12 hours... and counting!

Update... Penny has all the needed questions for Day One. I will drop off Will in the morning at his school (around 7:40) and then go to Penny's house to pick up questions. Home by 8... when I'll start work! I will email the questions by 5pm to show completion and bring hard copies to Penny when I pick up Will, by 5:30.

As for Day Two... she only has one question. The other two questions are from Carl, my committee chair, of all people... and he is AWOL! In the words of a fellow doctoral student, "Oh, this is so perfect!" I have faith that he, and the questions, will turn up soon.

What drama!

The weather has been so incredibly beautiful (low to mid 60s with wonderful sun!) that outside study breaks have been mandatory. So, Christmas decorations went up! 

See those red cheeks? That (and the lacy rash coating his little body from stern to stem) are why I am thinking fifth disease. *sigh* 

The Countdown...

In 19 hours, I am suppose to begin my comprehensive exams. Two days of questions, 8-5 each day.

The update: Penny hadn't received any questions when I spoke to her around 11 this morning. She didn't even know that comps were NOT moved to next week. She was going to check email and look into things and get back to me... that was two hours ago. (She's distracted with contractors and getting appliances and other post-storm business, so there is a reason.) I also left a message on my committee chair's cell.

I have to have faith that this will work out. I figure that the worst case scenario is that at 8am tomorrow, I start calling faculty one-by-one at home and tell them to send me their questions via email.

The good news is... I'm ready. I've reviewed some development theory, read a few articles, crunched a few odds ratios, computed a sample size. At this point, I'm sort of doing the same things over and over again... I'm ready. Let's go, people!

Falling in Love

Me, just finishing helping Will into shoes and jacket and ushering him out the door to school: "I love you, sweetheart."

Will, taking Paul's hand and looking back at me: "I luvu, seehart."

Red Cheeks

We got a call this afternoon from Will's school.

"We just wanted to make sure you knew that Will has a rash all over his body."

"Yup, we know."

"Okay. We just wanted to be sure!"

Yes. Will has had a rash for awhile. It started about when the fever broken over the Thanksgiving holiday while we were in Mobile. When we first noticed it, it was quite pronounced. I did the "tumbler test" to be satisfied that he didn't have some sort of blood infection and reminded myself that most rashes are usually benign. I remembered that roseola comes after fever and thought it could be that. And then just figured that it would take awhile to resolve and as long as he wasn't in any distress, he was okay.

Now I am thinking that he may have fifth disease. He's got those red "slapped" cheeks and a significant lacy rash all over his trunk and extremities. It's not much to be alarmed over, it's very common, and there really isn't any treatment for fifth disease (named because it's the "fifth" common rash illness... measles, rubella, scarlett fever, some fourth one and then fifth). But what is interesting is that it is very infectious (but now that he is in the rash stage, he isn't contagious) and can have complications in pregnant women. (Granted, it's rare. But gosh darn, I have honestly been tired as hell the last few days.)

As for Will's rash, I couldn't get a good picture of his cheeks (the red color washes out in the photos). But we did get a great one of the rash on his (ahem) other cheeks. I'd post it, but I'm afraid the crazy-people mafia would get me for indecency.

So much for everyone being well. First the cat. Then Will. Now what? (And one more day until comps!)

Wanna Cheez-It?

Humiliation, cat style

It started when Paul noticed something strange on the carpet.

"Uh ho."

From there, we saw the tell-tale signs... a cat was sick. Both ends. We cleaned up the messes, stripped the bed (that is of course where he ended up), and Paul took the cat to the shower.

This is Scout, a little less fluffy than usually and a lot more pissed. He'd deny it if you asked him, but I maintain that he really likes the hairdryer.

Hallelujah!

Kate McIntyre, head of the doctoral program, swooped down in her Superwoman cape this morning and -- with a few short sentences -- fixed the issue. Her final words:

"
So - everyone needs to send their questions to Penny and Carl by 10.00am tomorrow.
"

Yee-haw! We're on! So... back to studying...!

I think this sums up Tulane: faculty and staff that are truly well-meaning surrounded by ridiculous bureaucracy. Go Kate! I am *so happy* she came to my defense in this regard. I owe her a serious fruit basket.

