Not preferred

Huxley got a bit of a stomach bug yesterday. He was watching "movies" on Netflix (he has given up his nap, but he and Turing have some quiet TV time in the afternoon) and basically passed out. Then he woke up and was cranky. But the nice kind where he just wants to sit on someone and read some books.

And, fortunately, I have become a slightly more acceptable alternative for such activities. Huxley went through a very strong Trouble-preference phase in the last few months. It was the longest that this has happened to Trouble instead of me. It didn't really bother me (actually, I was a little relieved it wasn't me), and I felt a little sorry for Trouble never getting a break - it is impossible to hide away in a room by yourself when you're the preferred parent.

The children continue to sprout new neural circuits at a rapid rate. Huxley is all language and ideas and opinions and still mostly keeping up with his brother on the physical end. Turing is entirely potty independent - we were at the coffee shop about a month ago when he insisted on going into the restroom alone, managed to use the toilet, flush it, wash his hands (with soap), dry them off, and come out all by himself.

Next step, college.

I have no more babies.

Catch up!

I went to a conference earlier in the week where I was very popular with the journal editors and couldn't figure out why . . . and then my adviser told me I had the most highly cited article last year. Ah, that is why! It made me feel a little bit like a rock star which was a nice change from the usual medical school grind. And I just loved being at the conference with all these research people who think like I do and get excited about the same sort of things that I do . . . it was a nice reminder about why I'm doing all this.

Of course, I also get reminded about how priveledged I am to be involved in clnical medicine all the time, too. But I am tired of checking off various requirements boxes and would really like to move more towards the things I am interested in.

I'm also excited to have a few months "off" of work. Well, it isn't so much off work as it is getting to work on a lot of my own projects on my own pace without the stupid checkboxes. In this two month break I have only listed the following things for me to do:

1. interview for residency programs

2. get my last 2 dissertation papers out the door

3. write up a new paper

4. review infectious disease (my worst internal medicine subject)

5. learn R

6. prepare the class I'm teaching this spring.

And all those other little things like see my family and have some fun. But I'm actually not that worried about having fun around all this work; when I get control of my time I am suddenly much more productive. I'm going to do all that *and* be a better mom.

OK, maybe just do some of that and be a better mom. And maybe a slightly better blogger. No promises.