Reflections on Portland and the Residency Dance

Anika and I are departing Portland on Tuesday, bound for Denver. We'll spend a week and a half there, and then travel on to New York. Our adventure is by no means coming to an end, however. We'll only be home for a day before getting into a car to go visit hospitals in New Hampshire, Maine and Boston.

Life in Portland has been good to us. The fall foliage is stunning, our temporary home is beautiful, and it's been wonderful to spend time with family and friends (most of whom we hadn't seen since our wedding). Andrew has enjoyed his rotation up at OHSU, and just this week began the residency interview process. He interviewed at Legacy Emanuel on Wednesday, and is up interviewing at OHSU today.

Last night all three of us went to a reception for OHSU interviewees at a restaurant downtown. It was interesting for me to see these people hob nob; Anika impressed everyone with her crowd-induced coma trick. Andrew was familiar with a few of the residents and one of the chief residents said that he thought Andrew would 'do well' there. Apparently Andrew has earned a reputation for giving the answers during lectures and such (a reputation he's had elsewhere). So, my sense is that a position here is quite possible if Andrew wants it.

This choosing a place to live and work thing is so hard; in some ways I'm grateful that we ultimately don't have full control. Hearing some of these residents talk has persuaded me into deemphasizing rank somewhat and focusing more on quality of life. The residents we talked to own homes and have recreational pursuits (which is unsurprising given their choice to live here). We're envious.

We're not unhappy in New York, but Andrew did comment a few weeks ago that he didn't want to wake up to discover he's 40 and he still hasn't left the city. This struck a chord with me. It's not a bad place to be young, but we don't aspire to live out our adult lives in a shoebox. And if we did stay, we'd probably downsize and move into Manhattan to be closer to the hospitals Andrew wants (Mt. Sinai and Weill-Cornell). Plus, despite the amazing cultural opportunities, I don't really want Anika to be swept up in the hustle. We'd like for her to have a bit of dirt and a room all her own--a space to play and reflect, where she can invite the world in not beg it to stay out.

That all said, we're tremendously grateful that the opportunities we're considering are good--very good--ones. Just this morning we discussed eliminating more of the interviews because as it stands Andrew's got something like 18 scheduled during the next two months. We're a little worried that he'll just end up burnt out.

And now for something completely different. Watch Anika's first flirtation with jumping on the bed (it's her first guaranteed laugh inducing activity):

Departing SF, Early Days in Portland, New Tricks

Just in case Anika ever doubts that her parents were ever hip, Dad wanted this photo as proof. Note Emdrew's stylish peacoat and far-away look. I think she's ready for her first album cover.


Here's evidence of Anika's first play. During these past few weeks, she's demonstrated her ability to reach for/grab things and explore objects with her hands and mouth.


Here she is perusing a book, while Dad learns to make pasta from Great Uncle James.


Not unlike her studious parents, however, she's got a real knack for nodding off in the middle of a book.


Our entire first week here in Portland was spent out in Gresham with Great Uncle James and Great Aunt Margie. As usual, they were bowled over by Anika's charms. Here they are cuddling with the guest of honor.


During the past week or two, Anika has grown into an extremely social little person. She has a broad smile and an occasional laugh for everyone she meets. Plus, she's slept 6-7 hours at a time three times in the past five nights. Her parents, of course, think this is wonderful.

In other news, we visited an ophthalmologist last week to have Anika's eyes checked. In spite of the hemangioma on her eyelid, her eyesight seems fine. We have an ointment we're putting on her twice a week to prevent the hemangioma from growing larger, but it seems as though it shouldn't cause her any problems (and, as I've previously stated, the hemangioma should go away on its own by the time she's 5-7 years old). We're going back for another eye exam in two weeks just to be sure.

We're very much enjoying our time in Portland. After one week out in Gresham with James and Margie, we've begun housesitting for a couple in the Irvington neighborhood. The house is beautiful and very large. The owners have a large collection of cookbooks and a well-stocked kitchen, so we're looking forward to preparing some nice meals for friends and family in the coming weeks.

