Catching y'all up on our vida loca

I have no idea how people with 2 kids have time to blog. I guess it'll be easier when they're older and when SJL isn't attached to me at the boob.

Lots to tell, in case you guys are interested :)

SJL is still barfing, but the girl is in the 90th percentile for weight and weighed 11 lbs 4 oz at her 5-week check-up today. Good stuff. I learned last night to NOT give Mylecon to my sleeping daughter after she has just nursed-- she gagged and barfed everywhere and thoroughly woke herself up (and got vomit in my hair). We are in the throes of the gassy-pants stage and are trusting that it will pass... not without the elimination of cows' milk dairy and soy (and tomatoes, but I cheated just now and am PRAYING that it won't come back to bite me in the ass tonight in the form of a screaming baby).

I had the flu last weekend. Having a fever of 101.9 blows. Nuff said about that. Thankfully, the kids seem to have come out unscathed.

I have done chunks of days (but not a whole day yet) on my own with the 2 kids. It's really freaking hard. Chickie just wants TONS of attention when SJL nurses, and it's hard to juggle both of their needs to have body-to-body contact with mama. I thought I could just put SJL in a sling and wear her most of the time, but that counts as cuddling to Chickie, and he demands to cuddle with Mommy. Still figuring all of this out.

The big insane-maker (other than major sleep deprivation, which actually WILL make you clinically insane after a while) has been that yet again, I'm losing my childcare at the end of the month. Remember last year? Yeah. That sucked, and then we found this awesome daycare that we've loved for a year. Well, that daycare is closing at the end of the month. I'll spare you the blow-by-blow details of exactly what's happening and what went wrong, but suffice it to say that shit hit the fan suddenly and with little warning, and many families (not to mention teachers) are pretty screwed.

The timing of it couldn't have sucked more-- not only did I just have a baby, but since it's just after the start of the year, many places don't have spaces or aren't admitting kids because they run on a school-year calendar. It's been a total pain in the ass to search around to find a place that's convenient and that we like, but we found out yesterday that we got a spot at a really great daycare around teh corner from his old one. The location still isn't great, but it's a fabulous place, so we'll do it. He actually got a spot at an amazing preschool pretty close to our house, but they can't take him til March, and I can't have him home until then. That's a recipe for disaster for everyone, especially since it'll be the dead of winter.

But the way it's all gone down has been, and continues to be, really sad. Teachers have been leaving with little notice because families have been pulling their kids out suddenly, so it's no longer necessary to have so many teachers. Everything has happened really suddenly, and what sucks is that the kids aren't getting to have real closure with some friends or teachers, because, POOF! they just disappear, it seems. Everyone is scattering to the wind. It's sad.

Today was Patrice's last day. Patrice had been Chickie's teacher in the first 2 rooms he was in at the daycare, and she transitioned with him from the younger to older toddler room. She always had a soft corner for Chickie and always loved taking care of him, and she was the first teacher that he really loved there. Back when Chickie started there, I was a little concerned about his overall quirkiness and that he wasn't the easiest kid to GET-- let's face it, he's kind of a weird dude, you know? But Patrice just thought he was a cool kid and embraced his quirkiness and loved being around him.

The place is just depressing now-- there are so few kids and teachers, but I'm reluctant to start him at the new place because I've paid for the month, you know? One of his best friends is staying til the end of the month, too, so that's another reason to stick it out. His other best friend will be at his new daycare (although not in the same room-- bummer), and Chickie finally said today, "Noah went to a new school now" and I said, "Yes, you're going to go to that school, too." Chickie said, "The daycare is going to close?" and I was relieved-- I've been explaining this to him for a few days now, and I guess it's setting in.

I just feel bad for the little guy with all the changes and transitions he's going through now... but I know kids are resilient, and he's more resilient than I think he is, I'm sure. But I'll miss our daycare-- it was easy, laid-back, and it felt like home. Perhaps this new one will, too, but right now, it's just another gigantic thing to adjust to.

But I know, it'll pass. One day, I'll sleep. One day, I'll have free time. But I know I'll never stop worrying about my little ones and their happiness, right? Ahh, mommyhood.