HID's World....A FRIENDSHIP BLOG

Back in the good ol' midwest

2008-10-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

Our nomadic clan has ventured back to the midwest from Florida...for now anyway. John has 2 rotations, so we are staying in STL. I am able to work, which is a great feeling! Gma Cathy, Gpa Walt, and Aunt Karen have been helping us with Gavin so that I can work in the evenings if John is stuck at the hospital.

I've been enjoying the familiar things from home. Gus's Pretzels, White Castle, Frances Pizza, and hamburger horseshoes. It is neat to see the leaves turning colors again and to feel that cool, crisp air in the morning. We should be getting out of here just in time....before it gets too cold. Poor Gav has never had to endure a midwest winter! It seems like this may be the last time we get to be in warm weather during the winter months. John should wrap up school in the spring and we'll settle down close to home. It all depends on that residency placement though. It is a stressful time for him.

Sunshine is my therapy

2008-08-26T17:08:00.000-07:00

It is so nice to have sun again. Today we took 2 walks and a long afternoon swim. By the time dinner rolled around, it was thundering again and the storm was coming in. John got home a little earlier than usual, so we all got to go to the pool. It was fun- Gavin loves jumping in from the side now into his daddy's arms. I swear, he is a little fish. He loves the water. It was a nice distraction for him today because he has another tooth coming in and it has been bothering him. Poor guy- that has to be so painful. He drools like crazy and just isn't himself.

So, my dumb moment of the day. During our walk, I passed two teenage boys. I realized that one of them was the son of one of our friends here. I asked how he was- he said he was getting ready to go to New York. I said, "ooh, I bet you will enjoy that wedder." I meant to say "weather", but I couldn't say it. I tried again and it still came out wedder. I don't know what happened to my speech skills. They both laughed and I did to, but I still don't know what that was all about.

Go away Ms. Fay

2008-08-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

I thought our experience with hurricanes was left behind with our days on Cayman. But I was wrong. Tropical Storm Fay came in and lingered over us for days. I don't mind a rainy day here and there, but this was another instance of rain for days on end. Having grown up in the Midwest, I thought the course of hurricanes was different. I figured that a big storm came through and then everything settled back down. But, these storms come in with a vengeance and then what follows is rain, flooding, wind, tornadoes, etc... for days and days. I know myself enough to know that I could not live somewhere like Seattle that sees a lot of rain and cloudy days.

Once the winds settled down, Gav and I went outside and played like fools in the rain. We had so much fun. Splashed in the puddles and got drenched in the downpour. Today the sun was shining for awhile. It was the greatest feeling ever to not have to have lights on during the day and to get out for our morning walk (and not get soaked).

PCB

2008-06-24T16:30:00.000-07:00

Aunt Sarah left today after staying with us for the past 12 days. She is such a cool girl and we are lucky to have her in the family. But, before I post about Sarah's awesomeness, I gotta talk about our trip to Panama City Beach. This past week we drove to Panama City for a 4 day "getaway" from Orlando. Sarah's family was staying there for a week, so we decided to head north for a little vacay. We had such high hopes of having fun. The beach, 2 big pools at the hotel, other little kids for Gav to play with, and a one bedroom condo with a kitchen! WE didn't realize, however, that we were in for it. Everything went wrong! We arrived on Monday afternoon after a 6 hour drive and went straight to the pool. By the time we checked into our room, unpacked, got Gavin situated, and ate dinner we were exhausted. We noticed that our room seemed a bit "dated", but we were too tired to care.

The next morning we realized that our room was awful. I opened the sliding glass door to our balcony and then it would not close. Sat down in the recliner and then it wouldn't un-recline. Pulled out the pull-out couch, sat down and got STUCK in the mattress/frame and couldn't get up. It left a permanent butt print. Pulled a cabinet door off in the kitchen. Everything we touched broke! The furniture was yuck and way old. Luckily we were able to change to a much better room that day. Oh, and had the neighbor from hell. A drunken mom who locked her own children out of the room and passed out- so they banged on the door forEVER trying to get in. I almost beat her up. Was so annoyed.

Next day Gavin's eyes were swollen shut and it looked like pink eye. Luckily Sarah's cousin is a doc and we were able to get meds asap. That night bad storms came through and tornadoes hit down on parts of the beach. The next day we were trying to be optimistic as we took our morning stroll. We noticed birds on the lawn and pointed them out to Gavin. Then we noticed they were eating piles of bright red puke...obviously from someone who had a little too much to drink. We were in the Redneck Riviera. Not sure what has happened to PCB, but the "clientele" has deteriorated. Tattoos, piercings, mullets, cigarettes, and trashiness in general swamped the place. Luckily I was with Sarah, who is one of the funniest people in the world. We were able to laugh it all off and now have good stories to share at family events. BUT....it was not quite what we were hoping for.

Gavin did pretty well on the beach, although he still tries to rub his eyes with sand on his hands. He loved watching the ocean waves. It mesmerized him.

Hi Zoe!

2008-06-04T15:53:00.001-07:00

We're back in Florida after a long vacay in the midwest. Gav and I spent a couple weeks back home visiting everyone. Sadly, while we were there, Grandma Ann Paruch passed away after living more than 90 years. We miss her and it will be difficult to adjust to family get-togethers without her being with us.

John is in his final month of being a north-easterner. We really miss him and I am counting down the days until we are all together again. My mom is here with us now and is the biggest life saver EVER. Gav and I got sick the day before we flew back and poor mom has been spending her vacation taking care of us! But, there is no one better to be around when you are sick than your mama.

Gma Jo to the rescue!

2008-04-28T17:06:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for Grandma Jo. As soon as she heard that Gav and I would be on our own for awhile, she booked her flight to Florida to come stay with us. She came two days after John had to leave and the timing was perfect. We were sad- missing daddy and not knowing what to do with ourselves! She lifted our spirits and we had a lot of fun.

Ms. Florida

2008-04-03T16:54:00.000-07:00

Do you like our hats? Karen bought these for us at the Cards game.

I am a professional tourist in the land of Florida. After several weeks of visitors, I think I am a seasoned veteran of Disney and such. Karen and Jordan (who are now happily engaged to be married) spent a week with us and we had a lot of fun. Went to a game in Jupiter and also spent a day at Sea World. We took Jordan to the Cubs restaurant here (Kerri, you would love it). Jordan treated us to dinner and it was great.....how couldn't it be? It started out with huge long island iced teas as the drink special!

My favorite part of their trip was when Karen asked me to be her matron of honor. I am SO honored and excited about it.

The Godfather's Visit

2008-03-06T04:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't been able to blog too much in the last couple weeks. Been too busy being a "tourist". Uncle Dennis (who is also Gavin's godfather) has been visiting and we have been on the GO. We spent a day at Sea World, which was a total blast. Thanks to the free tickets he got from his good friend we were able to do it ALL. The shows were amazing. Watching Shamu was cool....it is amazing that killer whales can swim in the same tank with human beings. Those things are huge. My favorite part of the day was the dolphin show. Totally spectacular. We also stopped by the Anheuser Busch section and received free beer. We also ate lunch at their cafe, which was really yummy. Who could ask for a better day?

Fuh-reaky Friday

2008-02-22T17:40:00.000-08:00

What a day. I never understood how stay-at-home moms would say that they need a vacation. I sooooo understand it now. Had to take Sasha today to be groomed, which is such a treat trying to do by myself with the babe. Chaos, let me tell you. Sasha does not like going, so i have to pretty much drag her in. Today she was very resistant to leaving us. And, Gavin was trying to get out of the cart to play with Sasha and did not understand why he couldn't. I finally got her dropped off, the forms signed, and Gavin back into his car seat. As I pull away I notice the lady next to me is still sitting in her car from when we got there and the hood is open. I asked if she was okay, she said yes, that her husband was on the way b/c her car wouldn't start. I offered my jumper cables, she was very grateful and accepted. Her car still wouldn't start even with the cables, so I called my dad to ask how long it should take for the car to start up. He gave me a quick, direct answer (thanks dad). The battery was definitely dead and not "jumping" to the occasion. She thanked me 3 times saying that no one else stopped to offer her help and it was very nice of me to do so with a baby.
So then we went to Walmart and the lines were so long. Helloo....can't you open a few more lanes? There are like 30 lanes at Walmart and only THREE of them open. Gavin started crying in the line and this older lady kept giving me dirty looks. It took forever and finally we came home. I had to drag in soda, milk, dog food, and bags of groceries and a crying baby. As soon as we get everything inside it was time to go BACK to Petsmart to get Sasha. They were running late and she wasn't ready yet. Gavin was already 20 minutes past his nap time by the time we got there. To keep him occupied we walked around and looked at the fish and the birds. Finally she was finished.

This is where it gets funny. Sasha came running toward me when they opened the little gate to let her out. She looked more than ready to get out of there. She jumped up on me and slimed my face. Her saliva went everywhere and it got all over my glasses. They were all smeared and i couldn't see! As i tried to wipe them off she jumped again, this time scratching the back of my leg behind my knee. It hurt SOOOO bad. She had just had her nails trimmed and there was a jagged edge on one of them. I looked at the back of my leg and there was a huge scratch and it was bleeding down the back of my leg. I tried to grab my receipt, get Sasha under control, put my purse back on my shoulder, secure my keys, and get the cart with Gavin in it out of the door to the grooming department. As i finally get us all out there was a lady walking toward us with one of those bloodhound dogs that howl. It started howling, so Sasha tried to lunge towards it. My purse fell off my shoulder again and Gavin tried to climb out of the cart to see the dog. He was laughing at the funny sounds the dog was making and Sasha started jumping up and down. My glasses were so smeared on one side that I cannot see out of my left eye. I noticed i was limping because my leg hurt so bad where she scratched me. And it was so bright outside that Gavin and I were squinting. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I decided to laugh, mostly because when I cry I get a headache and feel worse. Craziness.

Excuse my departure...

2008-02-17T15:43:00.000-08:00

I have been busy working on final papers for my two online courses. The first one was fairly easy as it only had to be 12-15 pages. The second one however, had to be twenty five pages long. And that is just the body of the paper. Yes, I have been whining about this for weeks now, but for some reason my heart has just not been into studying this semester. Not sure why, but I have dreaded the completion of each weekly assignment. Maybe it is because we've been sick a lot during the past several weeks and my energy level has been low. Oh, well....this is my last week and two more courses bite the dust!

How is everyone? Did you have a nice Valentine's Day? We did. John got me a g/c to get a pedicure and manicure at a place nearby I like. I could not be happier! What a treat! We ate dinner at Amigo's- one of John's favorite places here to get fajitas.

More to come. I'm tired and do not want to look at the computer screen anymore tonight.

