2009 April « Random Thoughts Today and Tomorrow

{April 9, 2009} A Visit to School

I decided to drop by my school. Just to check in. Make sure all my paperwork is in the right place and what not. It’s always kind of a, oh I don’t know, “augh” kind of feeling going into the administration building. I love the old professors that still remember my face and take the time to talk to me. It’s mostly the various secretaries and assistants-to’s.

There’s always a lot of talk between my classamtes about how hard it is to get anybody to get anything done. And how people can be so unhelpful. So I guess I went in with this feeling like I’m going to hit walls anyway.

Everybody was so very nice instead. “What can I do for you?” “It’s so nice to meet the face that matches the paper”. It was kind of refreshing.

It really does make it unfair for those students that live farther away. A trip to school gets everything done. All my emails and calls that have gone unanswered, answered in one day.

{April 2, 2009} How to find a Chinese Nanny – Craigslist!

I’d like to think I’m an expert at this, now that we’ve gone through sooo many nannies. I’ve done a lot of searching on what’s the best way to find a good Chinese nanny. The advice in the past have to post in the Chinese newspaper (Renming Ri Bao). Now I say, post on craigslist! It’s cheaper and pretty effective.

We’ve had nannies that came from nanny services. There’s about 6 main companies in the Bay Area. They are for the one month post-partum period and cost about $2600 for 26 days. Each company have their on niche, like basing their practices from Taiwan, and etc.

Those nannies are expensive and don’t make good long-term nannies. It’s hard work being a post-partum nanny, but they do it for the money. And when they are done with the 26 days, they can take a break for as long as they want before they decide to pick up the next contract.

I used to think they were the super-nannies and that they should know a lot about everything. But now I realize that they really are the most opinionated and probably know the least. They are great for that one month old baby, but don’t have much experience in doing much else.

Posting in the newspaper you can find nannies from $1200 to about $1600 and of course even more. The problem is that I live about 2 hours from the Bay Area. When I post, I can get about 20 to up to 50 calls. But as soon as they learn where I’m located, they aren’t as interested. It’s also really hard to to interviews over the phone. Most of them don’t drive. It doesn’t help listing my city, because most of them don’t read English or wouldn’t know still where my city is.

I’ve read before that posting on Craigslist is useless. Since most of these nannies don’t read English. Well I have to say that whichever website I was at then was very wrong.

It is true that the nannies don’t read English, but their children do or their friends.

I’ve been very successful at finally finding a nanny that lives close enough to us that she’s here Monday through Friday and gets a break on weekends.

So try Craigslist!

{April 2, 2009} Fever and Vomiting solved

She broke out in a rash. Whew. Thank goodness.

What disease could it be when it’s high fever for a couple of days. Fever leaves and rash comes?

Roseola infantum!

I’ve never been so happy to see a rash. If she hadn’t had two episodes of fever before this, I wouldn’t have been so frantic up to this point.

{April 1, 2009} Fever and Vomiting?

Since coming back from China at the end of January, my daughter has been sick 3 times (currently on her third time). I’m getting more and more frustrated each time and I’m running out of theories.

She’s never been one to have high fevers, typically gets low fevers for a couple of days to a week and then starts to get better.

Remarkably in China, she never got a fever. She did have a very serious watery diarrhea for a week, but that resolved on its own.

The first episode since coming back was definitely due to a viral URI. She had low-grade fevers and had all the upper respiratory symptoms of cough and runny nose. Lots of stuff running out her nose. It went away in about a week or maybe two.

She was a week symptom free when all of the sudden the fever returned. Not super high, but not super low either. She didn’t have any of the URI symptoms anymore, JUST fever. And of course feeling very crappish. We had to give her Motrin just to perk her spirits. She was EXTREMELY irritable without it. That went away in a couple of days and we thought, maybe she just never got over the first episode.

But now, I want to say it’s been closer to 2 weeks when her fever came back again. She even had her 2 year old checkup and was very happy with the doctor. Her only shots was a PPD and a hepatitis A vaccine. Both very safe on the side effects of things. Had the shots on Friday. Fever came Sunday night, started low in the 100-101s. Monday night it was all high fevers the whole time, above 103s and Motrin was barely bringing it down to 101. Brought her into see the doctor on Tuesday.

It’s frustrating, because I agree with the doctor that there are no localizing physical signs. This time she was also still a happy kid even with the fever. So we decided to bag her urine. My husband was the one that brought it in and he said that the lab found no evidence of infection, but there might be some trace of blood? I have no idea what that means in terms of “might be?”?

She’s been vomiting, but mostly milk and only when her fever goes past 103, so we are pretty sure it’s due to the fever. She’s not dehydrated. Doesn’t have any other symptoms. It’s really starting to be extremely worrying. I have no idea what’s wrong and it’s very frustrating.

Anybody have any suggestions or clues for us?

It’s Wednesday and if by Friday she’s not perking up, it might be time to draw some blood.

Archives

Recent Posts

Categories

Friends

Relatives

Blog Stats

Pages

Meta