20 Questions

I doubt anyone I know will do this, mainly because practically no one reads my blog! Which is okay, I understand.. I don't hardly ever write on it! But, my sister Michelle tagged me and I'm sitting here sick on a Friday night, so why not...

Rule #1 The tagged person must write their answers on their blog and replace any questions they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves

Rule #2 The tagee must tag 5 other people to do this quiz and must name who tagged them. Well, as previously stated, my sister Michelle tagged me... and I'll tag Dana, my sister-in-law Rachel, Francesca, Catie, and Amanda.

1. What is one word that can best be used to describe you? Real. I thought it was interesting that my sister chose this same word, I've always thought it was the most appropriate word for me. I have no desire to pretend to be someone I'm not; what you see is what you get, for better or for worse.
2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be? I guess it's always been kind of a fantasy of mine to know if I could have made it as an actress or singer, so I'd like to see what it would be like to be a celebrity for a day.
3. What would you do with a billion dollars? Invest it, give it to charity, travel everywhere, make sure my family was provided for.
4. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood? Lucas. He has a way of leveling me. It's also hard to be mad when I look at Maddox's sweet face.
5. What is your bedtime routine? Shower, pump, bottle prep for morning and daycare, brush my teeth, jammies, bed.
6. What activities did you do in High School? If you could go back would you do the same, or something different? Oh geez, I did everything... choir, honor society, bible club, student government, x country ski team, swim team, volleyball team. No regrets... whatever I did made me who I am today.
7. What kind of books do you read? I like science fiction/fantasy but I'll read just about anything if I have the time.
8. How do you see yourself in 10 years? Pretty much like I am now, working half-days and then spending the rest of the day with the kiddos. Possibly in Colorado.
9. What's your favorite piece of clothing you own? I don't think I can answer this! I have a new teal/aqua colored silk dress I love. I'll pick that for now.
10. What kind of skin care do you use? Don't... soap and water with a washcloth.
11.What's the first thing you do when you wake up? Turn off the alarm, turn on the curling iron and the coffee pot as I grab the pump.
12. If you could have any job, regardless of income, what would it be? I don't know. I like being a physical therapist... but I'd rather be in an outpatient setting.
13. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be? I like my name... it would be fun to have a more exotic or sophisticated name though, like Jasmine or Vivienne.
14. If you had to choose between 6 months of sun or 6 months of rain, which would you choose? Six months of sun. Hands down.
15. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months what would it be? Bread.
16. What is the thing you enjoy about blogging the most? I like that it's a way of remembering things I don't want to forget... I enjoy reading back over my old ones and remembering things I'd totally forgotten or the excitement I felt during a time in my life.
17. Do you prefer salty or sweet foods? Salty, although I love sweets too.
18. What items are in your purse right now? Coupons I'll probably never use, a broken pen, my wallet, and my keys.
19. What do you watch on television that you know you shouldn't? We actually just got rid of cable, for which I am really happy. But Dexter (where you end up rooting for the main character who is a serial killer) and True Blood (which I've kind of lost interest in due to it being really weird)
20. What is the best memory you have of the person who tagged you? The best? I don't know. There are lots of good memories, I can't pick the best, but I loved meeting Lane for the first time and asking Michelle if it was fun to know that she was Lane's favorite person in the world... watching her glow with being a new mother was special.

Just another Manic Monday...

Well, I guess it's time for my once-monthly blog post. I've just started my 4th week at my new job in Lexington at the Brian Center. So far I like it pretty well. It's a little under-challenging, but still so worth it to have the extra time with Maddox. Speaking of the little monster, today was his 6 month checkup. He is 17lbs, 8oz (50th percentile for weight) and 27 inches long (85th % for height). He is so stinking cute. He is rocking in quadruped these days, getting so close to crawling. He also commando crawls, or inch-worms forward on his belly. He still squeals with delight and makes all kinds of gurgly noises but not really any da-da, ma-ma, ba-ba kinds of sounds yet. Although he did do "da-da" once yesterday and it was the first time we'd heard it... but it definitely wasn't directed at anyone.

