So - The Florida Talbot fam is starting a new tradition of
sending family Valentine's Day letters (cause let's face it, I don't want to
try and fit one more thing into December!) This is our first year, and we hope
to follow it up in years to come.
This new mom is always looking for inspiration, and (not too
surprisingly) last year our little family found comfort in the sage advice
found on the inside wrapper of a Dove chocolate square: "Blessings come to
those who count them." How blessed
are we? Well, let me count the ways...
It was a wonderful year for our family! The highlight, of course, was Avery joining us
in April. She is a fun and treasured
addition to our family, and such a perfect combination of her parents: easy
going, observant, bright and at the same time full of smiles, curious, and always on the move. She is growing like a TALBOT!! At 9 months she measures 30" and nearly
20lbs (99th and 67th percentile)!!
...that's 1" shy of half a Jillian.
We love to watch her crawl and clap, hear her giggle and babble (it
appears she has quite strong
opinions), and see her exploring the world.
And as the impending walking phase nears we find ourselves learning more
and more about baby-proofing and leaving objects OUT of reach! She is an absolute joy, and though everyone
warned us, we're still amazed at how quickly the time is flying.
As one new phase of life begins, another is drawing to a
close. This past year marks Richard's *FINAL*
year of medical school at Nova Southeastern University. We can hardly believe the four years have
come and gone so quickly and that he will graduate this May. This last year he has nine rotations, each
lasting one month, at various sites around the country including Houston,
Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Phoenix, Tallahassee, Miami, and Jacksonville. We've enjoyed the experience, but wow has it
been a wild ride! During this time he
was also busy interviewing for residency (the final 3-year stretch of Richard's
medical training). He was invited to
meet with Emergency Medicine programs in Arizona, Florida, Georgia,
Massachusetts (brrr), North Carolina, Ohio (double brrr), and Texas. On March 15th we'll find out where we match
and which place we'll soon call home. Richard
works incredibly hard and never fails to impress as he progresses in his career. We're so excited to celebrate his graduation
and this huge milestone in our lives.
As
for me, a year ago I was celebrating Valentine's day half asleep on the couch,
swollen feet propped up on pillows, likely with evidence of a quesadilla dinner
tucked somewhere in the folds of my maternity shirt. After Avery was born, I continued working for
Keiser University part-time from home, mainly to prepare for my favorite work
responsibility: overseeing the annual conference. The conference was a success and a wonderful way
to conclude my Keiser experience. With Richard's
new schedule, it was time to leave Ft. Lauderdale. There were a few weeks of freedom before I
began a new job with my brothers' business, and I've enjoyed the flexibility of
working from home, being a mother, and spending more time with my remarkable
family. Motherhood is an amazing new
challenge, and as I learn new things every day, I'm appreciating more and more
the mothers in my life.
One of our greatest wishes on Valentine's Day is that we
could be nearer to the ones we love. We
wish we could visit more, meet up for lunch, and be better at staying in touch,
and here's an effort to making that hope a reality. We count you to be a blessing in our lives
and send you our love this Valentine's Day.
Sincerely,
The Talbots
February 2013
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