Babies in Medicine pt 2

This is part two on the balance of having babies while also being in medical school. 

To see part 1 click here.

Patrick
Our littlest son was born in April 2016 at the end of my third year of medical school. Years three and four of most schools are "clinical years" meaning jumping from rotation to rotation, hospitals to clinics, etc etc trying to figure out what field of medicine you really want to be in. This meant that I was pregnant through all of my third year while bouncing around all my rotations. In general this time was great for being pregnant if you can work it the right way. For me, I benefited in having most of my more demanding rotations where I'd be on my feet more towards the beginning of the year. I did surgery and OB rotations early on which was a blessing because I didn't have my big belly in the way or the fatigue of a third trimester pregnancy being on my feet all day. The one tricky thing for me is that one surgeon I worked with did a lot of cases that needed intra-operative imaging meaning all the docs wore lead vests during the cases. I was early in my pregnancy, no one knew about it and I wasn't comfortable being in on those cases. Luckily it worked out for me but it could have been more difficult.

As the year progressed and my belly grew rounder my rotations mellowed out, more clinic type rotations, less hospital work. Pat was born in the last week of my psych rotation which consisted of my basically sitting around all day. After he was born I used my month of "vacation" time for 4 weeks of zero responsibility. Then I took a study month for round two of board exams and flew to the east coast for my physical exam portion of boards with a 6 week old at home. We then had a bit of a break before the madness of 4th year started so I spent a bit of extra time at home with my growing family.

Transitioning into 4th year with audition rotations, residency applications and interview travel was extra tricky because these were the things that "really mattered" towards my career but I still had a little baby at home to take care of too. Yet again I toted my pump around, learned how to pump while driving long distances, didn't make excuses for my circumstance and my family while on interviews and cried often in hotel rooms by myself missing my baby and my family (#hormones!). I picked elective rotations to fill my schedule that were a lot easier and less demanding so I could be home as much as possible. I saved up my "non-clinical" time and used it later in the year for online courses while at home snuggling my boys. I completed 2 audition rotations, 13 residency interviews in multiple states and all the credits I needed to graduate. And in the end, I did it!

I could write a whole post on this topic itself but briefly, I chose family medicine because of the availability and understanding of this field of medicine to women with families. Plus I really like primary care and continuity with patients, obviously! I knew going into this whole life course that in the end I wanted to be a doctor and a mother and here I am doing both. It's been challenging in ways that I can't even begin to describe but my life is fuller and I truly believe I am a better doctor because I am also a mother to two sons.

Babies in Medicine pt 1

I've had a number of people reach out to me because I'm a mom and also a doctor, both of which happened in the same phase of life for me, and wanting advice on "how we've made it work". So here I am... my attempt at explaining our perspective on balancing family life and the demands of a medical career.

I will note that this is simply how we've made it work and that no situation is exactly the same. 
We've been very blessed to have made it through this part of our life relatively easily and I hope this sheds some light to other women in similar shoes. 

Mark 
Our first little boy was born in September of 2014 which meant I was in the beginning of second year of medical school when he was born. I was therefore obviously pregnant for the end of first year and into the summer break between. One of the hardest parts for me being pregnant at this time was that we were in the thick of anatomy lab, and with the lovely preservatives that cadavers are in this meant I wore an obnoxious respirator every time I was in the lab. These fumes can be dangerous to pregnancies so I had to be safe from the very beginning. Which meant I started wearing and everyone knew of my pregnancy as soon as I found out I was pregnant. Talk about everyone in your business! When it came to second year, our school schedule was "system based" with a clinical medicine course weaved in throughout the year. When Mark was born I was just finishing my cardiology block and about to enter respiratory. He ended up being born a mere 3 days before the cardio final in fact.

For the immediate postpartum period, I ended up getting 4 weeks "off" and basically skipped the respiratory block material/put it on hold. While I was at home snuggling my new baby and drowning in new motherhood I worked on studying for the cardio final I mentioned above as well as one mid-term that happened while I was on leave. I officially became "responsible" for new material for the following block. Once I was responsible for keeping up again I did a mix of actually going in to school for required things and listening to lectures online at home when I could skip. I'd tote my pump with me for longer days and rush home to nurse on days that I could. I'd study with a sleeping baby on my chest or pass him off to my mother-in-law between nursing sessions when I was home cramming. As for the things I missed, I was 100% responsible for the material and making them up. Within the first month I re-scheduled the final and midterm I had missed and while not stellar, I got through them both. For the course I completely "skipped", I spent spring break and the last week of the semester studying for the two exams for respiratory respectively.

