Let's go team!

Tags: A, M, me

We were puddle-stomping all weekend long. Considering how quickly the boys grow out of their shoes, it's nice to have an occasion to pull out the rain boots. Of course, it made for more laundry (the feet stay dry, but the pants get soaked), but it's a small price to pay for the fun they had.

Tags: A

What do you know, it was raining then too!

Tags: A, M, J

I've been a bit slow about posting lately - it's sort of chaotic right now. I've mostly just been posting photos of the boys (mainly because I know my mom checks the site every day). J is finishing his last (full) week of call as a fellow (thank goodness), and I am cramming for boards. I do realize that all I need to do is pass, but when you've only got a few hours each night to study (and realize that you are exhausted during those hours), it can be a challenge, especially if you're like me, and hate walking into stuff feeling unprepared. Studying on Sunday nights is particularly difficult after an active weekend with the kids.

J and I were chatting about this whole med school with children thing. It's definitely tiring. We came up with the analogy that it's like having (at least) two full-time jobs. And then add on clerkships and boards, and it's like having (at least) three full-time jobs. Studying is the most flexible in terms of schedule, so it has to wait until the end of the day, but I often find it hard to concentrate when I've just spent an early morning with the kids, a whole day at school, an evening with the family. The thing that requires the most focused brain effort gets the last few ounces of energy left. It brings me back to the days when I was applying to medical school and had one full-time job and three part-time jobs while I was studying for the MCAT (my least favorite exam of all time). I still think that was much worse, because getting into medical school is such a crazy process. Compared to that time, I'm kind of coasting now (as long as I don't royally screw up in the next few months).

Tags: me, school

...is when one of the boys falls asleep in my lap. Tonight, we were watching the beginning of Cars (a really cute movie), and I was gently rubbing A's back while he sat in my lap. Next thing I knew, he was leaning on my arm, and then a minute later, he had fallen asleep. J offered to take him to his crib (it was pretty close to bedtime) but I decided to hang onto him for just a little longer. Sigh. It's so peaceful when a baby is sleeping. Little does he know how many kisses I planted on him before I lay him down in his crib.

Tags: A

Tags: M

Amazon.com just started a sale on Britax products, which, as many of you know, almost never go on sale. This sale applies particularly to items sold by Amazon and not a third-party seller. Amazon has very competitive prices and free shipping, so check it out if you are in the market for a new car seat (they also have strollers too, but I don't have any experience with them).

We have Britax Decathlons for both boys (fortunately we scored excellent deals on these), and really like them. If you have older models, don't forget to check out their recall (which is hardly a recall, since they just send you these tiny plastic rivets to stick in the bottom of the seat). They are very well-made car seats, and I always feel safe buckling them in. The boys also find them to be very comfortable. The only potential downside is that they are rather large and heavy if you need to move them around a lot. Fortunately, we hardly have to. And since they can be used for kids up to 65 pounds, we'll be able to use them for quite some time.

The sale lasts through March 2, 2008.

Tags: safety, gear, Amazon

You got it. An airplane.

Tags: A

I know I'd walk right by these pipes without noticing, but with the boys, they might as well be a work of art.

Tags: M, A

Tags: M

That's what A says when he wants one of the terry cloth towels that he uses as his security object. We first used these as burp cloths, and they unintentionally became A's favorite thing to have in hand.

These towels have worked out quite nicely for us, since we have tons of them washed and ready for use. I just picked up our second batch at Costco today (The package is slightly different from when I first reviewed them - I think there are 60 or 70 of them for $14 now). They're quite handy for blotting drool, and he's not particular about them, which means he can be soothed with pretty much any washcloth-like piece of fabric.

The daycare teachers think they are really convenient, and have started recommending them to other parents, because it makes it a lot easier to not have to buy multiple special blankets or toys (that can often be misplaced or need frequent washing). We don't ever worry about losing them, or forgetting them somewhere. Also, whenever the towel gets too damp or dirty, we just toss it in the hamper and grab another one. And when they get really old, they are reassigned to the cleaning supplies. I also leave a few old ones in the car for wiping damp slides at the park in the early mornings. They are really handy. Not at all stylish or cutesy, but A certainly doesn't seem to mind, and neither do I. He knows where the stack is to get new ones, and sometimes he likes to have two of them. What a funny boy.

Tags: A

Classic triad of bilateral claudication in the hips, thighs and buttocks, symmetric atrophy of the lower extremities, and impotence in men. Suggestive of aortoiliac occlusion (leading to ischemia). Patients will have decreased peripheral pulses as well, and most will need an aortoiliac bypass graft.

