Christmas Traditions and Handy Mandy

We spent this past weekend with my family for our annual Christmas get together. On Saturday evening, we opened presents at my parents' house. It was a lot of fun, and the biggest surprise of all was for my parents. My siblings and I gave them handmade gift certificates that they can turn back into us to receive tickets to a Chicago Cubs game as well as a hotel for a weekend stay in Chicago. We decided not to book anything yet, so my dad can pick out the game he wants to see and the weekend they want to go. We put the gift certificates in a basket along with a Chicago Cubs T-shirt for my mom (B and I gave the exact same shirt to my dad, so they'll match), a couple of gift cards they can use on Cubs merchandise, a restaurant gift card, a gift card to a movie theater, and an American Express gift card they can use for spending money while in Chicago next year. It was a wonderful surprise for them both, and I can't wait to help them book their weekend and the game in the coming months. Sunday evening was my dad's family's big Christmas dinner. Everyone brings in food for the pitch-in, and we bring presents for the kids to open. We used to do a gift exchange among all the adults and kids in the family, but my dad had ten brothers and sisters growing up, eight of whom are still living, and all of whom are married with their own kids, so you can imagine how big the pitch-in gets every year. I think I have over thirty first cousins on that side of the family alone! One of my more technologically minded cousins put together a big surprise for everyone. As we were finishing up the meal, he turned on an overhead projector and played a slide show of old pictures from the family with music to accompany them. It was very emotional, especially for my aunts and uncles. Many of the pictures were of my grandparents, both of whom passed away several years ago. There were also lots of old, funny pictures of my dad and his siblings as well as all of the kids from my generation and younger. I had to turn my head when my senior picture came on screen, poodle haircut and all! It was moving and funny and just a thoughtful way to celebrate our family. Presents were passed out to the kids and some of the adults after that, and then it was time for the main event: The Christmas Pinata. Don't ask me how this tradition got started. There's been a pinata at my family's Christmas dinner as far back as I can remember. We don't have any Hispanic heritage (as far as I know), but someone must have thought at some point that it might be fun to have the kids try their hands at smacking a pinata open for candy and quarters every year. When I was growing up and even until last year, one of the uncles or older male cousins would hold the pinata at the end of a broom handle and pray to God the kids hitting it wouldn't smack him in very sensitive places by mistake. This year, there was a new twist. One of my male cousins-in-law got the great idea of making a pinata holder. He called it his "Pinata Holder 3000" or something (after Widget on "Wow, Wow! Wubbzy"; he has a toddler, too!). It looked like a giant PVC candy cane stuck to a piece of plywood and held down by a couple of bags of sand. There was a metal hook attached to it, so the pinata could hang freely as the kids smacked away. We always have them line up from youngest to oldest, so the first few little ones get lots of help from parents or aunts and uncles. V did pretty well hitting it on his own a few times, but one of my nephews managed to bring it down all on his own. Then, there was much scrambling for candy. There was a second pinata after that, so the older kids could get a chance at it. It really didn't take long for it to come down, either. It was a lot of fun watching the kids grab for the candy and quarters, and I was really glad to see V right there in the mix. We came home from the entire weekend with lots of presents and LOTS of candy. A wonderful time was had by all! Here are a few pictures of the pinata experience for you to enjoy:




This morning, V saw the big box containing the new tricycle his grandparents gave him for Christmas. I was going to wait until my husband could put it together, but V really wanted to ride it. So, I grabbed a hammer and screwdriver, pulled out all of the pieces and set to work. In about fifteen or twenty minutes time, my son had a new trike to ride, and I was pleased that I was able to put it together all by myself! It wasn't difficult, but at least I know that in a pinch, I can be Santa's elf and assemble the toys for him. ;)


