Request for Toddler Evening Activities

Okay, this is a solicitation for advice.

Nathan and I usually get home from work between 5:45 and 6:30. I feel like we have just enough time to eat dinner, play for a little while, bathe, and then start the hell of bedtime. This time crunch and fatigue have resulted in Nathan and I watching TV almost every night for the past month. Before the bedtime freak-outs began, we rarely had the TV on before Nathan went to bed. Now, it's a survival mechanism.

I figure that between making dinner and bath, we have about an hour of downtime every evening. I would love your suggestions of how to engage my busy, active toddler during this time. Also, be aware that I'm beyond tired right now. BEYOND. A couple of things, we need activities that don't wind him up. Bedtime is heinous enough.

Really, I just want to stop watching "Caillou."

A New Leaf?

Last night was bliss. Well, in our little world it was bliss. Okay, so we didn't get Nathan to bed until after 10:00, but for the second night in a row, it was scream-free. And, oh my word, he slept in his own bed all night long. I almost feel like I need to delete that right now because I'm going to jinx it.

This morning, The Targo and I woke about about 20-30 minutes before our alarms went off, because we were so well-rested. Six hours sleep has never felt so good.

What did we do last night that was so different from the last month? Nothing. Not really, anyway. We just didn't force the issue. Finally, he was tired and The Targo rocked him for like, two minutes, put him in the Thomas bed, and waited five minutes... the dude was O-U-T.

I'm hoping he's asleep when I get home from class tonight, but that might be too much. That might be too miraculous.

Deal Breaker?

When I had Nathan, I was in a cruise ship-like hospital. It had only been open for three months when he was born. Seriously, it had the new car smell to it.

I called my doctor yesterday, and the receptionist called me back several hours later. She asked me if I had registered at the hospital and which hospital I was planning to deliver at. I told her her and she paused for a few minutes. Then she said that the doctors aren't delivering there any more. They are only delivering at this one hospital close to our old apartment. The Targo and I have been to the hospital in both the labor/delivery ward and in the emergency room. The place is okay, old and a bit dingy, but my problem was with the nurses. Not one of the several we had seen spoke English well. The Targo and I were somewhat able to understand them, but they certainly were not able to understand us. I don't want to spend three days and nights in this hospital.

Is this a deal breaker? I'm not sure. I sort of feel like it is. It's just that I've had in my head that I was going to deliver at a certain hospital, with a state-of-the-art neonatal unit, and the best residents and doctors in the city. We've been to this hospital, had baby classes there, and spent the first three days with our son there.

I have an appointment on Monday and will hopefully get things straightened out. I'm really hoping that I don't have to change my practice, but I want to be comfortable.

Out of Sorts

I've been feeling, um, wrong since Saturday. I've been nauseous, had weird pains, and just haven't felt well. Oh, and my heartburn has been raging. Part of me thinks it's fatigue. Another part of me is freaking out, wondering what the heck is wrong.

I read this today on Baby Center:

Some old friends — heartburn and constipation — may take center stage now. The pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation, coupled with the crowding in your abdomen, slows digestion. Sluggish digestion can cause gas and heartburn — especially after a big meal — and contribute to constipation.

(I'm pretty sure I posted something similar to this last time around, but I am too lazy to look.)

I'm sure part of my not feeling right is this. But, I feel too, that with your first pregnancy, you spend so much time being elated, planning, building, living, that you don't realize when things are wrong or right. Now, the second time around, I'm not sure what is right or wrong, but I know I don't feel well.

I called my doctor's office at 9 this morning and left a message. I haven't heard back. I'm sure I'll have more to say about my OB practice at a later date. Right now, I still feel a little off, but I feel much better. I'm looking forward to going home and snuggling with my very very crabby child. We both need it.

Halloween at My House

So, does it make me the world's worst mom that I didn't get my kid a costume this year? No? Hmm. Okay.

We dressed Nathan up as a rock star this year. Mostly because The Targo couldn't agree on a costume, but also because the kid really really needs a haircut. So, he had an adorable black t-shirt with white sleeves featuring a gray and red guitar on the front, some distressed jeans, and spiky hair. He was pretty adorable. We were eating pizza before we went outside to hand out candy and Nathan got covered in pizza sauce. We then went with Plan B: Varsity football player. This costume featured track pants, a football sweatshirt, and a tiny letterman's jacket. He also had a toddler-sized football, but we left it inside.

We didn't trick-or-treat this year. I'm not sure when we/if we ever will. But right now, the decorations scare the bejeebus out of Nathan, and also, The Targo and I just don't need all that candy around.

Mr. Jock totally loved "handing out" candy. Really what he did was say "hi!" and try to get the attention of all the trick-or-treaters. He also proudly showed off his "shiny new bike" that he's had since March. Sadly, no one really paid attention to him. Kids just don't notice other little kids. But he also ate more candy in one night than he has in the previous 3 or 4 months. Needless to say bedtime was its own brand of hell last night.

So, back to a variation of my original question. Does it make me the world's worst mom if I didn't take a picture of my kid on Halloween? Because I didn't. And I already feel like a jerk.