I definitely feel grateful for this month. There have been so many truly wonderful things and moments. All too often I find that I lose sight of them, getting lost in the weeds of the daily grind. So- take it from someone who hasn't enjoyed them enough recently- stop to think about the good things when you can. There are beautiful moments everywhere.
The first of these moments was the surprise baby shower that we put together for Sarah, my co fellow who welcomed her little baby girl just about a week and half later. 
Alder helped me make the diaper cakes and was VERY disappointed that she couldn't also go to the baby shower party because she wanted to show everyone the cakes. And, also asked to make diaper cakes every weekend ;)
Following this lovely event we were met wtih something totally unexpected just 48 hours later. Riggs started to have typical cold symptoms on a Thursday. We got a call on Friday from daycare that he was wheezing a lot and they requested we come pick him up. I came home early from the lab to find him playing blocks with Tom in the playroom. But, within about 2 hours from that time, he was working SO hard to breathe, I raced him off to my pediatrician's office who took one look at him and told me to go straight to the ER. I knew that, I really did, but something about being a mom and a doctor makes it so that you question your own judgement and think that maybe you're just overly paranoid. Turns out, the paranoia was warranted.
We started with oxygen through what's called Hi-Flow nasal canula (pictured above) but his breathing rate was still about 3x what it should be with that extra support so we had to escalate rather quickly to BiPap (kind of like CPAP but a little more intense) to get him to a place where he didn't have to work so hard to breathe.
After a very LONG 24 hours, his oxygen support was backed off to the nasal canula only again.
And, once we got out of the ICU we were able to reunite with daddy because Auntie Kristi came to town to be with Adler!! It was incredible to have Tom join us again. Riggs rebounded quickly at that point and we were all SO grateful.
The smiles really came out when he got the oxygen off officially
We even got to get the party started by watching the opening ceremonies of the winter olympics.
But, nothing could beat finally being able to sleep in his own bed again.
A few days later and we got to reunite with our other baby friend and his smiles were so
I got to enjoy a little relaxation post-call later the next week with a breakfast with my co-fellows in the gorgeous sunny Spring weather that comes and goes around these parts these days :)
We all recovered (health wise, maybe not sleep-wise) for a week long vacation in Galveston! We had soo much stuff because we were packing for beach weather, cold/rainy weather, as well as black tie attire for our end cap to the week: Nick and Jess's wedding!
Adler was thrilled because our condo for the first half of the week had a bunk bed (the bed of her dreams!)
Breakfasts as a family in our "dolphin house" as we called it was truly bliss
And, while Riggs was napping, Adler and I got to sneak away for a mid-day treat of chai tea (for me) and ice cream for her
The treats were consistent this week, that's for sure. Donuts on the beach was definitely a highlight for me.
Turns out Riggs like donuts too
But walking along the shore made us all feel alive again.
The pool was too cold but the hot tub kept Adler and daddy entertained
And Riggs got to enjoy the sunshine too
I think we tried to sneak in a walk on the beach every single day, because, why wouldn't you? Even when it was only 62 degrees outside
Just a mile from our condo was also one of the best parks we've been to in a long time.
We weren't in Houston anymore, but that didn't stop the NASA themed toys from happening.
I love his smile (particularly when he's wearing his sister's sunglasses!)
A good pilot!
We also went to the Children's museum in Galveston. A lot smaller, and definitely more empty than the one in Houston, but it was a lot of fun to have the place to ourselves.
The highlight of the week is sort of hard to pick for Adler, but I think one of them is the big surprise -- going to the Rainforest Cafe! The one in Galveston is the original one and it includes a water ride! This was "too scary" for both kids, but amazing nonetheless.
Sitting at the table surrounded by animals and sounds was amazing. I can't believe how excited both kids were and also how I didn't manage to snag a photo of Adler's excited face.
