I thought I would start contributing to the blog.

Things are busy as usual.  I was on call Sunday and Tuesday.  When I am on call on a weekend, I show up early in the morning and complete my call duties the next morning.  Weekday call starts at 5 pm and ends the next morning.  I got a call from the trauma hospital, Wishard, Tuesday night saying a patient had a large bleed around his brain and was critically ill.  I went with one of the 3rd year residents to see him.  His right pupil was fixed and dilated (an ominous sign) and we took him straight to surgery.  We removed the right half of his skull, cut the covering around the brain and right there, sitting on the top of his pulsating brain, was a large clot.  We took it out, stopped the bleeding, put his skull back together, and sewed up his scalp.  I love my job!  

The real highlights of the week, though, were with the family.  We all went to the Zoo Friday night.  Because we have a membership, we had no concern about showing up just 50 minutes before close to enjoy the zoo in a very peaceful and uncrowded setting.  Josh loves the animals.  He is currently working on potty training, and most of his prizes are little animals.  Marie and I had a great date last night.  We had dinner at PF Chang's and went for a long walk along a recently renovated canal downtown.  

We love our home and neighborhood.  We live 2 blocks from a park with a pool.  I play basketball there every morning.  I think the neighbors wonder what crazy person gets up to play basketball 5 am.  All I have to say is, it beats the heck out of running.  One of our neighbors is 12 and loves babysitting.  We have had her come twice already.

We have a great ward.  Marie was called to play the piano in Relief Society.  Josh loves nursery.  We are making friends.  On the 4th of July, a family from our ward invited us and several other families for breakfast at their home.  It was great.

--John

Josh's 3rd Birthday Party Celebration in Iowa

I know that this post is way overdue.  I still have tons of catching up to do.

We celebrated Josh's 3rd Birthday at our favorite park in Iowa, North Ridge Park, which was right by our old apartment.  We had a baseball cake and ice and the kids had a blast playing at the playground.  

We really miss all our friends in Iowa.  Josh talks about all his Iowa friends all the time. 

I love this picture of Josh and Sonah!  They have the cutest happiest smiles!

Josh loves his birthdays.  He talks about having his 4th, 5th, 6th, etc. birthday often.  He'll say: "I'm 5,  I have a birthday party today?!"  He really tries to find any excuse to have a party and friends.

Josh and Sam ("Sammy")

Joshua at his New Home

There is much to post about.  I guess I'll start with recently and move my way back.

Josh has loved our new home!  There is so much more room for him to move around in and he loves having and backyard and helping with the yard-work.  Here he is helping his dad mow the lawn.  He's really helping by not getting in the way and by protecting his parents from the worries about him losing any toes or fingers if he were trying to push the lawnmower himself.  Also, he is helping his dad to get more exercise.  He is such a great helper!  He loves being a part of everything! 

He loves playing in his new room.  I love watching Josh play.  He is so creative and I love to hear what he has to say.  He says the funniest things that either make me laugh or bring a big smile to face.

SINGING ON THE ROOFTOP

The previous owners left an outdoor toy house.  I found him singing on the rooftop!  He has the cutest little voice.  I love it when he sings.  It was such cute moment; I had to capture it on camera before he saw that I noticed him.  

NATE

I know it has been like a decade since I've blogged maybe that is because we have fit in so many things in the last couple of months like:

John graduated from Medical School(with all the many festivities)

Grandparents and Family coming to visit Iowa for the last time 3 different times in one month period.

Josh's 3rd Birthday

We bought our first home

We moved to our first home

We travelled cross country with our two boys 3,500 miles (We drove to Idaho, to Utah, Lake Powell in Arizona, to Denver Colorado, back to Iowa and took 2 days to pack up and then drove to Indiana) (whoa, I'm ready for a break ;) 

Lots more blogging to come for all the many many things we have been up to lately!  Especially since John will be starting residency next week!  This post is dedicated to Nate for now.

Nate is the BEST baby!  He is almost 6 months old and growing up way too fast.  He is the sweetest boy and loves to cuddle and give little hugs.  He is so observant and very calm (the opposite of his older brother, who was always and still is very active).  He loves to watch his older brother who is constant entertainment and he is interested in everything around him!

Nate rolling over for one of the first times at 5 months old.

Nate loved seeing the blossoms and the trees for the first time in his entire life (that's what you get when you are born in the dead of winter).  I love the springtime in Iowa, it is soooo beautiful!

Nate loves books!  I wish that I had as much time to read with Nate as I did with Josh.  Poor kid:(

Nate loves solids!  He successfully tried them right at 4 months.  He will eat anything (all fruits, vegetables, cereals, you name it).  It took Josh till he was almost a year to finally take to some solid foods.  It is amazing to me how different each child can be.

We love him so much and are so blessed that he is part of our family!

Our First Home!

Finally, a picture of our first home!  We will be moving into our house in just a few weeks.  It's crazy to me, but I am really going to miss our little apartment.  We have so many wonderful memories here and it is here that we have brought home our first two babies.  I'm excited to make new memories in our new home in Indiana!