The Kowalczyk Adventure

3 months

2012-02-02T21:53:00.005-05:00

I can't believe my not so little dude is already 3 months! He's such a good boy! He's sleeping 12 hours every night and takes a small morning nap, a 2-3 hours afternoon nap and a quick evening nap before eating at 8 and going down for the night. This month his movements are becoming more fluid and he LOVES his hands! He smiles all the time and laughs a lot too. Samantha can really get him laughing...it's so cute :) He also laughs everytime I change his diaper, especially the poopy ones! It's almost like he thinking, "ha ha mommy" he's too cute!
Nicholas, since we didn't have a doctor's appointment this month, we weighed & measured you. I can't believe how big you are! You are wearing 6 month clothes comfortably. You are very alert and you love sitting in your bouncy chair with the music watching the monkey and the frog go up & down. You also have learned that when you hit the bird or the monkey the music starts again and you smile so big! You are holding you head really steady now too. You do NOT like tummy time. The only time you like to be on your tummy is when you are sleeping. Your thrush is now gone! That was horrible and the medicine made your tummy not feel good at all. I think that is it for this month. Can't wait to see what you do this next month!
Weight - 17lbs
heights - 26 inches

Am I a good mom?

2012-01-14T23:31:00.003-05:00

I wonder sometimes if I'm a good mom. I sit back at the end of the day and think "did I do everything to make each child feel like they are loved?" When I put Samantha to bed each night I always ask her if she had a good day and what her favorite part of the day was. Today she just melted my heart. Today was a bad day for me.
Jim has been working everyday and not getting home until 645p each day. So I'm busy from the time we get up until he gets home. Sometimes I wonder how many times I tell Samantha hold on, I have to feed Nicholas, change Nicholas, calm Nicholas down, put Nicholas to sleep. I wonder if she ever feels like mad or sad that I'm not taking care of her right at the second. Today though I know she doesn't feel that way. Nicholas cried all day today...he's not a cryer at all. I told Samantha hold on a thousand times today. After I had given Nichloas his bath tonight and I was holding him and he was quiet and asleep on me, I just started crying. Crying for no reason at all. Just tired and happy he was finally quiet. Samantha came up next to me with her nursery rhyme book and started telling me what some of them were and then asked me to ready some of them to her. As I was reading them to her, she could see that I was crying. She asked if she could wipe away my tears and told me it was ok. She told me she loved me and gave me a big hug and kiss. This totally melted my heart which in turn made me cry even more. At that point, I knew I was doing what I was supposed to be doing.
Tonight when I put her to sleep she gave me a big hug and kiss and told me the best part of today was making banana bread and me reading books to her. I love this little girl so much and I don't want her to ever lose her spunk or for me to ever crush her spirit. I want her to know everyday that I do the best that I can and make her feel special everyday!

2 months

2012-01-12T09:35:00.004-05:00

My sweet little boy is 2 months already! Where did the time go. I guess we have been so busy with Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, going to Chicago for Christmas and New Years! These last two months have flown by and you just fit right in! It's like you have always been here. You really are a good baby! Just like your sister you go with the flow! You have had 2 car trips back and forth from Michigan to Chicago and have done great with both of them! You slept the whole the way through.
Your sister is in love with you too! She loves helping me get diapers and when you wake up she brings her step stool close to the crib and tells you "it's ok buddy, mommy is here." Your sister also loves to give you hugs and kisses and snuggle nose.
This month you started sleeping through the night, which to mommy that means 10p-5a and then going right back to sleep until 9a or 10a. You are eating every 3 to 4 hours about 6oz of formula.
Stats:
Weight: 14lbs 5 oz 100 percentile
Heights: 24.5 in 100 percentile

You are getting so big, and love you so much! Can't wait to see what you start doing this next month!

New Year

2012-01-04T13:03:00.004-05:00

It was a pretty uneventful New Years Eve in the Kowalczyk household. Samantha, Nicholas and myself drove back on NYE to Michigan so we could at least all be together to ring in the new year. Samantha was very excited to see Jim when he got home from the hospital. We just hung out and the kids were asleep before midnight. Jim and I watched the ball drop and then went to bed ourselves since Jim had to work the next day. I don't know what to expect this next year. In looking back at my past years posts, I see another year of medical school down, graduation, anticipation of a child, trying to sell the condo. I don't have any of these this year. This year it will be Jim finishing up intern year of residency, Samantha starting preschool (how can that be?) and the condo finally being gone, even though it's because of foreclosure :( Oh well at least it will be gone! This is going to be a good year!

Christmas

2012-01-03T12:05:00.012-05:00

This is my absoulte favorite holiday! Christmas brings out the kid in me! I love the lights, decorations, innonance of children and the Christmas story. This Christmas was so much fun for me! Samantha is at such a fun age. she loved putting up the lights with me, putting ornaments on the Christmas tree and just asking about Jesus. Last year, Mimi ( jim's mom) bought her Little People Manager scene. I decided to only bring it out at Christmas time. It gives us the chance to talk about the Jesus and His amazing enterance into this world.
This year we also did Elf on the Shelf. Samantha was so confused in the beginning. Our Elf, which Samantha named Buddy, came to our house while Samantha was in the bath one night. I told her that Santa was here and dropped Buddy off to watch her during the day and that he would fly back to the North Pole to report to Santa to see if she was a good girl. In the beginning, she was very scared of Buddy, but as the days went on she got used to him and was excited every morning to see where Buddy was hiding. He had some good hiding spots, from the Christmas tree, to the clock to being locked in the latern. Buddy even rode in the front seat buckled in, of course, to Palos for Christmas.
The Christmas Samantha also LOVED watching the Christmas movies. We watched Rudolph, Frosty, Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch (which she was very afraid of The Grinch), Elf on the Shelf. We watched these every morning...I'm glad Christmas is over because they have been magicially erased from the DVR.
So this Christmas Samantha got a lot of wonderful toys. My parents got her clothes for her bitty baby, matching pj's with her bitty baby, some cute summer clothes, style kit which included a blow dryer, curling iron, straightener, brush, fake hair spray and perfume, and a ballet skirt and leotard and slippers. She also got a baby carrier for her babies from Auntie JuJu and Uncle Matt. Uncle Awesome (Jeff) and Auntie Allie got her a clock so she can learn how to tell time and a dog and carrier for her bitty baby. I'm probably forgetting something, but all the gifts were very much appreciated and she LOVES all of them. Nicholas got a rocking horse, Garbage truck just like Papa's, little tool box, clothes, race car steering wheeland Go GO baby crawl toy. I can't wait for him to play with these. Jim's parents got them some great gifts too. Samantha got a space station, LaLaLoopsy dolls and sets, coloring books, crayons, Lion King DVD and a chair & ottomen (so cute). Nicholas got some boy toys, he got Racing Zoomers, cars, clothes and books. Overall it was a great Christmas and we had a lot of fun with all our family in Chicago. Now back in Michigan putting away decorations and getting toys set up and organized. Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas!

7 years

2011-12-11T08:45:00.003-05:00

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband! I remember our wedding like it was yesterday! The lights, the Christmas tree, our famly and friends, but most of all the love we had for each other that day! Our loves has continued to grow over the last 7 years! Even though we haven't really spent an anniversary together, we still know how much we love each other. This past year has brought us many more ups than downs and our lives are only getting better! What has happened this year:
1. You were granted an EM residency at Bostford
2. You graduated medical school from LMU-DCOM
3. Our condo has entered forclosure
4. We moved to Michigan
5. We welcomed our 2nd child, Nicholas Peter

These are just a few highlights from this year and it was a good year! I love you to the moon and back and can't wait to spend the next 70 years with you! I love you!!

One month

2011-12-02T21:46:00.004-05:00

Nicholas Peter, you have been with our family for one month already and I feel like you have been here always. You fit in just right with us. You are such a good baby so far. You are a good sleeper and eater. You are eating around 4 oz every 4 hours. You have set your schedule and it works out great. Your big sister loves you so much. She loves to help get your diapers, wipes, put your paci back in and kiss you. She calls you her little buddy all the time. Lately she loves feeding you and always wants to hold you. She is in total awe of you and you couldn't ask for a better big sister! This month you already had your first road trip to Chicago for Thanksgiving. You did very well in the car and slept the whole way there and back :) So far you are a good traveler just like Samantha! You also have had your first trip to the ER. You came down with a bad case of thrush, but its under control now and it looks so much better!
You had your one month doctors appointment and you did so well, despite us being there for almost 2 hours. You have gained weight and grew a lot! No wonder why some of your pj's don't fit you anymore :)
Weight: 11 lbs 10 oz 90%
Height: 22.75 inches 90%

You are such a handsome little dude as your dad and I like to call you. Can't wait to see what new things you learn this next month.

Love you

Thankful

2011-11-26T19:20:00.004-05:00

This year just like any year, we have so much to be thankful for. God has truly blessed us again this year. Even though we have tough times, God uses those tough times to show us what is really important to us. Here are a few things I am thankful for this year.

1. God's Promise
2. Family
3. Friends - new and old, near and far
4. job
5. a warm house
6. food on the table

When asking Samantha what she was thankful for this year she told me mommy, daddy, Nicholas and ice cream. So much fun to see what is important to everyone at every age.

I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. I know I did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv2e-OTb4eQ

...and now we are 4

2011-11-13T12:23:00.008-05:00

Nicholas Peter Kowalczyk arrived on 11/1/11 at 10:35 am. Our little linebacker weighed in at 10lbs 14 oz 21.5 inches. It was a pretty uneventful day, which was very good :) Jim and I arrived at the hospital around 8am and started from there. Put in IV's, took blood pressure, monitor on baby, ultrasound of baby. Everything went very smooth and I wouldn't have changed anything. My mom, dad, Jim's mom and Samantha were anxiously awaiting in the waiting room. I did get to see my parents and Debby before they brought me back for the c-section. I was not able to see Samantha, but I guess it was probably a good thing because I think I would have just cried when she left the room. As I walked out of the room and walked into the OR, i had so many mixed emotions. I was scared, nervous, excited, anxious. As I sat on the table waiting for Anesteia to come in I just couldn't wait to see what God was giving us. Once they were ready to start the section, Jim walked in and I instantly calmed down.

I didn't even know they had started the section. I looked at Jim and asked what they were waiting for. He said they were already in the process of doing the section. At one point i looked up at the light in the OR and I could them doing the section. Totally freaked me out, but I knew in just a few mintues I would have another little child to love. A few mintues went by and all of a sudden I heard that cry. I looked at Jim and he had this big smile on his face. He said, "its a boy"! I could tell he was so happy he got his boy!

After the c-section was done I was brought to recovery and was able to see my parents again along with Debby. Samantha was still not allowed back into the room where I was at. Jim, Samantha, my parents and Debby all went to see Nicholas through the nursery window as they were getting him cleaned up. Samantha just stared in amazement and was very quiet. Jim said all of a sudden she had a huge smile on her face and said, "daddy, that's my baby!" She was so excited!