Sorry I've been slow to post photos (we have a huge card to download onto the computer). But here's one of A from a few weeks ago. He's definitely big enough to ride this now, and loves it, as you can see.

Tags: A, toys

A while ago, I posted about how Diapers.com was our new source for diapers. It turns out that effective today, they are discontinuing their rewards program (I was about to reorder today). Bummer. Without that discount, their prices are slightly higher than Amazon and they don't ship as quickly. Not to mention, you need to spend more for free shipping, so I'd order two boxes at a time. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

Tags: diapers

Just finished sealing up M's Thomas Train Valentine's Day cards for his classmates (we decorated them over the weekend), did a few USMLE Step 2 CK questions (hard on the ego, I tell you) and now it's time to make lunches. Leftover pasta, crackers, cheese, raisins, and yogurt. And milk.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I'll post a photo soon - it's pajama day, woohoo!

Tags: holiday

Save $15 instantly when you spend $49 or more on select Nivea, Aquaphor, and more products. Enter code Feb8Nive at checkout. Expires February 29, 2008.

I usually have these on a subscription from Amazon to save 15% off their regular low prices. However, this is a better deal, since on a $50 order, it's like saving 30%. And Aquaphor (click for a review) is a staple in our house, so I'm definitely taking advantage of this promotion. I'll just skip this month's shipment, which is easy to do.

I know some people think it's horrendously overpriced (it is) and is the same as Vaseline (it's not, but they are similar). We have tried both and find that Aquaphor is better. Both boys have fairly sensitive skin and eczema (M is growing out of his but A has a fair number of itchy days). When we recently had to go to the allergist to see if it was food-related, the doctor told us that Aquaphor provides additional hydration as well as a barrier to moisture loss, while Vaseline just provides the barrier. I don't know if this is actually scientifically proven, but in our own trials of usage, it works better.

Whether or not it's worth the price difference, we'll that's probably up to each person to decide. It's not a small difference either. But we think it is worth it, and budget for it accordingly (who really needs a flat panel television anyhow? My ten-year-old 25-inch model is still chugging along). When we need to use a lot or expect to have to reapply often, we use Vaseline on top of a lighter layer of Aquaphor. But for the most part, we prefer to use Aquaphor.

Tags: Amazon

He doesn't do it anymore (and A has never done it) but M used to be a pouter extraordinaire (excuse the mess, we were in the middle of packing for a move).

Tags: M

Tags: M, A, me

J has a lot of call this month, plus he has to work every Saturday, so the boys and I have lots of time alone together. Of course this means I am pretty exhausted at the end of the evening, which is why I fall asleep after their bedtime at 8:30pm (big thanks to J who has been doing dinner clean-up duty alone when I crash) and then get up really early to read and do work (like now).

As a general rule, when we are with the kids, all of our energy and attention is devoted to them. That makes it pretty hard to get anything else done (so we don't do any chores until after they go to bed). The exceptions are when I am preparing snacks or meals for them, when I put A in the playpen (which he will tolerate for maybe 10 minutes, depending on what toys I put in there with him) and have M play or read independently. Occasionally, he'll play with A through the playpen mesh (peekaboo and other hiding games) which is really cute (and great for me).

People often ask me if I think we spend enough time with the kids, and that is a big worry of mine with residency coming up. If I end up seeing the kids as much as I do now, I'd be thrilled. It'll probably turn out to be less, but I'm currently trying to devise ways to maximize the amount of time I will get to see them. In medical school, it varies based on which rotation I am on (I'm currently on radiology right now, which is pretty light). Hopefully I'll still be able to spend lots of quality time with the boys even when I am a resident.

Currently, I spend about 1.5 hours with them in the morning before dropping them off at daycare, and then about three hours with them afterwards before they go to sleep. And all their waking hours on the weekends. I know there are lots of opinions out there about that being too few or even too many hours (being a parent means opening yourself up to a whole new host of unwanted judgement by other people, something I am not thrilled about). But it works for us, for now, and we'll adjust accordingly as our schedules and their needs change.

They clearly know we are their parents, and prefer being with us over being anywhere else, so i am feeling encouraged that we can develop a healthy, nurturing relationship with our kids. It certainly helps that they love going to "school." In fact, after spending two days at home with me when he was sick last week, A seemed bored at times. And while I was feeling conservative about bringing him back to daycare because I worried he might not feel up to it, I asked him if he wanted to go to school. Ee-yah he said. He's still a little hesitant at drop-off time but when I peek in the room after a few minutes, he's off playing with his little friends, usually digging holes in the sand.

