Thursday

Wake up and nurse hangover

Metro to The Breadline for lunch

Walking tour:

Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian

Lafayette Square

White House (watch cavalcade arrival)

Views of Old Ebbitt Grill and Treasury Building

Washington Monument from the outside, with views of the Lincoln and Jefferson (*with plans to return)

Freer Gallery of Art (Asian)

Hirshhorn Museum (contemporary)

Home for dinner and Democratic debate

There is no way to accomplish all the things we want to do.  What a frustration.

More trip notes

What can I say?  It is great to be here.  DC is gorgeous, even when it is cold outside.  I am liking the city much more than I expected to, but I have no explanation for why that is true.  I am enjoying seeing all the government buildings, the museums, the parks, the monuments, and the people.  I hadn't anticipated being interested in the government stuff at all, but it is really exciting to think that this is where it all happens.  

Oh, and the bars are fantastic.

DC

I'm now sitting in my DC townhouse, happy to finally be here.  It was a two-day trip and well worth the wait!  The drive was not too bad, and we got here about 4 in the afternoon.  The place is totally spacious and will suit us all very well.  It is cold, it is gorgeous, it is pretty exciting to be in a new place with tons of stuff to do and things to see.  

Mollie and I stayed in Bristol, TN, where there was a cheap La Quinta Inn.  We got up and went to Starbucks, where they were OUT OF sugar in the raw.  I made a joking statement that there was NO way our day could go well.  Not five minutes (okay, maybe 20) later, I had a speeding ticket for doing 80 in a 65.  The guy got a kick out of telling me that 81 would have been reckless driving.  Ha.  The rest of the day went pretty well despite these omens, but we left dinner tonight in search of beer and gas and found neither.  I'm blaming it on raw sugar.

Of course I miss the boy and the wife.  It is not the same without them.  Ross is now making the frog sign of sticking out his tongue all the time.  He makes a "woof" noise and makes the sign for bath.  The rest of the signs haven't really taken hold.  Oh well.  He is brilliant anyway.

I am actually surprised that Barak got S.C.  I'm for the smart bitchy girl.

1-on-1

Erica is working tonight in the ER at Children's for extra dinero.  It's a 5-12 shift, which means I am solely responsible for all evening activities with Ross.  This is a shocker, I know, because E tends to be the primary caregiver when I am working all the time.  It was a lot of fun.  He played in the den before dinner, then watched me cook macaroni, peas, and open the can of mandarin oranges.  He is about orange-d out lately, so those were mostly reserved for me.  Anyway, dinner was followed by a bath and lots of book reading, during which he almost crashed as he turned the pages.  As a function of his tiredness, Ross had the Best Attention Span Ever.  Then he really did crash at an early bedtime of around 7:45.

Why so tired?  Today was his first day of Parent's Day Out at our church.  Erica was so anxious about it, which was quite endearing actually.  She made a long list of things to gather.  She reminded herself to label everything adequately.  She agonized over leaving him.  She didn't call to check, as well as I am aware.  PDO, as it is affectionately known, was a big success.  Our child has the hugest ego (so do we) when it comes to that nursery.  He is Loved in that place.  They go nuts over him.

Anyway, we had a great night.  I am headed to D.C. in a few weeks for a month of training for residency.  I don't think it has hit me yet that I will be gone from the fam.  On the other hand, I am thrilled and excited.  I will be going with friends.  We will study, we will play, we will explore, we will go out, and we will be ready to come home.  I thought about the upcoming separation often tonight during our one-on-one time.

Chewing

The new year seems a little anti-climactic this year, which is strange for me because I usually get really into recharging batteries and making semi-resolutions.  I don't make resolutions because then I would feel guilty about not keeping them.  But I do usually have a lot of good intentions.  Anyway, this year I just want to work out, clean the house, read lots of books, stay organized, not get behind on reading medical journals, run the 1/2 marathon, spend quality outdoor time with Ross, go to lots of baseball games, camp out, and get involved at church.  That's all.