Salad Crisis

2008-02-06T17:36:00.001-08:00

Awhile back I mentioned that I am a big fan of Wishbone's Western French dressing. Like Vernor's ginger ale, my father-in-law got me hooked on this stuff. Even though I enjoy a variety of different types of foods, I have my favorites, or my "standbys" if you will. (I love when people end a statement with "if you will....") If I will what? Anyway, except for Hidden Valley ranch, I crave and desire the western french flavor on my salads. Well, I couldn't find it at Super Target last week. I didn't think much of it, but now I haven't been able to find it at Winn Dixie or Walmart either. This is getting serious. What if they stopped making it? The makers of this french dressing (Wishbone) also markets a sister product... called Russian dressing, which is okay, but it is NOT the same as the Western. I finally had to cave and get something else. I tried Catalina's sweet honey french or something like that. I just haven't been feeling the same passion for my salad. Why can't they discontinue something else? Like the bacon ranch dressing- can't people just use regular ranch dressing and then top their greens with bacon bits? And, that orange-ish looking french dressing that some companies sell won't do either. It has to be red in color, not orange. Come on Wishbone, bring back the Western. I think I may investigate this further and possibly contact the company. This is not good.

No Standees Permitted

2008-02-05T08:29:00.001-08:00

For those of you who rode a bus to school everyday, do you remember the words, "no standees permitted"? I recall looking at these words everyday wondering what in the world a "standee" was. Why didn't it just say, "No standing permitted". Never got that. Wonder if it is still written on the front of school buses.

Speaking of standing, Gavin is now upright. He is pulling himself up to a standing position any second he gets. He has learned how to plop down somewhat gently, but still is taking some rough tumbles at times. He is really proud of his new ability to see the world from a different, or higher, perspective.

They are testing the fire alarms today. It sure does take them a long time to see if the fire alarms are working properly....

Christmas all over again

2008-01-30T16:53:00.000-08:00

Today we received a package in the mail from Grandma Karen and Grandpa Larry. It was FILLED (and I mean filled) with new clothes for Gav! Seven new pairs of pajamas, a few new outfits, new washcloths and a big boy bath towel! Oh and a super cute new bib. It was like Christmas again a month later. Thanks mom and dad! Oh, and I knew how to use the special key that was in the mailbox. I didn't make a fool out of myself again....

Not much else going on this week. I've been busy working on the two final papers for my classes. I submitted one today for my ethics classes. I wrote about the ethical obligation psychologists have to warn/protect their clients and third parties. Very exciting stuff. Now I need to finish up the other paper. 25 pages of just text is required. I am writing a short novel and I am also certain that the professor will not read everyone's paper. Oh, well...it keeps me up to date with the latest research.

And my random thought of the day: Vernor's ginger ale. Ever had it? You must try it if you have not. My father-in-law got me hooked on it. He grew up in Michigan where the tasty ginger soda was born. It is a bit pricey, but definitely worth it. Here is a picture of Grandpa Walt with Gavin.

Not so with it.....

2008-01-24T17:15:00.000-08:00

I've said many times that my brain has not been the same since pregnancy and child birth. I feel like I just can't get things together, like I am always a step behind. Case in point. (Where does "case in point" come from anyway? It sounds so funny if you say it a couple times.) Case in point: yesterday I took Gavin and Sasha for our daily walk to get the mail. When I opened our mailbox, there was a key chain marked with an "E" with a big key attached to it. I thought, "hmmm...I guess the mailman accidentally left his key in our box". I left it there figuring he would get it when he returned. Today when I got the mail, he was just getting ready to leave. I approached him and said, "Hi Mr. Mailman" (which sounded SO stupid, but I am so used to saying WORDS all day long to Gavin in an effort to identify things). Anyway, I asked him if he found the key he mistakingly left in our mailbox yesterday. He didn't respond at first and instead looked confused. I explained that there was a key left in my mailbox and that I just left it there in hopes that he would find it today. He asked, "what does it look like?" I went to the mailbox, got out the key and smugly handed it to him. He started laughing. Like really laughing. Now I was confused. He stopped laughing and said that the key in the mailbox meant that I was sent a package and I needed the key to access it. All of a sudden it all made sense. Everyday I walk to get the mail I notice several larger mailboxes that people sometimes open. The letter "E" on my key chain corresponded with the big mailbox marked "E". I felt so stupid as I realized all this. I opened up the mailbox and had THREE packages. How exciting!! When you live far away from friends and family you LOVE getting mail. One package was sent from Courtney, another from my parents, and one from Buy.com. Courtney sent us a box filled with Christmas gifts from my relatives. My mom and dad sent some requested items, including the flashlight that dad stole from us at Christmas! And, the book I ordered John arrived!

Untitled

2008-01-22T17:46:00.000-08:00

Okay, seriously, we cannot get over this flu virus thingy. Apparently this sickness lasts for weeks and there is nothing we can do it about. Of course we are trying to rest, drink fluids, and eat well, but enough is enough. I've talked to people all over the country who are battling this thing.

Went to Walgreens yesterday to pick up pictures I had ordered online. The girl could not find my pictures even though they were marked as "printed" in the computer. She offered to print them again and give me a 50% discount. Sounded good to me, so Gav and I did some shopping and minutes later the pics were reprinted. While driving home I wondered what would happen with my pictures if they were found. I realized that I had printed more than 100 pictures and it kind of freaked me out to think that they could end up in the wrong hands. I hate to be paranoid, but I thought about the pictures of Gavin taking a bath. I've encountered so many sickos in the world of mental health that I know they are out there! Hopefully some lazy employee just messed up and never printed the pictures so there was only one copy all along.

Speaking of pictures, I got out the digital frame that Eric and Sarah got us. It is so cool. I uploaded pictures to it today and it plays a slide show. I got all teary looking at pictures of the day that Gavin was born. Where does the time go? He was so little! It seems like just yesterday......okay, I am sounding really old. Time to sign off.

Thanks dad!

2008-01-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

After reading my blog, my dad sent me a link to an article on hgtv with the following message attached:

Heidi/monk, If you go to the above site you will find alternative uses for hair conditioner. My suggestion is for you to even the shampoo and conditioner by pouring the x-tra cond. into a separate bottle. This way your sense of equality/balance as well as guilt over waste can be assuaged.

I had to laugh at that. My mom told me that when I was little, around the age of 2, she could not figure out where the lids to her tupperware were disappearing to. I loved opening all the kitchen cabinets and taking out all of the contents and then "reorganizing" it all. One day my grandma was visiting and said, "Karen, I think I know where all the lids to your containers have gone." Apparently I would sit on the floor and throw all the lids in the garbage. It seems that my OCD started at a very young age.

One, two, buckle my shoe...

2008-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

You all know that I am a little on the OCD side....okay, maybe a lot on the OCD side. I tend to be super organized and I despise clutter. Of course my need to keep things in "order" is just a manifestation of anxiety, but, I know this and knowing is half the battle, right? This intro serves the purpose of segueing into my dilemma of the day. When my parents were visiting, my dad realized that he forgot his shampoo at home. During a shopping trip to Sam's, we found a good price on a "set" of shampoo and conditioner. My parents said they would buy it, my dad would use the shampoo during his stay, and then they leave it for me to use. Although this is a very nice gesture, I had issues with how it would pan out. When I purchase shampoo and conditioner, I begin using both bottles at the same time. There is no other way to do it. So, do you see the problem with starting out with a shampoo bottle that is not as full as the corresponding bottle of conditioner? If I end up using the shampoo before the conditioner is gone, I just throw the rest of the conditioner away and start with two new, full bottles. So...I've thought about my options. I could try to figure out how much shampoo is gone out of the bottle and try to squirt out that much of the conditioner. Or, I could give the bottle of shampoo to someone else and try to find another bottle in the store that is the same size.
I have the same issue with body wash and body lotion. At Christmas I received a bottle of body wash, but no corresponding lotion. Don't people know what stress this causes me? I have to try to find an unscented lotion close to the size of the body wash bottle to make this work. Am I completely insane, or does anyone else relate to me even a little bit?

Sick.

2008-01-14T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is John's last week of his pediatric rotation. I am SO GLAD! We have all been sick for weeks! Kids are big sickies. John says they cry, scream, and fight like hell when they are examined, so I am sure the germs fly through the air like crazy. They also are not always too good at covering their mouths when they sneeze and cough, and do not wash their hands very often. I will be relieved when he shifts to his psych rotation next week.

Gavin's other top front tooth is coming in. He now has four visible teeth. He is having a blast trying to pull himself up to standing on anything he can get his hands on. Our little baby is growing too fast! He is not too interested in baby food anymore. He wants what mommy and daddy have. So, we are incorporating "mashed" foods into his diet and he seems thrilled.

When my mom and dad were here, they made such yummy meals. I've been savoring my homemade chicken salad and olive nut spread, but it looks like I'm on my own again with regard to food preparation. Not sure why, but anytime I don't feel good I want tombstone pizzas. Comfort food, I suppose? When I was little my dad worked night shifts for awhile. One of my favorite memories is him coming home early in the morning, like around 6AM after working all night and would sometimes make a tombstone pizza. I would wake up early and sit at the table with him and we would eat pizza together.

Random Thoughts

2008-01-11T15:18:00.001-08:00

I am so flighty today. I guess the mania has set back in following a week of that dreaded flu illness.

First I would like to send a SHOUT OUT to my cousin Becky- not Becky Cousin, although i think Becky Cousin is cool too. And Jill. Becky and Jill were so much fun at Court's bachelorette party. I sometimes wish I lived closer to these girls so that when I DID go out to party, it would be a guaranteed good time. But my "cousin" Becky is hilarious- one of those people who makes you laugh simply by her facial expressions and humor in any given situation. We have become closer in the past few years and I am blessed to have her as one of my gal-friends. As I get older I realize that it is harder to meet new girlfriends. In high school and college it was easy. I guess that since I'm not currently in the working world, my new contacts are somewhat limited. Anyway, Becky, you rock....even though you are now a myspace nerd and play wii more than your kids do. HA HA HA

I love Western french dressing. It has to be the Western kind- no other substitutes will work. I could drink this stuff right out of the bottle (I pretty much do). My father-in-law introduced me to this "heaven in a bottle" and I have been hooked since. Now, don't get me wrong....I'm still a Hidden Valley Ranch girl from time to time, but the Western definitely has my vote. It has the perfect blend of flavors.

Chocolate poptarts. I can't get enough of 'em lately. I am SO not pregnant, but for some reason I crave pop tarts (chocolate only) all times of the day. I have been planning my meals around the need for chocolate pop tarts. I went through a phase awhile back where I ate pop tarts every morning for weeks. And, I wonder why I have a hard time keeping the weight off my butt?????

Okay, and seriously, how does anyone expect me to watch the Cardinals play without Edmonds in the outfield? And the drama at the plate? It just isn't going to be the same.

And, THANKS A LOT Ms. Melon, AKA "Zoe"......I had nightmares thanks to the conversation we had about that web site the other day. I should not read about those kinds of sad stories. I do miss you though Melon. I think that I never want to have another job where you are not my co-worker. You made work so much fun.

