May was a busy month for us. After all the celebrating for Mia with her turning 1, we flew out to Iowa at the end of the month to attend Brad's medical school graduation from Des Moines University. Mia did fairly well on the flights and was able to sleep some and play a little and rarely cried. When we got there it felt so surreal to be back...to see all the places we had been and the city we had been in for 3 very challenging years of our lives. We went back and saw our next door neighbors, who are awesome, and saw the first home we ever bought. Didn't feel like ours not even a little anymore. I still remember the night we left- we had been packing and cleaning all day long, with the help of friends, and we continued into the night. Finally it was time to decide do we sleep here or just get on the road and see if we can drive in the night while Mia sleeps? I remember quickly showering, eating a peanut butter sandwich, and loading up in the car around midnight. All these little memories came flooding back as we saw our old house. I don't miss it, is the truth. It was an experience I'm glad we had and I'm thrilled is over. I try not to dwell on the past in general, anyway.
We also hit up many of our favorite places to eat...grabbing a favorite pasta salad at Palmers and the best pastries at La Mie and of course pizza at Fongs. We did end up liking the food in Iowa, especially compared to some of the other places we've lived. Anyway, we had quite the crowd there to cheer Brad on, we felt so blessed. Both his and my parents were there as well as Kathy who drove all the way from Pennsylvania. She's a super star, no doubt. Brad looked dashing in his robes, I must say. Just absolutely dashing. Since Brad's Dad is also a doctor he got to go up on stage and put the hood on Brad's shoulders. The moment when Brad turned and embraced his father is one I'll never forget. It represented so much and it brings many emotions to the surface, even now. Mom and I had gone shopping before we left and she helped me pick out such a beautiful outfit for me to wear to graduation. I felt really pretty and was glad I dressed up- everyone was very dressy! We are blessed to have an amazing family :) Mia was pretty good during the ceremony...haha in the beginning we were there early and I was letting her run around to get some energy out and she got away all the way to the front and just about ripped the whole satin curtain thing that goes around the stage off. Let me tell you, it was close. I was running. Little stinker :) Then at the end she was pretty well done with the day having missed her naps and being in a different time zone etc so she missed the part where they called Brad's name but that's ok. We got a lot of pictures before and after. It was awesome to see Brad's classmates that we had grown close to over the years. They all loved seeing Mia and how big she's gotten.
On the flight home Brad was really put to the test. We were in Denver and were leaving our row on the plane. Suddenly behind us I hear a THUD! I'm thinking oh great someone's luggage just fell. No, it was actually a woman who had been standing and then suddenly fell straight back and the thud was her head hitting the isle floor. This was maybe 2 rows back. The stewardess, bless her heart, panicked pretty badly. I can't say she was very calm as she started frantically yelling, IS THERE A DOCTOR ON THE PLANE?!?!?!?!?! Brad and his Dad both stand up to try to see what's going on and then there's Mother who is yelling, pointing at Brad, He's a doctor!! MY SON is a DOCTOR! lol. It still makes me laugh even now. Proud Mama :) As she's pointing at Brad, who is trying to make his way to the woman who is still on the ground, the stewardess is asking him all sorts of questions and trying, we later realized, to make sure he was a medical doctor. Apparently persons who hold doctorates in areas other than medicine sometimes step forward to help. LOL. Really?! Sorry, but that would so not be me. If I had a PhD in ancient Greek literature I would be heading in the opposite direction but whatever, that's just me. Brad was able to assess the passenger as his parents had to run run run to catch their connection. They barely made it, but luckily we were on a different flight and had some extra time. I was really proud of Brad and how he handled the situation- not only with the woman that fell but also in calming the other passengers, her husband, and the frantic stewardess.
After graduation we came back to Oregon and began packing and enjoying the last few weeks we had at home. I can't necessarily remember specific things we did but I know we saw a lot of family and friends and simply enjoyed being together as a family. Amelia adores her Daddy and getting all that extra one-on-one time with him was priceless.
Now we are in Washington and have been getting into the swing of things. It's a completely different life up here now that Brad is in Residency. Luckily, we have an amazing church ward and many of the families in the ward live quite close to us. They're a tight knit group who has welcomed us in with open arms. We arrived during cherry season so we have been throughly enjoying the bounty of Rainier and Bing and Van cherries- Brad's favorite fruit. Blueberries and apricots are coming on now and we're excited since blueberries are my favorite and apricots are Mia's. It has been hot here- around 100 each day and it's only going to get warmer. That part has been a challenge since I don't want Mia to get too hot out there. We finally set up this darling little blow-up pool I bought online for her when she was like 1 month old haha. It has a little mushroom canopy, it's so stinking cute. So we've been playing indoors a lot lately. I am hoping we can make it over to western Washington soon where it's much cooler and we can enjoy the ocean & visit friends.