When I was brought into my room, everyone was allowed to come in. Jim and Samantha came in first with Nicholas. Samantha was such a proud big sister. She hopped on the bed with me gave me a big hug and said, "isn't he just the cutest thing mom?" I just started crying. She was so cute with him and so gentle. All in all it was a great day. I wouldn't have changed anything! I can't wait to see what God has in store for this little guy.
"For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord"

Another Conversation with Samantha

2011-10-20T22:43:00.004-04:00

While getting ready to go for my weekly visit to my OB this morning this is the conversation Samantha and I had
S: Mommy I'm going to hold your had while at the doctors
I: Why Samantha?
S: I'll hold your hand whent eh doctor checks your front butt. This way it won't hurt.
I just smile give her a hug & kiss and tell her thank you for taking care of mommy :)
She really is caring :)

Crazy Conversations with Samantha

2011-10-18T16:49:00.008-04:00

I have a bunch of things Samantha has said lately that I don't want to forget because one day she will be able to read these and laugh!

Conversation between Samantha (S), my mom (O) and I at Max & Erma's for her birthday dinner
S: Mommy I have to poop
I: Really Samantha? Can you wait until we get home?
S: No, I REALLY have to go poop
I: You promise you have to go.
S: Yes, mommy I REALLY have to go
Usually when she says that in a restaurant she just wants to wash her hands. This time we go into the bathroom. She hops on the toliet and proceeds to start pooping. All of a sudden she starts wiggling on the toliet.
I: Samantha why are you dancing on the toliet?
S: Mommy, I'm wiggling my poop out...it's stuck.
I: Well you just wiggle it out then
S: I'm wiggling again...its all out...I'm done!

Conversation in the car with Samantha while driving to her 3 yr wellness checkup

S: Mommy the doctor can't touch me today
I: Why not? He has to check your heart, back, arms, legs
S: Well the doctor can't check my front butt.
I: Your front butt?
S: My front butt...that would be wierd
I guess she has gone with me to too many of my OB visits.

Conversation with Samantha about Auntie JuJu and Samantha's visit to the Palos Park Fest

S: Mommy , Auntie JuJu took me to see mascots. I don't like Mascots...they scare me. Auntie JuJu you need to say your sorry.

I: Samantha I'm sure Auntie JuJu didn't mean to scare you

S: she did

So now everytime she see a mascot, she tells me that Auntie JuJu scared her and that she didn't like the mascost and they scare her and she doesn't want to go back.

Happy 3rd Birthday to my little princess!

2011-10-13T17:50:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday to my little princess Samantha!

I can't believe you are 3 already! It's seems like yesterday you were a little baby and now you are going to be a big sister in just a couple of weeks! You are still a little love bug and love when everyone is around. You have your daddy and I wrapped around your little finger.

You had a great birthday this year! Oma, Papa, Auntie JuJu, Uncle Matt, Mimi, Bob and Unkie drove to Michigan for your birthday weekend. Everyone came on Saturday for your party. We had some Mostoccoli, salad, and rolls for dinner and you picked out your Minnie Mouse cake for your birthday this year! You loved opening presents this year! You still open them nice and slow and appreciate everything that was there. You recieved a some Hello Kitty clothes & PJ's from mimi and bob. A big stuff animal from Unkie. some games, like Hungry Hungry Hippo, Gator Golf and ABC game from Auntie JuJu & Uncle Matt and a Bowling game from Uncle Awesome (uncle Jeff). Oma and Papa got you some sticker books, Overalls & shirt, and pink rain boots! You got some awesome gifts!

Year 3 fun facts:
Weight: 35.25 lbs
Height: 39 inches

Vocabulary

You will talk to anyone that will listen to you once you warm up to them. You know all of your letters and we are starting on reading 3 letters words. We have all the letters on the refrigorator and will start with those this week.
You also know your basic shapes and can draw circle, triangle, square and rectangle. We are working on writing your letters too. You can do the Q and A right now.
You can count up to 15 consistently and most of the time up to 20.

Eating:
You are still a picky eater. Breakfast is by far your best meal of the day. You will eat almost any fruit. You love smoothies too. Dinner we are trying new things and you are getting a little bit better.

Other Misc.:

You still love playing with your babies. You are know pretending you are the mommy and doing more role playing. It's so much fun to watch you play with your babies, take them for walks, and put them to sleep.
You love going to the park and swinging and going on the BIG slides :)
You are potty trained, which makes for one happy mommy :)
You can ride your tricycle
You HATE ants..everytime you see one you freak out!

Again I'm sure I'm missing some stuff, but you are truly an amazing little girl! We love you so much!

3rd Trimester

2011-09-24T20:24:00.004-04:00

I have welcomed the 3rd trimester with open arms! I feel like this pregnancy has lasted forever! I know that it is much longer than Samantha's, but I just feel like it should be November already and the baby should be here. Only 6 more weeks to go! I have so many emotions lately. I can't wait to find out boy or girl! I wonder how much love I can give this baby. I have devoted that last 3 years 100% to Samantha. Now I have to split my time between the 2 of them. I just don't want Samantha to get resentful of me or Jim or the baby. I just hope this will be a smooth transition. What I do know is that I will love my children unconditionally.

Another Month Down

2011-09-05T08:48:00.004-04:00

I can't believe August came and went and another month is residency is done! August just flew by! I spent about 2 weeks in Chicago. My oma and papa were in from Florida so Samantha and I spent some time with them. It was great to see Samantha interact and have such a great time with them.

Jim finished up with his EM rotation for the month. He really enjoyed it even though he had some crazy hours. It really made him realize that this is really what he wants to do! It's so nice to always get that confirmation when doing something that you know you love! Now he is onto Pulmonolgy and the hours are pretty decent too.

Mickey Mouse and Church

2011-08-16T09:48:00.004-04:00

This past Sunday in church, Samantha was reading the Bible during the sermon. She is always good in church and NEVER wants to go to nursery. So as she was reading she was talking very quiet, but I could understand her a little bit. She started out in the beginning saying that Mickey Mouse and Minnie opened their garden to all the people. As she was going through all the pages, she was telling her story. At one point I heard her talking about Jake and the Pirates, and Barney. As she was getting to the end of the Bible and she was in Revelations, she said that they all lived happily ever after in Heaven.
I guess she does pay attention to me reading her, her Bible and pays attention in church. The other thing that makes me laugh in church is that when our Pastor starts talking, she usually stops talking right away because she says that it's God talking. A few weeks ago when we were there, our Pastor had told a joke during the sermon and Samantha told my mom and I that God was funny, and a few people around us heard her and all started laughing too. Let me tell you that girl has a sense of humor!

1 down 47 to go!

2011-07-29T15:28:00.006-04:00

Jim is finishing up his first month of residency! We got through it! He started off with IM, so his schedule was pretty set. He got to the hospital around 6am M-F and was home anywhere from 5pm-7pm unless he was House Officer or was on call that day. He only worked one weekend and it just so happened we were in Chicago that weekend so it worked out great! He really enjoyed this month getting into the swing of things. It sounded like he had a great group of residents and doctors to work with. I hope this enthusiasm keeps continuing! At least I know this next month it will as its EM. He has a pretty nice schedule this month too, although a lot of afternoon/night shifts are coming, but I think we can handle it :)
Samantha and I are getting into our own routine again as well. Usually starts out with breakfast and a little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, we then either go out in the backyard to play or walk down to the park and play there for an hour or so. We come home eat lunch and then Samantha goes down for a nap, occasionally I will lay down with her too. Usually last around 2 hours :) After she wakes up we either go down in the basement and play or go outside. Once I know Jim is on his way home, I usually start dinner unless I know its going to be a late night and then Samantha and I eat once I know she is getting hungry. After dinner is usually bath time and then she plays either in her room and she colors and reads books. Bedtime some days can't come soon enough. We have packed days, but it keeps the days moving fast! I can't believe one month is down. Only 47 more to go until residency is over :)

Samantha's Happenings

2011-07-05T09:22:00.006-04:00

I haven't updated on Samantha in a while, and I want to remember this stage very well! She is so much fun right now.

Vocabulary

This girl can talk. She talks from the time she wakes up until the time she goes to bed. I wonder where she gets that from? She is definetaly my daughter :)
She holds conversations on the phone with family members and its so cute. She walks around the house talking to them and showing them things as if the person on the other side of the phone can see what she is showing them.

Her favorite phrases right now
Are you kidding me?
Let's go outside!
Let's go to the park!
I'm hungry!

She knows her alphabet and has for quite some time now. She also can reconginze all of her letters. She can also reconginze basic shapes - circle, square, triangle, star.

The girl loves to sing too! When driving in the car she always ask to have her music on. She loves her Bible songs and sings them so cute and even does action with them. If I start singing with her, she tells me not to sing :(

Eating

It's getting better slowly. Breakfast is usually cereal, waffles, bagel, or pancakes usually one of the paired with a yogurt or a banana. Lunch is very sparatic. She usually doesn't eat lunch and if she does its generally peanut butter and jelly. Dinner is where we are trying new things. For the last year she never really ate dinner with us because we always ate so late and she was usually ready for bed at that time. She usually eats chicken, mac n cheese, quesidilla, and sometimes pasta. She loves applesauce - homemade of course. She loves yogurt, and ice cream. She also loves her chocolate...she really is my daughter :)

Miscellanous

She loves to play. She has tea parties with her babies. She loves feeding her babies, changing their diapers and talking them shopping and on walks. She plays with her kitchen and cooks many different things. She colors, but is not one of her favorites. She loves reading and making up her own stories and loves when we read to her.
When outside, she loves to play on her slide, with her water table, and sand table. We love to go to the park and she plays very well with the other kids! She also LOVES the water...loves the pool!!
She is completely potty trained...thank you Jesus!!!
I'm sure there is plenty I'm missing, but at least this is a start for me to remember this stage.

Ready for the next phase

2011-06-18T10:33:00.006-04:00

Well in just a few days we will be moved into our new home in Michigan! I can't believe we are finally at this point! I have so many mixed feelings. I'm feeling stressed about leaving family again. Samantha and I have had so much fun over this last year seeing everyone on a daily basis, that it will be wierd not seeing everyone every day. I'm feeling stressed about not knowing what is coming next. How is intern year going to go? Will I be able to do everything on my own? Will I get to see Jim? Will I be able to be home with family for Holidays? I know everything will work out, but I just can't seem to stop thinking about it.

I'm excited we FINALLY got a house in Michigan...better late than never right? I can't believe the rental market up there and how hard it was to find a house that we at least could deal with, but happy that we found one that we LOVE! God has such a sense of humor sometimes. Good things come to those who wait right?

As we are packing up, I keep breaking down and crying. I'm so excited to get our own place, but sad we are leaving family and friends. I have so many mixed emotions and being pregnant is not helping the hormonal cries either. Luckily Jim is understanding and he just keeps telling me he understands and tell me what I want to hear :)

Is there a doctor in the house??

2011-05-19T09:35:00.004-04:00

There is now!!! Dr. James Ronald Kowalczyk!!! I'm so proud of you Jim!

What a crazy busy graduation week we had! On Wednesday, my mom, dad, Samantha and myself drove down to TN. This was probably the worst drive Samantha has had driving. She cried for the first 4 HOURS!!! It was horrible. She sure was happy when she saw daddy though! Wednesday night we checked into the hotel went out to dinner and went swimming in the pool! Samantha LOVED the pool! I knew she would, but was a little afraid because she is used to sitting in the kiddie pool. Luckily there were steps that she sat on and played with her Mermaid Barbie.

