So... it was THAT day. It's Winter Break, my husband is off, time to relax. Except both of our daughters are sick. And today I had two appointments and a meeting and my husband had a doctor's appointment, but we had to get the girls to the pediatrician to get checked. My husband took the task. During my meeting, he called to tell me my 8 month old has RSV and my reception was so bad I had to call back 3 times. (Sprint, you are really starting to tick me off, put up more freaking towers.) Of course my husband didn't have details ("She has RSV, but it's okay."), but okay--- she got a prescription, she'll be okay.
Meeting over, I raced home to swap places with my husband who had an appointment in 20 minutes-- got a 3 minute recap of the Sick Status.
As soon as he peeled away, I realized he forgot the baby's prescription! Then I looked at the prescription and realized we need a nebulizer to administer it! He thought we had one. Sigh. I call the insurance, call the pediatrician, and wait for the girls to wake up from their nap to pile them back in the car to go to the pediatrician to get a nebulizer. Baby wakes up very congested--- nurse her, then pack her and very cranky 3 year old in the car.
Two miles into the journey, my husband calls and is done with his appointment and has collected 3 more prescriptions from his doctor. He meets up with us, I collect the nebulizer, we get on the road to Publix Pharmacy. Cranky sick girls whooping it up in the backseat. I decide the best plan is for the 3 of them togo to Panera while I drop off the 'scrips. Long line at Publix. Finally get up to the window... they don't have baby's medicine. They call Walgreens and CVS... they don't have baby's medicine. They tell me to go to the hospital pharmacy... in the morning because it's closed. They don't have 2 of hubby's 3 medicines. On the verge of tears. Go back to Panera. The baby is burning up. Go back to Publix--- no infant tylenol (or knock-off). Go to Customer Service--they point me to the wrong aisle--- where I proceed to break down in tears.
Meanwhile-- my husband held it together all day. A crazy day of failings. That's what I felt like, anyway. Totally inefficient, dragging my kids around when they needed to be sleeping, not connecting to any one moment in the day. I always hear moms say they feel like they are failing and I think, "Don't be silly, you are doing great!" But the failure comes in subtly, after a steady collection of things that don't go according to plan. Even though we know better. Even though we know, with kids, plans are really just "a nice idea".
I still managed to make a casserole at 11pm for a friend who just had a baby. Last week I told her I'd drop it off Wednesday morning. So, the funny thing is, this morning I arrived at her door, casserole in hand, kids groomed and fed... no evidence of the total mess I was 12 hours earlier.
