Happy Birthday

This time last year was hard for me because it would've been or darn near close to my baby's first birthday. Today, I am smiling because I know that my baby is in heaven looking down at it's cousin because he turned 14 and it's Grandma because she turned 56. I am not crying this time and it feels good. I know that I am better than what I was last year. I just really can't wait to get pregnant again. I know that I will in time, it's just that I am a bit impatient that's all. April 4th is when we go to the doctor to see what steps we need to take in order to get me pregnant again. I am thinking that the doctor should just give me Clomid (a fertility drug) and see how that goes. I have heard that there's wicked side effects, but I am ready for them. I have taken drugs that leave a metallic taste in my mouth, make me become an insomniac, and there's one that I forgot to take food with it, and boy did it kick my butt in a bad way! So, bring on side effects!! There's nothing and I do repeat nothing that can bring me down. One thing can bring me down. And that is the doctor telling me that I can't concieve again. I don't want to think about that right now. If that's the case though, James and I will adopt. I hate to sound selfish, but I want a child that James and I made together. Does that sound so bad? I am going to be writing on here more often to talk about the journey that James and I will go through and how it's affecting us as a couple. I just hope and pray that this will bring us even closer than we are now. Goodness, when I thought that I had to have my gallbladder removed, he was there for me, when it turned out it was just H-Pylori, he was there for me, when I had my scope done (even though he had to work), he was there for me. Every now and then I forget that I have an awesome husband, but then when things happen to me, it reminds me that indeed I do have an awesome husband and I couldn't thank God more! Until the next post, have a great Saturday and God bless!

Random Thought

According to Wikipedia, the definition of a Sore Throat is: A throat pain is a common physical symptom usually caused by acute pharyngitis, or throat inflammation, though it also occurs in a number of other situations, such as post trauma and in diphtheria. It can cause mild to extreme pain. Treatment for Sore throat is: Analgesics such as NSAIDs (Ibuprofen) and paracetamol (acetaminophen) help significantly in the management of pain.Steroids are also useful in this respect. The Mayo clinic mentions some tips, including gargling with warm, salty water, resting the voice and avoiding air pollution.

The following came from a website I found named Remedies. The discomfort of a sore throat can be from a number of reasons including a bacterial or viral infection to the throat. A scratchy, irritated throat can also be a result of laryngopharyngeal reflux. If there are white spot on tonsils and sore throat pain, this may be a result of a viral contagious infection which will respond to antibiotics. If a high fever, enlarged lymph nodes, rash, or continuous pain for several days is present, it is best to see a doctor for the appropriate medication. Untreated strep throat can lead to other serious health conditions like kidney inflammation and rheumatic fever. Bacterial infections may not necessarily need antibiotics. However, there are some sore throat home remedies which may ease the symptoms of any type of sore throat, whether antibiotics are also needed or not.

Here are ten of the top sore throat home remedies:

1. Have a cup of something warm like tea with a bit of honey or lemon.

2. Blend a half teaspoon of salt to a cup of water and gargle with this mixture several time a day.

3. While sore throat remedies include drinking warm liquids, a cold popsicle or frozen fruit bar would also be as soothing to some.

4. Throat lozenges or hard candies will increase the saliva and be very helpful for a sore throat. Since this can be a choking hazard, this remedy is best for adults only.

5. Keep moisture in the air by use of a humidifier or vaporizer. If you do not have one handy, add steam in the air by boiling a big pot of water for a few minutes.

6. Take a long, steamy shower. This will be beneficial just as a humidifier would be.

7. Over the counter medications like acetaminophen should be used for pain. Children should not be given aspirin products.

8. Analgesic spray squirted to the throat is a topical treatment to ease pain.

9. To keep you throat sufficiently lubricated, drink plenty of water, at least 8 to 10 glasses per day.

10. Get plenty of rest so your body has the full strength to fight the infection.

Why am I talking about this? Reason is because I had a scope done to see what was wrong with my stomach (come to find out that I had H-Pylori but that's a different subject all together) and the doctors told me that my throat would be a little sore for a day or two. That was February 11. Today is March 24th and it's still sore. It has gotten worse to the point that I am being referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Specialist. I went to the Doctor's yesterday and he gave me a Z-Pak, Medrol Dose Pak, and Liquid Hydrocodone 7.5. He also told me that I shouldn't work because I should rest my voice. I tried that yesterday and I believe only one person helped me with that and let me tell you, it wasn't pleasant. So as of today and tomorrow, I am not working. Don't worry, I have personal and sick hours to use (thank goodness!!!). So I am just going to relax here at home and just do nothing. James is in Ithaca until next Thursday so I will just make myself useful and again, not do anything. Feels quite good to be honest. I just hope that I don't have Mono (they thought I could have that even though they didn't test me yet).

I guess I called this entry, Random Thought because I was really frustrated at work because I wanted to rest my voice and unfortunately it wasn't a success. First entry of 2011 and this is what I write about?! Go figure! Hey, it's a start, right? Until the next entry, have a great weekend and God Bless!

