Cardiology - Check

Jim finished his cardiology rotation at Ingham Regional Hospital in Lansing, MI. He LOVED it, and this is a field he is seriously considering. I am so proud of him. He did really well and he enjoyed every minute of it. He came home on the weekends to help me out with Samantha and let me sleep on the weekends because she was pretty sick for two weeks. She got some viral infection that seemed to last FOREVER! Then Samantha and I drove up to Lansing to visit Jim. One of Jim's professors at LMU-DCOM let him live in his house during the month, so Samantha and I could come up and visit. It was such a great time. Samantha and I drove up on Friday, so we got there just after Jim got home from the hospital and then went out to dinner. Then on Saturday we drove up to Frankenmuth, MI. This was great! There was a Christmas store that we spent 3 hours in!!! We got some great ornaments and Samantha her Christmas stocking! After that we walked around the city...it was beautiful. It was already decorated for Christmas and Samantha just loved looking at the lights and the people around. We had such a good time. On Sunday we just relaxed at the house let Samantha play all day and then on Monday morning Samantha and I drove back to Chicago. So all in all it was a great rotation for Jim, and I think he is getting a better understanding of what type of doctor he wants to be. He really enjoyed this rotation and everyone was so helpful and wanted to help Jim. I am so thankful for everyone that is helping Jim make his dream come true.

Happy Halloween!!!

Our little Tigger was sick on Halloween, so my mom, dad and Auntie Julie and (soon to be )Uncle Matt stopped by to see her in her costume! Samantha wore her costume all day and enjoyed as Trick or Treaters came to the door!

Samantha and Auntie Julie in her Tigger costume!

Where has the time gone???

Baby Girl (Super Sammie)

I can't believe my baby girl is 1! It just seems like yesterday we found out I was pregnant and I can't believe it has been a year that God blessed us with you. Your smiles fill our morning, your laughs fill our afternoons and your hugs and kisses fill our evening. It's so hard to remember what life was like without you in it. You continued to bless your daddy and I every day. We love watching you learn and explore new things.
Some things just make us laugh. You love to give both Ernie and Reese kisses and you love to sit by the dog bowls and give them their food and you love to play in it.

Here are just some of your accomplishments in just this first year of life
smile
roll over
crawl
sleep through the night at just 4 weeks
your first word was mama
you were pulling yourself up on things at 7 months
you took your first steps on papa's birthday Aug 30
you learned to shake your head yes and no
you learned to love your babies
you love to give hugs and kisses
you love to watch Uncle Alec play football, baseketball and baseball
you love to go for walks with Auntie Julie
you have learned to bark like a dog and moo like a cow
you mock someone when they cough or sneeze...its so cute!

These are just a few things that you do. I am sure I am missing things. You have traveled more in the first year of your life then some people do in a lifetime. You and I had many plane rides back and forth to Chicago and Tenneessee. Oma and papa watched you during tax season and you guys had a blast! You are such a happy baby.


your vocabulary consists of
mama
dada
papa
up
baby
mimi
no
hi

Samantha you are such a happy baby. Words can't describe the amount of love your daddy and I have for you. You make us laugh and smile everyday. I can't see what God has in store for you in this next year.
Love
Mommy & Daddy

She's getting so big

I can't believe how much my little girl learns in a week. Two weeks ago she learned how to walk and crawl to pull her self up to walk again. Over these last couple of weeks, she has learned to keep her balance, walk a little more steady and not so much like "walking on eggshells", and today she has learned to stand up without pulling herself up on anything. She has been saying "da da" a lot more and pointing to Jim when she sees him.
She is such a lovebug. She loves to cuddle when she is tired and in the morning when she wakes up. I can't believe in just a few weeks she will be a year old. Where has this year gone.

Orthopedic Surgery - Completed

Another one bites the dust! Jim has completed Orthopedic Surgery rotation at St. James in Olympia Fields, IL. This was a long rotation. I am so glad we were up in Chicago for this one. Jim was up every morning at 4 am and not getting home until 6 or 7pm. He has learned a lot and was "pimped" everyday and did a good job at getting the answers correct. I am so proud of him. He has also made some good contacts with the hospital as it is one of the hosptial he is looking into for residency after graduation! It would be such a blessing if Jim could get his residency here. Samantha would go to the Christian school we want her to grow up in and we would be here with all our family and friends!

