Saturday, March 15, 2008

Limited Profile Access Only

Recently, I joined Facebook.  I really didn't know that it was for people over 30, and then some friends were talking about how they were recent subscribers. Anyway, it's pretty fun.  I'm gradually tracking down friends and family (and they are doing the same to me). 

One such cousin, who tracked down a mutual cousin, recently joined.  I saw his name when he was added to my other cousin's friend list.  I thought, wow, I haven't seen him since my grandmother's funeral almost two years ago, and it was a long time before that as well.  I sent a "friend" message, and was "added" successfully.  I was added, however, with limited profile access.  What is that supposed to mean?  Do his friends not want to be known?  Does he not want his friends to be known by others?  Or, does it mean that a first cousin, once removed status doesn't equate to full profile access?  At most, I suppose I'd drop a line if we were going to be in the city where he lives so it doesn't really matter. 


Still, I have to admit to being a bit offended by this--I can't help it.  I know my cousin remembers me (given that my deceased father, a most favorite member of the family, was his mom's nephew).  But, it is entirely possible that my cousin being...gasp...over 40...doesn't actually know how to use Facebook yet.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Nursing at Night

Nursing is awesome.  For me (someone who'd never even changed a diaper), it was what instantly connected me to my daughter when she was a baby.  (Aside from the look she gave me shortly after she was born like she already knew everything there was to know about me--and everything else, for that matter...)  When she turned one, I knew that I'd nurse her until she was at least two.  She last nursed when she was three (though she'd essentially weaned a few months before that).

Now, for my son.  The boob-man.  Whose face, as a newborn, contained an expression of awe and amazement (wondrous appreciation?) when I saw him notice that there were two breasts, not just one. I knew that I would plan to nurse him also until two--at least.  (A Jewish law thing, actually, which, when my daughter was one, I researched to tell my in-laws when the inevitable questions about nursing toddlers arose.)

So, my son is still going strong at 2.9.  I'm probably not having any other kids.  He's my baby, literally.  I do wish that I could figure out what it is that makes him sleep so unsoundly, even at this age.  Possibilities: (1) he is teething his last molar; (2) he has a food sensitivity (possible, since he is not a big eater though nursing has made him big); (3) he, too, is moving into another winter illness post-flu; or (4) he's just really determined.  It may be a combination of all of them.  

I'm interested in seeing how this plays out over time.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Winter illness

We've been going to the pediatrician a lot lately.  


First, my daughter had strep.  She had not-the-typical symptoms.  Specifically, she had such a bad stomachache that we thought she had appendicitis.  We went to the ER on a Saturday afternoon where...they said it "didn't look like strep" because her throat wasn't red and she didn't have a fever.  (By the way, she started running a fever while she was there.)  My daughter went through lots of other fun things (urine test, an x-ray, and a blood test).  Then, they gave her an IV because she was "vomiting" (she threw up exactly once in the morning--this was eight hours later, and she even ate potato chips in the waiting room).  Their conclusion?  Stomach bug.  I didn't agree.  When I asked for a flu test I was told: "I'm not in the business of swabbing kids' noses for flu".


Anyway, after a very draggy day at school several days later (she had no fever, so she went to school), we find out that she had strep all along.  Great work, ER.  


Less than a week after finishing the antibiotics for strep, my daughter was diagnosed with the flu.  Husband was next, then my son, then me.  Fun for the whole family!  


No, we did not get flu shots.  But, that is another story for another post.  Suffice it to say: the flu shot was ineffective this year anyway as it did not include the "A" strain that we likely had (I know the kids had Influenza A for sure), and many of the people coming down with the flu this year were in fact vaccinated.  There were plenty of articles on-line about how this year's vaccine did not match the viruses that are out there.  So, please remember that when your first question to somebody isn't "how are you?", but "didn't you have flu shots?"  I realize the question comes from a place of fear--they want to hear that we didn't have shots so that they can assure themselves that they won't get the flu because they were vaccinated.  I hear that--I've been there myself in the past.


Anyway, yesterday, we were back to the pediatrician as my daughter has strep--AGAIN.  Not the same as she had a strep test the day of her flu test so we know the original strep was gone.  This time her throat looks disgusting.  If she'd even admitted that her throat hurt originally, and I had looked in there, I would have seen that there was something up with that throat!  She's going to be living on probiotics and Vitamin C for the next 10 days.  I hope we get out of this illness kick very soon!

Monday, March 10, 2008

Election irritations

I am annoyed that Hillary Clinton can call for the resignation of an adviser from Barack Obama's team.  Why is that even possible?  Why does the Obama team need to listen to her? Also, I'm frustrated that the Clintons can talk about how Obama would make a great running mate.  I don't believe this brings the party together.  How many Democrats don't like both candidates?  What a great compromise, is what many will think.  I admit there's an appeal to a ticket with both names.  But, with Obama leading in delegates, I think it's an unfair method of attacking his campaign.  It's demeaning and condescending.  If Obama was the same age as Clinton and did that to her, it would be deemed sexist.


What bothers me the most is that my "independent" husband is getting more and more smug about his choice to vote for John McCain.  (He voted for Clinton, Clinton, Gore, and Kerry--now, he's going to be a Republican--which I've said he is all along, by the way--but, why now?  He even likes Obama.)