By the time I left work today I was tired, really tired.  It is like my body is finally telling me it needs rest to get over that last little bit of sinus infection and it is telling me this much more fiercely than it told me when it was really sick.

I contemplated going home and sleeping and that is what I would have done had Andy not needed to work late and it was my duty to pick up the baby and take care of her and get her to bed.  For you childless people out there, savor taking a nap whenever you feel like it…this is something you will miss once your bouncing baby arrives…

I needed a different plan since sleep was not an option.  Since I ran at lunch today and ate a cold lunch, I thought perhaps it was a caloric or fluid intake problem.  I looked to the backseat and saw the following scene and therefore decided to extend the car ride and stop at the Westside Drive-In.

Backseat driver

When I decided to take my drive-in diversion, it was ostensibly for dinner but I really knew that I was jonesing for a milkshake.  It suddenly made sense to me that a milkshake would cure my visit to the tired doldrums and I immediately began scouring the menu for the flavors.

I don’t believe I have had a milkshake since I was pregnant and I almost gave up on my drinkable knight in shining Styrofoam when none of the flavors were jumping out at me.  Luckily the drive-thru attendant piped up and said, “you can mix flavors.”

Well that has to be the best idea I have heard in 2010.  I immediately ordered a chocolate banana milkshake.

The rest of the order took awhile to cook, so I sucked on my milkshake and waited.  It turns out that Chef Lou threw in some mozzarella sticks since I had asked about them but not ordered them, so I could give their hand-made, cheesy goodness a try.

Once I had the order, I meandered home, in absolutely no hurry since Belén was asleep and I was sucking my milkshake.

And just when you were starting to feel this story was completely pointless, I have another quasi pointless thing to add.

A person I interact with more frequently as of late is totally into metaphors.  When used at inappropriate moments, they can be annoying, but other times I find myself amused by them.

So as I sucked on my straw, a milkshake metaphor hit me and caused me to chuckle inside.

Drinking a banana milkshake from a straw is much like the trials and tribulations we face in life.  Usually, with a little effort, the milkshake moves through the straw and we are able to enjoy it.  Sometimes though a piece of banana gets lodged into the straw and we have to work harder to enjoy it.  There are even other times when a banana becomes so stuck there is no way trying harder is going to alleviate the problem.  It is these times when we need to adjust our approach in order to solve the problem and finish enjoying the milkshake.

And like the banana milkshake, while things are not always smooth sailing, life is delicious and enjoyable.

Are you in my camp now on finding metaphors a bit annoying but at the same time comical?  Was a milkshake too big of a stretch?

Today is my wonderful husband’s 34th birthday!  We celebrated with gifts this morning, work, and then cake, cookies, beer and wine with our family this evening.

In the photo, Andy is wearing the Gremio soccer jersey that Belén got from Brazil to give to daddy for the occasion.

Honito, every year, you get smarter, more handsome and even more fantastic.  Belén is so fortunate to have you for a daddy and I am so lucky to be married to you.  Happy Birthday!

Andy turned me on to this blog about a family sailing up and down the coast of México.  Of course we will religiously start following it because it is a dream of ours to do this some day.  Note to México, please clean up your drug wars so perusing your coast will still be appealing in the future.  If you don’t we will just have to do the Caribbean instead.

When I read the current post from the family, a couple of things stood out to me.

First, the cat’s name is Cortez…how cute is that?

Second, they are mooring in Barra de Navidad, a place I have heard a lot about from a friend who has visited there often, but despite our close proximity while living in Guadalajara in 2003, we never visited…shame on us.  Perhaps we can do a day trip during our upcoming trip to México in May.

Third, um, there is a FRENCH BAKERY BOAT that delivers pastries to the visitor boats and the boat’s name is Belén!  Kismet, I say!

This will be short because I have decided I need to focus on my health and get over this sinus infection rather than writing blogs or running or working.  I need to drink fluids and my drugs need to start working because this infection has been VERY painful.

The only reason I was able to run this weekend was because of the Neti Pot.  I rediscovered the Neti Pot which I thought didn’t work on my sinus but really it was because the last time I tried it I was pregnant and nothing was fixing my sinuses then except for having the baby. I pulled out the Neti pot yesterday morning and it offered me enough sinus relief that I felt I could run.

