Cold Rainy Mayday

I’m running late for work.  We had to clean up before the cleaning people arrive today.  Dave and I don’t need cleaners as much as we need the threat of cleaner coming by.  That seems to inspire us to actually pick up our house. 

I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow to go over my blood tests.  I spent 1 hour at the doctor’s office on Tuesday waiting for a 5 minute blood draw.  I could have just found a blood drive for a quicker, free test to see if I am anemic.  Conor, so far, is not having any constipation, but that may also be because we’ve upped his prune intake at breakfast.  We’re also adding pureed meat and mushed up beans to his diet.  (He’s digging the beans)  We asked his daycare providers who said that Conor eats a wider variety of foods than all of the other children in the daycare, so we really think that I am the culprit.  I also checked that the vast majority of the food we give him are what is recommended for babies to increase their iron (iron fortified cereal, sweet potatoes, tofu, prunes, etc)

Yes, breastmilk contains very little iron, but it does contain some and, more importantly, babies absorb iron from breastmilk better than from any other food.  If I’m not supplying any iron from my boobs, then that might be it.  The other concern is that Dave has a family history of pernicious anemia.  If I am not the source of his anemia, then it could likely be that problem which is a completely different animal with completely different treatments.  I want to know sooner rather so we can properly address the problem.  (I really don’t know that much about pernicious anemia versus the type of anemia I usually have, but since they both contain the word “anemia” I think they are likely to show up as “anemic” on a blood test)

Bummed

I’m also really, really bummed because I thought I was going to be able to announce today that I was granted a sabbatical to focus on my research for next year.  But I didn’t win one.  I really thought I had a great application/proposal, but found out yesterday that my proposal wasn’t funded.  I know it doesn’t make sense to regular folks outside of academia, but here’s the scoop.  Yes, professors teach.  But professors also do research, and honestly, at many universities, our research counts more than our teaching.  This sabbatical would have reduced my teaching load to one class a semester for a year so that I could finally write up the EIGHT projects I have sitting on my desk right now.  This would really help my tenure prospects. 

Now, I’m going to have to, again, work late nights and Sundays to try to get these out.  Dave and I really need to finish the office so that I can leave the house and go to an office, but still stay home.  It makes me angry that I need to work 6 days a week to do my job.  And that’s not 6 days a week in a crunch.  That’s 6 days a week regularly.  I don’t know of many research productive professors who don’t work 6 days a week.  I didn’t have a child so that someone else could take care of him 6 out of the 7 days of every week.  I honestly feel like crying right now. 

I honestly don’t know how I’m going to get the work done I need to get done in the next 10 days until the end of the semester.  Dave is out of town next week and I am going to have to work late nights.  I really, really wanted that sabbatical to catch up and get ahead on my research. 

Quilts

On a lighter note, check out my sister-in-law’s sister’s quilts.  This one is amazing; it’s based on this picture.  I had seen the quilt Jen made for my brother and SIL’s wedding, which was beyond beautiful, but the parrot one is like a painting.  Here is a link to the Costa Rican quilt project that Jen and a friend are putting together.  Amazing. 

8:47:25 AM