Happy Thanksgiving x 2 one month late

November has been a most welcomed respite for the Bergeron Family. I have been on a rotation in the ED which has allowed me time to spend out of the hospital and regain a sense of normalcy. Blake has been on a rotation in Cardiology which only requires him to have 4 half days of clinic per week. It is amazing that even though I am working significantly less than I have the past four months, I am jealous of how much of a slacker Blake can be :) I suppose that is something for me to look forward to.

The first sign that things were looking up was a most welcomed surprise visit from one of my best friends from college. Mary and Adam McCulloch and their dear daugthers Katie and Caroline (who is 7 days younger than Lilly) came to visit overnight. I was so happy I cried! (not unusual these days... I must say I am looking forward to regaining my hard skin, although I fear I may never achieve that) We had a wonderful time catching up and letting the girls get to know their soon to be, God willing, best pen pal friends!

One of the other bright spots in this past month was our trip home to Virginia to spend time with my family. Although trips home are always busy, because they happen so rarely, they are always rich in joy. We visited my granddaddy wampler who had never met Lilly. I think he was suprised at how big she was. We also spent time with Grandma, her friends and MaMa. Of course Tara and MOm and Dad got in on the Lilly loving. Uncle Sean and Kyle's family were deeply missed. During that stay all the cousins got together for an early Thanksgiving. Second to Easter, Thanksgiving is my FAVORITE. We have always had a rich time of fellowship and laughs in the family... this year was no different, and when you don't think you will have the opporutnity to share this, and then you can, it makes it that much sweeter.

Today... real Thanksgiving, has also held a first in the Bergeron house. Blake and I, well mostly Blake, but I helped, made our first turkey and hosted our first thanksgiving. Our Nashville family came down to celebrate with Lilly (an us) as I had to work.. in fact am working right now... hard as you can tell. We bought the turkey, stuffed it with lemons, onions, celery and garlic, and rubbed it up. We then put it in the set it and forget it Ronco rotisserie. Let me tell ya, this bird was the best we have ever had! It was amazing. I will never do a turkey another way. Growing up I had always wanted a large golden, crispy bird as the centerpiece of a thanksgiving table. When you have 40 people to feed ( a norm for us as a kid) that does not happen. This year... it was like a magazine. This thing was gorgeous. Of course Nonnie was on hand to provide the fixins. Man were they good.

A taste of things to come... Great grandma gives us our first gift.

October is finally over

I have had several comments about the brief stall in blog posts from some faithful readers. Well, October has been our most difficult month. It has been all we could do to see each other, spend time with Lilly, not quit residency, and just survive. You know how some people tell you to just take it a day at a time, well, this month I found myself shortening that and trying to make it half way to lunch before I needed to re-pep-talk myself. Blake and I were both on wards in the pediatric hospital. For me, it was something new and incredibly busy, for him, the same old junk, but with an unhappy wife, who at times was emotionally unstable. We had the great misfortune of being on call back to back. What this means for my non-medical friends is, I would have a 30 hour shift where he would be alone with Lilly. After not sleeping for 30 hours, I would come home, during which time his 30 hour shift would have begun. I would sleep for about 2.5 hours or 3, and have to get Lilly from day care. 3 hours being quite insufficient, I would then be on my own with her all night, trying my best to be exciting mommy, not dead dog tired mommy. Then we would get up and take her in the next day at 630am, and I would start another 9-11 hr shift. Blake would be finishing his 30 hours and then come home and crash. So for a solid half the week he and I were either working or sleeping. Throw a 7 month old in the mix and you have the recipe for low morale in the bergeron house. Whew... that was tough to relive through typing! All that being said, it is a new day! I am now doing shifts int he ED, only 15 for the month, I am going home in a week, the first time since lilly was born, And blake basically works 3 half days and 2 full days a week with no weekends. Grace abounds, just when you need it most.

Now that you are privy to the type of month we just survived, you can appreciate why lilly's 7 month pics are in her high chair and not a better locale. :) She is still super cute, and super huge! Please appreciate the barrette progression.

October also brought our first Halloween. We were a pumpkin, very original, I know, but I wanted to make the costume, since made ones are much better, but once again refer to the top of the blog tirade... thus we were a pumpkin because it was the cutest Babies R Us had to offer, and I refused to make her a whoopie cushion much to Blake's chagrin. Malinda and Anju were in tow for Zoo-Boo. On actual Halloween night I had the privilege of being on call, so Lilly graciously reverse-trick-or-treated to the hospital to bring the team candy!

Last but not least the one great thing that came out of October was the visit from Anju and Malinda, my two best friends from medical school. They now live in Cincinnati and Minnesota respectively. BOO. Here we are at our favorite restaurant, and the gorgeous wedding of two dear friends.