Summer Mode

We are officially in summer mode around here.  Many exciting things have occurred in the Moody home in the last month, and I'll try my darnedest to get you up to speed.  

In the world of Brooks, things haven't really changed too much.  My little booboo still hangs with me all day everyday, getting into rascally boy type trouble, and winning me over with his cuteness.  He is OBSESSED with his Lightening McQueen shoes that I bought at Walmart for 5 bucks, and his steelers hat.  It is the very fist thing he requests when he wakes up in the morning, and will whine all day until I put on those dang shoes and get him his hat.  Other things he loves are buzz and woody, elmo, and choo choo's.  He is starting to talk so much, and we have been really enjoying having him participate in dinner conversations these days.  He would still rather eat dirt then anything that I make for him.  Although take him OUT to eat, and he will eat like a starving orphan.  I just don't get it.  

Brooks is getting super stoked for his baby sister.....at least thats what we keep telling him.  He will pull up my shirt to find the 'baby' and will point to his own baby in his belly too.  I worry that he will get jealous, but he will probably be just fine with it.

Here is the little boogie helping me with the dishes.  

At the easter picnic when we were in AZ

Egg hunt

Watching toy story 3.  His most favorite. Note the shoes and hat.  And Buzz.

Ella Christine had a big month too.  She graduated from Pre K, was registered for Kindergarten, and also had her spring concert for Tavaci (Her dance/sing program).  Ella scored all high marks in her end of year evaluation for pre k.  She is super excited for kindergarten, and this summer we are trying to meet the Cooper Elementary Challenge of reading 18 books.  We just finished The Wizard of Oz, and started The Boxcar Children.  She loves to be read to, and she is really enjoying the concept of chapter books.  

Her Tavaci concert was very nicely done, and we were so happy to see Ella at her uncoordinated finest!  She sure does love it.  We're thinking of signing her up for Soccer Camp this summer, so it will be fun to have something to do while Tavaci is on it's summer break!

Ella is very excited about baby sister, and reminds me everyday that she is big enough now to help.  She insists that we should name her Angelina Ballerina Moody.  At this rate, this might be the poor things name...we are really struggling to figure one out.  

Also, Ella has graduated from baths to showers.  She does chores, and she feeds the dog.  She is growing up so fast!  She plays 'hospital' with her dollies and pretends she is the nurse.  She says it is her job to make steam in the hospital. Because every hospital needs steam.  Yes. Yes it does.  Here are some pictures of the darling girl over the last month!

Egg hunt

Class of 2025??? Holy Moly that makes me feel old!!

With her PreK certificate

Post grad picnic.  Nice smile, huh?

 Before school on the very last day of Pre K.  I'm so grateful for Georgia Pre K! So nice when a state uses their lottery fund for something truly worthwhile!  

Tavaci 'Singing in the Bathtub' special number!  Ella is 3rd from the end!

Phineas and Ferb remix...a classic. Ella second row in the middle! 

Bryce is in his surgery rotation right now.  While his schedule isn't super demanding, he is gone all the time because he is studying for his last test he will take as a medical student.  Since he is so

 dedicated, we barely see him.  It is giving me a little taste of what my life will be like when he is a resident.  I don't love it...but it's not too bad.  I also don't have 3 kids just yet....yikes!

Here is Bryce, post call, and the kids who always seem to fall asleep for him.  Figures.

And me.  Well, I can't breath, sleep, or walk.  And I'm essentially functioning as a single parent right now.  Which means the house is a mess, there is laundry coming out of my ears, i have a paper to finish on medical ethics, and I can't remember the last time I put on make up.  Such a glamorous life.  But really, I have 6 weeks to go and I am so over being pregnant.

back to life

I survived.  I survived 2 (more) flights with both kids and no Bryce.  At this point in our marriage I think I've made more trips on airplanes with children without him, then with. Unfortunately, little Brooks was sick about 3 days in to the two week trip, and remained miserable thru our flight home.  Nothing is worse then flying with a child who has a double ear infection and a high fever (who is sitting on your 7 month pregnant lap).  I had given him motrin before our flight, and his fever was back about 4 hours before I could give him more.  I am so glad that is over with!  We did, however, have a good time in Arizona despite our sick little boy.  Ella got to hang out with her bestest friend, her Papa.  Being his shadow is her favorite thing in the whole world, and she got plenty of time to hang with him.  I also got to hang out with my mom a lot which was wonderful for me!  We were able to see some dear friends, but unfortunately missed some too.  Sorry to those we missed!! It is so hard when your kids are sick!  We are home now, though, and so glad to be back!  Georgia really feels like home these days.  Brooks got in to his doctor, and after some antibiotics in his system, is no longer febrile and is back to his happy self.

