doctoral candidates).

Charlie fell asleep in mid-goldfish-snacking, but the rest of us thought the speaker and ceremony were nice. :)

Worn out kiddos snuggling after the ceremony.

Steve with his 'rents.

Are you still with me? We're up to Sunday night. Gold Humanism Award: check. Hooding ceremony: check. But he still wasn't technically a doctor yet! So we went home and ate some delicious steak that Steve's dad grilled for us and stayed up way too late and then got up the next day for even more festivities!

Monday morning was graduation! (Hurrah!) Steve sat through the campus wide commencement (his verdict: boring) while the rest of us got ready at home and drove over for the medical school's separate commencement. There was a short speech and then everyone took turns walking across the stage to snatch up their enormous(!) and brand spanking new diplomas, which declared them, at long last, DOCTORS!!!

The kids were awesome throughout (Charlie loved seeing Daddy on the stage, and pointing out the "cumpets and combones" that played Pomp & Circumstance) until Steve passed us in the recessional. Gracie high-fived him, but Charlie really just wanted to be with him. He was quite happy when they were reunited in the lobby.

Second recessional, with the baby boy. 

The more the merrier. :) 

I told you that diploma was enormous. 

The whole gang: Curt & Michelle Walton (Steve's parents), Charlie, the Doctor, me, Gracie, Kris Robinson (my dad). 

Proud parentals. 

Traditional Walton bum shot.

Woo hoo! Peace out med school!!!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day this year was:

• Waking up to sweet kiddos sounds in our new house and then getting to snuggle down and go back to sleep while Steve fed them breakfast and played with them,
• Waking up slowly (the second time) to sunshine pouring in my windows,
• Finding an envelope slipped under the bedroom door by my Gracie girl with MOMMY and pictures of balloons ("for celebration!") across the front of it, and sweet card inside signed "I ♥ U AND XO" in her wonderful preschool handwriting,
• Breakfast on the couch (because I got up just before breakfast in bed was finished cooking) of silver dollar pancakes (I love teeny pancakes) with raspberry jam and syrup, a side of eggs and a big glass of milk,
• A tender note from my Steven that made me tear up (he called from across the room, "Are you crying?" and then did a "Yes!" fist pump when I laughed and said I was),
• A half a dozen "flours" (a la Stranger Than Fiction) in the form of 6 beautiful cupcakes from our fav local bakery, Dewey's,
• Gracie singing a mother's day song with the primary kids on the stand at church, beaming into the crowd and waving at "Karen, the husband, and Addi" and at me, and at Charlie, who was so pleased to see her standing up there...

• A card from Gracie that detailed things like what her Mommy does all day ("cook, make cookies"--I wish!) and what her Mommy is best at ("giving me hugs and kisses") and her favorite  thing Mommy cooks ("eggs"),
• A card from Charlie with scribbles inside. Love.
• Unsuccessful attempts to get a picture of all three of us together after church (should have done it before, I guess):

• A picture of baby #3's progress (it is avocado sized, now):

• A phone call with my own sweet mama while the kiddos napped,
• My requested dinner of hamburger sliders with grilled pineapple, cooked up by my handsome hubs after the littles had gone to bed for the evening,
• Snuggling up to one of the Harry Potter movies on the couch in our pjs.

It was just a very lovely day. Steve did such a great job making me feel loved and cherished and valued, and I felt really happy to be in our sunshiny house helping take care of our kiddos. I am really soaking in all this time with all four of us just hanging out together all day while Steve enjoys time off before graduation--it is such a treat! :)

Home is wherever I'm with you.

If you've been wondering about the radio silence around here for the past few weeks, allow me to explain: we bought a house!

For all a lot of March we hung around Winston kind of mentally checked out, thinking we would be on to a bigger city in a state far, far away (or not so far, depending), but, as usual, God had better plans for us. So five days after our Match Day results divulged that we would be spending the next three years right here, we had worked through the numbers and said a lot of prayers and consulted our feelings for their response... and we went house hunting. For two days.

