mi amiga

Ellie and I had such a fun day today.  We took a girls trip to downtown Boston.  First we dropped Dad off at Harvard, then we parked the car at Alewife and got on the tube. *I like to call it the tube because it brings back good memories. We rode it down to the beginning of the Freedom Trail. We got to see the cemetery where Sam Adams was buried, the old church of England + burial place of some of the passengers of the Mayflower, and the site of the Boston Massacre. Read down a few posts and it will tell you why I am so interested in the Boston Massacre ;) Then I got side tracked by H&M, Children's Place, Boarders, and Marshalls, ugh. Can i turn down an opportunity to shop around at H&M? No. Can I resist the urge to buy something? Yes I can. My husband is probably so proud today.
But the best part of my day was spending quality time with my little Chiquita banana.  She is so much fun to be around lately. She says "hi" to everyone on the tube, even the homeless man that scared me.  And she makes friends so easily. The homeless man told her that he loves her like three times before he got off the train. Kinda sweet in a little bit of a creepy way. I feel so lucky to have this perfect little spirit in my life. Let me explain a little further, it started raining today and I had a "bad mom" freak out moment because I realized she didn't have a jacket or umbrella.  I looked down at her expecting to see her scared of the rain, but there she was, my little love bug, with her mouth open wide and tongue sticking out, laughing her hilarious deep laugh. My heart melted and I fell more and more in love with a little baby girl.
We went back across the river, to Cambridge to pick Daddy up from Harvard. We got to meet some of Dad's new friends. Ellie got out and gave them her golden smile, then as we left she couldn't help but lift her little hand and say a perfectly timed "bye". Ah, she is perfect. Even as she layed down to rest today she puts her chubby little hands up and starts playing with her ear, just like her Daddy does. I love watching my little amiga enter dreamland. I hope she always has beautiful dreams. The only thing that drives me crazy is that she chooses dad over mom every time to cuddle with at sleepy, sleepy time. I mean I guess his chest and arms do make a girl feel safe. I love him too.
I can't wait until everyday is like today. I dream of the day when school is over and I get to spend all day everyday with my munchkin. I love her to the moon and back. Then Daddy comes home and we all cuddle together and laugh about the adventures of our day. Ah if everyday were just like today.



Roseola Infantum

Note: This is not my baby as you can see by the brown hair but the rash is pretty accurate, poor E.C.

First things first, I LOVE my first rotation. I mean the days are long. We hardly get breaks from either seeing patients or running up to the hospital to do rounds, admitting orders, ect. And I am exhausted by the end of the day, but I love everything about it.  I never realized how intimate of a profession this is until the past week.  The doctor I am working with is teaching me so much and is so kind and patient with me.  First impression: Love her.  I have been scrubbing in for surgery (2 c-sections to date) and got the chance to be there for a vaginal birth. Everytime I see a baby take it's first breath and make it's first noises I am on the verge of tears. Then Mommy and Daddy kiss and proclaim their love. Life is blissful on a birthday.

Not so blissful, is an eleven month old giving you burning hot hugs and kisses. That is life at home the past week. I mean I would never turn down an Ellie kiss, even if it cauderizes my skin off. But it is so sad to see my little princess suffering. She has been so whiney and docile lately that I have been worried. Poor baby is getting all four of her top teeth right now, so naturally I attributed her fever to teething. Rookie mistake. I realized this when the fever lasted way longer than it should have and then a rash erupted.  Ah! I'm the derm guru right? wrong. When it is your child everything you once knew is gone and worst case scenerios are amplified. Safe to say its not the measels or scarlet fever. I was worried because she hasn't been vaccinated with her MMR, but thankfully the symptoms didn't quite fit. I think she just has what is known as Roseola Infantum and the only thing to worry about with this is febrile seizures, ugh.  

Baby girl has been taking good long naps and fighting the virus like a champ. Tylenol is keeping the fevers down and cuddling mommy is just the thing to make baby a happy girl again. We watched lots of Elmo, got lots of rest, and have hydrated ourselves quite nicely. She is feeling better and starting to act like herself again. Have I mentioned how much I love her lately? I love her more than any mother has loved any child. I know that is a bold statement but I'm not backing down. She is my heaven and I just can't get enough of my Ellie Callait.