Brad is doing well in Residency and has already taken several exams. It's a month of orientation and then on July 27th he starts inpatient pediatrics which is supposedly the most challenging rotation. It will be 16 hour days, 12 days straight, then 2 days off, then another 12 on. After 4 weeks of that he will change to a new service, I can't remember what's next. Something where we see him I hope! We are getting to know the other residents in his group (there are 10 of them total) and one even has a little girl Mia's age. They played well together when we were at a park function put on by the program so I'm excited to get together with them sometime.
Mia cracks me up. Each day I learn something new about her. The girl is so stinking smart and I am quickly realizing I cannot take that sweet little look and grin for innocence or not understanding haha. Like yesterday, I was in the kitchen and I realized the cushion on the kitchen chair was all wet. I said to Mia, look! I wonder how this got wet. Hmmm. Well, we'll just have to wait for it to dry!" I just kind of talk to her a lot like that...just say whatever's going on otherwise there would be a lot of silence around here haha. Well what does she do? Walks right out of the kitchen, goes and finds her sippy cup, and brings it back, holding it out to me as if to say, No, Mom, really, you have this all wrong- it was the cup that made it all wet! I never said cup. I never said anything to directly make her think about the cup and the water and the seat getting wet. So smart. Then later I was doing the dishes and started singing a song from one of her books. It isn't her favorite so we rarely read it, I think I have read it to her once and Brad said later he has maybe 3 times. Well anyway I was singing the song from it and boom she takes off and goes to her room, somehow finds that book amongst the 30+ books she has and brings it to me. How did she do that?! I love this girl!
She has also grown emotionally....empathy is now something she is beginning to understand. A few days ago I bent down to grab something from the lazy susan and hit my trachea on the corner- hard. Hard enough that I cried. I was holding my neck and crying and Brad was trying to help me. I didn't want to upset Mia so I walked back to our bedroom, shut the door, and went and sat down to have a minute to get over it. Mia went and got Brad, held her hands on her neck and pointed at my door and was extremely concerned about me. I let her come to me and showed her I was okay and then she was fine but it was just incredible to watch her and the emotions on her face.
She also has started to throw some tantrums when she doesn't get her way or she gets in trouble. She's quite sensitive haha. Like yesterday (she has 4 teeth coming in all at once) she started to chew the wooden arm rest on the couch. I said from across the room, Mia, no-no, don't chew the wood please. lol. Oh my heavens. Eruption of crying and a look of feelings being oh so hurt. She stomped her little foot and real crocodile tears streamed down her face. I'm like???? So I pick her up and give her loves and just tell her that's not okay to chew the wood. It took almost 30 minutes to calm her back down again. A few days ago I caught her trying to climb into the dryer- which is up on a stand by the way! Well she didn't love me getting her down so there were tears over that as well. I kind of feel like maybe it's a stage but I also think she's still transitioning to living here. We are a little cooped up with it being so hot and our yard, front or back, has zero shade so I'm going to work on that.
Other than that, things are good. I wasn't feeling very well when we first moved here but I'm much better now so it's nice to have that behind us. We are hoping to meet with the adoption case worker for this area in the next couple of months. Eeek! Kind of exciting :) Who knows, with all the recent changes, what will happen, but we at least wanted to meet him and find out what the situation is.
OK, here are a few pictures!!!!
Blueberry picking- Mia mostly eating them!
Mia & Daddy reading books before bed. After we moved we had a few days before residency started so we took a trip down to the Gorge and stayed in a remote little cabin in the woods. It was awesome to get away from technology and just relax
Mia's face haha. It was really bright and the photographer was doing something silly trying to make her laugh but she was just like, what in the world woman... lol
Studs!
For graduation, everyone pitched in and got Brad and I a really nice weighted keyboard. It has a stand and can do so many amazing things. Next up: piano lessons for Mia and I!
It was really bright out...and doesn't Brad just look dashing?!
I included this one- that's the curtain I was saying she just about pulled down.
Our friends the Ferris' passed through and the girls had a ton of fun. We are having more friends over tonight as well actually. I love having company over!
DeKorte & Ferris's. A short but wonderful visit!
Brad's brother graduated from firefighter school and he was able to go up and attend the graduation ceremony. I was sad Mia and I didn't get to go but Brad went and represented us :) We are super proud of Drew! Love you brother!
Thanks for posting. Miss you guys!!
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