I went back and read lots of old entries the other day.  I almost didn't recognize myself.  There were some posts that just didn't ring true to me.  Like when I was being whiny and bitchy - especially those.  But even some of the hunky-dory ones just didn't seem right to me.  I think there are lots of reasons for this.  There were times that I just wasn't being genuine.  But honestly, I think I have just changed THAT MUCH.  I am a real mom, a real wife, and a real doctor.  A lot of aging has occurred in the past few years; it has been one of the most transformative periods in my life.  It's really interesting to think about how different things are.   I turn 30 next year, and I have noticed similar changes in lots of my friends.  We are (for the most part) fairly settled in at this stage.  For those of us who are residents, the only big thing that will change from here on out is our jobs.  Once we are out of residency, married, parented, and mortgaged, there aren't many surprises in life.  This was how EBJ put it to me recently.  My friend, Erin, and I have been having this discussion (albeit virtually, in cyberspace).  We're chewing on it.

Here are a few pictures from Christmas.  I just realized this week that ALL of my pictures since before Halloween were taken in some kind of low-quality setting.  It is so frustrating.  They are 1/10th the digital file size that they're supposed to be.  Aaagggghh.

Saddle (as in "back in the...")

I think I'll start using this blog again.  There are lots of superfluous reasons, but mainly it's because it's so much simpler to use a web-based updating system.  It's not nearly as polished as the mac version, but it's a lot quicker and a lot more accessible when I'm not at home.  Besides, I can keep that one if I want to.  I just think I'll post more to this site.  

Ross' site will stay the same because it looks so good.  And because his is more about the pictures (let's be honest) on the Picasa site.

We'll see how it goes.  I am nothing if not fickle.

What we've been doing...

Busy weekend.
I was swamped last week: call on Tuesday, 24-hr moonlighting Wednesday, work and moonlighting Thursday, call Friday. No, I'm not kidding. Anyway, so after sleeping on Saturday we had the Wood kids for the afternoon which was a huge blessing and tons of fun. Picked up Dad and Sara from the airport, then dinner with them, then some time with my aunt, uncle, and cousin + wife.

Sunday was focused on re-organizing the house in the aftermath of furniture delivery. We are the owners of lots of new office furniture, and Ross now has a dresser/changing table. What a lucky kid! Now we're BOTH actually working at functional desks in the new and improved office. All the bookcases are in here now, and the dogs are resting on the floor. I know I'm crazy, but having this much organization and functionality is nigh unto perfect for me. It's weird how much stress this relieves. I am in heaven.

You're it

Here are the rules: List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions on your blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

Seven songs (in no particular order or preference or genre):
1. Aimee Mann - Voices Carry
2. Pink with Indigo Girls - Dear Mr. President
3. Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records ON
4. Liz Phair - Closer to You (HOW CAN I CHOOSE WHICH SONG??)
5. Indigo Girls - new album Despite Our Differences (HOW CAN I CHOOSE WHICH SONG??)
6. Dixie Chicks - Easy Silence
7. David Gray, John Mayer, David Mead - all their albums put togther.

I had to have #7 in order to represent the other 50% of the species. Don't listen to a lot of guy stuff.

I don't know whom to tag. I'll have to think about it. I'm not much of a super-blogger (obviously).

Baby boy

These are the latest U/S images. We are doing great.
Mae got spayed yesterday and is puny and tired today. She was happy to be home - and not particularly mad at us thus far.

Celebrate Freedom

I love the ABR.... honest

Physics no more. I just want a "P" for pass.
It was pretty hard. I pretty much hated it. But actually, it could have been a lot worse. I think it is just one of those hoops you have to jump through. There were lots of concepts about producing images that I am glad I learned. The in-depth science of it all is just not my thing. I'm not into really into the technical applications of electronics and bits and bytes.