 We are still living with the Debruzzi's (Heaven will bless them for their love and kindness they have shown us), but get to move into our new apartment next week. Yay! I'm excited not to have to drive an hour to the hospital and back everyday. Ellie's first birthday is on the horizon: September 14, best day that has ever happened to this world. I can't wait to celebrate! Daddy starts law school on Wednesday. Mimi and Jaxy are planning a trip to the big MA to celebrate Ellie's big day. Lets just say we have a busy next couple of weeks. Keep us in your hearts and prayers as we go through this trasition period.  It can be hard trying to get settled, as most of you know.  Oh what I would give for a routine and a little stability? Keep Ellie in your prayers too. We all send our love from New England haha. 

Love,

Us

American Revolution Anyone?

Ok, ok I know that you will be getting a lot of history posts in the next three years, but soak it in while you can :) We spent the day in Concord, home of Louisa May Alcott, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emmerson. Also, a city with much distaste for the bristish government and birthplace of the minute men/militia in the mid 1700s. Here is where on April 19, 1775 the battle of Concord took place. This was the first day of battle of the Revolutionary war and the first American Militia victory. Ok, ok now quite enough right? We spent the day at the museum (Leon loves museums!) and then had a picnic at the minute men memorial park. Such a fun day with my favorite people! Please don't make fun of my voice for some reason I always do this ridiculous voice when I take videos (I sound like a child reading from cue cards). But these are mostly for you Holli. Hope you like them!

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot hear round the world.

-Ralph Waldo Emmerson

Having so much fun in Boston! Come visit us soon (ok ok wait until we have a house)

Love,

Us

My First Rotation

Mt Auburn Hospital is going to be my home away from home for the next 8 weeks. Is it really this beautiful? Yes. It is located right on the water, surrounded by huge beautiful colonial houses. I'm in love.  I can't wait to start on Tuesday. My day is going to be full to the brim! She is having me in on a c-section the first day. Ah I can't tell you how excited this makes me. The birth of a child is an experience unlike any other.  I feel so lucky to be able to share such an intimate moment of life with these patients.  I hope I can truly show them my love and respect for this process. 

One thing I am concerned about is the blood. I sit here and think back about three years, and can picture myself in my first exam room with my first solo patient.  She spoke only Spanish and I only spoke English at the time. I cleaned her arm and put on the tourniquet.  Then pulled out the needle and inserted it into a healthy bulging vein. I just remember watching the deep red blood filling the tube and warming my hand. I quickly pulled off the tourniquet, put pressure on the site and pulled out the needle. Thank goodness because next thing I knew I was laying on the tiny latin woman's lap.  My 5 foot 7 frame did not fit in the arms of this 5 foot zero woman haha. And my poor chin was throbbing from hitting the instrument table on my way down. I had what is known in the medical world as my first syncopal episode. This has happened numerous times since, most notoriously when I was pregnant with Ellie and trying to teach a room (about 150-200 students) full of Organic Chemistry students a test review. One of the students even got it on camera and showed me the next day. Safe to say I am worried about my vasovagal syncope attacks. I'm sure I need a cardiac work up ugh. Its funny in medicine you always think everyone else is sick but for some reason because you know about disease and illness you are invincible and will never get hurt or sick.

I just can't get over how excited I am for an OB rotation! The doctor seems so sweet too. Hopefully she won't realize I don't know what I'm doing and I'm scared out of my mind lol. Ok I do know what I'm doing but its always scary to try something new.

Wish me luck!

Red Sox Nation

A stadium built 100 years ago. A distinctive green monster of a wall towering over us and a pesky little pole making its famous appearance out in right field. A team worshiped by an entire region, to the extent they even have their own television network out here. And a culture so rich and contageous we couldn't hep but join in. What am I talking about you ask? Well Red Sox nation of course. 

