firsts

I'm sitting in my kitchen eating a vanilla ice cream cone while everyone else in my house is sleeping. Ahhhhhhh...a quiet house. This has been a week of several firsts. Will's first day at Mayo was Monday. He had orientation Monday through Friday and then Saturday was his first day of real work at the hospital - Dr. Copeland, Will Copeland M.D., McDreamy. I really do think he's pretty freakin' awesome. I got up early with him on Monday morning so I could take a picture of him all dressed and ready for his first day. All this picture needs is a jansport backpack and a spiderman lunch box. His week of orientation went well and he found out that he will be spending his first three months with the chairman of the neurosurgery department, meaning he will round on the chairman's patients in the morning, go to clinic with the chairman, assist him with his surgeries and other stuff that I don't really know about. All that to say, it's a pretty nerve racking place to start, definitely jumping in with both feet. He seemed nervous at first, but on Friday night when he was getting ready for the next morning he seemed really excited and confident. I still can't believe that he's going to be cutting on people's brains for a living. Pretty amazing. On Monday night we got a babysitter for the kids for the first time and went to our first neuro surgery event.

Dr. and Mrs. Copeland dressed to go out :)

There is another couple from UAMS that moved to Rochester, B.J. and Shea Deimel. We have gotten to be friends with them and really enjoy hanging out with them. They came over to watch the kids and we went to a dinner that was in honor of the graduating neuro surgery residents. It was the first event that the new residents got to attend so Will and the other three newbies were introduced along with their significant others. Let's just say...there's something a little intimidating about walking into a room filled with a bunch of neuro surgeons. Especially when neither Will or I really knew anyone to chit chat with. But we ended up sitting at a table with a couple of residents and their wives that were really friendly. We exchanged numbers and have already had a play date this week. SO great!

I also had my first crazy experience out and about alone with the kids. On Monday morning we went to the park. It was actually in the 80s and we were sweatin' like crazy. So we headed to Wal-Mart to buy a plastic pool. After I bought it, I realized that it wasn't going to fit into the back of my hot little mini-van so there was a Wal-Mart dude who said he would just tie it on top of my van for me. That sounded like a good idea...until I pulled out on the main road and it flew off! So I pulled over to the shoulder (with my two screaming kids in the car because it was lunch time by now and I had stayed out way too long), grabbed the pool, heaved it back on top of my car, rolled my window down and held the pool on top of my car the rest of the way home. I'm sure I looked like a redneck. "Hay ya'll! Just gihtin' my baebies a pool for the backyard." But it was worth it because the pool has been a great source of entertainment this week. Here's a few pics out in the yard.

Hayden had a first this week too - first tooth! I spotted it on Monday morning, bottom middle right. I keep trying to get a picture but can't quite get her to cooperate yet.

My greatest challenge right now is keeping Liam occupied during the day. He asks to watch television ALL DAY LONG! He's just kinda started that. Really loves Barney, Clifford, and Sesame Street. But I don't want him to sit in front of the tv all day! I try to stick to an hour a day, but it seems like lately we've been pushing two hours. I feel like a bad mom when I let him watch that much tv. So one thing we've been doing that he likes is putting on music and dancing around the house. His favorite tunes right now are Hickory Dickory Doc and Muffin Man. Liam is hilarious! When he realizes that I'm putting music on, he runs to his closet to get a hat because he MUST wear a hat while he dances.

bustin' a move

posing for a quick pic before bustin' another move

dancin' and lovin' life

hanging out in Hayden's room

floor time with daddy after work

Will actually had most of the weekend off, only had to work Saturday morning. So we took the kids to Soldiers Field Park to one of the community pools on Saturday afternoon. And Hayden had her first swim! She didn't care for it too much. Minnesota pool waters are chilly willy!

Liam got his first bad haircut this weekend. Will cut it and let me tell you it is SHORT. He's been buzzing Liam's head for the past couple of months but this time he decided to use the shortest blade on his clippers. Now Liam looks like a little sick kid from the clinic.

whoa

told you it was short!

still a babe

There are a couple of churches here that have Saturday night services and last night we tried one out for the first time. 5:30 in the evening is definitely an easy time for the kids. We fed them an early dinner then went to church. We picked up a pizza for ourselves on our way home and got home in time for bedtime. It was kinda weird though, doing church on Saturday and then not getting up and going on Sunday. I don't know what our routine will end up being, but it's nice to have the option of Saturday night if Will has to work on a Sunday. Today we just took it easy. Liam and I played in the sprinkler in the back yard and Will busted out the new grill he got for Father's day.

Life in Rochester is good. However, I am on the countdown til my mom and dad come to visit! 11 more days!