Backfire

Gunner loves the movie, "The Incredibles". It is one of my favorites, and I'm happy that he likes it. Recently, he has been commenting on the show, asking me what the characters are doing (Doonat guy?). He likes it when Dash runs away from the bad guys (Wunning!). I think it's cute how he has woken up to the action on the show.

Yesterday, I decided to show him "Jack Jack Attack" on the second disk. I turned it on and left the room to finish up some dishes. I returned four minutes later as the short was finishing to find my sweet little movie-loving guy on the couch, shaking from head to toe, pointing at the TV, saying, "Baby?!...Baby?!!"

He was terrified!

And I felt terrible! I immediately picked him up and he glommed onto me like a wet shirt. I turned the little show back on and tried to talk him through it, saying things about how funny the little baby was for flying or disappearing, or bursting into a flaming monster. See, Gunner, isn't that hilarious?! Please, please think that it's hilarious! Mostly, though, I comforted him and told him over and over that the baby was okay.

G: "Baby?!"

Me: "The baby is okay."

G: "Baby K?!"

Me: "Yeah, the baby is just fine.

And then we got out our newly acquired library books and read about planes (Cop-ter!), trains (joo joo), and automobiles (Bus, Mommy!) to try to distract him.

I never thought that it would scare him, and I feel just terrible for putting him in into such a scary situation. But I'm glad I was there for him and realized quickly what was going on. And I'm grateful for the glomming cuddle time, since I have to take the cuddles when I can get them these days. I also guess I have learned to be a little more careful about what I expose him to. Although, really, who would have thought that it would have been scary?!

*Several days later, Gunner is still assuring us that the baby on the show is okay. Out of the blue, several times a day, he declares, "Dac Dac fine. Dac Dac fine." And we reply each time, "Yep, Jack Jack is just fine."

Residency App

I've had my application in for about 3 weeks now, and have heard back from several programs. My application strategy is to apply to 16 anesthesia programs, 10 medicine prelim years, and 10 transitional year programs. Of the anesthesia programs, 3 are in the pacific northwest, 2 in the mountain west, 2 in Ohio, 1 in new hampshire, 2 in Boston, and the remainder are scattered around missouri, michigan, minnesota, and wisconsin. I don't know if 20 is enough preliminary years, I hope it is because I don't want to have to scramble into a prelim surgery year somehwere, that would be pretty awful. For the readers who are not intimately involved in the drama of ERAS and the NRMP (electronic residency application service and national residency matching program, respectively), the difference between medicine and transitional years is that medicine programs are just that, medicine, and the transitional year is a mix of medicine, surgery, ER, and elective time. There are some pretty nice transitional years that I would love to go to, although interview invites have not yet come for those.

Mid-night Heart Breaker

Gunner crying in the middle of the night:

Momma!...

Momma!...

(pause)

Blue Car!!!

Gunner Speak

Love how this kid talks! If you're ever around him, here's a translation guide to some of his more obscure phrases:

On, On--Means, "Give me your hand (yes, "On" means Hand), and come here, now, please."
Lul You--Love you (usually accompanied by a kiss on the cheek and followed by a melted heart)
Cop-Ter--Helicopter (this is something he exclaims every time he sees or hears an airplane or helicopter in the sky)
Uh, Yah!--(accompanied by smile and bright eyes), means Yes
Huh?--UhHuh, also means Yes
Wuddy?--This means that he wants to play with the cardboard race track Spiff made for him, meaning, "Ready, Set, Go!"

Morchee--More please

Beenoon--Balloon

Beenoon-a-beenoon-a-beenoon-a-beenoon...--means there's a balloon over there that I need to run across the room to get.

BlueWhiVreen--Blue, White, Green

LellowWhi--Yellow, White

Blue Car/Car Blue--his new Dinaco Blue Lightning McQueen car. He has seen the movie but doesn't really get the whole character thing. He just loves the color, size, shape...everything about this little toy. He carries it everywhere with him, and sleeps with it at night.