Okay, that is all the racing thoughts I have for now. Happy Friday.

Happy 2008!

2008-01-09T02:46:00.000-08:00

I rang in the New Year with a trip to the emergency room. Hello 2008! On New Year's Day I began to feel nauseated and very ill, with lots of lower stomach cramps. Nothing seemed to alleviate the pain, so the ER seemed like my only option. Thank GOD my parents were here to watch the little guy so that John could go with me. Thanks to his good connections we did not wait long and the morphine was flowing through the IVHap before I knew it. After a pelvic exam and CT scan, I was relieved to find out that my appendix would be staying put and instead my aches were due to an ovarian cyst. After a long night we were sent home with pain medication and anti-nausea meds. I spent a few days in bed, then saw the gyno on Monday for follow-up. The plan is to do another ultrasound in a few weeks to monitor my new little uterine friend. On top of everything I had the flu with a pounding headache that would not go away for days. No wonder the first week of the new year is a blur!!! I think I am back among the land of the living again, so time to resume school work and mommy fun.

Merry Christmas!

2008-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that Christmas is over. The holiday passed by so fast! It was nice having so much of our family here to celebrate together, especially since it was Gavin's first Christmas. He was totally spoiled, of course, with gifts. He loves his new toys and looks super cute in his new big boy outfits. John's family rented a really nice house in the Disney area. It had a heated pool and a lot of space. It was fun having Gav in the pool again and he went under water for the first time! My parents are here for a little bit longer. I realize even more how much I miss them once we are all together. Hope everyone had a nice, relaxing Christmas.

The Scooter

2007-12-23T14:53:00.000-08:00

We have a mover on our hands. Gavin put it all together and is now officially "scooting" around like crazy. Not quite crawling, I don't think his legs are up enough, but he is fast! Can't believe that Christmas is only a couple days away. It really doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Usually it is cold and I have made Christmas cookies with my mom and grandma. Just doesn't feel the same making Christmas cookies on a hot, sunny day. I'm not complaining....I love the warm weather, but it just isn't the same as being in the midwest for the holidays. I wish it could snow just one day here, then get hot again.

We "skyped" my family tonight who was celebrating Christmas. Our web camera has sure come in handy, especially now that there is a baby in the picture (literally).

Shop til you Drop

2007-12-20T17:19:00.001-08:00

Gavin and I headed out this afternoon for some last minute Christmas shopping. The "town center" where we go is new and filled with lots of stores. We walked,which is about 1.2 miles each way, and enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air. As we approached the stores, I noticed immediately that the Christmas "frenzy" was beginning. People are beginning to have that frantic look on their face. We went into TJ Max and a nice lady commented on how cute Gavin is. She said that he was a good shopper and would definitely be a lady's man as he grows older. We ended up in the same checkout line together and she went on to say that he looked like a little genius. Hey, I'll take any flattery I can get...I was so impressed that she did not ask where my sons shoes were. She said that she raised 4 boys of her own, so I asked her: Did you put shoes on your boys when they were little? She exploded in laughter and said, "NO WAY, WHAT WOULD THE POINT OF THAT BE?" I wanted to hug this woman. She went on to say that her sister always had her children in fancy shoes from the day they were born and that she would constantly tell her to put shoes on her own kids. We talked for like ten minutes after we checked out. I was so proud of me! (John would be proud too.) Usually I go into a store with a mission and leave with only a quick "hello", smile, and "thank you" to the person checking me out. Hate all that small talk and chatter. But, today....I talked to strangers!!!! I walked Gavin home in the stroller with a smirk on my face the whole way thinking of my dad's quote: "Shoes? Shoes? We don't need no stinkin' shoes!!!!!!!!!"

Mama Say Knock you OUT

2007-12-18T04:30:00.000-08:00

I was cooking dinner last night and noticed that Gavin was no longer in my sight. He had rolled his way under a chair. When I discovered him, he squealed with delight and giggled as I asked him how he got himself under there.

What a crazy couple of days. Over the weekend John had to go to Miami to take an exam. The drive down turned into a long adventure as it was raining and an accident on the highway brought him to a complete stop for several hours. During his exam, someone broke out the window of his car and stole EVERYthing he had in it. His laptop, GPS, money, medicine, hard drive, etc... were taken. Of course the police officer who arrived to take the report was unconcerned and calloused about John's loss. The next day we decided to go to dinner to get our mind off things. On the way home we were almost hit by a reckless driver. I was like, WHAT is going on??? Then the topper: John was playing with Gavin on the floor. I attempted to step over them at the same time that John popped his head up. We collided and John got a concussion. I'm not even kidding. He said that he hoped one of the doctors asked about his weekend. He could say that he was robbed, had his valuables stolen, then was kicked in the head and knocked out by his wife. WOO HOO.

Where are your shoes?

2007-12-16T04:22:00.001-08:00

Okay, seriously, what is UP with people? More than once I have been shopping with Gavin when some lady will approach and ask, "Where are your shoes little boy?" The first time it happened I was caught off guard and flashed one of my best fake smiles. Then it happened again. It does not take much to annoy me, but this one really bugs me. First of all, my child is 7 months old. He cannot crawl or walk and sits in a stroller for the duration of our outings. Second of all, we are in Florida and it is 80 degrees or hotter everyday. And, finally, why are these people asking my son this question? He can't talk. I have socks on the kid- is that not enough????

So, I need your help on this one. Can you help me come up with a response so that I am ready next time this happens? Kerri, I know you can think of something! Next time someone approaches and asks in that annoying voice, "where are your shoes?", I will be ready for a come back. This is what I have thought of so far:

Act defensive and say...."It is against our religion."
Say in a bad Chinese accent....."No speaka da English."
Gasp and say....."oh my gosh, someone stole your shoes Gavin. Damn Floridians!!"

Hot Blooded Lady

2007-12-15T04:22:00.000-08:00

I think my internal thermostat is broken. I am always hot and sweaty. (Sounds attractive, doesn't it?) But, really, I rarely get "cold". In the middle of winter when everyone else is wearing sweaters and coats, I am usually wearing a short-sleeved shirt. I have to force myself to dress for winter when I am living in a cold place. Awhile back at work my boss, Bart, sat down in my cubicle to fix a computer problem. He asked if I was sick because the chair was putting off a temperature averaging 200 degrees. HA! I was like, no....this is my normal body temperature. At one point my doctor ran some tests to see if maybe I had thyroid problems, or something related, but all tests came back normal. For awhile I attributed my hotness to anxiety, but it is always there.....even when I wake up in the middle of the night from sleeping. Gavin has been waking up in the early morning, around 5:30AM, to eat. Luckily he goes back to bed for an hour or so and I try to catch a little more shut eye as well. When I return to bed there is still some major HEAT coming off my pillow. My goal is to invent and patent a pillow that has air conditioning in it. This would likely solve my occasional insomnia that occurs from being too hot to sleep. For awhile I thought this problem was worse because of pregnancy hormones, but....7 months later I don't think this is the case. I DO, however, think that the extra weight I am carrying is related to this problemo......another motivating factor in my quest to continue losing weight. But, in reality, I don't think it will make that much of a difference. Must be genetic....my mom is the same way.

Shopping Saga II

2007-12-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

Crazy morning here. Apparently some little teenage punks were in need of some holiday cash or maybe their next fix, but they decided to break into several of the cars in the parking lot of where we live. Our neighbor, a nice guy who is probably in his late 20's, was held up at gunpoint by the little weasels and was forced to give them his wallet and cell phone. I was up feeding Gavin this morning when he stopped by and asked to use our phone. I felt so sorry for him- he was trembling and appeared to be somewhat in shock. Not a great way to start off a work day. Good news is that the police apprehended one of the guys, so there may be some justice to the situation.

Once the chaos subsided, I headed out to Target with Gavin to pick up some formula and groceries. Cheese was on sale....so I stocked up on shredded cheese for homemade pizzas and also picked up a variety of sliced cheeses for sandwiches. (John is on a grilled cheese kick these days). While I was checking out, the cashier began commenting on all the items I was placing on the counter. "Wow, someone sure is addicted to cheese. Don't you know that stuff clogs your arteries?" I just laughed and said, "yes, but it is high in calcium and probably better than eating fast food". He came back with, "well, not really. You know, I used to eat cheese everyday until my doctor said that I had to start to eating fruits and vegetables. Damn this diet. I want my cheese." I didn't know what to say to that, so I turned to Gavin and asked if he was all ready to go bye-bye. The cashier proceeded to ask Gavin if he liked cheese. Okay, dude, give it a rest. So I have 6 packages of cheese. It is on sale and we are on a budget here......As I was getting my keys out and putting my receipt away, the guy turned to the next lady in line and asked, "wow, do you have a thing for Elmo?" The look on the lady's face was of irritation and surprise, as she had several toys on the belt that were probably Christmas presents.

One rotation done!

2007-12-07T17:08:00.000-08:00

Yay! Today is a landmark in John's journey through medical school. He completed his first clinical rotation! Twelve weeks of training in internal medicine. It is hard to believe that just 12 weeks ago we were staying in a motel with a dog and a baby trying to find a place to call home. That was a little bit stressful. Anyway, John has the weekend off, then begins his pediatric rotation on Monday. I can't wait to see all the things he will diagnose Gavin with in the next several weeks..... :) Oh, and I am proud to say that the doctor who John worked under praised his work and said that his dictations would be used as examples for the next group of students to follow. Pretty cool! The cool thing is that he is out of the classroom and now everything seems to be coming together and making more sense than it did in theory alone.

Happy weekend.

Grandma is here!

2007-12-07T16:50:00.000-08:00

The days are flying by! My grandma (Gavin's great-grandma) arrived on Monday and we have been having lots of fun. My grandma is something.....you would never know she is 78 years old. She jumped on a plane by herself and loves to go go go! We've been shopping almost everyday and trying out new restaurants. We bought new jammies and undies from Victoria's Secret and trendy new sunglasses. We are SO glamorous. Yesterday we ventured out to Super Target where grandma bought all the groceries!! Then, today, we went to Walmart and she stocked us up on goodies and baby stuff AND she paid for our prescriptions. We are definitely being spoiled!!!! I think Gavin is going to be sad when his great grandma leaves....he has really taken to her. Last night she fed him his bottle before bed and he just stared at her and smiled before he dozed off to sleep.

Tonight we had dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. I had a delicious filet and baked potato. We had wine and enjoyed a nice evening out. Not sure what we are going to do for the rest of the weekend. Tomorrow morning grandma is going to show me how to cook apples the way she makes them. A yummy topping for my morning oatmeal.

A sick baby......

2007-12-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

We are experiencing our first sick infant! He has a pretty bad head cold with lots of congestion. Poor little guy....he seems to be fine except for a little bit of irritability, but I feel so badly for him! His little nose is chapped and he has learned right away that he does not like me wiping his nose with a tissue. We're trying the new trick of putting Baby Vick's Vapor rub on his feet, then bundling him up in warm socks and his sleep blanket at night.

