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[Originally written last week. You know, before I had any idea this would be my last week of pregnancy.]

I officially installed the baby car seat and puppy pet partition in the 4Runner last weekend. Does this mean we are one more step closer to being ready READY for the little man’s arrival?

Probably not.

Every time someone at work asks me if we’re “ready”, I respond that it’s our first. How can we possibly be “ready”??

And yet, our minds are slowly evolving to accept the inevitability of the arrival of this new life, new responsibility, new person.

Each day this week, Brandon and I have attempted to tackle something new with the baby’s room. First, he surprised me by setting up the crib all by himself last week while I was at yoga. Then we unpacked the combo changing table. Then we moved all of his office stuff from The Baby Room into the dining room. Then we sorted through four ENORMOUS boxes of amazing generosity from Tammy and Cecil and arranged The Baby Room. Then we moved the queen bed from our bedroom into the The Baby Room (in preparation for company coming this fall!) and got a new bed for our bedroom.

In between all of that, we are still busy with hospital rotations and Brandon continues to plug away at his MBA degree and part-time job. I have continued writing a few articles for that online search engine company (they are patiently waiting for my US SSN) and spend each weekend cleaning. In addition to my usual Sunday fun “to do” list, I’m vacuuming spiderwebs from windows and corners and dusting WAY more often.

Are we “nesting”? Probably!

Are we “ready”? Probably not. But by the time he gets here, we’ll have done as much as we can to prepare.

I glanced in the rearview mirror of the 4Runner and saw Maddy’s nose sticking out at me through the bars of the freshly-installed pet partition. She and Suh were safely segregated away from the (also freshly-installed) baby car seat. Suh was more than happy to hang her head out of the back window, but Maddy seemed to look longingly at me as if through the bars of a prison.

I felt a twinge of sadness and what might only be described as melancholy as I thought back to the days when Maddy was an only child in a single-parent household. I used to love it when she would rest her head on my shoulder while I drove and she was always close enough to listen to my latest rant or share my McDonald’s french fries. Now she was far away. And there was the shadow of a GIANT tiny new baby between us.

So many things have changed. So many things are continuing to change.

I count my blessings every day, but sometimes I wonder why it all has to happen so fast…

Five minutes after I walked out of the USMLE Step 2 CK exam, everything I had so carefully prepared and studied and re-re-reviewed promptly fell out of my head.

Now — a month later — what am I doing without question banks and review books??

Reading baby books
Oh, come on. You knew this was coming. Brandon is secretly dreading that I’m going to become a fountain of scientifically-proven do’s and don’ts, when all I really care about is finding proof that limiting TV is good. I think kids and TV is almost worse than kids and guns.

Continuing Spanish lessons
I’ve dusted off and launched Rosetta Stone again. Going to try to spend a few hours a week like I used to. While I know I won’t be fluent enough to put the experience on any residency applications, judging what I’ve seen so far here in Midwestern America, knowing a little Spanish will take me a long way in my medical career.

Walking the dogs
In an attempt to curb Suh’s overzealous enthusiasm for everything that life has to offer, Brandon started walking her twice a day. On days when he’s working, I pick up the slack and try to control two dogs in a neighbourhood full of squirrels and cats while waddling on stiff hips. Most mornings it drives me nuts with frustration, but I know getting out is good for me. And them.

Stretching and staying healthy
Speaking of exercise, I’m still going to prenatal yoga every Monday, but keep forgetting we have a Wii Fit sitting in the corner.

Sorting baby stuff
This could also probably be called “nesting” as I try to prepare for the little man’s arrival. You can see in the photo that we have been blessed with a TON of stuff from friends and family. That was my attempt last weekend to organize the overflowing baby closet in the hallway. Everything is now neatly sorted and folded, just waiting for the furniture we ordered last week.

Someday this post-exam apocalypse may also come to be known as the pre-baby lull.

After my recent rant about Suh, I wanted to update you on her progress. Because she is making remarkable progress as we I get more patient with her.

One of our biggest hassles was how OVER-excited she would get each time we got ready to go for a walk. As soon as the socks and sneakers come out, she’s spinning circles and losing her mind with anticipation. Which usually involves knocking us over, getting underfoot, and tearing up the hardwood as she races from the front door to the bedroom in an attempt to hurry us up already. We’re frustrated and exhausted before we even get out the door. And to deal with this twice a day? Yuck.

Awhile back we had to start kenneling her during the day while Brandon and I were gone at the same time. She would pull out laundry, chewed a pair of flip flops and seems to really like sucking on my slippers, rendering them unbearably-unwearably soggy. After only a couple of days, she started to associate me getting ready for work (since Brandon usually leaves the house first) with going in the kennel. By the time I was rinsing with mouthwash, she was already settled in and waiting for me to close the door.

Brandon decided to take this affinity for her kennel to an extra level. Now whenever we start to get ready to go for a walk, he tells her to wait in the kennel. He leaves the door open, but tells her to go inside and wait. And she does. She lays down with her nose sticking out and patiently waits for us to hurry up and get ready.

