First off: Happy New year! I know that was over 2 weeks ago, but it’s been busy around here. I wrote out one of those New-Year-Reflect-On-Last-Year posts (I did one last year) on Ms Word and someone closed it without saving. And it didn’t auto-recover. It’s gone forever. The disappointment was so intense, I decided…not just not blog. And to keep my bloggery in the safety and comfort of WordPress.
So, what has been going on around here lately?
Well, on January 4, Deven started preschool!
He had no idea what he was in for that day. That’s the funny thing about having a kid with speech delays; you try to explain to them the events that are about to occur several times a day for weeks ahead of time, and it goes completely over their little heads. So no matter what you do, you are springing something new on them. Luckily, Deven is one of the most easy-going kids I’ve ever met. He took right to the new people and schedule like it was nothing. He’s learned people’s names and when I come to pick him up, he immediately is asking to go back to school “one more time” and see numerous people whose names I usually can’t understand. He’s making friends, he eats way better at school than he ever does at home, and best yet, HE NAPS. After getting up at 6:30 in the morning and playing and thinking for 4 hours, he comes home and willingly naps for a good 2 hours. It’s wonderful. But it’s not the best part…
Getting his artwork is hands down my favorite part of preschool. I guess seeing him make friends, napping, getting myself a four hour break 5 days a week, and hearing the progression in his speech is pretty cool too, but ever since I found out I was pregnant with him, I have looked forward to macaroni art.
Sadly, as I predicted, we’re not even done with the second week and he’s home sick today. He has a bad cold, and I can’t tell if he is running a fever because he won’t let me check (after I spent $35 on an ear thermometer, he still runs away.) I called the school and gave them the situation, and they said since his nose is running and he is coughing, it’s probably best that we keep him home. I don’t know what this means for tomorrow. I want him to go back for the last day this week because he has so much fun, but it’s probably for the best that he not get his little friends sick with his nastiness.
When I was younger, I remember having to go to school with colds as long as I didn’t run a fever. I think the problem with that when you’re dealing with kids this small is that they let their noses run down their faces and wipe their noses on the back of their hands, and then sneeze and cough without covering anything up. My kid can’t blow his nose, he doesn’t get the concept. So I guess because small children are germ production and distribution centers, he gets to stay home with a cold.
(Lucky. I am totally going to work sick this weekend.)
Besides, he’s cranky, he won’t let me come near him with medicine, and he won’t eat. They just need to trust me when I tell them, “you don’t want him today.”
On the pregnancy front: You know that counter thingie on the side panel with the weird floaty baby? Do you notice that the number KEEPS GETTING SMALLER? I’M DOWN TO LESS THAN 90 DAYS!
I will hit 28 weeks on Wednesday. That means the end of the second trimester, and a mere 3 months (12 weeks) until my due date. Holy Mother. This is all flying by so fast. Thanks to generous family members, we were able to make most of the major purchases for this little guy. I am happy to say that if he had to come home tomorrow, we would be ready. We have a car seat, and place for him to sleep, and some clothes up until he gets to be about 3 months. We’re not completely ready, but we are mostly ready.
I know I am ready, which is not good, because he is definitely not ready. I am tired of being kicked in the cervix repeatedly, of the random bouts of vertigo, and swollen feet. I’m tired of the stupid Braxton-Hicks contractions that sometimes hurt, and that sometimes won’t stop for hours at a time. Most of all, I WANT TO SLEEP ON MY STOMACH OR BACK AGAIN! Seriously! My hips kill me in the middle of the night from bearing all of my weight on them in my bed. Yes, I have a body pillow, and it does help, but it does not completely fix the lack of comfort I experience every night.
At least I am still sleeping through the night. It was around this point last time that the insomnia kicked in, and I was walking around like a zombie until a month or so after I gave birth. I gave my boss notice that after this next weekend, I won’t be delivering anything to anyone until maybe after the baby is born. It’s getting to be too much on my feet and my vehicle. I’ll be doing work inside the restaurant for a while, probably right up until I explode with baby. What’s four hours a night of answering phones, right?
I’m really just trying to enjoy the time we have left as a family of 3. I’m trying to get in as much fun-time with Deven, and much snuggling, kisses, and tickles as he will allow, because in a few months, our lives will be rocked completely and eternally with a new life force. It’s going to be hard realizing once the baby is born that he starts to feel left out, possibly forgotten. He’s going to have to fight with this new fragile little person for attention, and I’m going to have to fight with exhaustion to be able to give him any extra I have lying around. I know BTDT moms say there is always enough love around for all of your kids, and I am sure that is true, but there is seldom enough time and always an abundance of guilt when a new baby arrives. So right now, until this new little guy gets here, everything is all about Deven and making sure he gets enough love from his mommy and daddy. I don’t want him to doubt for a second the love we have for him.