Defining "blatant disregard"

From a report complied from a survey taken from the graduate students of Tulane's School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine (SPHTM) regarding the aftermath of the storm, the school, and students' frustrations:

"
It is apparent that as a whole, the SPHTM student body is grossly unsatisfied with Tulane's unwillingness to include us in their decision making processes. Many students are irate at Tulane's mistreatment of its constituents from August 29 onward. The disregard for the well being of the students, the pervasive uncertainty regarding our educational futures at Tulane, the questionable city infrastructure, and apprehension of the early class start date weighs heavily on the minds of many students. Unsubstantiated assurances that "things will be ready" do little to assuage these fears.

We see that some of us have opted to withdraw, but many more express a desire to return. However, this contingent is disappointed and disgusted with how silent our administration has been on matters of substance. Students are finding it difficult to reconcile their desire to return with Tulane's blatant disregard for its graduate students.
"

From Penny Jessop, program coordinator/student liasion/person who basically runs my department, to me, at 6:07pm last night... two days before the scheduled comps date:

"
After consultation with the faculty, we are going to ask you to take your comps on December 8th and 9th at the SPHTM building. This will be consistent with the conditions under which all other doctoral students have taken their comps. We do not know what the conditions of the SPHTM will be this Thursday as it is the first day we will be allowed back into the building. Thus we can not have you in the building on this thursday and friday to take the exams.
"

Prior to this, it was assumed that Tidewater would NOT be open. Members of my committee had suggested using my or their homes and assured me it would be fine, they'd done this sort of thing before. Why or how the use of the building became an issue, I have no idea. (Well, actually, I do have a hunch.) Nonetheless, what this does tell me is that my family and our planning around these dates (this Thursday and Friday) is inconsequental to the department; they could care less. Too bad if we have travel plans, day care arrangements, appointments, and general life events planned around the original dates (which we do).

I think this is exactly the kind of thing that exemplifies the "blatant disregard of graduate students" noted in the report above.

I feel like I just got stung by Mr. Freeze.

Thank you... someone!

Will received two packages today via UPS -- without sender or gift giver information. They were sent from Samsonite and contained two adorable turtle-style bags: the "Sammies" collection turtle mini backpack and duffle. (He already took a walk around the block with his backpack on, he's that in to it.)

We want to thank someone for their thoughtfulness, but we don't know who! So if it's you, let us know so we can sing your praises!

Life in New Orleans, three months later

During my study breaks, I read up on the local and national news regarding our current chosen home, New Orleans. It has been exactly three months since the rain and winds of Katrina pounded the city. Tomorrow it will be three months since the Army Corps of Engineer levee system, built incorrectly by the federal government and misrepresented in its safety and construction, failed, drowning 80% of the city and well over 1,000 of it's inhabitants.

Like many other tenacious and hardy folk, we have returned home. To those out-of-towners who have not seen the city in the flesh, who cannot grasp the reality of the devastation and heartbreak that is New Orleans, this is a sign that the city is coming back to normal. That life here is normal.

Nothing could be less true.

Three months after the storm, 4,000 people -- 4,000! -- are still missing. A small pocket of life exists along the banks of the Mississippi, where high ground and the action of the river protects our area of Uptown, including the Garden District, the Warehouse and Central Business District, the French Quarter, the Marginy, and the Bywater. We who live here are coming back. Businesses are slowly coming back, limited in staff and supplies. Power is slowly being restored. A few schools are opening to limited students and asking little or no tuition until the New Year. The community centers, churches, and schools that are functional still operate as relief stations, supply centers, and makeshift hospitals. Of the 8 hospitals in the city, 2 are partially functional. There is no trauma center.

The remainder of the city remains without power, without people, and under curfew. Homes are still being looted, bodies still being found. Driving through these areas is like entering a war zone. The little signs of life are tragic. Those who have come back live in tent communities in shopping center parking lots, awaiting trailers. Homeowners come out of their homes carrying the ruined debris of their lives, pausing to dry uncertain tears, and then go back inside for more. The lush green foliage that once covered the city struggles to survive through a blanket of silt, left behind by the murky, polluted water that blocked the sun for weeks. Stinking appliances await pick up on corners, the rotting smells pouring through the air regardless of how tightly sealed they sit. Mounds of debris, dotted with the muted color of a child's toy, line front yards. Blue liner has become a welcomed, happy sight. It lies in protection on the rooftops of homes that have hope. In areas where the floodwaters took away any hope of a homecoming, there is no blue to be seen.

