Q. Do you and Valerie plan to have more children?
A. Funny you should ask, looks like we're expecting B"T the due date 5/16/04, just in time for graduation. We're hoping Miles gets the class achievement award for "Most Biologically Prolific"
Q. Do twins run in the family?
A. No
Q. I heard Valerie's sister Nora just had twins..is that right?
A. Yes. Identical twins Yonatan Douglas and Dovid Willmott Ames were born on June 26. Everyone is doing well.
Q. So twins DO run in the family.
A. They do now.
Q. What is Valerie doing these days?
A. Still running this household and engaging in some local volunteer activities
Q. Will she ever go back to working outside the house?
A. Maybe, someday.
Q. When will Miles graduate?
A. Spring 2004
Q. What will he be doing?
A. It's pathology for now
Q. Where will he be doing it?
A. See above
Q. But I thought he wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon...
A. The man IS allowed to change his mind. Orthopaedics ended up being very different from what Miles wanted and needed from a career in medicine. Pathology is not just a better fit, it's the best fit.
Q. But I thought he wanted to be a REAL doctor.
A. Being a pathologist is a real doctor, in fact it's known as "the doctor's doctor". Just because he will have limited patient interaction does not mean he does not play a crucial role in a patient's treatment. Pathologists, a majority of the time are the brain-power behind diagnosing a problem, think about that the next time you are sick and not really sure what the problem is.
Q. What are the kids up to?
A. The only difference at this point between Rami and Gittel is that he is about 3 inches taller and Gittel is slightly more talkative. Other than that, let's work from the head down. The both have significantly more hair than they did a year ago, but still not enough for cutting. They have most of their teeth (Gittel chipped one back in the spring) and they have a few words (up, on, out, Mommy, Daddy, amen and 'uh oh'). When motivated, Gittel can lick yogurt off of her shirt. They are fully mobile, running, jumping, hopping, falling, twirling, climbing, and walking. Gittel is decidedly right-handed while Rami shows a preference for his left hand, but will still shift utensils back and forth. The kids can feed themselves with spoons and forks, and can scribble. They also can point to certain body parts. The kids enjoy the water tremendously, baths, showers, the pool, and puddles.