Back

It's good to be home.  I have settled back in.  The only problem is that the imminence of boards is pressing and squeezing and contracting.  It really does feel like that.  Four weeks from today, I'll be finished.  I got home late Friday night, and then had board reviews on Saturday and Sunday.  It was like, "Welcome home, get away from your family and come to WORK."  On Monday, I had four board reviews.  Wow.  The thing is: reviews are awesome.  An "examiner," usually one of my attendings or former residents, stands in front of us and shows us cases.  We go around the room and act like we are taking our oral boards.  An image is shown, we describe it, talk about the findings, our differential diagnosis, and state what we would do next (more imaging, refer to a surgeon, biopsy, tell 'em to suck it up, etc.).  It's an incredible amount of stress and intimidation, but in that regard it simulates the real oral board exam.  It's an invaluable experience, but an hour of that stuff wears me out.  My neck tenses up and I always get a headache.

So now you know why my life feels like it is on hold.  And now that I've complained for an entire paragraph, I'm probably done.  Please don't leave my blog now that I've returned!

I looked back at some of the more recent blog posts and realized that a lot has changed.  Mae is at her new home, as I stated.  The awesome nanny?  Well, she was a con artist liar.  It's a long story that many of you have heard, but life has been so much better since we moved on.  It didn't take us long to figure her out; the stories never made it back around to truth.  Our boy is safe, we are relatively unscathed, and all is well.  Ross is now at a new school downtown near Children's.  We LOVE his new school.  We faced the fact that he was totally ready for school, anyway.  It gives us all a routine to have him there, and the new baby is on the list for January, when Erica is projected to return to work.  Oh yeah, that's news!  20 weeks today.  We had our big ultrasound yesterday and kept our heads turned when there might have been a crotch shot, much to the dismay of the grandparents, who would love to know which color to buy.  We are keeping it a surprise.

Erica's job continues to go well.  It is low stress.  She has weeks on service and weeks off.  No nights or weekends!  In retrospect, I don't think we ever thought there would be a time in our lives that we wouldn't both have nights and/or weekends.  Or that there would be scheduled days off!  It is such a blessing to have her in a good practice.  She loves ACH and spends some time at UAMS, too, where she attends deliveries and follow-up care.  My job isn't structured right now; I just study.

My fellowship in pediatric radiology starts this summer and will continue for a year.  I'm already planning for an additional year in interventional radiology for the following year (2010-1011).  I know, it's crazy.  More training.  I total of 7 years after graduating from med school.  Oh well, it's what I love.  I want to end up at ACH; I want to teach; I want to be involved in every way that I can in imaging for kids. The interventional year would likely be done "away;" I'm applying to Toronto, Boston, and maybe a couple others.  We'll see.  If I don't get one of those, then I'll apprentice here in town in a less official fellowship and stay on as staff here.

Ross is an energetic, smart, loving two-year-old.  He has learned to fake cry when he has to go to time out, but seeing him come tell us he's sorry makes us melt.  He wants to do things by himself.  He wears Pull-Ups, but there hasn't been a tremendous amount of progress in that department.  He gets Band-Aids.  He looks so natural in jeans and a little Polo shirt.  He takes good naps.  He gets in our bed between 12 and 4 every morning!  He is a book fanatic.  He speaks SO WELL for his age and puts together great sentences, complete with adverbs.  He points out the giraffes and hippos on the way to school in the car every morning.  He says the blessing by himself.  He adores his cousins.  He knows how to scream.  He remains a great eater.  He gets excited when we talk about "tiny love" coming and wears his big brother shirt with pride!

I've spent the morning attacking the stack of mail and catching up on bills.  Strangely, doing those things is a really calming experience for me.  I sit in front of my new computer, blast the indigo girls, and accomplish stuff.  The piles get smaller, the boxes get checked, and it turns into "me" time.  

Check my facebook for pictures from Boston.