Some Big News, and Fun Facts.

 Before I start, you won't see much updating around here for awhile, because:

That's right!  We're going to Disney World!  I'm so excited, I can't stand it.  We went to Disneyland in California last year, but it just didn't live up to all of my Magical Memories from when I was a kid.  So, I finally talked Jon into taking us to Florida!  We'll be there from the 2nd-9th of November, and Landon and I are both so excited we can't stand it!  Landon keeps running around the house saying, "Go bye-bye, see Mickey, swim in the blue water!!!"  It's pretty darned adorable, if I do say so myself.  Of course, I did have to sweet talk Jon into it....

By promising him we could try for a new baby!

We FINALLY got approved for some RIDICULOUSLY expensive health insurance that actually covers maternity (albeit with a HUGE extra deductible), and as Laura would say, perfect practice makes perfect!  Jon's hoping we end up with a Disney baby (don't worry, our suite has separate bedrooms), and when I asked Landon what he wanted for Christmas, he said "Um, I need a baby Sister," which was pretty hilarious considering we hadn't told him anything about the new plan yet.  Guess he's spent enough time with his cousins to like the idea.

In the meantime, I have two exams and a quiz to take between now and Sunday, and I'm SUPER behind on them.  Since it feels like my priorities have been re-examined, it's getting VERY hard to keep up my motivation in school.  Of course, I HATE feeling like I don't know it all, so that helps a little bit.

Now, onto the fun facts!  Aryn posted this cute survey about our husbands, and since mine is pretty wonderful, I thought I'd do it to!

1. What is your husband's name? Jonathon 
2. How long have you been married? Almost 4 years
3. How long did you date? Just under 6 months from our first date to our wedding date.
4. How old is he? 26
5. Who eats more sweets? ME!
6. Who said I love you first? Jon
7. Who is taller? Jon
8. Who can sing the best? I don't think either one of us should quit our day jobs!
9. Who is smarter? I've got the book smarts, and Jon's got the real-world smarts.  Although, he's really impressed me this semester!  We both compliment each other, I think.
10. Who does the laundry? It used to be that he'd wash and I'd fold, but now that he's so busy at work, I do both!
11. Who pays the bills? Me!
12. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do, I don't like to sleep next to the door.
13. Who mows the lawn? Usually Jon.  I've done it twice, and both times it looked worse than when I started!
14. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? DEFINITELY NOT ME!  LOL.  Luckily, I married an amazing man who knows how stubborn I am, and likes me anyway!
15. Who kissed who first? Jon tried to kiss me on our first date, I only let him kiss my cheek.  On the second date, it was mutual.
16. Who asked who out first? Jon asked me out on my first day of work! 
17. Who wears the pants? Landon!  Once you have kids, you give up that role!  In reality, I'll steal a line from Aryn, we each wear a leg, it's pretty much 50/50 around here, although Jon's a sucker when I bat my eyes!
OK so there you have it! So if you read this, join in the fun and post it on your own blog so I can see what you have to say!

Sacrifices and Surprises.

It's often been said that the secret to life is compromise.  I must say, that it's certainly the secret to a good marriage.  Luckily for me, stubborn as I am, my husband is GREAT at compromising, and I love him more each time he does!

Likewise, I believe that the secret to good parenting is sacrifice.  In the beginning, we sacrifice sleep; glorious, peaceful, and worry-free sleep.  Later, we sacrifice all kinds of small, but very important, things, like our sense of good hygiene (let Mommy get that booger for you, or catch your vomit in my hands), some brain cells (one cannot speak in monosyllabic sentences for that long without suffering a vocabulary repression), some taste buds (look, those strained peas are really 'good'), some nerves (hence the reason our children are so often on our 'last one').  But perhaps the most important sacrifice we can make for our kids is our time.