Thursday, I got up with Jim and drove with him to school and listened to the options we are going to have to repay his $1,000,000 in student loans. It's crazy how much medical school is and yes I'm kidding with the $1,000,000, but it sure feels like that much! It was very informative and I think we know what to do now! After that, it was the awards ceremony. It was a great ceremony. Jim recieved the Emergency Medicine award! So proud of him! After the awards ceremony we drove back to Morristown to get ready for the dance that the school sponsered in LaFollette. We had almost a 2 hour drive to get there. It was at a Barn...it was like Tennessee meets Vegas! It was really nice inside. Other than it being a little warm in there, we had a great time! All day, my parents had Samantha and boy did she get the attention from them all day. They spent about 3 hours at a park, went to lunch, took a nap, went swimming, went to dinner and back swimming.

Friday, Jim headed to school again for graduation practice and BBQ. While he was there, my parents, Samantha and I went to the park, Chick-Fil-A for lunch and took a nice nap. Once Jim got back, my sister and brother were almost there and so were Jim's parents and brother! Everyone got there and we went to dinner! It's so nice that all of our families get along so well! After dinner we all got in our bathing suits again and went swimming for a couple hours! Samantha got a little more daring and decided to start jumping off the stairs and go under water! I was a little nervous about it, but I was there to catch her for every jump!

Saturday was FINALLY graduation!!!! What an awesome experience that was! It's so hard to put into words the feelings you feel when you watch your husband walk in and then walk across stage and hear...Dr. James Ronald Kowalczyk for the first time and get hooded! I just know how hard Jim has worked to get to where he is today! Samantha was so good during the graduations. She sat on Auntie JuJu's lap and read through the program many times and had some yummy snacks to eat along the way! Saturday night we drove out to Knoxville and went to Calhouns for dinner! It was so yummy! When we got back to the hotel we went back in the pool for a couple hours again!

What a great weekend we had! I'm so proud of my husband! Now on to the next step! Residency! Here we go again!

Hello 2nd Trimester!

2011-04-30T09:56:00.003-04:00

I have welcomed the 2nd trimester with open arms. No more nausea all day! I am feeling great and getting really exicted for the little sprout to come! It's amazing how much the little sprout grew from one month to another. It's so crazy because I didn't have this comparison with Samantha. I'm so excited for this little one to come!

Ladycation!!!

2011-04-20T00:23:00.004-04:00

It was our 2nd annual "ladycation"! It was great! Candice, Dana, Katie, Lisa and myself drove to Panama City and spend 3 glorious days in the sun and kid free! We left on Wednesday night drove 14 hours. We arrived in Panama City around 830am went the to grocery store grabbed some food for the week and went to our condo. My friend Candice, her in-laws own a condo at Edgewater Beach Resort. We unpacked our stuff put our food away changed into our bathing suits and plopped in a chair by the pool and relaxed there all day long! That night we got cleaned up and went to Sharky's for dinner! We had a great dinner and then went shopping to Pier Park. On Friday we did the same thing...sun all day long! It was so nice just to sit back relax, read, talk and not be interrupted. Friday night we ordered in Chinese and laughed all night long. Saturday there was a huge Cheerleading compitition on the beach at the hotel so we watched that from our seats by the pool! That night we went out for a nice dinner to Bonefish Grill. We came back and laughed a lot again! It's crazy the stuff we come up with! We had so much fun hanging out while our husbands were home with the kids. Although we had a blast together and relaxing and getting refreshed, we all missed our kids terriblely. We drove home on Sunday and had a very uneventful ride home compared to last year. Remember the Nashville floods last year? Yep, we got stuck in those last year. So this year it was nice to drive home and put our kids to bed.
Another successful ladycation and can't wait to do it again next year!

First Trimester

2011-04-09T09:55:00.003-04:00

This is such a different pregnancy already from Samantha's. At this point I had no clue I was pregnant with Samantha. If I had any of these symptoms with Samantha I would have for sure know I was pregnant. I have had major nauesa, extremely tired, and bloating...Lord have mercy on me. This has just been crazy. I have been very lucky though. This rotation Jim is doing, which is his Community Health 2 month rotation has been great. He is back in Chicago every other week. He has helped me a lot with Samantha during this time. Other than the above, I feel great. The sickness comes and goes. If I look at certain foods, I just want to throw up. (i.e. salads, raw chicken, red sauce, eggs, and bananas) So of these are my favorites too! Oh well, I know I will get over it and it will be all good in the end! On a different note, I can't believe graduation week is in just ONE short month! It's crazy to see how far everyone has come over these last 4 years and that it is coming to end and ready to start residency of their choice! We are getting very excited about the move to Michigan! I'm going back in a couple of weeks to look at some more homes.

The Little Sprout

2011-04-04T09:17:00.005-04:00

Wow, so far this has been such a different pregnancy from Samantha. Most of you know that I didn't find out I was pregnant with Samantha until 20 weeks. This pregnancy I have know since the very beginning. I have been extremely nauseous, tired and achy. I was talking to my sister on a Thursday and telling her of the symptoms that I had and that I was going to take a pregnancy test. I got home took the test and it came back negative. Boy was I disappointed. I did recognize how fast it came back negative and then I remembered when I was pregnant with Samantha and didn't know I had a couple of test come back negative as well. It just so happened the next day I was going to my FP for an appointment and asked them to give me a test as well. Sure enough it came back positive. Then i got really nervous...how far along was I? So i called my OB/GYN and got an appointment right away. I went in with my mom for the appointment and another positive pregnancy test...go figure! My doctor did an ultrasound and figured I was around one month and told me to come back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound. We went back this past Thursday with my mom and Jim and saw the little sprout and his/her heartbeat again. What a wonderful thing to see :) God is Good!

Surgery

2011-03-18T13:15:00.006-04:00

So Samantha had her first surgery this past Tuesday. She had a thyroidglossal duct cyst removed from her neck. Our doctor, Dr. Lyon was wonderful. She was so througho in her explaination of everything from beginning to end. We got to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, IL at 630am and checked in. Samantha was in her princess monkey pj with a cute little bow in her hair holding her blanket and little rabbit my sister gave her. We got all checked in and she was brought to her room where we changed her into her little gown and socks. She looked so cute in them. My mom and dad met us at the hospital so they could see her before they brought her into surgery. As we were waiting, the nurses brought over a wagon for Samantha to go for a ride in. They put a bunch of warm blankets in there. Samantha was the little princess of the floor. My mom took her around the floor and she was propped up in the wagon with her pillow pet and her book just looking around and saying hi to everyone who passed her way. Around 715 am, the anestisalogist came in to ask questions. At that point they asked about Samantha's seperation anxiety and it has been pretty strong again so they gave Samantha some Versad. It took about 5 mintues for it to kick in and when it did it was pretty funny. Her head started moving back and forth and she was laughing so hard it. We put her little cap on put her in the crib and they took her off to surgery.

Surgery we were told was going to last about 2 hours. Much to our surprise after an hour, it was done. Dr. Lyon came in with the cyst in a jar to show up what it looked like. It was the size of about 2 marbles and had fistulas all over it. Dr. Lyon told us it was a textbook surgery and that there were no complications and everything went great! Thank you Jesus! I was then called to go into recovery and wait for Samantha to wake up. Only one person was allowed in there and I just sat next to her crib and rubbed her back. She slept for an hour in recovery and the moved her back into her room. As we brought her back into her room she woke up and was very confused. Once she figured out where she was at she was good. She sat on my lap and had 2 cups of apple juice and a sucker (it was the first thing she said to my mom, Oma, when she saw her). "Oma can I have a sucker please." How can you say no? We weren't sure how long we were going to be there, so my mom and dad left around 1130 and we got released around noon.
We got home from the doctor and went and laid right in bed and watched cartoons. She was very hungry she told us. She ate 3 pieces of toast with just a little butter. I didn't want her to get sick from the medicine that was in that little body of hers. She took a little bit of pain medicine and then we took a 3 hour nap together. She did so good all day. That was the last time she took pain medicine. This girl must have a high tolerance for pain because she only took Motrin the day of surgery. Wednesday morning we went for day 1 post op and the doctor said that everything went great and everything looked good. We just had to keep the incision dry and keep her calm all week.
I can't believe how well she did before, during and after the surgery. Today we went and had the bandage taken off and the stiches taken out. You can see that it was really bruised around the area and its getting better. The incision looks great and I couldn't be happier with the way everything turn out!

Match Day

2011-02-16T15:27:00.004-05:00

Match day has arrived and boy were we SHOCKED!!! About 830am Jim had received an email and he opened it up not knowing what it was going to say. We were told that we had to log on to the ERAS website around noon and it would be posted on there as to where we matched. So Jim opened up the email and to our surprise, Jim matched in EM at Botsford Hospital...WHAT??? Jim thought for sure he matched at St. James in Olympia Fields, IL...15 mintues from the condo we still haven't sold. Jim was like what happened? Did I screw up the rank list? Did I get confused with someone else? What happened? So Jim emailed the program director and found out that it was an extrememly competive year and we just didn't make it. Jim had great board scores and great GPA the only thing he had against his was that he wasn't a CCOM student. So after much crying and wondering why, we are going to Farmington Hills, MI. This was always a hospital Jim LOVED. After doing an EM rotation there in October, Jim had said had Botsford been in Chicago, he would have a very hard time choosing which hospital to choose. He loves the program director and the residents that are there. So for the next 4 years, we will be living in Farmington Hills, MI. I'm so proud of Jim for matching at a great program in the field that he wants to be in. So if we have to be in Michigan for 4 years and then move back to Chicago, I'm ok with it. It will go by so fast! So off to Michigan we go in June!

R.I.P. Great Oma 3/13/1913 - 2/5/2011

2011-02-10T15:49:00.004-05:00

My great grandmother who was 97 years old passed away this past Saturday. She was such an energtic, fun and loving women. She was born in Amstelveen, Holland and immigrated to America with my Oma during World War II. She loved knitting, playing the harmonica, and playing bingo. A couple of summers ago, my mom and Samantha flew down to Florida so she would be able to meet Samantha because we knew that she would never make it up to Chicago to see here. I'm so thankful we were able to make it down there so she could meet her only great great granddaughter. Great Oma has knitted many dresses for my sister and I as we grew up, doll clothes, and she has knitted hats, scarves, booties, sweaters and mittens for Samantha. I will forever cherish those items. Rest in peace great oma...we love you!

Psalm 100

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth

Worship the Lord with gladness;

come before Him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are His;

we are His people, the sheep of His pasture

Enter His gates with thanksgiving

and His courts with praise;

give thanks to Him and praise His name.

For the Lord is good, and His love endures forever

His faithfulness continues on through all generations.

Snowmageddon 2011

2011-02-09T11:14:00.005-05:00

Last week we had one of the biggest snow storms in a LONG time! We had about 20 inches of snow! It was great! We were snowed in at my parents for a few days. Schools, malls, grocery stores, and streets were closed. We had so much fun at my parents, we cooked, we played grocery store, dress up, watched movies, played house and even had some time to make some yummy brownies.

ready, set, go!
I didn't even have her all the way down

Samantha & Papa
stir, stir, stir

a good baker is a good test taster

Samantha says the craziest things

2011-01-25T14:50:00.003-05:00

Last week when it was a full moon out we were looking out the kitchen window while she was eating dinner and she was so impressed with how big and bright the moon was. She looked at me and said, "Mommy, God made the moon" and I responded "Yes peanut, God did make the moon. She then comes back with "Mommy, Baby Jesus needs a coat"...guess next year we need to put a coat or blanket in the manager scene :)
I guess she really is paying attention when we read her Bible at night :)

Final Stretch

2011-01-10T09:34:00.004-05:00

This time when Jim left was the hardest by far! As he was packing his car on Saturday night, Samantha was having a total melt down saying, "Daddy, I coming too" and would climb into the front seat of his car. Saturday night, Jim wouldn't put Samantha down. She even slept with us the whole night because he wanted her right now to him. She loves her daddy so much.
On Sunday morning as he was getting ready she was getting nervous that Jim was leaving. We decided that Samantha and I would leave and go to church like we normally do on Sunday mornings, just Jim wouldn't be going with us. I think it worked out for the best. Samantha didn't have a total melt down, just Jim and I did. I hate saying good-bye, or see you soon.
I'm ready for school to be done and for us to be our little family of 3 again...full-time. It's been so good over the last 8 months all being together everyday. I just hate the fact that he needs to be back in TN to do these rotations. I just don't understand why these couldn't have been done up here, but they couldn't. I know we will get through these next 4 months and so much is going to happen over these next few months. I just wish we were all together, but I know we will all be ok. Samantha will talk on the phone with Jim everynight before she goes to sleep and hopefully we will be able to skype. We will see Jim in a couple of weeks when Samantha and I go and meet up with the girls in Gatlinburg and then we will see him in February when we find out where we will be for residency! We are in final stretch!

