Shot Put

The consensus seems to be that I cannot get rid of the stupid curly hair that is currently surfing above the normal wavy hair; I can only try to cram it down somehow. Damn it. Meanwhile Steve assures me that it actually is a big deal to replace all of the tacky brass fixtures in our bathroom (I did not mention this before now - I don't tell you every little thing you know - but I was lobbying for a 'quick cheap and easy' bathroom refresh.) So there I was bursting with the need to make something in my life look less dated and... goodbye purple blog; hello ivory.

It is a work in progress so feel free to tell me what you think. I like the griffin, like the photo, like the font... not sure about the color. My primary goal is that the text needs to be readable so you tell me if you think the background in the main column should be white. I cannot decide. We can vote. I vote maybe.

The left side of my face has been going numb off and on for a week. It feels like that last thirty minutes before the novacaine wears off completely. At first I was concerned (really. really concerned) that I was having a stroke but as we enter day eight or nine that seems less likely. Everything I know about CVAs I learned from google but I do not think they happen quite so gradually. Maybe a compressed nerve in my neck? I don't know. An hour ago I noticed that I was slapping my own face repeatedly (as one does when something goes numb) and I decided to finally call the doctor's office and schedule an appointment. However about a year ago I switched from my old primary care clinic to a new one where Steve goes. I had all of my records transferred (three whole visits worth - I saw my OB/Gyn so often for eight years it made other health care feel superfluous) and then I waited to get sick enough to need to go meet my new primary physician. It never happened. So when I called today to see about coming in for a physical with an emphasis on the nerves (between my tingling jaw and my chilblained toes I am losing control of more personal real estate than I am gaining - it's like these parts are seceeding) I qualified as a new patient. And this guy's new patient appointment slots are filled for the next couple of weeks. I am scheduled for two weeks from Thursday. I hate to call back and schedule a faster appointment with someone I have never seen before and never plan on seeing again just to have them tell me that I carry tension in my face. On the other hand, my cheek is numb. It's a pickle.     

Although I did think it was a little mean to say in the comments that Edward looks like a sad little middle-aged man with a comb-over (also a bit misleading: sometimes he looks like a happy or an angry or a puzzled little middle-aged et cetera) I am reluctantly compelled to agree with the woman who asserted thusly. The problem though is not the haircut; it is the fact that Edward's hairline begins here and then swoops to New Jersey. He recedes like the Nile. In photos his cascading Fabio locks sort of concealed this fact but in person it was obvious. I thought pre-haircut that he was starting to look like the balding guy who lets what little remaining hair he has grow to his shoulders. I should add that my friend Noelle emphatically disagreed - she was anti-cut from the beginning. All of which is to say that I hope Edward's hair can be a topic - like whether war is ever morally justified and discussions on whether cilantro tastes like soap - about which reasonable people can disagree.

I am biased but personally I find Edward so delicious (Tyra Banks forehead and all) that I just want to wrap him in a crepe.

Caroline with her dirty face.

Caroline with her ballerina toes.

And the Pirate Ship Sweet Potato sails again.

Comments

[K]

As a (long long time) reader who often stops by while, uh, "on the clock", I much prefer the new look. With the white background it might appear as if I'm doing research when my supervisor walks by! Purple, par contre, is a dead give-away. I love your blog and your charming family. Irresistible.

[Libby]

LOL, PamL's comment on Kaiser. Seriously? As a lawyer I can tell you that Kaiser has more cases of malpractice out there than anyone else. Oh, and they don't care about patients. I thought you were joking. You were, right?

[Mrs. Gregorton]

I like the new look. Can you spread out the text at all horizontally? It feels sort of empty on the sides.

Please see the doctor soon. I had a friend with a similar symptom and it was m.s. So, anyway, make sure they get to the bottom of it.

[Jb]

I too thought I was in the wrong spot. like the photo. don't love the font. its a little bright -- like someone turned the lights up too bright. love the kid pics, every single one of them.

[Diane]

Julia, I don't even know you but I'm happy to follow your blog. Knowing that you and Steve have those great kids after all that heartache makes me all warm and fuzzy.

The griffin banner? Love it!

[Not My Mother]

I'm intrigued that some people see a background colour behind the text. On my computers it's white. Or... maybe... if I squint... but that could be from the postits stuck around the edge. I have a feeling this particular screen bleeches things out.

ANYWAY. I love the new look, very clean, very fresh, and I like the black text on white background that I thought you had!