Not much else to report. It is Sunday.....my least favorite day of the week. I sometimes think I going to do my dissertation on all the factors that make Sundays such a depressing day for some people. Don't like em. I think it got worse when I was away at college and was not with my family for church and a nice dinner.

I am so excited! Tomorrow my grandma is coming and staying for a week with us. She got a great deal on airfare and decided to get away from the cold weather and head south. I'm really looking forward to spending time with her!

Dawnie?????

2007-12-01T20:53:00.000-08:00

Sunshine....I was so happy to see that you posted on my blog. I keep sending you emails and all have been returned. Has your email changed? Please email me! And I also need to see a picture of Kyla and Shug, Jr.

My week's vacation from the online world of learning has come to an end. Monday I take on the challenge of two more courses......Ethics and Social Standards of Professional Practice and Behavioral Nutrition. The textbooks look really good. That always makes a difference to me.

Been having nightmares lately. Haven't had been dreams since I was pregnant. These dreams are scary and weird. One dream I was in some eerie parking garage and some older man in a suit thought I overheard him discussing some crime he committed. The rest of the dream involved me trying to escape this crazed lunatic who was trying to kill me. In another dream my boss (Chris- who I adore) was mad at me and would not listen to anything I said. Another dream my friend Eileen was telling me that I was not a good mom. Like, am I having some self esteem issues here? Paranoia? I finally get my child to sleep through the night so that I can sleep and I am waking up from scary bad dreams. Weird.

Shopping Saga

2007-11-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

It is always something these days. Now that I have Gavin all day long and no relatives around to help watch him, I have had to be a bit creative in the way I now run errands. With a baby I've learned it is all about timing. We do not dare leave the house in the morning until he has played and pooped. Right before we depart, I will fill his belly, change his diaper and then we GO. He usually gives me about an hour or two before he has had enough. Well, today, my mission was to go to Kohl's. My dad told me about these oversized tv trays on sale for 50% off. We've been wanting to get some tv trays since we will have a lot of company soon and are in need of extra "dining" spots. Of course my extremely generous parents said they wanted to buy us the trays as an early Christmas gift and would not take "no" for an answer.

So, we headed to Kohl's. I didn't want to bring the stroller because it has dog poop all over the wheels. Once we got there, I could not find any carts that had a seat in it for Gavin. Well, there was ONE stroller/cart that had TWO seats in it and a cart attached. I figured that was the only choice I had. So, I strapped him into the front seat, put the diaper bag in the second seat and began to push the stroller. Gavin grabbed on to the sides and smiled big for the older gentleman who was talking baby talk to him. As we began moving, Gavin turned around to try to find me. Usually I am right behind him, but the look on his face was hysterical as he noticed me about 8 feet behind him pushing this gigantic contraption. I started to laugh because I felt ridiculous all of a sudden pushing this long monstrosity. And the look on Gavin's face as he strained to turn all the way around was classic. Anyway, we headed toward the right and to the back of the store. Every Kohl's I've ever been in is laid out the same....except for this one. Everything was flip-flopped. We circled the entire store in our cart "limo" without locating the tv trays. An associate directed me to the front cash registers where there were "several right by the door". So, I got into line and when it was my turn I indicated that I wanted to purchase the tv trays. I grabbed the box (which weighed a ton) and returned to the counter. A nice lady behind me was occupying Gavin and offered to help me carry the box out. I told her thank you, but said that it was very heavy and asked the cashier if there was anyone who could carry the box out to my car. I asked, "can someone help me out?" The cashier (an elderly woman)responded, "you want out?" I said, no, can someone HELP ME OUT?? The little lady behind me again said that she would carry it out for me. I looked at this lady.....she was like 5'2" and weighed probably 100 pounds. I again thanked her for the offer, but said that I would rather have an employee lift it because the box is very heavy. In the midst of all this, another lady standing behind us in line asks, "do you want me to help you carry that out?" I was like AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH! Everyone was being so nice, but I was so annoyed. I did not want these two tiny women carrying a big heavy box out to my car. I would have just done it myself, but I had Gavin in this supersized stroller cart and could not do both. I just wanted the cashier to call a guy to come do it and do it quietly without all the commotion. In the meantime, Gavin has pulled his socks off and is trying to squirm out of his seat. The cashier finally gets on her walkie talkie and asks for assistance at the front. While she is trying to explain to me that someone is on the way up to help, a lady approaches me and asks if I am done with the double stroller cart because she has two little girls and there are no other carts. I felt guilty for using the double stroller cart even though it was the ONLY one available at the time so I went into detail about why I was using it even though I only had one child. She was totally uninterested in my story and just wanted the cart. So, I pulled Gavin out and left to get the car. As I was walking out, the nice lady who offered to help me was getting into her car in a HANDICAPPED spot. She saw me, got out of her car, and said that she would carry the package out for me. It was all I could take. My eyes filled up with tears, partly because I was so frustrated with all the chaos, partly because I am hormonal, and partly because I could not believe that this little handicapped older lady was going out of her way to try to help me. No one ever stops to do that anymore (except for my husband). The guy finally came out with the box, put it in the back of my car and said, "whew, that was heavy!".

Bums

2007-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

We have been so lazy this weekend. Last night I watched the Mizzou game with John. He was all excited about it, so we had some drinks and planted ourselves on the couch. I felt like drinking some beer since it has been several months since I had one. Just sounded good. About halfway through my first Bud Light, my face began to burn and feel itchy. I had some weird reaction and had hives all over my face and neck. So, I took a Benadryl, felt better and had a few more. It was great and I slept like a rock. Today, however, we have been useless! I think we alternated between sleeping and eating all day, each taking turns watching the baby so the other could nap. It has been fun though, because I never just lay around doing nothing. Too much anxiety to lay around, plus it makes you feel really fat. At least that is my take on it.

So, tomorrow John heads back to the hospital. It has been wonderful having him here for the past 4 days. My goal this week is to get a Christmas tree and start decorating. We have lots of family coming for Christmas, so there is a lot to do! Gonna try to wipe out most of my shopping in the next two weeks. I'm not much into last minute shopping. Gets too crowded and everyone gets cranky. Plus, I like to wrap all the presents and "organize" them under the tree. My dad said he doesn't know what they will do without me there for the first time to "organize" the presents. I am a big nerd and love to arrange the presents around the tree by size and wrapping paper to make it look really pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T14:15:00.001-08:00

Sure feels weird to be celebrating Thanksgiving in Orlando. It is sunny and hot here today. But, more so it is strange being away from family on this holiday. Being away from our friends and family is difficult, but it is felt the strongest during holidays, like today. I miss you all. Even though living in Florida is fun, it will be nice to be closer to you all again someday. Having the little guy makes it THAT much more important to us.

Well....we had our first family Thanksgiving meal...me, John, and Gavin. We had quite the spread! Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, homemade bread, gravy, stuffing, and chicken. Steph, we actually substituted the chicken nuggets for Shake-n-Bake. We felt that we should be a little bit more classy with it being a holiday and all. ha ha ha. Oh, and I made a cherry pie. It looks really pretty!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Today makes me pause for a moment and really think about what is important in life. Having such incredible family and genuine friends is what keeps me going. Love you all!

Any good recipes???

2007-11-19T16:45:00.001-08:00

Every fall I get into a cooking mood. I find myself wanting to try new recipes and enjoy watching the food network for different meal ideas. Recently I received the "pass it on" recipe email from my cousin. I hesitated to participate since I have done this before and never received the promised recipes in return. However, this time.....I am scoring big time! Everyday I am getting a new recipe from people I don't even know. Today I got a recipe for "cream puff cake". Doesn't that sound good? Not sure if I will be able to figure out a low fat version of it, but I will definitely try.

I can't believe that it is Thanksgiving week already. I guess since we are in the south, it doesn't feel like it should be the end of November yet. I am hoping that John gets the day off, but he is at the mercy of the physicians he is working under. We planned our menu for our very first "mini" Thanksgiving since we won't be with the rest of our family. We are making homemade mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, and.....chicken nuggets. Yep, that's right. John doesn't like turkey and I am definitely not cooking a huge turkey just for me, so we are improvising. Plus, turkey makes you too tired. Oh, and I am making a cherry pie. Not a homemade crust like my mom makes.....the best pie crust you will EVER have...., but instead a lovely Pillsbury one. Hey, ya gotta start somewhere, right???

Crisis line, may I help you?

2007-11-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

I heard from a friend this week and it made my day! I met Venoa, AKA "Zoe" nearly 5 years ago at the crisis line. We started the job at about the same time and worked the evening shift together. I had the pleasure of working several overnight shifts with her and it was very entertaining! She gave me all the ins and outs of pregnancy.....all the stuff that you don't read about it in the books. When she left the crisis line, I was sad, because she always made me laugh and is always in a good mood.

Speaking of that crisis line.....I have to say that it is my most influential place of employment. Considering that I met my hubby there makes it my FAVORITE place to have ever worked. But, beyond that, I have made friends there that will last forever. The work there is so different than any other type of job I have had. It requires a sense of humor and the need to work together with those around you. Having a great boss (Ms. Chris) and my "girls".....Kerri, Hallie, Megan, Krista, BFF Lori, Allison, Tanya.....it just doesn't get any better than that.

Parzzzleee

2007-11-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

I love language, especially different accents and dialects I come across. In Grand Cayman we commonly heard the accents of the Jamaican and British folks. I love hearing a strong British or even a Scottish accent. Also love hearing the different pronunciations, or better yet...the different words people use.

One of the best friends I've ever had is from Mobile, Alabama. Laura is the coolest ever. Her southern accent makes her even cuter. I love getting a voice mail from her...."HAWdeee, this is Lahr-RUH....". And my favorite ever is hearing her mom say that never forgotten line (in true southern fashion), "Are they RE-TAHD-UHD or somethin'?" Laura and I used to have fun comparing words that we used. One night I walked into her apartment while she was preparing dinner. I said, "smells good- what is it?" She said, "tender. pork tender." I asked, "a pork tenderloin?" to which she exploded in laughter.

Anyway...the reason for my rambling comes from a conversation last night I had with John. A few days ago he had asked if I would get some garlic powder next time I was at the store. I did, and last night I explained to him that it was only available in "California style", which means that it has parsley mixed in it. He asked me to repeat what I had just said, so I did. He started to laugh and asked me to say it again. I couldn't figure out what was so funny. He said that the way I said "parsley" was hilarious. Apparently I say "parzlee", with a "z" sound instead of "s". He was quite amused-

We have these conversations all the time. Since we met, we've come up with a long list of words that we say differently: hammock, wash, quarter, roof, etc....when a new word comes into play, it typically results in a humorous conversation.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T09:23:00.001-07:00

Not to sounds negative, but....I'm not really into Halloween. As much as I love holidays and celebrating special occasions, I just have never been able to get into this one. I guess it is because I really don't like sweets and chocolate, and scary movies are just not my thing.

