My 25th Birthday!

25 years old..a quarter of a century, oh my. There have been so many people that have done so much more with their lives in their first 25 years than I; I sometimes feel like I haven't accomplished anything I wanted to by this age. I thought I would be married, possibly with kids, and certainly I would be working a full-time job, earning and saving money to spend on great holidays. I thought I'd have a house, a new car...loads of "mommy-daddy couples" as friends and play dates for the baby. I thought I would have figured out what I want to do with my life by now, and I definitely thought I would be already doing it. But here I am. I haven't done any of those things...and so many of my high school friends have done many of the things I wanted to have done by my 25th birthday! But here I am. I have no income, I have no job, I haven't decided on what I actually want to be when I grow up, I'm still getting my education, I certainly don't have kids (although I have at least found the man I want to be the father!), I have a nice apartment but it's not a home. Medical school has set my "goals for my 25th birthday" behind significantly. It really has messed up my life. Not only has life been put on hold for the past 3 years, but I've also lost bits of myself along the way and exchanged them for more professional (and admittedly less fun) replacements. And the pressure of being a future doctor is a huge stress. I am so focused on being the best physician I can be that by the time I come home or have a day off, I am exhausted. If I'm not exhausted, I study. If there is nothing to study, I have forgotten the things that I used to do with my free time - what did I enjoy doing when I had time to waste? I honestly can't even remember! So, obviously, this whole turning-25-thing has had me a bit on edge. My life is nothing like I expected it to be at this point in time. But I know that when things start to pick up, when I get my MD and I start working and contributing to society, when I start making some sort of income (at this point I would gladly accept minimum wage so long as it was a paycheck!), things will fall into place better than I could possibly dare to dream. I just need to be patient...but this waiting is really the hardest part. I want to be a doctor now, I want to have a home, I want to have a wedding, I want to travel the world, I want to have kids...I don't want to wait! But I will, because I know it will all be worth it soon enough!

Happily ignorant of the fact that I've turned 25, I celebrated my birthday several times and have really been truly spoiled. Mike has given me a gift that I have wanted since as far back as I can remember. He knows how much I've been dreading turning 25 and how my life isn't what I thought it would be, so he has done his best to make it better. I'll just be blunt and tell you all my biggest insecurity - I hate my teeth. They've never been straight, and as time has gone by, they have continued to move and tilt and rearrange themselves into even less desirable positions. When I was in the normal age for braces, my teeth were alright and I chose not to get those huge, ugly metal braces just to fix some minor problems. But now, my teeth are just crooked. So Mike got in touch with a few orthodontists, set me up for appointments, and gave me the go-ahead to get Invisalign. It will put us in a pinch for money unless Mike's employment authorization goes through fairly quickly, but we'll make it work. I will have gorgeous, perfectly straight teeth before our wedding and before I receive my M.D. I'm ecstatic! :) :) :)

Mike also found my a few things that I have been lusting over:

Remember that gorgeous skirt that was out of my size at Next? I talked about it a few weeks back. Well, Mike scoured the internet and found it - in my size - from an American department store that is linked to Next! Ordered the size 6, and surprised me with it a day after my birthday. I opened it up, soooo excited to try it on, only to find that they had sent us an American size 6 - which is an English size 10. Needless to say it didn't quite fit! I am devastated. I suppose something better will come along...

Mike has also found a great deal on a lens that I've been looking into purchasing for my camera. It's a wide-angle, fish-eye lens, and I absolutely love it! It's only a beginner lens (that is, it wasn't over $700), but it does give the photos a cool effect and will definitely help with my creativity. I've been playing with it nonstop since I opened it up!

Here are a few photos that I have taken with my fisheye lens:

Mike and I went out and purchased a really nice Tassimo coffee maker. We had some gift cards (some of the kids he coaches have parents that like to say "Thank you" via gift cards - we love that!), so we went ahead and did a splurge on something that we could both enjoy. It hasn't let us down.

I love the espresso in the mornings, lattes, cappuccinos, hot chocolates, and even caramel macchiatos!  We love it.



Mike also got me an I-Phone armband to use while I run. I had been complaining of having to hold my I-Phone as I run or when we walk the dog, and he knew I would find some good use out of an armband. So thoughtful!




Mike's mum and dad sent me over a gift from England - another charm for my Links of London bracelet! I now have a dog, a heart, a D, and a musical eighth note. I love it! I also love that they know me well enough to put together a charm bracelet of things that I would choose for myself. I wasn't expecting anything to come in the mail, so I was surprised to find a little package from England with such a thoughtful gift!

