How about another.....?

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Merry Christmas
from our crazy family to you!

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From,
Steve, Jenni, Robby, and Uncle Bun (AKA Adam... Steve's brother that lives out here in Toledo)

Cycling

Well, one more interview offer today-- Albuquerque, New Mexico. Does anyone else find that word awkward to spell.....?.... Albuquerque...... 


Anyway, over the last week, Robby has been taking off on his tricycle! Before then, he mostly just enjoyed having me push him around on it-- which, with this awesome tricycle that Grandma and Grandpa Toller gave him for his birthday, was quite convenient! It has handles on the back for a parent to steer it if they want to. These are removable, but are very nice to have on while the little tyke is just learning!


Anyway, here he is, showing off his skills.

Waiting

Well, Steve has received some more interview offers:

Loma Linda University Program, Loma Linda, CA

and University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Program, Dallas, TX

(yes, that is TWO programs in Dallas on the list now..... twice the chance that we will end up close to you guys, Julie and Justin ;) ;) )

He has interviews scheduled from now until Christmas, pretty much. So, needless to say, he will be doing a lot of traveling. Right now, he is in Phoenix doing his rotation there all month and will interview while he is there.

Robby and I have survived a whole week without Daddy here. Robby has handled it very well! I have actually been surprised. Every day he usually just reminds me at least once that "Daddy flew on a airplane. He's in Arizona, Mommy." But, he has been happy and we have enjoyed our time together thus far. 

We have tried to stay busy and do some fun things to keep us distracted. It helped a lot that the weather pretty much returned to SUMMER this week. We have been in the 80s which has been awesome!

Here are some highlights from the week:

Peanuts and Fries from Five Guys:

Mommy learning to crochet:

...and Robby wanting to try it out too!



I made this hat for "baby sister".....



...then Robby insisted I needed to make him a brown hat too!



Picking apples at Johnston's Fruit Farms:



Enjoying the fruits of his labor...



Perhaps we went overboard...

 

Fun times at the park:

 We love our zoo!:

Fun with friends:

 

Baking with apples:

I have been making different apple recipes almost every day in attempts to use our apples. It has been a tasty week!

And of course Robby is a great "helper"...

 

So, one week down, three to go!

Hopefully Robby continues to be happy and do well. Even though he isn't acting out due to it, I do know he definitely notices Daddy is gone and misses him.

Robby put his tie on this bear last night, then brought him out back and said the bear was going to church. Then he left the bear on the steps and said "He is waiting for daddy"...

...and he is still sitting there... waiting...



Two new interview offers:

Dallas, Texas and Memphis,Tennessee!

Great News!

These are two of Robby's most favorite people- Weston and Maria Carter.

We are so excited for them, as they just found out they will be ADOPTING A BABY IN NOVEMBER!!! Hoooooorraaayyy! 

They will be such amazing parents and deserve this so much.

CONGRATULATIONS, WESTON AND MARIA!

WE LOVE YOU!

Residency Programs

Here is the list of Pathology Residency Programs that Steve applied to:

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Program, Little Rock, AR
St Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ
University of Arizona Program, Tucson, AZ
Loma Linda University Program, Loma Linda, CA
Mount Sinai Medical Center of Greater Miami Program, Miami Beach, FL
Indiana University School of Medicine Program, Indianapolis, IN
University of Louisville Program, Louisville, KY
Saint Louis University School of Medicine Program, St Louis, MO
University of Missouri-Columbia Program, Columbia, MO
University of Nebraska Program, Omaha, NE
University of New Mexico Program, Albuquerque, NM
Cleveland Clinic Foundation Program, Cleveland, OH
University of Toledo Program, Toledo, OH
Penn State University/Milton S Hershey Medical Center Program, Hershey, PA
Thomas Jefferson University Program, Philadelphia, PA
University of Tennessee Program, Memphis, TN
Baylor University Medical Center Program, Dallas, TX
Methodist Hospital (Houston) Program, Houston, TX
Texas A&M College of Medicine-Scott and White Program, Temple, TX
University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Program, Dallas, TX
University of Utah Program, Salt Lake City, UT
West Virginia University Program, Morgantown, WV

So far, he has received invitations to interview in Cleveland, Omaha, Houston, Morgantown, and Toledo!

I check his e-mail several times a day now, anxious to see what states I can add to my list of potential destinations for us!

A few more

Robby has reached a stage where, if told to smile, he doesn't quite know how to smile... resulting in some silly faces! But, still worth capturing and remembering :)

On another note, Steve has received two invitations to interview for residency! One is here at the University of Toledo... they pretty much told him before he even officially applied that they want him to schedule an interview. The other is in Omaha, Nebraska. I didn't expect to already start hearing back from schools, so this is a pleasant surprise!  Man, these next few months are going to be full of so much waiting and anticipation! We won't find out where we are going until MARCH!  

I will post a list of all of the places we applied soon.

Well, Robby turned two over a month ago, but I just finally got around to taking his annual pictures. Part of my putting it off was due to the fact that my digital SLR camera has passed on... leaving me with nothing but my little point and shoot camera. I kept hoping I would find something else to use, but finally just decided I had better just do it with the point and shoot or I would never do it!