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-03T12:49:00.003-05:00

What a great year this is going to be! We find out in a month where we will be at for residency! I can't wait to see what God has in store for us. I'm hoping very much for St. James in Olympia Fields, IL, but we shall see! In May, Jim graduates from medical school. It's going to be very exciting for all of us! I can't believe he is going to be a doctor in just a few short months. So many wonderful things are going to be happening!

Goals for the year
1. continue to lose weight (down 15lbs already - hoping to be down another 30 by graduation)
2. find a better job
3. move back into the condo, if we get St. James or sell it if we have to move out of state
4. hopefully have a baby brother or sister for Samantha

I know more things will change during the year, but this is a good start. Can't wait to see what God has in store for us this year!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-26T09:36:00.004-05:00

What a blessed Christmas we had this year! It was so much fun to see Samantha open presents and have a good time with her cousins. Christmas Eve started off going to church and then going over to my parents house with Grandpa and the Workmans. It was such a nice night. Dinner, and presents and great conversations with everyone. Samantha had such a fun time with cousin Emily. They played together the whole night. Samantha got a laptop from Leap Frog from Aunt Beth & Uncle Bob! She LOVES it!!!! She played with it all night long!!! After everyone left, we opened up presents with my family! Samantha had so much fun handing out presents to everyone. Samantha got a grocery cart from Auntie JuJu and Uncle Matt, Sit and Spin from Uncle Jeff and a big house from Oma & Papa! She was in heaven! We stayed at my parents till about 1230am drove home.When we got home we left crackers & orange juice for Santa...that is what Samantha wanted to give him. She was so excited and didn't want to go to sleep so we told her Santa was on the roof and that she needed to go to sleep before Santa would come in the house! She was out in no time. We woke her up on Christmas morning and she was so happy that Santa came! So we opened up presents from Pete & Debby she got a Dora tent, some dvd's, a couple of games. She had so much fun opening presents. Her present from Jim and I was a kitchen set! It is so cool looking! I can't wait until Jim puts it together! After we opened presents we then went to my mom & dad's and spent the day with them and Uncle Ron, Aunt Liz, Don, Megan & Peter! Samantha and Peter have so much fun together! Her laugh makes everyone want to laugh when she is with him! Samantha got a drum, and a few more other musical instruments! She loves them! We went back to Pete & Debby's later that night and she played with her other cousins. It was so cute...Debby & Aunt Marilee got the kids monkey pj's and matching slippers. They all looked so cute!
All in all it was a great Christmas! We have so much to be thankful for again! I hope that everyone had a Blessed Christmas

Happy 6th Anniversary!

2010-12-12T09:28:00.003-05:00

Happy 6th Anniversary to my wonderful husband! What another great year we have had! We have actually spend more time this year in the same house and same state than we have in the past 3 years! It's been wonderful to go to bed with you everynight and to wake up next to you every morning! We have gone through a lot this year. A lost job, a lost sale on the condo, damage to our condo that we weren't sure what we were going to do, but in hindsight none of that matters. What matters is the love that you and I have for each other. This next year has so many positive things ahead of us! We find out in a couple of months where you/we will be for residency, medical school graduation, and a new job. I can't spend the next year and the next 60 years with you! I love you :)

Prayer

2010-12-10T10:13:00.001-05:00

Please pray for the Bonnema family today. I have attached her link to see what her prayer is.

http://ourlittlemiracle.blogspot.com/

Fashion Friday

2010-12-03T19:41:00.000-05:00

Thankful

2010-11-27T14:38:00.004-05:00

Is thankful for so many things this year

1. God
2. wonderful husband
3. family
4. a healthy child
5. for family who helps out when ever we need them
6. friends near and far
7. a job
8. a roof over our head
9. food in our stomachs
10. med school is almost finished

"Give thanks with a grateful heart" <3

Kid's Say the Darnest Things

2010-11-20T10:33:00.002-05:00

Conversation this morning while lying in bed

Samantha: mommy an idea
Mommy: what's your idea
S: let's go to mommy's house
M: mommy doesn't have a house
S: oh nuts

Last night Samantha playing with her Little People Nativity set

Samantha: mommy i need a spoon
Mommy: why do you need a spoon
S: baby Jesus is hungry
M: good enough reason for me

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-10T11:42:00.003-05:00

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-29T15:14:00.003-04:00

Jim had Monday off and since it was a nice day out, we decided to go to Konow's Corn Maze. Samantha had so much fun. She loved all of the pumpkins and was picking up all of them. It was nice because not a lot of people were there because it was a weekday and that all the kids were in school. So Samantha was able to have a lot of fun and I didn't have to worry about her getting hurt. Once we were there, there was a huge jumpee thing that Samantha and Jim went on, then she climbed through the haystack playground and went through the tunnels, then her and Jim went on a tractor ride in a cow ride and then we went on a hay ride. She LOVED it! After the hay ride we went a big corn pit and then to the petting farm! There were a bunch of little piglets and Samantha was so giddy with them!
Once we got home we carved the pumpkins. Samantha had so much fun looking at all of the gross stuff inside. She was so happy to see the face cut out on her pumpkin. It was so nice to have a family day...just the 3 of us :)

Auntie JuJu & Uncle Matt's Wedding

2010-10-25T10:54:00.006-04:00

My beautiful sister
My little flower girl

JuJu, Matt & Samantha

3 of us
my little dancing queen

My sister Julie got married this weekend!!! Despite the rain in the morning, her wedding was absolutely beautiful! She looked amazing! All 3 of us were in the wedding and we all had so much fun! Samantha did great as the flower girl, even though Jim had to walk down with her she threw her leaves and everyone loved it! She did so good and slept on the way to the reception hall and then partied with us all night long! We changed her into some cute halloween pj at the end of the night! We love you Julie and Matt!!!

Happy 2nd Birthday to our sweet little princess

2010-10-10T21:42:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet little girl! You are an amazing little girl and I can't believe how fast 2 years has gone. She had such a great birthday! It was small and inimate and she had so much fun! Uncle Jeff brought home a blow up Jump thingy and Samantha and Peter jumped for hours in there! This year we had a Dora the Explorer themed party...everything was Dora! She loved opening up presents and she opened them up so delicately too. She loved when we all sang happy birthday to her...she even sang along. It took her 3 times to blow out her candle and when she did she was so excited!

Some fun facts
Samantha weighs - 30.4 lbs - 90%
Samantha height - 37 in - off the charts

loves Dora, Barney, Wonder Pets, & Calliou
loves being read to
loves playing with her dolls
loves to color
loves being outside
loves going to the park
loves to swing and go down the slide
loves walking to the pond to feed the fish

She is a picky eater
will eat any type of fruit
will not touch veggies - so i have supplemented with other things to give her the viatmins she needs for the time being
loves chicken, hot dogs, sausage pizza
loves chocolate (she is my daughter)

loves to talk to anyone who will listen
loves to sing - papa is happy b/c none of us can carry a tune
She loves her Oma, Papa, Mimi and Bob (grandpa)
loves to talk to Jim on the phone when he isn't around

She has been putting sentences together now for a while. She doesn't use sign language too much anymore since she can now speak what she wants.
Jim and I have truely been blessed with such a great baby girl. She just goes along with everything we are doing without any crying or fussing. We couldn't of asked for a better baby during medical school. I'm sure I'm missing a lot of things during this past year, but I have pictures upon pictures to remember some of the other special moments with her.

LMU-DCOM in the News

2010-09-30T10:05:00.002-04:00

http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=136214&catid=2&sms_ss=facebook

How cool is this...a new medical school in Harrogate, TN already getting national publicity :)

Is Ready!!

2010-09-14T00:32:00.006-04:00

I'm ready for this whole medical school thing to be over
I'm ready to find out where Jim will be doing is residency
I'm ready to have a house of my own again
I'm ready to be able to live our life as a family
I'm ready to be settled in a place that I know I won't have to pick up and move again in a year
I'm ready to be the mom to Samantha I know I can be
I'm ready to stop stressing out over all of the little things
I'm ready to be the wife to Jim I used to be
I'm ready to find out if this is all really worth it
I'm ready to sell the condo and move onto something else
I'm ready for our lives to start
I'm ready to start living

Where did it go???

2010-08-20T09:01:00.004-04:00

This has been Samantha biggest phrase this month! We have been playing a lot of hide 'n seek lately. She is learning how to pretend a lot more too. It's so much fun to see her use her imagination. Whether its her changing her baby's diaper or feeding her baby or coloring with Barney or playing with her trains.
Also, where did this month go? What a busy month it has been. Julie, my sister, had her first wedding shower! It was a beautiful day and she received a lot of wonderful things. People are so generous. I have been working for a month now. It's going alright. I haven't done much accounting work. I am more of this personal assistant. I have organized his office, got all his bills together and starting to get everything on a schedule for him. It's been kind of crazy, but I think this is going to work out. He seems to be very apprecitive of everything that I have been doing, so it makes it a little more worth it. It's only 2 days a week and Samantha is enjoying her time with "bob" this is what she calls Jim's dad...not grandpa or Pete, which is his real name...nope it's bob!
Today is Jim's last day of Cardiology. Thank goodness!!! This was a very long rotation. He left at 7am and didn't get home until 8 or later everynight. It's so funny how things change because last year at this time he was so into Cardiology...this is what he thought he wanted to do. He has now decided to do EM. He has all of his residency applications in and he has 2 interviews so far! We are hoping that he gets into to St. James in Olympia Fields, IL for either EM or the EM/IM residency. I can't wait to see what God has instore for us in these next 9 months. "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord."

Leg Cramps...again :(

2010-08-08T11:10:00.003-04:00

So it begins again...Samantha keeps waking up around 2-3am screaming like someone is trying to kill her. We bring her in bed with us and just rub her legs until she falls back asleep. Sometimes its one minute other times its 10-15 minutes. Hopefully its just temporary and we can get back to all sleeping much better at night! Although her growth spurt is coming at a good time. At least she is still wearing shorts so I don't have to go out and buy more clothes until fall comes. I just love buying her clothes, but I'm trying to refrain from buying fall/winter clothes right now until she absolutely needs them!