My mom and dad had asked me for a list of things I might like for my birthday/Christmas, but of course I couldn't think of anything. I already have all I need, and I don't have time for hobbies, and I can't really expand on things for the house as I will be leaving the US before too long. But I can always use clothes and shoes! So they got me two pairs of boots that I absolutely adore! I've scoured the city for the perfect pair of boots, and the ones I got are the best I have found! They are too cute! And I got a few pairs of "dress socks" (I find it funny that we always make a distinction between "dress socks" and "every-day socks"!), which will be nice to wear with my work outfits.

Mom and Dad also gave me a decorative wine bottle that they found while they were on a mini-vacation in Amish Country a few weeks back. Mom and I also drank a bottle of Amish-made white wine, which was delicious! They are so thoughtful. Mom knows my favorite wine is white, and even though she's not a big wine connoisseur, she enjoyed a few glasses with me. It was really sweet.




We had a little family party today to celebrate my birthday - better late than never. It was so nice to have the whole family together, it certainly doesn't happen often enough. Luke is pulling himself up (he'll be walking in no time!), Katelyn's vocabulary is continuing to grow, and Alex has such a great personality coming through. I love my niece and nephews! They are so cute. I was joking around with Alex about making a Christmas list and asking Santa for new underwear - he looked at me with a face of disgust and said "Oh, yea, Christmas underwear!" with the most adorable sarcastic tone. He's only 4, so I wasn't expecting such a clever response...I'm still laughing about it!hahaha

Tasty Tuesday

Time for a (belated) Tasty Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to mention some of my current obsessions - which are autumn seasonal drinks. I'd be willing to bet that at least 25% of my daily caloric intake is from what I drink... And this time of year is full of extra temptations, from warm apple cider to pumpkin spice latte. I am obsessed.



Nothing is nicer on a cool fall morning than a hot cup of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte. I seriously cannot get enough of it. 16oz, 380 calories (120 from fat),150mg of caffeinated heaven. This one drink exceeds my daily allowance of caffeine (I try to limit myself to 125mg or less), but it is way too delicious for me to pass up. And the hospital where I am currently working has a Starbucks, so it is just too easy to get a cup!

At night, I love to warm up to a glass of warm apple cider. Usually, my dad presses his apples to make enough cider for our family and friends, but the crop this year wasn't very successful due to such a wet and windy spring. I grudgingly had to go to the store to buy some this year - not as nice as my daddy's, but it sure does the trick!!Yummmmmmm, with a splash of cinnamon, it is one of my favorite fall things!







Speaking of cider, a "hard" or alcoholic cider that I am currently loving is Woodchuck Hard Cider. I got the variety pack and certainly haven't been disappointed. The cider is so sweet and smooth, you're half surprised at the amount of alcohol in it. In my opinion, it makes Strongbow and Magners taste like stinky feet in comparison. The crisp flavor is my favorite!


For my birthday, Mike got me, among many other things, a Tassimo coffee-maker.. So I've been making lattes and hot chocolates and over-indulging on the finer things in life! ;) The espresso is pretty amazing too! If only it made pumpkin spice, then I would never again visit a coffee shop...but with a splash of Pumpkin Spice Creamer and some whipped cream on top, it comes pretty close to the real thing!





 And it's getting to be that "most wonderful time of the year" again - which means that Sierra Mist's Cranberry Splash is back on the shelves! Yummmmmm, I've already stocked up on 2 liters! ;)











Are there any fall favorites that I'm missing? What do you love most about the fall season?

OB-Gyn: Day 7

 This sums up how I feel today....

Today, I am on labor and delivery OR service. I have assisted in one c-section (so far) and two bilateral tubal ligations. I was taught how to do the subcutaneous stitch to close the incision, and how to back stitch to create tension and avoid knot tying and its subsequent scar (patients typically don't like to be able to feel the suture for the rest of their lives). My first one was not so hot, but my second one was decent. There shouldn't be much of a scar at all. The attending thought I did well, impressed that it was only my second attempt at a subcutaneous suture. I also did a few knots, but I seriously need to become more proficient in two-handed knots if I am to impress in the OR. My one handed ones are great, quick and effective, but we use two-handed ties in the OR.
I love the surgeries. I love the variety that you can see as an OB-Gyn. It's a good fit for people who get bored of the same old routine day after day (like me!).
Were having a little dinner party tonight after I finish work at about 8 (hours on L&D consist of 14 hour shifts). Thank god I have a fiancé that knows how to cook! All I have to do is show up hungry - I'm a pretty lucky girl!!