There is ONE good thing about Halloween though......seeing the little kiddies dressed up in cute costumes. Now that we have our own little "pumpkin" I have a little bit more enthusiasm about today.

Fun with Gma and Gpa

2007-10-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

John's parents visited this past weekend. We had a great time being tourists! We shopped and checked out the area. Walt and Cathy totally spoiled us by taking us to Sam's and stocking us up on diapers and food. They saw the hospital John goes to everyday and we enjoyed some yummy meals out. We headed to Animal Kingdom one day to experience the Rain Forest Cafe. It poured nonstop so we truly did experience the Rain forest.....It was a lot of fun. The restaurant is set up with waterfalls, animals that come to life, and a cool menu. Leave it to Gma Cathy to know the ins and outs of Disney!

Being away from family and friends is always difficult, especially now that there is a baby in the picture. It melts me to see Gavin in the arms of his grandma and grandpa and how much love they show for the little guy. We were sad to see them go, but happy that they were able to come visit for a short time.

Hot and Humid

2007-10-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Florida is getting hit with storm showers this week. The weather is so different here. It will rain buckets for 15-20 minutes, then just suddenly stop. The sun comes out, it gets really hot and everything dries up like it never rained. It sometimes does that 3 or 4 times a day! With the rain comes a lot of humidity! I was dripping with sweat after our morning walk.

Not too much to report from the weekend. John was at the hospital both days, so it was just me and Gav most of the time. We went to church on Sunday and Gavin entertained all the people sitting around us. He smiled like crazy and was a little angel.

Post Prego

2007-10-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

I think the whole ordeal of pregnancy and labor does something to a girl. During my pregnancy I felt so dumb all the time. I forgot how to spell words and made all kinds of silly mistakes at work. I figured that it would go away and I would get back to myself after childbirth. Wrong. If anything, I might be more flighty now. It makes sense, I suppose...since I have my hands full with another human being now. But, STILL, I long for those days of feeling like I held things (somewhat) together.

Case in point: (I love that line). The other evening I took Sasha for a walk once John got home. Sasha doesn't get as much attention as she used to, so I try take her for her "own" walk once a day. We were walking along when we passed another mom and a young baby that looked about 6 months old. Being so used to having Gavin with me and talking aloud about EVERY thing we see, I said, in total baby talk, "Look Sasha. There is a baby just like you. I bet that baby is about as old as you are." The lady looked at me like I was insane, picked up her pace a little bit and went about her way. It took me a second to realize that I had just talked to my dog (not my infant) and that Gavin was not with me. I just shook my head and wondered what possessed me to say something so stupid. Then I started giggling at how funny it must've looked and then realized that I appeared to be more crazy to anyone who was watching.

Another thing I have noticed post partum is that I now talk to myself out LOUD. I will be wandering through Target thinking about the things I need to get and all of a sudden realize that I will have said, "milk, gotta get milk" loud enough for people to hear me. What is up with that?

Settling down....

2007-10-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my blogging vacation. It has been so hectic trying to get settled into a new place in a new state. John has been spending long hours at the hospital, so I have had my hands full with Gavinator. We've been taking walks every morning and we go swimming every afternoon. Gavin loves the water and splashes and kicks like crazy. It is my life saver...as it is a sure guarantee that he will take a long afternoon nap.

Had a great time with Grandma Karen and Great Grandma Jo during their visit. We shopped 'til we dropped and spent a day at the beach. Gavin loved the ocean waves. We ate lunch at a beachside cafe and enjoyed yummy mango margaritas. We miss them already!

Sweet Home Florida....

2007-09-27T17:28:00.001-07:00

Doesn't have quite the same ring as Sweet Home Alabama, but that song is in my head today. We have a home again! After a long search we were rewarded with exactly what we were looking for! A great swimming pool, 24 hour fitness center, nice sidewalks for walking, and beautiful scenery! Our place is new, comfy and spacious. It is nice to be together as a family again.

We are settling into a routine (which I have been yearning for) and Gavin seems to be adjusting well. It took a couple days, but I think I have finally mastered the technique of walking both Gavin in the stroller and Sasha on her leash. She loves the lizards that dart across the sidewalk. Speaking of lizards, there is SO much wildlife around here. Toads, lizards, insects....and these cool tree frogs come out at night when it rains. I am not as freaked out about the lizards as I was in Cayman. I guess I am getting used to 'em.

Moving to Florida Day 4

2007-09-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

There are not enough hours in the day! We have literally been running around like chickens with their heads cut off! John started his rotations at Florida Hospital. He seems really happy and comes home excited about all he is getting to do. The afternoons have been spent exploring the area and trying to find a place to live. The rental market here is amazing. There are hundreds of properties to choose from in every area in and around Orlando. I get to be a little bit picky about the things that I want in a place! Finally I think we have found a place to call home. It is a beautiful property in a brand new area that has tons of shopping and restaurants. The place itself has a neat pool area, 24 hour fitness center, a lake, and a movie theatre! We have a full size washer and dryer which is my number one requirement now that we have Gavin around!

I will be glad to get out of this hotel room! They are remodeling the rooms around us and it has become really noisy. The workers literally stand outside our window to smoke cigarettes and stare in at me like I can’t see them. I finally waved at one guy to let him know I could see him staring at me and he waved back like it was totally normal for him to be staring into the room.

Today the sun is shining, which is nice after rain for the past few days. Today the goal is to sign a lease and start moving into our new “home”.

Moving to Florida Day 3

2007-09-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Changed hotels. Could not survive without Internet. We rely on it too much to research apartments and other information we need to learn about a new city. New room seems smaller, but it is clean so that is all I care about!

We're busy trying to find an apartment. We found a place we like, but it seems a bit pricey. The search continues! The weather is a bit cooler, so we are not dripping in sweat each time we stroll into a leasing office.

Floriday Day 2

2007-09-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

Move to Orlando Day 2

So…we headed out this morning to search for our new home. John driving, Sasha front seat passenger, and me in the back seat with the baby. Gavin looked at me like I had to be kidding when I put him back into the car seat after that 24 hour drive from St. Louis. We filled up with gas and John grabbed an apartment guide. Florida has its act together when it comes to apartment guides…very organized and it saved our life (considering we don’t have access to the Internet at our motel). Anyway…so we looked at some very nice properties taking notes of things we liked and didn’t like. We were on a mission and nothing was going to stop us! The apartment people probably thought we were insane. We barged in each office dripping with sweat… a panting dog in tow and a half-dressed baby. An hour into our trip Gavin had a major blowout and got poop all over his outfit and car seat.

At our final stop (8 hours into our search), we parked in front of a rental office and John headed in for information. As I pulled Gavin out of his car seat I realized that he had pooped AGAIN and it was everywhere. I had poop all over me by the time I realized how much of a blowout it was, and knew that I needed some assistance. So, I carried Mr. Poopers into the office and asked John to come out and help me. For the second time we turned the back of the jeep into a changing table. There was poop everywhere. John held his legs while I carefully removed his soiled outfit. Gavin ended up completely upside down and naked being held by his feet. We were so preoccupied with not getting poop on his face that we did not realize that Gavin had picked up the “used” baby wipes and had them in his mouth. He was giggling in delight since he was upside down and out of the car seat. We scrambled to get the wipes away from him and get him dressed in a new outfit. This whole time we did not realize that there were all kinds of people walking past.

And we're off....

2007-09-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

We are moving on.....to Florida! Yay! John is all ready to start his rotations at Florida Hospital. Things are crazy as we pack up and get ready to go. So much to do, so little time. It will be an experience, I'm sure.....making the long drive down with Sasha and Gavin...with a Uhaul trailer attached to the jeep.

Baby Benjamin

2007-09-10T05:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Sharon and her hubby on the birth of baby Benjamin. Isn't he adorable? I am so excited for her! I had to laugh when I heard that her water broke on LABOR DAY. I am sure that this holiday has taken on a whole new meaning for her!

Sugar Pills

2007-09-02T20:03:00.000-07:00

After a semester off school, I am ready to tackle the online world of learning again. My classes start this week: Health psychology and Social Change.

One of my favorite areas of health psychology is the placebo effect. I find it fascinating that the mind has so much control in contributing to one's perseverence or fall. The placebo effect is related to the power of suggestion. Research studies often divide people into groups: one gets the real medication, the other gets a sugar pill. Surprisingly, it is common for people to report getting better simply from the belief that they are taking a certain medication.

Tonight I was reading about how the type of treatment a patient receives plays a factor in how potent the placebo effect can be. It was interesting to learn that big pills work better than small pills. And, colored pills are better than white pills. Capsules are more beneficial than tablets. Studies have gone as far as demonstrating that people who receive a "fake" knee surgery (the surgeon cuts open someone's knee and sews 'em back up without doing any procedure) will report significant reduction in pain years after the surgery. Fascinating to me.

"Wish we were at the bar you guys..."

2007-09-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite quote of the day. After a rush of crisis line calls, my friend Lori blurted out (in her true valley girl fashion), "I wish we were at the bar you guys." She followed this up with, "you know....drinking beer and stuff". It was hilarious for so many reasons. And, I totally agreed with her.

Working lots of hours this weekend. Working the holidays in the mental health field always presents unique experiences no matter how seasoned the professional.

My favorite word of the night: Esculate. This is apparently what some people do when they get angry. They esculate.

Courtney's Shower

2007-09-01T08:52:00.000-07:00

Another successful cousin shower! We had Courtney's bridal shower this past weekend. Isn't she beautiful? I cannot believe that she is going to be married soon! We have the bachelorette party to look forward to this next weekend! A full day and night of drinking- yikes!

Back to it...

2007-08-30T15:50:00.000-07:00

Wow. Time flies. I cannot believe that it is almost September already! Our moms and Sarah and Karen are back in school and football games are gradually replacing baseball coverage on tv. It is still strange to think that John and I have a 4 month old beautiful baby.

Looks like things are going to get crazy again soon. John is waiting to hear about his first clinical placement. It seems as though a big move is in our near future. It is stressful, but fun to experience different parts of the world. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed for NO more east coast moves. He has been running around trying to get all his documents turned in to the clinical coordinator. Shots, immunization records, doctor's signatures, student loan forms, etc..... They sure do make it hard work to get that M.D. behind your name.

Also have Courtney's wedding coming up. The bachelorette party is going to kill me! It starts at 11AM at the wineries! It should be lots of fun though. I haven't partied with my girls for ages.

So cute

2007-08-17T09:14:00.001-07:00

Dennis took this picture and I love it. These are the two most gorgeous men I know! There is nothing sweeter than seeing a daddy interact with his child. John is such a good dad. I bet the Children's team misses him because he is so good at interacting with kids.

Happy Friday.

