My favorite picture from our beach trip last week – this is how the kids slept every night. They’d start off in their own beds, but ended up in a big dog pile on the floor. This one certainly depicts the Kaya that I know – she is literally sleeping on top of at least one other person.

On Friday we celebrate Kaya’s fourth birthday. I cannot believe it was 4 years ago that I was lounging around my BIDMC hospital room watching the Olympics after my epidural waiting for something to happen. And now I have a 4 year old to watch the Olympics with! Here’s a cute pic of Kaya with her birthday cake and her buddy Ivy.

We spent the last week in Duck, NC at the Outer Banks with many wonderful family members and friends. It was a wicked hot week yet the ocean managed to be freezing for the first half of our stay – luckily it warmed up for swimming toward the end. We had a wonderful time – and Kaya especially had a fantastic week. I’ve never seen her happier. She’s already making plans for next year.

Yoya and Dylan came over last night and introduced the girls to Pokemon Go, the social media video game that has been sweeping the nation (world?). The group was a little disappointed when Mommy wouldn’t let them walk all the way to the Pokemon Gym in Homestead Park during a thunderstorm, but we did catch a Beedrill!

Laney has really gotten into posing for pictures. It’s almost hard to catch her in a real smile, because as soon as she sees a camera (or more likely, a phone), she says CHEESE and makes her cheese face. Which is still cute, though.

We have always known there was a “beach” at Jordan Lake, but the few times we’ve been down there, we’ve always had Max with us and didn’t think he’d be allowed on the beach (which he’s not). But today Max stayed in the air conditioning at home and the family found the beach in the Ebenezer section of Jordan Lake. And it was great! Shady trees to sit under and a great lake for Kaya to practice her new swimming skills. We’re sure to go back soon.

We took the girls to visit my new office this weekend – they each drew me a picture to put up, and I impressed everyone with my spacious accommodations. Now to make the magic happen and be somewhat productive in it!

Today I turned in my UNC badge and my parking permit and FINISHED FELLOWSHIP. And therefore FINISHED MEDICAL TRAINING. It’s been 11 years since I started medical school and I’M DONE!!! And tomorrow I go straight back to UNC to get a new badge and a new parking permit (for the same garage, unfortunately) for my new grown-up job. WOO HOO!

And a big shoutout to my co-fellows who have all moved away by now and I will miss dearly. I couldn’t have done it without them. Here’s a picture of all of us with my new boss/the head of our division.

Kaya found the tiara from my wedding outfit – she instantly identified it as worthy of a true polite request and asked, “Mommy, could you please put your tiara on me please? So I can be like you at your wedding.” Who can say no to that? And in the process, she gave away that she IS in fact capable of being polite. Good to know.

Lookout Laney!