2nd Birthday - Bounty #1

[Jeremy] This is the first post of what will be a number of posts about Ethan's second birthday. Although the second year landmark is just a day, it seems like so much has changed in Ethan's life the past week or so. On Thursday (6/24/10), all three of us (Jody, Ethan, and myself) embarked on a trip back to my home state of Pennsylvania for the wedding of Jared Greece (a very good friend of mine from childhood).

It just so happens that Jared's wedding was on Ethan's birthday. As a result, on this trip, Ethan has been showered with so many wonderful and thoughtful birthday presents that we are were wonderfully overwhelmed. There are a number of presents which I am sure will be in his life for a long time, but the first to be highlighted in this blog is his new wooden tea set. It was a gift from our dear, dear friends Mark, Debbie, Maeve, and Jude in Madison, Wi. The day after we got back from our trip, I showed Ethan his new tea set before taking him to his one day this week at the childcare center.

Bring on Summer

I am done with my first year of medical school! I am exhausted and also feeling quite proud. For all the long hours and the endless onslaught of information, for all the time spent away from these sweet guys, I never considered not continuing in med school or taking a break (until there is another baby, that is) until yesterday, as I was studying for my last final. I had the distinct sense that I do not want to keep going in this way, day after day. Convenient, as I don't need to keep going this way any longer. I can take a good long break this summer! I trust that this feeling will abate with some old fashioned R and R.

How will I wile away these summer days? Playing, reading, splashing in the sprinkler, and doing two projects related to school but also related to service and fun (1: consulting on a breastfeeding education program for HIV+ women in Haiti and 2: teaching anatomy to Physician Assistant students).

As for the boys, Jeremy graduated from his teacher certification program this week and is hoping to teach middle school or high school English this fall. Ethan is a crazy toddler, just beginning to use the potty, talking ALOT, eating constantly, and starting to really notice his peers. He has a special love for Paul, a little French boy in our neighborhood, and Jacob, another kiddo at school. It is so sweet to see Ethan follow these kids around, trying to share toys and snacks, taking the first steps towards building friendships. I hope that in the midst of all the turnover of the Dartmouth community, we can find some consistency for Ethan as he makes and keeps his buddies.



Ethan's best friend, of course, is Nana. Books, toys, puzzles, splashing in rain puddles, going to the grocery store, getting cozy behind the crib - if it's with Nana, it's pure joy.