[mere]

Green! Light green?

[serina]

Love the new look as well. Love your beautiful kids even more. Also worried about your face, hope its not a tooth abscess.

[TheLuckyGal]

@ bethany actually: "I hope your face turns out to be nothing serious!" heeheehee ...

I like: Edward, regardless of hairstyle, the new format AND cilantro. And your blog / your writing. Not sure if I have ever mentioned this before ... but I subscribe to your feed in bloglines, along with about 20 other blogs ... and I always save you for last.

[TeacherMommy]

I love the new header! I think white's a little bit boring, but it doesn't need anything too dramatic. Maybe a luscious cream that makes us want to whip out the strawberries?

Speaking of luscious, both of your kidlets are that. I could just munch on them all day, crepe or no.

[Barbara]

Please call the doctor's office back. I had Bell's palsy and it started just as you describe. It did resolve completely with treatment. Don't wait.

[Cris]

Maybe a little more ivory to the background? I think it would make the top blend in better with the rest of the page. I think the starker white makes it look a little 'unfinished' somehow.

That said, I don't come for the background, I come for the writing. As long as you keep that up, I think we're all okay.

[Pam L]

Libby,
No actually, I wasn't kidding. We've been going to the same Kaiser clinic for 20 years. My kids have only had two Dr.s all this time, both of whom I loved/love. The current one remembers everything and asks about my older son still who is now 22 and no longer goes there. He is also the leading ADHD expert ,which works out well for my poorly focused 16yr old. We get in very quickly if there is something that warrants it. My husband recently had foot pain. He was in within 2 hours, had his xray and Dr.visit done within an hour after that. I have also used their downtown facility attached to a hospital where both my boys were born by C section, no complaints there. I can't speak for the whole system of course, and I don't know if you can measure the number of lawsuits compared to private practice or other HMOs. Kaiser does have tons of Drs.all under their umbrella so I'm guessing would garner their share /% or lawsuits, but again I have no facts or numbers either way on that issue, just our own personal experience ,which has been great here is Colorado.

[SarcastiCarrie]

It is not cilantro that tastes like soap. It is ginger. Ginger tastes like dish detergent, Dawn specifically.

[stephanie]

I have so much fun reading your blog. I rarely comment...Can't take the pressure to be witty and funny, but just wanted to say...your blog is FUN to read and your kiddos are cutie pies!

[cheshirekitykat]

I wish I could get my baby girl's hair in pigtails, but it's light fighting a thrashing cat to get a barrette to stay in her hair. Then she pulls it out thirty seconds later anyway. She either needs to learn how to push hair out of her eyes so I don't have to, or a haircut. I'm opting for option number 1.

[Diana]

i have the same comment about the "blogs i like" links not working... and i am also a creature of habit and use you to link to many other blogs! my confession! but also, i totally feel your pain on brass bathroom fixtures- WHO thinks they look good!?! they are terrible, nothing matches, and i am also pushing for a bathroom re-do to get rid of them :) fortunately (or not) they also did the entire room in white tile, so i think i am going to win this one! love your blog, btw.

[Meegan]

One more comment. Hair wax for the crazy curls. Or just sneak some bobby pins in there. My post-baby "bangs" are in the spiky horn stage, about an inch and a half long. And seriously they are growing STRAIGHT UP. SO annoying! And totally limits my hairstyling options. You think Edward has a "different" hairline....

[Mary]

I never comment but I have to say that I love the new look of your blog.

Also, your numbness sounds not unlike TMJ. Try Aleve while you wait to see the dr.

[Katherine]

The poster's query about hair products reminded me of the time my brother-in-law mentioned that he'd just had a complete workup done by his PCP due to a variety of scary symptoms. I said that they all sounded like side effects of the anti-baldness medicine he'd been using (can't remember the name now). Sure enough, he stopped using the hair stuff & the problems went away. I'm not suggesting that this is the cause of your face numbness, but it would be a good exercise to think about any new products, foods, etc., you've used since the onset of your symptoms, as this might give the doctor additional clues to work with.

[terri c]

I, too, thought of Bell's Palsy. But whatever it is, it should be seen. Whether or not you are a new patient. Idiots. Try this: call and say, "I think I am having a stroke." Of course they may mention the ER at that point.

The children are exquisite and the blog is beautiful.

[Christiana]

Oh the toddler hair issues! Personally, I think Edward looks adorable both pre- and post haircut. My own daughter, currently looks like she has a mullet, but it's mostly just the way her hair is growing in - very thick in the back, especially at the nape of her neck, and much thinner everywhere else.

