A few more phone photos of Richmond and then some of our boy at home.
This photo makes me so happy. Things were really different for our family last month. Living away from home breaks you out of routines and every day life. It was a great month. Really, it was. Ian proved adaptable, as always. But on this day, he came up to me carrying his carrier and begged me to put it on. And then he begged to be in it. It was the sweetest thing. He was then ALL smiles as I wore him around, was able to pack up to head out the door, and then get to the car. A chance to cuddle that was initiated by Ian. So sweet. It had been months since I'd worn him. I'm so grateful he can show what he wants and needs now.
We were so grateful to our friends to taking us in and welcoming the circus of two families under one roof. Two families, mind you, who each have a toddler and a rambunctious dog!! We are forever grateful. We've been blessed three times by family and friends who have taken us in during this medical school/residency journey. Thank you for allowing us to stay together as a family. Last month would have been much harder for all of us if we had been separated.
Jim's schedule was pretty ideal that month. He had weekends off and two or three days a week he'd get off fairly early in the afternoon. We've never had such an awesome schedule!! We tried to make the most of it by spending lots of time at the playground with Ian, Pony Pasture (a beautiful trail system by the James River where Leif could run and we could stretch our legs), and visiting with friends. Had we not been there, we would have missed out on a lot of Jim/Papa time!!
Here are the last couple phone photos from this month. I have to admit that my nice camera stayed on the shelf for most of the month. When you're out of your normal setting some things gotta give, I suppose.
We spent time with Mere, Sean, & Evan. Such a sweet little guy!!
We got together with other friends for dinners and coffee, but no pictures were taken of these events. So great to see old friends. We're sorry we missed a few for various reasons!!
And then on January 8th, Ian and I returned home one day earlier than Jim. Completely enamored and fascinated by his old toys, Ian was a happy camper. We kept our layers on for the entire day, since the temperature was climbing into the teens outside and inside we'd left the thermostat at only 45 degrees. It took us a while to warm up!!
Returning after a month of being gone is a pretty funny feeling. I had to remember where everything is kept, like cutting boards, bowls, and the like. And Ian reconnected with his love for the bird feeders outside our windows. He screams "bir," smiles, and runs to point at them!!
This is where he has his snacks and meals, for the most part, now. All day long we keep a drink cup on the table for him and he sips from it and then puts it right back.
As you can see, he's happy to be home. We are too. Ian is so much fun. He's showing his understanding of language SO much. Leif's still being such a great, kid-friendly dog, enduring so much.
We've spent much time at the playground down the street, in his swing in the backyard, throwing the ball for Leif, reading books, unpacking, playing, and at the aquatic center. We've got to keep ourselves busy!!
Jim's schedule is wild this month. He's on block nights, which means that he works from 6 PM to 6 AM Sunday night through Thursday night, then waits and goes to morning report from 7-8ish before heading home. That's a long
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