The rest of my courses went to be expected. I was able to keep up and continued with a mix of actually going in and studying from home. At the end of second year comes the first round of Board exams which meant I was studying as much as I could with a 8-9 month old at home. As a side note related to board exams, I was still pumping at the time of my tests and was worried how that would be accommodated. But national exam companies are required to allow you to pump and give you a private space to do such. For me I didn't want to use any additional time from my exam to make pumping a big deal so I just set up in a more secluded hallway and pumped right there sitting on the floor under a nursing cover. I had plenty of people give strange looks but couldn't have cared less! Ha!

And here's my thoughts on the outcome of having baby #1 in medical school... It was tough, there is no way of sugar coating that. But it really wasn't as horrible as you'd think looking at it from other eyes. Sure my grades were never in the honors category. I was likely more tired than my other classmates and less available as other new moms. Yes I had to spend my spring break learning about pneumonia and antibiotics etc etc instead of getting a true break. There were definitely times I cried because my baby preferred anyone but me. But by the time third year rolled around, I was completely caught up and had a new baby to show for it.

I should also add that we literally couldn't have done it on our own. From the very beginning we've had tremendous support from our families, not to mention J works from home every single day. My mom would spend a weekend with me if I had to study and J had other commitments. J's mom would come to our house during the week to watch Mark while I was at school/studying and J was working. We never had to worry about child care or daycare and always had someone available for babysitting.

And then we made the crazy decision to add our littlest to the bunch and got pregnant just as third year of medical school was starting. More on that piece of the puzzle to follow...

#RVUGrad2017

Exactly one week ago was one of the most special days of my entire life. It's no doubt that I have basically been calling myself a "forever student" for years and years and now that era has officially ended with graduation from medical school! I am officially Dr. Holland and boy does it feel good. 

Graduation was held downtown at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and it was the perfect place for such a huge celebration. It was classy and beautiful and stood up to the pop and circumstance of the evening. The ceremony was just the right length (which I appreciate so much more knowing my two kiddos were watching upstairs) and the speakers said just the right things to welcome us into the profession of medicine. My #girltribe was all there and I'm in complete denial about us all splitting up after this as our graduation ceremony was really the last reason we'll all "have" to be together. My favorite part, by far, was that each graduate got to pick a hooder for the ceremony if we wanted and there was no question who would hood me, my handsome husband. I really couldn't have gotten to that stage without his help and encouragement and support over these four years and it was such a special moment for the two of us as he placed my doctorate hood over my head. 

#doctormomma

Our family was there to celebrate with us (and entertain our wild ones with videos, stair climbing and snacks!) and we all enjoyed a perfectly easy and absolutely delicious dinner at Cheesecake Factory after the ceremony ended. The new doctor in me definitely wanted to celebrate dinner with our biggest support system but the momma in me was nervous how dinner would go as we would without doubt crash into bedtime for the boys. But it's like they knew how special the day was because they were literally angels the whole time (unless Pat dropped his piece of bread) and I couldn't have been happier. 

I still look at these pictures and think about that day and my eyes well up with tears of gratefulness. Grateful to those who stood next to me through this journey, no one more so than J. Grateful for the best of friends a girl could ask for from this wild ride. And grateful to finally be, J Holland, DO!

The Passage of Time

Time is a funny thing.

Two years ago we were drinking champagne and celebrating a medical school acceptance. After a long application process and dreams of moving home we were thrilled with that happy envelope that came in the mail. We started the scrambling process of selling our San Diego house, finding a new one and moving back to Colorado. Hello dream come true!

One year ago I was cramming for a GI exam. It was my second semester in my first year of school and I was in full study mode. I had worked so hard to get to this place and was really enjoying finally being where I wanted school-wise. Dream come true again. 

And then there's this year. Yes I'm still studying and a crazy full-time student and there are times that I don't enjoy every minute of it. But my study breaks are spent loving on my husband and my sweet, sweet son. This year I'm a momma and he is my dream come true. 