Crazy busy summer

2010-08-02T08:32:00.005-04:00

This has been one of the craziest, but of the most summers I have had in a long time! In the beginning I packed up a house in a week and moved back to Chicago with Jim & Samantha! Jim has started his 4th year and is LOVING it so far! He has taken STEP II & COMLEX PE and we are waiting to hear if he passes, but I'm sure he did and with great scores! He has decieded that he wants to do EM! I'm so happy to hear this, because I know he will be a great doctor. He is so great in pressure situations. He has already done an EM rotation at the hospital he wants for residency and loved it!
Samantha and I took a road trip to Manitawish Waters, WI for a great week with my aunt & uncle and their family and my Oma (grandma in dutch) & Papa! We had a great time at their cottage. Samantha had a lot of 1st's. She was on a boat for the first time. Swimming in a lake for the first time. She had her first bon fire. She did great and loved every minute of it. I was a nervous wreck going there alone with her, but I think I did a good job myself of not freaking out everytime she got close to the lake. She had a great time with her cousin Peter and she kept up with him every step of the way!
Samantha and I have spent a lot of time at the pool and she is getting more daring each time we go! Samantha and I have had a lot of bonding time this summer. I can't believe she is going to be 2 in 2 short months! She is just simply AMAZING! She communicates so well and is speaking in all sentences. She has learned a lot of sign language and still uses it occassionally even though she knows how to say it! She LOVES to color, play with her babies and her trains. She loves to play outside with bubbles and chalk. I swear I have gone through 10 huge bottles of bubbles this summer! It has been a blast!
Well that's it for now!

God is Good

2010-07-28T20:51:00.004-04:00

Please keep praying...God is doing great things and will continue to do great things!
Brooklyn Hope we are praying for you :)

http://ourlittlemiracle.blogspot.com/2010/07/she-is-here.html

My Little Waterbug

2010-06-16T18:42:00.014-04:00

Today we made the our first trip of the year to Palos Heights Pool! We had so much fun there. Samantha was a little waterbug and didn't want to come out of the pool after 3 hours! I decided that we were going to walk to the pool. It's only about a mile away. So I packed everything up, put Samantha in the stroller and away we went. It was a beautiful day, we have had so many crappy days lately that I just wanted to be outside! We had a great walk to the pool. Samantha saw many butterflies, chipmunks, birds and airplanes. She was so excited! When sitting at the pool watching Samantha play, I sat back and realized how blessed I am. I'm able to stay home with my little peanut and watch her grow and learn new things everyday. She just amazes me with what she does and how she figure things out. I have a husband who is working so hard in his last year of school and will be able to provide for us. I have my family and my in-laws who are so loving and giving to all 3 of us.
Anyway, so we were at the pool for 3 hours and enjoying our time. I do have some complaints about the pool. I really think they should put an age restriction on how old the child is to be in the kiddie pool. I mean really do 10 year old need to be in there knocking over my child? I think every child who is NOT potty trained SHOULD have to wear a swimmer diaper. I can't tell you how many times I had to ask another child to give Samantha the toy back that she was playing with. I understand if she put it down and walked away, but grabbing it out of her hand is totally unacceptable. Some parents just don't pay attention to what their kids are doing and it irrates the crap out of me! We will continue to go to the pool unless things just get way out of hand. And if it were up to Samantha, we would have been at the pool until it closed! All in all it was a great day!

She finally got the ball

Having a good time with the bucket

just kicking in the water!

splashing...splashing

getting ready to head home!

Croup

2010-06-14T01:19:00.003-04:00

This is one sickness I hope Samantha will never get again...but for some reason I don't think this will be the last time. It started last weekend when Mimi (Jim's mom) came home not feeling well at all...the next day I came down with it and then the following day Samantha got sick. She had a 102 temp for 3 days. Luckily, I had setup Samantha at a new peditrican here in Palos. The funny thing is, is that it is the same peditrican I had gone too! I LOVE them, so I wanted Samantha to go there as well. Anyway, the poor girl didn't sleep for 2 nights, she was up coughing, coughing, coughing...well you get the idea...all night long! Poor girl just didn't know what to do. At one point, we thought she had stopped breathing. We freaked out and called the peds doc in the morning. They saw her right away and came to the conclusion of Croup. So she has been on a steriod for a few days, we took some steam showers, her fever has broken, so I think she is on her way of getting back to herself!

On to 4th year!

2010-06-02T04:24:00.005-04:00

Cheers...Cheers to the 4th years!!!

You have made it through another year Jim. Samantha and I couldn't be more proud of you. Just one year left and you will offically be Dr. James Kowalczyk!
Jim has finished his 3rd year and again, did very well! All of his 4 year rotations are set up and the light at the end of the tunnel keeps getting brighter and brighter! Jim is still deciding if he wants to do EM or IM/cardiology or a EM/IM residency. He has various rotations setup in both of those fields, so hopefully he can decide which of these he likes better. We have offically left TN and are back in Palos Heights, living with Jim's parents for the next year. God Bless both of our families as we have invaded both houses with our stuff and Samantha's toys. I know they all couldn't be happier that we are back home, as I am, but I also feel bad that we have taken over! We will be here for the next year until we know where we are going to be at for residency...hopefully we can just stay put in our little suburb of Chicago. All in all the move went well. Jim and I loaded the truck ourselves...yes ourselves...our movers NEVER showed up. Thank God for Nick coming over and helping Jim move the big stuff on the truck! It took Jim and I about 8 hours to load the truck...it was a very LONG night. We drove the truck in on Saturday and then on Sunday we had a TON of help from family unloading the truck into our storage unit. Everything we need is unpacked and put into its place. I just keep telling myself this is only temporary and next year we will have our own house again. We are VERY grateful for our families and for them to allow for us to do this. It's going to be a great year! Onto EM Jim goes :)

Packing...Packing...Packing

2010-05-19T15:07:00.004-04:00

So our plans have changed once again thanks to LMU-DCOM. At the last minute, Jim's ER Core rotaion at Morristown-Hamblen Hospital fell through. So Jim had to find a new rotation ASAP. Luckily, the school was letting him pick where he wanted to do it and he found out that St. James in Olympia Fields, IL, which is like 25 minutes from where our parents live, has not one student rotating during that time! It was like God telling us this is where you need to be!! This is also Jim's #1 spot for residency! Therefore, since we now have to move back to Chicago a month early, I had to fly down one way and get the entire house packed up! It has been a crazy week! Also, my parents are wonderful and offered to keep Samantha with them for the week! So Samantha has had plenty of time with Oma, Papa, Auntie Ju Ju & Uncle Jeff! She has been so good all week...although the first night was pretty bad...she was looking for me all night! Makes me so sad. I miss her running around all over, but I know it was the best thing. I was able to get the house packed up and not have to worry about her getting hurt! So we have the house packed, the moving truck is coming and we are heading back to Chicago tomorrow for good...hopefully!

Let the Countdown Begin

2010-05-14T09:32:00.003-04:00

One year from today LMU-DCOM will have their first graduating class!!! Jim will then be Dr. Jim Kowalczyk!!!! So excited to see what God has in store for us in this next year!

19 months

2010-05-13T12:14:00.009-04:00

Over this last month, Samantha has been talking more and more and even starting to put sentences together. She is always so polite saying please and thank you. She is still siging for things even though she knows how to speak them now. Her sleep patterns are still irregular at night, but we have been traveling a lot now so I don't mind her sleeping with me anymore. She is such a cuddle bug and sleeps well. She really is such a happy baby and a good baby. She adapts to anything and everything! There were even a few days that we were really busy that she didn't even nap and she just kept going with the flow. Over the last month, she has almost learned how to ride her tricycle. It's almsot there. A little more practice and I'm sure she has it! Some of her new phrases include:
- i don't know

- where she/he go?

- i know

- bath please

- fishy eat

- no thank you

On other news, Jim is almost done with his 3rd year!!! So exciting! He has one more rotation in TN and at the end of June we officially make the move back to Chicago! I'm so excited. We will be living with my in-laws for the next year as Jim does various rotations in Chicago and in Michigan and then he will be back in TN next year for a couple of rotations. The end is almost near and the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter each day! We are so proud of him.

Samantha & Uncle Jeff on his graduation day

My brother Jeff graduated this past weekend from Olivet Nazerne University with his degree in Criminal Justice. He is still in the process of looking for a job, but I know God has something wonderful in store for him. The perfect job will come along. My sister's wedding is getting close only a few more months away. She has picked up her dress and the bridesmaid dresses are now in too! She has almost finished registering. This summer is going to be CRAZY, but it is going to be so much fun!!!

18 months

2010-04-10T11:40:00.000-04:00

Happy 18 month birthday baby girl! Where has 18 months gone? You make me laugh everyday!Here are some things you have learned over the last 6 months

- learned to eat by yourself with a fork & spoon although every once in a while you still want mommy's help
- eating more table food than baby food
- you know what sounds a cow, horse,sheep, cat, monkey, dog & cat make
- your favorite meal of the day is breakfast - you love pancakes and french toast
- you love to cuddle with Oma
- you love to play with your babies
- you love to be outside
- you love to feed Uncle Jeff's fish with Papa
- you have learned how to go up and down stairs
- you know sign lanugage for "more" "i love you" "milk" "please" and "help" and Auntie Ju Ju has been trying to teach you more
- your favorite TV show by far is The Wonder Pets
- you love to dance to music
- you have all of your teeth in and your 2 yr molars are coming in already
- you watch races with grandpa
- you love to hug and kiss
- you know where your eyes, nose, mouth, hair , head, arms, legs and ears are
- you have attempted, and almost succeeded in getting out of your crib
- you love to pretend to talk on the phone
- your vocabulary consists of
mama
dada
oma
papa
mimi
bob (this is what you call grandpa)
Ju Ju (this is Auntie Julie)
yes
no
up
baby
i don't know
nite nite
nose
eye
thanks
hi
bye-bye
fish
doggie

I'm sure there are more that I'm missing, but I think that is a good list

Samantha you have been such a trooper over these last 18 months. We have moved once and we have traveled many times back and forth from Tenneessee to Chicago. You do great in the car. Although sleeping hasn't been your thing for the last few months, its ok. I love waking up to you kissing me and saying "up mama". You are such a lovie. You have been going to bed about 8:30 pm and waking at 3:00 am to come in bed with me and then sleeping until 7:30. You also are taking a 2 hour nap still in the afternoon (please don't stop this...mommy LOVES this time).

What more can I say Samantha, you are the center of our world and we love every minute of it. You have so much love. These next 6 months are going to be so much fun. You are learning something new everyday. Samantha we love you more than words can say! Happy 18 month birthday baby girl!

Easter

2010-04-08T14:21:00.006-04:00

He is Risen...He is Risen Indeed!!
This Easter was different than the others. It was Samantha and I up in Chicago. Jim had just finished a rotation and couldn't come up becuase the next one started on Monday. So I wasn't sure what Easter was going to entail for me. I usually go to Good Friday service, but this year I opted out. I didn't want to put Samantha in nursery, as she doesn't do very well in there, and I stayed and spent time with my brother, Jeff and his girlfriend Allison and we made the desserts for Easter. I did go Easter morning with Samantha. It was a wonderful service. I always feel uplifted everytime I leave. The rest of the day consisted of being at my in-laws and everyone was over for dinner and then we had the annual Easter Egg Hunt with the entire Kiers family! What a blast that is. Since Jim wasn't there, Auntie Ju Ju helped Samantha find eggs. There were hundreds of eggs. Some with candy and some with notes to get prizes that didn't fit. Samantha got, bubbles, princess pillow, Easter beenie baby, some DVD's & books.