I can't get it into pigtails and I'm dying to. So jealous of your Caroline's hair. :)

[Kate]

This nurse practitioner cannot help but throw her two cents in: You took both Reglan and Domperidone at one point, right? Facial twitching (which you may not be aware of due to the numbness) is a common side effect of Reglan. Called tardive
dyskinesia, it can last/occur long after the Reglan is stopped. And, Domperidone has been linked with non-permanent nerve damage/facial drooping.

[Leandra]

I'm so ridiculously excited to actually hear the words "cilantro tastes like soap" come out of your mouth (figuratively, of course and regardless of whether you actually agree with that or not). I've been asserting that for YEARS!

[nicole]

I think he looks a bit like his(very cute) older brother now. Caroline is fantastic!

At least your twinkies have hair. My boys (same age) have sparse Ben Franklin mullet-type fluff...that I am not willing to cut yet!

And cilantro does taste like soap!

[winecat]

I find the white a bit stark but that's just me.

The picture of Caroline in the Pirate Ship Sweet Potato is adorable. Her expression says to me, this is perfectly proper my brothers propelling my ship as I regally sit.

Also the picture of her in the hat is just beautiful. As someone earlier said it deserves to be blown up and framed.

[Monica C.]

Edward is gorgeous.

And now, my predictions, based on the last photo you posted, of the lives your three children will someday lead:

Patrick is going to be wildly handsome and charming and VERY rich, even though he doesn't really care about money. He'll be all nonchalant about the fact that he's a handsome CEO of a start-up (they won't be called start-ups by then) that was sold for billions - and the women will chase him incessantly.

Caroline is going to be spunky and feisty and she's going to love to bake. Her husband will, no doubt, have to put up with his wife who loves to play tricks on him, and who, if prodded, might occasionally bite his head off, but she will make him feel alive in a way he's never felt before. And her baking will be out of this world.

Edward is going to be steady, reliable and a very gentle soul. He'll be a fabulous husband and father. He's also going to take the best care of you and Steve.

*looks around*

Yes, I got all of that from one photo!! LOL!! :)

[tc]

I like the background color -- it shows up on my browser as a deep cream. Love the griffin. I find the blog title superimposed over the photo rather hard to read, though.

[Crystal]

Julia, between the toes, the face, the pg losses, the issues your kidlets have, et al, I would look up autoimmune diseases, see if any exist in your family tree, and mention to the doctor, and ask for a few basic screening tests to rule out any that symptom sets may suggest as likely candidates.

Bell's Palsy can have any number of causes aside from viral, if that is indeed an explanation from the face...

If you get any kind of autoimmune diagnosis, I would do some reading on them, food allergies, and calorie restriction. Pay particular attention to inflammation.

Like the new blog, love the kiddoes. :)

BTW, you know why some naturally curly hair frizzes, right? Some of the strands don't have as tight a curl structure, and will simply frizz. Perms solve this. Most people think it's counterintuitive to perm curly hair, but it's really the corollary of highlights, making what you already have pop. Not to mention lower maintenance. I'm all about easy, and flexible.

[Bethany]

I like the new blog design and personally find ivory more interesting than white.

Beautiful family, my dear!

Keep us posted on the numb jaw, please. If you can stand it and symptoms aren't worsening, it sounds reasonable to see the doc you're going to be seeing from now on. You could always make a quickie stop at an UrgiCenter, if they have those in your area, though. Then you could get the immediate answers (satisfy curiosity), keep your appt. with long-term doc, and follow up with him to get a second opinion and get to know him. Just a thought...I like to hit all of the bases to satisfy all of my needs. I hope it goes away soon!

[Deborah VA]

I also don't like change.... Sigh. But like so many others said, I come for the reading. And if you made it magenta on pink (oh please don't), I would still come here.

I second all the readers who envy Caroline's hair. I just had to chop my girl twinkies hair because she hates me to mess with it. HATES. I'm seriously thinking of taking her to the local two gay men run salon and asking for Roman Holiday cut.

[Jen]

I can't get the blog links to work...I'm sad...:(

[SarahB]

I started having the facial numbness/tingling last summer, not for too long, but nearly every day. After visiting my dr and a string of specialists and an MRI, the final theory is that they are a new type of migraine for me.

[Amy]

I like the new look for your blog, and think the ivory is much better than just plain white.

