The Final Battle

Today was the end of one season and the start of another. My year-long of "elective time" (outpatient clinic-care; read: no call and weekends off) has come to an end. I will now restart the phase of my medical training that lives more up to it's name of "residency", in other words, living in the hospital once again. For the next 8 months (with the exception of February and May), I will be taking care of in-patients, admitted hospital patients, in the "wards". This involves only 4 days off a month and an average of 65-80 hours per week. Our residency program calls the year I just came out of, the year of electives with an out-patient focus, the "Long Block." My colleagues have then coined these next 8 months, appropriately so, as the "Hell Block." At the end of this battle, however, is the completion of my Internal Medicine residency!

It was bittersweet saying goodbye to my clinic patients this last month as I have taken care of some of them for 1.5 years. A few patients even cried, a few gave me hugs, and a couple vowed to track me down "somehow" in the hospital. (I told them they could maybe find me if they get a colonoscopy next year. ;-) )

In this new season, I am definitely very sad about the diminished time I get to be around Dustin and Levi. This month I am doing the Cardiology service which is from 6am to 6pm or later Mon-Fri and 6am-12pm or later on Saturday with Sundays off. This morning was the first time that I haven't nursed Levi in the morning--it was sad to start my day without seeing him. Also, by the time I get home from work, he is really sleepy, and I just have a few minutes before putting him down for his short nap from which he wakes up to nurse before going down for the night. What I have to keep reminding my self is that this is just a season and that I just need to maximize my time with him when I am at home.

Although the schedule is far from ideal, I am excited about being back in the wards, taking care of sicker patients and being a Team Leader and Senior Resident. (ie: for those who watch Gray's Anatomy, like Dr. Bailey was to the rest of her interns the 1st couple seasons). It'll be fun to work on making the team run efficiently, do some teaching, and see more patients (and, therefore, learn more) with less busy-work (interns write the notes and orders). I am just very thankful I am not an intern anymore.

If I can keep up with uploading my pictures in a timely manner, look for more words from this Momma Doc. :-)

October-Fun

On the Sunday of Levi's baptism, it was pretty neat to have most of my immediate side of the family in town on the same day. We hung out with my dad and Laura's side of the family the first half of the weekend, then we spent the second-half with my mother and grandmother. Here is Levi in his "post-baptism" outfit (courtesy of Nana). I couldn't resist taking some pictures.

One of my favorite past-times: tickling Levi and making him laugh.

October 5th also ended up being the first time Levi put his foot in his mouth! I happened to catch it on camera. (I think he liked his new Robeez he wore for the baptism) . . .

Actually, a few hours after the baptism, Dustin had to catch a flight to go out of town for a week to help open a Chick-fil-A in Iowa (the longest time Dustin and I had ever been apart since we've been married :-( ). So, my mother and grandmother stayed in town for the next entire week helping me out and spending time with Levi during the day while I was at work. It was a blessing to have them in town, and I know Levi enjoyed his time with his MaLu and MaGe!

MaGe has decided to only speak to Levi in Bulgarian, which he loves to hear. MaGe is so cute with Levi, singing him Bulgarian rhymes and sweet expressions, and she always is able to bring a smile to his face.

Here's Levi laughing at MaGe during dinner.

MaLu and Levi bonded this week. She took care of Levi during the day, giving his bottles, changing him, and putting him down for his naps.

More fun with Levi and his great-grandmother, MaGe.

Four generations together. Of course, I'm in my PJs . . .

I LOVE this sweater. I lovingly call it his "old man sweater." My friend's mother made it for Levi, and his been getting good use out of it this fall.

Levi is starting to get more mobile, and you have to keep an eye on him in his Bumbo seat. I realized it this day when I saw how much he can twist around in his seat and reach for stuff. These series of pictures are taken one-after-another, and is about when Levi started his reaching for anything-any-everything-phase (which, I believe, is a LONG phase!). It's funny to watch him go after everything (but challenging when holding him and trying to get stuff done!)

(He actually was able to grab that bag of bread!)

Reaching his time-limit in the seat and trying to pop out . . .

In his exersaucer.
One of my favorite pictures of Levi!

He looks so long here!

Here's a couple pictures of Levi watching his first "T.V." We got a Baby Einstein video that we decided to show Levi. He absolutely loved it and was fascinated with all the colors, shapes, and music. Dustin and I couldn't help but feel guilty knowing that we were let our 5 month old watch T.V. . . . Were we being bad parents??

Loving the video!