I'm Happy for You...Really

Well, yesterday, I did the unthinkable at work. I cried. I cried so hard that it made one Pharmacist cry, too. The Pharmacy Manager announced that she's pregnant. You would think that they were happy tears, but in fact, they weren't. They were jealous tears. I so want to be pregnant again it's not even funny.
I know that I will become pregnant again, it's all up to God and when he wants me to, but lately I have been a little too impatient. Going on Facebook isn't a good thing for someone who wants to be pregnant again. I just read that someone is expecting and another one just gave birth. It makes me happy for them and yet sad for me. I know I will be pregnant again, I just can't stress about it because it only makes it worse.

Too Much Information?

****Warning, this entry may contain information that you may not want to read let alone hear, but I need to talk about it and this is the only place I think deems appropriate****
As some of you or whoever reads this, James and I are trying to conceive again.
I started getting UTIs back in April after James and I decided that was a good time to start again after miscarrying. The first time I had one, I had no CLUE to what was going on. I was such in pain that I took acetominophen three times that day hoping it would get rid of it and it did...for that day...and it continued to go on and on for months like this until when I was here in Lawrence and went to the ER and they told me that I had a UTI.
The problem with trying to conceive again is the fact that I keep on getting UTIs (Urinary Tract Infections) and I feel that it will be a burden for me. But I have yet to give up. Looking on the Internet and reading online to see or let alone read that I am not alone in this makes me feel better. In fact, it feels good to know that there's hope for me. I will get insurance beginning in January and when that happens, I can see an OBGYN and see what she has to say in the matter. I found these tips online and I figure that this is and I do mean this is the only way I can treat myself for now: go to the bathroom before and after you make love, drink tons and tons of cranberry juice and water.
Just by doing the following of what I just mentioned, I think make that I know that I will still be getting UTIs but not as often. I know that I can get through anything with God and James by my side, but there are times that I feel that I am defeated by this thing. Then again, I know that I am not and I won't back down either.

Random Thoughts....

According to Wikipedia, A hug is a form of physical intimacy, not necessarily sexual, that usually involves closing or holding the arms around another person or group of persons. The hug is one of the most common human signs of love and affection, along with kissing. Unlike some other forms of physical intimacy, it is practiced publicly and privately without stigma in many countries, religions and cultures, within families, and also across age and gender lines.
Sometimes, hugs are a romantic exchange. Hugs may also be exchanged as a sign of support and comfort. A hug can be a demonstration of affection and emotional warmth, sometimes arising out of joy or happiness at meeting someone.
Brief in most cases, it is used to show many levels of affection. It is not particular to human beings alone, as there are many species of animals that engage in similar exchanges of warmth.
Hugging has been proven to have health benefits. One study has shown that hugs increase levels of oxytocin, and reduce blood pressure.
There are different variations of hugs. Prolonged hugging in a cozy, comfortable position is called cuddling. Spooning is a cuddling position, a kind of hugging when both the hugger and the hugged persons face the same direction, i.e., the front of one person is in contact with the back of the second one. The person whose front is in contact with the other's back is referred to as the "Big Spoon" and the person whose back is in contact with the other's front in referred to as the "Little Spoon". In May 2009, the New York Times reported that "the hug has become the favorite social greeting when teenagers meet or part these days" in the United States.
Despite hugging being widespread across human culture, several cultures - such as the Himba in Namibia - do not embrace as a sign of affection or love.

