well, it's been a while. i've actually had several people recently tell me what a terrible blogger i am, therefore i guess people actually read my reports! so i had a sweet encounter tonight and decided i have to go ahead and write it down, because i'll forget it if i don't, and then they'll be all-grows-up and in college, and when i'm crying my eyes out because they're gone i'll be like "why didn't i write anything down", and on i could go. memories are fabulous, aren't they? but they are the MOST fabulous when they are documented with fresh brain. soooooo, i just love the fact that i frequently get to crack up at bedtime with my delay-fish children. from harrison dancing at bedtime (or naptime) during my lullaby singing (i've since stopped) to benjamin's never ending tactics to have "five more minutes, mom". tonight was particularly hilarious when i'm snugglin' up with him in bed, as i do every night before leaving him for the night, and he's laying on my pillow, clucking like a chicken softly into my face "bock bock bock bock bock bagawwwk!". of course i am laughing and he takes it a step further with a light, intermittent "cockadooodle dooooo!". i mean who does that? and it is so funny. he loves making me laugh, so we just hang out speaking in poultrese for a while. i love that kiddo, those kiddos, and i am so blessed and lucky with my boys and this life.
also, i saw a wonderful speaker today - the author of "the immortal life of henrietta lacks" rebecca skloot. if you haven't heard of it, check it out. fantastic story.

whatever! how am i supposed to fine time to write anymore? i just don't know. anyway, i wanted to give a quick update (downtime in clinic) about what is neeewwwwww.....

so, benjo last night, as we were talking right before night-night, let me know that he has a friend named "doo-bee-dah" who is a little boy that lives in florida. he has blue hair, and if you touch the blue hair it stings, but that's only when he's being mean. when he's being nice, it doesn't hurt..... future sci-fi lover or what?

since my last post, we've also started receiving our food from the CSA (community supported agriculture) group. if you're not familiar, basically we get a shipment of whatever is in season on the farm locally plus some meat each week.... this has led to some interesting challenges at home. i've been cooking lots of new stuff! some of which is super yummy.... so, mustard greens, bok choy, kobe raba (?spelling) are no longer unknown ingredients to the williams'.... love those internet recipes.

we also have come through the great flood of 2010. it was truly unbelievable how much water landed in our city, and the crisis really stirred up a little more love in my heart for ol' nashville. we didn't have much damage compared to most who were seriously hit, but we did have 5 feet of water in our basement... at least we were told so - we were actually in canada when the flood hit but have absolutely amazing neighbors (brig and kris!!!) who siphoned it out of our basement while we were away. they were also dealing with their own flooded basement, plus brigitte is pregnant and they have a one year and it was kris' busiest part of the year (www.bookfool.com - check it out). anyway we appreciate them so much and came out fine. some momentos were lost and a few pricey electronics (ac, waterheater) but all in all, we are good.

i've started a new job! i'm really loving it too. i'm working with an amazing mentor/boss at vanderbilt in vaccine safety and it is so interesting and fulfilling. maybe this is it! maybe i'll make my career in vaccine research and safety! i am super super blessed that things always work out and thankful. i'm still at rivergate also through the end of july so i'm really a workin' mama now. home time is hectic, but wonderful.

we also celebrated benjo's 3 year birthday, went on a weeklong vaca to amelia island, harrison started "school" and has had a continuous uri since, derek has his first national presentation in vancouver and nailed it, and he is starting as faculty july 1 so he'll actually get paid somewhat close to a salary he deserves finally.

so i have a check up now waiting - gotta go! hope to get some pics up soon.

guess what? i've been busy! it turns out it is hard to find time to update, so forgive me for the delay but i would expect more delay in the future! harrison is keeping me busier these days, naps are shorter and mommy is in high demand. he is definitely a mama's boy, as in he doesn't really like for me to leave the room or have anyone else hold him for very long if i'm in the room. my mom informs me that this is also a trait i embraced as a 6 month old so there ya go. it's kind of sweet mostly, except for dad who just rolls his eyes and says stuff like "it is TIME for daycare". he had his last day with the babysitter maggie last week and he's starting in miss natalie's class at benjo's school next week. miss natalie has only had rave reviews, so i'm excited for the new experience for him. i know he'll love watching all the other babies, and it will be good for benjo to have his brother at school with him. as geno says, harebear is "done ruirn't", and i've heard through the grapevine that natalie also "ruirn't's" her babies, so we'll see if there's any change with the ineedmymommieness.



