In Other News...

Two big things happened yesterday - Caitlin had her followup appointment with her pediatrician thanks to the bad case of pneumonia she had last week, and he gave her a clean bill of health! He told Cherylle that he hadn't gotten too dramatic about it when he'd first looked at her, but at the time the pneumonia was in both lungs and looked really bad - but she's a little fighter, and despite fighting the antibiotics too she's cleared up completely.

Second, Caitlin finally took her first steps! She timed it perfectly so that Cherylle and I were both there to see them, too. We'd just finished parent group, and I was standing near the door talking to another parent while Cherylle was on the floor with Caitlin getting her ready to go. Caitlin, who has been experimenting with standing on her own more and more lately, was standing mostly without Cherylle's help and trying to get my attention, and since that meant she wasn't paying attention to herself, Cherylle backed away and left her standing completely unsupported. I came over and crouched down in front of her and put my hands out just out of reach and called her to come over, and without thinking she took two tiny, shaky steps and grabbed my hands!! That was so exciting to see, although I'm terrified of what it means... She's gonna be getting into even more trouble at home! LOL

Also, now that she's gotten over her pneumonia, she's cutting two huge molars on her bottom jaw that are really bothering her. She was completely miserable last night and didn't sleep well at all, even after getting dosed with Motrin. Hopefully they'll break through quickly and it won't take too long...

Finally, Tuesday was an amazing day in our household. I have two bi-racial kids, and have always been aware that it means they will be treated differently in some settings. Cherylle and I have heard the snide comments (particularly when we still lived in Bakersfield, the dustbowl of California) as long as we've been dating, and we are realistic about what that means for our kids growing up. But when you see a person of mixed race, with an Islamic middle name, and a multinational upbringing, being sworn in as president of the greatest country on earth, it really means something special. I know I have friends, both offline and on, from all sides of the political spectrum, and for many of you the current president was certainly not your first choice. What I hope we all take away from this, no matter what you feel about the current political climate, is the need for all of us to become more involved in the community around us. This country cannot survive if we all sit back and assume that somebody else will take care of things. The idea of a national day of service is a great one, but it needs to go well beyond that. Please, find a way to contribute. If your church has a social outreach program beyond just preaching, please participate. If not, or if you are not a church-goer, please find a community center or program that needs help. Feed the homeless. Donate blood. Donate clothes. Volunteer with a non-profit service agency and help that way. Join the LPA and volunteer with them. There are many parents who don't know that their kids are okay just the way they are - find them and help. Our chapter is working on a food drive for the holidays, since we know several people within our chapter who really need the help. Take ownership of this country and we can really change things for the better!



PS - tomorrow is Caitlin's followup with the ENT so hopefully I'll have more to say then!