Caffeine, Crashing, and Comforted

This morning started at 6:15 AM, when a certain little somebody crawled into my bed and said, "Mommmmmmmmy, wake uuuuuuuuuuup. Wake uuuuuuuuuuuuup. Wake uuuuuuuuuuuuup, Mommmmy."

Ugh. 6:15 isn't too bad. . .except when you got up at 4:00 AM the day before. Then, it's really awful.

The face patting started. A concerned voice above asking, "You okay? You okay? You okay? You okay? You okay? You okay? You okay? You okay?" (Why is it that two year olds can repeat something twenty-four times, and still not get exhausted!?)

Finally, I opened my eyes to abate his "concern."

"Yes, I'm okay."

"Yogurt! I just need my yogurt. And crackers?" (The toddler's new favorite phrases are "I like that anymore!" (meaning, "I DON'T like that anymore.") and "I just need my ____________.")

"You can't have crackers for breakfast, but we'll get your yogurt, okay?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! MY CRACKERS! I JUST NEED MY CRACKERS!!!!!!!!!!!"

What happened to the concern for sweet, sleeping momma? Gone out.the.dang.window.

What ensued was forty minutes of screaming for crackers, me standing my ground, and finally me throwing on a bra, a baseball cap, and some shoes, and heading out the door with my toddler. I decided he needed to fall back asleep before our 9:00 playdate, or else it was going to become the playdate from you-know-where.

He was in his flannel jammies still, and I tucked his lovey and his blankie around him. I backed out of the driveway and popped a lullaby cd in. I turned on the AC, and just waited for him to fall asleep. . .

. . .which didn't happen.

So, I decided to grab a coffee. I don't drink too much caffeine, but this coffee only has 48 mg, so whoop-dee-doo, I REALLY needed it.

Then I drove around for forty minutes in a desperate attempt to get him to fall asleep.

And do you know what he said as soon as we pulled into the garage?

"My crackers? My crackers, Mommy?"

Excuse me, will someone please shoot me in the face and put me out of the misery which is sure to consume my entire day today!?

We somehow got the car loaded up, got dressed, and got to our playdate without killing each other. No small miracle, folks. ;)

As soon as the playdate was over and I got back in the car, I started feeling really sick. I noticed that my hands were shaking, and so I took my water bottle and literally took about fifteen gulps and blasted the air all the way up. I figured that I'd gotten too hot. As I started driving down the interstate toward home, I began to feel worse and worse. I didn't think I could make it home, so I pulled into my parents' house. I immediately tried calling my husband, who of course was up at the hospital. I texted him, and I didn't hear anything. So then, I called my sister. No response. I was like, Great, I'm going to pass out at my parents' house and no one knows I'm here and I have my two year old with me! I then texted my friend Tasha, who immediately was ready to hop in her car and come save me and my poor two year old. By then, I'd downed a ton of Sprite to replenish electrolytes and was eating some chicken and a cookie, and was feeling better. But still, it made me feel loved.

I sat on the couch and turned on Thomas for Nathan. I was still really shaky, and not ready to drive back to my house. See? I said to myself. This is what happens when you start your day on such a "great" note.

After a couple of hours, I felt well enough to drive to my house. I tried to put the toddler down for a nap, which of course resulted in anything but a nap. (Sneaking into the playroom and knocking over all the puzzles, taking everything off his bed and throwing it around the room, attempting to climb his bookshelf, messing up the blinds, and being in a much, much worse mood than before the  nap.)

My phone rang. It was my husband. I answered quickly, because I assumed he had finally been able to check his phone. "Are you okay!?" was his first question. "Yes, I'm fine. Really. I'm feeling a lot better, just drained." He insisted on coming home. "No, do not come home. I'm fine. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Well, is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.

"Yes, you can pick up dinner on your way home, because there is NO WAY I'm cooking tonight."

Thirty minutes later, who walks in the front door? My knight in shining armor--or wrinkled scrubs, but it looked like shining armor. He kissed me, made sure I was okay, scooped up the little one, and insisted that I go immediately and take a nap.

Shock. Total shock. (If you have a medical spouse, you understand.)

I ran back to our bedroom, dove under the covers, and slept for two glorious hours.

In the midst of my crazy day today, I had two friends call and text me that they were there for me if I needed anything. I then had two more friends last-minute help me out with Nathan this week for a work event. And then my hubby came to my rescue.

What can I say? I looked like crap, my house looked even worse, but my heart was happy.

And thus I end the day, happy. :)