For those of you not familiar with the Neti Pot, you basically place distilled water mixed with saline in it and rinse your nasal passages with it.  Think of it like a pipe cleaning for your sinuses.  And boy do you ever get some gunk coming out of there.  A lot of people who I know who use them on a regular basis use it in the shower so all of the goobers go down the drain easily.  I like that approach but over the sink works as well.  Basically you just tip your head to the side and put the teapot-looking end in one nostril.  Then the water flows in, through your sinuses and back out.  It sort of feels like when you are swimming and you inhale water through your nose, but it gives you a really great opportunity to then blow everything out.

So yes, the Neti Pot and Tylonel allowed me to run this weekend.  As you are shaking your head, I agree it was not the best idea in the world to run for four hours on Saturday and then another hour today with a sinus infection but I knew if I didn’t do the runs I would not be able to do the race and ya, it was probably dumb, but now I am focusing on being healthy so lets not look backwards.

One other final note is I am so thankful to have two medical professionals (Sage and my dad) on speed dial.  It is DIFFICULT to figure out what drugs can be taken for nasal congestion while still breastfeeding.  Just in the last hour, my dad pointed me to a short-acting nasal spray which took me to “5″ on the pain scale pain to relief in a matter of six sprays.  Wow!  I thought I just had to continue to endure the pain.

So much more to say but I have already broken my promise keeping this short.  Please send nasal passage healing vibes my way.  Oh and Belén’s legs are starting to look much better.  All of your crazy marks on baby legs healing vibes have been very helpful, thank you!  I think we will throw a big party once we are all once again healthy!

Friday afternoon, Belén had her follow up appointment from her allergic reaction. By now, everyone at the doctor’s office knows Belén as this was probably at least the sixth time she has been there in the past month.  We were quickly taken to an exam room and after a few questions from the nurse, Dr. B. came in.

She checked Belén’s ears and was thrilled that one was completely clear and the other only had a little fluid in it.  I guess what my dad has been saying all along, “You don’t even have to give drugs for an ear infection…in Europe they do not treat them.”  was correct as she has not been any drugs since she reacted to the Rocephin and her ears are clear.

Dr. B. invited her doctor colleagues in to see Belén’s legs.  One was with other patients but another guy came in.  She explained Belén’s condition by saying something like, “I hope you don’t ever have to see this again, but this is blah blah blah, which I think was caused by a reaction to cephalosporins and I don’t think it is HSP because her hands and feet were swollen, yadda yadda.  While I felt she was very sympathetic to our cause, I also felt like she was kind of excited to show off her patient with the strange marks on her body.  I thought to myself, “why did I pay that $20 co-pay if this is the most exciting thing they have seen all week?”

The doctor was very happy to see Belén acting normal and happy (as are we!)  She did seem a little surprised that much of the skin over the bruised/red marks on her legs is flaking off.  When I asked her if she was expecting to see the skin pealing she said that honestly she was not, but it was not atypical for what she thinks we are dealing with.  She gave us some antibiotic ointment for some of the more raw areas just to prevent further infection.  I hesitantly applied it tonight because at this point I would like to avoid all drugs and be back to all nat-u-ral.  Unfortunately, I have a sinus infection so she  may be getting some trace amounts of amoxicllin in the breast milk too.

I am a horrible sick person and this applies to having my daughter sick.  I am patient for a few days but after some time (and in this case 3 weeks!!) I start to forget what it feels like to be healthy and basically just get grumpy and impatient.  It gets a little dramatic with me saying things like, “I cannot even remember what it feels like to be healthy.”  Way more dramatic than I would ever get under normal circumstances.

Anyway so I asked the doctor about the possibility of it being HSP and if we should take a urine test and she mentioned that she did not think it was that because of the “hives” ie swelling, but if we wanted we could take a urine test.  But, she mentioned a urine test requires a catheter which is difficult to do with children.  When I told my dad this, he said that you can actually get a urine sample by putting a baggie in the diaper and I think his confidence in our doctor is even further reduced.

