Puke

Poor Eli just puked his breakfast up all over himself/his highchair/the floor/me (a bit). He was NOT happy about it. I am not too happy about it either. He seems okay now, but I am still shaking from it. It was SO MUCH puke. Maybe he is sick? Maybe it's the egg yolks we just started? Either one would suck. I've been so nervous about solid foods with him b/c of the bloody poo issues he had in the past. I thought he had grown out of it, but maybe he just has a new way of manifesting food issues. Awesome. And so, so gross.

Actual post about sociology/statistics*

I am annoyed. I keep reading article after article where people do statistical (usually regression) analysis with, what seems to me, no regard for cell size. I have been trying to get a paper published, and people have pointed out to me issues of cell size in my analysis (granted, I am working with a very small data set, so I get it. It's an issue more than it would be for those using larger datasets.) This experience has made me VERY CAREFUL in all my other work about cell size. What I mean by cell size is that (for those of you who don't know but have continued to read this far for some reason), when you look across all of your variables, particularly your dummies, you don't want to have instances in which you have only one or two (or a few) cases representing a particular group. For example, let's say you are examining different ethnic groups by generation. You might enter into your analysis a set of variables representing each ethnic group and and a set of variable representing each generational status (1st, 2nd, 3rd+). Except wait! Ethnic group membership and generational status are highly associated. And, in fact, in this one paper I am reading right now, there are NO people of Asian origin in the 3rd and later generation, and yet, the dude includes variables for different Asian origin groups and for generational status the omitted category is 3rd+ generation. Isn't that a problem? What the heck?

In other news...Eli LOVES making a liar out of me and is being SO GOOD lately. I mean, he still has his moments, but he has been less cranky in general. Also, he has smiled AND giggled for the Y babysitters. He has apparently impressed them so much that they've taken pictures of him for possible inclusion in a Y brochure. So the kid who got me kicked out of that place 3-4 times may now be advertising for them. I knew his baby modeling career would start somehow. I am expecting him to pay the bills. I mean, come on, if someone is going to do it with their looks in this family, it's got to be him...though we are rather attractive...(don't mind the date on the picture, we have not been traveling through time. No clue how my in-laws camera decided that was the correct date.)



So the latest on the job market...just had a phone interview at the school that's not in the awesome location...If they offer me an in-person interview, I'm going to have to say no. It seems like a nice school, but I don't think there'll be other Jews around for 100 + miles.

* I'm sorry.

10 months old

Today is Eli's 10 month birthday. How time has flown! Time seems to be flying even more post-PhD-completion for me. I don't know how I feel like I have less time now that I've finished. Weird. (Could it be b/c of...Eli? No!)


So, here are some updates...no job still for me. Or Josh, as for Sept. 2009. But I have a phone interview with a school on Monday. I don't know much about the school, but we're maybe not incredibly keen on the location. But who knows? I also have a couple apps still out - including one (soon to be more) for postdocs. Please Lord, let something happen for me/Josh soon. It is scary to think that we have no source of income as of Sept. 2009. Parents, prepare your basements.

Also, I have new cute hair, but no pictures. I am sure you will adore it.

Now...what you all came for...Eli updates (here he is being coy):


Still can't crawl/pull himself up/go from lying to sitting (but is quite good with the Cheerios now). Also, still crazy. We have recently joined the Y (FREE BABYSITTING!!!), and I've been going regularly. The only problem is that Eli is not a fan of the babysitting/"Kids' Zone". He's not really a fan of anyone but me and Josh (as evidenced by the fact that my father-in-law is currently changing Eli's diaper, and he is SCREAMING like it's a second circumcision. It is not.). I have actually been paged from the workout room at the Y three times (out of about 12 Y visits) to get him out of Kids' Zone b/c he wouldn't stop screaming. So now I have to face the fact that I am totally the mom that people dread seeing approach them. I am SURE those kind Y babysitters are thinking, Ugh! I wish Eli's mom would stop being so dedicated to her health! Maybe she'll hurt herself and won't be able to come to the gym anymore. One can dream.

It's the same in our neighborhood too. Whenever I take him for a walk, he inevitably screams in the face of some neighbor trying to smile/coo at him. He scared a little 2-yr old girl in our neighborhood so much (and so often) by screaming in her face every time he saw her that the last time we bumped into her and her mom, the mom said, "Look, Lily, it's Eli. Now, remember what we talked about..." I was like, I'm SO sorry! He is a crankypants! (Though he does enjoy being held upside down/thrown in the air/etc.)



But just so I don't complain about him constantly...Eli also met two baby friends recently. One, he was obsessed with. She could stand and walk. Very impressive. She was not equally impressed with him and instead stole his toys.

The other was Mary Hatch to his George Bailey, if George Bailey were a screaming banshee.


I have no nice way to tie things up, so that is all I have to say about that. I will try not to ignore you for so long next time.