The Baptism of Lawrence Gavin

2007-08-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is official! Gavin's baptism went very well. Isn't he cute in his little outfit? Aunt Karen said he looked like a pimp! We were so happy to have the company of so many of our friends and family for this important event. It is so reassuring to have the continued support that we get from you all. Such special thanks to Grandma Cathy and Grandpa Walt for hosting the wonderful reception and to Grandma Karen and Grandpa Larry for the delicious cake and little 'extras' that made the day that much more special.

She's Got Freckles on Her Butt....

2007-08-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

Our theme song from vacation: She's got freckles on her butt she's nice.....be grateful if you've never heard this refrain from a song written by Barefoot Man. (Barefoot Man is Grand Cayman's Jimmy Buffet). If you HAVE heard this song, you are cursing me for getting it stuck in your head. This line was sung nearly a million times on our vacation and apparently none of us knows any more of the song lyrics beyond this one line.

Arkansas was an experience. We departed St. Louis early Tuesday each with our new southern name. The number one rule was this: we were to only respond to our new names for the duration of our trip. John was Bubba, I was Daisy Mae, mom was Peggy Sue, dad was Bud, and the baby was Buck. It took us a little more than 5 hours to get to there, but the drive did not feel long because of the beautiful scenery along the way. We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast, filled our bellies, and headed west on 44.

John honked as we crossed the state line into the "Natural State". We drove through Mountain Home and scoped out what the town has to offer. We crossed Lake Norfolk (which is beautiful) and the Norfolk River. Our rented house had a huge deck that overlooked the water. Quite serene and peaceful. The first night we settled in and ordered pizza. The fun part was choosing which beds we would sleep in. We counted 8 beds just in the basement!

No Wireless Network Found

2007-08-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

We definitely were in the middle of nowhere. I thought I would try to pick up an unsecured wireless network while on vacation. A message popped up on my laptop indicating that there was "no wireless network available". Not sure why I was surprised. When we made the reservations for the "resort" several weeks prior, I asked John to ask for an email confirmation. The guy (Victor) chuckled and said that he didn't have email, but that he had it written down in his notebook that he keeps by the phone.

FAMILY VACAY

2007-08-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of Gavin after his bath. He graduated to his big boy bathtub last night. He had fun splashing around.

It is almost that time!!! We're packing up and heading south.... not to the beach like we usually do, but to the Ozarks! Me, John, mom, dad, and Gavin are headed to the state of Arkansas for some fishing, shopping, and fun! Dad hit Sams Club and stocked up on goodies for the road trip. I'm really looking forward to all the garden veggies and some yummy BLTs. I am salivating just thinking about it!

Tomorrow John and I are headed to the game. Go Cards! I have been looking forward to this since my birthday. Thanks again Karen for the awesome birthday present- not only the tickets but also a free night of babysitting!! You rock!!

Hot Hot Hot!!

2007-08-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

It is definitely August in the Lou. Hot and humid. We took Gavin to Grant's Farm yesterday. Grandma Cathy came along and we had a lot of fun. We rode the tram through the park and saw deer, horses, an ostrich, camel and cool birds. What a neat place.

the BUMBO seat

2007-07-31T18:15:00.000-07:00

What a great invention. Thanks to Becky for getting Gavin the bumbo seat as a shower gift. He loves it! Can't you tell by the smile on his face? It helps him sit up and strengthen those muscles. It is amazing how fast he grows and changes everyday.

Runnin' to the Border

2007-07-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

I thought you were only supposed to have cravings during pregnancy. Not so. My new favorite crave is the chicken soft taco supreme from Taco Bell. So yummy. I talked myself out of running through the drive thru before work this afternoon. Now I am regretting that decision, especially since the peeps here are chowing down on pizza. But, what is up with the stingy distribution of sauce packets at Taco Bell drive thrus? I routinely ask (in a very polite manner), "May I please have several packets of mild sauce?" They hand me 2 packets. I ask for more sauce, the girl hands me ONE more packet. I used to accept this and drive off feling irritated, but not anymore!! I continue to ask for more sauce packets until I get a sufficient amount. I mean, a minimum of 3 sauce packets is required for each item to be eaten. To be honest, I like a little taco with my sauce. Is it just me?

Where does the time "guh?"

2007-07-25T04:13:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite picture from my brother's wedding. Eric and Sarah have got to be the cutest couple ever. They truly complement one another. We are blessed to have such an amazing addition to the Danner family! We can't believe that Eric found someone as crazy as we are and that Sarah actually appreciates our insanity.

So, last night John and I met the newlyweds at Xochimilco for dinner. Tuesdays are half-priced fajitas, which means we can afford to go out to dinner! As always we were entertained by Eric and Sarah's goofiness. We relived our funny "guh" moments and got Sarah to admit that she thinks it is even a LITTLE bit funny. A few weeks ago we were all swimming and Eric asked, "Where did my towel guh?" He meant to say "go", but it didn't come out of his mouth all the way. I cracked up laughing at how funny it was (Sarah says that I only egg him on), and we spent the rest of the afternoon trying to find ways to use our new word: guh. A few nights later we retold the story at a family dinner and all laughed so hysterically that no one could eat. We even woke up Gavin! For some reason stories involving Eric get funnier over time. Gotta guh!

Back to work...

2007-07-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to experience something yourself to really understand what other people are talking about. I returned to work this week after an extended maternity leave. I remember Becky telling me how difficult it was for her to initially leave Brody and go back to work, but I did not think much of it.....until this past Friday. I kissed Gavin, got into my car and headed to work. As I merged onto 270 I felt overwhelmingly nauseous. I began to sob thinking that by the time I got back home Gavin would already be tucked in for the evening. Prior to becoming a mommy I couldn't comprehend those feelings- at least how strong they could be. It seems to be getting easier everyday, but I can surely sympathize better now with all those new moms out there who return to work.

On the upside....John is getting a lot of time with Gavin before he resumes the crazy hours associated with school. It is exciting to think that he will soon be a "third year" involved with hospital rotations. Watching him interact with the baby makes me melt....it is so sweet and sterling.

Anyone still there????

2007-07-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

My poor little blog....so ignored and forgotten. I am usually not this erratic as my behavior is typically routine and orderly. I'm not quite sure why I've been gone so long, but starting today I am going to try to be better. After talking about the strange day I had yesterday, Kerri encouraged me to start blogging again. So, here I am-

People are not kidding when they say your life changes after you have a baby. I never imagined that things would change so much. My world now revolves around my little guy and I cannot recall what I ever did before he was around. Gavin is proof that life is precious and that our God is a very good God. I stare at him in awe. It is amazing to look into a baby's eyes and sometimes see John, sometimes see me, sometimes see his grandpa or grandma.....a true miracle.

Least favorite errand= getting oil changed in car

2006-08-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

I received a compliment from a colleague at work today. She said, "Heidi, you just have it all together. You set quite the example." I've never been good at accepting compliments. My first reaction is to say, "yeah right" or "you must be thinking of someone else", and try to change the subject. However, today, I almost giggled at how funny it sounded to me. I sensed this as a genuine compliment, however, and I said, "thank you, that means a lot to me". It is funny to me that this statement came on a day when I felt a little crazed and disoriented. After working several overnight shifts, my body is trying to catapult back into being awake during the day. For anyone who has worked overnight shifts, you know that reorienting yourself can be a struggle. So, in addition to having my days and nights reversed, we have been busy planning our next move: across the country to the east coast. My grandma made the comment yesterday that I must be getting really excited about making the road trip out to the east coast. It hit me that I had not even given second thought to the fact that we are moving again and that John resumes classes in just a few days! Wow. I don't feel stressed, but rather, just a little out of sorts. The following story will be proof. I got my oil changed today. As I pulled up to the empty lane at Jiffy Lub, I immediately jumped out of my car. I do this because of a bad experience......A few years back I pulled into the same Jiffy Lube, and drove forward as the guy direted me to do so. At the last minute he yelled, "STOP STOP. HIT YOUR BRAKES". Apparently I was not centered on the lanes and was at risk for driving my car into the big hole in the ground that is supposed to be placed BETWEEN your tires. The guys working thought it was funny and did not try to hide the fact that they were making fun of me. I now avoid getting oil changed at all possible costs, but I knew that I could not avoid mom for much longer who has been telling me to get it changed. Anyway, after getting myself all prepared for getting the oil changed, I got my plan in order: I would drive up to the garage door opening, then jump out of my car and say that I need an oil change. This would avoid the possibility of ME having to drive over the big hole. I did as planned. I pulled up, saw the guy preparing to motion me forward, and jumped out of the vehicle before I made eye contact. He approached me and asked what services I needed. He said, "okay" to an oil change and I proceeded to the waiting area. I was so proud of myself for avoiding potential embarrassment and being "cool" that I did not notice the guy trying to get my attention again. I turned around and asked, "what?" He began talking in a different language, something about the oil grade and filter replacement and I started to panic. I thought, act cool Heidi, so I just started nodding and said, "uhh, sure, yeah that's cool". He talked right over me and it was at that moment that I realized he wasn't talking to me. He was talking to another employee who was behind me. I couldn't believe this was happening. Was this place jinxed? Was it me? Why do I act like such a moron at Jiffy Lube? Only Courtney could understand the situation. As I drove away I laughed outloud at the humor that I saw in the whole thing. This is why I was surprised to hear the compliment that I appear (key word is appear) to have it "all together". Looks can be quite deceiving........

CRABS!!!!!

2006-06-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

When John and I were first dating, he introduced me to Guster, a band I had never heard of. Now, I rate their music at the top of my favorites list. There is a song they sing that starts out: "I woke up today, to everything gray....." It is a catchy song and the tune often gets stuck in my head. Well.... I woke up today....but everything was NOT gray. It was sunny, but that is beside the point. As I sat up in bed (John had already gone to school), I squinted as I thought I saw a bug running across the floor. I jumped up and could not believe my eyes. It was a sand crab! Still half asleep, I almost lost my balance as I scanned the room for a shoe. I intended to smash the crab (hey, my adrenaline was flowing), but instead I missed and only broke off one of its "crawlers". It crawled into the closet and out of sight. As my reticular activating system did its daily job, I realized that I was standing in the middle of the bedroom with a shoe in my hand, armed to destroy any other intruders. So far, so good..., no other critters IN the house today.

The Big 2-9

2006-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to me! The best birthday present I could ever receive was having my parents here to celebrate it with me. Of course mom and dad spoiled me with the traditional birthday "week" celebration. Each day, starting with Day 1 of the birthday "week", I received all kinds of goodies! Then, on day 7, they surprised me with a ZEN! MP3 player! Later that day, we had dinner at "EATS", and John was able to join us after his evening class. Then we partied it up Cayman style back at home. Dad was a terrific bartender as always. Laura and Brenda came over and we had a ball! I am blessed to have met such good friends here, and I could not have been happier to have us all together on my birthday. All the fun made me forget that I am a year closer to 30!

Let the fun begin!!!!!