Spring is in the Air

2010-04-03T09:28:00.004-04:00

The weather over the last week has been great! Samantha has enjoyed the outdoors all week and has had so much fun. We have spent time outside by Oma & Papa's, she has gone for many walks in her wagon, she has gone to the pond to feed the fish, and has watched many of Uncle Alec's baseball games. We have enjoyed the last 2 months in Chicago so much. Here are a few pictures of this past week

Uncle Alec playing baseball

3rd Year Almost Complete!!

2010-04-01T10:01:00.006-04:00

As we continue on with this wonderful journey called medical school, I can't believe Jim's 3rd year is almost complete. Only 2 more months and it's done! Jim just has 2 months of IM left of his cores and then he moves on. Over the last few months Jim has completed OB/GYN, Surgery, Psych, and Peds. He has enjoyed all of them, but he still continues to want to do either Cardiology or Emergency Medicine. He is actually looking into getting certified in both since he can't decide what he wants to do.
He has almost all of his 4th year rotations scheduled. Almost all of them are in Chicago with a couple of them in Michigan. Jim is taking STEP II of COMLEX and the PE exam in July and then he can start applying for residency. I'm so excited for the next year in our lives. We are hoping that he can get residency in Chicago so we can be back with all our famiy and friends again!

Piggy Tails

2010-03-11T09:19:00.004-05:00

I have been waiting for this day since the day she was born! I was so happy when I was told Samantha was a girl! I wanted a little girl to dress and to put in piggy tails! She can be such a little fashionista sometimes! Here are her first piggy tails!

A fun GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-03-07T10:06:00.003-05:00

Chronicals of a Babywise Mom is hosting a giveaway! It's a blanket that will stay on while taking a walk! It's such a great idea! I know I have the issue of keeping blankets on Samantha while we take a walk! Check it out here http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/2010/03/prodcut-review-piggies-in-blanket.html

Growing Spurts

2010-02-22T15:17:00.006-05:00

We were doing so well. Sleep came back to Samantha and it has been taken away AGAIN!!! She is going through another growing spurt. Her poor legs are hurting her. I have to rub them multiple times in the middle of the night to get her to fall back asleep. My MIL told me last night the same thing happen to Jim. She said he would wake up screaming with leg cramps for hours at night. I hope that doesn't happen to Samantha, but I'm guessing its going to.

On another note, Samantha had her 1st haircut the other day too. She looks so much better now that her bangs are out of her eyes. It made her look so grown up. I can't believe how big she is getting and how much she changes on a daily basis. She is such a joy to have and makes us all laugh and smile each day. Her other new milestone is that she is now sliding down the stairs. This makes me VERY nervous, but she is doing such a good job; knock on wood, she hasn't fallen down any stairs yet :)

On our way Getting her hair cutAll done :)

All on her own!

2010-02-08T15:07:00.002-05:00

So Friday night, Jim and I decided to go to Applebees for dinner with Samantha. As we are sitting there, I'm starting to feed Samantha "her food" and she grabs the spoon from me and starts feeding herself!!! I was shocked...I mean she knows how to pick up food and put in her mouth and occasionally she will get something on her fork but for the most part she just uses her fingers. She ate the whole container of sweet potatoes on her own! So we decided to then order her Mac and Cheese from the kids menu. She ate that too! All of it with a fork!!! She is getting so big. I joke that she doesn't need me anymore to help her with things, but I know she will always need me. It just she is going through all of these big milestones and I feel like she is growing up so fast. I thing I do know is that daughters ALWAYS need there mothers and I want Samantha to know that I will always be there for her.

Girls Weekend

2010-01-28T09:59:00.001-05:00

Last weekend was so much fun! All of the DCOM girls got together for the weekend. We had so much fun. Lots of catching up, sharing all of our happiness and struggles that we are all having, hot tubs, wine, and great food (thanks Shelia) . It was a great relaxing weekend for me to get refreshed. I LOVE Samantha more than anything, but it was great to have a weekend to myself. Jim and Samantha bonded all weekend and she did really well for him...I was kind of nervous, but it all turned out well.
Here is the cabin that we stayed at: http://www.cabinsofthesmokymountains.com/gatlinburg-cabin-rental/Smoky_Mountain_Lodge.html

Thanks everyone for a great weekend!

Here's to a new year!

2010-01-17T10:17:00.006-05:00

Happy new year...about a month late!

Well here is to a happy and healthy 2010! 2009 was a challenge. I lost my job in April, and Jim was starting his 3rd year in medical school. We were both shocked and confused, but in the end it has worked out 100%.
Goals for 2010:
1. Lose weight for Julie's (my sisters) wedding in October 23, 2010.
2. We sell the condo
3. Jim conquers and passes STEP 2 of COMLEX and PE
4. Start and catch up with Samantha scrapbook
5. We start talking about adding a little sister or brother for Samantha (also reason why goal 1 is in place)

I think this is a good list to start with. I know as the year progresses, goals will come and goals will change.

Cardiology - Check

2009-11-16T09:21:00.005-05:00

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!!!

2009-11-05T11:32:00.003-05:00

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???

2009-10-18T22:27:00.004-04:00

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

2009-09-19T22:31:00.003-04:00

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

2009-09-17T11:42:00.003-04:00

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!!!

2009-08-30T22:39:00.002-04:00

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

2009-08-21T10:05:00.005-04:00

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

2009-08-15T07:30:00.009-04:00

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

2009-07-23T09:03:00.008-04:00

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

2009-07-14T09:26:00.003-04:00

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

2009-06-29T16:38:00.004-04:00

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...

2009-06-10T15:38:00.004-04:00

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?

2009-03-03T07:28:00.006-05:00

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...

2009-01-25T08:29:00.001-05:00

…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

2009-01-06T16:54:00.007-05:00

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.

2nd month doctor's appointment

2008-12-16T21:05:00.001-05:00

Weight: 11 lbs 6 oz

Height: 23 in

Samantha had her 2nd month doctor's appointment today. I can't believe how big she is getting. She gains 1 lbs 6 oz and grew 1 1/2 inches since her last appointment. She also had her first round of shots. She did so good. Daddy held her arms down while the nurse gave Samantha her shots in her little legs. She did get cute Snoopy bandaids for them. After she was done we gave her a bottle to calm her down since they wanted us to stay there for 15 minutes to make sure she didn't have any reactions. She was such a trooper. She didn't get a fever and she slept for the rest of the day.

Happy 4th Anniversary Jim

2008-12-11T09:18:00.002-05:00

I can't believe we have been married 4 years. Where has the time gone? I remember our wedding like it was yesterday. I wasn't nervous at all becuase I know God had picked out the perfect guy for me. These past four years have been so much fun and they are only going to get better.
What has happened in this last year.
1. Jim finished his 1st year of Medical school and started his second
2. We found out we were pregant on 6/4/08
3. We were blessed with a daughter, Samantha Lynn 10/10/2008
4. I FINALLY moved to Tennessee
5. In June, we spent a week in San Fransico and Palm Springs

We have so much to look forward to in this next year. I loved you yesterday, I will love you today, I will love you tomorrow and I will love you forever. Happy Annivesary Jim. I love you.

Samantha's 1st cold & Update

2008-12-08T18:05:00.007-05:00

Well we got through Samantha's first cold. She got sick when we got back from Chicago. She had gotten the cold that Jim and I had, poor girl. She never ran a fever so that was good, but she just sneezed and coughed a lot. Luckily, we didn't need to go anywhere so she was able to sleep it off. This morning she woke up to her normal cheerful self and was giving me a ton of smiles.

Morning Smiles

Samantha chillin' with us on the couch during the Bears game on Sunday

This is going to be a long week. Jim has his last week of classes for the semester which equals a ton of tests. He has one Thursday, Friday, next Monday and Tuesday. Which means Wednesday we leave to go back to Chicago!!!! I'm hoping Samantha has a very good week. These are the times where I wish we were back in Chicago to hang out with family to break up my day. We also find out on Friday where his 3rd and 4th year rotations will be. We are very anxious and excited for that!

Samantha's first trip to Chicago

2008-12-02T14:49:00.004-05:00

Samantha had her first road trip to Chicago and boy did she do good. We left on Tuesday morning. I had convinced Jim Monday night to skip class all day Tuesday rather than leaving Tuesday afternoon. So we left in the morning after Samantha ate. It took us about 9 hours and she slept most of those. We arrived at Jim's parents house becuase this is where we would be staying over Thanksgiving. Soon after we arrived my family met us there. We had a good night of visiting and Samantha being handed from one person to another. It was great to see everyone again. I knew it was going to be a very busy week because everyone wanted to see her, so I wanted to make sure she had a good night sleep.

We woke up Wednesday morning and went over to see Aunt Liz. This was the first time they had seen Samantha. We spent a couple hours over there and she was a very good girl. From there, mom, Julie and myself drove out to work so they could see her. We were there for quite some time and enjoyed seeing everyone again. Wednesday night, we took Samantha to see her first high school basketball game. She did so well.

Thursday was Thanksgiving. We went to church in the morning with Samantha and she loved it. It was mostly music and Samantha loves music. We had Thanksgiving at Jim's parents house and my family was there as well. It was a great way for everyone to meet Samantha. We had such a good time. Samantha slept for most of the day on Auntie Julie and Oma (my mom).

It was such a great weekend and we can't wait to get back up there for Christmas. Samantha will also be baptized when we go back up there and she will get to meet her Great Oma and Great Papa. It is going to be so exciting.

One month doctors appointment

2008-11-17T10:11:00.003-05:00

Samantha had her one month doctors appointment on Friday. Jim and I both went so Jim could meet the doctor and see where the office was. Her appointment went very well. She has grown a 1/4 of inch and has gained 2 lbs, so she is at 10 lbs even! I'm so happy to see that she is gaining weight and is growing! She was so good for the doctor and so good in the car to and from the doctor considering it's and hour and half drive. We scheduled her appointment for next month for her shots. I am not looking forward to those at all, but Jim will be coming with me once again.

On another note, Samantha has been sleeping through the night. She is going down between 10 and 11 and wakes up about 6. It has been great to get a long stretch of sleep!

Happy One Month

2008-11-12T10:25:00.005-05:00

To our baby girl

This month has been the most incridible month your dad and I have had. As we have been together, we keep saying life can't get much better, but yet your arrivial into our lives has made it once again that much better. You are loved by so many people. We love watching you grow each day and finding something new each day. This month there was some adjusting, but I think we have everything all under control now. You had colic in the beginning, but we brought you up to school and had Dr. Thompson work his "magic" on you. It took a couple of treatments, but you are now colic free. We have also changed your formula to soy, so now your systems are working so much better with out you working yourself into an uncontrolable cry.
You love to listen to music, dance, and you will even give us a smile here an there. You also love to have baths. You could sit in the water all day.
Samantha, we have learned so much from you in such a short time. We love you more than words could ever describe. We're so excited to see what this next month has in store for you.

Our Little Peanut has arrived

2008-11-04T12:52:00.006-05:00

Samantha Lynn Kowalczyk was born 10/10/2008 at 5:06 pm at Fort Sanders Hospital in Knoxville, TN. She was 8lbs 8oz and 21 1/2 inches. She is absolutely beautiful.

I had a doctors appointment on 10/9, and my blood pressure was really high, so they decided I was going to be induced on 10/10 and to be at the hosptial by 6 am. Jim and I drove home from the doctors office in complete shock they our little miracle was going to be coming the next day. As we called everyone, everyone was scrambling to figure out how they could get down to TN ASAP! Thursday night, Jim and I spent the night getting things ready for the hosptial and for "peanut" to come home. Plus I had some work that I had to finish!