Best to you all!
Amanda

B's New Job, Week 1

I'm happy to report we made it through the first week of B's new job as an OB/GYN. Technically, it's not completely finished, since he's seeing patients in the office today. However, he did have his first call night on Wednesday and sailed right through it. Every doctor's practice does things differently, and his office is no exception. He works with five other doctors, and he will take call every fifth night during the week, at least one Friday a month, and one whole weekend (Saturday and Sunday) a month. When a doctor takes call in his practice, they start their shift in the morning. They spend the day in the hospital doing surgeries and deliveries, and their shift continues until the following morning, when the next physician takes over. Brian's first call shift was a little different than most because he saw a few patients in the office before heading in to the hospital (it could be like that all the time, I'm still learning about his schedule, too). He was still working at the hospital until about 6:45 or so on Wednesday. V and I had gone to a local park at that time to meet up with our new moms' group. Afterward, we met B at our friends' house, where our board gaming group was meeting. V and I were pretty tired from the day, so we didn't stay long, especially since the group wasn't really playing any games while we were there. B stayed to hang out with them, and he didn't get home until about 1 am. I wondered if he ever had to go into the hospital or if he'd been playing games the whole time. I found out later that it was the latter. He never got any calls in the middle of the night, and the next morning, he went in to the hospital to round on the few patients that were there. He was back home later that morning, and he had the rest of the day off! I was so happy to have him around, since I had a lot of chores to do in the yard and couldn't really do them while I was watching V. So, it ended up being a very light first call for B, and though I know that not all of his call shifts will be like that, it bodes well for the rest of his career. His days in the office are kind of long, but he doesn't get up in the morning until about 7 am or so (as opposed to 5 am when he was in residency), and most of the evenings this week, he's been done around 6:30 or so. It's nice to have him home for dinner, and I'm really going to like having him home on his post-call days. It's all definitely different than residency, and though it may not last and he may get busier as the days pass, it's still been a better week for the family than we ever had while he was working in residency.
Best to you all,
Amanda

10. In the end, it's all worth it!

It's very appropriate that I'm ending my list of "Things I Learned During My Husband's Residency" on the eve of my husband's first day in his new practice. He technically won't be seeing patients until the end of the week, but tomorrow morning, he will be getting up and going into the office to start his journey as a doctor in the "real world". And, after reflecting on all of the long hours and hard work he put in during his residency and all of the time I spent on my own, I realize that it was all truly worth it. We gained so many positive experiences in Ohio. We both made a plethora (yes, I said "plethora") of friends, both in our individual workplaces and outside of work. We found out what it was like to be independent adults away from our families, and then, after having our son, discovered the importance of having our families close and involved in our lives. I gave birth to an amazing little boy who surprises both of us daily, keeps us on our toes, and is our shining light of hope for the future of our planet. I opened my eyes and mind to new ideas in regards to living a more green, organic, and holistic lifestyle, which I'm nowhere near to achieving, but slowly making progress, I think. I became physically and mentally healthy by changing my diet somewhat, exercising regularly, and finding new hobbies and interests. (I've kind of fallen off the wagon when it comes to eating healthy and exercising, but that will change when we join the local YMCA. I have, however, taken up knitting again, which I haven't done in years and have found quite relaxing.) Finally, my husband and I discovered a common interest (gaming) that has allowed us to renew our relationship in many ways, make lots of new friends (and to be open to making new friends, which used to be a hard thing for me to do) and have fun along the way. Residency was a hard journey for both of us, but we're better and stronger people for traveling it and for successfully reaching the next point in our lives. I don't know if the journey will get any easier, but I do know that because of our previous experiences, we'll get through it just fine because we'll do it together. To all of you reading this, thank you for sharing in the journey with us. I hope you enjoy the ride along the way.
Namaste, and best to you all,
Amanda

8. After counting your responsibilities, try counting your blessings, too!

I think this particular bit of advice is hard for a lot of people to remember, me included. When my husband was in residency and working all the time, I took on a lot of responsibilities that were probably shared between us before. I did almost all of the grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning around the house, gardening, paying bills, taking care of our son, and running various other errands. Before we had our son, I also worked full-time in an office, so I had that added on top of everything else. I even learned how to mow the lawn after we bought our first house and found that it could be a stress relieving experience! It's not that my husband wasn't capable of doing any of these things. He was just very busy with work, and most of the time when he came home from the hospital, he brought work with him. There was very little time left in the day for him to do any of the mundane things at home. All of that added responsibility made me very stressed and unhappy some days. Sometimes, I just wanted to throw in the towel and forget about everything I needed to do. However, my house and (later) my son were a constant reminder that nothing magically takes care of itself and that really, my situation wasn't as bad as I kept making it out to be. I had to remember that I was blessed with many opportunities, people, and things in my life, which I was taking for granted because I was letting all the little things get me down. I still have to take time out now and then to count my blessings, so I'd like to provide a list of them here in my blog in the hopes that I'll come back and read it every so often to keep me in the correct frame of mind.