I am so blessed with all that life has given me. Is it perfect all the time? Heck no! But it is exactly what I want and I can't believe how lucky I am. Dreams really do come true!

Five on Friday v4

Today I'm linking up with Christina from Carolina Charm for "Five on Friday" 

Check out the link up below.

[one] I still can't believe how different our little babe was at our 12-week ultrasound compared to our first at 8-weeks. We choose to do the optional u/s at 12w to do chromosomal testing and I'm so glad we did for no other reason than a chance to peak. Our next u/s won't be until the 20-week full anatomy scan and I couldn't imagine going four months between ultrasounds. It's amazing what technology can do and makes me love this little one that much more.

[two] J is headed to the mountains this afternoon for a mini bachelor party with some of his guy friends. They're headed to happy hour and then for an evening of gambling and as much as I'll miss him tonight I'm happy he has a night out to have some fun. I'm sure life with a pregnant, medical student as your wife can get pretty lonely and I'm grateful he has some fun ahead of him this weekend.

[three] There's another student in my class who's pregnant right now too. She's a bit older than I am and this pregnancy isn't her first which means she brought me some fabulous maternity tops that she no longer fits in. She came up to me after class one day with a goodie bag and said "I was your size with my first and can't wear these anymore" and I am so thankful for her generosity. The tops are nice and flowy and I know they'll be perfect with my new linen pants for cooler evenings this summer. 

[four] Our silly O-dog has a horribly bad habit and I don't know how to break it. He's been going into the yard in the evenings and eating his own poo. Seriously, gag me! We both hate that he does it but aren't sure how to break him of it. We want him to be able to enjoy spending time in the yard just being a dog without us having to watch him all the time. But if we aren't watching him and catching him in the act I don't know how he'll learn not to do it. Has anyone else's dogs done this before? Help?!

[five] This week at school was a nightmare. Super long days filled with lectures, labs that don't always go so well and are just stressful, an exam I didn't have much time to study for, standardized patient encounters with unknown cases and so much neuro I need to catch up on before the exam on Monday. I knew this part of the year was going to be the toughest but man, maybe it's because I'm always tired thanks to growing a human but this is rough man. 3 more weeks until neuro and labs are done and 11 more weeks until summer vacation. It can't come soon enough. 

Happy Friday everyone. Here's to a weekend filled with studying and naps to stay alive. 

Hello & Goodbye October

October lived up to what I thought it would be. My left eye has never twitched more in my entire life and I was faced with some lovely middle-school like acne that was just oh, so fun. Ahh the benefits of excess stress. 

Thankfully there have been a few moments that were worth documenting although every single one of them was taken with my iPhone because let's be honest, the real camera isn't coming out much lately. I'm just thankful I captured more than just white board, mind-map, nerves & arteries images because really, school kicked my rear over the last 30 days. 

The Great Pumpkin (aka my mom) made a festive visit // sweet puppy cuddles // my two loves // post-exam Angry Orchard

the first REAL snow of the season // adult bevis in buckets // new, extra healthy green smoothie breakfast

 breaking the rules and studying in bed // the worlds most complicated Bucks order // naps and more naps (he just follows me around as I study)

 study break with chocolate chips // J's newest obsession and a tasty machine // caffeine!!! // an empty, dark locker room because I was at school way too early

my favorite office buddy // yep, more caffeine // scenes from our very first Halloween party on my first free weekend all month 

Here's to the end of hell-month October and getting into a new groove in November. 

Homeowners: The Office

The office has become one of the most used rooms in our house and just so happened to be one of the first places I tackled once we moved in. Since J is working from home and I'm in school, we both knew we needed to have specific places to work instead of just spreading out on the kitchen table or somewhere else in the house. 

After a paint transformation from pastel-pink with sparkle to a soothing sage green plus the addition of two new desks and some decor we already had, here's a peak into where we've been spending a lot of time lately. 

We decided to take the closet doors off and put my desk snuggled into the space. It worked out perfect because there's an overhead light inside all our closets and it helps the room not seem too crowded with two big desks.

This is the usual state of my desk... covered with Basis of Disease books or lab manuals, tons of notes and colored pens and of course, coffee! I reused the frame that held our table-settings at the wedding to hold some of my favorite pictures from that day. As much as I hate how much time I spend sitting here, at least I've got my own little set-up to make me smile.

