niagara falls and eczema

That is the best summing up of this September that I can think of. This month David was on the general surgery service for the first time since starting at the hospital. The schedule improved a bit and it was great to see him home for dinner pretty often. We had alot of fun with Grandpa Copper and Uncle Titus when they came out for a week or so (the kids are still going through withdrawals) and for the last couple of days of their visit David and I had a chance to get away for two nights.

This was the first time we have been able to be alone overnight since before Anne was born so we both felt like we were overdue! The kids had a wonderful time, but not as good a time as we did. We went to a bed and breakfast at Niagara-on-the-lake. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed being out in it together. Niagara falls is impressive, but there are so many people and so many cheesy ways to spend your money within sight of the falls that it was nice to visit the falls and then retreat to Niagara-on-the-lake for some peace and quiet. There really was peace and quiet even though the Boy Scouts of Canada were camped by the hundreds on the green across the street from where we stayed. They were reinacting the War of 1812 complete with costumes and guns that at least made noise although they couldn't have been real. We enjoyed watching them as we walked into town for dinner, glad that we weren't joining their chow line for the "lots of hot dogs still left, guys!"

Dad and Titus gave us a good break and even kept the house clean. Jan informed me that Uncle Titus had taught them to count to ten in Halloween (I figured out later that she meant Japanese). Anne had been working on a nasty rash that was just getting to the edge of troublesome the day David and I left. By the time we got back it was terrible. It has been over a week now and it has cleared up quite a bit with the help of some medication, but she is still uncomfortable.

David is back at work now although the several days that he got to take off were a lifesaver for me. I think that he was able to get pretty rested up and it was just nice for the kids and I to get to see him for a good amount of time. I am grateful that he was around to help with Anne's eczema when it was really bad. We are praying that she will continue to heal and that if we can do anything to help her get better the Lord would show us what that would be. She has an appointment with an allergist on Thursday. She bears it pretty well, I think, but it really is a miserable thing. I wish now that I had taken a picture of her when her rash was bad, just for the record, but I couldn't bear to document it at the time, it made me cry to look at her.

We have been raking leaves and enjoying the blue sky and cooler weather. I think that Ohio falls beat their summers all to pieces. David runs an 8 mile portion of the marathon here on Saturday with some of his fellow residents running the other legs of it as a relay. Jan and Alec are all set to run the kids fun run on the same day while we wait for him to finish. (Alec decided to run this time because there is a goody bag for everyone who finishes.) We have made it down to the towpath a few times for a mix of bike riding/walking/running. We have taken the kids bikes down there several times and they really enjoy the opportunity to ride without worrying about traffic and the end of the driveway. Last night David ran his 7 or 8 miles while we walked and rode bikes. We are looking forward to this weekend because David gets both Saturday and Sunday off (unless "they" change their minds).

That was a little bit of our September. I don't know what October holds, but for me at this point it is all just a count down until this next baby is born. Supposed to happen sometime in the area of Carrie's birthday (December 18) so we have something like 12 weeks left. It always sounds so easy when you count it in weeks! We still don't have names picked out although our kids are never short on ideas about that. Alec is rooting for Spanky or Alfalfa and Jan really likes the name that Cori and Nils picked out for their baby if it is a girl and just doesn't understand why our baby couldn't match theirs. We'll come up with something soon...maybe in October!

Aren't snapping turtles fast, dad?

We had a day off today on Labor Day. Cleveland was having an air show and since we already paid for a year pass to the Zoo, I figured the more we go, the cheaper it gets so I drug the family up to see the animals again. We had lunch in our familiar bench with the elephants and people watched as we all snacked on cucumbers and olives and cheese and pretzels. There seems to be a strong representation of the Amish at the Cleveland Zoo because we have been there three times now and each time there must be at least 30 or so of them there. Either that or they all look the same to me and I just keep seeing them over and over, which is entirely possible. I think the best part of the zoo today was the Cheetah and Tortoise and Monkey area up above. We first came up on the tortoises and my soft spoken children were entertaining the other patrons with their ignorance as to the species presented to them, as well as the qualities of the genera and family. "Are those snapping turtles really fast, dad?" Well, son, those are tortoises.... and no, they are not exactly fast. "Oh, do their babies drink milk?" and so on.

