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I have been delaying this post for the better part of two weeks... attributable to equal parts fear and disbelief I suppose.

Following eight days of otherwise symptomless vomiting, we learned during a visit to the ER that Raina has a brain tumor. She underwent surgery following the diagnosis last Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, the neurosurgeon was unable to remove most of the tumor, and the pathology has all but confirmed that the tumor is of the aggressive, malignant variety. The prognosis for infants with malignant brain tumors is not very good. However, if any child can beat the odds, we are convinced our little bruiser is the one to do it.

We have been humbled by the outpouring of sympathy from our friends, family and coworkers. Thank you to everyone that has been, and will be, there for us. I apologize if this blog post is the way you receive this terrible news, but it has proven painful for Courtney and I to personally contact and explain this development to all of our friends and family.

Toward the end of keeping a positive attitude we will be posting here the happier pictures and moments as Raina continues to grow and learn about this crazy world. I will be posting related thoughts and details from a Father's perspective on another blog.

-Dad