Birthdays

My birthday and Pablito's are only two weeks apart. Emily had the horrendous idea of having only one celebration, which means only ONE birthday cake. Fortunately it wasn't a long living idea, so we had two birthday cake. I had my carrot cake, just like last year: my favorite. Emily made the cake into a venezuelan flag: yellow, blue and red with EIGHT stars. She later noticed the mistake, well, yes Chavez changed the flag to hold eight stars instead of the original seven. The mistake was to put eight stars on my cake, knowing that I am loyal to the seven stars and the horse looking back. 

Pablito's birthday was beyond amazing, he had a cake shaped like a toucan, the venezuelan national bird. The cake had two candles and he would ask over and over for the Happy Birthday song so he could blow the candles out. He laughed and asked for more fire on the candles ... and off we would go singing. He would sing too, he knows the song. We probably did that seventeen times until we had no more candles left for the exercise. He is the most amazing boy I have ever ran into. Who would know such a child could happen to us. 

Antonio is two months old, he is learning to hold his head, hasn't mumbled yet, but is able to focus his gaze on people. He smiles occasionally. He has a great grip and moves his hands and legs freely. He is starting to gain weight, so we may take him to the Hospital Civil to get his first vaccines: they don't give shots to kids under 2.5 Kg. He is a really healthy boy, no runny nose, only once, right out of the hospital he picked up a virus, probably RSV, that gave him a fever and cough: bronchiolitis, probably. Not bad enough to see a doctor, his fever was never high, his cough never breathtaking-so nothing that a doctor would've done that we couldn't at home. 

The kids health contrasts sharply with what I see every day at the pediatrics ward and emergency room during my pediatrics rotation. Lots of croup, RSV, diarreas and pneumonias in children under 2. The majority of kids over 2 come in from traumatic accidents or Dengue fever. One baby-6 weeks old-died saturday from respiratory arrest due to viral pneumonia. Had never breast-fed. As is the case of most hospitalized babies. So: Good job Emily for being such a wonderful mother to these two boys. She has saved their lives.

Election year.

The local newspaper had an article on the conditions of the city at the end of the incumbents' term: all the counties are in such a social disaster, people are starting to wear the shoes for it. We also saw the US presidential race up to the win. Towns look so clean, red-white-and-blue flags everywhere the camera turned and a real love for country family and-in most cases-God. Our city is paved with dozens of politician's faces on a hope for the local government chairs hanging off every standing light-pole, and no sight of a venezuelan flag waving over the trash, holes and fancy new cars. Chavez has his candidate and the opposition has their own.  History has taught us that things won't change for the better, regardless of who will win. It's a people without leadership, without identity and purpose.

I took Pablito to church this morning, mom and Antonio stayed home recovering from a little cold. We sat in the front pew, Pablito and I, and he had no problems sitting still through the hour long meeting. He ate his snacks, stared at the deacons passing the sacrament and then soiled his diaper. I felt the smell and checked in his diaper. Then I looked him in the eye and he sort of lowered his look with a small smile that made me giggle and love him a tad more towards forever. He is so mature, so sweet and filled with quiet dignity despite his two years. 

So, what does cities, politicians and a two year old boy have to do with each other? I live in a daily world of concern for the boys' future. I want them to be smart, to be socially sensitive and spiritually uplifting and so I feel that we can accomplish that in a community where there is, well, love ... for oneself, the neighborhoods and for the future.