Like John or Like Mr. Hyde?

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Hi honey,

Pop would like to skype with you too, but has to go to work in a few minutes. If you get this, call,ok?

love you, get some rest,

mama

Email from Ellie to Mom (Monkey):

sorry we missed you guys. theodore was really good last night, but we were exhausted. got 2 hours, then had to wake him up for feeding after 3 hours and then again after 3 hours. so we got a decent amount of sleep! pretty good for a second night... everyone keeps saying "he wont be like that at home" though which sounds ominous.

dans snuggling him now.

:)

love you lots,

ellie

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

I can't believe how easily he's comforted!!!!!! Either he'll be like John was--easy---or when you get him home he'll change to Mr Hyde and become a monster. More likely in between... Do the nurses leave you alone at night, or do they come in periodically to do checks? Sorry for all the questions and comments--better get used to it when I get there. Just nod your head and say, "umm hmmm"

mama

Educational Histories

Email from Ellie to Mom (Monkey) and Faffy:

Hey guys,

For purposes of law school applications...

What colleges did you attend and what years did you graduate, and what med schools did you attend and what years did you graduate?

Thanks,

Ellie

Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Well, I went to UW for 3 years, 1976-1979. Never graduated. Went to John Burns School of Medicine in Hawaii from 1979-1980, took year sabbatical, then finished my last 3 years at West Virginia University's School of Medicine (where pop was professor) graduating in 1984.

I'll tell pop to write to you about his education---his are much more straightforward, but I don't know dates.

Love you. Tell Theo to come home, would you?

Mama

Email from Faffy to Ellie:

Hi, Elle,

Swarthmore, BS '68

U of Tenn, MS '70

UW, MD '75

Love, 

Pop

I'm Getting Excited!!!!

Email From Mom (Monkey):

Hey Ellebelle,

Tried to text you, but I guess you'd already gone to bed. Why'd you call? I just saw you'd called, but hadn't left message. You ok?

love you,

mama

Email From Ellie to Mom (Monkey):

yep, all is ok. tell you what, if something big happens (like.... labor... hehe) i will text you. so you'll be in the loop.

:)

love you!

i was calling to say dan has discovered a lime zucchini orzo that is AMAZING.

nothing important, in other words...

--elle belle


Email from Mom (Monkey) to Ellie:

Yeah, that's what I was worrying about of course. I'm getting excited!!!! I hope it's next week!

love you,
mama

(Pretty Cool, Eh!)

Forwarded Email from Mom (Monkey) to Family:


Two Stories - BOTH TRUE - and worth reading!!!!

STORY NUMBER  ONE


Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned  Chicago.  Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic.  He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.


Capone had a lawyer nicknamed 'Easy Eddie.' He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire  Chicago  City  block.

Eddie lived the high life of the  Chicago  mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld.  Price was no object.

And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong.  Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example.

One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al 'Scarface' Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a  lonely  Chicago Street  .  But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

/'The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour.  Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still.' /


 STORY NUMBER  TWO


World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.


He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington  in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he  looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank.

He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship.

His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet.

As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet.

The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the  fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to  clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier.

Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet.  He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942 , and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago  is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was 'Easy Eddie's' son.


(Pretty cool, eh!)

Hope All is Well

Email from Joe Knight to Ellie:

Ellie and Dan,
     Erica keeps me updated on your soon to be birthed child. My thoughts are with you. I hope all is well.

Hello Baby!

Email from Ellie to Teddy:

Hello Baby!

I am 32 weeks along today. Had a prenatal check-up, all was well. You were kicking away and very awake. I told the OB-GYN that we were thinking Jude for Judah but are now considering Theo for Theodore. Her son happened to be a Theo for Theodore, maybe its a sign.

I found out last night, researching the name Theodore, that there was a famous Greek philosopher known as Theodoros the Atheist. Which is pretty humorous, since Theodore translates as Gift of God. 

I've been writing both names over and over again all week, trying to imagine what your signature will look like.

I hope you're born heathy, little one. And -- ideally -- with hair! Apparently your father is freaked out by babies without hair, the weirdo. Although more so by the 6-12 month babies without hair, I'm sure he'll forgive you as a newborn.

I'm here in Denver, alone... your dad was in Seattle for all of June, and is now in San Francisco, doing sub-Internships. Its worth it for our family, the experience and recommendation letters will make us more likely to be able to live where we want to live for the next 6 years of your life. But its been really rough, especially with me pregnant.

I have two kitties with me, Donovan and Mumble, and they're pretty good company. Giant lightning storm outside at the moment, hopefully it doesn't fritz my computer.

What will you be like, baby?

I hope that above all you are kind. Considerate of others' feelings, thoughtful, and sensitive. Secondly, that you are intelligent -- but I'm sure you will be, I have little doubt of that. I hope you follow in your father's footsteps and treat women as equals, with respect. Maybe, like him, you'll like to cook! I can imagine the two of you having a "special day" together like me and my dad used to do, maybe playing basketball together out in the sun and then coming in to cook dinner together afterward. Hopefully your father will be able to spend that kind of quality time with you in the future, despite going into a surgical subspecialty.

I hope, when you read this, your father and I make it obvious that we love both each other and you. We both already love you so much, and we always will. I can't wait to dress you up in the little tiny cowboy boots I got off eBay, and as you get older hear you laugh when we introduce you to new things. You're going to be adorable, I just know it.

Alright sweetie pea, I'm going to go watch a bad movie (since Dan is not here! hehe), then skype with him, and then go to sleep. I will meet you soon!

Much love always,

your mom (ahhHH!! you have no idea how weird it is to think of myself in that way, I'm not at all used to that yet!)

Test-Taking Affirmations

My shoulders are relaxed.

My back is relaxed.

My arms are relaxed.

Every part of my body is perfectly relaxed.

I have all of the skills and resources that I need to do well.

I can trust my mind and abilities.

I am relaxed, prepared, and confident.

I will conquer this test.