It was also some quality time with the other residents in my class, and I'm grateful for that. We went to dinner in Memphis the night before, then out to Beale Street for some R&R. It was better than being at the hotel! Let's just hope we all passed after a night on the town.

How Katy Blake became Ross

Okay, so I guess an explanation is due.

We weren't going to find out. It was a lot of fun that turned abruptly into misery. Then we had to know. This change occured soon after our second-trimester ultrasound, during whcih we were instructed to turn our heads and close our eyes about 50% of the time. So our doctor and ultrasound tech know it's a Ross, but we don't.

We go to work one evening to scan. I'm the ultrasonographer and the radiologist this night. We use an old scanner and try to get a peek. It was difficult, but I was pretty sure there was nothing there. I shouldn't have made a call. At one point, I thought I saw the tell-tale signs, but I couldn't reproduce it. The kid was moving all over the place. I naively called XX.

Erica calls the doctor the next day and tells her we saw girl. She agrees. She had briefly witnessed the anatomy and assumed that the radiologist (yours truly) knew what was going on.

We tell the family, publish to this here public forum, etc.

I run into the ultrasound tech a week later and tell her we "found out." She grins broadly, "It's a boy!!"

"WHAT?"

And that's the long and short of it. I am subsequently ribbed by all my co-residents - rightfully so, I must admit.

So the routine update - I've been studying. I have a long weekend off to prepare for Friday's board exam. I did a moonlighting shift Friday for 24 hrs. Helped with a funeral at church today and rested, now hanging out with the dogs and watching Hogs football.

Recent Netflix:





Best book ever:


You must read it and think about it.

At least I can admit when I'm WRONG

It's a boy.
Not a girl.
XY.
Not XX.
I am a horrible excuse for a radiologist.


Please disregard the former post and return any clothing items you may have bought.

Guess what??

Kathryn Blake Braswell, EDD 1/15/07

Funny

Funny joke I just had to share:

Bill Clinton is placed against the wall and just before the order to shoot him is given, he yells, "Earthquake"! The firing squad falls into a panic and Bill Jumps over the wall and escapes in the confusion.

John Kerry is the second one placed against the wall. The squad is reassembled and John ponders what his old pal Bill has done. Before the order to shoot is given, John yells, "tornado"! Again the squad falls apart and Kerry slips over the wall thus making his escape.

The last person, George W. Bush, is placed against the wall. He is thinking, "I see the pattern here, just scream out a disaster and hop over the wall." As the firing squad is reassembled and the rifles raised in his direction, he smirks and yells, "Fire!"


Things are well with the Family Braswell. I am on my angio/interventional rotation and having a blast. I think I say that every time I switch rotations. Which means I have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I guess enjoying your job is a good problem to have. I talked to Erica Brooke tonight in Denver (we were both on our way home). She is in the throes of wedding planning and it was awesome to catch up.

More pictures again!!!

More ultrasound pictures at the HomePage Braswell. Here's the link again:
http://homepage.mac.com/leahbraswell/


Let me know what you think. We're still not looking down below - It's an ongoing challenge now to make it all the way to birthday. It's either XX or XY. Driving my dad crazy, which is about 90% of the fun at this point.

We picked up the crib today and will set it up one night this week. E's office is slowly becoming a nursery. I'll take pictures as we go.

Bottom of the 9th

So tonight is my very last lower level call. Our call tier is sort of complicated, but there are always two people on call overnight: a 1st-year resident and an upper level. My 1st year of call is winding down. The first-year wears the pager. Horror of all horrors and curse of all curses. That thing is on fire. Anyway, this is my last night with that bloody thing!!! Tomorrow, I'll be free of the pager and ER cell phone.

But.... now I'll be the upper level. Any decision in the middle of the night belongs to me. I have to answer to the mistakes made in the morning. There's no attending around at night when major decisions are made. Ahhh, responsibility. Perhaps I'll be wishing I could carry the pager soon. I'll be stressing over whether or not this kid has appendicitis and needs to go to the OR. I'll agonize and perseverate, but then it'll be morning and I can go home and sleep and all will really turn out OK. It always does.