all of these pics are from easter weekend, mostly harrison in his super cute romper! i just love rompers, and i'm so siked warmer weather is here so i can start with them again! i guess it's like the boy equivalent of a dress? although i know girls have cute little ruffly rompers, too. also i've included a picture of poppy with harrison, as there is definitely a resemblance.

benjo is growing up so fast - yes, that's him on the tricycle and yes he can now reach the pedals and accelerate forward! it's awesome. there are so many funny stories it's too hard to keep up. one of my recent favorites was when we were reading books, he touched my shin and commented on my spiky leg hairs ... he told me he liked them, and that he wanted to cook them into nuggets... i'm not really sure how in the world my unshaven leg hair translated into a suitable ingredient for nuggets, but what-ev. i appreciate his creativity. his lastest expression that i love is "hey mom, i have an idea....", which follows with anything you can possibly imagine. i really have to get him on video raising the roof saying "what whaaat" - it's histerical. i'm planning on buying a digital video camera and hopefully that will make adding clips to this blog easier, i can take short ones with my digital camera, but so far haven't been able to upload successfully, and as i mentioned earlier - time is an issue.



i think i may have my next career move lined up but i'm still waiting on the final details. i'll let you know when and if it's fur sher. derek is still freaking busy all the time with his eight million projects he's agreed too, but he assures me that once fellowship finishes (2 + months), it'll be better... i'm not holding my breath. the good news is we celebrated our 5th anniversary yesterday!!!!!!! yay! we made it !!!!!!! i was told today that 7 is the real test, but for some reason in my mind i thought it was 8.... anyway, we're doing great and i could not imagine a better partner for myself and i love him so much. he's a wonderful daddy too, which only makes it a sweeter deal.

i have lots more new pics to share so hopefully i'll have time to throw another post up soon. later dudes!

fun times with the kiddos! it's been a bit since i've written, so let me try catch up. we're having some great weather in nashville, most days that is, and last weekend was "getting out in the yard" time. harrison hung out while we dug up weeds and dead stuff in our flower bed and benjo pulled out his mower to accompany dad while he was giving our backyard a much needed trim. these are the pics i've included for your perusal. and let me point you in the direction to check out harebear's sweet little legs... i want to eat them up! his fat little feet are even cuter, if that's possible.... i'll have to get a pic for you to decide :)




yesterday was mama's 34th birthday!!! it's not really that hard to believe i'm 34, when i think about everything i've experienced so far. but i'm very sure it's hard for my parents. as one of my mentors in residency told me, the days can be long but the years are always fast. good quote, huh? i have to say my birthday was fantastic. daddy really outdid himself this year. i slept in (sooo gooood), then went out sans boys to do a little shopping, which i always enjoy, but this time i actually shopped FOR ME! i can't seem to ever take the time to shop for myself these days, it's much more fun to buy for my kiddos, or i just don't have the energy/time/gusto. and since i still have not lost the baby weight, it's good to have some new clothes that actually fit my new shapely body :). i think whatever exercise i'm putting in is negated by cheeze-it and oreo intake (hmm... do we have any in the pantry right now?) but i feel good which is most important. we also went to the bluebird cafe, a nashville staple that i've wanted to visit since we moved here 2 years ago... we finally made it! folks, it was worth the wait. a quaint venue with about 12 tables, a bar, and a stage where the songwriters get up and work their magic. this experience is what i envisioned music would be like in nashville - it did not disappoint.

in other news, i have a few job opportunities on the horizon that i'm excited about. both through vanderbilt, both great positions doing interesting work that will build my foundation to move towards work in the public health sector. one would be working with residents in the resident clinic, which is stimulating and super fun, the other would be working with an incredible physician looking into adverse events after vaccines. i would be thrilled with either, second interviews in the next couple of weeks.