There has been a lot of self-studying, and not-so-quiet reflection going on in our home, more specifically in my head.  I've realized recently that I'm often referring to these sacrifices that we make for our children, but that I wasn't really putting my money where my mouth is.  I wasn't willing to sacrifice the one thing that my child needed most, my time.  Specifically, the 8-12 years I would be spending in medical school and residency while my precious child is growing  up.  The more I thought I about it, the more if felt like I WAS sacrificing, but instead of sacrificing MYSELF, I was sacrificing my FAMILY for the sake of my professional aspirations.  It became clear to me that while I may get to be very successful at saving someone else's child, I could very easily fail at raising my own.  It occurred to me that my first priority has to be my child, and that it's time I step up to the plate like a "real Mom."

And then, a very surprising thing happened.  Once the seed of sacrifice was planted in my brain, even before I made any decisions, I began to notice real changes in my outlook, suddenly it didn't feel so much like I was sacrificing anything at all.  All of a sudden, I was, and am, finding joy in everyday tasks; in wiping runny noses, and kissing boo boo's, and even watching 'Nemo find his Daddy' for the 13th time this week.  I am finding the true, internal joy in this enigma that is Motherhood, and I find myself looking forward to tasks I once dreaded, even potty training, and learning to read!

So, once again, the path from here is unclear.  Whether I will go back to nursing, or try my hand at paramedics, or simply put medical school on hold until my kid(s) are graduated, and I'm the oldest student in class, I'm not sure.  What I am sure of is that right now, my home really DOES feel like the place I want most to be, and I find myself in the unusual position of NOT being at odds with myself.  I find myself joyful, and most importantly, and perhaps most surprisingly, I find myself at peace.

Tagged by Tiffany!

8's

8 Shows I love to watch:

-Grey's Anatomy

-ER

-Private Practice

-Criminal Minds

-Trauma: Life in the ER

-The Soup-Joel McHale ROCKS my world

-Code Blue

-Mystery ER

(notice a running theme, here?)

8 Favorite Restaurants:

-Tucano's

-Roman's Wings (Ohio)

-Bravo Cucina Italiana (Ohio)

-Outback Steakhouse

-Beto's...Rancherito's...whatever it's called

-Macaroni Grill

-Winger's

-Melting Pot--BEST dessert anywhere

8 Things that happened Yesterday:

-Drove to Gateway

-Bought a new MacBook

-Realized I'd have to RETURN said MacBook and exchange it for the 2.4

-Ate Tucano's for dinner...Mmmm!

-Had a Cookie Dough Hot Fudge Sundae for dessert at DQ

-Watched Ugly Betty

-I procrastinated physiology...AGAIN

-Stayed up all night with a little boy who's afraid of the dark all of a sudden.

8 Things I love about Fall:

-The colors against the mountains

-The fresh air

-The clothes (I LOVE sweaters)

-Pumpkin EVERYTHING (cookies, bread, cheesecake)

-Thanksgiving (hello, FOOD)

-Family...we seem to get together a lot more during the fall/winter

-The Weather

-New TV season

8 Things on my wish list:

-M.D. behind my name

-Jon and I's '69 Camaro dream car

-A happy, healthy Landon

-Losing weight...without the work (hey it is a wish list, right?)

-To be a better mother each day

-To know EVERYTHING I can about medicine

-To be a better wife each day

-More time to scrapbook!

8 Things I'm looking forward to:

-Finishing School

-The M.D.

-Practicing Medicine

-Growing really old and wrinkly with Jon

-Watching Landon grow up!

-A Disney WORLD vacation

-Holiday Baking

-Holiday Shopping!

8 People I Tag:

Anne, Sarah, Amanda, Camille, Annie, Aryn, Eden, Laurel!

The ABC's

My smart little guy has learned his ABC's!!! (well, most letters from G-Z, but still).  He has shown NO interest in it, and all of a sudden today started singing it!  I caught it on video, but I don't know how to rotate it so you'll have to bear with me on the sideways thing...Still learning.

In other news, I dyed my hair a reddish color, and Landon and I had a really fun photoshoot the other day...The pictures turned out REALLY CUTE considering I was taking the pics AND wrangling a cute (not-so) little Landon man!