I'm blessed in life because:
1. I have a wonderful husband who takes care of me emotionally, psychologically, physically, socially, and financially. He has a lot of his own responsibilities in life, and I think he takes it all in stride in a way that I wish I could emulate. He is able to work to provide for our family, and he knows how to have fun and keep things lighthearted and spontaneous. I love him dearly and hope he knows it every day.
2. I have a beautiful baby boy who reminds me constantly how precious life can be. He's physically, mentally, and socially healthy. He keeps me young and reminds me that I have to take time to play every day. His giggle is my favorite sound in the world, and I love that I have the opportunity to stay home with him and watch him grow and develop in every little way.
3. I have TWO families who love me and wish all the best for me and my husband. I'm talking about both my immediate family (Mom, Dad, my brother, and my sister) as well as the family I married into (my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and my two sisters-in-law). They've all been supportive of our endeavors and have been pretty understanding about all of those times when we've missed holidays and get togethers because of B's work schedule. We're very blessed to have all of our parents still alive and enjoying life, and our son is blessed to have four grandparents who love him deeply. They'd all do anything for us if we just asked, and I have to remember that they have more life experience than I do, so their advice should always be taken to heart. All of our sisters and brothers are wonderful people with their own talents and personalities, and they make life fun and exciting for everyone. I am truly blessed to have so many amazing people in my family!
4. I have lots and lots and lots of friends living near and far, who care deeply for me and my family and who bring fun and joy into my life. Whether they're other parents like me or my gaming buddies or college friends who've been through thick and thin with me and B, each and every one of them has a special place in my heart. I really couldn't have gotten this far in life without my friends, and I love every single one of them for who they are and how they've touched me in some way. Since I have the opportunity to do so, I'd like to thank all of them for being a part of my life! I'm not going to name names here, but I think you all know who you are. ;)
5. My family has a beautiful home, a pantry and refrigerator full of food, comfortable beds, and enough money to pay our bills and to take care of our basic needs and wants. Our current living situation is not lost on me, especially now, with gas and food prices at all time highs and many people struggling to live day to day. We are truly blessed to not have to worry about where we'll be sleeping, where and when we'll have our next meal, and how we'll be paying for everything we need to survive.
6. We live in a safe, quiet neighborhood free of violence. Our son will never have to be afraid to go outside and play, and he'll have many opportunities to make friends, learn new hobbies, and develop new talents as he grows older.
7. Most importantly, I'm physically and mentally healthy and able to take care of my family and my home. I still have the ability to have more children when I choose to have them, and I'm still young and active enough to keep up with my son. My brain is still active and always ready to learn something new. I have so many opportunities for my own personal growth and development, and I hope I don't waste a single one of them.

There are so many more blessings I could list, but I think these are the most basic and important for me to remember every single day. After I post this, I'm going to take some time to enjoy my family, since I'm blessed to have my husband home with me and my son for a couple of more weeks before he starts his new job.
Namaste and blessings to you all,
Amanda

Welcome To My World!

Hello, dear reader!
My name is Amanda, and as the title of my blog suggests, I am married to a medical doctor. My husband, B, and I will have been married seven years this August, but we've been together for almost 12. 12 years is also the same amount of time it has taken my husband to study and train for his career. In fact, next Friday will be the last day of his four year residency in obstetrics and gynecology. And, near the end of this July, he will begin practicing medicine as a general OB/GYN. Lately, it has seemed as though my most repetitive phrase has been, "Wow! It's gone by so fast!"
Really, though, it's been a long, sometimes difficult journey, not only for my husband, but also for myself and our almost 2-year-old son, V. Recently, I began searching the Internet for resources for spouses of physicians. I wanted to find other women and men who are, like me, living within a loving and caring, but, sometimes, lonely relationship with someone very dedicated to his/her career. I wanted to know what those spouses do to make life a little easier and better for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, my research hasn't found much of anything at all, at least, nothing that speaks personally to me. I've been thinking about starting my own blog for some time, but I didn't want to do just a personal blog about myself and my family. I wanted to do something that could reach out to others in the same position as I am, right now. So, dear reader, I give you my blog that I will unofficially entitle "What It Is Like To Be Married To A Doctor, And How To Love It, Too". Welcome to my world! I hope you continue to join me and my family as we travel on this next journey in our lives.
Best to you all,
Amanda