The day started when Jason called me (from work) to make sure I was awake. It was barely 6:30am. And no, I was not awake. I had the alarm set for 7, thankyouverymuch.
I started getting Nathan ready since he was the first one up. I nursed him, changed his diaper, and changed his clothes. By then M & J were up so I helped J get out of his training pants and picked out his clothes. Then I made both of them breakfast. The girls were up next and I had more diapers to change. I got them dressed and nursed them before feeding them breakfast. At some point Sarah managed to get rug burn on her poor little chin and it looked terrible!
Around 8am Jason got home from work. He was exhausted and ready for bed but I begged him to help me load the kids into the van. After all, it was my birthday! He started getting the kids' coats on while I nursed, changed, and dressed Ryan.
Jason surprised me with some beautiful purple flowers and a birthday card. In seven years, this is the first card I've gotten from him on my birthday. It was so sweet! He's just not a card & flowers kind of guy. He had also gotten cards for the kids to sign and give to me which was really cute.
Finally we loaded all 6 kids into their carseats and I called my friend who was going to meet me that morning. I didn't want to have to bring all of the kids into the doctor's office so she was going to sit with my kids in the van while I ran inside with the babies.
It turns out my friend was running late, as was I at this point. We agreed to meet at the Waffle House down the street. I got to the Waffle House and she wasn't there. I was going to be late if I didn't leave so I called her and said I was hopping on the interstate and we'd meet downtown.
I got to the hospital parking garage and had to squeeze my giant van into a parking spot on the ground floor of the garage. I couldn't even go up a level because my van was too tall! It was such a tight fit that I couldn't open my door. So I climbed over the seats and got out the side door. I grabbed the double stroller, my purse, and quickly put the babies into the stroller. Just as I was strapping them in my friend showed up (thank you, girl!!!) and I took off.
After being stopped 3 times by curious strangers, I made it upstairs to the ENT office. I was so proud of myself for making it! The babies were fussy and there were no seats in the waiting room. I went out into the hall and nursed one baby while pushing the other in the stroller. Then I switched babies and soon I had one of them sound asleep. I paced the hall with the other in my arms.
I waited for almost 2 hours before they finally called the babies' names. We went back to the pre-op room and the nurse took their vitals. Then she ushered us into an exam room where I spent the next 30 minutes waiting. Interestingly enough, we were in room #29. Coincidence? I think not. Bad omen? Maybe.
Eventually the nurse came back in to tell me that the ENT doc (actually a resident) was called down to the ER for a nosebleed. (We've got a bleeder!!!!) He was downstairs packing some kid's nose with cotton balls. The nurse felt terrible that we had been waiting so long because by now both babies were screaming and needed diaper changes. I fed them both again and then she walked me down to anesthesia pre-op so we could get that out of the way first.
We got downstairs after being stopped twice by more curious strangers. The nurse took us back to the room where they took the babies' vitals again. They are screaming by now and I realize my diaper bag is in the van. Ryan's pants are wet. Nathan spits up on himself. The nurses probably think I'm the worst mother ever. Meanwhile, my friend was in the van with excruciating pelvic pain that had developed while she was waiting for me to get back to the van.
We finished the anesthesia appointment and went back upstairs to the ENT office. We wait some more and finally the doctor came in and examined the babies. By now Ryan had no pants on at all. We were finally finished and by the time I got back down to the parking garage it was 1pm. Four hours had passed since I had gone inside.
The kids were restless and my friend took off to go to see the doctor about her pelvic pain. I realized that I hadn't eaten anything all day and the kids hadn't eaten since breakfast. But we had an appointment across town at 1:45pm. No time to stop! I called Jason and tried to wake him up by letting the phone ring. I must have called 30 times before he groggily answered. I asked if he could watch the kids while I ran to the appointment. He wasn't even coherent. No deal.
I rushed to the next appointment (they wouldn't reschedule... I tried) and pulled into the parking lot just in time. I hadn't planned to bring the kids so I didn't have the quad stroller and I only had one Mei Tai in the van. I put the girls in the double stroller and put Ryan in the Mei Tai. I carried Nathan in one arm and pushed the stroller with one hand. Matthew and Joshua walked.
After a very stressful hour we were finished and I was almost delirious with hunger. The kids had eaten crackers at the appointment but I hadn't had any. I was ready to pass out from hunger! It was then that my mom called to wish me a Happy Birthday. I laughed and told her how my day had gone thus far.
We got home and I made the kids' lunches and ate some leftovers myself. Then the girls took naps and I laid on the couch to nurse the babies. By the time I got up it was dinnertime and it was too late to go out since Jason had to work. No time for cake either.
At the end of the day I collapsed into bed at 2am. And I wonder if this is what it will be like when Jason is gone? How will I do it? There are not enough hours in the day!
Since my birthday was no fun we decided to celebrate it yesterday instead. We went out to lunch when Jason got home from work and we had a great time.
Last night Jason's sister, brother-in-law, and nephew drove down from Virginia. They're visiting us for a few days. We had an awesome New Year's Eve and ate pizza with the kids. Matthew and Joshua stayed up to see the fireworks behind our house that they do every year. I baked my pretty, pink birthday cake. There was lots of laughter and fun. Nothing compares to spending time with family. That's what missing in our lives right now. Only seeing family once or twice a year just does not cut it. That's why I'm moving home to Virginia! (More on that later!)
So that was my birthday fun. And tomorrow morning the babies will have their surgeries at 6:30am. I'll post details when we get back home. I hope you all are having a great start to 2009! (Let's talk about resolutions tomorrow, ok?) I need a nap.