This morning when Brandon got up (extra early), she went in the kennel straight away and waited to be called for her morning walk. It’s awesome!

She really is a friggin’ brilliant dog. If we can continue to figure out these little tricks that she’ll latch on to establish routine and keep her excitement from escalating, then I think she’ll come a long way fast.

Sitting in the backyard with the dogs in the evening is well worth getting bit by a zillion mosquitoes just to be able to watch the awesome fireflies flitting around with their cigarette-lighter butts blinking in the twilight.

Now if only I had a lawn chair…

As many of you may remember, I tossed a few seeds in the crappy clay soil strip along our backyard fence earlier this year. I had no idea what to expect or if anything would actually come up and look good enough to eat. Two months later and things are green! I’ve already eaten four cucumbers the size of my forearm and replanted four rows that either died in the first hot spell (see Peas) or just never came up (see Herbs). Last year in Saskatchewan, we had to protect/cover/replant a lot of the garden after a freeze in June. The growing season is definitely different down here in Oklahoma and I’m learning a lot along the way.

Carrots
Green tops are growing big and strong. Whenever I see the carrots, I think of this video of Maddy.

Cucumbers
As mentioned above, I’ve already eaten four (sliced up with a little salt) and even though there are at least half a dozen more out there growing, the leaves are starting to look a little wilted and weathered.

Herbs
Cilantro doesn’t like the heat. Who knew? Everyone but me, I guess. We had a full, gorgeous row of delicious smelling leaves that bolted and flowered as soon as it was regularly over 80F. The parsley is going slow, but steady and we have more basil than an Italian family would know what to do with. The oregano and chives have yet to make an appearance. I’ve since read that they are both difficult to grow from seeds and that row will probably stay empty.

Honeydew & Cantaloupe
After the success with the watermelon, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to spend $1 on a packet of experimental seeds. Nevermind that I can get pre-sliced containers of both melons at the cafeteria any day of the week.

Onions
Harsh rains and a little hail have made the knee-high stalks look a little beaten, but they seem to be doing well.

Peas
Along with the cilantro, my pea plants did not survive the first wicked heat spell. They pushed out a few pods, fell over and wilted. Dang. Other than raspberries, peas are my favourite food to pick-and-eat outside. I replaced those rows with pumpkins (see below), cantaloupe, and honeydew.

Peppers
The hot and green pepper plants are growing taller and have pushed out a couple of blooms, but no veggies yet.

Pumpkin
A squirrel or bird stole all (except 2!) of my pumpkin seeds and plants. How cheeky! I want at least one pumpkin to carve this fall! Wondering whether I should try to replant-and-protect…

Watermelon
Even though they’re my favourite fruit, I’ve never tried growing watermelons before. I figured the growing season would be hot and long enough down here to praise my meager efforts. We have four! And one is already the size of a softball!

I know I inherited my gardening fascination from my mom. She has forgotten more about gardening than I will ever learn. I once read somewhere that the act of gardening places hope in tomorrow. I suppose that’s true. There are no immediate, short-term rewards in the garden. Everything takes time and patience and another tomorrow. From the moment seedlings first poke their heads through the soil, I just love watching everything get bigger and greener.

Oh, and see that green wire fence? Squirrels love to run through the power lines and trees in the yard behind us. I needed something to keep the dogs from tramping through. I guess an extra-exciting squirrel came by the other day because they took down the corner of the fence and half a row of onions. If they get to my watermelons… Oooooh boy! I will be mad!

It’s been a long while since I’ve written about these two.

Maddy is currently laying nose-to-nose with a beetle on the office carpet and Suh is curled up in a corner of the couch. They both still seem pretty exhausted from our romp at the fenced, off-leash dog park yesterday. This photo captures the trip pretty perfectly: couldn’t get Maddy out of the water and Suh isn’t a big swimmer yet. She ventured after Maddy at one point, but quickly realized the ground was gone and splashed back to shore with a slightly panicked look on her face.

Since Brandon started his clinical rotations at the beginning of this month, Suh hasn’t been too happy with both Brandon and I leaving the house at the same time. She has chewed up a few things and pulled every item off the dresser in the bedroom. She even carefully searches through the laundry hamper to find my slippers* and carry them with her into the living room.

As such, she has been relegated to her kennel. We’d love to be able to trust her, but she gets into stuff even when we’re only gone for an hour!

Maddy’s coat is a disaster today after swimming in the red dirt water of Oklahoma. She didn’t get much of a winter coat, but is shedding even more of that insulating under-layer. 90F (30C) is hot. And it’s only May. Last summer when we arrived in August, it was regularly over 110F. Brandon splurged $15 on a paddling pool at Wal-Mart and we installed it in the backyard under a shady tree.

Unfortunately, we had some nasty wind this morning and a big section of our fence blew over. Brandon and I tried to fix it, but the entire thing is put together so poorly and there isn’t an ounce of sealant on an inch of wood… Suffice it to say, the fence sucks, but did a good job of keeping them in even when a squirrel ran by with teasing chuckles. Now there’s a big hole and the landlord is “booked up solid for the next two weeks” and doesn’t want to come fix it before insurance has a chance to appraise the damage.

