A Whole Lot of Random…and an Ear

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The funny thing about remaining in the parish where you used to work full time is that there are a lot of people who know you, but don’t see you for months (or years, in a big parish). Last night, I went into the office building to retrieve the kids after choir practice and met a group of people coming out from an adult ed program. I left Michael in his car seat in the hallway and went downstairs to round up the kids, and when we came back up, one of the women was leaning over the car seat oohing and ahing over Michael. As the gaggle of choir kids passed her, she looked up, puzzled, then looked back at me and whispered, “Are they all yours?”

I glanced after them. “All but the one in the tae kwan do uniform,” I said.

The look on her face was priceless. “Do you ever sleep?” she said.

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I simply must reiterate how awesome our mommy-daughter date was. This is not at all the type of thing I would go for ordinarily, but it was a great, great opportunity to do something with Julianna. And all day on Thursday she wanted to cuddle up to me and hug me. Cleary she valued the quality time, too.

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It was also fun to get to see a high school classmate at the event–a fellow mother of a child with Down’s, and someone I’ve been talking to via phone, email & Facebook, but hadn’t actually seen in twenty years. (Wow.)

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I am more or less deaf in one ear. Still. Nine days after starting antibiotics. I have developed great sympathy for the elderly dealing with hearing loss. Mostly what I hear these days is Tinnitus on speed: screaming high-pitches in the left ear. I can’t tell if there’s traffic noise or not when I walk outside, and last night I had to turn my head to hear what Alex was asking me at dinner.

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Persistent fluid on the ear is no fun, and even less so for a breastfeeding mother. Last week, in trying to ward off the infection that now rules my every moment, I discovered the hard way that a breastfeeding mom should not take Sudafed. When I talked to the lactation consultant yesterday, she told me one tablet of Sudafed suppresses your milk supply for twenty-four hours. I took four in a twenty-four hour period, and Michael was on the breast nonstop for four days. I couldn’t tell at the time if it was Sudafed or him recovering from being sick or hitting a growth spurt…but now I know.

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Unfortunately, the doctor wants me to take Sudafed (along with Afrin) to clear the fluid caught in my ear. I spoke to the lactation consultant, who told me to use the Afrin, but not the Sudafed– I’m leery of Afrin because of the potential for addiction, but I’m trying it. I’m on my third dose…but I haven’t seen one bit of change in my ear. That part of me that is prone to irrational panic is on a repeating loop that says I’m dealing with a new reality that will last the rest of my life unless I go to the ENT and have them drain it.

At least everyone else is well. More or less.

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All right, enough of the ear.

On the cusp of Lent, book promotion’s been taking center stage lately. I’ve had two reviews online (here and here), and I’ve done two book signings in the last week, with another one next weekend at my home parish–home as in where I grew up. And radio interviews in the works–one on SonRise and the other with The Catholics Next Door. That one was supposed to be this week but had to be rescheduled at their end…and considering the state of my ear, I thought that was probably not a bad thing.  I’m beginning to realize that it’s time to get my act together so we’re ready for Lent! It’s just been hard to focus on anything other than the pressure in my head.

And we’re back to the ear. Obviously it’s time to quit. Have a good weekend, and please pray for me!