Geography pop quiz

Q: What states border Minnesota?

A: Minnesota is bordered to the north by Manitoba and Ontario, Canada, to the east by Lake Superior (Michigan), and Wisconsin, to the south by Iowa, and to the west by South Dakota and North Dakota.

We didn't know that either, until "Rochester, Minnesota Orientation Night", i.e. a recent Bailey event filled with PowerPoint slides and equally exciting materials.  J was riveted.  We figured we better educate ourselves, since we'll be moving there in May - Chris "matched" at Mayo Clinic for his urology residency!  So we will spend the next 5 years learning all about this part of the country.  And hopefully we'll see the northern lights.  

Celebrating the news on Match Day - J didn't quite get what all the fuss was about.  

We are very excited!  But there are so many decisions to make.  Such as,

This:

 Or that:

One year!

Little J celebrated his first birthday!  What a year.  A few highlights...

These last ones were taken by a friend of mine who has been the Bailey family resident photographer.  you are amazing, Jamie!  What will we do when we leave Charlottesville?  Speaking of leaving, and birthdays, and just catching up on everything I've missed, more updates to follow...

Artsy

Free babysitting and supercool photos?  Don't mind if I do!  Thanks for coming down to visit, Mom and Linds!

These days

Outside, J's fave

Testing out new flying skills

Filling the swing

Story time, a new part of the bedtime routine

Deep in thought (notice the DK shirt is still going strong)

Snuggle time

Just plain cute

With my friend, "Aunt" Kaycie!

Back in my Wogging Shoes

I tried to keep running as long as I could while I was pregnant.  "Running" quickly became "jogging".  When I realized that I was barely outpacing a woman in high heels in a pencil skirt walking up hill pulling a full-sized roller bag, I knew I had graduated to "pregnancy shuffle."  Needless to say, the final step to walking was not long behind.

It took awhile after J arrived, but I've started running again and it feels so great!  Most often it's a "wog" with J in the stroller, but occasionally I do get to go out on my own and actually run.  For the last month or so, my goal has been to go 20 miles throughout each week.  Now that the Virginia summer sauna is in season, and J is more hit and miss when it comes to napping in his car seat, it's going to be more tricky.  I logged 4.5 miles this past week.  And that includes walking to Parking and Transportation to buy a new parking pass.  I'm starting to see the wisdom of treadmills, though we don't have room for one.  Sigh.

When I went out yesterday, I inadvertently joined the throngs of pink-clad women participating in the "Women's Four Miler Training Program" here in Charlottesville.  The Women's Four Miler is a hugely popular race/breast cancer fundraiser held the Monday after Labor Day.  My mom and I are signed up again for this year's race, but I didn't pay to join the "Training Program".  Basically, it consists of a mini version of the race at increasing distances each weekend followed by a pep rally at the law school park.  But I got to join part of the fun for free - not my fault that I happened to be planning the same route.  It was entertaining and motivating to have cute ladies doing ridiculous dances cheering me on at each corner.  "One half mile down, you're doing great!"  And is it wrong that I found some gratification in passing old women while pushing a stroller?  Well, if it is, I am guilty.  But still gratified.

New Do

My last haircut was underway just as I started early labor.  The stylist asked, "Umm, do you need to leave?"  "No," I replied, "This is the last chance I'll have.  Let's get it done!"

As I predicted, it's been four months since haircut has made it on the docket.  I laughed when the weekly parenting email I get mentioned that you shouldn't change your hairstyle during the first month of your baby's life so that they can learn to recognize you more easily.  Don't worry - I was very consistent with the Air Dry beauty regimen.

Well, summer is here, my baby is sleeping more or less through the night, I've got some birthday money, and I found a fun website...so here are the contenders:

 I don't have any lace fingerless gloves, but I still think I could maybe pull it off.

So, what do you think?  A, B, C, or D?

The thing is, any of these will look the same the 75% of the time that I don't get to blow dry my hair before the day sets in.  Oh well, still fun to plan.

This One's a Keeper

J has really taken to his thumb lately.  He has this funny habit of pushing it all the way to the corner of his mouth.  Chris calls it the Fish Hook.  What a catch!

Last Week...

...was awesome.

Since last June, our life has been month in Roanoke~month in Stuart(where is Stuart, you might ask?  Exactly.)~2 months of surgery~belly is growing~borrow a crib~buy a stroller 'n stuff~belly is still growing and now doing somersaults~month in Roanoke until two weeks before due date~shelf exam shelf exam shelf exam~birth of baby, and the crazy-wonderful-sleepless-how-did-we-get-so-lucky-ness~internal medicine~peds~super expensive licensing exam in Philadelphia~another exam in Falls Church...and then, we made it to last week.  It felt like coming up for air after that timed swim I had to do to become a lifeguard in high school.  And I'm not exactly a strong swimmer, people.

Besides all he boring catch up on life stuff, we did get to have some fun, too!  For starters, we had Baby's First Campout at Sherando Lake.  It was definitely a success.  J slept better than we did!

J really liked hanging out in his play yard just checking out the trees.

We also went on Baby's First Hike.

Then we headed up to Herndon on Tuesday to spend the day with Chris's fam (and do mountains of laundry.  The joys of having family close when you're still living the starving student life!).

 Haven't mastered the "smile for the camera" trick, but he's still pretty super to me.

Those sly Baileys took advantage of the opportunity to have a little birthday surprise waiting for me!  It was almost 2 weeks early, so I was definitely surprised.

There were balloons, delicious dinner complete with Boston Market macaroni and cheese (my all-time favorite food), and delightful presents.

 Chris and Linds celebrated with the best Jenga tower of all time.

I felt so special that I decided to roast myself a baby over ice cream cake (didn't realize until after the photo was taken that it appears that I'm lighting J on fire - he was definitely a safe distance from the birthday candles)

Thanks so much, family-in-law!

I got to go running almost every day, Chris and J got to snuggle and play, we went to the bay...watched movies, went to the farmer's market, and just enjoyed the chance to be together sans med school or work or any other distractions.  Ahhh, just what this little family needed.

He's started grasping toy, so fun!

And I may or may not have a particular preference, but J does seem to genuinely like Mikel-the-Bear.