Anytime we leave the small strip of our neighborhood, this is what we see. This is the reality of the city we share. This is what it looks like to be here. And what does it feel like? A city forgotten and abandoned by its country.

If any other major US city had experienced a tragedy this profound, would the story be the same? Three months later, would there still be no commitment, no plan, for protection and rebuilding? Would we abandon other vulnerable cities -- Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles -- the way we have abandoned New Orleans? Is it so easy forget that a third of the country's oil products, and much of the nation's trade, flow through these ports? Is it that easy to dismiss the cultural heritage born, bred, and celebrated in these streets? Are we so arrogant that it feels better to insult and place judgment on the misfortune of living near water than it does to commit to making this a safer place to live? The "Big One" will come, over and over again, to Los Angeles and San Francisco, moving them slowly up the west coast... yet would we ever suggest not rebuilding them?

Below are a few pictures of our drive back into the city this Saturday. They represent a small scale of the widespread devastation that wraps our neighborhood. They are antiseptic compared to the experience.

Tent homes, midcity. 

Slidell, north shore. 

Slidell, north shore. 

East New Orleans, near Six Flags, north of the bayou.

East New Orleans, along the bayou. 

Midcity, flooded car awaits pickup. Thousands of ruined vehicles remain in the streets. 

Colorful debris of a daycare center, midcity/gentilly 

Famous headquarters of the beloved Zulu Krewe. 

Midcity 

Midcity 

Thanksgiving 2005!

Keeping with tradition, the four of us played "Settlers of Catan" -- three games while Will slept. Breaking from tradition (which is that Skip usually beats us to pieces) I actually won *all three* games! (Granted, they were seriously close games.) Still, we took it as a sign that this is going to be a good week of luck for me as I prepare to take comps on Thursday and Friday...yikes!

Will, with goofy grin, helps PapPap vacuum the house Friday morning. 

Paul helps Will open birthday presents from Aunt Emily and Uncle Skip: a cool Sesame Street ABC book/DVD and a Little People Doodle Pro!  

Thanksgiving Dinner! On the menu: turkey (for the meat eaters), stuffed portobello mushrooms caps (for the veggies), stuffing, Randy's mushroom gravy (and turkey gravy), pineapple goodie (my new favorite T-Day recipe), baked ziti, mashed potatoes (my Mom's are the world's best), green beans, corn, and cranberry sauce.

New Favorite Thanksgiving Recipe

I highly suggest you try it... what a surprise treat! (You know it will be good when it comes from Mrs. St.Denis, who, like my Mother, is a chef extraordinaire.)

Pineapple Goodie

2 - 15 oz cans pineapple, drained

1 cup sugar

6 Tbls flour

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

dash vanilla

Combine above ingredients and put in small, greased casserole.

Topping:

1 cup crushed Ritz crackers (about 1 sleeve)

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup nuts, optional

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes

Will "helps" everyone decorate the Christmas tree while Granna finishes Thanksgiving dinner. (I made mushroom gravy and finished the stuffed portobello mushrooms for Emily, Paul, and I that morning.) This is about when we began to reinforce the "one finger touch" rule with Will.  

Will and Uncle Skip hang out on Thanksgiving! 

While waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, Will plays in his "cowboy jacket" -- a birthday gift from a our neighbor, Chris. Will *loves* the jacket and once he has it on, is not friendly to the idea of taking it off.  

Got Olie?

We discovered the essense of being a parent tonight as we scoured the city of Mobile for ANYTHING related to Rolie Polie Olie.

Little man was really rough today. We had a hard time controlling his fever and getting him to drink (forget eating) was equally difficult. We did okay forcing medicine, although any and all techniques (nose holding, plungers, chewables, dissolvables, hiding in drink or food, and more) are basically for not. The kid is good. Through his tears, he kept asking for "Olie"... which was hard because we could not deliver. (At home, we have Olie episodes recorded on TiVo.) So, when we got back to Mobile after the prenatal appointment in Pensacola, while Will took a much needed nap, we went on the search for Olie.

