Another first

It's my 27th Birthday today! And my sweet darling husband is gone on an interview. But thank goodness he will be home late tonight, so at least I won't have to sleep alone! It made me realize that this is the first Birthday he is unavailable to celebrate with me, and it will probably be the first of many as he will often be working late nights or on call during residency. Surprisingly I'm okay with it because I'm accepting that holidays and birthdays will just have to be celebrated on alternative days. It doesn't make them any less special, we will just have to adapt to the demands of medicine. Tonight I'll be hanging out with my close friend Shannon, and then hopefully, the med student and I will be able to do something special tomorrow!

What I've Been Up To

It is hard to believe that we are already in the fourth (and final week) of sub-internship #1. Although it has been difficult it has already gone by pretty quickly. I think that part of that can be attributed to the fact that I have been keeping myself quite busy. I've been taking more time for work, and working out and have also been baking and doing a bit of organizing. These things seem to keep me busy every week night and surprisingly, I have been so busy that I've even been up past my usual bedtime most nights! Two weeks ago I made this delicious and healthy Zucchini Spice Cake but I must admit mine didn't look as pretty as Gina's!

And I think maybe I added too much vanilla because my frosting was a little runny.

Although it didn't look picture perfect I still think it was a DELICIOUS spice cake! Last week I made a nectarine and blueberry crisp. I will try and post the recipe in the future.

Some less fun things I've done are: killed a few bugs (gross I know!); taken out the trash; and I tried my hand at ironing (all ordinarily "husband jobs."). Although I am managing while Drew is gone he will definitely resume these duties upon his return. I am absolutely horrible at ironing. I often make more wrinkles than I iron out! Unfortunately, pant suits look funny without that pleat in the front, but for now I am just trying my best until my master iron-er returns! (Seriously, he unusually, fabulous at ironing!)

I still haven't mastered the whole sleeping alone thing though. I am still falling asleep on the couch and then moving to the bed when I wake up in the middle of the night. This is something I really need to get past. But it won't be tonight. Maybe next week?

Week 2 - Day 8

Not too much to report for this Monday. Drew started before 5:00 a.m. and was done early and out of the hospital by 6:30... most surgeries were cancelled for internal reasons so it was mostly a quiet day.
Day 8 = 13.5 hours

As for me I am trying to keep busy and stay distracted. So far, so good. I am going to make a list of "goals" or things I want to accomplish before he comes home. Nothing major just odds and ends that I should be able to do with a little more time on my hands. For example I am trying to work out at least 3-4 times a week (instead of 2-3), and I want to clean out the pantry and so on.
Tonight I tried ironing. Its something that Drew normally does, but now that he is gone I suppose I need to learn. After all, my pleated dress pants just don't look right without the pleat down the front of the legs. My clothes do not look as good as when Drew irons them, but lets hope they look better than if I had not ironed them at all.
This weekend was a little lonely but I did have a few visitors to distract me. My friends (the Keiblers) were on their way down to St. Louis (I noticed Abbie's facebook status) and turns out that I texted them just in time for them to stop for a little potty break, and feeding break Campbell. (Who I haven't since for five months when she was just a month old!). Then on Saturday night I babysat Kaiden so his Mommy and Daddy could celebrate their anniversary (if you recall his Daddy has been serving in Afghanistan, and just got home). Then tomorrow Celia (dear friend from law school) and Joe are stopping by tomorrow night on their way down to Lake of the Ozarks. Thank goodness for good friends and family - I'll be counting on them to keep me busy for the next three months! Week 1 down, less than 11 weeks to go!

Being an adult

There are certain things about being an adult that are uncomfortable, awkward or just not fun. For example wakes and funerals. Tonight I went to a wake (visitation) for one of my bosses' father-in-law. Death is always a hard thing but when your an adult you are forced to deal with it more often. As a child you don't have to really go to wakes or funerals unless it is someone your related to. When your an adult you are expected to go to these things for people you never knew. I totally understand that it is for the people that are left behind more than anything else, but it still doesn't make it an easy thing to do. Tonight I went solo and it was not something I was looking forward to - but it was something that I knew was "appropriate," and I wanted to do it to show support for my boss and his wonderful wife.

Going alone I had no one one to talk to or to ask what the proper thing to do was. For example I didn't know if I was supposed to go through the whole line or skip straight to my boss? And I had no idea what to say? I tried not to show my awkwardness and act normal as I introduced myself to about 10 family members before I finally got to my boss. And it's so hard, I am so new to "adult" things like this - I didn't know what to say other than "I'm Marissa, I work for Ed, I am so sorry for your family's loss..." It would have been nice to have Drew along, as it always is easier to do difficult or new things when he is by my side, but he wasn't able to join me. I guess I need to start getting used to doing some difficult things by myself as he isn't going to always be around (particularly in residency). And I know that doing things alone will only make me a stronger and better woman.