Some thoughts about this remarkable time

Aba and Avi on the mend after a visit from Uncle Itay, the magical acupuncturist

Election night!

What an amazing week. On election night, we excitedly gathered in front of the television with a few friends, ready to settle in for what we thought would be a long, nail-biting wait for results. Leeor had printed out a bunch of statistics, which made Brian and Ray joke that it was like his version of March Madness.

Imagine our surprise when, early into the night, we were told Barack Obama would be our 44th President of the United States.

I couldn't relax. I started making cookies. Victory cookies. I still felt edgy. It wasn't until Obama began his beautiful, eloquent speech that I finally relaxed. And cried.

Then I heard another cry. Little Avi was awake and feverish. My election night excitement was now mingled with the focus and attention needed when taking care of a sick little boy. Poor baby.

Needless to say, I did not sleep much that night, or the subsquent few nights. Avi has his first ear infection, a nasty cough that makes him vomit, and plenty of congestion.

It's been a strange week; the juxtaposition of extraordinary and mundane events has me reeling. I have cried a lot. We elected Obama, but we also passed a terrible proposition here in California that says people in same sex relationships don't have the right to marry. And all the while, little Avi was in pain, sleepless, fussy, snotty and needing to be held a lot. I struggled to balance it all.

Leeor got sick, too. But his parents came, as did his brother, Itay, and it helps so much to have extra hands. They are really wonderful.

I drove to Napa by myself yesterday to attend a dear friend's bridal shower. I felt guilty for leaving Avi as he was so sick. But I knew he was in good hands with his Aba, Saba and Safta. It was good for me to have some time to myself on the drive, and good to be present for Nicole as she celebrates this rite of passage. She is the one who introduced me to Leeor. She and I have been friends since the 4th grade and I love her so much.

I listened to NPR all the way up and back. It was really great, as of course there is so much talk of this historic time. On Prairie Home Companion, Garrison Keeler talked about the Baby Boomers passing the baton to the next generation, and he sang beautiful songs with a woman whose name escapes me now, but they were songs for the new First Family. Of course I cried. On All Things Considered, a documentary filmmaker compared Obama and 50 Cent as different examples on the spectrum of black masculinity and power. Fascinating. It's amazing how this election has inspired people in so many different ways. I was grateful for that gift of time in the car by myself, as it allowed me further reflection on these incredible times.

Our baby boy is now 9 months old. Right before he was born, I was inspired to get involved in the primary race and make phone calls in support of Senator Obama, and even though he didn't win California on Super Tuesday, look what happened next. I am so proud to raise our son during this ground-breaking time in our country.