Dawn of a New Day

The day has come. The end is near. The fat lady has sung. Pigs are flying. The ship has sailed. The tide has come in. Extra, extra, read all about it. No matter how you say it, it is the dawn of a new era. At least a new era in the Newman house.

Years and years ago man invented fire. And then the wheel. And then an even more genius soul created coffee and chocolate. Yet, this moments sits far above these, on a baby blue throne that reigns in my soft mommy heart.

Months and months of training and preparing have brought us to this moment, and yet I was still not prepared for the vision before my eyes. Smile plastered across his face. Hazel eyes wide with pride. One hand with a tight grip on the plush basketball that just happens to be the exact size of his head and the other hand and arm straight out to his side creating that perfect 90-degree angle with his body. A little (okay, not so little) round belly out in front leading the way. Legs steady. Feet planted. Then...

wait for it...

wait for it...

One brave little foot leaves the ground. All of the muscles in his body spring into action as in that split second his frame is balanced on a single, size 3 foot. Just as quickly, that brave little foot hits the ground again. But this time it is the ground 4 inches ahead. Steady once again and the smile is bigger and the eyes are brighter. Mission accomplished. However, almost as if it's jealous, the other foot jumps off the ground, reaches in front of its partner, and leaves a teetering body on top. Plop! A gentle landing on a cushioned bottom. There is no break in the smile. And moments later we're going through it all again.

That's right folks. Step right up. It is the dawn of a new day. A new day in the Newman house.

Owen can walk!

Of course he wouldn't walk for the camera, but he did sneeze a noodle out of his nose. :) I'm a proud mama!

Derm

After months of busy hospital work, I finally have a much needed clinic month. Weekends off and no call! That's music to my exhausted ears. However, it isn't just time to relax, I still get to learn. Currently, I'm working with a Dermatologist at Offutt airforce base, and this is something I've really been needing. It may surprise you, but UNMC doesn't have a dermatologist. That's made it kind of difficult to get much derm experience in the last few years.

Now, after one week I'm feeling more comfortable with skin diseases than I ever have. Have acne, sun damage, a weird mole, eczema, or psoriasis? I'm your doc! Okay, I might not have learned everything yet... but I still have a week to go. ;)

Before you ask, if you're looking for some free advice here's what I have for ya':
1) Don't smoke.
2) Wear sunscreen. Seriously. Wear sunscreen!
3) Ask your doctor about Retin-A. It's great for acne and anti-aging.

Looking forward to next week already!

Happy HallOWEN!

Another first for our family... Owen's first Halloween! or as it is known at our house - Hall-OWEN. Our little lion took to the trick-or-treating streets like he had done this a thousand times. Instead of fussing and pulling at his mane all night long, to our surprise it stayed in place. He didn't even cry until the night was over and he was back in his jammies. It didn't take long for exhaustion take over and for him to fall fast asleep. (It also didn't take long for mom and dad to raid his candy bag.)