diff --git a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
index 695c7a6..a84b216 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
+++ b/.devcontainer/devcontainer.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
   "dockerComposeFile": ["./docker-compose.yml"],
   "features": {
 		// TODO: Add one of these cloud CLI tools based on your needs:
-        // "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/azure-cli:1": {},
+        "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/azure-cli:1": {},
         // "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/aws-cli:1": {},
         // "ghcr.io/devcontainers/features/gcloud:1": {}
 	},
diff --git a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
index e3e4e98..d24067c 100644
--- a/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/.devcontainer/docker-compose.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ services:
     volumes:
       - ..:/workspaces:cached
     command: sleep infinity
-    env_file: ["../.env"]
+    env_file: ["../.env"]   
   postgres:
     image: postgres:15
     ports:
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ services:
       - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
       - ../database_setup.sql:/docker-entrypoint-initdb.d/database_setup.sql
     healthcheck:
-      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER}"]
+      # test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U ${POSTGRES_USER}"]
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "sh -c 'pg_isready -U $$POSTGRES_USER'"] # fix health issue
       interval: 30s
       timeout: 10s
       retries: 3
diff --git a/api/main.py b/api/main.py
index 7f09c47..287b2c1 100644
--- a/api/main.py
+++ b/api/main.py
@@ -11,7 +11,12 @@
 # 1. Configure logging with basicConfig()
 # 2. Set level to logging.INFO
 # 3. Add console handler
+logging.basicConfig(
+    level=logging.INFO,
+    handlers=[logging.StreamHandler()]) 
+
 # 4. Test by adding a log message when the app starts
+logging.info("Application starting up")
 
 app = FastAPI(title="LearningSteps API", description="A simple learning journal API for tracking daily work, struggles, and intentions")
 app.include_router(journal_router)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/api/models/entry.py b/api/models/entry.py
index d2703ed..5fae1d3 100644
--- a/api/models/entry.py
+++ b/api/models/entry.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-from pydantic import BaseModel, Field
-from typing import Optional
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, field_validator, model_validator
+from typing import Optional, ClassVar
 from datetime import datetime
 from uuid import uuid4
 
@@ -23,26 +23,31 @@ class EntryCreate(BaseModel):
 
 class Entry(BaseModel):
     # TODO: Add field validation rules
-    # TODO: Add custom validators
+
     # TODO: Add schema versioning
-    # TODO: Add data sanitization methods
+    schema_version: ClassVar[int] = 1
     
     id: str = Field(
         default_factory=lambda: str(uuid4()),
-        description="Unique identifier for the entry (UUID)."
+        description="Unique identifier for the entry (UUID).",
+        min_length=36, # Enforce UUID format length
+        max_length=36
     )
     work: str = Field(
         ...,
+        min_length=5, # Ensure work is not too short
         max_length=256,
         description="What did you work on today?"
     )
     struggle: str = Field(
         ...,
+        min_length=5, # Ensure struggle is not too short
         max_length=256,
         description="What’s one thing you struggled with today?"
     )
     intention: str = Field(
         ...,
+        min_length=5, # Ensures intention is not too short
         max_length=256,
         description="What will you study/work on tomorrow?"
     )
@@ -54,7 +59,42 @@ class Entry(BaseModel):
         default_factory=datetime.utcnow,
         description="Timestamp when the entry was last updated."
     )
+    
+    # TODO: Add custom validators
+    @field_validator('id', mode='before')
+    @classmethod
+    def validate_uuid_format(cls, v: str):
+        """Custom validator to ensure the ID is a valid UUID string."""
+        if v is not None and len(v) != 36:
+             raise ValueError('ID must be a 36-character UUID string.')
+        return v
+    
+    @model_validator(mode='after')
+    def check_intention_for_tomorrow(self) -> 'Entry':
+        """Custom model validator to check a business rule across fields."""
+        if "sleep" in self.intention.lower():
+            # This is an example of checking a rule across fields
+            print("Warning: Intention includes 'sleep'. Ensure productive work is planned.")
+        return self
+    
+    # TODO: Add data sanitization methods
+    @field_validator('work', 'struggle', 'intention', mode='before')
+    @classmethod
+    def sanitize_input(cls, v: str):
+        """Sanitization: Strip whitespace from input fields."""
+        if isinstance(v, str):
+            # Strip leading/trailing whitespace from user input
+            v = v.strip()
+        return v
 
+    @field_validator('work', 'struggle', 'intention', mode='after')
+    @classmethod
+    def normalize_case(cls, v: str):
+        """Sanitization: Normalize text to sentence case (Capitalize first letter)."""
+        if v:
+            return v[0].upper() + v[1:]
+        return v
+    
     model_config = {
         "json_encoders": {
             datetime: lambda v: v.isoformat()
diff --git a/api/routers/journal_router.py b/api/routers/journal_router.py
index 2becd60..724dba6 100644
--- a/api/routers/journal_router.py
+++ b/api/routers/journal_router.py
@@ -54,12 +54,18 @@ async def get_entry(request: Request, entry_id: str, entry_service: EntryService
     TODO: Implement this endpoint to return a single journal entry by ID
     
     Steps to implement:
-    1. Use the entry_service to get the entry by ID
-    2. Return 404 if entry not found
-    3. Return the entry as JSON if found
-    
-    Hint: Check the update_entry endpoint for similar patterns
-    """
+    """   
+    # 1. Use the entry_service to get the entry by ID
+    entry = await entry_service.get_entry(entry_id)
+
+    # 2. Return 404 if entry not found
+    if entry is None:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail=f"Entry with ID {entry_id} not found")
+
+    # 3. Return the entry as JSON if found
+    return entry
+
+    # Hint: Check the update_entry endpoint for similar patterns
     raise HTTPException(status_code=501, detail="Not implemented - complete this endpoint!")
 
 @router.patch("/entries/{entry_id}")
@@ -80,14 +86,22 @@ async def delete_entry(entry_id: str, entry_service: EntryService = Depends(get_
     TODO: Implement this endpoint to delete a specific journal entry
     
     Steps to implement:
-    1. Check if the entry exists first
-    2. Delete the entry using entry_service
-    3. Return appropriate response
-    4. Return 404 if entry not found
-    
-    Hint: Look at how the update_entry endpoint checks for existence
     """
-    raise HTTPException(status_code=501, detail="Not implemented - complete this endpoint!")
+    # 1. Check if the entry exists first
+    entry_to_delete =  await entry_service.get_entry(entry_id)
+    
+    # 4. Return 404 if entry not found
+    if not entry_to_delete:
+        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Entry not found")
+
+    # 2. Delete the entry using entry_service
+    await entry_service.delete_entry(entry_id)
+    
+    # 3. Return appropriate response
+    return {"detail": f"Entry with ID {entry_id} deleted"}
+ 
+    # Hint: Look at how the update_entry endpoint checks for existence
+    # raise HTTPException(status_code=501, detail="Not implemented - complete this endpoint!")
 
 @router.delete("/entries")
 async def delete_all_entries(entry_service: EntryService = Depends(get_entry_service)):