Bryce has one more week of Psych.  We had heard many negative things about this Psych rotation, but luckily, it hasn't been that way at all!  I have to brag on him for a minute, even though I'm sure he'll be mad that I've said anything at all.  During the first week of his rotation, Bryce organized the students into 3 groups, and came up with a more productive way to complete all the busy work that needs to get done before the end of the day. The doctor noticed his leadership, and also how well his 'system' was working, and offered him a job when he is done with his rotations next spring, and waiting for his residency to start.  Isn't that great?  This guy...he's going places...just don't tell him that I told you that. :)

I don't think you're ready for this belly

It's for sure my biggest 24 week belly to date.  Only going to get bigger too. Oh well.  

So our puppy poo is getting nice and cozy with the kiddos, and she loves to nap with them, although she is quite a couch hog. (Ella will attest to that!)

My kooky Ella.  Tinkerbell hat, red riding hood cape, and pj's.  She told me it was her 'clean up costume'.  Ella now has Saturday chores, and if she gets them done before noon, she gets to go to the park.  On her list is cleaning her bedroom, making her bed, picking up the playroom, and picking up the backyard toys.  She is a dilly-dallier, but she usually gets everything done just in the nick of time.

 Some more puppy love.  Since Trix will be a bigger dog, we decided to nix her couch privileges.  I don't mind her so much on the couch b/c she doesn't shed much, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.  I don't want her jumping up to cozy up to our guests.  

So we bought her a doggy bed of her very own!!  Unfortunately for her, our kids think that this new bed is also for them.  Good thing she likes to share :)

Oh Brooks, what would I do without you??  

My little man figured out how fun it is to add dog water to the sand table.  This was about an hour before he was supposed to go to the free mom's night out babysitting clinic at the church!  Sigh.  I just put him in the bath, put his jammies on, and nixed the mom's night out.  Maybe next time.

 And just when I don't think he could be a bigger rascal, I find him napping.  On the pup.  And I just don't know how he could be any more adorable.  Little boys...I'm so glad I have one.

 Here is our sand table that Papa bought us when we came to visit!  The kids love it, and go figure...the dog loves it too.  As you can see, Brooks climbs right in, and Ella builds sand castles for him to smash.  They are quite a productive pair.

And here is my little miss.  This picture almost brings tears to my eyes!  Is she really just months away from graduating Pre-K and off to Kindergarten?? So beautiful and sweet, and kooky and clumsy.  She is just growing up so fast. She thinks this is her 'Doctor' picture.  Maybe someday, Ella.  Luckily I have a lot of time between then and now.  I better pay attention, because I know it will go by fast!!!

The truth is....

I am not very good at taking pictures.  I never have been.  My mom wasn't either.  Bryce is actually a lot better about it then I am.  I wish I had some cute pics to post, but I do not.  Maybe next week.  Here is our family update for February.

Bryce:  Finished up an elective rotation in GI.  He LOVED it!!  He loved the doctor he was with, loved the hours, and the work flow of her office, and loved that he also got in some procedures in the OR!  He even got to do a colonoscopy!!  (I know, it sounds sick, but he was overjoyed.)  He is now in the midst of a two week break, although it isn't really a break.  He is taking the first part of his second licensing exam next week, so he has been studying hard for it, and I've been doing a lot of role playing as the patient.  He is not super nervous for the test as of yet, but I'm sure the nerves will come at some point.  We're hoping and praying that he does great!

Gina:  Now that the cat is out of the bag on me being pregnant, here are some more exciting details on that.  I am 23 weeks along, and due on the 4th of July.  I know...shoot me.  We're having a girl, and Ella is thrilled.  I was sick in the beginning, but I feel like each pregnancy the sick part was over a little sooner then the last.  I'm VERY glad that it is over.  I definitely have a belly already, and have started to have to bust out my maternity clothes.  I think the third time around, your body just remembers how to be fat.  Great.  I'm also almost done with my first term in my online degree program that I am doing.  I have one more test, and a power point presentation to finish by the end of the month.  It is crazy to be writing papers again, and so much has changed with formatting and citing resources....it's enough to make your head spin!!  

Ella:  Had a great time when my dad came to visit in February.  He was here for over a week, and Ella loved every single second of it.  Ella has also been selected to do one of the "specialty" numbers in the upcoming dance/sing performance this May.  She is still loving going to school everyday, and is reaching that age where every single pair of pants she owns has holes in the knees.  She plays hard, and it shows!  

