6.5 weeks

Yep, peoples, that’s all I’ve got left! I’m so looking forward to not being preggo anymore. I think I’m done.
In other news, my best friend gave me a baby shower today! I got soooooo much cute stuff! Diapers and girls clothes mostly, but that’s perfect, cause now I don’t have to dress her in tractors and sheep. And we’ll have enough diapers to get us through for a few months, I think. My MIL fell at the shower today. She was running after Fletcher and tripped over her own feet. After making sure she was ok, my best friend and were talking it over, and she mentioned that she (MIL) had a red mark on her head where she hit the door. Fletcher does this often. He also tends to put his pinky toe on the outside of his sandals. My friend noted this in my MIL. We got so tickled, we had tears running down our faces. I know, this is bad. Luckily, she really was fine, but after the initial respiratory distress, it was highly amusing. I know, I’m rotten. There’s supposed to be a shower for me at work, sometime, but no one’s put up signs for it yet, so they may have decided against it. But, I think I’m set, for a bit.

Update: I’ve been contracting off and on all week. Some of them are just Braxton-Hicks, and I know this because it doesn’t feel like the real thing (I know, because I had precisely 3 of those real ones before I squealed like a little piglet for an epidural), but dagnabit, some of those suckers hurt! I had to sit down twice today! My doc says as long as it’s under 6 an hour, not to worry about it. Ok, says I. So far they’re easily calmed with rest and a glass of water. Hopefully it stays that way.

I forgot to tell you about my experience with the P.oison C.ontrol center. Yeah, Friday night, Fletcher grabbed hold of his talcum powder and dumped it in his face. I was terrified he’d inhaled some of it, and most likely swallowed some. They were very prompt, calming, didn’t make me wait on hold forever, and I didn’t feel like a crazy nurse mother (we medical professionals are known for freaking out when it’s our kin involved, you know) for calling, so over all, I was impressed. But, because I’m a medical professional who freaks out when my kin are involved, I also called the pediatrician, just to be certain that everyone was in agreement. Because I’m paranoid like that. I know, I have issues. I’m ok with it. Everyone was in agreement, so I just watched him for an hour, gave him something to drink, and slept with the baby monitor on all night, the better to hear him breathing strangely, should such catastrophe befall us. All’s well. He’s got this cough and a runny nose now, but I’m pretty sure it’s a combo of teething and allergies. So, we’re chasing his nose and doctoring his bottom with butt spackle, and trying not to go into labor too soon. I really can’t wait till she gets here. I love ruffles and hair bows.

And on the 3rd day…

she rested. Yep, I got sent home early today because there were no more cases, and I was on call till 5pm, so I couldn’t go pick up Fletcher, so I indulged myself with a little light reading and a nap! It was nice. The swelling in my legs and feet is getting a bit worse, so I’m sitting with my feet propped up now, and plan to go to bed early. I’m also thirsty constantly, so I’m drinking water. I woke up last week and couldn’t wear my rings, so I guess it’s starting.

This morning I awakened to the sound of my child’s early morning food retrieval alarm at 5:57. I have to leave by 6am to get to work on time. Yay. So I raced out the door with no shower, and no breakfast. When I got to work, I was assigned to a 7:30 case, but we were ready and counted by 7:05. I don’t have to be in the holding room till 7:20, so I went for breakfast in the cafeteria. At 7:15, the charge nurse comes in there and tells me that the general surgeon opening for the neurosurgeon was there and ready to go. {{{{ARRRRRRGH!!!!}}}} So, I toss my breakfast, and hotfoot it to the holding room. When I get there, there is no History & Physical on the chart, which we have to have to roll to the OR, and the neurosurgeon and his P.A. are under the impression that their case started at 8:00. So I could have easily eaten my meal. This did little for my already irritable disposition this morning. Could anyone have confirmed that the patient was ready and all necessary paperwork was accounted for before I was summoned? I mean, really? Was that really necessary?

In other news, Fletcher seems to be doing great at the new sitter’s. I’ve walked in twice to find him cuddled up in her lap (which he almost never does at home, but it is becoming more frequent since he’s been going there. I wonder if no one ever held him at the old place. Hmmm…). I’m so jealous. But, it just goes to show he likes it there, I guess, so it’s ok. This lady’s been taking care of kids for a long time, and is like a stricter version of my grandma (who absolutely everyone loves), so I guess she has the touch!! She laughed when I told her we’d have to get one of those dry-erase boards that says “We’ve been accident free for X amount of days!” My son is a human wrecking ball. Kaboom.

Frustration, thy role is…Babysitter

*beleaguered sigh* Last week, I picked Fletcher up at the sitter’s, and he had a black eye. I was properly horrified, however, they explained that he’d tripped over some of his toys and fell head first into some of his other toys. Several weeks ago, I picked him up(after dropping him off early) and they told me he’d slept so long, and they knew I’d be there just any time, so he hadn’t had lunch yet. I dropped him off at 6am, and this was 2:30-3:00. Um. Yeah, that’s a long time for someone his age to go without eating, folks. So then, this past Friday, I picked him up, and he came around the corner and ran to me, while they were all sitting in the living room, not following him around to watch him. Most days, I have to change his extremely wet diaper when I get there. Then I found his sippy cup from that morning, still containing the remnants of his first cup of milk. (I only know this because my husband put a scoop of his protein shake in it. Fletcher likes the chocolate taste of it. I’ve asked politely that he not do this again, as it will likely turn Fletcher into the Incredible Hulk.) Then, there was only one diaper missing from the diaper bag all day. If all these things were isolated incidents, I could see letting it go, but they aren’t. So, today, we dropped him off with a new babysitter. More expensive, naturally, but we’ll just have to rough it. I still have to go over to the old sitter’s house and pick up his toys. When I left this morning, he was happy and playing, so I didn’t worry. But when I got there, his other eye was black, and there was a cut beneath it! I know my child’s a klutz, and can trip over his own feet, so I’m not blaming the old or the new sitter for that, after all, kids are gonna have accidents. But…*sigh*