A quote

And for today, just a quote from a song by a band called Freiheit:

"The hopes we had were much too high
Way out of reach but we have to try
No need to hide no need to run
'Cause all the answers come one by one
The game will never be over
Because we're keeping the dream alive..."

I have officially survived my first week of being a registrar.
Wow.
The week rushed over me with all the force of the cliche'ed tsunami, and I must confess, I am surprised that I managed to keep breathing. It was busy, chaotic, new, overwhelming, scary, and exciting - all at the same time! And... tomorrow, we go again! :)

I started in Kalafong hospital in the Paediatric Oncology ward. I cannot believe how quickly one gets attached to the kids. I have heard a lot about oncology, I have seen the absolute devastation of bad news on colleagues, and suddenly I am beginning to understand the absolute hugeness of the involvement you experience when working with them. It is scary. Emotionally draining, yes, but oh so rewarding and enjoyable at the same time... I know it sounds paradoxical but that is the way I am experiencing it. And it amazes me.

A colleague this week shared an interesting viewpoint: in the same way that all little boys want to become policemen and firemen when they grow up, all paediatric registrars initially want to become neonatologists. And how true! I was there, I still love neonatology, I will always have a special corner of my heart belonging to those tiny little ones I lovingly call monkeys... but I am over the neonatology ideal. And at the moment, I am really experiencing a completely different but exciting and inspiring side of paediatrics...
(and for those not understanding this bit of technicality, sorry, just felt that I had to share it!)

On the training front, I ran and completed a half marathon yesterday!! Aside from slightly stiff quads and sore knees, and a horribly painful second-toe-nail on my left foot, I actually did very well! I am fit, strong (definitely stronger on hills than I used to be considering where I am in my current training programme), but MAN, I AM S L O W !!! Jeepers! It took me FOREVER! I did start really slow, and ran good negative splits, but I definitely need to work on my speed a bit...
However, I am on schedule for the 24th of May, and taking it small steps at a time ;)

Emma is doing really great. Developing at such a speed that I can hardly keep up! This afternoon we were playing outside, and she managed to worm/leopard crawl/slide her way across the blanket! She also sits well with some support, enjoys baby-push-ups, and rolls over back to tummy and back again with practised ease :)... She started eating some baby cereal yesterday and aside from the hilarious facial expressions ranging from disgust to surprise to utter confusion... it actually went quite well and some of the cereal at least found its way down... I think! She is more beautiful and cuter and sweeter and kissable every day - I am totally and utterly overwhelmed by the power of the love I feel for her.

Latest pics...

Pictures at last! (December/Christmas)

New Year!

It is the 1st of January 2009.
I cannot believe that 2008 is officially history now...
it was a big year...

I am busy with resolutions and 'bucket lists' ;) more because I am a 'list-person' than anything else, hehe.
Some of my plans (some more challenging/interesting than others)...

- Swim the Midmar Mile (February)
- Pass the Diploma in Child Health (March)
- Run and finish my 3rd Comrades Marathon (May)
- Plan a very exciting mini-holiday or two ;)
- Watch a performance of 'The Parlotones'
- Make a VERY concerted effort to study a little bit every day, and read up on my clinical cases
- Create at least one (but preferably a few) scrapbook pages each month
- and of course, spend as much quality time as possible with my hubby and my little monkey...
... just a few quick ideas.

I wanted to upload some b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l pictures of Emma on Christmas day, but unfortunately my computer is saying 'NO'! Hopefully soon!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
(or as they say where I work, 'Compliments of the Season to you and your family!')

December-laziness...

Christmas has come and gone... and I am, for the moment, enjoying time at home with hubby and little monkey! My first three weeks back at work went well. Aside from a few moments of intense emotion (missing the little one!) and worry, I coped well, and Emma is thriving.
I have been on leave now again for the past week. All Emma's grandparents are on leave so we are a bit lonely in good old Pretoria, but it is really just a time of rest and relaxation and enjoying quality as well as quantity time with little Emma.
She is growing and developing SO quickly! She is rolling over from back to tummy with ease, and this morning passed her rattle from one hand to the other(!), also babbling and laughing and 'making conversation'..., grabbing and examining her feet (she hasn't put them into her mouth quite yet!), and sitting very well with a bit of support... :)
Yesterday we went jogging to the gym and back (to do the good old card-swipe...) a full 13km's with Emma in the baby-jogger that we borrowed. It was FAR but so much fun! I have ordered our own jogger that will be arriving the 5th of January :) looking forward to a lot of good runs...

We had a quiet and very enjoyable Christmas day. Before the families went on holiday we had two huge Christmas celebrations with them (consecutive nights!) with good food and company and lots of presents... so on the 25th we just enjoyed being at home, the three of us. We went to church, then came home and had starters in the garden, had an early braai for lunch, and later the afternoon Emma had her first taste of solid food (butternut!) that wasn't extremely successful ;)

Otherwise doing very well, starting to make plans for the new year, and overall just enjoying the last bit of 2008 basking in the happy glow of motherhood!

Surviving!

It is Monday again and, yes!, I survived the whole of my first back-to-work-week, including my first 26-hour shift on Saturday/Sunday! Little Emma is staying with the family, spending some good quality time with her dad, and enjoying the visits at granny (see photo!) while I am getting used to resuscitating, admitting, intubating, examining and diagnosing, and all the other weird and wonderful things that make up my working day...
Good news - I am officially starting to specialise in January, got my appointment letter on Friday and signed the acceptance letter today. Which means we can start counting sleeps until I am finished studying (although it is at the moment a dizzying total of 1484 days...)

I went for a great 8km run today! Fitting training in between work and family time is going to take a lot of effort but it is so worth it - I felt like a million bucks! There is nothing better under the sun to get rid of all worries...
... and Comrades is only 166 days and 8 hours away... ;)

Also planning to swim the Midmar mile in February (and use it as a good excuse to visit Emma's godparents in Hillcrest!! :) ), so I'll have to maybe fit in a few quick swims between now and then...

And just a last word - I CAN NOT BELIEVE it is the 8th of December, only 17 days till Christmas and only 23 days till 2009. The year 2008 just swept past me like a flash, and bowled me over completely (in a good way!). Wow...