Next up: Moody gardens where we had an amazing time wandering through the rainforest,
...the aquarium with the biggest lobster we've ever seen....
with a pit stop at the end of the day for ice cream at a local shop called "Hey Mikey's". It did not disappoint.
Tom managed to sneak in over 6 hours of interviews with Goldman Sach's during this week and then it was time for the next venue- a VRBO big enough for the whole residency class complete with another bunk bed! Adler was beaming.
It was time to get all cleaned up for our black-tie affair and the kitchen sink was just the ticket for this little man
He cleaned up pretty nicely I'd say -- looks just like an old man :)
It's a long story, but we didn't all get to the wedding like we had hoped due to some Mardi Gras unexpected traffic (after booking a house about 30 minutes away from the church...)
The rehearsal dinner the night before was mardis gras themed and Adler was a big fan of the masks.
Riggs on the other hand, not so much
We had an amazing surprise too! We were joined by our "fairy god mother midwives" from residency, Edie and Linda. It was a reunion that we have all been looking forward to, but didn't know would happen
The morning of the wedding we dined on scones and eggs around the perfect table (I want one of these in my house some day)
MMMMM....white chocolate raspberry
Adler didn't skip a beat in getting back to being friends with all of my co-residents. It's amazing how the relationships she built with these people in her infancy have remained strong
It truly was a breath of fresh air to see "my people"
Some of the best moments though were the impromptu ones like this one when Riggs fell asleep on mamma Leanne who also helped Fei with a splinter :)
When it came to wedding day, it was Adler's time to shine. She got to join the wedding party for hair, makeup, the works!
Now try to tell me she doesn't look like a teenager :)
My little girl has grown up soo much
Ring girl-ready (just needs her flower crown)
The photographer snapped this one of her twirling and it's definitely my new favorite of Adler.
But, this one of her "carbo-loading" with plain pasta is a close second.
She had to put on her "big girl pants" and ride in the limo with the whole bridal party all by herself while mommy drove behind her
And we snacked on PB&J right before the big moment.
She and the flower girls made for quick friends and my heart was melting.
Nick and Jess made for an amazingly beautiful couple in a gorgeous setting
The whole wedding party looked really amazing
After the wedding we had a little time to kill between the ceremony and the reception and that meant a lot of bonding time for all of us!
The reception was at an incredible venue including this one-of-a-kind name card chart, champagne glasses with individually etched name labels
We had an amazing time reuniting, except Adler tried to ruin the photo :)
But I mean, look at this venue! How gorgeous is that?!
We danced the night away and it was just like old time (but just the good time when we weren't working 24/7)
It was really hard to say goodbye and the kids definintely enjoyed some snuggles with the next bride and groom to be, Matt and Leanne, for their wedding in August!
In saying goodbye we took about a million selfies of varying quality :)
And we stopped by a Texas landmark, a truck stop called Buccee's
As well as the gardens near Hermann Park. It was so hard to say goodbye, but we all decided to try to just say "see you later" since we all plan to reunite in August.
AS we moved on from the wedding, we had so many other fun things to look forward to. Riggs is growing teeth like crazy and it turns out he LOVES apples, just like daddy. So far, just having bottom teeth makes it pretty tricky to eat them, but it doesn't stop him from trying.
But then....he was the start of a wave of illness in our house. This photo was taken after we were up all night with vomiting (hence the serious bags under mommies eyes), and it was right before the next wave of puke...
But we survived the 24 hour flu bug, and everyone seemed to be better just in time for Go Texan Day at the daycares
They are definitely cute in their cowboy attire
How much do they look like each other, let alone like their daddy?
The above picture was during bedtime the night before I got to go back to the OR for the first time in nearly 2 years. And, also right before Tom got struck with the same flu bug that hit Riggs....He was a serious trooper, up all night vomiting and then taking care of both kids while I was at the hospital. It was like the old times too...him doing heroic things for me to pursue my training
And then, just like that, another one bit the dust. It was now adler's turn for the stomach bug. So it was a lot of couch snuggles, movies, and outfit changes
I can't argue with the snuggles but man it's hard to see your kid get sick (and hard to be as helpful as you want to be when you are home with her all day while she's throwing up when you're post-call).
