so much new.

Introducing…

Student Doctor Daniel Mulder!

So proud. I am so proud his hard work, his desire, his enthusiasm, his smarts, his smile… I’m just proud of it all. He started at VCOM this past Monday. Monday and Tuesday were orientations. Tuesday they even invited Jude and I for the family orientation and BBQ/2016 Celebration! We were so excited to go support and be a small part of it all. Jude was the bell of the ball, let’s just say. We had lots of “ooohs” and “aaahs” comin’ our way. Everyone is so nice. Southern hospitality at it’s best down here. A lot of the students are from the Carolinas. VCOM is the most technologically advanced medical school there is. They have state of the art equipment and the most beautiful facilities, buildings, and campus. He studied all day yesterday... let it begin!

I have been mentally preparing myself to be a “single mom” and not expect anything out of him or spend any time with him. That way anything above that will be a pleasant surprise! It has been my first official week as a “stay-at-home mom.” GREATEST. I have already learned so much about life and done more on my own (in the past I've always had Dan by side reaching things I couldn't and finding our way around in the dark in a new town). But now I do it. And I'm learning how to pick things up on Craiglists in a neighboring town (a little scary, don't worry, I'm careful), find my around in the dark in a new town, reach things I usually couldn't, deal with bugs and dead mice in mouse traps (by deal with dead mice I mean let it sit in the trap all day until Dan gets home... that one was my limit), take out the trash and wheel it up the steep driveway, clean everything all by myself, help mow the lawn, try to dig a humongous hedge out the ground and accidentally break the shovel, go to Lowe's later that day to return the shovel and ten more things and by five other things holding my sweet little baby upright in those icky little cart chairs, pull out of the driveway in a raining frenzy trying to make it to the DMV and Dan's orientation on time and accidentally hit our mailbox with the car, hold Jude in one hand and try to sign my DMV documents in the other (some sweet, sweaty, dirty construction worker painter came up to me and offered to HOLD JUDE so I could finish... Is that the SWEETEST?!?! [I politely declined as I was finishing up]), order trash services and other like things without any husband input, the list goes on...  

My sweet baby is… words cannot express what he is to me. I adore being with him. My friend let me borrow her book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and I’ve realized how Jude is his proper amount of sleep! HELLO! He should be going to bed around 6:00-7:00pm, sleeping for at least 12 hours, and taking 2-3 two to four hour naps per day. WOAH! So now I’m feeling like neglectful mom and my life’s goal is to get him his sleep. (Just read this book. It is so good but it’s also a little intense about how important sleep is for growth and mood and everything else. But I know it’s true.) Due to all our insane-o travelling and living with my parents, Jude has slept in our room with us since birth. And in our bed with us from mid-night on. And I absolutely adore cuddling with him all night, but I think it’s time for him to sleep in his own bed… in his own room! (gasp) We started tonight. He cried on and off for 18 minutes and I couldn’t take it anymore so I went in and consoled him and fed him and loved him and my heart broke into at least 2,000 pieces when I saw his distraught little face and heard his little gasps of hysteria. Luckily he fell asleep well and now it’s been 2 hours and 15 minutes. Sweet thing. He probably doesn’t even know where he is in that room. But I truly think he has not been getting as much as sleep as he needs, especially on all our trips, so I’m going to try to be diligent in getting him on a better schedule- to bed earlier and 2-3 hearty naps a day.

He had potatoes today for the first time and was absolutely disgusting. Dry heaving and gagging with a look of loathing on his sweet face. I thought he would like those! So a few more days to try those then we’ll give him some carrots and sweet potatoes. He is bound to at least like one of those… I hope. Update- I gave him mixed grains this morning and he liked them... yay!

He liked the potatoes better raw. :)