We went wine tasting with Glen and Kathryn yesterday to divine llama vineyards, vineyard 4201, and Flint Hill vineyard... it was a good time! On Saturday our neighbors are renewing their wedding vows and on Thursday we are celebrating graduation with a friend. It's going to be a busy week! Lucas' business Cucumber is making good progress. I'm so excited for them, it sounds like they will have an actual product (a very rough draft) done by the end of the month... apparently the wives are to be the guinea pigs. I am so proud of Lucas (and his friends) for taking this leap of faith and taking action to make their dreams a reality... it takes a lot of courage! And to be quite honest, I'm not sure if I would have the courage to take such a risk. It's easier for me to trust that he will succeed!

Bin Laden was killed today. I guess when I'm reading back over these it will be interesting to have that mentioned as an important day in history. Even though I'm sure the world is a better place without him, I'm still glad that I was not responsible for the order that took his life. I hope that Obama and God had a long conversation about that order; it's one thing to make decisions that indirectly take lives, it's a completely different thing to make an order to directly take someone elses.

That's all I've got for now... I'm sick, and tired so I quit! lol...

April

This month has been good so far. For my birthday we went to Asheville and stopped off at a winery on the way. Then the next day the Morgans came out and we went to a few more and played Catan! We said goodbye to Lucas' parents, which was harder than I think either of us realized it would be... the house is nearly finished now and we are looking forward to closing this chapter of our lives! I have to say though, it looks incredible... I'll have to try to remember to post pictures.

Maddox and I wine tasting on my birthday!

Our lovely house blooming in spring! I've been busy getting the hang of my new job. I transferred facilities, from the Brian center in Winston to the one in Lexington... I have yet to get everything down, but everyone is very friendly. I even have my own desk! Silly that I'm so excited about that... but I am. :) Most of all, I love getting a paycheck and I LOVE getting to spend more time with Maddox. SO happy, like always!

So because the in-laws are gone and I'm at work, Maddox has started daycare! He is doing wonderfully with it and they just love him! I actually think he loves it too since there is so much to look at! The workers are always saying how advanced he is with his movements and also with the foods that he is able to eat. They also asked "does he look like his dad?"... to which I pulled out the picture of them together and they said, "oh yes, just like his daddy!"

Lucas has been busy working with Cucumber; the business he's started with his friends Rex and Jason. They are making good progress towards determining the needs and market for their product. I have to admit that at times when he is working long hours I get jealous that he isn't home more often and spending more time with Maddox and I, but I know that ultimately he works so hard for us so that we can spend more time together in the future.

So... the truth. Maddox is SO unphotogenic. We have to take a million photos that look just like this one before we capture how cute he really is!

Other cute things:

He loves the book "Where, Oh Where is Huggle Buggle Bear?"... whenever I start to read it to him he stops whatever he's doing and looks at me with big eyes and then grins!

He loves it when I go "teeheeheehee" in a very high pictched voice, he can be in the middle of crying and he'll stop and laugh.

He loves it when daddy or uncle Sean tries to "eat" his neck, he squeals with delight! He also loves it when we tickle his sides or blow on his belly-also squealing and cooing worthy!

He loves to eat, he says "mmmmmm" when he's eating and frequently whines inbetween bites as if we're not feeding him fast enough! Speaking of, he currently eats rice cereal, bananas, prunes, oatmeal, peas, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and pears.

The Blur that has been March...

Wow. Where do I start? And why do I feel like all of my blog posts start this way? Probably because I'm not consistent enough to just write what has happened in the last day or two and am always trying to write about what has happened in the last month... *sigh* Oh well, I guess that's to be expected when writing on a blog doesn't quite rank as high as spending time with my son or husband. Most importantly I PASSED! I am officially a licensed physical therapist. Weird. I can't believe after 8 years of school I am finally done and starting my career. Kind of sad since I'm almost 30.... again, oh well. :) I started my job yesterday at the Brian Center here in Winston. It was both a good and frustrating day, as today has been as well. Basically, everyone seems super friendly and helpful.... but the rehab department seems so unorganized. And while I may not always be the most organized person, I do like things to run smoothly and efficiently and I feel like that's really important in a business.... so I am both impressed and unimpressed thus far. Is that clear as mud? I have hopes that with new and consistent staff that things will start to be more organized.