And then we put in an offer and waited.

So April and May became a blur of loan paperwork, utility transferring, conferring with our then-landlord about move-out details, and an insanely organized packing spree (thanks to Steve, our resident move expert), and I didn't have the time or the energy to write. Plus, we were waiting on things like inspections and appraisals just to find out if our loan would even go through.

But last Thursday (which also happened to be my SIL Emily's birthday--a very good sign) we left the kids with Christie (thanks Christie!) and drove out to Kernersville to sign the papers for our FIRST HOUSE!

And an hour later we were back on the freeway giddily calling our parents as I clutched a set of shiny new house keys.

And I couldn't help but be charmed and girlishly excited when I saw that sweet blue bow tied to our mailbox!

We have our own little tree! And shrubberies! A garage! A garbage disposal (glory be)! Three bathrooms. And so much light, all day long. Oh my word. We love it. We are even doing dishes much more frequently, and today I was so thrilled to be doing laundry UPSTAIRS and INSIDE the house that I did an extra load just because.

After we signed the papers Steve picked up Chipotle for us and I grabbed a packed dinner for the kids to eat on the slab out back. Steve had to run a quick and unexpected errand (selling stuff from the old place before moving day) so I served the kids their meal and some sparkling grape juice (we "cheers"'ed each others cups a lot, and Charlie later christened the carpet inside by spilling some delightfully purple juice right out of the bottle, with which he had secretly absconded). Then they played in the grass while we waited for Daddy to return so we could all unlock the front door for the first time together.

Gracie didn't mind, because I taught her about the joys of rolling sideways down a hill. :)

I snapped a picture of baby #3 (15 weeks here--uh oh!) in the sliding glass door while the littles played behind me.

And then Steve came back and we went around the front together, where he unlocked the door and--oh I just love him--carried me over the threshold! Melt me, right? He is adorable and the best, and I love love love that I just bought a house with him. I know it isn't typical to find a 30 year mortgage romantic (we literally laughed at the lawyer's office when we looked at the payoff date), but I have to admit, I love anything that ties us together a little tighter and says one more time: you're the one for me, forever.

We stepped inside and let the kids run free through the empty house and while we admired the fridge (which is fancy and has buttons and is bigger than any one I've ever had, and has an ice maker that you can LOCK--genius) and all the other random things you admire as a first-timer, and then ate burritos on the bare kitchen floor while our babies bumped noisily around upstairs playing in the closets or thundering up and down the hallway like a herd of tiny, bipedal elephants.

It is a great house.

My favorite part is the light, which is divine and makes me so happy. Our last place was so very dark, and it made me really sad. I love every window and bright spot in this house, and there are so many!

Gracie's favorite part is her closet, which she likes to sit in with her toys and play, and which has its own light switch. She chose that room specifically because of its closet, and would not be swayed.

Charlie's favorite part is the garage door, which he can't pronounce but loves to watch. His eyes go wide and his little mouth drops open into an O of awe and delight. He talks about it most of the day, and pretends other things (a trap door on his play car, the toaster oven) are garage doors, too. :)

Expidit getting ready to move.

via Instagram, April 12, 2013 at 11:29AM

Lately.

Love him.

When one of us is out of commission, things tend to slow down. It was a little rough, at first, dealing with the nausea of the first trimester, but I'm starting to feel better now (11 weeks on Thursday) and able to pitch in a little more, just with more breaks for laying down than I was previously used to. But life goes on.

Charlie has had an ear infection (and we think he is also teething) so he has been needing extra cuddle time. (Yesterday he said, pathetically, "I want yay down wif Mommy." And once I laid down with him he went from hysterical and unconsolable to perfectly happy.) And he has been taking crazy long naps in the afternoon (he hasn't napped for months now). So we know he's uncomfortable.

