I Survived

Here’s how Tuesday went:

Wake up, panic about oversleeping, realize I did not in fact oversleep. Find clothes that cover my body appropriately (I have given up on “fit” for the foreseeable future), brush teeth, put on mascara. Fetch toddler from crib, change and dress toddler, put toddler on couch with breakfast so I can go fetch baby, bring baby downstairs, feed and change baby. Look out the window. Notice SNOW AND ICE FALLING FROM THE SKY. Realize the day may not go exactly as I had planned. Check email to discover Stroller Strides in canceled, which means I probably can’t drop Little Evan off at the mall with a Stroller Strides friend. Consider dropping him off at the mall with strangers but decide that’s probably a poor choice. Start car because it is completely iced over. Realize I can give up and go back to bed (or at least put my PJ’s back on) if my doctor’s appointment is also canceled. Call medical center. Wait on hold. Wait on hold. Wait on hold. Wait on hold. Learn sorry, we’re still open, but if you’d like to reschedule we can see you a month from now. Decide to brave slippery roads with toddler and baby in tow. Quickly get online and renew AAA membership I’ve been forgetting to renew for the past month. JUST IN CASE. Get toddler into coat and into car. Get diaper bag full of stuff into car. Get baby into car. Slide out onto unplowed streets to drive the 12 miles to base. Drive up big giant hill praying I don’t slide backwards. Pull into parking lot and remember there is NEVER any parking here. Drive in circles for 5 minutes before gunning it down the aisle towards taillights and getting THE VERY FIRST spot, as close to the door as you can possibly get. Cheer loudly for myself. Open baby’s door, grab bucket seat. Open toddler’s door, unbuckle toddler with one hand and help him out of car. Walk towards building. Realize I can’t remember where I put my ID after showing it at the gate. Walk back to car, put bucket on icy sidewalk, tell toddler to not move. Rain and ice fall on toddler and baby while I search car floor for ID. Check wallet. Find ID in wallet. Close door, pick up bucket, pick up toddler, shuffle to building. Check in. Look incredulously at desk guy who wants me to fill out pointless paperwork. Take pointless paperwork. Sit down, get toddler snack, milk and toy. Rock baby with foot while filling out paperwork. 30 seconds later the nurse calls me in. Get up, pack up toddler’s snack, milk and toy, herd toddler towards door while carrying bucket. Give nurse the run-down of why I’m there. Wait for doctor. Give doctor run down of why I’m there. Doctor agrees she has no idea what’s going on with me and I probably should see a specialist as soon as possible. Baby starts SCREAMING. I ask if she mind’s if I nurse and she says no. Pull out boob. Doctor runs from the room, saying my referral will be at the office. Feed baby. Baby poopsplodes. Toddler poops. Change baby’s diaper and clothes. Get baby back in bucket. Change toddler. Herd toddler back to main desk to drop off pointless paperwork. Stop by referral office. Baby begins screaming. Toddler falls down. Nice lady tries to help toddler up. Toddler recognizes nice lady as HORRIBLE VICIOUS CHILD KIDNAPPER and begins screaming. Grab referral and shove it in my bag before looking at it. Drag two screaming children out to car. Put bucket down on icy sidewalk. Toss toddler in car. Snap bucket into seat. Go back around to driver’s side to buckle in toddler. Realize toddler has pooped again. Give up. Drive to McDonald’s. Buy breakfast sandwich and hashbrown. Throw hashbrown at toddler. Drive home. Unload toddler. Unload baby. Go back out for now-cold sandwich. Slip on ice and step in giant puddle. Sit on couch soaking wet to nurse and burp and nurse and rock and nurse screaming baby while toddler throws animal crackers at my face. Baby finally falls asleep. Put baby in bouncy seat. Get toddler more milk. Change toddler. Take toddler upstairs for nap time. Sit on couch. Eat freezing cold breakfast sandwich for lunch. PASS THE HELL OUT.

Aaaaaand that was just the MORNING.

Tomorrow we’re staying home. I’m expecting it to go about the same.