Family photo op!

In other news the project house is coming along... poor Dave. It is such a big task and he has had so little help. But what he has done has been incredible. We were able to paint this weekend and began putting up light fixtures and trim... flooring has been bought and will be put in this week and this weekend my dad is coming to help install the new kitchen cabinets. It's going to look like a whole new house when we're through with it! Dave is currently in the process of completely re-doing the bathroom... it was pretty sketch before!

Standing like a big boy with daddy!

Maddox is the greatest baby ever. He is now 16 lbs and 26 inches long! He has finally started sleeping 5 and 6 hour stretches after I finally consented (by me hiding and letting Lucas do it) to letting him cry some through the night. It only took 1 night and he's been doing great ever since! He is the happiest baby ever almost all of the time... he has started "squacking" as we like to say, making really loud noises from his throat and the most ridiculous faces... he raises one eyebrow and purses his lips and all kinds of facial expressions... he is so fun to watch and brings us so much joy. He learned to roll from his back to his stomach (but only to the left) this month and he gets so frustrated when he can't go anywhere yet. His hair is finally starting to grow back and I think by the end of the month we will be rid of the mullet. :) He is also eating more solid food now, about 3 tablespoons in the morning and at night. He has mastered rice cereal, oatmeal, and prunes and will be trying carrots tomorrow for the first time. I believe he'll be starting daycare on the 28th which is going to be so hard to do... I am greatful that I only have to work 6 hour days though so I can spend a little more time with him.

Maddox LOVES this giraffe my mom sent him

Retaining wall... check!

Today my husband, my brother, my brother-in-law, father-in-law, and 3 close friends all built a retaining wall underneath our investment house... why you may ask? Because the dirt underneath it was collapsing, and soon the house would have too without this wall! We were really surprised at how quickly it went with all the helping hands! It looks like tomorrow Mark and Dave may help us put up the backsplash in our kitchen too! Hip, hip hooray! It's been almost a year since we remodeled the kitchen and that is the last thing to be finished! I think I may do a little dance when it's done!

Not the finished product, but you get the idea!

It's been so nice out, we've been taking little man out for walks

Daddy is NOT his favorite person at this moment...

In other news... my application still has not been approved to schedule my board exam... so I wait. And study. Ugh. I want it over.

Today I'm thankful for...

*God's amazing grace and guidance; I may not always listen, but He's always there

*My mom who sent me a starbucks card for Valentine's day

*My sister's blog posts; they help me feel connected to her even though she is halfway across the world

*My son; you know that lyric "you don't know what you've got til it's gone" well, having him is kind of like that... only I didn't know what was missing until I had him

*My husband; for being so supportive and loving and telling me I'm beautiful even when I look like "frump wife" :)

*My mother-in-law who is keeping my house running so I can study

*My new job! I hope it's as awesome as I think it will be...

*My brother who dotes on Maddox like he was his own son

*Ice cream, popcorn, and wine; oh how I love thee!

*Good friends; enough said

*Sleep.... I've had very little of you the last 3 1/2 months, but I think we may become reaccquainted in the near future thanks to...

*Rice cereal; my son seems to like you

Study, study, and study some more!

Well, the title says it all! I have been keeping my nose to the grindstone, studying hard for the boards. I have STILL not been approved to schedule my exam, so it may not be the 25th like I was hoping it would be, but I'm still hopeful. I got a job though! I have accepted a job at a skilled nursing facility here in Winston for a company called Sava Senior Care. I am really excited; they seem to really care about their employees and patients which is really important to me. I also get $1000 a year for continuing education (practically unheard of to get that much these days), get full benefits with working 30 hours a week (so I can spend more time with Maddox), and I am getting probably around $10 more an hour than I thought I would as a new graduate! God is so faithful. My temporary start date is March 14th... hopefully I will pass my boards on the first try and be done with it!

In other news, Dave and Rebecca (Lucas' parents) arrived on Thursday to come for an extended visit. Dave is going to help Lucas fix up our investment home and Rebecca is going to help me watch Maddox and take care of the house so that I can study for the boards. Mark (Lucas' brother) comes on Friday to stay for the weekend to help do some of the heavy labor on the house also... we will have a very full house for a couple of days! I think that's about it for now...

