dave and his research

We have had an interesting year this past year with Dave doing research. He spends a lot of time at home working on the computer analyzing data. Sometimes when he is doing brainless work like chart review he will watch hulu (daily show, bachelorette, the office) while he works. 

This is where they get the term "scaring the crap out of . ..."  

This is one of dave's lab rats. He goes in to the lab once or twice a week to do various things.  The rest of the time he does data analysis and paper writing.


Dave's 1st love is me. His second love are the kids. His third love is his bike.  He loves his bike.  It is a true kindness for him to hook up the kids to his most precious possession and bike around the lake with them.

4th love is ice cream. :)

Dave is never short on visitors (girls) when he is trying to work. The girls love him!

Epseically Lexey. She loves to visit dave and make him listen to you tube songs. She loves "AND I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU." and "Firework" and who knows what else! I always tell him he should just tell her no and kick her out but he is too nice.

after dan left we moved dave into dan's old room.

 This was dave's office before. (Calvin's old bedroom painted orange and blue with Michigan stickers all over the walls!)

Prior to moving downstairs to these two offices, dave was upstairs in my bedroom (yes, it is his bedroom too...) Having him upstairs didn't work at all. He was in my way, I was in his way and the girls really never left him alone. It works well that he has "an office" and then the girls occasionally visit him but know he is at work. Once he is upstairs he is not working anymore.

Residency update:  Somebody asks me at least once a month "how much longer do you have?" or "where is dave in his residency now?"

Dave is in his 6th year of a 7 year residency.  This year he will finish up his research time and then mid-June will start his chief year. In the neurosurgery residency here since there are so few residents everyone has a chance to be chief.  It will be a busy but fun year since Dave will get his choice of the great operations going on at any of the UCSD hospitals. He is excited.

Post -residency plans:  Dave is going to do a one year fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery after his chief year. So, next fall, one full year from now, he will be interviewing for fellowship positions.  He will likely interview at 5 or so pediatric hospitals.   Dave will probably have the opportunity to stay in SD if he chooses to but I don't know if he will do that or not. WE LOVE SD but there is value in diversifying the operative experience in residency/fellowship so it may be wise to go elsewhere.  We will be distraught and heartbroken to leave SD.

There is a MATCH for fellowship. I can't believe we have to match again!  I am getting to old for this! I am pretty sure match will be just after Christmas next year. 

JoJo's birthday bash

We took the family to a local park to celebrate Jo's birthday one evening.

Jo loves playing in the water at the splash park area. She giggles and squeals with delight! It is darling! She only lasts a few minutes 'til she gets cold but it is so fun!

 Jo got a really cute hat for her birthday. She tried taking it off but it was suck on with a strap! When she finally got used to it I did take it off and then she put it right back on. After a few more times wearing it now she is completely used to it and doesn't bother it at all when she wears it!  Thanks Sheri! It is darling!

 While we were at the park someone had a special balloon that got stuck in the palm tree. Dave decided he should climb the tree and get it out. IT was seriously ridiculously funny! Dave is awesome!

 My new friend Jenn!

why we are in Washington DC

Many months ago, Dave submitted an abstract and oral presentation to the annual Neurosurgery meetings in DC knowing that it would be a fun place to visit. As he started to plan for the trip he thought he wanted to take Calvin with him to see the DC sights. One day he asked me, "do you think it would be okay for me to leave Calvin in the hotel room while I go to my conference?" ....... so, here we are....the entire family in DC!!! No way was I going to send the boys on their own.

so, forgive me for turning this into a traveloge but I want to remember this trip. There is a pretty good chance we won't take a family vacation again for a very long time!

life is busy

However, I will share this quick story. ...

a friend of mine was holding JoAnne during the 3rd hour of church so that I could play the piano in primary. She passed Dave in the halls and asked him if he knew where her binkie was. He looked at my friend and at the baby and wondered to himself "Why the heck is this lady asking me for a binkie for her baby? How am I supposed to know where she has put her binkie?"

And now I ask, How crazy is it that my husband doesn't even recognize his own child? Not to mention a couple of important details about this friend of mine #1. her youngest child is almost 4. #2. her children are all have a much darker shade of skin than mine ever could.

dave

Yes, he is BLOWING on the ds. It is a new trick he learned. Now you know where my kids learned to be obsessed with things. Note to you: If you ever use our ds, be sure to wash your hands afterwards. That thing goes everywhere, including the bathroom!

where does dave come up with this stuff?

"Did i ever mention that I told a med student she could stand to lose 10 lbs?" -Dave


"You. Did. Not." -Denise

to spite me

dave has decided to grow out his hair and look rediculous just to spite me for giving him a hard time for spending more on beauty in a year than I do. Pictured above is one of his new favorite tricks w/ his long hair: wings.

daveisms

I don't have much time this week or next for posting and have lots of catching up to do but for now you can just enjoy a couple of funnies from dave.


#1
Dave: "Good news, my only patient died today so I don't have to go in early to round."

(She wasn't his patient for real, but she had been added to his list even though there was nothing neurosurgery could do for her.)


#2
Denise: "Do you think we should get some dog food for our food storage?"
Dave: "Denise, the dog IS the food storage."

Hate to think we'd ever get to that point but I know it happens in true times of desperation.

dave

It has been a while since I posted about Dave. We have a little catching up.

Dave hasn't worn a wedding ring for YEARS. Probably since 3rd year of med school so that was about 5 years ago. He never really liked wearing it before that time either but he tolerated it. Once he had the excuse of needing to take it off in the operating room he just left it home in the drawer.

This seemed to work out okay since everyone he works with knows he is married -- nurses, dr.s, residents, staff all routinely ask how is family is doing and many even know all of us. However, last year he rotated to a completely new hospital and found that since he was a completely fresh face nobody knew he was married. Most residents aren't married so it is understandable. Apparently a few girls tried to pickup on dave so he wanted to figure out a way to wear his ring to work. Here's what he came up with:
He says it is noticeable.


I should, at some time, do an entire post about bathroom delimas we've had but for now I'll just share one that I realized I had forgotten. I'm not sure the best way to share the story but I think I'll share it conversation style.

Denise: Dave, did you pee on the bathroom floor?

Dave: well, I got up to go to the bathroom in the night and it was dark.....somebody must have put the toilet seat down and I didn't know.....I kept wondering why pee was splashing on my legs?

Denise: didn't you bother to turn the light on and see what happened? or you thought it'd be fine to just leave it for morning so I'd find pee all over the bathroom?

Dave:..........no comment.

Does this kind of thing happen to anyone else? Just wondering.