Andrew's enjoying his clerkship in Endocrinology at Oregon Health Sciences University thus far, despite the fact that it's a little slow, and preparing for his first residency interviews. He'll be interviewing at Legacy Emanual and OHSU here in Portland next week.

Scenes from Our Life in the Land of Milk & Honey

Just as it's hard to believe Anika is nearly ten weeks old, I'm having difficulty coming to terms with the fact that we're now in our third week here in San Francisco. Nevertheless, things are well with us.

We arrived exhausted after our brief stop in Denver, but quickly acclimated to life out here. Andrew immediately began his Oncology clerkship at UCSF and we've managed to patch together a functional routine. Our apartment (and SF) is colder than we anticipated, and we are roughing it a bit when it comes to amenities (don't even get me started on the shower); however, we Korsons are a resourceful and resilient bunch. Here's evidence:

With our baby bathtub in the mail and no means of stopping up the sink, Anika tried out the old baby-in-a-bucket method of bathing (apparently used world-wide) during our first week here.

She had her doubts at first, and couldn't quite figure out why Dad looked so exhausted, but ultimately decided that bathing this way worked just as well. Of course, cuddling with Dad (aka the Sandman) enables her to endure most anything.


Life in SF has also provided us with other challenges and new experiences. Here's Andrew taking a leisurely stroll with Anika on the street outside our apartment.


I incidentally tipped over last week trying to pick up a quarter while wearing Anika (who is now approximately twelve pounds!) and a couple bags of groceries. We came away unscathed, though a bit embarassed because our neighbor rushed over to help us up.


By far, the best part about this rotation is that it has afforded us a few free weekends together (including a three day one), which we haven't really had in months. During our first weekend we had a couple meals out with friends and visited both the de Young Art Museum and the Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park. Here Anika and I are taking a break to nurse and enjoy the flora in Golden Gate.


Then, this past weekend we took our first ever Korson family vacation (at least in the traditional sense). Here's Anika dressed and ready for her first trip to the beach.

We rented a car on Saturday morning and drove down Highway 1. We got as far as Carmel before doubling back to Santa Cruz, where we (along with friend Des) visited our friend Micha and attended her housewarming party. Then, after spending the night huddled together in perhaps the seediest hotel ever, we continued on down to Big Sur.

Anika had the distinct pleasure of ignoring several herons and hawks, a whale (we think), many farm animals, a large waterfall, artichokes, pumpkins, and some of the best scenery California has to offer. We did a terrible job of documenting it, but here's Andrew and Anika at Anika's first beach in Carmel.

I had visions of dipping Anika's toes in the water, but it was far too cold for that.

This kid truly is intrepid. She has readily endured all of our travels to date, and always remains her sweet-natured self as long as I steer clear of dairy and soy. Wherever we go, people invariably assume that we're making our first attempts at getting out in the world. Little do they know, Emdrew has traversed the continent, visited six states, attended three parties, and dined in countless restaurants during her first two months of life.

All this has, however, taken a toll on her parents. Although Anika is now often only rousing us once during the night, we're still pretty wiped every evening. I'm currently recovering from a chest cold (which, amazingly, I alone contracted), and, well, somehow it just seems like we can't sleep enough. Will it ever end?

Despite this, Andrew continues to meet with success on the school front. Just today he learned that he performed exceptionally well on his most recent Medical Licensing Board Exams and he has been receiving residency interview requests from some very good programs. Regardless of where we end up next year, it looks as though (fingers crossed!) Andrew will be training at a highly ranked school. Although the invitation period is by no means over, the heavy hitters so far include Dartmouth, Tufts, Cornell, Mt. Sinai, the University of Colorado, the University of Chicago, and UC San Diego; he has lots of traveling to do during the coming months. Anika and I are deeply proud.

Baby Heads West: Mile High City

After a rather whirlwind post-Board exam packing-spree back in Brooklyn, the Korson family set off on a roughly two and a half month adventure out West on September 24th. We stopped off in Denver for three nights on our way to San Francisco.

