He's really done it!!

We found out early this morning that David was matched with an ORTHODONTIC RESIDENCY at the University of PITTSBURGH!
it came as a huge shock! We didn't really have Pittsburgh on our radar, but the more time we have to digest and think about it - the more we are falling in LOVE with the idea.

DOWNside: we are farther than we would have hoped from family for 3 years.

UPside: After 16 years of working, planning, and hoping - David no longer has to wonder if he'll get the job of his dreams.

It feels as if the stress has finally been lifted - it's amazing the power of an email these days. When we looked at the computer, this morning, the only word we were looking for was "congratulations" - anything else, we knew we could deal with, as long as there was a congratulations! You can imagine the joint exhale that took place after we located the much anticipated C word.

I don't know many details about the program it's self, but David got along really well with the faculty and said the area was beautiful. We think the program starts in early July - which means we'll be moving during the month of June.
Sad - bye sunny California...

I know nothing about Pittsburgh (other than the fact that the name makes me think of an arm pit... might as well say it - we are all thinking it!)
Here are a few interesting facts about our future home:

• It's known as "The City of Bridges" and "The Steel City" for its many bridges and former steel manufacturing base.

• While the city is historically known for its steel industry, today its economy is largely based on healthcare, education, technology, robotics, and financial services.
• in 2008 Forbes listed Pittsburgh as the 13th best city for young professionals to live.
• in 2009, Pittsburgh was named most livable city in the United States and 29th-most-livable city worldwide.
• The city is often utilized for physical activity. The city has some 712 sets of stairs, comprising 44,645 treads and 24,090 vertical feet (more than San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Portland, Oregon combined).
• The city is connected to downtown Washington, D.C. (some 245 mi (394 km) away) by a continuous bike/running trail through the Alleghenies and along the Potomac Valley.

of course we cannot forget other equally important facts like, that Scranton, PA is the home of Michael Scot and Dunder Mifflin.
and, Hershey, PA is only 3 hours away from downtown... yup, I do in fact mean Hershey like the chocolate!!

Though we have always tried to stay hopeful and confident, getting into a residency (not to mention the most competitive dental residency) has never been a sure thing - and has taken a LOT of work. So we are both humbled and grateful for all the thoughts, prayers, and encouragements that have come our way! This a truly a blessing - we had to print off the acceptance email and hang it on the fridge, so we have proof its actually real!!

the birthday princess

Well, it has officially been 2 years since Lexi graced us with her presence... and we've loved every minute!
Here are a few pictures from the day...







She not only helped me to decorate her cake, but she had to taste and re-taste it to make sure it was up to par






birthday balloons and other presents
she caught on pretty quickly to the concept of opening presents... and oddly enough seem to enjoy it

video highlights

fyi: because i am an idiot! most of the video are sideways instead of straight on. One day, i will remember that you can't turn the camera if you want the video straight.

Oh well, it's not like lex will use these one day to look back and remember something important like a birthday or anything...

What the?!

This is the face we see now when we say, "smile!".


Talent agents are knocking down the door... Hollywood has worked it magic.


it's almost painful...

growing pains

So for the past 5 days, this is what I have been finding when I go in to get Lex first thing in the morning, or up from her naps...
...sorry had to take the picture off after talking to my parents and getting creeped out about the thought of people stealing naked Lexi pictures for all the wrong reasons...

Apparently, the time for potty training is drawing near - but she seems more than happy to simply be 'au natural'


there are some who tell me that she doesn't know what she is doing. That she's just exploring. That she doesn't mean to make more work for me as I have to wash and rewash her sheets...


oh she knows... she definitely knows...

Birthday Magic

Yesterday we decided to celebrate at the happiest place on earth... and, it proved to be simply magical!

We road the carousel - numerous - times... so we both got a photo op with our little equestrian. Round.and.round.we.go... and go... and go




Oddly enough, Lexi is terrified of the characters. She refused to make eye contact, until we were for sure walking away, then she was brave enough to wave and say "bye bye"... what courage!

family resemblance?


we frequented the tea cups more often than I would have preferred... she was having a grand time, while I was trying my best to keep my eyes closed and my lunch DOWN.


Next time we visit, I'm going to spent the whole trip seeing how many pictures we can get with the shape of mickey's head in the background... oh, something to look forward to!


And, what's a b-day without a little cake? She was more than a little determined to have her cake, and eat it too. (Thanks for waking up early, and making the cake Dave! it was delicious - more so cause I didn't have to make it!)


All in all, it was a perfect day. Though we certainly wish we lived closer to family so we could all spend these days together; Seeing Goofy oddly filled the void some how...

finger lickin' good

So, as the lack of blog entries may suggest, i have been a little stressed and busy over the past few weeks. Much of the stress comes from wondering where we are going to be living for the next few years, but throw a little YW drama in the mix and voila - one super-sized emotional basket case.
Now, i hear that when some individuals get stressed or overwhelmed they do things like: go for a walk, write all their feelings down on paper, or talk problems through with another person. I, however, am not that well balanced or emotionally mature - go ahead, ask David he'd be the first to agree - thus, what do i do to cope with my stress? Starts with a "C" and doesn't involve either sharing or caring...

yup, CHOCOLATE... and lots of it!

