Insomnia

It's one of those nights that even though I've been going all day, I still can't seem to fall asleep. Maybe a blog post will wipe me out...

We missed fall this year. Some rain, a few nice days, and now the temperatures are freezing. I sent both Jamie and Clare to school in their windbreakers with sweatshirts underneath in 40 degree weather because I hadn't hauled their winter jackets out of storage yet. Then we had snow yesterday. It didn't stick, but snow a couple weeks before Halloween is not allowed! Plus Shawn was away on business for three weeks. So we've been cramming in our outdoor fall decorating (hay bales and mums), pumpkin picking and carving, and putting together Halloween and All Saints Day costumes into a few short days instead of stretching it out over the month. Although Shawn missed out, my mom and I did take the kids apple picking with friends. They had a blast (even though it was freezing - apple picking in winter hats and gloves?!?). The orchard had every variety of apple you could think of, a play area for the kids, balloon man, and a wagon ride. With our friends, we had a total of nine children who naturally commandeered the wagon ride. They sang songs all the way out to the orchards and were pretty darn cute! So at least I've been able to do a little of my fall baking and cooking. Today was homemade applesauce. It was amazingly simple and delicious! Tomorrow I am aiming for pumpkin bread and apple gingerbread. I don't know what I love more - baking it or eating it.

Clare has her lung scan this week. Our local hospital agreed to do it unsedated, so that saves us a trip to Boston. Clare needs an IV in place to undergo the scan, though, so the hospital wants us to report to pediatrics 90 minutes before the scan for the IV placement. I hope they are just being ultra-conservative and don't want to chance being late for Nuclear Medicine. I really hate to think that it's going to take an hour and a half to insert the IV. Since it is looking like this is going to be at least a 2-3 hour appointment now, Shawn is going to take Clare alone. I can't remember if the lung scan results are immediate or not. My bet is that we will have to wait for the cardiologist to give us the news. Whether Clare goes into the cath lab or not rides on this scan.

I posted a long time ago about me personally having some kidney issues. I am not a fan of talking about myself, but I am undergoing kidney surgery next month. I am a tad nervous about the general anesthesia (only had an epidural with my emergency C-section with Violet) and the surgery and recovery itself (I have been told it will not be as bad as my C-section recovery, though). I am super nervous about Life At Home Without Mommy for 2+ Days, especially for Violet. I have been pumping and storing milk since I found out about the surgery, but finding the time to pump with four young children while almost exclusively nursing a 9-month old does not equal gallons of milk in my freezer. I know we will all survive my hospital stay (which will at least be two days if all goes well), but I still get a pit in my stomach thinking about it.

And if I don't go to bed, the kids will be greeted by Zombie Mommy in the morning...