This has been such a fun month. During the days, Samantha and I spend time with my sister, mom and dad, and my brother and then at night we come back to Jim's parents house and spend time with them. I have had some good girls nights, Aunite Julie and I went to the zoo with Samantha, and I have watched Samantha grow up this past month

Samantha has gotten 2 more teeth, so we have 8 now. She has learned to walk, and she is doing really well. She is walking from one side of the room to another. She has learned to go from a sitting position to a standing postion. She has learned to give kisses and she knows where her eyes are. I can't believe she is almost a year old. She has so much love here with all of our family.

Next month is going to be even better. Jim is on VACATION!!! We have so many things planned. The zoo, pumpkin patch, corn maze, and her 1st birthday party, and her 1st year doctor's appointment.

First Steps!!!

Today was an exciting day! Not only was it papa's birthday, but Samantha took her first steps! Let the fun begin now!

Anesthesiology - Completed

I am so proud of my husband. He is doing such a great job and is really enjoying each rotation. He just completed anesthesiology. He enjoyed and was glad he did it because it's going to help him with his next rotation of orthopedic surgery. Although I don't think he is going to make anesthesiology his choice of profession he really enjoyed all of the experiences and has learned a lot and will only help him in his journey. We also found out during this rotation that Jim has passed STEP 1 of the COMLEX!

Now we are off to Chicago. We are headed up there for the next four months! I am so excited to be around family again. It is getting lonely here in Morristown so it will be nice to be around friends and family again :) We have many things planned when we go back. Jim's brother Alec is in his senior year so we will see many football games and some basketball games. Samantha will be celebrating her 1st birthday as well.

Well onto orthopedic surgery...Jim needs to be at St. James Hosptial at 5 am. If you know Jim, you know he is NOT a morning person, so this is going to be interesting. He will be getting up at 3:30 am!

Samantha meets her great great Oma

A couple of weeks ago, my mom, myself and Samantha hopped on a plane and flew to Punta Gorda Florida. At the airport we were greeted by Oma and Papa. It was so great to see them since the last time we saw them was at Christmas and Samantha's baptism. We had a wonderful week with them. Samantha was having so much fun exploring in a new house and gettng to know her great oma and great papa. They had so much fun with her. She greeted them each morning with a huge smile and laughs! One of the reasons we also went there was so Samantha could meet her great great oma. She is 96 years old and is still as quick as anyone I know. So on Monday morning we all hopped in the car and drove over to the place where she is living. I walked in first, but she didn't recongize me since I haven't seen her in 7 or 8 years, but as soon as my mom walked in she put two and two together and realized who I was and looked at Samantha and tears started welling up in her eyes. What a great moment that was. Samantha wasn't too sure what was going on, so she was playing shy at first. But soon enough Samantha warmed up to her and was soon smiling and laughing with her. We were able to get some great pictures of 5 generations and we found a great 5 generation frame and put the picture in there for great great Oma and she loved it!
Also in Florida Samantha had her first experience swimming in the big pool. She loved it! She just kept kicking her legs in her float. She would also sit on the edge of the pool and we would say "1-2-3 Jump" and she would lean forward and fall into our arms in the pool. She loved splashing around. We also saw a sunset and saw some dolphins jumping around in the gulf! Samantha loves being outside and watching everyone around her. We also spent another afternoon with great great oma. She played her harmonica for Samantha and Samantha was just in awe of what she was doing. It was so fun to see them interact.
I was so glad we made the trip out there and Samantha was so good and adapted well to everything we were doing. She stayed on schedule and tried many new foods and fruit. She loved every single one of them.

Samantha enjoying the pool

Samantha listening to great great oma play the harmonica

enjoying her first ice cream


Samantha enjoying the sunset

5 generations of strong women

3rd year Clinical Rotations

So Jim is about to finish up his first rotation in Family Practice. It went great! I'm so proud of him and what he is accomplishing. Next is anesthesiology at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital. After that one is completed, we travel up to Chicago for 4 months! While we are up there, Jim will be doing a Surgery rotation at St. James, Cardiology rotation in Lansing, MI and ER rotation at Ingalls, and he will also have a month of vacation! We are so excited to go back to Chicago and spend time with everyone!