Brooks:  Brooks has really changed a lot in the past couple months.  He is best buds with Trixie.  They play together just about all day every day.  He still loves to play outside, and to be with mommy, but we are seeing a much more outgoing side of him lately.  He also loves to play with and to be around Ella.  I'm so gald that they get along as well as they do, and that they like to play together.  Brooks is talking much more these days...saying some new words like "Bubble, Cars, Ella, Hey you, and Buzz"  Hey you is my personal fave.  Bryce taught him that one, and he says to only me...

So as you can see, we're all hanging in there!  Bryce has his big upcoming test, and the kids and I are going to be heading out to Arizona for 2 weeks at the end of March/beginning of April.  We can't wait!! Thanks mom and dad!!!!!!!!!

Expect the unexpected

  If I've learned anything throughout my life, I've learned that making plans is overrated.  Things just never seem to go as planned.  Still, I'm a planner.  Bryce is a planner.  We're planners.  Sometimes things happen that we didn't plan for.  Sometimes we plan things and they go just as we had hoped.  Although it is desirable to make plans, and then have them pan out the way we had hoped, there have been some pretty amazing things that have come into our lives completely unplanned.  Like Ella. And now, like her sister.  Looks like Brooks is going to have 3 ladies in his life to coach him and teach him how to treat girls right, and Ella is finally going to get that baby sister that was snatched up from her when Brooks decided to prove the Dominican Ultrasound Tech wrong.  Yep folks, the Moody's are about to be a party of 5, and we couldn't be more happy about this unexpected surprise!

Roots

 Now that we are feeling a bit better, and the sun has been sunny and warm, we have been able to let the kids play a bit more in the yard.  This is where they always want to be, so it is hard for them when it is rainy, or they are sick.  Now that we have Trixie, the yard is even more of an adventure, but also keeps Bryce and I on our toes to keep all of the 'treasures' cleaned up.  I forgot how much it sucks to scoop dog poo.  This weekend while I was scooping, and the kids were playing, I noticed that Brooks had a mouthful of dirt.   So, always one for interesting conversation, Ella chimed in with her 2 cents.

Me:  Brooks!  Stop eating dirt!!
Ella:  Yeah Brooks, that's gross.  You're not an Indian.
Me: (Surprised and kind of laughing) Actually El, you and Brooks ARE a little bit Indian.
Ella: I am? Ew.
Me: What do you even know about Indians?
Ella: Well, I know that they eat dirt.

This girl.  She kills me.

It's January What????

It simply cannot be the last day of the first month of the year.  Where did the time go? How did we spend our days? We started off well enough...Bryce in the second half of a 12 week Internal Med rotation, Ella starting up the 2nd half of Pre K and turning 5(!), and Brooks my little lover, still as sweet as can be.  However. . .these kids just can't seem to stay well for long.  Ella brought some funk home from school with her which led to fevers, coughing, 4 days home from school, a trip to urgent care, and an ear infection (the first in her whole life). Which equates to antibiotics and diarrhea.  Then she graciously passed along said funk to her brother.  My poor boy.  He is a pathetic little thing when he is sick...wanting to be held all day.  And all night.  Mom is exhausted.  And has a headache.
I left the house exactly 3 times in a week.  Once to the grocery store, once to take Ella to urgent care, and once to pick up Ella's antibiotics from Walgreens.  Today was Bryce's first day of a 6 week GI rotation, and didn't make home until dinner was on the table.  I still don't know how I got dinner to the table.  Between Brooks crying, and crying, and coughing, and coughing, and Ella whining that she is bored, it really, REALLY is an accomplishment.   Here's to a healthier February!!



Here's my baby boy.  Sleeping with Ella's Woody doll.  She bought him with her birthday money.  What a sweet sis to let her baby brother sleep with her birthday present each night.  It does seem that most of our blankets are pink...poor boy.

The devoted pup, keeping a close eye on her boy.

Here is my Ellie Belly getting a breathing treatment at the urgent care.  She was complaining that the Albuterol was stinging her eyes.

Again, this pup puts up with a lot from these kids, and she seems glad to do so because they willingly give her all the snuggles any pup could ask for.

*I brought Brooks to the doctor today (2-1) and on top of the bronchiolitis, he has significant wheezing.  We are the proud new owners of a nebulizer, and little Brooksie Boo gets to have treatments 4 times a day.  Jealous????