Here are a few photos of Anika spending some quality time with friends and family, including a couple taken at Anika's belly eviction celebration at Grandma Karen and Grandpa Wally's house.






Anika slept through her entire party, but was nevertheless pleased with her new friends.

Anika's Smile

This picture doesn't really do her newest/first trick justice, but it's pretty tough to coax out a smile from behind a camera. In any case, she's been smiling for us since Saturday and it's fantastic. She's reduced us to blathering idiots, but apparently I'll do most anything to see her happy.

And that spot on her eyelid is her Infantile Hemangioma. As I wrote earlier, if it doesn't cause her eyelid to droop significantly, it will go away on it's own when she's about five. However, we are feeling as though her lid is beginning to droop a little, so she may have to have it removed. We're seeing a pediatric dermatologist tomorrow to possibly diagnose the skin condition she inherited from Dad anyhow, so I think we'll ask about this eye thing also.

In other news, over the weekend Andrew and I began to suspect that Anika has a Milk Protein Intolerance. I took her to the doctor on Monday and he suggested that I try eliminating both dairy and soy from my diet. Needless to say, I'm not wild about this, but Anika does appear to be a happier and less gassy baby already. Apparently this intolerance is not all that uncommon, and kids usually outgrow it by the time they're two, so it basically just makes my life difficult. In a few weeks I can start trying to add things back into my diet. I'm really hoping that I won't have to give up soy entirely, since it's the easiest alternative to dairy and soybean oil is in everything... We'll see how it goes.

The Proud Parents

Dad enjoying a yet another leisurely breakfast.

Mom crashed out on the couch.

And I've tossed up this photo just because it's probably the most adorable thing you'll ever see.

One Month Down

It's a shock to me that a full month has past since Anika's arrival. Anika, however, is daily changed. She's gained a whopping two and a half pounds (which is above average) and grown two inches. She's spending longer periods of time awake during the day, has a surprising amount of strength (she can hold her head up during a burping), and is generally more aware of the world. Her mobile, a striped monkey toy, and our faces are fascinating. It's only a matter of time before she deliberately sends that goofy grin of hers our way.

From our visits to the doctor, it would seem that she's a very healthy little babe. She does, incidentally, appear to have inherited Andrew and Grandma Mary's skin condition (Dermatopathia Pigmentosa Reticularis) because, like her daddy, she developed blisters on her feet during her second day of life. The blisters themselves weren't all that bad, but likely condemn her to a life without fingerprints and difficulty sweating. We're going to see some hot-shot pediatric dermatologist at NYU later this month and hopefully get an official diagnosis. There are only something like 10-15 documented cases of this condition, and since Andrew and his mother are not among them, we're interested in having the three of them noted by the people who've studied it.

Also, I'm not sure if it's apparent from any of the previous photographs, but Anika developed a red spot on her right eyelid about two weeks ago. At first we thought she'd just scratched herself, but it turns out she has an Infantile Hemangioma (also known as a Strawberry Hemangioma). It's a birthmark of sorts that develops a few weeks after birth. Fortunately, it's not permanent, however it will stick around until she's 5-7 years old. We're not thrilled about it, but all things considered it's not so bad. Apparently these things often continue to grow for the first three months and then remain roughly the same size thereafter. Because it's on her eyelid there's a chance that it will cause her eyelid to droop, which could affect her vision. If this happens, she may undergo treatment to shrink or remove it, but otherwise we'll just let it disappear of its own accord.

Interestingly enough, these birthmarks seem to be estrogen fueled (they happen more to girls than boys) and often occur in children who had placental abnormalities. I haven't been able to access much information on this subject, but it might be that this mark, my endocrine problems, and her velamentous umbilical cord having something to do with one another. Weird, eh?

A whirlwind welcome from Grandma Mary and Grandpa Tom

During the last weekend in August, we were graced by a visit from Grandpa Tom and Grandma Mary. Their visit was entirely too short, but momentous and pleasant nonetheless. Here are a few photos of Grandma and Grandpa with their favorite new person.