First stop: Toys'R'Us. Five employees in three departments... no Olie. *Nothing* Olie. They even have pictures of Olie up on the wall in the video department... but no Olie. Yes for JoJo, Koala Brothers, Thomas, Bob, Higglytown Heros, JayJay, even Shanna's Show... but no Olie.

Second stop: Disney Store. (We had to go to the mall to return something for my Mom.) We found stuffed toys of Zowie (Olie's sister) and Spot (Olie's dog). But no Olie.

Third stop: Target. (Within the mall.) Nothing.

Fourth stop: Barnes and Noble. Finally! Three books!!! At $15.99/each. We bought one, the official "Rolie Polie Olie" book that started it all.

Meanwhile, at the *fourth* Blockbuster she called, my Mom got lucky... they had *one* Olie video in stock. So, on our fifth stop, we picked up an Olie video. At this point, we were ready to sell our souls for Olie.

Finally, we got home moments after Will woke up from his nap. His excitement over the Olie book was worth every stop. And more. What lengths a parent will go to just to make their sick kid happy!

We are now resolved to find every d*!# Olie thing we can via the internet and stock up.

Prenatal Check-up

The stats:

BP: 104/60
Weight gain: zero! (we're trying to hold weight since I started the pregnancy with more weight than desired)
Baby's heart rate: ~150
My diet: very good, getting well over 80 grams of protein daily. Need to keep fat intake less than 30% of calories

Other stuff:
Signed off on NOT doing alpha feta protein test
Arranged for 20 week ultrasound right before Christmas (and before Peru)
Placenta is on the front of my uterus... need to make sure that it didn't attach to my scar. Hopefully, the uterine muscle will have stretched enough by 20 weeks to tell. Otherwise, we'll have to do another ultrasound in early March to be sure.
Enjoyed wonderful early dinner at Petrella's Italian restaurant -- a tiny local joint in the strip mall across the street from the Birth Center.

Taking his medicine

It was too easy this afternoon. I should have known right off the bat that it was too easy, I was lucky, it wasn't always going to be like this.

Will saw right through the "medicine in the chocolate milk" tonight. While he was content to hold his milk ("my milk!" he told us over and over again), he was not so interested in drinking it. We tried a "big boy cup" (ie: a regular glass) and got a few sips. We went to a sippy cup, without regulator, and got a few more. Then we went to the straw, where we got the most. Then back to a regular sippy cup with regulator, which crashed and burned.

So, we then went the old-fashioned route: spoon forced into the mouth. Will has developed a great technique for holding liquid in his mouth until the convenient moment when he can spit it out. So, that didn't go over too well.

*sigh* Well, he *did* drink half of the milk... and maybe some of the medicine went down via the spoon... we'll have to catch him when he is thirsty at meal times. Better luck tomorrow, we decided. And Will went off to bed.

Any and all techniques of getting a toddler to take medicine are appreciated!

Some firsts on his second

Today is Will's second birthday. However, we are dealing with some firsts:

- Will's first "real" illness: an ear infection in his left ear. Mom's intutition was right on... I am *so* glad I insisted on keeping him home from school until I spoke to the pediatrician... and I am *so* glad she suggested bringing him in for an appointment! Go me for trusting my instinct that something felt wrong.

- And likewise, his first prescription! For amoxicillin... the same thing I am on right now. For Will, it comes in the pink bubble gum flavor, 2x a day.

Happy Birthday, Will!

Today is Will's 2nd Birthday!

Which he greeted this morning with a runny nose and congested chest. Last night was just about the most restless night Will has had in a long, long time. He spent most of it in bed with Paul and I, sniffling, tossing, and turning. Poor little guy.

So, no school for Will today. I called the pediatrician this morning and she felt that coming in to get checked out was a good idea. So we've got an appointment in an hour.

THE BIRTHDAY BOY!

All snazzed up and ready for his first ever birthday party!

Happy 2nd Birthday Will!

Decorations for Will's birthday! We had the party outside -- using our neighbors' driveways to set up chairs, balloons, a kids' table, food tables, and space for kids to run around and play! 

PapPap and Will... setting up for the party!

PapPap Scheib and Nana Nancy stop to show Will the fun party toys while we finish setting up for the party!