you know, it's like the new ultimate question for moms in the 21st century.... stay at home or work. as i've pretty much done both (i'm working some now, but really not enough that i wouldn't consider myself stay at home primarily these days), i now realize that it is such an incredible personal choice that every mom has to make for themselves, and let me tell you that it's a super struggle. i've realized that i'm tremendously grateful for this time with harrison being so little, watching him reach his milestones, all the snuggle time,... but maybe i'm just a better mom when i'm working? i tend to not take all the special moments for granted as much, it's so weird. anyway, i've prayed to have guidance and wisdom to make the best decision for my kids, myself, and my family, and i've always felt strongly about the principle "whatever is supposed to happen will", so we shall see. it's very kismet that both of these positions have opened up recently and would really be great opportunities for me, but i will never ever regret having the time that i've had and continue to have... i'm a grateful and fortunate woman. of course, my stomach does flips at the thought of being away as i write these words, but i really love having a career for myself ... and the struggle goes on.

harrison's first toothie popped through! yea! it's only been on the verge for 3 weeks, so i'm hoping he'll be a little more comfortable now.... of course, benjo has had some viral thing for the past few days so harrison is probably next on that ride, i'll keep my fingers crossed though! COME ON SPRING !!!!!!!!!!!!

i'm so glad i started this blog thing. i'm terrible about writing down stuff in my baby books, so this a great way to have a written account of some of the most memorable parts of my boys early years. so here we go, more stories. of course, they are mainly about benjo. poor harebear doesn't get much action yet here. but just to let you know..... he is scooting now! crawling right around the corner, i am certain. actually, he's not even up on all fours yet, but he's trying. and he can officially scoot backwards several feet and do a 360 on his kick mat. not to mention he is still super cute with his little "aah guhh"'s. he really likes to talk to ya... moderately expert childhood developmentalist that i am, i'm waiting for the baba and dada, which are supposed to happen next :).

one thing that i've recently realized is how lucky i am to have boys now that we are potty trained AND traveling on roadtrips. let me tell you, it is quite a nice perk! we recently were on the way home, had to stop to feed harrison at some exit without any amenities, and low and behold benjamin had to pee. he then had his first experience urinating in the great outdoors, and i think the boy is hooked on the freedom! he's mentioned peeing outside several times since then, and today was the most hilarious. i had just parked in front of our house, unloaded the car with harrison in car seat, daddy's large backpack, my large diaper bag, and benjamin when i noticed my neighbors two dogs were loose. i'm investigating the situation trying to figure out how to be most effective saving the dogs, getting my kids inside, etc when i turn back to my house and see benjamin's bare butt. he's standing in the middle of the walkway to our front door peeing... on the cement mind you. there are a couple of cars driving by, a woman strolling with her dog, and i cannot help but laugh. i'm sure they are looking at the situation thinking we are this redneck family that has mistakenly moved into this hip nashville neighborhood, but alas, we're just a couple of pediatricians with very cute kids! i mean how could you be upset? it seems like it just comes so natural to him. we did have to explain that we do not pee outside at school, and in general it's just a good idea to only pee outside if mommy or daddy are around.

i'm now telling my brain to not go down the safety track... i worry enough already. harrison and i actually created a song the other day with our address, derek and my names, and where we work for benjamin to learn in case he were ever lost, and i'm in the market for books about strangers and other parent's worst nightmare stuff. enough of that, but if anyone has any good resources let me know!

oh, and derek did fix our washing machine. he is a true handyman genius.

our washing machine is broken. life really changes when you have a broken washing machine. especially with 2 kiddos. the positives: no laundry!!! and since i'm the main laundry person of the house, full time employment or maternity leave, that's a pretty nice excuse to not be collecting, changing, folding, put away, repeat. the negatives: cloth diapers (for obvious reasons) and a 2 year old who pukes after tasting any vegetable. i mean you name it, ANY vegetable. i wonder how long it will last? i'm quite proud of him because he is at least trying the vegetables now, instead of throwing a fit. but even when he "likes" it, as he liked his asparagus tonight, somehow we still eventually end up with vomit. i think it's also a case of a super sensitive gag reflex, which my sweetie can't help. add that to the stubborn soul that he's rightfully inherited from his mama regarding trying new foods and we have a poor situation for mealtime. thankfully he loves fruit, so we load up on the bananas.

