I've said this many times before...

...but single moms, I don't know how you do it. Really.

I'm tired. Nobody took my jaw apart this week so I have no right to complain, but I'm tired. I didn't realize how active a sixteen-month-old was until I didn't have a break from him. I'm having a break now because he and C are taking a nap together, which is apparently the only way A feels like napping right now.

Our schedule's all out of whack. Today A got a flu shot and he wasn't thrilled about that but he didn't cry. He's at 22 pounds, 14 ounces, I think. Maybe it was 23. I can't remember, that's how tired I am.

A wants to know why he can't play with Daddy. He wants to know why Daddy won't read him a book. He's a little sick of me. He's watched more Pixar this week than he ever has, unfortunately.

C is getting better. He made himself a banana chocolate milkshake for lunch and he's been reading. I'm mildly concerned about the state of his painkillers since he seemed to go through the first bottle pretty quickly, but we got a new bottle today and so hopefully that will last until our follow-up on Monday.

He can see how frustrated I am with A and being nursemaid and is trying to help, which makes me both happy and sad. I am not cut out for nursing.

Surgery and babysitting

A's currently asleep; C's in a drug-induced fog but getting more coherent, and I'm upstairs taking precious shower time to blog.

C's surgery went well, although I don't know why they sent him home other than they didn't want to deal with him. He's not as swollen as I thought he would be, although he was really out of it last night. He slept and snoozed from the time we got home (5-ish) until this morning. Then he came down to the couch, where he's presently snoozing. He's having a hard time talking still. He's kept down juice and Ensure so far, so maybe we'll move up to milkshakes later today.

A had his first day ever not being watched by C or me or family. We were gone from 10AM to 5PM and he did great with our lovely neighbor, the exact kindly old lady type you want watching your kid while you go the hospital (if Grandma and Grandpa aren't available, of course). He took naps like an angel, had walks, read books, and ate food. Life was good. He was a happy little guy--he's always a happy little guy. He cried when C and I came through the door and put priority on getting pain meds into C instead of snuggling and cuddling A. Then A cried and cried while our neighbor tried to comfort him while I put C to bed. She did get him to quiet down, but he wasn't really happy until he got some mommy cuddle time. He's still perplexed by why Daddy's not quite into things--A's erratic in movement and strong, which are two things we don't want colliding with C's jaw right now.

A and I bedded down in the office together to let C have the big comfy bed and the vaporizer and bathroom. We even closed the door to the bedroom to lock the cats out, who came and slept with me, although they did sniff and pace in front of the bedroom door when I walked through to let me know that they were Not Happy with being banned from what they must consider their room. It has the bed and the sunshine, after all.

A and I will be going out to get surgical-related things (hydrogen peroxide, saline spray, more Ensure in milk chocolate flavor) when he gets up from his nap. We've got a follow-up appointment with the doctor Monday, but think happy healing thoughts for C.

Happy Thanksgiving

A little late, but that's what you get.

A is running around the house with a brush and dustpan. He's into running with long stick things: big magnet on a stick, lambswool duster, rolls of wrapping paper.

Tomorrow C's having surgery, so we're doing errand-y stuff today like stocking the house with meal replacement drinks and cleaning things so it's not quite so bad in here.

C and I went to swim class yesterday and that was super. A splashes more with his dad than with me.

Boy is sick

We had swimming today but didn't enjoy it. (I'm not liking the new teacher; she's trying too hard.) C and A were up all night with A's coughing. (I slept like the dog I am--or like a tired mommy who's had a couple days of 24 hour baby watch under her belt, you pick.) I drove A around yesterday for three separate naps. He didn't get nearly enough sleep, though.

A and I went to the doctor to see if it was croup. It's not now and hopefully won't become so. (Usually, he'd have croup by now if he was going to get it.) I made the doctor laugh by asking if that wasn't something out of Anne of Green Gables and did people still get croup. Apparently, yes. The doctor's office kept us waiting for 45 minutes before the doctor would see us. I know they get backed up, but 45 minutes is crazy with a sick toddler.

C discovered that Pictionary fits perfectly under the crib mattress to prop it up. A was crying not too long ago. I'm hoping he's asleep now.

Back from Portland

I must say, I love seeing the divine Miss M and her parents and sister, but I just can't stand the post-visit cold. This time it's a cough and a runny nose instead of severe intestinal distress, thank God, but we ran out last night to get a vaporizer since A was having trouble breathing for all the mucus. Poor boy.

We had a lovely time. We flew Southwest, which has eliminated their pre-boarding process for families with young children, and boy, were we beholden to the kindness of strangers in its wake. On the first flight, a woman gave up her posh second row seat for us, while a nice man put my bag in the overhead and another person kept A occupied while I attached the car seat. Wonderfully kind people.

Coming home, we got to do Southwest's new check-in procedure, which doesn't help much. You get a number when you check in and then you stand in a line that's been marked with these numbers. I checked in exactly 24 hours before our flight and I got number 19 on the first leg and 22 on the second leg. What the hell? Well, at the airport, I discovered that 1-15 are reserved for business class passengers. So the numbering for us plebeians "starts" at 16. Anyway, there wasn't hardly anyone in the 1-15 range on any of my flights, but everyone I talked to asked me why I wasn't pre-boarding and wasn't Southwest dumb for getting rid of pre-boarding for infants.

I know. You want to know about the baby. What did we do? We went for sushi, we played in playgrounds and parks, we met a Corgi named Freddie, we went to Powell's (sigh, Powell's), and we went to a book club meeting. We played in M's gorgeous huge house with all her toys. We ate good food and even sweet potato fries. So it was fabulous and great.

C's at work now (sigh). A really missed his dad and had a hard time getting back to sleep every night when he woke up and Dad wasn't there. Sad. He's pretty cranky and fussy now, and I must say, I'm getting to my last nerve. I didn't realize how much I need a break, even if it's just an hour of being in the next room.

New skill

A is moving right along. He was climbing into things he shouldn't have been this afternoon, and I said, "Hey, can you find Brown Bear, Brown Bear and bring it to me?" He stopped, looked around, picked up Brown Bear and came over to me. He does speak English!