We bought two bookcases from Target that now hold both "for fun" books as well as all my textbooks. Our diplomas are finally hung and I made a few prints of encouragement to lighten things up. I have to say my current favorite shelf is the one that holds all my new med school equipment, purple stethoscope and all!

The office window faces to the front of the house and lets us know who's coming and going throughout the day/evening. And there are always signs of Ollie in the form of dog hair, toys and sometimes even his silly self making the office that much better.

Now if only I wasn't spending hours upon hours up here ;-)

Med School Survival Tricks

It's no question that adjusting to life as a medical student has been tough. I am now three weeks in, have taken (and passed!!!) two exams, am almost done with my first block of class and finally feel like I'm starting to get my groove with this whole thing. 

And these are some of my favorite things that have helped me along the way. 

+ Anything stress relief is obvious and these Bath & Body Works Spearmint lotion/body wash have hit the spot. I've yet to use the body wash because I'm saving it for a glorious stress-free bath in the future but the lotion is heaven, especially before bed. 

+ Tea Tree Lavender Mint shampoo/conditioner was a super generous gift from my momma and has made me so much more calm when it comes to showering. Because lets be honest, even spending 30 minutes to shower each day is stressful. Because, well, the studying! These, however, make me not want to get out.

+ Using this Olay Classic Night Cream each night before bed might not be taking away the wrinkles I may or may not already have but let's keep our fingers crossed it's preventing any new ones. Lord knows I've had many furrowed brows over the last few weeks. 

+ San Pellegrino Limonata beverages are the perfect treat each afternoon that won't make me hyped up on caffeine if I don't want to be, are something more interesting and tasty than just water and give me something to look forward to while the library sucks my life away. 

+ Pilot Pens and Highlighters and well, office supplies in general. We're covering so much material in class that being organized is half the battle and these have definitely helped me stay on track and make the most of my time. Not to mention the highlighters are erasable (!!!), the colors are fabulous and they were all gifted to me by my favorite lady in San Diego. 

Send some positive vibes my direction as the weekend holds lots of work for our upcoming final exam.  

Here's to another week down and feeling a bit more on my game!

Disclaimer: This post took me literally, the entire week to finally finish writing. Oops.

Medical School Week 1

My first week of medical school is done. 

And we are surviving at this point.

Week 1 has basically been half of my undergraduate sciences classes 

rolled into 5 days of class.

It's been like a tidal wave.

They said there would be an adjustment period and that is 100% the truth. 

Adjusting to better time management, 

something that I used to think I was good at. 

But on this level it's tooootally different. 

Adjusting to balancing school and studying 

(which seems to be all I have time for)

with being married, having friends, seeing family. 

Not to mention finding time to eat (down 4 lbs already), workout, sleep and be sane. 

Adjusting to realizing that I've worked so hard to get here, now I have to stay here.

I'm sure it will get easier and more manageable even within the next week. 

But for now this is basically how I've spent all my time lately. 

Oh and did I mention Exam #1 is today already. 10am.

I'm thankful for my husband who understands this madness

and tells me that he's proud of me. 

And for my mom who offers to bring over a cooked dinner 

and leaves me presents of new shampoo. 

Bring it on week two, I can take it. 

See Ya Later, San Diego

For the last 6 years I've called San Diego my home. I've lived here, gone to school here, made many friends here, grew my relationship with J here and basically became an adult here. The experiences I've gained while living 1000+ miles from my family and the place where I grew up are some that have made me into the person I am today and I will forever be grateful for them.

But this time is coming to a close. We have been hoping to move back to Colorado for many years to be closer to our amazing friends and wonderful family. And well, that dream has finally come true. And while I am ecstatic that we can now move home there is still a part of me that will be sad to leave the "home" I've had for so long.

We aren't sure exactly when this move will happen because a lot of it is dependent on things we can't control (ie new job, housing market, etc etc) but we know that it will be sometime before the end of June. So we've created our "See Ya Later, San Diego" List of things we need to do before the move. Things that we either can't do in CO (hello Ocean!), things that are exclusive to San Diego (greasy, authentic Mexican food) or things that mean a lot to us because of the memories we have from living here. Yes, most of them involve food. Oops. And I'm sure there will be additions to the list as the time goes on.