as for the washing machine, my uber fix-it man husband is at it again. i told him yesterday about the problem and was like "so we need a new washing machine". he was like "have i ever let you down before?" referring to his uncanny ability to solve our household emergencies. he did some research last night, then flipped the thing over to figure out the problem tonight, and now i have instructions to pick up a 26 dollar part at sears tomorrow.... stay tuned!

so it's happening... my realization that my little boy is becoming the little stinker that i was as a kiddo. rough night tonight getting him to bed... it started with the disappointment that we were not watching nemo before bed, then the crying led to "mommy i need some purple medicine". see, purple medicine is the little melt away benedryl tabs that must be pretty tasty. so he's crying, saying "i'm sick, mommy" with every thing he has. when i ask what's wrong, he tells me his tummy hurts, so i explain that benedryl is not for tummy aches. the smart little sucker, still crying, asks "what's purple medicine for mommy", so i explain. then, immediately, he starts coughing.... "mommy i need some purple medicine, i coughed". i couldn't help but laugh while i was hugging my sweet little crying boy trying with all his might to get a little purple medicine... my poor baby. i did meet him halfway and gave a subtherapeutic dose of ty-ty for the original claim of tummy ache. tylenol doesn't have quite the draw, though. sweet little stinker.

happy birthday to my husband of almost 5 years derek! 31 today, still my little youngun' that i robbed from the cradle. it's amazing to think of all we have accomplished in the 8 years we've been together - med school, residency, 2 moves, 2 kids, new jobs... i think it's fair to say we've been pretty busy. and through all of this he is still my best friend and i'm so happy that i have such an amazing partner in life. thanks baby!

speaking of babies... ours are getting cuter and bigger by the day (of course i'm not biased in any way). harrison is laughing all the time and particularly ticklish under his arms which is super fun ... and benjamin is a trip as always... we're on a big nemo kick (again) recently, and i'm not exactly proud that he can quote certain scenes, but hey, you've gotta survive being locked up in the house during the winter somehow. we have a chalkboard wall in our house and i've included another piece of art for your perusal... can you tell? it's a person! complete with dot eyes, a dot nose, a line mouth, arms and legs, and even some scribbles on the side for ears. he's 2 and 3/4 you guys... i think it's awesome. it would get top dollar on ebay.

i had a great night recently with benjo ... we were making forts, working puzzles, etc when he began an artistic streak. i had my camera out taking some pics and he decided he wanted a shot of a "crazy man".... this was benjo with a blanket on his head. he liked it so much we took an entire series... here is probably my favorite shot from the "crazy man" collection - i.e., crazy man laying on floor. it was hilarious.














this picture of benjamin and harrison in the kitchen ware was too cute not to put up, especially harrison's little sideways mouth. he is rolling over back to front now, too! i'm sure he'll be crawling before we know it too trying to keep up with his brother. love my boys!!!

we've had some exciting events this week in our household. harrison got his first taste of cereal - about a month earlier than benjamin's first taste. harebear has been watching my hand go from plate to mouth for the past couple of weeks with great interest, and the other night he tried to grab hot spaghetti off my plate, so i decided he was ready... he did great for daddy, not so great for me. we're taking it slow. and of course, benjamin wanted to help, which is pretty much always the case these days with harrison events, and so appreciated! i'm so happy he loves his little brother, and i feel for the parents that have the opposite situation because it's hard enough just juggling two without the older one trying to eliminate the younger one on a daily basis... he did, however, try to pick him up by the head the other day when i was turned away for a second. i heard harrison grunting a little and looked back to see his head and torso off the ground and benjamin saying "sit up harebear!"