Some of you may be, at the very moment, recalling that I have a degree in Psychology. The science of the "care and share"; The revolution of "talk it out". So why am i confiding in Betty Crocker? I went into head shrinking so that i was the one asking the questions... to poor David's dismay, i never claimed to believe in sharing feelings.
I always forget is there one T or two in hypocrite?

Anyway, lex loves to help me cook dinner and can always be found right under foot while I'm in the kitchen. The entire time i was putting the brownies together she stood at my feet with her mouth open and tongue hanging out - yup, made the mistake of letting her taste the batter. This was the first time she's even gotten the bowl and spoon to lick clean - i think she caught on pretty quick.

It was hard to get a good picture... she was so focused on getting as much batter as she could, she wouldn't stop for even a brief Kodak moment. Thus, no smiles - just pure concentration...

group hug

the weekly special

This is Alexis' new favorite perch. She loves to climb in, but getting out is another matter.
I find it fairly ironic that she willingly puts herself into a shopping cart that is obviously way too small, while at the grocery store in the cart is the last place she wants to be.

THEY DO EXIST! - - in california

Over the weekend, David and I decided to take a "spur of the moment" camping trip to Big Bear.
First, let me simply start off by saying:

I am BIGGER than her.
I am STRONGER than her.
I am SMARTER than her (at times I definitely question the validity of this one).
I am OLDER than her.
And, I am MEANER than her.

So with all of the evidence weighing heavily in my favor of having the upper hand - I ask: WHY is EVERYTHING so much more difficult when kids are involved?!?!



David had class on Friday afternoon, so we thought it best that rather than skip class and avoid traffic - we'd hope for the blessing of light traffic in return for scholastic diligence. Traffic was not pretty but could have been drastically worse, and what should have been a 2 hour drive took closer to 3 hours.
David won the prize for booking at the most obscure campground possible, and our drive time was lengthened to 4.5 hours as we drove back and forth through winding mountains roads trying to find the camp ground that had no trouble finding our bank account for the reservation fee.
As our drive time increased we decided to give Lexi her bottle in hoped of keeping her pacified. Sadly, we did not factor in the winding roads and mere moments later, as we ourselves we joking about car sickness, not only her bottle but everything else in her little stomach made an encore appearance. Most of it landed on her stuffed dog - which we now lovingly refer to as the "spew sponge". And, after a brief stop on the side of the road to de-spew and attempt to settle our own stomachs, we finally pulled into our campground a little after sunset.

The "camp host" handed David our car permit looked in the car and said, "there's a bear and she has a cub." I realize I may have been a little short with her and only made brief eye contact, but I don't think there was really cause for name calling! David, however, didn't need to agree quite so readily! I was a little taken aback by her blunt delivery and realized that the mountains must be where they send "those kind" of hosts...

We got our tent set up in record time and sat down for a brief dinner. Somehow our choices for food were limited only to soup for dinner, but 4 different kinds of cookies to choose from for dessert... that's what happens when David is in charge of the gear and I am in charge of the food.
After retiring for the evening, we realized Lexi was not about to sleep in her port-a-crib; and, since I felt guilty about her clothes being damp from sitting in a wet car seat David let her sleep in his sleeping bag with him. Which worked out great from about 10pm to 3am - at which point she woke up, saw both mom and dad, and decided that she had enough sleep and was ready to play.
It was one of those nights were again I was wondering why I didn't "help" her to sleep. And also, I couldn't wait for night to be OVER. After hours of rocking and cuddling, I finally thought she was back to sleep when in clearest sing-song voice I hear, "mama! dada! papa!". Rarely have I wanted to injure my child, but at that moment I must admit my resolve weakened - - greatly!!




After the sun FINALLY came up, we scavenged for some fire wood and had a nice bonfire in no time - while deftly managing to avoid the scathing looks from other campers; apparently noise carries in the mountains.
Lex showed us yet again that she has no idea the meaning of the word "boundaries". She was not nervous in the least about wandering away from camp and out of our sight. She would walk until she saw David coming after her, and then her pleasant sightseeing turned into a full sprint. She loved the dirt, and much like sand at the beach, quickly had it every where. She was in constant motion until we finally packed up camp and buckled her back in the car - with a great deal of protest - to no one's surprise, she was asleep in the car before we even exited the camp ground.

We had great expectations and high hopes of taking advantage of out time in the mountains: hiking, swimming in the lake, and scouting out other camp grounds. But after a long sleepless night it was hard to work up enthusiasm for much more than getting home and taking a nap!
We did go sightseeing to Lake Arrowhead - which as we were informed my our "host" is a private lake. I raise the question as to how exactly a lake becomes private? I was sorely tempted to get out of the car and fill one of our water bottles with the private water, just to show "them" what I thought about their private lake. But, that meant stopping the car and there was no way I would risk awakening the sleeping cub.

