Career Saga 3: The Call

Well, it has been quite a week. Yesterday was quite a day.

There is nearly no way to describe all the emotions that were coursing through me as we drove McKay home from the hospital -- as we carried him through the front doors as proud new parents.

I am just emotional enough that I could have probably spent several hours on the couch, just trying to absorb all of it. (Weird? Perhaps.) There would be no time for that.

The light on the answering machine was flashing. I pressed play, expecting some nice congratulations for our sweet new baby. Instead: "This message is for Michael. This is Tracy from Midwestern University. I'm calling about your status for the upcoming AZCOM [Arizona College of Medicine] class. We have a few open seats and the dean of admissions has asked me to call and offer you one of these seats. Please call me back as soon as possible."

Wait. What? Did I really just get offered a spot in medical school? Really? The same day I brought my brand new baby home? Yep.

There will be no time to revel in the emotions of fatherhood -- at least not right now. Right now, I have about 24 hours to decide if I really do want medical school; if I really think I can do it; if I really can move my family to a new city (Phoenix) and start a totally new chapter in my life.

It's OK, though. I'm totally comfortable with this decision. No problem. (Yeah, right.) This afternoon, I'll just call Tracy back and report my decision, which is.....

To Be Continued

My Initiation

Well, I have officially been sprinkled in the holy water of parenthood.

McKay's first at home diaper change was also my first-ever diaper change. It was fairly typical. It was his second diaper change that got interesting.

You see, Christina taught me to cover the little boy up with a diaper wipe as soon as I took his diaper off. When I peeled the diaper off, though, and turned to get a wipe, they weren't there. We had moved them into the bathroom for a different job, and they hadn't come back yet.

As soon as I realized this, and started to turn back toward McKay to figure out a different plan, I felt something warm on my hand. My first thought was Bella had come in and was licking at me. I turned to shoo her away, but she wasn't there. When I turned back toward the baby, I felt it again. And it still took a minute to sink in.

That's right. The little guy was sending up an initiation shower that was currently soaking my pants. It also soaked his changing table and even sent a few sprinkles all the way to our bed.

I took time to laugh at myself, especially since I had been warned. The funniest part, however, is that it will probably not be the last time!

Announcing: Michael McKay Nielson

Christina and I are delighted to announce the arrival of our first child, Michael McKay Nielson.

McKay, as he will be known, was born on his due date, July 20, 2009, at 12:37 in the morning. The little bugger weighed 8 lbs. 4 oz. and measured 21 1/4 in. long.

We are unbelievably proud and feel incredibly blessed at how well things have gone so far!

The only thing that's certain is uncertainty

An interesting new development in our "career" saga:

In June, Drexel University contacted me to inform me that I could submit my med school application, which I had already submitted to Drexel's school of medicine, to a Master's of Public Health program with no additional fee. I took them up on their offer, not expecting much to come of it.

I found out this week that Drexel had not only accepted me, but also offered me a scholarship totaling $10,000 per year. That is a pretty substantial chunk of the approximately $27,000 per year in tuition.

This seems like it may be a good opportunity. I will have to wait at least one more year to get into medical school, and I don't know how much I can improve my credentials here in Blanding. The Master's of Public Health could serve as a stepping stone, or it could open new career doors that may be just as exciting. An additional benefit may be the fact that after two years in Pennsylvania, I can gain residency, which may open a lot of doors at one of the 10 medical schools in Pennsylvania (including Drexel itself). (For those less familiar with the med school application process: More spots are given to residents, and in-state tuition is usually substantially less.)

There are also some downsides, of course. The first is the move from Blanding to Philadelphia. Can you imagine a bigger culture change? I have real concerns about moving my wife and brand new baby (we are still waiting for him, by the way) into a place like Philly. Not to mention the move itself -- more than 2,000 miles. I also stop paying off debt and start accumulating it again. And I leave what has become an exceptionally comfortable career-type job, where I have been informed several times that I have the potential of advancing within the company. I make fair money and have good benefits.

Generally, life in Blanding is just comfortable. I work easy, predicatable hours. I am always off on weekends and holidays, and get home by 4 p.m. or earlier every day. I don't spend anytime sitting in traffic. If I have to wait for one car on my way to work, it is an abnormal morning. I love my little pickup and taking off, pretty much whenever I want, on a drive up into the mountains. It is hard to just say goodbye to all that.

In my mind, it comes down to one thing: do I really, I mean REALLY want this medical school thing or not. If I do, this seems like the way to go. If not, there is no point in leaving my career here and high-tailing it across the country.

To be honest, I never thought that a decision like that would even make me hesitate. But now, staring it in the face, I'm having a harder time than I expected.

Right now, I'd say we are about 75% on the packing the truck side of things, but there is a lot still to consider.

I'd love to have feedback from any and all!

Hometown 4th of July (Happy Birthday, Christina!)

As most of you know, Christina's birthday is on the 4th of July. Because of this, we normally spend the Fourth according to her wishes, which normally include a trip to Idaho, or at least Salt Lake City. However, with the baby coming soon, this year didn't seem like a good time for traveling. Additionally, my mom's family was having a family reunion, and I was asked to help with the food, etc., so we got to spend the 4th of July in Blanding. This is actually kind of exciting for me, as I grew up here and actually really enjoy Blanding's festivities.

The morning started at 5 a.m. for me, because I got up early to wrap Christina's presents and to make her a cake. She had requested a store-bought cake to remind her of the days at the West Jordan Rodeo (when her family was too busy to make the cake, and bought one instead). I couldn't justify spending more than $30, so I invented a store-bought cake at home. I simply made some cake mixes and baked them in jelly roll pans and put a layer of raspberry pie filling in between the two layers. Then I frosted it with buttercream frosting using a recipe I found in a cook book. It wasn't a store-bought cake, but it wasn't too bad, either.

Blanding still has a very traditional parade, with lots of candy! We found a nice shady spot and enjoyed the parade while my neice and nephew scooped up the loot by the handful.

The mid-day is filled with a carnival and kid races. Christina and I missed the kids races, choosing to go to photography/quilt show instead, but the kids apparently did quite well (and made the local paper).

We also spent time with the extended family, getting beat at Bocce and horseshoes before spending most the evening cooking a dutch oven dinner for the family reunion.

We did get to finish of our celebrations with a very nice fireworks display. Christina definately enjoyed. Bella: not so much. She spent the show curled up of the floor of the cab of my pickup. Dogs just don't seem to get fireworks...

Happy Fourth all!