2006-06-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for such awesome parents. They arrived on Thursday, June 1st, in the afternoon. John had class, so I headed to the airport to greet them. While waiting, I decided to walk around the side of the building to where I could see the passengers coming off the plane. I felt like a little kid when I spotted them coming down the stairs from the airplane. I started jumping up and down waving crazily, yelling "MOM! DAD!" (like they could hear me). In the midst of my excitement, I felt a stinging sensation on my foot. When I looked down, my eyes spotted ants crawling all over me. It startled me AND it hurt, so I was then jumping up and down trying to get my shoe off in a hurry. It wasn't until after my performance of the Ants-Go-Away-Dance that I noticed several security staff staring at me from the other side of the fence. One guy was laughing without any effort to hide his amusement. Covered with sweat and insect bites, I put my shoe back on and walked coolly back to greet mom and dad. I was so excited to see them! We headed home from the airport and they both took in the initial uneasiness of traveling on the left side of the road. It was fun for me to see their reactions, for it wasn't that long ago that it was me experiencing the same thing for the first time.

Company!!!

2006-06-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

I could not be more excited! My mom and dad are coming to Cayman to visit for a week. We have promised them sunshine, a beautiful ocean view and a laid back vacation they both deserve. Time for them to get away from a barking dog, a yelping puppy, inspections, griping parents, hit-and-run drivers, etc.....

I look forward to being hostess to them for a change and showing them the way we live here. My friend Laura also has friends visiting this week. We had to laugh at the fact that our apartments have never looked so clean.

I can't wait for them to see the view from our front door. Although I will be ready to get back to the U.S. when our time is up here, I know for a fact that I will miss starting out each day by looking out to that beautiful, blue Caribbean Sea.

Did you miss me?

2006-05-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, it has been a long time since you've seen something new from me.

I've heard that you are sick of looking at this cute little dog, so I'm back, with a new picture. Are you happy now Kerri? :)

Back on the blog and back to Cayman. It seems so much easier to write here. No pressures, no worries, everything slows down and relaxation sets in.....well, not for everyone, like John, and the other medical students who inhabit the island. They continue to experience the daily stress of trying to stay afloat during their quest to become physicians. The rest of us seem to slow down to the pace of the island and take things one at a time. I realized during my flight back here that this is my last stretch of time to live on this beautiful island. In August, we leave it all behind to head to an entirely different climate. I made a vow to myself to savor each day here and enjoy the luxury that living on the ocean provides. Each morning I look out at that gorgeous warm blue ocean water and say a prayer thanking God for all the wonderful things I have been blessed with in my life. I think I finally learned how to laugh at all the things that can go wrong here, like our car not starting and being stuck in traffic or unreliable Internet service. It is all part of the package, one that, in the distant future will all seem like a blur as we pack our bags and head north again.

My Overnight Plight

2005-12-19T02:26:00.000-08:00

The overnight shift at the crisis line.... what fun! It is actually a nice change of pace to work this shift since the call volume is low and the atmosphere is quiet. It always amazes me how many people are up at all hours of the night with complaints of insomnia and how much sleep plays a role in our wellbeing. I think about how I've felt the next day after a night of not sleeping well and how grateful I am that it is not a regular occurrence. Sleep deprivation can make people ugly!

Sleep disorders affect up to 70 million people in the United States. This costs about $100 billion each year in accidents, medical bills and lost work. (Statistic from Brain Facts, Society for Neuroscience, 2002)

Let's see what else I can intrigue you with.... Sleepwalking is also known as "somnambulism"; sleeptalking is also known as "somniloquy."

My expert tip of the day: Get enough sleep. Brilliant, eh?

John's homecoming

2005-12-16T18:44:00.000-08:00

John and I spent the last 2 days at my parent's house. Sasha was elated to see him again and she rarely left his side. At bedtime, she squeezed in between us and it was nice to have the 3 of us all together again. That night, Eric and Sarah came out to welcome John home and congratulate him on completion of his first semester of medical school. We also celebrated his "birthday week" with gifts from mom and dad. John shyly opened his gifts that included a brick of cheddar cheese, white t-shirts and a gift certificate to Circuit City. John entertained us with riddles that resulted in me actually getting a headache from laughing so hard. Sarah is just too funny for her own good. We were only allowed to ask yes/no questions in an attempt to solve John's riddles. The game was fun and we now have enough inside jokes to last us for quite awhile. The question, "were they molested?" still evokes uncontrollable laugher when I picture Eric asking it. The next day we headed to grandma and grandpa's house and they too were thrilled to have him back. Being at home now provides an even greater sense of security and comfort. Seeing the beautifully lit and decorated Christmas tree, the wrapped presents underneath of all shapes and sizes, and listening to Christmas carols during dinner paints a picture of what I consider heavenly. I am truly blessed to have such an incredible family.

WAFFLE FRIES!

2005-12-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Last night after work I headed down to the city to meet two dear friends (Renee and Kerri) for dinner. I felt nostalgic as I passed the "Laclede Station Road" exit on Highway 44, the way I took home so many times. The fond memories I have of my first apartment (the GT crizzo as I like to call it) in the big happenin' city of St. Louis all started to come back to me. I thought about how much I miss good ol' Georgetown....the red brick buildings, the leaves that pile high in the fall, the nights that John and I sat on the patio listening to music and conversing about life. As I cruised along the highway I remembered how giddy I felt the first time I wrote my return address using "St. Louis, Missouri". How silly is that!

Anyway, we met at "Biggies", one of our favorite places to go for waffle fries and unlimited refills of superb iced tea. All week long we sent emails about ordering those famous waffle fries. However, upon ordering, I blurted out, "baked ravioli please" and disregarded my week long quest for criss-cross potatoes. Dinner was delicious and I had a blast catching up with the girls. Upon leaving, I told Renee I intended to follow her down the side streets to the main road. She relayed to me her route and told me to follow her until the road came to a dead end. At this point I was to go right. I didn't listen. She turned at the first street we came to, and I didn't. I honked, waved and coasted right on by. As soon as I did it I realized that I had not followed directions. I busted out in laughter as my cell phone rang. On the other end I heard Renee's familiar hearty laugh and we could barely get words out as we giggled about what had just happened. I laughed about it for most of the drive home. I laughed again on my drive into work this morning. To me, this is what life is all about. Those special moments shared with loved ones, the times when "you just had to be there" to get the humor in the situation.

the JPH

2005-12-02T11:05:00.000-08:00

I miss my husband!!!! This is the longest period of time we have ever been apart and it is agony!! I can attest that the old saying is true.....absence makes the heart grow fonder. I now have 6 pictures of John in my bedroom so that I can be reminded of his gorgeous blue eyes and sweet, reassuring smile until he finishes that grueling first semester of medical school. Next week the JPH will be reunited. I have a feeling that the next week of waiting is going to feel like a long, long time.

A Paused Blog...

2005-11-20T20:06:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that I have not written about anyone for quite some time. I should explain that I am reserving my "dedications" to times when I am far away from loved ones, once I am back on the island. So, for now, I plan to have a little fun and post about whatever comes to mind.

Karen Paruch

2005-10-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

My K-dawg! What an awesome sis-in-law she is! Of course she has the “Paruch” traits of being generous, kind, and loyal, like the rest of ‘em, but she also defines what I believe is the PERFECT sister-in-law. We began bonding from the start. Such fun memories we share together…..seeing Tim McGraw and Smashmouth in concert…..heading to Qdoba for those burritos we just HAVE to have sometimes, eating chocolate chip cookies the size of our heads… shopping, talking and of course, our biggest deal of them all…..JAZZERCISE!!! It is the most fun I have ever had working out and is the # 1 reason why I want to get back to St. Louis ASAP….so that we can resume jazzin’ it up! Karen hosted my super fun bachelorette party and is always the first to offer her assistance in planning a holiday party or special occasion. She is the first to call and wish me a “happy birthday” and gives the most special gifts. She is passionate about what she likes and is dedicated to her children at school.

The other day I listened to a phone message left by Karen. “Hi Heidi, It is Karen. Hey, I got you a ticket to see Keith Urban December 2nd.” As soon as we talked on the phone she said, “and no, you are not paying me for the ticket. It is my gift to you.” I am so excited! I miss us hanging out and spending time together. So many times I am walking on the beach and will see 2 girlfriends laughing together and it makes me wish that Karen was here with us on Cayman. Not only have I been blessed with a one-in-a-million sister, but also a very dear friend.

Courtney

2005-10-04T17:54:00.000-07:00

My cousin and closest friend… Sometimes I think we are twins that were separated at birth. There is no one else quite like her. She is extraordinary and extremely special to me. Her friendship is authentic and rare. She is the one who genuinely feels hurt when I am hurting. She has an incredible ability to empathize and show support, even if it is thousands of miles away through email. She has insight and has taught me that I need to sometimes listen to my heart, and not just make decisions based on what is rational. During one of the low points of my life, I remember Courtney saying to me, “it is gonna be alright. I know it is.” She said these simple words with such conviction and concern in her voice that I became convinced she was right. And, she was! She just has a way.

My Aunt Nonno (Courtney’s mom) recently said that Courtney and I “laugh to the beat of a different drummer”. I could tell the same story to 5 different people and only Courtney would find it as hysterically funny as me. Actually, she is the funniest human being I’ve ever known. She has the ability to laugh at herself and knows that most of the time life should not be taken too seriously. One of my favorite things to do is to get together with Courtney and reminisce about old times. Our favorite story involves a game of hide and seek when we were kids. Another involves a piano recital at SCI. I think we laugh more each time we re-tell the story. There is something about the “Heidi-Courtney” combination that results in humorous outcomes. A few years ago, we road-tripped to St. Louis to visit our good friend, Becky. When we arrived at her apartment complex, we were perplexed as to how to get to her front door, as the building was on a hill and there was no obvious way to get up there from the parking lot. We grabbed our overnight bags and pillows and began climbing to our destination. Once we hit the top, we found ourselves at the back of the building without a route to the front door. Up and down hills we went for the next 45 minutes in the dark trying to figure out where we went wrong. By the time we rang Becky’s doorbell, we had grass stains on our “going out” clothes and we were covered from head to toe with mud. I can still picture the look on Becky’s face when she swung open her front door and saw us. I still laugh to this day when I think about Courtney falling out of her sandals and sliding backward down that steep hill of wet grass.

I trust Courtney and I know that she is in my corner. She makes me laugh like no one else and I know that no matter what, she will “get it” when no one else seems to. Courtney makes life sweeter and is my daily reminder to stop and smell the roses.

My Grandma Jo

2005-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

We’ve been close for as long as I can remember. We have always had a special bond that has kept us very, very close through the years. As a baby I’ve been told that I would stop crying as soon as I was placed into her arms, and her ability to comfort has continued over time. Whenever I’m upset, I call grandma. She listens without judging and I ALWAYS feel better after a good talk with her. She has made a point to email me every, single day since we’ve lived in Grand Cayman. Her emails are filled with support and encouragement, just what I have needed during some of the tough days here. I think she knows me better than almost anyone. She understands me and supports me no matter what. She has provided me with guidance and expert advice during times when I have needed it most.