Once we got through that flu bug, we were off for another wedding weekend. This time, in Austin, TX. We had a great rental house with amazing property that had a swing set with pebbles around it that Adler thought was fun to lie in.
And, despite it only being 63 degrees out, she was very much wanting to get in the pool!
Then it was off to the wedding for us and all (well almost all) the fellows at MD Anderson.
The venue was stunning. The flowers were gorgeous.
And we were finally together and as healthy as we had been in a while (no one with the sniffles, no one vomiting, and no one was post-call). And, Tom was celebrating the end of his first week as assistant general counsel at AIG!!
Ok, yes, I"m putting another picture of the flowers in, because they were too stunning.
It turns out, Adler loved dancing at the wedding (she went home before that happened at the last one). Her favorite song to dance to: "shake it off" by Taylor Swift.
There were TONS of kids and it was wonderful to watch
On our way out of town, we stopped at a BBQ placed called Stubbs for some really good eats.
I mean look at the intensity with which Riggs looks at the food!
And then the smiles that followed :)
Once we got home, we had time to get unpacked and settle back into our home routine. I even braved letting Adler drive Riggs around the block (not pictured: Riggs smashing his face into the windshield because of a quick jolt by the driver)
And then, of course, Tom teaching Adler how to play baseball!
While Riggs discovered the wonders of the leaves in the grass :)
It's not going to be long before this girl is dropping bombs on a field somewhere!
Wow, that was a lot. If yo'ure still reading this, you've seen how the last month was packed and there's a lot going on in our lives. Tom's new job allows him to be able to work from home or at the office as much (or as little) as he wants. he's settling into the new role and has tons on his plate, but it's incredible what an opportunity this is!
Alder helped me make the diaper cakes and was VERY disappointed that she couldn't also go to the baby shower party because she wanted to show everyone the cakes. And, also asked to make diaper cakes every weekend ;)
Following this lovely event we were met wtih something totally unexpected just 48 hours later. Riggs started to have typical cold symptoms on a Thursday. We got a call on Friday from daycare that he was wheezing a lot and they requested we come pick him up. I came home early from the lab to find him playing blocks with Tom in the playroom. But, within about 2 hours from that time, he was working SO hard to breathe, I raced him off to my pediatrician's office who took one look at him and told me to go straight to the ER. I knew that, I really did, but something about being a mom and a doctor makes it so that you question your own judgement and think that maybe you're just overly paranoid. Turns out, the paranoia was warranted.
We started with oxygen through what's called Hi-Flow nasal canula (pictured above) but his breathing rate was still about 3x what it should be with that extra support so we had to escalate rather quickly to BiPap (kind of like CPAP but a little more intense) to get him to a place where he didn't have to work so hard to breathe.
After a very LONG 24 hours, his oxygen support was backed off to the nasal canula only again.
And, once we got out of the ICU we were able to reunite with daddy because Auntie Kristi came to town to be with Adler!! It was incredible to have Tom join us again. Riggs rebounded quickly at that point and we were all SO grateful.
The smiles really came out when he got the oxygen off officially
We even got to get the party started by watching the opening ceremonies of the winter olympics.
But, nothing could beat finally being able to sleep in his own bed again.
A few days later and we got to reunite with our other baby friend and his smiles were so
I got to enjoy a little relaxation post-call later the next week with a breakfast with my co-fellows in the gorgeous sunny Spring weather that comes and goes around these parts these days :)
We all recovered (health wise, maybe not sleep-wise) for a week long vacation in Galveston! We had soo much stuff because we were packing for beach weather, cold/rainy weather, as well as black tie attire for our end cap to the week: Nick and Jess's wedding!