Needless to say, we didn't get much sleep that night. We had to leave by 4:30 am to get to the hospital by 6. Our drive to the hosptial was nothing out of the oridnary. It was a beautiful morning, and we just talked about how at the end of the day our lives were going to be completely different and how we were looking forward to find out if it was a boy or a girl and to finally meet this little miracle.

We arrived at the hospital checked in and was brought to my labor and delivery room. I was already 2 cm dialated. I changed and was immediately hooked up to monitors and check my blood pressure and the baby's heart beat. Everything was good. Samantha however was very active that morning. She kept kicking the monitor off of me and the nurse was in all the time putting it back on. The doctor came in at 8 to break my water and they had then decided to attach the fetal monitor to the baby's head. What a wierd feeling to have your water broken. I felt like i was constantly peeing. It wasn't that "gush" that everyone talks about. They also hooked me up to Pitocin right away as well to get things moving. For about 2 hours I was having contractions every 2-3 minutes and my back started cramping up really bad. Jim was doing the best he could to help release the pain in my back but it was going away, so I decided to get the epidural. The anestologist came in and he was such a wonderful guy. I know Jim was very interested in what he was doing. The doctor asked him if he wanted to watch the procedure and Jim asked me if it was ok. I said yes and he was very pleased. Once the medicine kicked in, I was in Seventh Heaven. My doctor came in right around this time and I was at 5 cm, so I was progressing nicely.

Since I was feeling better, Jim continued studying for his test that he had on Monday. I was sleeping here and there, and I was on the phone with family as they were all on their way down. At about 1pm, the doctor came in and said I was fully dialated, but the baby wasn't in position yet. He said he would be back in a couple of hours and see where I was at that point. He came back at 3 and the baby still hadn't moved down so he said we were going to have to do a C-section. I really didn't want to do a c-section, so I had asked him if we could wait another hour to see if things had changed. He agreed since the baby was fine and so was I. Neither of us were in any danger.

At about 4 pm, Jim's parents had arrived at the hospital. We had caught them up on what was going on. At 4:15, the doctor came in and said that everything was still the same and that we were going to have to do the c-section. I was very afraid at this point as I had never had any type of surgery before. Things started to move very quickly at this point. Jim called my mom and dad as they were still on the road and explained everything to them. Pete and Debby were back in the room and Jim was telling them what was going on. At this point, Pete and Debby went into the waiting room and everything just started happening. The anasteologist came back in and started giving me more medicine to really numb me up. I was competely numb from my toes to my chest. What a wierd feeling that was. Once everything was done, they wheeled me down the hall into the OR. They made Jim wait outside until everything was ready. I wanted him next to me so bad, but i knew it wouldn't be long. They transferred me from one bed to the other, put the curtain up and there was a lot of other things going on. I was starting to freak out a bit and was asking when Jim was coming and then I heard his voice saying I coming and I'll be right there.

A few minutes later the doctor asked if I could feel anything and I said no, and he said good because I am starting to cut. A few mintues later, they told Jim to look over the curtain as they were pulling the baby out. I heard a cry and the doctor said Jim what do we have. Jim said, "WE have a little GIRL". I said, "what, a girl. No way. Everyone thought it was a boy." It was the greatest feeling in the world. Jim was sitting next to me with Samantha Lynn, so was beautiful and so peaceful. The nurses took Samantha from Jim as they were stiching me up so they could get all of her vitals and stuff like that. Once everything was done, they wheeled me back into my room and the nurse went and got Pete and Debby out of the waiting room. They came in and Jim was holding Samantha. We asked them what they thought it was and Debby shouted "BOY!!!", I said no...its a girl...meet Samantha Lynn. I then called my mom and dad since they were still driving. Mom answered the phone and I told her that we had a little girl. She was shocked b/c she was convinced it was a boy! I heard everyone screaming in the background. They were all so surprised! Once I got off the phone with my mom and dad, Jim came by me with Samantha. I didn't want to hold her yet because I was very shaky, plus I was still very numb and I didn't want to drop her.

As I was recovering, the nurses again took Samantha into the Nursery to get her all situated and then they brought me to the post partum room for my remainder of my stay. As I got situated in my room, they brought Samantha back to me and with that, My mom, dad and Jeff got to the hospital. What an incredible feeling to have everyone around us with her. Everyone stayed with us in the hospital until about midnight and then everyone left to go to the hotel and it was Jim, Samantha and myself for a little while until the nurses took Samantha back to the nursery for the night and Jim left to go to the hotel.

Samantha you are our little miracle baby. We found out we were pregnant with you at 20 weeks and you came to us at 38 weeks. You have been nothing but surprises from the beginning. Only God knows what other little surprises are in store for us. We can't wait to see what those surprises are. We love you so much.

Baby Shower

2008-09-18T15:01:00.008-04:00

This past weekend we had a baby shower. It was so much fun. Everyone put so much effort into it. It was a jungle theme...go figure right. All of the tables had a different jungle animal on them. My sister, Julie, made all of the placemats...each one was different whether it was a different picture or different saying. She did such a great job. We got so many wonderful gifts. We are so thankful for everyone who came and gave a gift.

Because we had so many gifts, we filled not only my Trail Blazer, but my parents Highlander. Dad was on vacation this week, so him and mom decided on a road trip. We all drove down on Sunday and then on Monday and Tuesday while Jim was in classes, mom and dad were able to help put things together and get Baby K's room all together!

We are so thankful that they were able to come down to help. With Jim having to big tests coming up and me well not being able to move so well, it helped us so much

Update

2008-08-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

I haven't updated since the 3 hour glucose test. I started off rough. It took them 7 times to find a vein to get blood. What a pain that was, but in the end, I passed it!!! Thank God! After the 2nd hour, I was back down to a normal blood sugar, so I am very happy. Everything else has been going well. Jim put the crib together a couple weeks ago and I LOVE it and love him for taking the 5 hours to put it together :) We should be receiving the dresser soon, and he is going to put that together as well.

I have been back to Chicago for a few weeks now. Getting things wrapped up with work before I head back to TN on 9/14. We are having a baby shower on 9/13. We are so excited! I am anxious to get back to TN to spend a few weeks with Jim before Baby K makes his/her grand entrance! Plus, I can't wait to get everything ready for the baby.

Ultrasound and Glucose Test and more

2008-08-06T11:36:00.006-04:00

Last week, Jim and I met my new doctor down here in TN. What a great guy he was! He spent about a 1/2 hour with us answering any questions we had. We also got to see this little miracle again. Here is Baby K at 28 weeks.

I also had my glucose test this past Monday, and I didn't pass it, so I have to go on Saturday for the 3 hour test. I have not heard many good things about this, but I am thinking positive. I am hoping that I pass this one.

I am leaving on Sunday to go back to Chicago for a month. We have our shower on Sept 13, and then Jim and I are driving back on Sept 14, and then I will be down here until Christmas :) We are preparing things for the baby. The crib should be arriving any day now and hopefully we can get it setup before I have to leave, if not, Jim will put it together by the time I get back.

Jim has started classes, and said that this year is going to be very busy! They start board reviews soon. Other than that, everything else is going well, and we are just waiting for the arrival of Baby K.

So Where Did Summer Go????

2008-07-27T08:36:00.005-04:00

That truly is the question. This by far has been one of the busiest, but most exciting summers I can remember. It all started with this little miracle that we have coming in October. Our family and friends couldn't be happier for us. We are having so much fun planning Baby K. We have registered, and we already bought the bedding. Then we had a great trip to San Fransico, and Palm Desert and spent some time with Jim's family out there. San Fran is such a cool city. We did a lot of sight seeing, and Baby K cooperated the whole time. We had some of Jim's friends come in from TN, and we kept them busy all weekend long. From going to the Cubs vs. White Sox, BTW, GO WHITE SOX!!!! To spending the whole day in downtown Chicago going to the Sears Tower, Millenium Park, Shopping down Michigan Ave, Gino's East for pizza, and then meeting my sister and brother at Navy Pier for fireworks. That was just June. July was just as busy. From my cousin Lisa's wedding, to NASCAR weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. I can't believe summer has come to an end and that Jim starts classes again on August 4 as an OMS-II!

We have so much to look forward to for the rest of this year. Jim starts his second year, a baby shower in September, Baby K arriving in October, and finding out where Jim will be doing his 3rd and 4th year rotations. With all this, Jim and I will be together everyday from September to the end of the year. This is going to be so much fun and another adventure Jim and I will do together.

Ultrasound #2

2008-06-15T18:10:00.002-04:00

So we had our second ultrasound on Friday. We have a very active and healthy baby. We opted not to find out what the sex of the baby was. My due date did not change, so we should be expectng Baby K around October 19! We got some really good ultrasound pictures of the baby, and Jim was able to be with me the whole time. We are so thankful that Baby K is doing well. I am still feeling good. I have been walking around a lot more because I am really tired of sitting inside after I come home all the time, plus I want to stay moving around.

This weekend I spent the day with my mom and my sister. We went out and bought some clothes since this belly of mine is getting bigger by the day. So we found some pants and some shirts that will last me for a while (I hope).

This Tuesday, Jim and I are leaving for California for our last vacation before the baby comes. We are going to San Fran. and Palm Springs. We are so excited to go to Palm Springs, because we will be telling Jim's grandma she is going to be a great grandma! It will be a fun time for Jim and I, plus we are going to have a good time with family as well.

Pregnant!!!!!

2008-06-06T09:04:00.004-04:00

Well today has been a very interesting day. I had a doctors appointment with Dr. Williamson this afternoon as a follow up to my appointment in January. In January I was diagnosed with PCOS (poly-cystic ovarian syndrome). With this, Dr. told me that I would have a hard time getting pregnant, so he put me on medication that would help if I were to get pregnant. Well like 2 days later, I was pregnant (according to the conception date), so we are figuring that this medication help me continue to stay pregnant. So I am now 5 months pregnant and my estimated due date is October 19! I know this sounds wierd that I didn't know I was pregnant, but with my past history, and being stressed during tax season, it wasn't wierd that I was getting my period. I didn't have any morning sickness or any other symptoms. So today I was going to talk to Dr. just to ask question and find out what the next step would be, and to our surprise, the pregnancy test came back postive!!!! At this point we were excited but yet nervous all at the same time b/c we didn't know how far along i was. I ha ven't gain much weight, but the baby is healthy. We had an ultrasound done and all the measurements came in fine. We are very excited.

Baby K at 20.5 weeks!

Updates

2008-05-18T12:38:00.006-04:00

So a lot has been going on since the last post. Tax season is complete. I didn't get to see Jim to much, but we are together now, so that is good. Jim has only a week left of his first year....can you believe it...I can't. Last weekend we had the 1st annual DCOM Spring Gala. We had a lot of fun. It was held at the Hilton in Knoxville. Jim and I decided to get a room at the hotel for the night, so that was nice as well. The Gala was nice. They also had a Casino held at the same time. Each student/guest received $25,000 in fake money to use, at the end of the night the money was turned into tickets for raffle prizes. Things that were up for raffle were a Kroger gift card, a Mars chocolate basket, purse, overnight bag, and the big prize was a 52 plasma TV. That is were all of our tickets went to.