The Red Sox played the Devil Rays this past week at Fenway park and thanks to Uncle Elliot we got to see them play.  It was so fun to watch Elliot out there and we are beyond excited that he didn't get hurt (haha because he usually does whenever Leon trys to watch him play) this time.  We also got to see and spend time with Aunt Nicole, whom we absolutely adore (Especially Ellie).  Ellie loved Nicole's pretty earrings and couldn't help grabbing them every time she got a chance. Exhibit A: Why I don't wear jewlry anymore lol. We sure did miss little Blakey Boo and we look forward to seeing him the next time they come.

Ellie was such a good girl at the game.  She loved to join in the clapping, and her cute little golf clap melted my heart.  She slept basically the enire game, obnoxious fans and all.  The poor baby is probably exhaused from all the traveling we have been doing the past two weeks. We leave the house at around ten and don't come back until about nine or ten that night.  But we found an apartment and a daycare so at least the exhausting days have payed off.

Golf Clap

She slept just like this on my lap for 3 hours: Yay Ellie!

It has been so much fun to spend all day everyday with Leon.  We have honestly made such great memories the past couple of weeks.  I sure do love this boy.  Not to mention he is a great navigator around this crazy city.  But lets give the place some slack because Nicole did say something that made so much sense the other day, "These roads are so old they weren't made for cars."  And its true.  So I now withdraw my previous comment about the builder of these roads and eternal damnation or whatnot and they have my complete forgiveness.  Thanks to Mom and Dad's christmas present last year ( Tomtomy boy), we have been much happier with our navigation escapades.  Plus we found a place that is in Belmont ( I know I can't get away from the place haha) which is much more spread out and relaxing than our previous first impression of the place, which was sommerville (the most densely packed city in New England).  We are very excited about our new home and can't wait to move in and start decorating!  

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The Green Monster! Two or three homeruns were hit off this bad boy at the game. Very impressive, very impressive indeed.

 We should probably invest in some gear, but I think we need to start at the Harvard student store.  I can't wait to buy Ellie a Harvard onesie haha. Don't worry Brenn you will get one too.

We had so much fun and are so grateful to Elliot and Nicole for the time we got to spend with them.  We love them to the moon and back! By the time you come back we will be a little more Bostonian and a little less stressed haha.

Love, 

Us

Massachusettes

Dear Massachusettes (or Boston to be exact),

  Do you not understand that August is still technically summer and that clouds/rain are not welcome in the summer? What did you do with the sun? Please speak with Arizona, she has a lot of sun and summer experience she might like to share with you.
  Why do you want $1700 for a hole in the wall p.o.s. apartment? Location, location, location right? Well let me tell you something, you are greedy as all get up. These apartments are terrible and yet they want to rape our bank account. I feel violated. And on that note, DELEAD all of your apartments please. It is ridiculous how you think it is ok to treat children so horribly.  You are discriminating against the only thing that is holding this world together.  Without children this planet would cease to exsist and your precious little city would have no one to pay for apartments. DELEAD your apartments.
  Furthermore, why in the world do you have so many toll roads? Why am I paying $3.00 to just drive home? Do you understand that is a whole j-dawg? I realize that I am a cheap woman and it pains me to spend money on things that are unnecessary, but I don't appreciate being taken advantage of.
  Speaking of your roads. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!! I want to pull my hair out everytime I get in the car. Who built these roads? There should be some sort of eternal damnation for those responsible.  I can't believe how confused I get.  Maybe the oil companies are behind it all? They must know how many ridiculously wrong turns that are made and that we will all waste gas trying to figure out where in the world we are. That means more money for them through their unfathomly high gas prices.
  You do have beautiful trees.  Everywhere I turn I see a landscape other parts of the country would die for.  I mean some of your forests are prime material for rapists and cerial killers so they scare me, but if the world were a better place I would be captivated with your beauty.  Eventhough there are way too many people here, the air is still fresh and feels so good in my lungs.
  You do parks right here.  Oh. my. gosh. Your parks are amazing. There is green everywhere I look. Maybe my toll expenses are going toward the little enclosed mini adventure zones that are on every corner? Jaxon would kill to play at one of these beauties.  But Boston, lets keep it real, no kids play at these parks because the weather is horrible.  So, here they are to tempt the little peanuts and give hope to a sunny day that will never come. Sad. And a little cruel.  They need to donate these parks to California where they can be put to good use all year around.
  You truly are an intellectual haven.  Within ten min I saw the beautiful, and close to my heart, Harvard University and the incredible and equally beautiful MIT. The architecture is to die for.  I can't take my eyes off your buildings.  You sure do age well.  And then there was the Harvard Law Library.  This place took my breath away.  I mean if you are a library person as I most certainly am, you must visit Harvard.  The smell of old book wafted through the halls and the paintings just added to the mystique.  We all know what an art lover i am.  I think I am just a lover of beauty and the beauty of Harvard University has stolen my heart.  Oh Harvard, Please take good care of my husband these next three years. He will be spending a lot more time in your beautiful arms than mine and I just want you to love him like I would.  And cheer for my little stud as he takes law school by full charge haha.
  We are looking forward to getting better acquainted with you and hope you will be kind to us.
Much Love,
Us