And here Anika is enjoying a little post-bath cuddle with Dad and Grandma. Bath time is quite the spectator sport in these parts. It's quickly become a good time for all involved, though getting out is still a little traumatic.

Day 20 Photo Shoot

Bath Time!

This is Anika's third bath in a sink/tub. Amazingly, she didn't cry at all. The previous two times she was intrigued, but eventaully decided she'd had enough. I think we may have a happy bather here in no time.

During their visit my parents often marveled at Anika's mild-mannered nature. I think I lack perspective on how newborns typically behave, but I must say: this babe's demands are entirely reasonable.

Communing with Grandpa Wally and Grandma Karen

Grandma Karen was present for the birth and then remained with us for two and a half weeks; Grandpa Wally came out one week after Anika was born. We (Wally, Karen, Emily and Anika) vacationed up in New Hampshire for several days, and spent lots of time just loafing and tending to Anika. It was, of course, nice to have their help and their company. Anika traveled like a champ.

And here Anika and I are posing with that apple tree we planted for her up in New Hampshire.

Home from the Hospital

Here we are preparing for our departure from the hospital and arriving home.




And here's kitty meeting her little sister. She still hasn't quite gotten past the initial shock.

Happy Birthday Baby!

On Friday, August 7th at 9:07am Anika Mary Korson opened her near-blind eyes
to the haze of light and shadow that she will eventually come to recognize as the violence and beauty of the known world.

Weighing in at 7 lbs even, Anika has straight dark brown hair and dark blue eyes. Her complexion is fair and her demeanor gentle and good natured.

In a message that went out to loved ones we included the following message for our daughter as a reflection of our thoughts at this time.

...

Dear child:

"We only have to look at [your] hand to think that any human makes a deplorable account of what he thinks he knows. All he understands from it is that it is really made, in all senses, for the best... You have gone from nonbeing to being by one of these agreements which are the only ones to which I care to listen. You were thought of as possible, as certain, in the very moment when, in a love deeply sure of itself, a man and a woman wanted you to be."

--Andre Breton, Mad Love

Although we will no doubt falter, revealing to you our own human weaknesses, know that we--your parents, grandparents, family members and friends--have every intention of helping you to become both humble and dauntless, equal to the impediments and possibilities you will confront. You are still very much a mystery to us, but you are and always will be deeply loved.

...

Here are several photos from the big day:

The Last Bump Photo?

We went ahead and took this photo yesterday on the off chance that I may no longer be knocked up next week. Three weeks have passed since the last in this series. According to the ultrasound estimates, there's an approximately 7 1/2 pound bun in that oven.

Whether I'm fed up and eager for the belly eviction or content to wait really depends on the day. My hips and low back are killing me, and yet I swam a half mile in perfect comfort a few days ago... Mostly, I'm just eager to meet her.

Last Monday my doctor estimated that it'd probably be another week and a half or so, which would put the arrival right around the due date (July 30th). Schedule-wise, Thursday or Friday of this coming week would be ideal since Andrew will have an astounding day and a half off next weekend, but whether it will actually fall out that way is anybody's guess. Legend has it that first-time moms typically go overdue.

The (1/2) Nursery

I finally got the baby's room/office in order today, and thought I'd share some of the pictures. It seems a bit plain to me still, but I'm looking at it as a work in progress.

That brown hamper thing is for toys, hence the puppet (a female doctor--yes, the pressure's on) clinging to the edge.

The changer turned out to be too big for the dresser. It looks a little odd, but at least we'll have a functional dresser once the kiddo is too big for it. And yes, we're well aware of the distinctly un-kid proof nature of all those things under the desk. As I said, it's a work in progress.

Note the lovely graffiti she'll one day be able to look out on. I am particularly fond of a cartoon rat on that building across the way.

The blanket is my (as yet incomplete) handiwork, the bumper is supposedly SIDS-proof, and the mobile is designed to be stimulating for young eyes. It has more complex and colorful pictures that you can put on as your baby's eyesight develops.

Not too cramped and cluttered for the City of New York, eh?