Best of Both Worlds
After graduating from the Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1997, Dr. Ardoin completed a combined residency in 2001 in internal medicine and pediatrics at the school. During the next year, she served as its chief resident of internal medicine and then transferred to Duke University School of Medicine to work on a combined fellowship in adult and pediatric rheumatology for the next four years.
In 2006, she served on Duke’s School of Medicine faculty, but returned to Ohio with her young family in 2009, accepting the position of assistant professor at Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“Some of the funny things I remember was when our son would only take a nap while lying on my husband’s lap,” she says. “So for two years, Adrien also took a two-hour nap every day. He was in the best mood because of all the sleep he was able to get.”
The couple found unique ways to connect during the workday. There were many picnic-style lunches, class parties and after-school soccer games. Dr. Ardoin was also the go-to source for anything medical, such as rashes or fevers. It didn’t take long before a comfortable routine was created.
‘It was important for us to have a parent stay at home with our kids in their early years,’ says Dr. Ardoin.
However, when the children began attending elementary school, the traditional mothers of students didn’t quite know what to make of Mr. Mom. Despite their surprising reactions, Dr. Ardoin says Adrien has long been an established member of their huge social network. They still text him with news and invite him to mom-type activities.
While she credits her husband with creating a rich and diverse environment for their children, she does believe there is one thing she would have done better had she stayed home instead of him: housework.
“If I [had] stayed home, the house would have been much cleaner,” she says. “He also deferred wardrobe choices to me. I was the one who took them shopping for clothes.”
This past summer, Audrey confirmed that her parents’ decision was the right one and offered perhaps the best compliment any daughter could give her mother. “She said, ‘Mom, I’m really glad that I have an example of a really strong woman to guide me,’” says Dr. Ardoin. “That was really nice to hear. It made me really happy.”
