i think i forgot how to blog.

One night last week, we played around with the camera timer to try take a photo together. This one turned out decently. I think we need to do that more often. We barely have any pictures where we're all together.

I still take a lot of pictures with my "real" camera--I haven't yet migrated to a phone camera as most people seem to have done--mostly because I still have the same ol' smartphone I've had since December 2009. It takes dismal photos, so when Franco's not around with his iPhone 4s, I prefer using the better camera.

So, it's not the lack of photos that's kept me from blogging. It's also not a lack of memorable or notable events--there have been plenty of those since last August, believe me. And it's not because I've been particularly busy, though raising a toddler is a full-time job. I guess I just didn't feel like blogging for a bit. Maybe I wanted to see what would happen. Would I miss it? Would I choose a better way to spend my time? And then when more and more time would pass, I just felt guilty for leaving it alone for so long, like I broke up with my blog and didn't know how we could stay friends.

Sorry, I'm being a little melodramatic, aren't I? It's the mood I'm in right now. I've been having rollercoaster mood swings lately, maybe because I'm almost 7 months pregnant? I'm almost always at home nowadays because I'm too lazy or tired to actually get ready and go somewhere.

Also of note, a very exciting note, is that Franco will be taking boards in two weeks! The Board Exam is the Bar Exam of optometry--the I Ching of exams, the Big Kahuna, the BIG One! I will try to sum up the last several months of preparation in one sentence: my husband is almost nonexistant. Ok, that might be pushing it. It would probably be closer to the truth if I said it this way: While Franco is still an integral part of our family and household and continues to perform his husbandly and fatherly duties very well, we have had to shift around a lot of things and have had to sacrifice time spent together quite a bit. But this is for the greater good--he has to study, which he does, day until night every single day except Sunday (I am a witness to this daily since he basically only leaves the house for class, clinical rotations, church, or other important meetings relating to school or church.) We had a glorious two-week break during Christmas and New Year and I savored each moment together. It's like, he's here--if I look over my shoulder right now I can see him, studying away--yet he's not really here. It's taken a while to get used to, I'll admit. I used to interrupt him often to ask a simple question like, "Any requests for dinner this week?" or to ask him to do a small chore...but I have learned to refrain and to save stuff like that for mealtime or at night or on Sunday. The boy needs his study time! So dedicated, that man. I love him.

It's been quite the learning experience. But just think what will come out of it! When he passes Boards, which I'm confident he will the first time (I keep telling him), he will officially be able to practice as a Doctor of Optometry! It's like we can finally see the light at the end of this never-ending, 7-year-long tunnel. I'm so, so proud of him.

So, our life the last seven months summed up in seven words: baby, Boards, growing, planning, living, praying, loving.

And that's what we'll keep doing. Good to be back.