Adler was thrilled because our condo for the first half of the week had a bunk bed (the bed of her dreams!)
Breakfasts as a family in our "dolphin house" as we called it was truly bliss
And, while Riggs was napping, Adler and I got to sneak away for a mid-day treat of chai tea (for me) and ice cream for her
The treats were consistent this week, that's for sure. Donuts on the beach was definitely a highlight for me.
Turns out Riggs like donuts too
But walking along the shore made us all feel alive again.
The pool was too cold but the hot tub kept Adler and daddy entertained
And Riggs got to enjoy the sunshine too
I think we tried to sneak in a walk on the beach every single day, because, why wouldn't you? Even when it was only 62 degrees outside
Just a mile from our condo was also one of the best parks we've been to in a long time.
We weren't in Houston anymore, but that didn't stop the NASA themed toys from happening.
I love his smile (particularly when he's wearing his sister's sunglasses!)
A good pilot!
We also went to the Children's museum in Galveston. A lot smaller, and definitely more empty than the one in Houston, but it was a lot of fun to have the place to ourselves.
The highlight of the week is sort of hard to pick for Adler, but I think one of them is the big surprise -- going to the Rainforest Cafe! The one in Galveston is the original one and it includes a water ride! This was "too scary" for both kids, but amazing nonetheless.
Sitting at the table surrounded by animals and sounds was amazing. I can't believe how excited both kids were and also how I didn't manage to snag a photo of Adler's excited face.
Next up: Moody gardens where we had an amazing time wandering through the rainforest,
...the aquarium with the biggest lobster we've ever seen....
with a pit stop at the end of the day for ice cream at a local shop called "Hey Mikey's". It did not disappoint.
Tom managed to sneak in over 6 hours of interviews with Goldman Sach's during this week and then it was time for the next venue- a VRBO big enough for the whole residency class complete with another bunk bed! Adler was beaming.
It was time to get all cleaned up for our black-tie affair and the kitchen sink was just the ticket for this little man
He cleaned up pretty nicely I'd say -- looks just like an old man :)
It's a long story, but we didn't all get to the wedding like we had hoped due to some Mardi Gras unexpected traffic (after booking a house about 30 minutes away from the church...)
The rehearsal dinner the night before was mardis gras themed and Adler was a big fan of the masks.
Riggs on the other hand, not so much
We had an amazing surprise too! We were joined by our "fairy god mother midwives" from residency, Edie and Linda. It was a reunion that we have all been looking forward to, but didn't know would happen
The morning of the wedding we dined on scones and eggs around the perfect table (I want one of these in my house some day)
MMMMM....white chocolate raspberry
Adler didn't skip a beat in getting back to being friends with all of my co-residents. It's amazing how the relationships she built with these people in her infancy have remained strong
It truly was a breath of fresh air to see "my people"
Some of the best moments though were the impromptu ones like this one when Riggs fell asleep on mamma Leanne who also helped Fei with a splinter :)
When it came to wedding day, it was Adler's time to shine. She got to join the wedding party for hair, makeup, the works!
Now try to tell me she doesn't look like a teenager :)
My little girl has grown up soo much
Ring girl-ready (just needs her flower crown)
The photographer snapped this one of her twirling and it's definitely my new favorite of Adler.
But, this one of her "carbo-loading" with plain pasta is a close second.
She had to put on her "big girl pants" and ride in the limo with the whole bridal party all by herself while mommy drove behind her
And we snacked on PB&J right before the big moment.
She and the flower girls made for quick friends and my heart was melting.
Nick and Jess made for an amazingly beautiful couple in a gorgeous setting
The whole wedding party looked really amazing
After the wedding we had a little time to kill between the ceremony and the reception and that meant a lot of bonding time for all of us!
The reception was at an incredible venue including this one-of-a-kind name card chart, champagne glasses with individually etched name labels
We had an amazing time reuniting, except Adler tried to ruin the photo :)
But I mean, look at this venue! How gorgeous is that?!