Ugh.

I guess it’s a good excuse for more frequent trips to the dog park.

————
*The reason they’re in the laundry hamper is because they’re soaked with dog slobber dirt.

Just a little reminder that we love you forever, through thick and thin. Doing well or poorly or average on this exam doesn’t change a thing. Not even for a second.

We’re looking forward to relaxing with you during January while you take some much-deserved and highly-needed downtime. I know you’ll beat Lego Indiana Jones way before I do.

Now stop being so hard on yourself, relax, and go into that exam armed with the confidence that all these months of preparation have brought you. You know this stuff!

I can’t even describe how much it is snowing right now.

The fluffy white stuff is swirling and blizzarding and sticking to every inch of Maddy’s face. Suh is running around eating it. I’m trying to keep it from blowing in the crack in the front door.

It’s awesome.

I managed to get home from the hospital earlier this morning before it got really bad. I am now hunkered down in front of a non-stop* stream of TV movies and hot mugs. Unfortunately, the snow is going to mean Brandon will probably end up working a double shift tonight because his 11pm relief can’t get in from Tulsa.

For those of you keeping track, he’s working 24 out of 48 hours this Christmas.

We’ll be opening presents as soon as he gets home at 7am!

*Scratch that. I’m earning my warm-up down-time by helping push vehicles spinning out on our street. People here seriously do not know how to drive in snow/ice.

Maddy snoozes while Suh ponders the imminent changes in American healthcare.

Brandon is in Omaha for a wedding. I didn’t get to go what with it starting at 630pm on a Friday and being a 6+ hour drive from here and me rounding on patients in the hospital while Brandon was trying not to fall asleep behind the wheel.

It was weird to come home last night to an empty house. Being freshly married and still in that awesome head-over-heels spend-every-moment-together phase, Brandon and i enjoy doing pretty much everything together. Have I mentioned he’s my only friend down here?? So, sitting around last night deciding what to do and what to have for dinner and when to go to bed was sort of new. I almost felt like I was back in my Vancouver bachelor apartment days. If it wasn’t for the giant Great Dane trying to curl up in my lap every time I sat down, Maddy and I might have wondered if the last 2.5 years were just a dream…

In the end, my evening wasn’t very eventful. Due to a Christmas purchase on Amazon, I qualified for a free 12-month photo calendar from Shutterfly. I splurged $6.50 on shipping so 2010 can be filled with pictures of Maddy and Suh from 2009. I also spent 3 hours on a cross-stitch project trying to fill the last empty wedding present photo frame. Maddy glared at me most of the evening because I took up her half of our rather small couch. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” was on TV. I kinda hate TV for anything other than sports and movies. Why are the commercials SO MUCH LOUDER than the program??

At 830pm I realized I hadn’t had any dinner yet. Brandon is great for reminding me when it’s a meal time and that I should eat. Even in his absence, he made sure I was well taken care of last night with some yummy leftovers in the fridge. I now know how those husbands feel when their wives leave those cute notes saying “Dinner is in the oven/fridge/etc for you, dear. Love you!” It’s one of the most awesomest feelings in the world.

By 9pm my eyes were criss-crossing. I put down my needle and curled up in bed. I am about halfway through “Drink, Play, F@#k” and it’s been a big ball of entertaining giggles so far. The first 12 chapters take place in Ireland: Disneyland for anyone looking to entertain a 3-month drinking binge. Alcoholism is a serious disease, but crap that book made me laugh. All of the good Irish stereotypes reminded me of Emmet at MUA.

By the time the author made it to the casino in Vegas, I was ready to turn out the lights. Brandon called around 10pm to say goodnight. He sounded exhausted, but I know his friends were really glad to have him there. The dogs took up 2/3rds of the bed and I drifted off to dreamland sort of laying diagonally with my knees pulled up. No matter how much room the dogs take, the bed always feels empty without Brandon there.

This morning, I slept in until 7am. Now that is something I haven’t done in a very long time. The last two hours weren’t really sleeping. Mostly just snuggling under the heavy warm duvet while the cold room air nipped my nose. There aren’t very many things more perfect in life than a warm bed in a cool room.

An hour later, I’ve made coffee and spent some time on the internet. Now I’m ready to vacuum, dust and clean the bathroom. Later, I plan to listen to an audiobook while adding a few feet of crochet to my stripey scarf.

Cleaning the bathroom reminds me of a brief conversation this social media husband-and-wife had a couple of weeks ago:

“Thanks for cleaning the toilet,” Brandon called. While in the middle of using it.

“Oh, you noticed?” I asked in return. I thought I cleaned it often enough that there shouldn’t be much of a difference between Before and After.

“Nah. But I read it on Twitter.”

Just got off the phone with Brandon. He is on the road! On his way home! I wonder if he’ll notice the toilet before or after he reads this…