I think Edward looks delicious pre or post hair cut. And certainly not like a middle-aged man, high forehead or not.

I'm sorry to hear about your face and the doctor dilemma. I've only been to my primary care once myself. I actually prefer to go to the local urgent care vs. my doctor. I rarely have to wait long and never need an appt. I think they have a better record on me. I switched doctors during my last pregnancy, and have never had much desire to go in.

[Jan]

In Caroline's ballerina toes photo, her mouth looks just like Patrick's, and Edward's rosebud, when grinning, shows similar teeth, and hey, it's your mouth. Always amused and amazed afresh by facial similarities of parents and children--why, I don't know, since we all find it so annoying when someone else comments, but I guess the propensity to make the observation is wired in us. Hope you are getting that cheek checked out *now* or we oldies are gonna come whomp ya!

[tripleblessings]

Like the ivory blog setup, LOVE the photos of the kids.
No idea about the numbness thing, good luck with it.

[Kathryn]

The cilantro thing is genetic. There's a component in it that most people lack the ability to taste -- but for those who have the right genes, it tastes like soap.

[Alison]

OMG I just checked sitemeter and almost fell off my chair with the shock. Where are my normal 30 hits a day (28 of which are from my Mum checking for spelling mistakes)? Thankyou so much for the link and for your lovely comment the other day.

*WOW* I have been reading your blog for years and am so chuffing flattered. I would say this has made my year, but as I have a 3 month old baby that could come off as rather crass....

oh, and I thought Bell's Palsy too but I really hope not.

[Crystal]

Pam, I'm with Libby. Granted Colorado is one of the best rated Kaiser ROCs (Region outside California) but their malfeasance is legendary.

You ask your average non-Kaiser doc what they think of Kaiser, and they'll say "Kaiser's fine, if you're healthy". Which kind of defeats the purpose, no?

You've got a good Kaiser doc and good health, hold on to both with both hands.... There are some stories out there that could curl your hair. We could start with mine. I had a PAP that suggested a 50% chance of developing cancer in 2 years, but through infertility, 2 pregnancies, and 5 years worth of check ups and me asking at every single one for follow up (3 different medical centers and numerous different doctors) but they demurred endlessly. You're too young, you're just worried due to your family history (crazy reason to worry about cancer, how silly of me), yadda yadda. 5 years later when I'm frankly symptomatic they still took a biopsy but sent me home with Provera (!!?!?!!) saying it was probably hormonal. Good thing I didn't take it, because I did in fact have cancer, and it was only extreme luck on their part and mine that it spread on the surface, and didn't invade deeper tissues.

Then there's the time when my hysterectomy incision split as I stood up in my hospital room privy and it took myself, and my roomie who had just coded during a double mastectomy, been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, was on anti-nausea drugs to help with the reaction she had to the meds she disclosed being allergic to pulling the emergency cords, yelling, and finally calling the hospital operator from my roomie's bedside phone to get a nurse to come help me...

Oh, and the fact that for a while there at least Kaiser was making their mastectomy patients WALK from post-op to their room, where they stayed for 4-12 hours for recovery.... Yeesh.

And that's not the worst story I could tell.

Not to mention the Pediatric Pedophile at Fontana, who the state of California will not allow to see children anymore but Kaiser continues to circumvent the restrictions, and Jayant Patel, quaintly known as Dr. Death, wanted on two continents for crimes against patients, who Kaiser refused to fire until the guy left the country voluntarily to escape prosecution.

Really. Don't go to Kaiser if you're seriously ill. It's risky.

[Florrie]

For what it's worth, my first thought on seeing the haircut was that Edward looked like a wee Jude Law. Which is a compliment, by the way. Jude Law is delectable.

[minni]

here is another take on your numb cheek. a friend of mine had that happen to him, and the drs could not figure out what was going on. when his neurologist sister in india heard about it, she immediately said it was dormant chicken pox virus becoming active again and attacking said areas. and that turned out to really be the problem. easy fix for that.
if you've never had chicken pox, you may want to get the vaccine now since patrick is in school. your pediatrician can write you a letter recommending it. please mention this to your dr when you see him. it may sound far-fetched, but that is exactly why i remember my friend's case so vividly. even though i haven't seen him in a couple of years.
i grew up in india, but have never had chicken pox. i am planning to get the vaccine. my kids are 4 and 2 and 2 yrs old, so i'm just dragging my feet for the inevitable.
good luck. i hope you lose the numbness already!
as always your children are just delectable!