But with Steve out of school until residency bootcamp in a few weeks, we've taken some time to just take it easy. It's been nice. We each read a book over the weekend, even spending some evening hours on opposite couches soaking up words. We've been watching an episode or two of Law & Order: Criminal Intent together every day (love Goren & Eames, and make lots of Jeff Goldbloom jokes--Chaos theory!) and since the weather has turned nice, we've been picnicking on the front lawn with the kiddos for lunchtime.

Other than that, we've been just coping with whatever my hormones throw at us, and slowly packing up the house in preparation to move (not far, just 10 minutes away) which is exciting and makes me feel even more grown-up. I'm trying to get Gracie registered for kindergarten (!!!) which is surprisingly complex in NC, and figure out my Medicaid for this pregnancy (also complicated) and some other paperwork stuff.

My book has been on hold. I'm okay with it. It has been a nice respite, actually, and I just think about what I'd like to do with the plot and work out little storyline kinks in my mind, casually instead of harriedly. I will get back into intense and daily writing soon, when I'm feeling more 100% (and back to the gym, too--Steve is getting much more use out of our membership lately) but for now I'm happy to let things rest.

Med school is almost over. So much has changed. We are so much better, I think. I am, at least. It feels like the blink of an eye. We've been happy in this phase of life, and are looking forward to the new things on our horizon. Steve a doctor! Not unbelievable at all, but I can't figure out how we got here so quickly. It has been challenging and very worthwhile, and he has done so well in all his roles. Graduation in May.

And a baby ultrasound in a couple weeks--our first sighting of baby Walton the third. :) Looking forward to that.

Right now Steve is out teaching with the missionaries for the evening, Gracie is humming a song to herself in bed, Charlie is quiet (and I suspect already asleep--rare for him, poor sickie), and I can hear an airplane overhead, and the birds singing spring-songs outside our window as the sun goes down.

And that's what's been going on around here lately.

Match day.

This post could also be entitled: The Longest Morning Ever.

If you're a loyal reader, you'll remember that we had our first bout of match-day-anxiety back in December, when we were surprised to secure a military deferment for our residency years. Many interviews, road trips, and credit card swipes later, we got the email that told us Steve had matched! He was going to FOR SURE be a doctor... somewhere. And the next adventure was to find out where.

Last Friday we woke up with butterflies. At noon we would know. The hours passed slowly. I dragged my pathetic, morning-sick self out of bed, did my hair (gasp!) and makeup (UNHEARD OF!!!) and got dressed. Around nine we packed the kids in the car and took them to the "tailgate" in the parking lot outside the Match Day venue, where they had donuts and orange juice, spun in circles, and then were packed back into the car to be watched by Amanda (Thanks Amanda!!!) while Steve and I went to the envelope-opening/luncheon festivities.

We got back to the tailgate around 11am (which was by then buzzing with almost the entirety of Steve's graduating class and their parents/families/significant others) and ate some fruit/bagels and chatted with people about bow ties and my dad being a dentist as TIME REFUSED TO BUDGE. I am serious. It was an endless, existential experience.

At 11:45 as we were walking into the building our Arizona friends (confused by DST) called to find out where we were going.

We climbed a jam-packed set of stairs to find these unassuming tables laden with the envelopes that contained the futures of all 150 or so students in Steve's class.

They were cordoned off until exactly noon when, finalllllllllllly, everyone got to hold their fates in their (probably sweaty) hands. Like so:

He sliced that baby open and we were surprised to discover that we will be staying here in Winston for another three years!

I'll admit... at first, we were a little shellshocked. I think we had both spent so much time imagining our family in a new city/state that we hadn't really thought to entertain the idea of what life would be like staying here. And the thought of being left behind as some of our best friends moved on was more than a little disheartening.