friday at benjo's "school" was the valentine's party. now this is one tradition that i'm so happy has come back into my life. derek and i aren't super big into valentine's day, but i remember as a kid what a big deal it was, so i was super pumped to be able to buy the little cheapo valentines again and help benjamin address them to his friends at school. he loved it, and decided he wanted to send one to his true valentine, zoe gill. see, zoe moved to florida at the end of november, she was his best friend in his class, and he STILL talks about her! he's asked me several times if i'm moving to florida... his first experience with abandonment, and my preview of what's to come as far as how much it hurts my heart when anything hurts him. well, i'm hoping sometime this year he'll stop talking about zoe gill, but i did email her mama and got the address for benjo to send a card to... hopefully he'll get one in return. i thought about mentioning skype to his mom but i really want him to move on to another relationship so decided against it... i did include a picture with his card to keep the love alive just a little :)

woke at 445 am. i believe benjamin was meant to be a farmer... lord knows he didn't get his early rising from either of his parents, although he DEFINITELY gets his good mood in the morning from dad; i'm a grouch. so friday night i went to bed at 8pm, as in "goodnight benjo, mommy's going to sleep" before he even did, and then woke saturday morning at 8am - 12 hours!!!! (one breastfeeding and a couple of pee breaks in between). derek and i are back to alternating who gets up with the boys on the weekend so that we each get a catch up day, and it is wonderful. so i suppose i shouldn't complain that i'm up this early today, however, harrison woke up a couple of times last night which he hasn't been doing and i stayed up until (GASP) 10 pm last night, so yes, i am tired. oh well! part of the parenting trip i'm taking. nemo is on and coffee is good...

i read a quote somewhere that was something like this: "parenthood is giving up your freedom for the most intense love you'll ever know"... well, i pick love. :)

my son really is one of the funniest people i know, so it shouldn't be surprising that i share his antics frequently. the other day, i was upstairs putting harrison down for his nap. benjo was downstairs alone, which is always a little unnerving. i started hearing some major banging down there, and i'm thinking okay, banging without crying is good, he's still alive, not major injuries... so i come down and he says "i made myself a snack mommy!" - very proudly. so i congratulate him (positive reinforcement always!) and head into the kitchen to assess the damage. it was the cutest ever. he helped himself to a few pretzels which were stored in our pantry, folded up in the pretzel bag with the chip clip on top. so i open the pantry and there is the little pretzel bag, nicely placed on the shelf with the chip clip back on, but only on the very end of the open bag essentially defeating the purpose, but it was so adorable that he had replaced the snack container to the best of his ability and i just loved him that much more at that moment. he's all grows up!

so lately i have been finding surprise scribbles all around my house. i think i'm a pretty observant parent and keep one eye on my kids all the time, but apparently not because benjamin is sneaking in some wall art without my knowledge. i kind of enjoy it though, imagining what he must have been thinking when he created it. And usually when he draws these days it represents something - be it a "biiiigg hippo" or a giraffe, or whatever, it's fun to see him really concentrate and create. a few weeks ago he drew a face while we were waiting for some deliciousness at carraba's and it was GOOD! the eyes, nose, mouth and ears were all in the right place!!!!! of course my pediatrician side came out and calculating based on the developmental test "good enough draw a person", he was way above average :).

we had lots of snow this weekend in nashvegas - probably a good 5-6 inches, so of course we got in a little sledding at the local park. daddy and mommy weighed down our cookie sheet sled, however, so we couldn't go to far. it's time to invest in one of those plastic ones for the boys i suppose. it's just a bummer that the local news has to always point out the worst case scenarios... ALWAYS! later that evening i was totally annoyed as they did a segment on the "sinister side of sledding" and reported the 18 injuries. thanks but no thanks channel 4 - yes, i'm aware that you can bust your ass sliding down a snow bank so of course i'm going to be careful, and of course i'm not going to let my 2 year old go by himself for crying out loud!






























derek got to show support for the haitian earthquake victims again this weekend by participating in "hair for haiti". basically the residents bid on his beard, the cash goes to charity, and then they instructed him to shave it in a way for other's amusement... they chose thick muttonchops and a charlie chaplin like mustache. of course i have provided you with photographic evidence. he was my gustapo/colonel mustard man for the evening. didn't last long... he's the smooth faced derek that i fell in love with now, but i'm sure the beard is on it's way back in the next week.