We danced the night away and it was just like old time (but just the good time when we weren't working 24/7)
It was really hard to say goodbye and the kids definintely enjoyed some snuggles with the next bride and groom to be, Matt and Leanne, for their wedding in August!
In saying goodbye we took about a million selfies of varying quality :)
And we stopped by a Texas landmark, a truck stop called Buccee's
As well as the gardens near Hermann Park. It was so hard to say goodbye, but we all decided to try to just say "see you later" since we all plan to reunite in August.
AS we moved on from the wedding, we had so many other fun things to look forward to. Riggs is growing teeth like crazy and it turns out he LOVES apples, just like daddy. So far, just having bottom teeth makes it pretty tricky to eat them, but it doesn't stop him from trying.
But then....he was the start of a wave of illness in our house. This photo was taken after we were up all night with vomiting (hence the serious bags under mommies eyes), and it was right before the next wave of puke...
But we survived the 24 hour flu bug, and everyone seemed to be better just in time for Go Texan Day at the daycares
They are definitely cute in their cowboy attire
How much do they look like each other, let alone like their daddy?
The above picture was during bedtime the night before I got to go back to the OR for the first time in nearly 2 years. And, also right before Tom got struck with the same flu bug that hit Riggs....He was a serious trooper, up all night vomiting and then taking care of both kids while I was at the hospital. It was like the old times too...him doing heroic things for me to pursue my training
And then, just like that, another one bit the dust. It was now adler's turn for the stomach bug. So it was a lot of couch snuggles, movies, and outfit changes
I can't argue with the snuggles but man it's hard to see your kid get sick (and hard to be as helpful as you want to be when you are home with her all day while she's throwing up when you're post-call).
Once we got through that flu bug, we were off for another wedding weekend. This time, in Austin, TX. We had a great rental house with amazing property that had a swing set with pebbles around it that Adler thought was fun to lie in.
And, despite it only being 63 degrees out, she was very much wanting to get in the pool!
Then it was off to the wedding for us and all (well almost all) the fellows at MD Anderson.
The venue was stunning. The flowers were gorgeous.
And we were finally together and as healthy as we had been in a while (no one with the sniffles, no one vomiting, and no one was post-call). And, Tom was celebrating the end of his first week as assistant general counsel at AIG!!
Ok, yes, I"m putting another picture of the flowers in, because they were too stunning.
It turns out, Adler loved dancing at the wedding (she went home before that happened at the last one). Her favorite song to dance to: "shake it off" by Taylor Swift.
There were TONS of kids and it was wonderful to watch
On our way out of town, we stopped at a BBQ placed called Stubbs for some really good eats.
I mean look at the intensity with which Riggs looks at the food!
And then the smiles that followed :)
Once we got home, we had time to get unpacked and settle back into our home routine. I even braved letting Adler drive Riggs around the block (not pictured: Riggs smashing his face into the windshield because of a quick jolt by the driver)
And then, of course, Tom teaching Adler how to play baseball!
While Riggs discovered the wonders of the leaves in the grass :)
It's not going to be long before this girl is dropping bombs on a field somewhere!
Wow, that was a lot. If yo'ure still reading this, you've seen how the last month was packed and there's a lot going on in our lives. Tom's new job allows him to be able to work from home or at the office as much (or as little) as he wants. he's settling into the new role and has tons on his plate, but it's incredible what an opportunity this is!
I am nearing the end of my two years of research and I just (as I am writing this) learned that one of the projects I was working on that I submitted for publication was accepted to a journal. I have never authored a manuscript article before, so this is the first for me! Up next: present at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology conference in Pheonix next week, continue writing my thesis and defend it (eep!), work on getting the manuscript for the thesis project accepted, and soak in every single moment of time I can with my little family until the hospital takes over me in June!
Happy Spring from Houston!
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