Jim has finsihed the COMLEX, he took that on June 16, and now we are just waiting patiently for his scores. He is taking the USMLE on August 8.

Other than that, things have been pretty boring around here. Samantha and I have been going for walks, going to the park, and going to the pool. It's so nice here in our neighborhood to walk because it's not very busy so I don't have to worry about cars hitting us. Samanths loves the park. She loves the swing. We were there for over an hour the other day and she was having the time of her life! We have gone to the pool a couple of times and she loves the water. I'm trying to get her used to it since my mom and I are taking Samantha to Florida in a couple of weeks to see Samantha's great oma and great papa and great great oma! It is going to be so much fun! My great Oma doesn't know we are coming. She is 96 years old and she is always telling me how she would love to meet Samantha and now she finally will! It is going to be so cool to have 5 generations of women together! What a cool picture this is going to be.

9 Months

So where has nine months gone? It has brought many things to mind. We had our little girl Samantha, Jim has finished his 2nd year of medical school, taken STEP 1 of COMLEX, I have lost my job, Jim started his rotations and we moved into a new home. A lot has gone on, but one thing remains, the love we all have for each other.

Samantha is nine months old already! I can't even believe it. She is getting so big. She is crawling like crazy, cruisng along the couch and anything else she can. She is walking behind some toys. She has such a wonderful personailty. She is always happy. Right before her 9 month birthday she said Ma Ma...I was so excited! She is 20lbs and 27 inches.

She brings so much joy to everyone. My mom, myself and Samantha are going to Florida in a couple of weeks to see Samantha's great oma and great great oma. I'm so excited...5 generations...what a cool picture that is going to be.

Samantha Sick

This is the first time in 8 months that Samantha has truly been sick. She was running a 102 temp for 2 days, so we took her to the doctor. She has some kind of viral infection and her poor tummy just doesn't feel good. She didn't sleep for 3 nights straight. All she wants to do is cuddle...I'm not complaning of course. She is getting better day by day, but she not has a bacterial infection in her eye, and still has horrible diaper rash. Here are some pictures of my not so well baby girl.

So much to talk about...

So much has happened since my last post. Let's start out with the worst. I lost my job on April 20. After working all tax season, I was told that me working from TN was not working for them and they were letting me go. Talk about a slap in the face, but everything happens for a reason. God has bigger plans for me and our family, so I am trusting in Him and he will guide us through this time.

Samantha is getting so big. She is 8 months today. She is crawling all over the place and is pulling herself up on everything and anything she can. She has recently started "cruising" along the couch. SHe is such a joy and blessing in our lives.

My sister, Julie, was just down in TN with us for about 2 1/2 weeks. She was such a help to me. She helped me finish packing our house for our move to Morristown. Samantha loved having her aunite Julie around.

Jim has finished his 2nd year of medical school and is now preparing to take the COMLEX on June 16. THis is the first step in his board exams. He has been studying like crazy these past couple of weeks, but I know he will do well.

Where has the time gone?

Wow...it has been a couple of very busy months. Tax season is in full swing, which means I spend most of my time in Chicago. Samantha has been such a trooper through all of this so far. We have had a couple of plane rides and she sleeps the whole time, which makes me very happy and I'm sure the people around me very happy too.

Samantha has learned a lot of new things over the last month. She smiles all the time, she can pick up a toy and bring it to her mouth, she has mastered rolling over from her back to her stomach, giggles, and might I add it is the cutest giggle ever, and she is eating cereal.

She is growing big and strong. At her 4 month appointment she was 15lbs 6oz and 24 in.

February, I knew was going to be a busy month. I did spend most of my time in Chicago which made it hard on Jim because he didn't see his girls for almost 3 weeks. But I knew February was going to be the hardest. We will see him for most of March and then tax season is almost over!

On to other news, we are in the process of looking for a new home in Morristown. It is very exciting and it is coming at the right time because with all of Samantha's toys, we don't know where to go with anything anymore. We will be moving in May sometime. Needless to say we are very excited.

School is going well for Jim. He is almost done with his 2nd year! I can't believe how time flies. In June, he will be taking STEP 1 of the COMLEX and USMLE. He then has a couple weeks as a break and then rotations begin!

Samantha for her 4 month Dr. visit

Samantha and Daddy studying :)

You Know You're Married to a Student Doctor When...