Jim and I have schedule a vacation to San Fransico for the summer. We are going in June for a week...it will be a lot of fun to get away by ourselves. We are also meeting a student that is going to part part of DCOM 2012, so that will be fun. Then we are going to Palm Springs to spend some time with Jim's grandma and Uncle.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2007-12-11T13:48:00.000-05:00

HAPPY 3RD ANNIVERSARY JIM

THESE PAST 3 YEARS HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH WONDERFUL MEMORIES. I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED IN 3 YEARS. WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST HOUSE, WE ARE SELLING OUR FIRST HOUSE, WE HAVE MOVED TO TENNESSEE, AND BEST OF ALL, YOU ARE ALMOST DONE WITH YOUR FIRST YEAR OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR US FOR THE NEXT YEAR. I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORDS CAN SAY!

LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Wedding Party

Recption Hall

My Sister and Brother

FINALLY !?!?!

2007-11-29T13:30:00.000-05:00

Well, I think it is offical. I think i am going to be moved to Tenn by this weekend! I just have to get through 2 more partners here at work, and I think then we are good to go! We are hosting a Christmakkah party this coming Wednesday! I am so excited to be able to be down there for this. We are going to have a great time. We are catering food from Portillo's, since no one has ever had it before. It is going to be tasty!!!

On other news, Jim is coming to the end of his first semester for medical school! Can you belive it? I can't. He has done so well so far. He just needs to get through 2 more sets of exams. WE are goign to be putting up our Christmas stuff this weekend at the house. Christmas is my favorite time of the year.

MOVED IN

2007-11-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of. I am still in Chicago, and Jim is in TN. We moved into the new house in Harrogate, what a trip that was. Dad and I drove the truck down on Thursday, Nov 1. we get down there walk into the house and there was crap all over the place. The contractor who was doing work on the house never cleaned anything up. Jim call the landlord and asked him what was going on. Needless to say, we couldn't start unpacking the truck like was orginally planned. So we drove back to the other house in LaFollette that night. Friday, the contractor was supposed to show up at 8am...he didn't. Dad and I started cleaning the house with the cleaning supplies I could get that was in the front of the truck. As this was going on, DirectTV came to install our cable. Pest control came to take care of the mouse problem (yes, mice!), and a cleaning crew came in later in the day to clean what I was NOT going to clean. Friday afternoon we were able to finally start emptying the truck. Jim had a couple of buddies come and unload the big stuff. So Friday and Saturday were very busy days trying to get the house in order because Sunday, dad and I were flying back to Chicago. Here are a few pictures of the house.

Kitchen

Front of house

dining room

our bedroom

guest bedroom/office

MOVING!!!

2007-10-11T11:02:00.001-04:00

It is official, I am moving down to TN November 1! The condo still hasn't sold yet, but this long distance crap is for the birds. We are moving into a house that is 2 miles from the school. Now Jim won't have an hour drive everyday to and from school everyday. We will be able to spend more time together as well. This could not have worked out more perfectly. I got the final ok from work last week that I will be working remotely from TN and travel back up to Chicago once a month. Also, the house that we are currently renting the lady who owns it sold it last weekend, so we had to move out anyways. We have been planning on moving out of there for the last few weeks.

Jim took his second round of test last week and did very well on them. He was anywhere from 2 to 13 points higher then the average of the class. He is really in his element and is working very hard. He is also a student ambassordor, so twice during the year, he will be able to take interviewees around campus and tell them about the school. He is really excited for that!

Next weekend, my parents, Jim's parents and myself are traveling down to DCOM for Jim's white coat ceremony. We are so excited for that. I will update after that and explain and hopefully post some pictures.

Well that is it for now. Jim should be updating everyone on how is progress is going.

Pass First Set of Tests....Check‏

2007-09-12T10:55:00.000-04:00

Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since my last email update, but life was going crazy for awhile. We just finished up our first round of tests and everything went really well. I passed everything and did pretty well. My lowest grade was in Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM) and I got an 83 on the written exam (I took the lab portion today and got only one thing wrong, so that is nice too because my overall grade should increase to close to 90). My other subjects was an 85 or better, which I am very thankful for. In each written section, I got about 10 points above the class average and I was about 15 points above average for the anatomy lab portion. Thankfully, I did well in everything and put myself in a really good starting position for school, and although we have not received any official yet (I will at the end of the semester I believe), I think I have put myself in the top 25% or so of the class. I really can't ask for more than that. But I have learned a good lesson though over the last few days though. You see, last weekend did not consist of any studying at all. Before you fall over in disbelief, every other student did the same thing, and the school encouraged it as well (I'll get to that in a minute). The week leading up to the exam was insane with the amount of studying that was being done. But after a test, the brain just needs a nice rest. I went golfing on Saturday in Kentucky (I shot an 83, with a few mulligans) and watched the race. Then came Sunday and a school-sponsored event......white water rafting. This was something school has been planning since interviews, so everyone was pretty excited. I was excited too, but also a little nervous because I swim about as good as.....a dog with vest full of rocks. It isn't pretty, but it works. But let me tell you, that is one of the most fun things I have ever done. My group had such a good time and I didn't get thrown out of the boat. Well, I would have had I not fallen into another guy a knocked him in. We went over a fall sideways and 3 of the 6 people in the boat fell out, but not me. I can't wait to do it again. But my lesson learned is this: Getting back into the routine of studying is really difficult after having a weekend off. I am grateful I realized this now rather than months from now, but thankfully I am not the only student who has experienced this phenomenon. Every student has been dragging this week, but we all know it can't last long either. I am super excited about this weekend though (what a transition from the last paragraph - oh well). I am going back to Chicago for the weekend. I can't wait to see everyone and experience traffic again. It is going to be so weird seeing a traffic light because I don't have a single one in my 30 mile drive to school. Anyway, I am SO excited to see Jennifer, my parents, Alec, Jen's parents and siblings, and the dogs (Ernie and Reese). It is hard to believe I've been in TN for 2 months now. I am golfing Saturday morning in Jen's dad's annual event, and will be going to Alec's football game in the afternoon. It is going to be an awesome weekend and I can't wait for it to be here. And yes, I will be doing some studying, mostly on the airplane, but at least it is something. I also will be practicing some OMM on whoever wants to volunteer to be my testing dummy. So if you want a nice back massage, relief from some chest congestion, or relief from a headache, I might be able to help you out. I need the practice, so the more the merrier - seriously. If you don't, or can't, hit me up this weekend, that is fine, but take advantage during Thanksgiving because I will know a lot more techniques. So please ask me, and if I can't help, I'll let you know. After receiving a treatment, then you will start understanding the difference between an MD and a DO. Yes, we do learn everything an MD does and we do prescribe medication, but we also learn these OMM techniques and they are pretty sweet. Another point of good news is that Jennifer is going to be able to work from home with the company she is working at now. This will make our lives so much easier and we are very grateful that she has been given this opportunity with her work. We will probably end up moving closer to school as well, so that is going to be real nice. Well, that is about all I have for you guys. I try not to make these too long, but it is really difficult. I think about all of you a lot and can't wait to see all of you soon. As for now, Go Cubbies and Go Bears!!!

I am missing you...

2007-08-13T14:34:00.000-04:00

So being up in Chicago all by myself really stinks. I have family around, and I have been enjoying the time with them, but I really miss Jim. I just wish our condo would sell, and I could move down to Tennessee and be with Jim. I just know I would be able to support him more down there. Well I will be there again in a couple of weeks.

On another note, Jim made it through his first week of classes. A bit overwhelming at first, but he is doing well. He had his first quiz last week and got 4 out of 4. WAY TO GO!!! He is really enjoying his time down there. He has met some amazing people, and he is really enjoying his schooling so far.

And it begins....

2007-08-10T16:02:00.000-04:00

well, the first week of medical school has come and gone. Jim started his first week of medical school. He absolutly loves it. I just wish i could be down in TN with him supporting him a bit better. He has met some wonderful people, and is studying like he never has before. I am so proud of him. He is finally doing what he has always wanted to do. He is very happy with his decision. Below is an update that he sent out in the beginning of this week.

Hello everyone, Well, I finished my orientation at school and had my first medical school lecture - WOW. This is going to be one unique experience. I will be taking 27.5 credit hours this semester. Yes, that is one year's worth of undergraduate education crammed into one semester! Ouch. Our first lecture was, of course, anatomy and all I can say is that we are going to be learning a lot in a very short period of time. I mean a lot. I can't help but agree with an analogy my anatomy prof told me about medical school - it is like trying to take a drink from a fire hose. I am so glad I have anatomy experience. I really feel for those who don't. Tomorrow (Monday) will be my first full day of classes and this week is my first full week, so there is going to be a huge adjustment for me within the next couple of weeks. But I am looking forward to all of this madness (at least for now) and I can't believe that by the end of August I will be learning to take patient histories, and by the end of September, be using all those tools you see in the doctor's office. It is really cool though. It is all starting to become a reality now. Jennifer made it back home safely today after being out here for a little over a week. I can't say how awesome it was to have her here for a little while. I really missed her and having her here helped me tremendously. We both have met a lot of people over the last few days. We have made some really good friends already and I am very grateful for that. Jennifer even went shopping with one of the other wives (go figure). We have just been the social butterflies for the last week, going to many social functions through school and going to other students' houses. It is amazing because all of us students, professors, and spouses have come together so well so quickly. As I have said before, we are going to, and already have, an amazing class and I look forward to the next four years learning with them, and having them as colleagues in the future. I am so glad I chose this school. I know, without a doubt in my mind, that I made the right decision to come here. Yeah, the first few days were a little difficult, but I am all better now and am really liking it here. Absolutely no regrets - none. I finally have seen the inside of the school and let me tell you it is unbelievable!!! There was no stone unturned when it came to designing this place. Our anatomy lab has the most technology of probably any medical school in the United States. It is like the Jetsons (minus the flying cars). We have about 15 plasma TVs all over the room, video recorded lectures, and a robotic camera. The camera can be moved to any cadaver in the lab and the prof can set it up over a region of the cadaver and broadcast the image to the TVs so we can all see what he is pointing out rather than trying to look over 75 shoulders. It is truly remarkable. Our lecture halls and OMM lab is state-of-the-art as well. I will try to take pictures at some point so y'all can see what I am talking about. I also will never have to carry notebooks again due to the tablet, laptop computers we received from the school. This computer, quite frankly, is one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Instead of writing on a separate sheet of paper, or printing out pages of PowerPoint presentations, I can write directly on my computer using the stylus pen. It is amazing. It is very similar to the pads y'all sign your name on when using a credit card at Home Depot, Target, etc., only a ton better. There is barely any delay and the writing looks exactly as if you wrote it using a pen. It is so freaking cool. The pen can also do everything the mouse can do, so I literally never have to "open" my laptop, but just turn it on and I am ready to go. I would recommend this to anyone starting college because it cuts down on all that stuff you have to carry. There is also programs we have that can do all kinds of fancy things that I have no idea how to do. Luckily, I don't need to know that so much. We even have anatomy software that does some of the most amazing things I have ever seen. It would take too long to type out and explain, so I will just have to show you all when I see you next. Also, I switched cell phone companies (I'm with Sprint now), BUT MY NUMBER IS STILL THE SAME 708-567-2174. I hope this email finds all of you in good health and spirit. I am definitely ready for this wild ride and I know I have the support of each and everyone of you. Thank you. I miss you all and look forward to seeing you soon. Until then...God Bless you all.

I am going to continue to update on a daily/weekly basis. Please pray that I can get down there soon. I pray everyday that our condo sells, and i can move down there.