But then the Yates came up to us and said they were staying. And the Nickles. And many of our other favorite people, like Robert, Betsy, and Becca (Becca's announcement prompted a spur-of-the-moment squealing three-way-hug that we were all very proud of). It kind of turned in to a little Wake Forest resident party in our corner of the world, and we started to get pretty excited. People we love were staying, and we had no cross-country move, no short-term settlement, no starting over trying to make new friends in a place we would only be in for three years! Woo hoo!

The luncheon was delicious (I went back for seconds and had ice cream afterwards) and we had a lot of fun catching up with people and seeing everyone stick their pins on the map to show where they would be spending the next few years.

Afterwards we all went out on the balcony for photo ops, and we hugged on people and talked to Betsy and just enjoyed the fact that it was our turn to have this day and get this far. These four years have flown by, but I still can't believe we're almost to the finish line of med school and on to the challenges and excitement of residency. Pretty happy I get to go through life with this guy. He is my favorite.

Fourth year wives! Me, Madeline McClain, Nicole Nickle, Rachel Cohen, and Christie Yates. 

Almost-doctors: Alex Nickle, Paul McClain, Steve, Kevin Keys, and Eric Yates.

The Interview Trail.

Steve went to about a dozen interviews during residency interview season! We were obviously thrilled he got a good number of interviews at places he was interested in, but, while these usually boasted free dinner the night before, nothing short of a Tom Colicchio meal would really have made the extra separation worthwhile for us.

There were lots of day-long drives or flights followed by boring hotel evenings for Steve, and lots of carless single-parenting days for me, but mostly we just missed each other and the comfort of being together. While we were apart we played lots of games of Scramble and talked about things like how we couldn't think of anything to watch on TV without the other there, and what on earth happened with Manti Te'o's fake girlfriend. Steve posted facebook statuses like:

November 27

If I have to be away from home for interviews, it helps to be driving a Fiat 500 (two days for 34 bucks? What?) to the beach before a dinner with awesome residents at a Mexican restaurant in downtown Orlando. Nice work, Orlando.

December 5
Catching up on the Walking Dead in a hotel room alone in a small town before an interview = FAIL

December 14
Good first impression, Charleston. Strong work. Also, a 930 start time is never a bad thing.

(He also ran into Liv & Sarah in Charleston and ate this ginormous pizza.) 

January 17
Just switched to news in Nashville. They are reporting on which country singer contestants made the cut in American Idol. Hmmm...

and
Weird how one can get tired of free dinners...

In the middle of December, he had one close enough to warrant taking the kiddos along, so we made a little road trip out of a trip to the Palmetto program in Columbia. (Steve's facebook status on Dec 10: Screw the lonely interview trail. Bringing the fam to South Carolina...)

So we packed up and began the trek, starting with a trip to Ikea. Just kidding? We already went to Ikea like 3 times already in 2012, right? Yeah, actually that didn't deter us. :) But it was just a short trip to pick up some nifty gifties for the kids for Christmas, and you know, have some non-Swedish lunch.

Chocolate milks and lingonberry juice. We know where its at.

For the kids, the trip was all about the hotel. We pulled out the hide-a-bed and let them crawl around watching tons of Christmas movies on ABC Family. I don't actually remember what we scavenged for dinner, but I spent a really nice, mellow night with the kids while Steve was off enjoying his free dinner. :)

During his interview the next morning the kids and I just hung around some more. It wasn't eventful, but it was fun to be near Steven instead of hours apart waiting for him to drive home.

After he finished we all drove home. He did several more, some by car and some by plane, and finally finished up with an interview in Florida last week. We're so glad he's done. So was Facebook, where he got 22 likes just for posting:

January 25
Last interview today. Wooohooooooooooo!

...and a few more than that for relating his morning's events:

So, last interview day. Wake up, get dressed, pick up tie... Not there. Internal debate - half hour left - go without tie, or find one?

Find local Walmart, buy cheap black and white tie, show up a few minutes late.

First words out of program director's mouth for my interview: "I like your tie."

Win?

When he brought it home, I had to agree: it actually was a pretty nice tie.