(This evening, when I finally checked my referral paperwork I discovered it is marked “normal” priority rather than “urgent”, which means they have a full month before they have to process it. It also says they’re going to choose the urologist for me, which means probably NOT the guy who’s already familiar with my medical history. I will get a letter in 7-10 days letting me know. Fantastic.)

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13 Responses to “I Survived”

  1. Nicole says:

    You are a rock star, woman. I hope you can get in sooner than later!

  2. Swistle says:

    Well! This utterly, totally sucks! What a…BAD…day! Gosh, it is hard to find words for this level of suckage! Instead I submit my wide staring glassy eyes of empathy.

  3. I am so sorry that was your day. I wish I lived closer so I could help.

  4. Rebecca says:

    I’m having flashbacks…. Sorry you had such a horrible day, but I can’t help but laugh because I can totally relate. You put into words what my day has been like at times and I just want to show this to my husband so he can understand what it’s like from a mother’s point of view. You write well :)

  5. bellegourmande says:

    OK, can you afford to pay someone to come over and watch at least one of the kids so that you can get stuff like this done? Or do you have a friend who could do it? Because you’ve got to take care of you too! Mothers also need and deserve mothering, or at least a few hours a week to themselves. After talking about it for months, we recently hired a babysitter to come over a couple mornings a week. We can barely afford it, but it greatly helps my mental sanity, and that is so worth it to me. As it turns out I am working during part of those mornings, but even if I hadn’t ended up having a class to teach this semester, I would’ve hired her anyways.

    I am thinking about you lots Suzanne and wishing that I could come over and help! Also, I sincerely hope that your referral issues get worked out and that you can see someone ASAP about your kidneys. What are health insurance companies playing at, anyways? Don’t they know that it saves them money if they get you patched up as soon as possible? Ugh. Don’t get me started….

    • bebehblog says:

      I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for someone to come over and baby-sit although it’s something I might look into this summer while the neighbor girls is out of school. The thing is I DID have someone to watch Little Evan (I actually had 3 people offer) but with the snow the plans fell through and I didn’t want to spring a toddler on someone else with 10 minutes notice.

      I’m about 75% sure I’ll end up in ER with another spiking fever (I’m not waiting around this time to try and get an appointment) before my insurance company figures everything out. Screw them and their non-priority referral.

      • Jennie says:

        You end up in the ER and you better be springing a toddler on me! The NACC is horrendous with no children in tow. I hope to goodness you took a long shower and a nap yesterday. If not- TODAY is your day; throw in a glass of wine too! You deserve it!

  6. Robyn says:

    Wow that sucks. is this what i have to look forward to when #2 arrives? but without the kidney infections, hopefully.

  7. Londonmum says:

    om my god, I read that with a mixture of horror, slight amusement and total sympathy. Only amusement because you write in a way that makes me laugh out loud plus the realisation that everyone reading it will be able to relate. Some days were meant for staying in bed with a duvet tightly over your head. Unfortunately, no explained that to the kids…
    Sending you good vibes x

  8. TMae says:

    See, all your cute pictures of Caroline have been making me think, “Oh, bebehs…they are SO cute, and cuddly, and maybe I can actually have another one of them and not become more insane than I actually am.” And then I read this and think, “This is often how I feel with ONE kid, how the hell am I supposed to do it with two?”

    On another note – can you call and harass the doctor you saw yesterday for an *urgent* referral? Maybe they’ll be helpful if you call while Caroline is screaming and Evan is throwing things? Like, “Dude, the lady on line 2 needs something and her kids are screaming and she sounds like she’s about to cry…can we just give her what she wants?”

    You’re a rock star.

  9. Wow! I so wish I lived near you so that you could go to appointments baby free (well toddler free anyway). Your day sounded so horrible and NOT FUNNY that it was very funny. (in that sad “I can’t believe this is really happening” kid of way). MOVE NEXT DOOR TO YOUR MOTHER QUICK!!! :)

  10. Wow. Thank you. These are my days except take out baby and input second toddler.

    Now I know why I am so tired. I think I need a nap.

    Ps I love your blog!

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