Airplane!

You love standing

Your first rice cereal feeding

You're so cute when you pout!

Grandma Joyce came to babysit for a few days!

Life goes on...

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly time flies by. We have already been back from Mexico 2 weeks and life is in full swing. Our first week back I had a nasty head cold that I am still trying to get rid of... and Maddox got a mini version as well; you should have heard his baby coughs, it was enough to break your heart! Fortunately he was only sick for a day or two, I guess him getting all my antibodies helped him fight it off. We also introduced rice cereal in his bottle last week. It was glorious to have him sleep for 4+ hour stretches... unfortunately he also didn't poop for the past week so I ended up taking him to the doctor today after prune juice, rectal stimulation, and a supository all failed. Of course then he pooped in the office. Murphy's law right? Anyways, so we are holding off on the rice cereal for a couple more weeks... at least I know sleep is coming in the near future!

Just "hangin" around

I have been blessed to have lots of friends who have been helping watch Maddox for a couple hours each day so that I can study for the boards. I finally feel like I am making some headway in the massive review book. :) Plus Lucas' parents come next week and then I will have unlimited live-in help. So between studying, cooking, cleaning, taking care of Maddox, applying for jobs, and doing interviews, my life has been relatively hectic! I think that it is about to get more hectic too, as we are gearing up to really start to fix up our investment home. I pray that God will bless our investment and that once it's fixed up we'll be able to get renters in there and have a little extra income instead of a money pit. Lots of exciting changes are underway...

You love bathtime now

Maddox is growing so fast... he is 14lbs, 4oz already and so stinking happy. He coos and oohhs and aahhs constantly, plays with his activity gym, and loves the TV (this won't be allowed when hes' a little older) He also thoroughly enjoys looking at the pictures on the wall and his crinkley lion. The past 2 mornings I have woken up to hear Maddox talking up a storm in his crib at 4am; he goes on for about 15 minutes and then drifts back off to sleep... it is so adorable that I have to stop myself from picking him up, unwrapping him and talking to him until the wee hours of the morning. We are so unbelievably blessed that God put him in our lives!

You are actually starting to enjoy tummy time

You love daddy

You are so incredibly happy these days!

Happy 3 months little man!

I can't believe Maddox is already 3 months old! In honor of this special occasion, I wanted to post about all the things I love about my little man... okay, there's no way I can write them all down, but I'm going to pick the highlights!

I love the way you look at me sometimes.... like you know exactly who I am and that I am your favorite person in the whole world. You look at me with adoring, loving eyes and then smile so big... it makes my heart melt every time!

I love that you humor daddy and watch hockey with him...

I love that you let me dress you up in adorable hats...

and I love your crazy hair!

I love the way you scrunch your chin back to create a double chin when you're pooping or trying to fart...

and I love how you smile with the left side of your mouth in your sleep.

I love the noises you make... all of them! But especially the cooing noises you make when your talking to me or to your friends on your activity gym...

I love your beautiful deep blue eyes...
and I love how you snuggle your head into my shoulder.

I love you so very, very much, little Maddox.

Mexico!

So for "Christmas" this year, the Dargis clan all met up at an all-inclusive resort in Cabo San Jose, Mexico for a week of fun in the sun. Lucas, Maddox, and I got there a day early and stayed an extra day. Maddox was so good during the flying and the whole trip in general... of course when you're held 24/7 what's there to cry about? Me and little man playing on the balcony of our room.

Maddox got to meet all his Dargis aunts and uncles, and meet his cousin Gabby who became good friends by the end of the trip (see above image of Gabby petting Maddox) Uncle Lucas and Gabby still have some work to do though!

Uncles Miah, Jake, and Mark nicknamed Maddox Mad-puppy since he's not quite old enough to have earned the title Mad-Dog just yet. Highlights of the trip included:

a day of snorkling, unlimited wine (don't worry, I p-dumped!), evening games of Catan, lots of sunbathing, unlimited real guacamole, and a wonderful massage on the beach. One on one time with Grandpa!