derek has had some awesome news this week! he was awarded a 10,000 dollar grant for the "Young Investigator of the Year". this was pretty amazing as they APA only chose 4 proposals out of 108 submissions. i'm very proud of him. the money will be used to complete a research project idea that he thought of himself - studying the effects of tobacco exposure related to kids hospitalized with pneumonia.

and if that wasn't enough, the same day he had an abstract (short explanation of a different research project) accepted to be presented at the national Pediatric Academic Society meeting in Vancouver this spring. he'll give a presentation to probably a few hundred people, so also very cool and distinguished.

i'm glad one of us is making our way in our careers! mine is kind of on hold as i focus on being mommy, but i have my plans too, don't you worry.

pretty exciting weekend at the dubs house!... in consideration, of course, that we have 2 kiddos under the age of 3 and are also still pretty isolated in our new city. saturday morning was spent at the nashville downtown library which is awesome, and then we had some friends over saturday evening for dinner, and benjamin charmed one of his many lady friends with his "home livin' " equipment. yes, he has the kitchen, the vacuum, the shopping cart... you name it. here are benjo and lucy claire in their cooking gear... and after sharing a couple of chocolate santas.


aaannnd, harrison got a turn in the exersaucer for the first time! it was definitely a hit. i know, he's only 3 1/2 months, but he really hit that sunshine thing and made the animal noises sound like he's been doing it his whole life.





sunday was also pretty fun as we took the boys to their first CIRCUS! yes! ringling brothers were in town and we got a wild hair and bought a few tickets....

well let me just say to please remind me not to have a migraine when i go to future circuses... thank the lord my sumatriptan started kicking in even though it's 2 years expired. i guess i forgot how absolutely out of control the volume is in a circus filled arena, this one blasting a britney spears-esque number "do not try..... this at home...." for most of the first half.

despite these issues, it was of course pretty cool when the animals came out... elephants standing on eachother, dogs doing crazy stunts, horses, zebras, tigers - the TIGERS! i could not believe this man had 12 bengal tigers in about 100 square feet of space. they were growling and pawing at him, and he had a couple of whips and kept them in control. i never remember realizing how scary it was for the person in the ring with the tigers as a kid, but now it's pretty much the highlight of the whole thing for me. i tell myself these animals are all rescues or raised in captivity, but who knows...

we finished off our circus experience trying a nashville staple for the first time, demo's. i've heard good things, especially as a family with kids type place, and you know it was okay. i was a little disappointed in my ribeye sandwich, as i had a ribeye a few days ago that was soooooo good and i was craving it again. my husband reminded me that my earlier experience was a 30 dollar ribeye and this was a 7 dollar sandwich so i respectfully accept the difference. the kids are now tucked in bed and i got a kick out of the assortment of beverages and books sitting on the end table next to me and thought you might enjoy it.... (margarita, mots for tots, dos perros, enfamil, "where do i live", and The House of God)

so here we are! almost the end of january 2010, and what do i have to show for it? two beautiful sons (both are now graciously sleeping through the night), a thoughtful and kind husband, and the comforts of living in this country.

i am heartbroken by the devastation in haiti, and my mind continuously flips back to the suffering there and makes it very difficult to tolerate all the griping here. we have it good people! i hope that everyone is giving to an organization to help in haiti, even if it's a few bucks, this country needs it more than any disaster stricken area i've known in my lifetime. charitywatch.org gives a great list of efficient and trustworthy charities that already have ties in haiti.

i took some pics of harebear yesterday, and if you notice, some are in a christmas getup... well, this was a gift from b-gah (my mom) that we didn't get until christmas day and it is just too cute to not get some use out of... and really who will remember in 10 years that it's a couple weeks late?

welcome peeps!

So, I bit the bullet. Decided to start a blog. It's the thing to do and I actually have time these days, so why not share what's up in our lives with my family and friends? I'm just a little freaked about the potential wackos out there and sharing ANYTHING on the internet, but we'll see.

I hope to publish pictures of my growing boys and keep you up to date on what's going on with our careers, as it seems to be always changing! (let me know if i use too many exclamation points, too!!!!!!!!)

So here it goes, my first post! I'll work on one with actual content after I see the likes of this here. love you all!