When we were little, Eric and I got to spend nearly every Friday night at grandma and grandpa’s house. They would treat us to Vic’s pizza, and then we would play Scrabble and watch Wheel of Fortune on tv. Saturday morning we would sit at the counter while grandma made homemade biscuits. During summer vacations I would practically beg her to take me to work with her. (Of course she always said “yes”.) I would have a blast playing “office”, and I loved to eat at the underground cafeteria. It was such a treat because I could get ANYTHING I wanted for lunch.

My grandma has a heart of gold. She is loving and generous, and she would do anything for her family. She goes out of her way to make sure we all know we are special and loved. She is fun and spunky and strong. She can master any new craft she tries, and she makes the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen. I owe my new love for crocheting to her because she is the one who taught me many years ago how to hold the hook and keep the yarn tight in the other hand. We are already talking about our plans to sew when I am home for the holidays. I love the memories I have of us sewing together, talking about life, and laughing like crazy. It is as though as we are on the same page…..we “click”, which is why we are probably so close. I don’t think she will ever know how much she means to me or how much I appreciate all she has ever done.

Becky (Avart) Stafford

2005-09-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

This week I finished my FIRST crocheted baby blanket and I plan to give it to my dear friend, Becky, for her cutie-pie, Brody. I must say that learning how to crochet was not as easy to do as I originally thought, and I am hopeful that Becky will keep in mind that her “gift” was my first attempt at learning my new craft……
This blog has the purpose of honoring the special people in my life who I feel I owe special thanks to. I definitely am in debt to Becky for the ongoing friendship she has offered me for a long, long time. Beck and I have been friends since the age of FIVE!!! We grew up together in a small town and have a special bond that has only grown stronger over time. We played volleyball together, sat by each other at Sunday school, spent the night at each other’s house whenever our parents would let us and still laugh when we talk about the night my dad teased her about excusing herself from the dinner table. Although we attended different high schools, we still were together on weekends. We suffered through the difficulties of teen break-ups and the giddiness of new romances. I have always been able to count on Becky to be there as a friend. She is loyal and fun and is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.
Our friendship grew even stronger during our college years at ISU. Our senior year we were roommates and had a blast! I’ll never forget the night we decided to take a break from partying and went to the movie theatre to see “Armageddon”. We cried for most of the ride home. The more we analyzed the movie, the more we cried, and finally we decided to never go see a movie together again. Later than night Becky knocked on my bedroom door to say something else about the movie and we cried again before laughing hysterically about how crazy we were acting! It was during this time that Becky met her future husband….Josh. I still remember him coming to pick her up for their first date. It was the most giddy I have ever seen her.
Although we don’t get to spend lots of time together anymore, I always look forward to a “date” with Becky. I will be forever grateful to her for the friendship that she has shown me during the “tough” times in my life and how she has stuck by me through thick and thin. She (and Josh) offered their home to me when I was trying to get settled in St. Louis, an offer that that came without any strings attached. She is the true definition of a friend and I am grateful to have her in my life.

My best friend

2005-09-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband…..John Thomas Paruch. There is no way I can cram everything about this man into this small tribute. He treats me like a princess, and even calls me “PH”, which is short for Princess Heidi. He is the most exceptional human being I’ve ever known, and I still can’t believe I’m the lucky one who gets to claim him as my husband. From the moment I saw him, I have been in awe by his big, gorgeous, blue eyes. No matter how bad things get, I can look into those big blue eyes and be assured that everything is going to be okay. He is sweet and thoughtful and makes sure I know each day that I am loved and respected. John is genuine and real and selfless.
Although he is modest, he is the most intelligent person I know. He is a world of knowledge and makes learning new things fun. He always has a tidbit of information to share about the weather, insects, birds, plants, etc…. At home his nose is almost always in a book. He has the need to learn as much as he can, and is always trying to get his hands on something new to soak into that brain of his. He is definitely an “outside” of the box thinker. Actually, when I told him that he is good at thinking outside of the box, he commented, “what box? There is no box” There are no limits (or “box”) in his mind to what he can learn and explore.
John’s goal in life is to make the world a better place. He wants to make a difference, to see positive change occur as a result of his hard work. He does not care about prestige and the attention he often receives from being so exceptional. Many times, I have seen him downplay his accomplishments when he is recognized and he will slyly change the topic to complimenting someone else. It is amazing to witness how people are drawn to him. He is liked by all and has a way of putting others at ease. He lights up a room upon entering it and, before you know it….he is surrounded by individuals who he has touched in some way. He makes me proud and I know I am a better person because of him. He challenges me and does not let me take the easy way out. He constantly is building me up, telling me that I am the best, and that I can do anything I want to in life.
As we recently have moved from the comforts of our cozy little apartment in St. Louis, surrounded by family and friends, we have struggled in adjusting to a new country and way of life. Although John has had the added stress of starting medical school, he has gone out of his way to make sure that I am comfortable and secure here. He is on his way to becoming an incredible physician and the world is a much better place because of him.

My Daddio

2005-09-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

I call him "daddio". He calls me "Ms. Staunkey". My dad. He is a true family man and he always puts his family first. He is intelligent, witty, creative and fun. He completes the crossword puzzle in the paper each morning, usually in less than 15 minutes. He is extremely generous and is always thinking of others. My dad is tough and determined. He believes in doing a job the right way and would offer the shirt off his back to someone in need. While I was growing up, my dad often worked nights, meaning that he would leave for work in the evening, and get home early the next day. I would wake up early, around 5AM, and he would share his tombstone pizza with me that he was eating for "dinner". One of the many ways he showed his daughter she was loved and to make sure we stayed close. He spent hours helping me with school projects, so that I would get an "A+". I was always proud to turn in work that paid attention to every detail and had a creative touch to it. In grade school, I had to collect and label leaves for a project. My project was the best in the class, with the first page being a typed poem about trees. (I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree.....). My dad taught us to love unconditionally and the importance of ALWAYS telling the truth.

No matter what our financial situation was, he always made sure we had exceptional holidays and super fun-filled family vacations. He would sacrifice things he wanted to make sure that everyone had gifts at Christmas and that all enjoyed an elegant dining experience. In an attempt to keep the ever-growing Danner family close, he has repeatedly offered his home as a place for the family to gather. Entertaining is expensive, yet he does so regularly, and I have never heard him say a word about it.

If my dad was here with us in Grand Cayman, life would be much easier! If there is problem, he solves it! Simple as that. He is the king of problem-solving across the board. When I need advice, he is the man I call. He is able to approach a problem objectively and develop efficient solutions. He listens whole-heartedly and is never quick to judge. He is fair and compassionate. He has instilled these values in myself and Eric and for that I am grateful, because I am a better person as a result of all his hard work.

Karen Angelina

2005-09-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

That is what my dad calls my mom. He's right. She IS an angel, the most selfless, nurturing human being I've ever known. She has a heart of gold, an exteme amount of patience and the ability to soothe and calm like no one else. My mom has always taken her "motherhood" role very seriously. She went without new clothes and accessories and home improvements she wanted (and well deserved) for years as she dedicated herself to myself and brother (Eric). She worked out a way to make sure I could play volleyball, take weekly piano lessons and have only "good" tennis shoes for my little growing feet, all while she mixed and matched the same 3 outfits and 2 pairs of shoes for months at a time. She was up for nights on end as I lay awake coughing (an awful ailment I had for years), yet no complaints were made and her only concern was to make me as comfortable as possible. She would even make the horrible face with me as I swallowed that awful cough syrup recommended by my pediatrician and would have so many pillows stacked up in bed that I would be sitting upright (in hopes that it would ease that horrible cough). She has provided endless love and support, despite of the mistakes I've made along the way. She has always encouraged me to be the best that I can be and to never let fear get in the way of shooting for the stars. I am strong and persistent thanks to Karen Anne Danner.

In addition to being an incredible mother, she is an amazing pianist. She can sightread any piece of music placed in front of her and has awed many over the years with this ability. One of my favorite summers included the year that we were both working on our master's degrees and we stayed in my 1 bedroom apartment at Illinois State University. I think the summer consisted of studying and laughing. We were both enrolled in statistics, my course geared toward psychology, hers toward music. She would read aloud an excerpt from her notes that would make absolutely NO sense and we would roll in laughter as we tried to understand what seemed like a foreign language. My mother's laugh......I smile just thinking about it. Her laughter is contagious and she can find the humor in the worst of situations. Once she starts laughing....beware! It is common to lose control of most bodily functions. There have been countless times I've heard her laughing and before I know it, I am laughing hysterically too without any idea why. I know you all know what I'm talking about. Once, when I was in high school, we stood in line at "Subway" trying to decide what type of sandwich we wanted. We were greeted by an employee who did not speak very good English, and he asked us, "why or wee?" We both stared blankly back at him and he again asked, "why or wee?" I dared not look over at my her because it would all be over. It was too late...we laughed like crazy people the whole way home and for the rest of the evening, simply because it sounded hysterically funny to us when we were asked with an accent if we preferred "white or wheat" bread. Another time my cousin Courtney called after a family gathering (while I was living in St. Louis) in an attempt to tell me about a funny encounter with my mom. To this day I still have no idea what actually happened, except that "McDonald's" was involved. Courtney laughed so hard throughout the conversation that I couldn't understand what she was telling me. Of course, I, too, rolled in laughter without having any idea why. One other time...she and my grandma were road tripping down to visit me in St. Louis and they got lost. We got disconnected on cell phones and somehow their conversation ended up on my voicemail. I saved that message and listened to it countless times, because all I could hear was those two laughing insanely about missing a turn.

My mom has said something along these lines more times than I can count.....people will not remember what you said to them, but rather the way you made them feel. She strives to bring out the best in everyone, while giving a little extra to those in need. As a teacher she has touched many lives. The world is a better place because of my mother, Karen Angelina.

A FRIENDSHIP BLOG

2005-09-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

A FRIEND: A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts. a person whom one knows; an acquaintance. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.

These are the definitions I found for “friend”. Of course there exists a continuum that ranges from the mere acquaintance to the “soul-mate” kind and sometimes the same individual can shift to the left or right on the continuum at different times in life. As I journal each day of my experiences, I find myself often thinking of my friends and the many memories we share together. As I make new friends in a new country, I often talk about my dear friends back home, their qualities, jobs, families, and funny times shared together in the past. This gave me the idea for my very own “blog”. I can use it as a way to showcase my friends, the ones who are near and dear to my heart for so many reasons. As a counselor, I spent time helping people learn how to express their thoughts and feelings to others. In doing so, it helped me as well, as it was a reminder that people don’t always know what you are thinking. So, my blog has the purpose of expressing my gratitude to those in my circle of friendship. As I told John about my idea, he voiced the concern that I could cause hurt feelings due to who I chose to write about first. Just in case.....please note that there is no specific ORDER with regard to who I write about each day. Rather, I plan to write about what comes to mind.