Rachel 365

I am really excited about this site! Basically you upload a picture for each day of the year! I am hoping that I'll be much more consistent with taking 1 photo a day than I am at updating my blog every day/week.../month lol! Check it out! http://365project.org/rachel_dargis/365

Happy New Year!

I think that 2011 will be hard pressed to top 2010.... during the past year I graduated with my doctorate, we bought a home, an investment home, and I gave birth to Maddox Alexander! While I don't think 2011 will hold quite as many milestones, I know that it will hold just as many blessings! Coming up we have our trip to Mexico with Lucas' family, then I'll come back and study for, take, and hopefully pass the boards, and Lucas' parents will come for a visit and to help us fix up the investment home we bought. I am looking forward to watching Maddox grow and explore his world and all the blessings that come with being a new mommy! Here's to 2011! You love hanging with Dad...

and you are much happier now that you get your acid reflux medicine!

Maddox loves his Grandma!

The Arrival of Baby Maddox

We're parents! Maddox Alexander Dargis was born on October 27th at 11:17am. He weighed 7lbs, 4ozs and was 20.5 inches long! He took his mother quite literally when I joked that he needed to come early as I like to be punctual! Lol! On Tuesday afternoon I had an appointment with my Obgyn; she checked me and said I was still 1-2cm dilated (like I had been for the past 2 weeks) and reminded me that most first-timers go past their due date. Later that evening when Lucas & I went for a walk, I told him it was a reality check... I'd been hoping so much that he would come soon because I was so miserable but that I needed to just accept that I was going to be pregnant for another 2 & 1/2 weeks.... my water broke that morning at 4am. I still would have liked to see my face when it broke and my eyes popped open... maybe when I get to heaven I'll ask God to replay that for me. So I was sure my water had broken but Lucas was somewhat skeptical... he said "are you sure you didn't just pee yourself?" (the Ob had just informed us that day that uncontrollable pee was in my near future). After he stripped the bed and could see/smell for himself that there was no pee, he seemed to come around. We started to get our things together but since I wasn't having contractions yet, we decided to eat breakfast (since we'd been told you don't get to eat until afterwards) and call/email our families.
So about 40 minutes later with my contractions in full force we headed directly to the hospital. When we got there they verified I was indeed in labor and then took us to the labor and delivery room. After a million questions and some pretty intense contractions that were already coming less than 2 minutes apart, they checked and said I was 4cm dilated. I held out for another hour or two (don't really remember) when I finally said I needed the epidural. I honestly think knowing that I didn't have to be in pain was just more than I could handle, plus having a 30-90 second contraction every 2 minutes or less, it was just happening so fast that I didn't feel like I could catch a break. So I got the epidural at 6cm... all I can say is drugs are amazing and I couldn't ever imagine having a child without one now! I went from shaking with pain to playing spider solitaire while I waited for the next 2 hours to pass. 2 hours later they checked me again and I was 9 1/2cm dilated; they said they were going to set up and then we would start pushing... I can't tell you how surreal the whole experience was. I had anticipated being in labor for hours and being late, not being early and having a child in 6 1/2 hours! The pushing was hard; mostly because I couldn't feel the contractions to really push into. The only way I can compare it is like trying to have a bowel movement when you don't feel like you need to have one. Then at 11:17am Maddox was born.
He was born with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck, he was blue, and he wasn't breathing. Those were the longest 3 minutes of my life. We anxiously waited while 4-5 nurses huddled around Maddox and pumped oxygen into his lifeless little body. All I remember was pleading with God "please, please" I was so scared that I had carried this little man in my womb for the past 9 months and pushed him out and that I would never get to meet him. Fortunately, God heard and answered my prayer and he began to cry. So there you have it. The abrupt and fast entrance of Maddox Alexander into the world! He is so precious and perfect in every way and we are already blessed and forever changed for having him.