I'm going to try and document these things as we cross them off our list. But don't worry, I wont bore you with tons of pictures of my In-n-Out cheeseburgers because I'm sure those will be many. Also, if you live in/near San Diego and think we're missing something, tell me and we'll add it on!

Dreams Really Can Come True

This is me at age 4.

Approximately.

This is also the age where if you were to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up?

I'd answer fiercely, a Doctor. 

And I've been answering that question the same way for 20 years. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the process of becoming a doctor, I'll tell you that it is tough, really tough. You must have a bachelors degree that includes a big list of prerequisite courses and most likely you have to be in the top of your class. High GPA made even better with honors recognition, high MCAT scores, emphasis on community involvement, leadership, volunteer work, clinical hours, clubs, research.... I think you get the point. 

Then there's the application process. A primary application that gets sent to all the schools you are interested in that includes every detail you can possibly put on about why you will be an outstanding physician, what you've done to prove yourself and what sets you apart from the thousands of other students in your position. Secondary applications from specific schools if they're interested in you about why their school, their programs, their missions, what you'll bring to the school and how they know to invest their time and education in you. It seems easy, you talk about yourself, what makes you who you are but the tough part is the doubt about whether it's enough, whether they'll pick you over someone else. Not to mention the financial burden that comes along with application fees and such.

And if they do pick you at this stage you're still not in the clear. It's now on to the interviews. Flying around the country, dressed to your finest, hoping that the person you are in the flesh coincides with the person they have on paper and that they will see you as an attribute to their school, that they will pick you once again and give you a seat in the much-too-small class size from a pool of more than qualified applicants. 

Now if you'll remember, our trip home for the holidays and the wedding was extended slightly for me while J took the burden of driving back to SD alone as I was given an interview at one of my top schools. The interview was a little over a week ago. 

The stress, the application process, the waiting, the doubt about whether you did enough, the analysis of your interview answers, everything. It is all worth it. Because sometimes life works in mysterious ways and now, sometime within the next 6 months, we are headed back to Colorado and I will start my first year of medical school in the fall. 

On Monday our lives were forever changed. 

And I am left feeling so thankful, so excited, so blessed, so immensely grateful for all the things that have happened in my life within the last month. I honestly feel like I'm in a bit of shock with the realization that in less than 30 days I was married and accepted to medical school. 

2013 is my year. Life sure is good. 

15 Day Challenge [Day 2]

[Day 2] Write a [few] six word memoir[s]

_________________________________________________

Right now, you are the best. 

Turn your dreams into your plans.

_________________________________________________

These are two things that I've been trying to tell myself each and every day. 

I haven't gotten too personal in blog-land lately but I've been struggling as of late... trying to come to terms with the fact that I am in exactly the place I'm meant to be at this point in my life and that I am doing the best that I personally can be. 

Specifically this all has to do with my future career goals and if you've been around this here blog for a while you know that this has to do with medical school and the ups and downs that come along with reaching this goal for me. There's a part of me that will never be able to give up this dream but at the same time there's also a part of me who just wishes things were easier. Wishes this current life could just stay. A part of me that wishes my current job surpassed all my expectations and was the perfect place for me. A part of me that hopes I wouldn't be disappointed in myself if things didn't work out like I have always planned. A part of me who is in the beginning stages of so many changes in my life that I almost don't know where to start. 

I know that these feelings will pass soon and I know all the effort and the stresses and the tears and the work will be so worth it in the end but for now.... sometimes it's tough realizing that this is all happening for a reason. Sometimes it's hard to know that I truly am doing the best that I can do with the cards I've been given. 

I am extremely thankful through this all to have a fiance and a family who will support me where ever life may take me. I think I'm fighting more of a battle with myself than with convincing anyone else.

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly [V4]

[The Good]

1. Progress with our wedding is in full swing and I couldn't be more excited. Between buying shoes that will hopefully be perfect with my dress, sending out Save the Dates on Monday, bridesmaids going shopping for their dresses soon, and working on a gift registry for a shower in the fall, this wedding really is starting to become real. Thanks to The Knot for keeping track for me, we are officially in the hundreds (198) for days until the BIG DAY and I'm loving every minute of it.