…you open up your sewing box and find sutures
…you can’t watch a medical show without hearing complaints about everything they are doing wrong
…you can’t be in the bathroom when he/she is washing their hands without getting sprayed by the “doctor shake” when they are done
…you tell him/her that they are getting on your last nerve and they draw an accurate picture of a nerve with a little stick person on it
…you find yourself constantly washing scrubs and white coats
…your house is littered with office supplies bearing the names of various pharmaceuticals
…you can’t complain of a scratchy throat without having a tongue depressor shoved in your mouth and your spouse looking at you from behind a tiny light
…Your spouse brings home a speculum to use you for practice and it constitutes as "date night".…You catch your spouse practicing surgical knots on the garbage bag ties
.…You are getting an epidural during labor and your husband wants to watch
.…You are undergoing a c-section and as they are sewing you back up your husband says, "Cool, I can see your intestines!"
…our parents ask what you want for Christmas and you tell them things you need not want
.....The word "holiday" indicates the weekend after exams to you
....you fall asleep alone night after night but always wake up to a man next to you smelling like formaldehyde
....Caffeine is a staple food in your pantry
...your spouse recites anatomical terms in his sleep
....you know that in theory, you have a spouse but you can't place the last time you saw them
.....You've never had problems before, but 6 months into med school you're on an anti-depressant, an anti-anxiolytic and sleep medication
.....You've thought something like "what's another $20,000 in student loans?"
....your spouse thinks"AWESOME!" if someone keels over in front of you.

Recap of Christmas Break

We just spent 2 1/2 weeks back in Chicago. What a wonderful time it was to spend with family and friends. We had a great time and Samantha got to meet her great oma and great papa Postema. Samantha was such a good sport too. She adjusted very well being in a different place. We stayed at Jim's parents house, but had plenty of time to spend with my family during the day. My mom watched Samantha a few days while I went back to work so Jim could start studying for the boards.

Christmas Eve, we went to church and then we spent the evening at the Workmans (my dad's sister's family). We had a good time eating and enjoying each other company. Samantha received some wonderful toys and she even got an overnight bag with her name on it since she will be the little traveler over the next few months. On Christmas Day we opened up presents with Jim's family in the morning and then went to my parents to open gifts. Again Samantha was showered with gifts. Her grandma (jim's mom) bought her a few toys, Alec (jim's brother) bought her a monkey jacket and Jim bought her a couple of really cute outfits. Julie and Jeff (my sister and brother) bought her a crib CD player. After opening gifts we then went to the Postema's (my mom's brother's family) for the afternoon. Again, Samantha got some really cool gifts. My aunt bought her a birthday plate and a birthday photo album. We spent some time there and then went back to Jim's parents house for the rest of the evening. There were some people over there for dinner and desert. All in all, Samantha did very well go from one place to another.

The next day was Jim's birthday. We spent the day at home just relaxing and hanging out. We had gotten a bad ice storm that day so we didn't go anywhere until later in the day my mom, dad, Jeff and I had run to some stores to return some Christmas presents. We order pizza, watched a movie and had ice cream cake (jim's favorite). It was a nice day for Jim

On Sunday December 28, Samantha was baptized. What a wonderful day it was. She did so well, she even gave the Pastor a few smiles during the sacrament of baptism. Also, my dad sings with the men's choir at our church, and they sang after she was baptized. It was really cool because Samantha was looking at her Papa the whole time. My dad even had a solo part in it. It was really cool and something I will always remember. After church, we had everyone over for a time of reflection and fellowship. We had order food from Pop's and everyone enjoyed it. It was so nice to have family over because we were celebrating such a joyous moment in Samantha's life and everyone was there supporting her and us in bringing her up in a Christian home and family.

The rest of the time there was spent with family and friends. On New Year's Eve we spent the evening at the Flutman's with some of our good friends from church. Samantha even rang in the New Year with us. She was such a good girl.

All in all the time back in Chicago was GREAT! It was a much needed rest for Jim as this semester is going to be very busy. This is his last semester of classroom work and he will be taking the boards in June. We will also be looking again for a new home closer to the hosptial for Jim's rotations. I have started back at work as tax season is upon us. Work is being so good to me and letting me working two weeks in TN and two weeks in Chicago each month.