10 ways you know you're REALLY pregnant

10. You pee, oh, 40 times a day.
9. 12 hours of sleep is not a luxury, it's a necessity.
8. You've adopted the "kangaroo pose" with your hands perched on your belly.
7. You have absolutely no doubts that ice cream is a perfectly acceptable source of calcium.
6. Your husband tells you you're the cutest pregnant woman ever to which you promptly respond to by bursting into tears.
5. You laugh at other people when they tell you they're pregnant.
4. Your doctor tells you that +1 pitting edema in your ankles is really "pretty good for this point in pregnancy"
3. You start to think about ways to punish your unborn child for making you so miserable (don't pretend you didn't fantasize once about popping that little sucker on the bottom!)
2. You try desprately to pick things up with your toes so you don't have to bend over.
1. You dream about giving birth to things like tube socks.

Dear Baby Dargis

Dear Baby Dargis,
I can scarcely believe you will be here in 8 short weeks! (you know how mommy likes to be punctual, so don't get any ideas!) You are already super active, stretching and doing sommer saults all the time! I make jokes that you are already your dad's son because you never sit still. You've been getting the hiccups a lot lately which right after I get annoyed that you are keeping me from much-coveted-sleep, I smile because I know that it means that you are healthy and developing normally. You prefer my right side, which your dad jokes is because the left side is "the ghetto" of my womb... I tell him he's ridiculous. Unfortunately my right side is where my appendectomy scar is and has caused me a lot of pain. The doctor says it's because the scar tissue is stuck to my abdominal muscles which has caused tearing... this is also why I'm dependent on this ridiculous belly brace, which lets face it, is not the most attractive accessory! But even on the days when I hurt a lot and your dad has to push me off the couch, I know through every moment of every day that you are worth it. :)

Everyone is very excited for your arrival... your adopted aunt Amanda is coming to see you right after your born and your Grandma and uncle Kyle are coming to spend Christmas with you. And then of course, all the Dargis clan plans to oooohhhh and ahhhhh over you in Mexico, your first trip outside of the country! You'll get to meet your cousin Gabby then too! Unfortunately, you'll have to wait longer to meet your cousin Lane and your aunt Shelly and uncle Shannon, but they are just as excited to meet you via skype! Not to mention your Grandma Joyce is going to take time off work (a very big deal) to come help you get settled!

Your room is almost completely done which your dad says is the nicest room in the house... which might be true because none of the others are really finished yet. We get more and more ready to meet you with each passing day; your dad tells me frequently to "hurry up and make him a baby!" :) I already get teary eyed thinking about the day I actually get to hold you... and then I full on cry when I think about how quickly you'll grow up. We can't wait for the added joy and blessings that we know you'll bring to our lives.

We love you and can't wait to meet you.
Love,
Mom & Dad

Ticking right along...

Well, I started to feel bad that it's been so long since I've updated... but I refuse! I have been way too insanely busy!

I have been working between 40 and 46 hours a week at my internship which has been at High Point Regional in the outpatient pediatric setting.... while I am exhausted, I have loved it! I really think if I can find a pediatric job that it's what I'll end up doing... the kiddos are so fun! I have also been trying to put in extra days on the weekends so that I can finish at 38 weeks instead of 40 or 41 which was my original finish date.

Speaking of kiddos, ours is doing well... he is getting big and the Drs say that according to his ultrasounds he looks super healthy... and has big feet. I guess that runs in the family. :) He has been kicking up a storm and we are slowly getting more and more ready for his arrival... my mom and sister painted the nursery for me, I have a crib, and finally got registered for all the knick-knacks we will need. If you are wondering, we are registered at Babies R us and Amazon.com.

In other news, my brother Sean has come to live with us. He is currently looking for a job and trying to get settled in a new place. Pray for him if you think of it that he will find happiness in living a different kind of life. Lucas' parents have decided to move to Colorado instead of Arizona (yay!) and will be moving there in a few short days...

I think that is pretty much the highlights... I will try to be more regular about posting, but don't hold your breath! Here are some pics!

Baby Lemon!

