It’s been a wild week around here – one of those weeks that begs of cliches about juggling balls in the air, keeping the wheels on the bus, treading water, and all sorts of other things that pretty much means that we’re having a messy, short-tempered, things-not-quite-getting-done, everyone is sick kind of week. Or rather, that’s the way the week started and now I’m happy to report that things are running a little more smoothly. It was a rough start, but we seem to have kept the wheels on and, as Clare sings, the wheels on the bus go round and round.
After what seems like a month of annoying cold symptoms that almost-but-not-quite get better, on Sunday night Clare woke up crying pitifully every two hours. Her nose was running, she was drooling and her eyes were crusting up. At about 4 am, with my little Bug sleeping on my chest, I decided that come hell or high water I was taking her to the pediatrician the next day. There was no earthly reason she should still be this sick. On top of that I am 37 weeks pregnant, meaning I could go into labor at any time. This not only means that I might be laboring while completely exhausted and sleep deprived (no one’s idea of a good time) but it would also mean that my poor baby girl who was crying for “Mama” during the night wouldn’t have Mama available. On top of that, J had spent the whole weekend pushing through coughing, green phlemy nastiness. Yep, we were a hurting family.
So come Monday there were doctors visits all around, medications procured and chicken soup made. Also on Monday I had a big afternoon at work (after the pediatrician visit and two trips to the pharmacy) that included speaking to an MBA class and a late evening event. When I finally got home I was sore and having contractions. Now it’s Thursday and I’m happy to say that two of us have lingering coughs (myself included) but no more major sickness or major contractions. Relief all around!
Why am I trying to document this crazy week? To remind myself in this virtual baby book that most weeks of being a dual-career family with 1.99 kids are balancing acts and that some weeks require a larger correction than others. This week the correction required is that tomorrow will be my last week of work before maternity leave, instead of Nov. 4 like I originally planned. Yes, I’ll only be 38 weeks along and am risking spending two weeks sitting at home without a babe in my arms, and yes this may mean two extra unpaid weeks at the end of my maternity leave, but we need it. I need time to take walks, finish the nursery, clean the house, make meals, take naps, etc. Clare needs one-one-one time with her Mama. J needs to not worry about me having evening contractions brought on by exhaustion and stress. Baby needs a more peaceful resting place right now, with a family who embraces his arrival with joy and anticipation not stress, fear and anxiety. So, for this week, the balancing act took a firm step in the direction of home and we are all taking a deep sigh of relief.