Rites of passage.

Saturday

Another fairly lazy Saturday morning. I have been getting things done and hanging out with the dogs. E will be home soon. My desk is nearly clear of papers - it has been weeks. The laundry is all underway, dishes clean, list of tasks made. I've even been to Target. Even took Erica dinner at work last night.

Can you tell there's something looming? I am a creature of habits and patterns. High school, college, med school - any time something big is due, or a project needs working on, or I have PHYSICS BOARDS CREEPING UP ON ME --- these are the cleanest, most organized times of my life. Instead of studying, I clean. I work in the yard. I clean out my car. I e-mail long lost buddies. I work out. It is ridiculous.

I think I'll hire my mom. She is an organizing consultant and task-master extraordinaire. She would probably tell me to come home in the evening and spend 30 minutes on physics. THEN tackle the myriad other things. There will always be more mail.

It's always the bigger the project, the more I procrastinate. Do you know how much engineering is involved in putting a huge magnet into a shielded room, putting a patient in there, and turning that into a perfectly clear image of the beating heart and injured myocardium? I do. Oh well, like Nietschze said,......

So if you need a planner, rearranger, organizer, thrower-outer, prioritizer, hire my mom. And tell your friends. She can walk into a house and make it work better for you. Any and every room. Let me know if you have any prospective clients and I'll hook you up. Thanks for reading the shameless plug.

Disappointment

So, we finally made an offer on a house. We've been looking for a couple/few weeks now. There was a big one on McAdoo that was tops on the list. We saw it again yesterday but then decided against it. So on to a house nearby - this one on Gable. I had loved this house from the outside since before they put it on the market. Sometimes you can just tell. Anyway, we walked in and it was soooo obvious that this was the house for us. We made an offer. They called us this morning - no can do on the contingency part. [We are residents and can't agree to buy a house without a clause contingent on the close of our old house.]

So life goes on. This is a big lesson in not getting your hopes too high. And a lesson in humility. And all those other tough things. But immediately after I got off the phone (for the millionth time this morning) I looked at Erica and the world is all right again. Our little family is 100% intact. I feel better now that at least we have an answer.

Our first open house is today. I hope we get twenty offers and have to decide between them all. Ha. That'll show 'em.

Then we'll have all kinds of buying power.

News flash - E is thinking in terms of no fellowship at this point. Hooray! No three more years of night call. No three more years (plus a career) of stressful critical care and ethical dillemmas about dying babies. No more killing ourselves to stay afloat in the real world (i.e. any world outside of the hospital.) So hopefully we'll have a family member with a real salary next summer. I hope it works out. As you know, career decisions in this Braswell family have a way of.... well, let's just say they're fluid. It's just like anything else. No matter what happens, we'll be fine.

There's growing interest in Little Rock for getting a rowing club started. Don't worry, my name's already on the list. I hope and pray that it comes to fruition. I would LOVE to have a regular crew to row with!! They're talking about a boathouse on the NLR side of the river.

What else has been going on.... well, neck spasms for me. I have made a trip to the massage place. Hopefully more trips to follow. Job hazard of being a radiologist, I guess. I'm sure there are more interesting things to talk about, but I can't think of any right now. Oh well. E has one more week of nights, then back to days. Little Sport is doing well. There are more ultrasound pictures at www.homepage.mac.com/leahbraswell

My link function isn't working, so you'll have to copy and paste.

House

Consider yourself forewarned: we are thinking about moving "to town." It's an ongoing dream that rears its head every once in a while. Lately, it won't go away. Let us know if you know any houses in the Hall High area. We're willing to go up in price and make some sacrifices. Can you imagine an hour in the car every day with a newborn? Trips to daycare, errands, all that mess.

Anyway, we've been buzzing around the issue. Last night we went to dinner with surrogate 'rents Carol and Alan Mendel. Love 'em. Could write all day about them.

New photo website