I am 14 weeks tomorrow and apparently baby Dargis is the size of a lemon this week! That makes me feel a little bit better about my pants getting tight. :) Not a whole lot is new in the NC Dargis branch... we got a new (to us) washer and dryer today which is very exciting as our washing machine had been sitting in our kitchen nook for the past 3 months b/c it sporadically leaked. So today we got new ones and actually got to close the laundry doors! Yay! It's amazing how large the kitchen nook looks now! We are still working on putting the finishing touches on the kitchen; I painted the last couple of doors today and only have a little more cabinet painting to do. Then we will tackle putting up the tile backsplash and then painting the kitchen and nook. It is slowly starting to look like a home... and I am slowly finding everything in our house a place to go. It is a bigger challenge than I had originally thought it would be. I even put up some pictures this week! :)
I only have 2 more weeks of classes before I start my internship; it's totally surreal that PT school is coming to a close already!
In extended-family news, my sister-in-law Carmen graduated medical school this week and is officially the first Dr. Dargis! We are super proud of her! Also, my youngest brother Kyle made national honor choir and will be performing in Washington DC this summer. It is really good timing because his concert will be right around the time Michelle, Shannon, Lane, Mom, and Kyle will be staying with us for a couple of weeks, this way we can all go support him!

Internship news

So the last week has been an emotional, physical, and academic rollercoaster. On Monday I started my independent study in pediatrics. It made sense for me to study pediatrics since half of my internship would be with kids and I've only had a few courses on working with them. It was a glorious 2 days of sleeping in until 10 every morning and studying at my leisure. Well yesterday the director of clinical education calls me into her office so we could "discuss how to proceed with DPT805" (which is my internship). When I get to her office, she informs me that I will be unable to complete my internship in the origninal location, as I will not be physically able to do the required amount of lifting for the second half and that they had no other place to put me for those months. So she and I conclude that we need to find an internship site where I would be seeing exclusively outpatient musculoskeletal patients. With that in mind, I decide that it no longer makes sense for me to study pediatrics if I won't be seeing them anymore, so we get approval and switch me into the orthopaedics selective. Well, after tears, class manuevering, and reality hitting me that if she can't find me a spot I may not graduate, I leave only to find an email in my inbox from my original site saying that they have found me a slot in an outpatient, musculoskeletal setting for the second half! Praise God! Only now I'm not studying pediatrics and I will actually be seeing pediatric patients for the first half. Oh well. So there is school drama for you.

On the pregnancy scene, I will be 11 weeks tomorrow and I feel great! I am starting to tell that I have more energy and require slightly less sleep! I've been fortunate to not really have any nausea or vomiting, only indigestion and burping. And a bizarre ongoing craving for BBQ potato chips. :) Well, that's all I've got for now!

Exciting News

Well now that we've told our close friends and family, it's time to let everyone else know that.... I'm pregnant!!!! Today I am 9 weeks and 3 days. I have been very fortunate to have no morning sickness and minimal nausea. Mostly, I am just exhausted all the time. My due date is November 11th which should hopefully work out just in time for me to finish my internship, take 2-3 weeks off, go back to class for 1 week, and then graduate in December! Can you tell this was a planned pregnancy? ;)

On April 2nd I turned 27 and had a wonderful birthday dinner with several of our close friends. We announced that I was pregnant and everyone was super excited for us (or pretended to be!) Then on Saturday Lucas "kidnapped" me for a fun-filled day of "funtivities". We headed down to Charlotte to go shopping at Ikea and then Lucas got us a hotel room at the Grandover hotel in Greensboro. He also surprised me with a massage, but unfortunately b/c I am still in my first trimester they wouldn't do it. But he gets points for trying! I basically couldn't have asked for a better birthday!

In other news, we finally got the kitchen almost entirely put back together. We finally got our appliances in and installed, painted the cabinets black, and got the granite installed. So far we are very pleased with the results! We still plan on applying a tile backsplash, painting, and putting the hardware on the cabinets, but one thing at a time!

Today we had our yearly Roberts birthday gathering and this year we hosted it at our new house so everyone could come see. Dad & Joyce, Shannon, Michelle, & Lane, Heath, Melynn, Katie, & Abby, Aunt Pat & Uncle Howard, Aunt Teresa, Grand-daddy & Nancy, Ann, Sandy, and Harry all came... We had a house full! There was lots of good food and great company! We were also blessed with some very generous house-warming gifts!

All in all, life is going really well for the NC Dargis branch! We are happy, healthy, and extremely blessed... and excited!