Our drive home was uneventful, but there have been few times when we have been so grateful to see our freeway exit. Unlike our experience at the drive-in, we realized that we need to camp more often so that Lex gets used to it. And, also so that I can perfect ways of "helping" her to sleep far far away from people we know and cell coverage for DCFS...



Yes, we are those parents - the ones that sit and watch while their kids make an absolute mess.
Numerous other campers pointed us out as they walked by - I'm not sure they were remarking on Lexi's chameleon like ability color change to match her surroundings, or if they were points of "so that's the child - go figure with parents like those!"

By the end, it was difficult to remember what color she was when she started...

you did what?

Kristen - this one's for you!



Recently, my brothers' wives and my mother decided to put a streak of pink in their hair. Since I was unable to attend the impromptu girl's day, and so I wouldn't feel SO left out, Kristen mailed me the supplies and I did my own. Side note: who knew you could mail hair dye? and, if you can't which disgruntled P.O. worker dropped the ball on that one?!?!

I was really excited to play along, right until I put the pink dye on... then, I had one of those "what on earth are you thinking?" moments... I have those a lot. but, by that point there was no turning back.
I think the bathroom took more of a beating than my hair - there is still pink everywhere. When Kristen warned that it was powerful; well, let's just say hopefully the next occupants of our apartment like pink, and I will NEVER question Kristen again!

The streak is actually pretty well hidden - with only a glimpse of pink every now and then. Which is probably for the best, I was a little worried what kind of backlash I would get at church since I am supposed to be an "example" for the young women (young woman rather, but that's a whole other drama)...

When I emailed David a picture, he had two questions:
1 - is it permanent?
2 - did you do it to Lexi?

Yes, permanent. And, come on give me some credit - since when would I torture my daughter simply to play with her hair?
Besides, I have a feeling blue is more her color...

never again

Last weekend, David and I had the brilliant plan of going to the drive-in movie theater. We didn't want to hassle with getting a babysitter. Just as easily as Lex could sleep in her crib, she could sleep in the car while we watch movies... right...

?!?! WRONG ?!?!

We were pretty enthusiastic about our genius idea. David gets to see 2 movies he actually wants to see (Harry Potter and Transformers 2). I don't have to worry about paying full price for 2 movies. And, Lexi gets to spend time with us rather than home alone with a sitter. Everybody WINS.

So, the master plan was to have Lex all ready for bed and right as the first movies starts, put her in her car seat and hand her the ba ba. Everything was going very smoothly and exactly according to plan, until the first movie started and we tried to put her in her seat... She wanted nothing to do with her car seat and after she finished her bottle on my lap, she wanted nothing to do with sleeping.
Her ideas for the evening turned out to be radically different than ours. If she wasn't screaming because we were rocking her in attempts to get her to sleep, she was flashing the brights on and off, playing with the radio volume or switching the radio stations completely, or screaming "no no no!" as I forced her little fists out of the doughnuts.

I can honestly say that I have no idea what happened in Harry Potter. And, don't recall anything about transformers aside from the last hour - when Lexi finally zonked off into an unconscious oblivion. 12:30AM ... both David and I were exhausted, so I can't blame her one bit for falling asleep.

Throughout the entire experience the only coherent thought I had was, "why on earth did I NOT add the benadryl to her bottle?!?" You can be sure that I will not make that mistake again... And, by mistake I am certainly not talking about only the omission from the bottle... we're talking the whole very memorable event!

don't worry, she made up for it the next day.

variations

here are a couple of variations for the sourdough bread...

sourdough w/ Kalamata olives... SO good if you love salt as much as I do!


sourdough w/ Asaigo cheese... doesn't look much different, but oh man!


or, a third option my sister.in.law thought of is homemade croutons... works great for those times when the bread goes stale before it gets eaten.

SO MANY options - so little time to eat!

bye bye

Our family is once again back to normal, but I knew we were in trouble when Lex wandered out of her room this morning and the first thing she said was, "cat! cat!".

our daughter of constant motion and perpetual commotion...

exchange program

Our good friends are always more than willing to watch Lexi when David and I go out for a few hours, so we decided we better return the favor and watch their "little one".
This weekend - and this weekend only - our family as a new addition. Zulu.
Lex adores having her around - she in fact treats her not like a pet, but rather like a little playmate person. she brings her markers... stuffed animals... books... and anything else that we normally find ourselves telling her she has to share. Lex is getting quite good at the 'sharing' part, but her 'placement' could use a little work - as more times than not, she puts everything directly on top of Zulu.
Zulu was a bit apprehensive during her first visit. Apparently going from a peaceful empty house, to a lexi house is a rather dramatic change. But, she has figured out that she can run MUCH faster than Lex and fit into MUCH smaller spaces to gain a few moments of peace.

We'll be sad when the weekend ends, and we have to give her back. But, I'm sure we can go visit Lexi every now and then...