2. J and I have been hitting the gym hard in the last few months and I am pretty proud. (definitely more of him than of myself but hey!) We joined a small gym by our house and it seems to be the perfect place for us. It's not huge in the sense that it's always crowded and no one's friendly but not too small either because there are still classes for me to take and plently of equipment to go around. We're motivated by the wedding and figured it was time to start now. My goal was to get into better shape in general and have more muscle but in the process I've lost around 5 lbs so far. J is the impressive one though and has lost close to 50lbs! I am so, so proud of him and so happy that he is living a healthy and active lifestyle. Now I really can't wait to see him in that tux!

3. My poppies are finally blooming and I absolutely love them! It took way longer than I thought for them to actually start making flowers but they're here now and they're the perfect shade of orange and every day I swear there's another 10 flowers blooming out there. And to think they just grew from seeds from Home Depot! Maybe I do have a bit of a green thumb. Let's hope my newly planted herbs do as well.

[The Bad]

1. Application cycle is in full swing again this summer which means lots of writing, talking about myself, editing, editing and more editing, stress and hoping that this time I will finally be on my way to med school. It's been a long process getting to this point and I'm hoping that I have what it takes this time around. Finding the motivation after a full day at work and an hour at the gym is definitely tough but I just have to keep telling myself it's all worth it in the end.

2. June Gloom is in full effect here in San Diego and I'm already over it. For some reason living closer to the ocean sets the onset of summer back a ways. While other people back home are enjoying 80 and 90 degree weather, we've had fog, sprinkling rain and 60's. I was cold enough in work today that I went to my car to get my sweatshirt this morning. I'm ready for summer, hitting the beach, starting on my tan and enjoying fruity drinks! (Not that I'll have time for all that but I can dream, right?) This bev is definitely one of the first ones I want to make soon...

Source: delightfully-tacky.com via Jayme on Pinterest

[The Ugly]

1. Yesterday I had one of the most horrible doctors appointments of my life. I had to go in for a regular physical and some standard tests and left the office crying. I will admit that I did go into the office a little crabby hesitant because of problems I've had connecting my medical records from Colorado to California but the Nurse Practitioner I had my appointment with was horrible. She told me I couldn't have certain things done "because I wasn't using the health system like I was supposed to" and it wasn't her fault I wasn't responsible. She refused to give me tests because "why would someone your age need them?" She wouldn't listen to what I had to say, didn't care when I told her about previous symptoms I've had and left the room after saying "well I guess we're done here". I was completely and utterly shocked.

2. The raccoons are in full force around our house lately. After something got attacked by them Sunday night, we've been taking note of any and all commotion in the back yard. Well we finally saw them all; momma and her four babies. And boy is she mean! J went out on the patio to look at them and she froze in her tracks and gave him a look like she meant business. They're kinda hard to see since I was trying to take pictures at 10pm in the dark, with scary raccoons hissing at me and a dog that just wanted to get out and play with them but if you look closely you can see all four babies to the right of momma! Normally I don't care about things like this but raccoons can be so nasty that I definitely don't like having them around.

Because My Life is Boring

... I figured I'd update on where I've been, what I've been doing, why I haven't been crafty, why I'm basically just useless in general right now, and a few other random things I think you should know.....

[1.a] We had some awesome visitors here for the weekend.

[1.b] We laughed. We went to the zoo (one of my favorite places ever). I made new friends. We watched SDSU basketball win. We drank a few too many Cape Cods and fishbowls, which leads to my next point...

[2] I'm sick.... again. Which completely ruins everything. It makes going to class hard. It makes working all day hard. It makes studying, shopping, being productive in any way just plain hard. I hope it goes away soon.

[3] I've been working a lot of hours lately and I can't wait for Friday to be here. Because we all know what that means..... Pay Day! It feels so nice, beyond relieving, to be making money again.

[4] I decided it wasn't the best idea for me to go volunteer at Hospice tonight because I'm not feeling good so I'm hoping I can get at least something done today. My goals for the day are:

* Buy shampoo, pillow protectors, and breakfast food

(you know, all the essentials)

* Attempt to make my very first skirt

* Maybe splurge on a new OPI nail polish

(I've been wanting one from the new Texas line for some time now.)

* Do some of my dreaded reading for my classes

* Take the pup on a walk

(or at least to the dog park)

[5] I head to Omaha in exactly one week for my interview at Creighton Medical School and I'm a little nervous. I'll be traveling there by myself and staying with a student host (I hope) and I'll be there for about 24 hours total. I definitely have some research to do on the school itself and I need to prepare my interview answers a little more but fingers crossed it goes smoothly.

