Lord, I am such a star it's a wonder the world doesn't just imitate everything I do.
Sigh....
Before I explain why, an update, Julius is feeling much better. We switched antibiotics last Friday and his fever is now completely gone and his ear seems better. He's off his schedule, but it's fixable. So that is the good news.
On to my tales of woe, last Friday, I got my Form 6 in for a delegate spot for the Liberal Party Leadership at the very last second on earth, and discovered later that my husband had gotten confused and thought that I was going alone, but since it's April 30th-May 3rd, Julius will only be 11 months and still breastfeeding and there is no way I'm going without him. Except for the fact that my nanny can't come since she is going to be elsewhere, and the Liberals generally don't provide childcare at conventions. And now I am either stuck trying to find a nanny out in Vancouver who can watch him in the hotel room while I go out to parties and he is sound asleep, or at least someone to help me during the day so I get to eat and shower and pay attention to the speakers.
And of course, my husband has to agree to let me take the baby all that way. He is hesitant because when I've taken one of the kids to a convention before, it was really crappy and I did not enjoy myself at all. And the baby at the time, Kaz, had his schedule all screwed up by the end. Not fun for him either. Mr.C. could take care of him, and I'd just leave frozen milk, but I'm not sure that will be so great.
Thing is, I went to a conference when Mac was 11 months old and left him behind, and hauled a breastpump with me all over god's green acre, and missed him terribly and that wasn't much fun either. I missed loads of stuff because I was pumping in my room all the time, and because I couldn't freeze it and it was too many days, in the end I had to dump the milk I pumped, which killed me. I don't mind breastfeeding in public, and dammit, nobody better even try to stop me, but I am not going to use a breast pump in the middle of the convention floor. That would just not work.
I'd been mentally preparing myself to be away from Julius for BlogHer in July and thought that would work since he would be a little older, and breastfeeding a lot less, if at all, but this feels just too soon, you know?
Stupid Liberal Party.....gahhhh, and they wonder why so few women and men of parenting age show up at these things. They have loads of singles, and young people and old ones, but almost no women between the ages of 25-45 ever show up at these things. If they do, they are mostly staff. (Based on my observations anyway.) Honestly, I am going to have to fight to get to bring my breastfeeding baby into the individual meetings.....some idiot will likely make me pay an observer fee for him! Which means I either miss some debates because I am somewhere pumping, or I miss the debates because I am feeding him outside the door, straining to hear. The NDP has fabulous free childcare, pretty much round the clock, and it let's all babies and small children into conventions whereever parents go. They have had it for over twenty years with huge success, but that would be waayyy to progressive for the Liberals, practically socialist, so that's a no go.
Oy.
A smarter person would have checked this out sooner and made better plans....fuck I am stupid.
Plus we put off taking a vacation for so long that my husband is not thrilled by the selection and price, even though we have one of my blog readers who is a travel agent, Jackie, working her tail off for us, trying to find us a deal. She is doing a fabulous job, but even she can't make a five star all inclusive resort in the high season suddenly drop it's price to nothing. He is slowing accepting this, sort of like he is slowly accepting the fact that when your roof falls in, you might have to renovate. You know?
More Oy.
Again, a smarter person would have checked it out and done a better job, maybe gone in February. I am stupid.
And bound to get stupider. Last night after the Oscars, I was sprawled on our bed, half asleep. My hubs comes in the room and I awake with a start---and smack my head right on the glass corner of the night table. I howled in pain, grabbed my head and saw blood. My husband ran for a cold cloth and ice, but I suddenly realized there wasn't just a little blood, but a giant gusher and ran to the washroom. After we cleaned up what must have been pints and pints of blood, we figured it was only a tiny cut, (the head is a veiny place, yes?). Bigger problem, I think I have a concussion, and with my crummy osteoporotic bones, likely a hairline fracture. Definitely a headache and dizzy anyway.
So there you are folks, don't you want to be just like me? Yeah, I thought not.
Oy
Wow. I could fly in to watch Julius, but I don't think that would cut your costs much... BlogHer has babysitting & I had no trouble breastfeeding there (Yirmi was just 4 months & exclusively breastfeeding).
ReplyDeleteHead, blood, concussion. Scary stuff. I hope you feel back to normal soon.
If I still lived there I would watch him for you. Sadly I live a mere 3.5 hour drive away. Hope it works out.
ReplyDeleteGo & get your head checked out ASAP, if only to put your mind at ease. Dh accidentally bonked me on the head with the steering wheel club a year & a half ago. No blood, but my head ached like crazy for weeks & weeks afterwards & it drove me nuts worrying about what was going on. I went to the dr a few days later & had an X-ray (at my insistence) months later, because it was still bothering me (even though he kept telling me I was fine)(the X ray showed nothing). In retrospect, I should have had dh take me straight to emergency at the time, but you know, stiff upper lip & all that cr@p...!! Good luck figuring out something for Julius at the convention!
ReplyDeleteVancouver is so close to me! If I didn't have this day job, I would come and help.
ReplyDeleteHaving had 30+ stitches in my forehead when I was 18, I can imagine the amount of blood (fast flow). Scary stuff. Hope you feel better soon.
wow, lots going on! Hopefully we can find something for your vacation so at least that bit of stress is left behind.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about Vancouver though...
Well this is a good reason to have a minor disruption in schedule. They happen from time to time. Any option you choose has it's pro's and con's. I'm sure little J will get over it terribly well in the end.
ReplyDeleteBe sure to have fun regardless!
How much is your ticket to Van. I'll come with you if it's affordable.
ReplyDeleteI do want your purse though.
ReplyDeleteWish I could help you.