The following came from an article that I found on NY Times Website:
"For Teenagers, Hello Means, 'How About a Hug?'"
There is so much hugging at Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, N.J., that students have broken down the hugs by type: There is the basic friend hug, probably the most popular, and the bear hug, of course. But now there is also the bear claw, when a boy embraces a girl awkwardly with his elbows poking out. There is the hug that starts with a high-five, then moves into a fist bump, followed by a slap on the back and an embrace.
There’s the shake and lean; the hug from behind; and, the newest addition, the triple — any combination of three girls and boys hugging at once.
“We’re not afraid, we just get in and hug,” said Danny Schneider, a junior at the school, where hallway hugging began shortly after 7 a.m. on a recent morning as students arrived. “The guy friends, we don’t care. You just get right in there and jump in.”
There are romantic hugs, too, but that is not what these teenagers are talking about.
Girls embracing girls, girls embracing boys, boys embracing each other — the hug has become the favorite social greeting when teenagers meet or part these days. Teachers joke about “one hour” and “six hour” hugs, saying that students hug one another all day as if they were separated for the entire summer.
A measure of how rapidly the ritual is spreading is that some students complain of peer pressure to hug to fit in. And schools from Hillsdale, N.J., to Bend, Ore., wary in a litigious era about sexual harassment or improper touching — or citing hallway clogging and late arrivals to class — have banned hugging or imposed a three-second rule.
Parents, who grew up in a generation more likely to use the handshake, the low-five or the high-five, are often baffled by the close physical contact. “It’s a wordless custom, from what I’ve observed,” wrote Beth J. Harpaz, the mother of two boys, 11 and 16, and a parenting columnist for The Associated Press, in a new book, “13 Is the New 18.”
“And there doesn’t seem to be any other overt way in which they acknowledge knowing each other,” she continued, describing the scene at her older son’s school in Manhattan. “No hi, no smile, no wave, no high-five — just the hug. Witnessing this interaction always makes me feel like I am a tourist in a country where I do not know the customs and cannot speak the language.”
For teenagers, though, hugging is hip. And not hugging?
“If somebody were to not hug someone, to never hug anybody, people might be just a little wary of them and think they are weird or peculiar,” said Gabrielle Brown, a freshman at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in Manhattan.
Comforting as the hug may be, principals across the country have clamped down. “Touching and physical contact is very dangerous territory,” said Noreen Hajinlian, the principal of George G. White School, a junior high school in Hillsdale, N.J., who banned hugging two years ago. “It was needless hugging — they are in the hallways before they go to class. It wasn’t a greeting. It was happening all day.”
Schools that have limited hugging invoked longstanding rules against public displays of affection, meant to maintain an atmosphere of academic seriousness and prevent unwanted touching, or even groping.
But pro-hugging students say it is not a romantic or sexual gesture, simply the “hello” of their generation. “We like to get cozy,” said Katie Dea, an eighth grader at Claire Lilienthal Alternative School in San Francisco. “The high-five is, like, boring.”
Some sociologists said that teenagers who grew up in an era of organized play dates and close parental supervision are more cooperative with one another than previous generations — less cynical and individualistic and more loyal to the group.
But Amy L. Best, a sociologist at George Mason University, said the teenage embrace is more a reflection of the overall evolution of the American greeting, which has become less formal since the 1970s. “Without question, the boundaries of touch have changed in American culture,” she said. “We display bodies more readily, there are fewer rules governing body touch and a lot more permissible access to other people’s bodies.”
Hugging appears to be a grass-roots phenomenon and not an imitation of a character or custom on TV or in movies. The prevalence of boys’ nonromantic hugging (especially of other boys) is most striking to adults. Experts say that over the last generation, boys have become more comfortable expressing emotion, as embodied by the MTV show “Bromance,” which is now a widely used term for affection between straight male friends.
But some sociologists pointed out that African-American boys and men have been hugging as part of their greeting for decades, using the word “dap” to describe a ritual involving handshakes, slaps on the shoulders and, more recently, a hug, also sometimes called the gangsta hug among urban youth.
“It’s something you grow up doing,” said Mazi Chiles, a junior at South Gwinnett High School in Snellville, Ga., who is black. “But you don’t come up to a dude and hug, you start out with a handshake.”
Some parents find it paradoxical that a generation so steeped in hands-off virtual communication would be so eager to hug.
“Maybe it’s because all these kids do is text and go on Facebook so they don’t even have human contact anymore,” said Dona Eichner, the mother of freshman and junior girls at the high school in Montvale.
She added: “I hug people I’m close to. But now you’re hugging people you don’t even know. Hugging used to mean something.”
There are, too, some young critics of hugging.
Amy Heaton, a freshman at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Bethesda, Md., said casual social hugging seemed disingenuous to her. “Hugging is more common in my opinion in people who act like friends,” she said. “It’s like air-kissing. It’s really superficial.”
But Carrie Osbourne, a sixth-grade teacher at Claire Lilienthal Alternative School, said hugging was a powerful and positive sign that children are inclined to nurture one another, breaking down barriers. “And it gets to that core that every person wants to feel cared for, regardless of your age or how cool you are or how cool you think you are,” she said.
As much as hugging is a physical gesture, it has migrated online as well. Facebook applications allowing friends to send hugs have tens of thousands of fans. Katie Dea, the San Francisco eighth grader, as well as Olivia Brown, 11, who lives in Manhattan and is the younger sister of Gabrielle, the LaGuardia High freshman, have a new sign-off for their text and e-mail messages: *hug.*

I am not quite sure why I am writing a post about hugs. Maybe it's because whenever I am down or just having a bad day, James always gives me a hug and it makes me feel better. Then again, on Wednesday, I was walking towards the breakroom and one of my co-workers, Nick just asked me if I was mad and I said I wasn't, but out of no where, he gave me a hug and it made my day go from bad to great in that moment. I don't know what the deal is with men giving women hugs, women giving women hugs, women giving men hugs and men giving men hugs. In other words, if a man gives a woman a hug, people would wonder if there is something going on between them and vice versa. When a woman gives another woman a hug, it's usually a sign of hello or just to comfort them if they are having a bad day. To be honest with you, I have never seen a man do that to another man. I guess they (meaning men) pat them on the back and it's "understood" of what they are trying to say.

Another random thought brought to you by yours truly!