24 Weeks

We're doing well here in the bastion of blooming flowers and budding trees....except we're past some of that. Spring arrived a few weeks ago in all of its glory, but it is quickly giving way to the first heatwaves of what seems will be a hot summer in the Bluff City.

Anna is 24 weeks now. I told her a couple of weeks ago that we should throw a "Viability Party" since 24 and 500 grams is considered viable. She was polite enough to laugh. Truly though, feeling the little guy kick his mom is pretty incredible. It is great to feel the baby roll around, kick and occasionally let out a real whopper of a punch/kick. Anna is through the "morning sickness" now for a few weeks, but is tired some now (however she is doing a good job of pacing herself). The nursery is not ready, but we have the paint picked out.

Surgery is over and I'm on speciality clerkship this month. Currently, I'm working with a palliative care/hospice team. Next week its anesthesiology, then a week of radiology and finally an ICU week. Since its a less intense experience, I have been enjoying this time to catch up on some projects around the house. I'm also trying to get some visiting rotations at other institutions lined up and figure out when to take my next set of boards...all before (or at least around) the coming of the baby. I'm thinking that this is just the beginning of a child dictating what I can do...

Please keep my mom in your prayers. Her surgery for breast cancer went very well over spring break, but she does have to have six rounds of chemotherapy. She had a molecular test done which gave her a hypothetical 10-year genetic risk of recurrent cancer at a percentage high enough that she, and her physicians, thought chemo was the prudent approach. The chemo starts Tuesday and will be every three weeks. She's a strong lady, but I know... maybe better then she does, that chemo will be a difficult and unpleasant adventure.

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