2014 year in review (aka Christmas newsletter!)

2014 was a big one for our family. Big stuff happened all around.

1. Cecily was born on 3/14/14.
2. Alex graduated from medical school.
3. Alex accepted a residency position in internal medicine at Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, MA.
4. We sold our house, bought a house, and moved across the country with a 10 week old.

Even though this year has been very difficult in some respects, we feel blessed in so many ways. Cecily is a happy, jabbering 9 month old and amazes us every day with the ways she grows and changes. Alex, while gone more than we both wish he were, enjoys his program and the people he works with. He is halfway through his intern year. I work 1-2 days per week at a dog/cat clinic in Acton, MA and the rest of the time enjoy being a mom. While we miss Urbana and our friends there sometimes acutely, we have felt love and community from our wonderful church family and other friends we have made here. We are enjoying getting to know New England and look forward to what the new year brings us!

Happy holidays to you and your families and may the new year bring peace to your hearts.

Nine months

Today is Cecily's nine month birthday! In about 7 more days, she will have been outside of me for longer than she was inside of me. We are celebrating by having dad home for the day. He is napping right now.

Cecily and I were able to enjoy Thanksgiving together in Philadelphia while Alex worked. The trip down was almost a disaster. Thank goodness the driver's side window finally went back up after I stopped to get a turnpike ticket. Freezing cold air blowing in on you while you are going 70 mph and still have 80 miles to go with an infant in your back seat is not a good combination. My very urgent prayer was answered.

Cousins

 Mom and dad Parent came back with us to spend a week here. They got to see a lot of Cecily, some of Alex, too much of my cooking and too much of Ruben. We saw some of the sights too (can you count Costco as a sight?)

Longfellow house and Washington's headquarters during the Boston siege

My nine month old baby (!) finally, as of the last week or so, has a predictable napping schedule. She sleeps fairly well at night. She is scooting rather efficiently, including right off the bed if given half the chance. She talks herself to sleep at naptime. She is a social creature and loves interacting with people. She is eating pretty much whatever I give her, and especially enjoys stinky cheese and dark chocolate (what can I say? She is her momma's daughter). And as of this morning, she has two teeth!

Life is good. Sometimes (especially on those weekend nights when Alex expected to be home 5 hours earlier than he actually is) I feel like a single parent and I feel sorry for myself but then I try to remember that it could be way worse. And, as Alex often reminds me, our the things that make our lives challenging right now are then things we wanted for ourselves and that we chose. They are the wonderful things in life and the things that will help us to grow. 

What a ham. On top of the tower at Mt. Auburn cemetery. This was a month or so ago, right when the trees were changing color.