Happy Thanksgiving!

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???

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?

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

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!

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

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

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

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....

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....

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

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

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

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....

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

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

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..."

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

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...

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

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.