Back From Interviews!

Ruston returned from Salt Lake on Tuesday and reported that his interviews went very well. Time at the U of U was short and might not have enabled him as much time as he had hoped for, but he loved going back to the VA (he worked there for three years before dental school) and catching up with old friends. In fact, I think he felt a bit like a mini-celebrity with the amount of attention that was stirred up as he walked into the clinic. He said both programs were great and now we just have to wait (till January - gulp!) to find out if he gets accepted anywhere. When we go to Oregon next month Ruston plans to swing by the Portland VA and offer a quick interview or at least introduce himself. Portland doesn't even begin interviewing until December! Our other back-up plans include various hospitals around Cleveland. It wouldn't be our favorite choice, but continuing education is important and we'll go where the job offers are.

Elli and I kept busy while Ruston was gone. We went babysitting most days and ran errands on the other ones. Unfortunately, I'm not done being morning sick yet - with this last week being even worse than before. I really thought I'd be all done by now, but I guess this baby is really making me work for it. The debate is still open whether or not we will find out the gender of the baby. I totally understand the reasons for finding out: born two weeks after Christmas = gender-specific presents, helping Elli prepare for the change, and of course simply keeping all grandmas happy. But I really liked not knowing with Elli, it was exciting. So we'll have to see. I'm open to persuasion, but I'm not making any promises yet!

Elli has been her usual sweet self this week. She seems to pick up a new word every day. She now recognizes and can say the color blue - just blue, nothing else! She's discovered macaroni & cheese and loves it. She calls them "doodles". And she's starting to get a little more defiant when she isn't getting her way, nothing too bad though. Overall a pretty fantastic little girl!

Three and a half weeks till we go to Oregon! We love you all and hope you are having a great week!

Whoops I Missed A Week!

I can't believe how fast time is going. June is almost over and I just can't seem to find the time to get anything done. But Ruston is gone for the weekend and I'm hoping to get a few things accomplished while he's away. He flew to Salt Lake City today to interview (Monday) for a residency position at the VA and U of Utah hospitals. He'll be back Tuesday evening and back to school again on Wednesday. It's lonely without him home, but I can only wish him all the luck in the world because I know how much a residency program means to him and to our family. I'm sure he'll do great.

I can not wait for our vacation to Oregon next month! I miss both our parents SO much and am really starting to get homesick for extended family. It hardly seems to bring relief that by next Father's Day we will be back west. I just don't know if it can come soon enough. Chambray turned 10 and we weren't around to give her a big hug and kiss; a card hardly seems to do justice. I miss all of our neices and nephews and it hurts my heart that we can't be around them more. At least Elli is young enough that she will never remember a time in her life when family wasn't close by. I have always, always loved our family - but I believe you can not truly appreciate what you have until it's gone. And I am looking forward to next year with all my heart.

But speaking of extended family, we just found out that Lauren and Josh are getting sealed in the St. George Temple this next Saturday. We are so excited for them and wish we could be there. Congratulations you guys! We love you!!

I wish you all could see Elli these days. She cracks me up all the time. She is trying to say all sorts of new words and works so hard to speak clearly that you can just feel her effort. I gave her a kiwi this morning and she proudly replied "wiwi" after her first mouth-puckering bite. She can say "nose" and "sock" now too. It's so fun to watch her learn.

Keep Ruston's interviews in your prayers and feel free to call our house (he has the cell phone) and keep me company anytime this weekend. We love you all and hope you're having a great summer.

Ice Cream, Pickles and Front Row Tickets to the Porcelain Bowl!

What a week! I'm sure glad that we have wanted this baby for so long, because if I had to go through this much nausea for a baby I wasn't sure I wanted this would be so hard. Sleeping seems to be the only real relief; although I have found some suitable alternatives when snoozing isn't an option (accupressure wristbands, sugar-free jolly ranchers, smelling lemons, etc.) The nights are always the worst, but the daytime offers little breaks here and there. I'll survive! I'm guessing this will all be over in two more weeks. That's when I finally stopped feeling queasy with Elli. Here's to hoping! On a happy note, I did have a doctor's appointment yesterday (Monday) and got to hear the baby's little heartbeat for the first time! It was quiet (understandably, as it is only the size of an olive) but the beat was strong and the doctor seemed pleased. If you're keeping track, I'm 10 weeks along right now.

Ruston is getting closer to his residency interviews in Salt Lake later this month. There are so many decisions to make, but still so much that is out of our control. We can only choose to go where he is accepted, and that means we still have a lot of waiting to do. Until then he is enjoying his time back in school and clinic.

Elli has been a real trooper through my morning sickness. She has started playing alone more regularly (a good milestone of maturity for toddlers) and hardly ever whines. She and I eat a lot of saltine crackers together and I think naptime is both of our favorite time of day. She learned how to say "cookie" this past weekend and has discovered water bottles - way more cool to drink from than a sippy cup! Her word for bottle is very similar to bubble, so we have to pay closer attention to what she is asking for, but we're all figuring it out.

That's our news this week. We hope you are having a great summer!

Love, The Munks

Is It Already Saturday Again?

Boy, did this week fly by! I can't believe it's already the weekend again. Ruston has been applying for residency programs for after graduation. He has two interviews set up in Salt Lake City (the UofU and the VA) later this month. I think he can apply to four more places, but we haven't decided on anything yet. We are still tossing around the possibility of Boise, Portland, Cleveland (not likely) or Colorado. With Utah being our #1 choice, we aren't sure if he should apply to more places or not. We'll see! Aside from school and applications, Ruston has had several softball games this week that take up a lot of his evenings. They run pretty late, but sometimes Elli and I go to watch anyway. She loves watching him play and can't wait to give him a high-five when he comes back to the bench. They are so cute together.

I'm trying to think of anything cute Elli has done lately. It's just so nice to have her be healthy again (and happy finally) that everything is cute recently. She has started calling her binky a "be-bink" and is asking for it a lot more than she used to. I think that car ride to North Carolina and back got her used to having a binky during non-sleeping times. We'll have to work on that again. Oh, she also has been watching a lot of Dora on tv these days, with me feeling so sick all the time, and in one episode when they asked her to say "map" she did! And then they asked her to say "backpack" she said "packpack" - close enough for me!! It's fun watching her learn.

I'm finding it harder to keep my house clean these days. With Ruston back at school this week, I haven't had him around to help me with dishes and stuff during the day. Things are getting a little out of control, but I just don't have the energy to do anything. I'm sure it will only last a few more weeks (the morning sickness) but I feel bad for Ruston and Elli between now and then. I know they love me and they both help out when they can. Elli usually makes things worse, but I know she's trying to help when I ask her. I have a great family!

We love you all and hope to talk to you soon.