Old Friends

Once upon a time, I used to work.

Let me clarify, I used to work for a paycheck. My current job also pays, only the bank doesn't accept sloppy kisses and picked weeds as a form of currency. (My heart does though, so all is well.)

But back in the day when I actually did work, and received monetary compensation, I was a nurse in the Air Force. I worked for four years, spending the last two in the pediatric clinic, and the last nine months of that gestating my firstborn.

Being pregnant in the military is kind of a funny thing. The maternity uniforms are hideous. There is even a BDU (battle dress uniform) for pregnant women. That is the camouflage uniform. Let me assure you, I was by no means small during my pregnancies. I gained 40 lbs with Alex and every day that I donned my camo clothes, I wondered at the irony. In what state of world war must we experience that huge pregnant women would be trying to blend in with a wooded environment? I would just have to wave the white flag of surrender because there would be no hiding my girth as I waddle from tree to tree.

Luckily it never came to that, and I was safely camoflauged in my office behind my computer desk.
And right behind me was my friend Andy. He was the pediatrician I was assigned to work with, and despite his eccentricities* he and his family became our good friends.

* He listened to weird music, his desk drawers were so neatly organized that he would put Martha Stewart to shame, he had(has) the strangest sense of humor of anyone I've ever known, he would throw his mouse when the computer was acting up, and I couldn't possibly convey in this post just what a character this guy is. He is also a wonderful doctor!

Anywho, Andy separated from the Air Force shortly after I got out, and he and his wife Wendy, who is also a pediatrician, moved to northern Indiana to set up practice for themselves. This is quite convenient for us because whenever we visit home, we're just a short road trip away from them.

So the kids and I drove down this past weekend to catch up. We hadn't gotten together since I was pregnant with Derek, so it had been a little over 2 and a half years since we had seen each other. Here's a shot of all the kids together:

 Olivia-- 9, Evelyn-- 6, Alex-- 4, Derek-- 2

We used to babysit for Olivia before Evelyn was born. She would occasionally strip down and run around the house naked. The first time she did it, Josh turned red and said to me "I don't think I'm supposed to be seeing that." Ha! Good preparation for our own little streaker.

The kids had a great time playing together. A&W (how is it that I seem drawn to folks with initials that just make sense? M&M, A&W...) are practically running their own zoo. The have a dog, fish, a parrot, a bearded dragon, and a hedgehog. Really.

Derek loved that parrot like it was his best bud.

And would you look at my baby on the big boy swing?

My ovaries just twitched a little. I try to tell them no, but they know what they want.

Alex is 2 years younger than Evelyn, but they are almost the same size...

They had a ton of dress-up stuff and Alex was in heaven.

My mom asked her if she was glad to be back. Alex said "No. The other house is better. They have kids and more toys."

Ha! Brutally honest.

I wish I had gotten a picture of us grown-ups together! We had a lot of fun catching up, just wish Josh had been able to come along as well.
We miss you baby!