Next was the cheetah pen. We overlooked that one the first time we were there due to the fact that they cheetahs were asleep. They were pretty lively this time, so we discussed the "tigers" and their speed, their relation to other cats, etc... We saw the gorillas, who were lying on their backs chewing on sticks, and so at dinner it was observed that "gorillas chew sticks." Actually, I will give you the entire sentence my son spewed: "Hey dad, these are eyes [holes chewed in a tortilla], and baby elephants drink milk don't they dad? Anne Peewar doesn't like spicy things, Hey Jan, I'm a bald eagle." And so it goes.

Back to the Zoo. We had a great time and left just before anyone wanted to, which is my strategy to get them to be excited about coming back so I can get a walk in and they can be occupied. I am now doing a general surgery and trauma surgery rotation, which is much better schedule-wise compared with my prior rotation of CardioThoracic and Vascular surgery. I have less attendings to cover for, and there are three of us interns on top of two senior residents. This makes the time much more relaxed and I actually have gotten caught up with my dictations and some reading as well. I also was able to operate with the residency program director last Friday, which was good. We took out a groin mass in about 3 min and he had me close for him. Was a good case for me to meet him better and discuss light topics like, why aren't you running in this marathon relay that the residents are running against the attendings?

I felt a bit like I was in the old days when I got home from being on call Sunday and my wife says, one of the emergency residents who goes to our church (the one we are checking out) has a piano they need help moving and their moving help fell through and it is going to rain. Reminds me of when my dear sweet mother used to talk on the phone and I would overhear, "yeah, we could come over and move that for you, what time is best?" I am not sure what WE she was referring to as she was just organizing the fun. I assume these folks had never seen me or pictures of me if they were asking for my help when lifting anything over 25 pounds. I suggested that my running shoes and apparel were for outrunning the piano should it obey gravity at any time.

This reminds me of the reason I felt like posting something. Yesterday was the 5-year anniversary of my mother's passing on. Seems impossible to me that is actually reality. I still have a difficult time believing she is not here. It must all be a dream. How is it possible that in the space of 5 years I could have applied to medical school, had my first child, moved to Portland and completed medical school, had two more children, been accepted in to general surgery residency and am now working as a general surgeon resident in Ohio in my first house with new acquaintances and surroundings? How is it possible that all this has happened without my mom here to share it? Seems impossible to me. I have to be honest and admit that my mom seems distant now. I used to feel that I would turn around or when someone answered the phone I would hear her voice, and I guess I still think this will happen. Now, however, I can go a whole day or so when I am really busy on call without thinking about my mom and what she would think about what I am doing or the grand kids she never met, or whatever. It has not really sidetracked me all that much, to tell the truth. I only really am bothered by her absence when things are either really good or really hard... those times you want people to share your experiences with you. Speaking of that, I have new pictures posted http://photos.yahoo.com/reyfrijoles if you want to share them with us. It is the Labor Day 06 album.

Gratefully, I have Kristi here to share with me, as well as my immediate family. I am blessed beyond measure and I honestly have no complaints. I am not okay with my mom not being around these past 5 years, but I am not mad about it anymore and I don't think it really matters anymore. I used to let it bother me and if it affects my attitude that is wrong. I start to think things like, "I wonder what my mom would think or say about this and that," but I now can honestly say to myself that it really doesn't matter to me what she would say or think because she is not here, and even if she were she would say it matters most what God thinks or says about my circumstances. I know He is most interested in my responses to where I am so I am back to needing to not be encumbered by past emotions or thoughts that would weigh down on my actions and attitudes. That whole putting the past behind you so you can focus on the present is key, and not to the exclusion of being unable to learn lessons from the past, but understanding that the past is there as a textbook for use in the present, and is not to be copied over and over.

Well, this is really rambly, and I apologize. I think I will post this thing and hit the sack. Another busy week ahead. Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers and encouragement. God is good, trustworthy, and supremely desirable.


David