The BIg Surgery

Today was the big day.  The day the Mama (that's me) has been so nervous yet so relieved about. Ellie girl went through her first and hopefully last surgery experience.

We started the day at five fifteen. Well the alarm went off at five fifteen, but yes, I did press snooze...twice. We woke the princess and were off for Banner Desert Surgical center. Poor baby couldn't eat anything until after the surgery and even my tummy was grumbling by the time she was in pre-op. Good thing she downed half of Daddy's famous guacamole at 11:30 pm haha. She handled it like a champion

Here is the princess on the way to the hospital...at least someone has a smile on at 6am

Ellie and Daddy waiting and reading together 

Matchy Patchy! Just to make sure we leave with the same baby we came with.

 So when we got called back Ellie had to change into a hospital gown. Cutest darn thing I ever did see. She got to sit in the big girl chair and watch cartoons with Mommy and Daddy while in pre-op. We played with all the toys (oh when I say we I mean me and Leon mostly). I tried not to be nervous but the mom of the girl next to us started balling when the doctors came for her little girl and I could feel the fear setting in. Anesthesia is always scary, especially when you don't know how the little one is going to react to it.

Watching cartoons and playing peek-a-boo with Dad

Please try to tell me that is not the cutest picture you ever did see.

She loved all the new toys

 When the nurse came Ellie could feel that something wasn't right and grabbed on in her little monkey way to Daddy.  The nurse peeled her away and she just looked at us like, "Where am I going? Why are you not going with me? Don't leave!" It killed me.  Ripping myself from my little angel was so hard, but this was just a minor thing and only took 15 min so I was just so grateful for my healthy baby.  I can't imagine having to deal with health issues for my little one. I admire and respect mothers that have to carry that burden. 

Ellie and her fan club after she was all done. She cried for about fifteen min. She did not enjoy the experience but once she was given the itouch she completely forgot haha. oh electronics, how good you are to me.

Here is the princess with the itouch on her way home. So sad she looks miserable but I needed to get a picture of the dot above the eye that the surgeon made. I promise she is much better now, goopy eye and all.

It was quite the morning and I hope to never have to do that with my own child again.  It makes me realize that when I am on the other side of the picture (which is in about 13 days ah!) how important it is to treat every child like they are Ellie, because to someone else they are.  She is now taking a good nap right next to me being the perfect little princess that she is.  Her tears were a little blood tinged at first but even that is gone now.  Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers. We feel so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.
Love, Us

Getting rid of the goop

So when sweet Ellie was born, we noticed that her right eye was a little "goopy".  Obviously being first time parents we were a little stressed out by it thinking everything from "ah does she have an infection?" to "is she going to be blind!?"  Our pediatrician calmed us down and let us know that she had a very common condition that is caused by a blockage in the lacrimal sac "tear duct". Ellie ended up having a membrane that never opened.  Mimi said Holli had this until she was 1 and the pediatrician said that it usually clears up on its own within the first couple months of life.