To be honest, I don’t know what to think anymore…about this rash, about our doctor.  I just want Belén 100% healthy and then to stay that way.  I almost don’t remember what it feels like for all of us to be healthy anymore. (I know, DRAMA QUEEN!)

Belén had quite a bit to say after her bath last night.  She is also getting even more ticklish.  I will still contend that nothing in this world beats baby giggles.  Andy and I were talking that we will miss them so much when she no longer giggles like this!

This is a photo that an engineer traveling in China took of an actual product labeled “Emergency Kit” offered in the mini-bar of her Chinese hotel room.

What “emergency” do you think will cause this sucker to be purchased?

Besides being a little blurry, does something seem wrong to you with this picture?

This is the only way I have seen this guy workout.  He cranks up the incline and grabs ahold of the top of the television.  Seems to me like he is going to bust the TV right off.  I wonder if they used this sort of usage as a test case at the Precor R&D headquarters?

As a mother with a daughter, I cannot even begin to imagine what it would be like to watch Belén become a mother.  I hope more than anything I live to see that day.  Equally so if we have a son.  The delight our parents see in us being parents is quite apparent every time we are with them and we so appreciate their love and support.

One other thing we immensely appreciate is their desire to spend time with their grand daughter, so much so that each of our moms watches Belén one day a week.  My mom (Nana) has Mondays and Andy’s mom (Grammy) has Fridays.  Belén has a fabulous time with each of them and has already developed a very special bond with each of them.

Nana Jane rocking/feeding Belén

Probably every other Monday, Belén comes home from Nana’s with some sort of new outfit or homemade toy.  I think my mom whips them up like only she can while Belén is napping.  We also really enjoy the emails she sends from “Belén” telling us about her day.  In one such email last month, we received this fantastic photo of Belén wearing a brand new Nana-made outfit.

Grammy also has a very special day with Belén each Friday.  They spend a lot of time on the ground working on crawling (especially before she was crawling), muscle and motor-skills development, playing with toys and hanging out.  When Grandpa Ray is around, they get two to three walks in a day as well and her routine is attended to with the care and consideration of his own.

I love watching the delight that all four of the grandparents (and aunties too) have at their interactions with Little B.  Belén is equally delighted with them.  A sure fire way to make Belén smile is to say “Hi Belén” using my mom’s high-pitched, baby voice…kind of like, “Huh-EYE BAAAY-LYNN.”  While it may sound grinding to the adult ear, B eats it up.  It also helps that Belén has all of them more-or-less wrapped around her fingers…but within reason, of course.

In short, we are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL on so many levels for this set up and feel very fortunate for such generous parents (and sisters) who take such an interest in knowing their grand daughter.

My mom sent me this poem which I think is quite fitting.

Grandmother’s Rocking Chair

Grandma, hold me a little longer,
Rock me a little more.
Tell me another story,
(You’ve only told me four!)
Let me sleep on your shoulder.
I love your happy smile.
I’ll always love you Grandma,
so stay with me awhile.

Segments of an early version of War and Peace were originally published in The Russian Messenger between 1865 and 1867.  I kind of like the idea of publishing a book piece by piece in a magazine.  I guess it is not necessary with the modern printing press and publishing houses, but there is something to be said about reading a large book in monthly installments.

Which brings me to my first installment of War and Peace for the 2010 War and Peace reading New Years resolution.  I am a month late with the January installment which may mean all of the installments will likely be a month late, or I may somehow get caught up on vacation or something.  The original publishing took two years in The Russian Messenger, so I won’t feel too bad if we cannot get through it precisely in one calendar year.  But don’t give up hope yet.

My initial impression is that it is an interesting but complicated book.  I have had a hard time keeping all of the characters straight so I find myself highlighting passages, circling people’s names and taking notes in the margins of the book.  My biggest nemesis to following the book is if I let days (or weeks) pass without reading.  It is not a book to read and put on the shelf and then pick back up again.  I am recommiting myself to at least five pages a night.