[6] Yesterday I received notice that I've been placed on the "alternate list" for admission at University of Colorado Medical School. This is both good news a bad news rolled into one so I'm not really sure how I'm handling it as of now. It's awesome news because alternate is way better than rejected. But it's unfortunate news because a straight up admission would have been so much nicer. Now I have to wait (hopefully not all the way until August 19th) to find out if I will be given a spot after all.

[7] I promise to be back on a regular schedule soon, as soon as my sickness goes away. But for now, be jealous of the 80+ degree weather SD is having today and wish for summer (because there's no such thing as the season spring in SD)

via

I'm Back... Finally

I feel like I've been missing the blog world for months now, even though it's really only been a few weeks. Between the traveling to CO to see family for Christmas followed by J and my trip to Hawaii and now scrambling to finish everything I need to before we drive back to SD.... yeah I think you get my point.

Tomorrow is my interview at University of Colorado School of Medicine and I am both nervous and excited beyond belief. Today I am headed to Cherry Creek mall to see if I can find some new dress pants to wear and going to Kinkos (which is now FedEx Office and it totally threw me off) to print out some interview material. I'm going to try and squeeze in a bath for Ollie, all this playing in the backyard with Basil has got him very dirty, and we're going out to dinner with my family tonight.

I promise that I'll do a more in-depth post(s) about our amazing trip to Waikiki but right now I have to register for classes and get out of the house. Here are some pictures to hold you through...

(View of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head)

(Ahhh Pacific Ocean)

(Catching some rays and spending time with my love)

(One stop on our Guides of Oahu tour)

PS- 10 points extra credit from the last picture if anyone can name the scene/episode in LOST where this pool/waterfall was used :-)

Christmas List #2 (oops)

See I told you I'd think of something(s) else that should have been on my original list but weren't. Some of these items are things I forgot about and some of them are things that recently, due to the events of today, have now made the list. More on that later.

[1] Weekly Planner from Barnes and Noble by Silver Lining. Preferably the 5x8 size and any pattern.

[2] Sephora Glass Nail File

[3] Starbucks Christmas Blend Espresso Roast whole bean coffee.

[4] Tazo Vanilla Rooibos full leaf tea (also sold at Starbucks)

[5] Black Dress pants from Ann Taylor Loft (or somewhere similar)

or an Ann Taylor Loft gift card

*This is one of the new items to the list because I officially need new fancy clothes, well just pants. What's the reason you might ask? Because I received my very first Medical School Interview today! I have a great suit jacket but only decent pants and must look sharp. I'm absolutely overwhelmed with happiness about this interview so it will get it's own post soon.*

[6] Money for our trip to Hawaii (no link here because I can't link to your bank account ;-) )

*This is also one of the new items since J just recently decided to book us a trip to Ohau for new years. It was completely out of the blue and I could not be more excited to go on our first trip together.*

Keep on Truckin'

Things have been rough on a personal level for me lately. Sometimes I feel like everything is falling apart and sometimes I feel like I'm right where I need to be. I don't feel like thinking about or doing anything about or changing or moving past any of the things that are going on because frankly I don't have the time or energy right now. I just need to get through the end of the semester and the urgent pressing issues. I thought I'd share some motivation (for my own good) and also for any of you out there having a down day too.

You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction.

-George Horace Lorimer

Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.

-Dale Carnegie

When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday.

-Unknown

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

-Winston Churchill

A leader, once convinced that a particular course of action is the right one, must be undaunted when the going gets tough.

-Ronald Reagan

Tagged

It's about time that I got caught up on reading all the blogs that I've missed. I thought I had been doing at least a decent job.... then I realized only yesterday that I had been tagged by Nikki at The Fashionable Wife in a game of getting to know me almost two weeks ago!

Bad blogger friend, Jayme, bad!

So with that said here's how to play. Nikki asked everyone she tagged 8 different questions. To play, you respond to these 8 questions about yourself and then make 8 of your own questions. To pass it along you're supposed to tag 8 other bloggers and the game continues.

However, considering I'm a little pressed for time this morning (Ochem studying beckons) I'm just going to tag anyone and EVERYONE who wants to play! I'd love to read about all of your lives so let me know if you end up playing along.

