Amazon Women

I feel like in fashion magazines,

women are often portrayed hunched over, or waif-like, which is its own kind of beauty.

However, I liked the direct, outdoor, stronger portrayal 

of these women.

 *And I can't remember where I got these!  I know some of them are from a great tumblr site, but I'm not sure the original sources. 

SUSTAINABILITY/ Small Houses #2

 Here's another small home inspiration.

 This was created by Julie Martin, who lost her home in Hurricane Katrina.

I'm so impressed by people who can pick it up after a tragedy and make something amazing happen.

She called it "Fresh Start".

It's amazingly light and airy for a small space,

and that loft looks ridiculously inviting.

New Years in Photos

The South...Charleston...Oyster Roast...Dresses and pearls...Crazy hats...Fireworks...Sparklers...Cigars...Intercoastal Waterway...Mustaches...

Times Sq Ball drop...Dolphin at sunrise...Sunshine and 70...

2012.

Back to Earth.

This is not VT. This is Charleston, where I went for New Years. In which case, I would spend ALL my time outside.

 I decided instead of one big resolution for the year, I would make monthly resolutions.  Much more manageable, no?

January: 

Spend more time outside.

Don't worry, I took into account the fact that it is freezing in January in Vermont.

(Did I mention I live in Vermont again? Because I DO! Praise the Jesus.)

I wanted to force myself out into some good nature time when it's so easy to hibernate.

I did not, however, factor in that I am doing an intense OB/Gyn rotation,

which necessitates me going into the hospital when it's dark

...and leaving when it's dark.

So,

so far,

it seems my outdoor time will be walking to and fro from the hospital.

This morning,

that was not so pleasant.

It was the kind of cold that makes you cry involuntarily.

But tonight,

walking home,

I relished the cold biting the tips of my ears

and slathering a frozen layer of skin over my face,

because it was nice to feel something so intense 

after a beige day...

that seemed to last a week.

Welcome back to earth indeed.

Highlight of the day:

I worked with a nurse midwife named Krista and we treated a patient named Christa.

I kid you not.

That's more Krista's then I've meet in my whole life...

in one room...

at the same time.

Surreal.

-------------------------------------------------------

"Some days are diamonds;

Some days are rocks.

Some doors are open;

Some roads are blocked."

-Tom Petty

Grateful 2011.

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”
― Epicurus

I saw this quote in passing the other day.

And then read my friend Erica's blog post.

It was a good reminder to 

reflect on how many wonderful things are in my life.

Isn't it crazy how easy it is to think of all the things you have left to do?

I forget everything I've already crossed off that to-do list

All the things you still want?

Meanwhile, 

there are so many things I've hoped for over the last few years that I already have:

Get into medical school

Finish the first 2 years (praise, Jesus!)

Learn to make pie from scratch

Make it through 3rd year with a sense of humor and a shred of dignity intact

Live in Vermont

Meet and date an International Man of Mystery

Own red cowboy boots

Yep, life is pretty great.

Now I'm going to go think of more things to hope for in 2012...

What do you have that you once only hoped for?

MEDICINE/ Tiny reminders

The other day I woke up and just really wasn't feeling it.

I have days that I'm not sure I want to be a doctor.

I definitely don't want to be a medical student.

And I certainly don't want to get up and go to a hospital.

But I eventually scraped myself off the bed on the third snooze 

and made a deal with myself that I only had to make it through the day,

I didn't have to feel awake or enjoy it or do it well.

I just had to show up.

I've been working in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU),

 and as soon as I arrived I was informed that triplets were being born by c-section that day.

So much for a slow day.

During the delivery,

there was a symphony of organized chaos going.

There were two ob/gyn teams in the room,

the anesthesia team,

2 nurses for each of the three babies,

the neonataologist,

the physician's assistant,

and me.

I tried to stay out of the way mostly,

and went through the motions of suctioning out the babies' mouths 

once they came out.

Eventually all the babies were cleaned up, checked over, documented with footprints, and stabilized, 

and we were waiting for the transportation to bring them downstairs to the NICU from the delivery room.

After the first 2 babies went downstairs,

I was left with one of the nurses to hold the oxygen mask over the 3rd (and most struggling) baby's face.

I had my hands around the baby's tiny head to keep it in the right position and was holding the mask on with my thumb and forefingers,

when I felt a tiny hand grasp onto my ring finger.

And at that moment I realized that to that baby,

I wasn't just a fumbling medical student,

and I hadn't just "shown up" for work.

I was making sure he was getting oxygen into his underdeveloped fledgling lungs.

And my hand was the first hand he had ever held.

And I looked into his eyes as he clutched onto my finger 

with his tiny almost translucent chest flailing and straining to get air into his lungs,

and I told him he was doing a great job,

and welcome to the world.

So even though I'm still not sure what I want to do when I grow up,

and sometimes as a medical student you get "pimped" to the verge of tears,

not even attending physicians get to help bring triplets safely into the world one week 

and a few weeks later be in a heart bypass surgery.

It's been a wild year.

LIFE/ Go Dawgs.

So, you may have heard me mention my sister Jenna, here and here.

 At the risk of sounding like an obsessive, proud, older sister, 

tomorrow she and the rest of the UGA soccer team are playing against Duke in 

Round 2 of the NCAA tournament.

So, send her a facebook message (if you know her, if not, that might be creepy...),

or send her all your elementary soccer skills,

I mean, only if you were good, otherwise maybe just

 think good thoughts for UGA around 7:30 EST Friday!

Oh, and I may have been making inspirational posters in Microsoft Paint with quotes from Adidas billboards with David Beckham on them.

Don't judge.

I'm going to be such an obnoxious mom.

Love you, banana!

Good luck!