From wikipedia:

The novel tells the story of five aristocratic families — the Bezukhovs, the Bolkonskys, the Rostovs, the Kuragins and the Drubetskoys—and the entanglements of their personal lives with the history of 1805–1813, principally Napoleon’s invasion of Russia in 1812. The Bezukhovs, while very rich, are a fragmented family as the old Count, Kirill Vladimirovich, has fathered dozens of illegitimate sons. The Bolkonskys are an old established and wealthy family based at Bald Hills. Old Prince Bolkonsky, Nikolai Andreevich, served as a general under Catherine the Great, in earlier wars. The Moscow Rostovs have many estates, but never enough cash. They are a closely knit, loving family who live for the moment regardless of their financial situation. The Kuragin family has three children, who are all of questionable character. The Drubetskoy family is of impoverished nobility, and consists of an elderly mother and her only son, Boris, whom she wishes to push up the career ladder.

War and Peace Character Map

The book opens with a soirée hosted by Anna Pavlona.  Many of the books main characters are introduced at the gathering including Pierre, the “massively built, stout young man in spectacles” who is the  (favorite) illegitimate son of the dying Count Bezuhov.

The soirée was pretty hard for me to follow as there were countless characters introduced all talking about foreign conversation topics.  Even though translated, the mixture of French and Russian was confusing causing me to wonder if it would have been back then as well.

I found it interesting how Anna Pavlona managed the social gathering.  I have found myself in similar host situations at shin-digs at our house where you try and introduce people you think may hit it off and make sure the conversation continues to flow.  I have the sense that in the War and Peace days, the stakes for the host were much higher though.

What follows next is a scene almost straight out of the opening scene to the movie The Hangover where the young men are drunk and partaking in stupid dares.  Pierre is involved in a prank to tie a sentury to a bear and throw them into a canal.  He is sent to Moscow for his participation but it earns him the admiration of Count Rostov.

The next scene is the Rostov’s name day dinner where it was clear things are very orderly yet there is a sense the household is more jolly than stoic by Natasha’s impromptu question about what is for dessert in front of the entire dining room.  I am interested to see the character development of Natasha as she seems free spirited, brave and naive.

I made a note about the behavior of Vera towards her sister, Natasha and others.  Vera scolds her sister, “You always manage to do things just at the wrong moment.  First you burst into the drawing-room so that every one was ashamed of you.” She continues, “And what sort of secrets can you have at your age, Natasha and Boris, and you two! –it’s all simply silly nonsense.”  Natasha response includes a blow to Vera, “…your greatest delight is in getting other people into trouble.”  Hmm, reminds me a bit of childhood.

I have the sense that Vera is one of those unhappy people who tries to rain on other happy people’s parades. Do you know any Vera’s in your life?

Next up was Pierre’s father’s death scene where it is very apparent how uncomfortable and unfamiliar Pierre is with the formality of the aristocratic society and customs.  Luckily Anna Mikhailovna is there to show him exactly what to do.  It was an interesting scene in that I found myself wondering if anyone, besides Pierre, will actually miss the Count or if everyone was there to get a shot at some of the inheritance.

The final scene is at the home of Prince Nikolai Bolkonskii (a.k.a. The King of Prussia) and Princess Marya.  I immediately felt sorry for Princess Marya as her young life seemed so regimented and austere, but after her response to her friend, Julie’s letter, I lost sympathy for the poor girl.  I mean really, “However painful it may be to me, if the Almighty should ever impose upon me the duties of a wife and mother, I shall try to fulfill them as faithfully as I can without disquieting myself by examining my feelings in regard to him whom He may give me for a husband.”  I know, I know…it is another time and place but I have a hard time getting on board with that.

Part One ends with Prince Andrey ready for war, leaving his unfortunate, pregnant wife with his father and sister and a touching encounter between father and son.  I really liked the following thought, “At moments of starting off and beginning a different life, persons given to deliberating on their actions are usually apt to be in a serious frame of mind.  At such moments one reviews the past and forms plans for the future.”

How true!  I find it interesting how you can go along in your normal day-to-day life and not ponder future plans, but at times of change, you really stop to think and make plans for the future.

—–

So, what did you think?   Are you enjoying the book?  I guess “enjoy” wouldn’t be the exact word I would use, but instead something like appreciating or learning.  I sort of wish I had taken a Russian history class before embarking on this adventure, but alas, I will know more about Russian history after this project has concluded.

I am curious to hear your thoughts!  Is anyone still reading?