Anyway, there is my little man.

As a reminder-- I am going to be taking pictures of him each year in these clothes that are OBVIOUSLY much too big for him. It will be fun to see how he grows into them over the years :)

Here are some of the pictures from YEAR ONE, so you can compare:

We are alive....!

I know.... I do not claim to be the world's best blogger by any means.
And I am not going to start this post by promising to do better.... because, I know darn well that just isn't likely.
But, here is a quick update:

Steve finished his 3rd year of Medical School, went to Chicago and took the Clinical Skills part of the big boards that he has to take before applying to residencies (and PASSED IT! YAY!), has decided to be a Pathologist (most likely..... he could give me a major anxiety attack and change his mind last minute... but, hey.....), and we are currently in the process of researching the Pathology Residency programs around the country and picking which ones to apply to. Steve goes to Arizona for the month of October to do a rotation at one of the Hospitals there. Hopefully he can get his foot in the door there and increase our chances of moving somewhere where frigid winters are a thing of the past.

We spent the month of July in Utah and enjoyed time with our families.  When we returned to Toledo, we found that Steve's brother, Adam, had moved in up the street from us! (ok.... so we knew he was going to be there.... but exciting none the less). He just started the Physician's Assistant program here at U of Toledo.

Robby turned TWO on August 4th (the day after we returned from Utah....... we got in our final trip of not having to pay for a plane ticket for him). Robby is doing very well at living up to the title of "TWO YEAR OLD" and has, unfortunately taken on so many of those "TERRIBLE" traits that come with the age. It is amazing how it seriously just comes with the age.....

And, finally, here's a little something from Robby:

March

We love going to the zoo! On this particular day, Robby was able to get exceptionally close to the polar bears!

 We live in a duplex-- us on the ground level, someone else upstairs, and a shared basement (unfinished...used for laundry and storage). Luckily, when we are in our part of the house, Robby has no acces to stairs. But, in order to get outside or down to the basement, you go out into a hallway where there are stairs.

The other day, I was downstairs looking through some boxes for something and Robby was down there with me.  I wasn't paying close enough attention, and he apparently went up the stairs and then tried to walk back down them (I am guessing here... I didn't see it happen.... but, judging from how he always tries to walk down the stairs when I am with him, I am assuming that is what he tried). Unfortunately, without me there to hold his hand, he fell down the stairs and landed on the unfinished basement floor :( Poor kid. Luckily he just got a big bruise, some scrapes and a scratches.

Here he is, bundled in his valentines blanket and laying on his heart pillow after his fall.

We have started going to the library a lot lately. The main library down town has an awesome childrens area. It is a fun family activity.

Robby has become quite fond of Elmo lately. He won't even really sit and watch Sesame Street (or any show for that matter). But, he likes watching short YouTube videos of Elmo singing songs and stuff.
Here is the first one he ever saw, which started off his fondness of the furry red monster. (Steve originally found this video when randomly searching for YouTube videos of songs about ducks... haha).

Grandma Kirkham sent him this fun Elmo in a package with an Elmo coloring book and some treats.

Eating an english cucumber dipped in raspberry walnut vinaigrette-- aka "sauce."



January/February 2011

Robby is becoming quite creative:

Using his Lego box as a stool.....dangerous... but innovative.

Robby soup...

Apparently it is easier to color while hanging over the edge of the table.......?

I learned how to crochet recently for a service project. We made these little beanies for newborns.... mine ended up very small.... more of a premie size.

Robby loves to help unload the dishwasher and does a great job of it (handing me the dishes so I can put them away). But, I don't let him help load the dirty dished into the dishwasher. So, he decided he would just get all the clean pots and pans out of the cupboard and load them in instead.

Bilbo the Snowman. 

December 2010

Robby loved (and still does) sitting in a big chair up to the table.

We received lots of packages in the weeks leading up to Christmas-- some we ordered, and many sent to us by family.

"Maybe if I sit on it long enough it will hatch..."



We made a gingerbread train this year. Robby was a good helper until he discovered the building materials were edible. This picture is just the beginning of the train.

"Come on... just let me eat the licorice...."

We got together at a friend's house to make gingerbread creations. We brought our train to work on. Still didn't finish it, but made some progress.

One day, Robby took off his pants then walked away. Came back shortly after with a roll of toilet paper and proceeded to wipe his diaper with a square of toilet paper. Turned out he did have a poopy diaper. Haha.

Playing with James.

Robby was helping me sweep up some little bits of granola on the floor. I told him "Good job. You are such a good helper." As I went to dump the contents of the dust pan into the trash, he grabbed the bowl of granola and dumped the rest on the ground.....then proceeded to sweep the huge pile of granola.....spreading it across the floor. What a good helper...... :/

Christmas:

Here are the matching monkey pajamas my mom sent us!
We love them.
You know you are jealous. :)

(wrapping paper stuck to his foot)

Here are some of the main gifts Robby received (thanks grandparents!)
Train

Chocolate Lab

His very own table and chairs!

His own keyboard.

And, this has nothing to do with Christmas, but isn't he handsome with his hair slicked? haha. Looks like he actually has hair.