The color of infinity inside an empty glass

Mr. Robert has taken a step backwards. Something's changed and the reflux is acting up again. It isn't as bad as it was before, but it's worse than it was immediately after Buffalo. K thinks it might be the water (it's harder here in DC), but that makes no sense to me. I think we're planning to actually catch the GI specialist by phone today (I know K tried last night but apparently we didn't get the signal in the basement).

We started watching the new America: The Story of Us, Mini-Series on History and, surprisingly, I'm really enjoying it. It might be the kind of thing we have to buy for Mr. Robert. It's.. a pretty nice recreation of key events in America's past, starting with Jamestown (they skipped over Roanoke, but since no one knows what HAPPENED in Roanoke, I can see why), hitting the mayflower, the creation of the 13 colonies and then an explanation as to how a group of rebels managed to win a war against the best military of their time.

That's what I've seen so far, it's a 12-episode mini-series. Looks like the next episodes touch on Manifest Destiny and the lead up to the Civil War.

Was surprised they skipped the construction of the constitution, would think it was a defining moment in American History. Was surprised they only briefly mentioned the Declaration of Independence.

Honestly, I've enjoyed how they mentioned things even *I* didn't know (Patrick Henry wasn't just a radical, but the richest man in Boston), and also them bringing it back not just to the famous faces like General Washington, but a man who served in Washington's army since the loss of New York all the way to Yorktown. I'm sure they totally raided the basement of the Smithsonian, but somehow hearing about less famous people who were there in history and their accounts felt a little more real.

As I said, I'm surprised by how much I've liked the miniseries so far. If you're into American History, check it out on the History Channel.

I can't help but feel angry. Angry at how often we tried to get the doctors to believe us that the boy was spitting up an awful lot, that he was too gassy, that.. that.. that.

We've gone to the doctors multiple times with what was likely all the same problem. The first few times, they tried to pass it off as normal. Those doctors should be shot.

Then we got frankly STUPID advice. One says to K "He's probably sucking in too much air when you burp him. Burp him less."

Nobody mentioned that he wasn't gaining like he was supposed to. Nobody told us that the kid was not doing well.

And that's why the only reason I'm agreeing to stay with these idiots is if we get this Dr. Stewart K finally got Monday. Because I am hugely unimpressed right now.

Luckily, the boy has a GI specialist appointment today. We're coming in, armed to the teeth, ready to fight for them to stop dicking around and telling us what is going on with our boy and how we can fight it.

This is the sounds of a father who's had it with his son being sick and so-called medical professionals not giving good answers. Compiling the boy's medical history reminds me just how much stupid we've had to deal with. And I'm not accepting any anymore.

The good news was the weather. It was a glorious weekend, weather-wise, with temperatures in the low 70s, comfortable enough to keep the windows open during the day and air the house out.

The bad news was yesterday..

We had noticed a... tenuous causal link (that is, we can't scientifically back it up, but it seems to be the case) between the amount of dairy K has and.. the poor boy having alot of uncomfortable gas and having a bad day.

Saturday, K had desert. It was chocolate-peanut butter cake. I didn't think there would be THAT much milk in it (in fact, I'm the one that egged K on to have it, since she's been entirely dairy free for two weeks), but poor boy spent most of Sunday an utter wreck. Gassy and spitting up and just.. having a bad day.

It seems to have settled down this morning, but if it hasn't, K is going to call the doctor and see if she can get an appointment in.

Meanwhile, K's family is asking (begging) K to come down for Easter. EVERYONE wants to meet Robert. I think she's considering it, but there'd be some issues, the biggest simply being the amount of stuff they'd need to take up (cosleeper, possibly stroller, etc.) and the other being her getting home.
It's up to her. If she does go, I'll stay home and watch the cats.
And catch up on sleep.
And play video games like CRAZY.
And probably go see "Alice" again, because that movie was awesome. :D And because K would kill me if I saw another better movie without her.

But we'll see.

It also turns out the next weekend, the weekend I'm heading up to say goodbye to my friend Kim (we're spreading her ashes in a park of her choosing north of Baltimore), there's a free acapella concert (the New Dominions. We enjoy their concerts) in Vienna I definitely want to go to. Not a problem in and of itself We'd probably just need to head out by 4:30 or 5:00 (and honestly, with the boy, if he comes, I dunno how long we'd be able to hang ANYWAYS.)

And that's all the news that's worth mentioning.

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In other news, the house passed the Senate Bill and FINALLY we have.. some small measure of Health Care reform.

I do agree with those that say that what we did wasn't so much a success for the bill itself so much as a message that we, the country, believe Americans have the right to affordable healthcare. Lots and lots of people have talked about affordable healthcare for years and years. No one has done anything about it, hithertoforward.

The bill, as it stands, is not a success in and of itself, but as a starting place, as a message on America's right TO afforable health care, it was a success.

Especially given the antics of those on the other side (Death Panels, indeed.)

The new bill doesn't do everything I think it should do. But it's a start, and some reform, I truly believe, is better than status quo.

I'm tired.
I'm sure this shocks no one who has ever raised a newborn.
Monday night was a bad night. I think his circumcision site must have hurt. We couldn't get him to relax and he kept peeing on everything. His clothes, his sheets, the bed, everything. I don't think there's any surfaces left in the house he hasn't peed on yet.
.. ok, sorta half-joking there.

He's doing better now and we even got him to take to his cosleeper a bit yesterday, which was great. But...

... wow, having a newborn is so exhausting.

That's about all, I guess.
Smaller post than usual for me, I guess.