Dustin and I finally went through our basement to get ride of some stuff. We decided to do a yard sale with friends of ours, the Laginesses. The yard sale was also inspired by the "Financial Peace University" class we'd been doing through church (13 week course by Dave Ramsey) to be "gazelle-like-intensity" in getting ride of debt. I'm not sure all the effort was worth the pay-off, but at least we made some more room in our house.

The men working the yard sale. :-)

October 14th was my 28th birthday (yikes!), and Dustin honored my by getting me these beautiful flowers as well as organizing a little party at "B=dubbs" (aka "Buffalo Wild Wings") to celebrate. (He also got me tickets to the "So You Think You Can Dance" show that was on tour. I completely got into the show this past season, and the concert was amazing fun!!!!)

My wonderful husband also made me this delicious strawberry cake.

Birthday Mama with her baby boy. :-)

Washed Clean

October 5th was a big day for Levi--he was baptized. Through the act of baptism, Levi is now a beneficiary of God's Covenant with the Church. Baptism is the outward symbol of entry into this covenant. We pray that one day his baptism will be effective upon his own personal faith in Christ.

Baptism itself symbolizes faith in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and our cleansing of and pardoning of sin. It symbolizes the believers' participation in Christ's death and resurrection as well as testifying to the final resurrection of the dead.

Baptism does not guarantee salvation for Levi. It is God communicating to Levi and establishing His relationship with him. It is the New Testament version of circumcision--a sign of the Covenant we have with God. Here's a great explanation of why we do infant baptism by Peter J. Leithart:

"As we establish loving and trusting relations with our infants through symbols [talking to them and loving them through gestures, hugs, and kisses], so God speaks to infants and establishes a relation with them through the “visible word” of baptism. Thus, the question “Should we baptize babies?” is of a piece with the question “Should we talk to babies?” Paedobaptism is neither more nor less odd and miraculous that talking to a newborn. In fact, that is just what paedobaptism is: God speaking in water to a newborn child.

[. . .Parents] speak to their children so that the child will learn to understand and talk back. So too, we baptize babies not because they can fully understand what is happening to them, nor because we expect them to undergo some kind of immediate moral transformation. We baptize them, and consistently remind them of their baptism and its implications, so that they will come to understanding and mature faith. "

My first "matriarchal" decision (phrase used by Dustin) was choosing the baptism gown. We hope to use the gown for all our childrens' baptisms, have their names and baptism date embroidered in the slip, and hopefully also have our grandchildren baptized in it as well. It's amazing to think of a potential generation of those loving Jesus that Dustin and I could leave behind through our children. That's how I got Dustin to allow me to put our son "in a dress." :-)

Yummy cake Mommy baked to celebrate Levi's Big Day!
(The beautiful wooden platter is hand made by Levi's Great Grandfather Lear as a gift to our family!)


Some shots before, during, and after the service:

(Of course, Levi was fussy during the entire baptism. It was time for the poor little guy to eat, and he was tired too because he missed his nap. I think it's a given to have babies cry during baptisms, no matter how "good" they are!)

Levi's godparents, David and Hadyn Boyte (and their two sons, Xiabe and Salem). They weren't able to come up the weekend of the baptism, (mostly b/c all my family was in town), but we taped the service for them and were able to show the video to them with they visited. We are honored to have their loving commitment to pray for our son and encourage him in the Lord.

Following are some pictures/snap shots. A friend has taken better pictures, but I haven't received them yet. (that's why we're not looking at the camera for any of the pictures)

With Levi's Grandpa and Grandma.

With Levi's MaLu and MaGe.

Fun before and after baptism weekend:

Levi's great grandparents, Laura's parents, Don and Alice Lear, got to meet Levi for the first time after their 6 months of travelling through Alaska. They were also able to stay for Levi's baptism.

The adorable moccasins Grandpa Lear got Levi on their trip. (Also referred to as "mucalucks")

Grandma is showing Levi around outside and introducing him to leaves for the first time. Of course, he wants to put it in his mouth! (I think he may have swallowed a little piece . . .)

Aunt Heather and Aunt Megan sharing in some Levi-love.

Uncle Greg teaching Levi how to be cool.

Aunt Megan and Grandma having fun on the ground with Levi.

Uncle Ben even got to play with Levi.

A busy weekend with family! Levi is in his favorite sleeping position--his hands behind his head. Although the lighting is not the best, I love this picture. It is a "classic" relaxing/ chilling picture, especially after a packed weekend!