Of course, ask me again in a few weeks when I do a critical care rotation with longer hours, and I'll probably half-jokingly tell you I want to quit med school.

Tags: school, daycare

Tags: A, M, me

Tags: A

Tags: M, J, me

Also known as obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS), this is defined to be alveolar hypoventilation while awake (resulting in hypoxemia and metabolic imbalance) in extremely obese patients. Other symptoms include hypersomnolence, dyspnea and pulmonary edema (from pulmonary hypertension). Patients often have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as well, which contributes to the symptoms.

"Pickwickian" refers to a Charles Dickens character (from the book The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club). The symptoms resembled those of a character, Joe, in the book (commonly known as the Pickwick Papers).

Treatment includes noninvasive positive pressure therapy (for both OHS and OSA).

They're everywhere!

Tags: A

J and I are in total agreement that having kids is way harder. It makes med school seem like a vacation sometimes. You are literally on q1 call, year-round (and you will be called).

Tags: school

Tags: J, M, A

Posting will be a bit light for the next several days. J's on a tough month (so I'm playing single mommy half the time), and I've got a full plate as well. Here's a semi-recent photo of us watching a miniature train display.

Welcome, Year of the Rat!

Tags: holiday, M, A, me

Have you seen those things? They look like giant guinea pigs. Very cute.

Tags: A

Amazon's regular price on these isn't really that great compared to the supermarket (or Costco), but this promotion sweetened the deal, and I ended up ordering a case of chocolate milk. We usually have a small stock of plain and vanilla milk on hand for short outings, but lately, M has started liking chocolate milk (not really a surprise - it was only a matter of time). We don't have to make a minimum order to get two-day shipping because of Amazon Prime (totally worth it), but if I had to, I'd consider picking up some new books for the boys, or stock up on regular household stuff.

Save $10 instantly when you any Horizon Milk products featured on this page. Use the code MILKMIL5 at checkout. Offer ends February 29, 2008.

Tags: Amazon, food

He used to love sleeping with his arms up.

Tags: M

These guys are so funny when they play together. It doesn't matter what they are doing - each one will make the other giggle uncontrollably by just saying or doing anything silly. M makes up a word and A giggles. A pats his head and M giggles. And over breakfast the other day, they sort of had their first real verbal encounter.

A has been saying ee-yah (yeah) to almost every question I've asked him lately, whether or not he really means it (particularly ones that start with A, do you want...?). He is starting to catch on though and occasionally will shake his head no instead. On this particular occasion, M said A, do you want some crackers? And before he could finish, A said ee-yah. And of course, M giggled (we all did).

Tags: A, M, me

It's a fact (at least in my household) that the amount of time and effort spent on choosing and cooking an elaborately balanced and historically-liked meal for the family is inversely related to the amount of food that is consumed. Sigh.

Tags: food

I just placed an order for this Aveeno oatmeal bath product that we soak the kids in when they are particularly itchy from dry skin, eczema, bug bites and whatnot, and noticed that Amazon.com is currently running a promotion. That's always a nice surprise.

Save an additional 20% when you purchase two or more select Aveeno products offered by Amazon.com. Enter code Feb8Aven at checkout. Valid through February 29, 2008.

Tags: health, Amazon

What child's toy stash would be complete without the obligatory doctor kit? No, it's not because we're in medicine either. No matter how hard you might try to not influence their career choices at this early age, you will acquire one of these kits at some point. Besides, it's a really fun role-playing activity. Having a Maisy book helps too (please bring Maisy back to Noggin! It's one of the few children's shows we watch).

Tags: M

A loves pointing at all the airplanes in the sky. He can spot them from pretty far away when they are just a tiny speck in the sky. He even points at them through the window during dinner. He's also started to add engine sound effects in addition to pointing at them. He says jjjjjjjjjjjjuuuuu and sometimes even holds his arms out to his sides and bends from side to side.

Tags: A

I hated pumping milk (who doesn't?), but I ended up pumping for a year for both boys. That was a personal goal that wanted to reach and was about as long as I could do it without going crazy. I've tried to put together a few tips that were helpful for me, that I figured out over time. They might not work for everyone, but might come in handy for someone who is just starting out and wants to hear what other people did. Read more

Tags: breastfeeding