As you all know, I am a "worry wort". My husband makes fun of me all the time because I worry about everything. I am working on it, but it is very hard to overcome.  The medical field is the worst field to go into if you are a so-called "worry wort" because you know all of the things that can go wrong and you somehow find yourself diagnosing the most bizarre things. It is horrible. My poor baby would wake up from a nap and I would look over at her and only one eye would be open. In the back of my head I was thinking everything from a severed facial nerve to trauma to chronic conjuctivitis. But there she was, healthy as can be, just staring at me with her one eye. It kind of freaked me out. So I would rip the other eye open and break through all the crusties that she couldn't do herself. Horrible I tell you, horrible. Anyways, I waited and I waited. I massaged the misses eye everyday with a warm towel in the bath. I even would squirt breast milk in her eye to get that little bugger to heal.  

And Basically here we are 11 months later and her poor eye, although much better, is still goopy. Ah! We went to the eye doctor and after what I consider a little miracle (because of us moving and changing insurance and what not) everything worked out and Ellie is going in for her first surgery tomorrow morning.  Poor baby will be anesthetized which makes the mama very worried (of course).  Keep us in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow. And we will report asap.

Love, Us 

One Penske truck+ lots of free apple boxes+ a five day drive= the start of the Johnson family's east coast adventure

So the week is finally here.  The week we have been planning for months and talking about for years. The week we start our life on the east coast. Am I scared? Yes. Am I ready? No. Are we leaving in three days (just me, my husband, an 11 month old baby in a car seat for 5 days)? Yes. Ready or not here we come. So we are picking this up on Wednesday.

We have been doing this the whole past week and will hopefully be done on Tuesday night.  How did we ( I mean I) accumulate so much stuff? Am I a "HOARDER"? I've been going through my hundreds of pairs of shoes, I mean shoes I haven't seen in years, and it hurts me to throw them into the goodwill pile. And you should see all the old notebooks and academic treasures that I can't part with. Ah! I don't want to be the lady with the dead cat in her living room with no idea where that smell is coming from.  Looks like I need to downsize and just let go. "Breathe. Throw the dress you wore in your seventh grade election picture in the trash bag. Now kiss that precious baby of yours on her delectable cheeks and smile at your simplified lifestyle." 

Our final destination: Boston, Massachusettes.  Never been here, but everyone else says its an amazing city.  I've always felt a connection because when I was in the third grade I found out that the Boston Massacre happened on March 5 (which is my birthday). I mean it was about two hundred years earlier, and it was a violent scene, but its my birthday and we all get excited about seeing our special date printed in a history book, right? Ok maybe I'm just a birthday fanatic. I also catch myself singing "I think I'll go to Boston. I think I'll start a new life..." Over and over to myself haha. yea that is exactly what our little familia is doing. We are going across the country to learn about law and medicine and about depending on eachother for everything. We are nervious and excited about our adventure. How blessed we feel for this opportunity to get to experience something new and different. Leon and I are both the intellectual type and can't wait to be surrounded by fellow nerds.  I keep telling Leon that we need to start being more like Robert Langdon and getting up at 5 am to swim laps and grind our own coffee in the morning (actually we don't drink coffee...coffee is for the weak but you get the point) how else are we going to fit in? We are trading in our rainbows for sperrys haha. Wish us luck and come visit any chance you get!!

Love, Us

My golden Girl

I seriously saw this bathing suit a few years ago and laughed out loud at my little sister. Who would have thought three or four years later i would love, love , love it. So many good memories with the shiny gold one piece lol. Ellie decided to try her hand at the golden number tonight. I sure do wish that I could find matching outfits for us more often haha. I love it!

Mimi and Jaxy are here to visit and help us pack up for the big move next week. They have been so good to ellie, taking her swimming everyday and playing with her toys and reading her books. She is obsessed with Jaxon. Everything he does and says is hilarious to her. She can't stop smiling when she is around him and all he has to do is say "hi" and she is rolling. Why can't I do that? And he is the sweetest thing to her. It melts my heart to hear him say how much he loves her and how she is at the top of his favorite list.