____________________________________________

1. What is your favorite book?

Currently I am loving The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo series. I just finished the first book and can't wait for my mom to get here for Thanksgiving to let me borrow her copy of the second. But my all time favorite book has to be Like Water For Chocolate by Laura Esquivet. It's about a young girl in a big family and is filled with love, romance, heartbreak and recipes!

2. How did you meet your significant other?

J and I met when we were both working at the same outdoor pools for the summers while I was still in high school. I started life-guarding there the summer after sophomore year and we knew each other my first summer at the pools. However, we didn't really get to know each other too well for the first couple years I worked there. It wasn't until the summer after my senior year that we really hit it off. I had been moved to a different facility and he happened to take a sub-shift there one day. One thing led to another, I happened to secretly put my phone number in his phone (total high school move I might add), he called, we went out and have been together ever since!

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I've been fortunate enough to do a bunch of traveling with my family to different islands (like Antigua) because we all love to scuba dive. However, and this is not to say that I don't love the beach and pina coladas and warm weather, I would absolutely love to go to Ireland and/or Italy. And a special note is that I want to go there (or anywhere) with J and J only. I love my family but I'd love to travel with him more.

4. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time?

I love being crafty and I love having something to work on that's fun. Whether it's knitting a blanket, putting pictures in frames, making embroidery-floss bracelets, using my new sewing machine (that hasn't gotten nearly enough use yet) or anything else, I'll sit and do it for hours. J's family has a tradition to make homemade gifts for Christmas and I can't wait to get started making mine. I've been doing a few fun things around our apartment that I'll be sharing soon.

5. If you didn't have to worry about money, what would be your dream job?

My dream job happens to be what I'm working on attaining. I want to be a Doctor. Specifically what kind of doctor I don't know yet but I'm sure I'll find my place once I manage to get into medical school. Now if only money really wasn't an issue and paying to send my AMCAS application and secondaries didn't leave my bank account with a sad face. Anyone care to lend me a few hundred dollars?

6. What is one thing that never fails to make you feel better after a long or hard day?

There are many things that belong in this category so I'll list a few.

- Coffee. At any time of day. And specifically, it makes my day 100 times better if I'm able to sit inside a Starbucks and enjoy the time without having to run here or study this or take care of that. But either way, give me a cup of Joe (like a Toffee Mocha) and I'll be happy.

- Clean sheets. I absolutely love getting into bed when it's brand new, folded nicely, and fresh as can be.

- Snuggling of any sort. Whether it's with J or with Ollie being able to shut my mind off for just a min and relax being with someone I love is such a blessing. My days lately have been so crazy and constantly thinking about something/stressing about something else/trying to do ten things at once, that I appreciate the down time I have even more.

7. What is your favorite thing to cook/bake? Or what is your best recipe?

I love to make anything dessert related. Whether it's cookies, or cakes, or pies etc etc I absolutely love it. Baking Christmas cookies is one of my favorite parts of the whole year as a matter of fact. This whole love may or may not have to do with my love for eating these items after they're done. ;-) To answer the second question, my favorite/best personal recipe has to be my Chili. I've changed the original recipe enough to be able to consider it my own and it always makes me happy to see J enjoy is so much.

8. What is your favorite thing in your closet? What is the one fashion thing you want the most?

I have a dress that I really enjoy wearing but find myself forgetting about it from time to time. It's super comfortable and casual, made of sweatshirt material, has pockets and a hood and looks good paired with my traditional navy Keds. I also adore my newest pair of American Eagle jeans, my tie-dye t-shirts, and my ArcTeryx jacket.

_____________________________________

Here are my questions for anyone else who wants to play.

1. Do you live in/near the town where you grew up? Why did you leave/what made you stay depending on your first answer?

2. Which chore around the house do you not mind doing and which do you absolutely hate?

3. What was the most recent movie you saw in the theaters?

4. Who in your family do you look most alike? Or do you not look like anyone?

5. Which would you choose/do you like more: cake or pie? Fruits or veggies? Coke or Pepsi?

6. What was your favorite part about high school?

7. What is one of your guilty pleasures?

8. If you could be any TV show character who would you be and why?

(These questions are fun enough I might have to make a post with my own answers)

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know me a little more and I'm glad I got to play along. Thanks Nikki!