News

Nate's got a little lump in his right hand, and our fabulous, wonderful pediatricians sent us to Children's Hospital to get it checked out. Never, ever go to Children's alone. The sights are so sad. Everywhere you look, there's a little one in a wheelchair, or with an IV.

Nate's problem is small, but they want to operate and remove it. It's a ganglion of the tendon sheath, and if he was an adult they'd just drain it, but the babies tend to move and scream and generally make life hard on the doctors. I couldn't care less about the surgery part, it's the anesthesia that makes my heart clench. I don't care if they take off his whole arm, just let him be alive at the end of the surgery.

I'm taking him for a second opinion next week, and if they agree the surgery will be on February 1st.

On a more fun note, Nate played with his toes for the first time tonight. It's such a classic baby move. The problem was that every time he reached for them his foot would move out of the way. Conflicting interests.

And how's this for coincidental:

Ages ago (10 years?!?!) I worked at People For the American Way with a woman named Kendra. She was super and fabulous and funny, and I really enjoyed her company. I even participated in her wedding. As things go, we fell out of touch about 5 years ago when she and her husband headed off to law school.

Late nights nursing have me thinking about the past (and about the bills, and college tuition, and what I ate for dinner, and flossing, and you get the picture). I googled her a few days ago, and found her at a law firm in New York. Sent off an e-mail, and actually heard back. More than that - she and husband are here in DC! Along with baby boy, 8 months.

We pick up the phone and spend some time catching up. Make a date for our kids to sumo wrestle (hers was 10 pounds 13 ounces!). Then, in the elevator at Children's Hospital two days ago, her husband is standing right next to me.

I'm still shaking my head over this one. Five years of no contact, back in touch for two days, and meet up in an elevator at a hospital? (And no, he wasn't stalking me. Their boy was having a bit of tummy trouble, but he's okay.)

So that's a benefit of nursing - meeting up with old friends. Right now, it's about the only benefit I can think of. Off to sleep for two hours before the boy demands more liquidy-goodness.