Separation Anxiety

Jack starts Mother's Day Out in a little over a week. Twice a week for 4 hours a day, he'll go to a classroom type environment where he can learn some social skills and experience a structured environment so that he'll be better prepared for kindergarten. Our motivation in getting him into the program was so that a) when he goes off to school he won't be The Creeper, and b) to give me a few hours a week to myself.

When I registered him for the class back in March, I was pretty much counting the days until September 1st rolled around. I was practically delirious with thoughts of being able to schedule a doctor's appointment, take the friggin' dogs to the vet, get some projects done, or even (gasp!) take a nap.

But now that the time for him to spread his proverbial wings is drawing nigh, I'm inexplicably sad. Don't get me wrong, the mental image of my little nugget bringing home macaroni-art practically makes me high, but at the same time, I'm kinda bummed that his childhood is flying by so fast.

Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? I'm the person who used to think being a SAHM was a chore (the most important chore in the entire world, mind you, but a chore nonetheless). And now that my "baby" is a small child, I'm having mixed feelings about spending a whopping 8 HOURS A WEEK away from him. It's 8 hours a week that I won't have to deal with tantrums or diapers, but it's 8 hours a week that I'll be deprived of hugs, kisses, and the sweetest little face I've ever seen in my entire life.

I generally think people who lament the progression of their child are total saps, and yet here I am, doing just that. Good God, I hope I'm not gonna be one of those moms that cries. Ugh. Being a parent makes you weird.

Anyway, now that I've confessed my somewhat pathetic heartbreak over my son's maturation, I have to admit I'm actually pretty damn excited about it.

I ran out and bought him the most impractical yet adorable Lightning McQueen lunch box (it's in the actual shape of a car, but it holds maybe 2 food items), I've already packed all his stuff, and I find myself fantasizing about the little friends he's going to make, and the little class parties he's going to have.

It's a strange sensation to be SO excited for your child, and at the same time be SO sad that it's flying by.

I honestly believe that being a SAHM is one of the absolute most important things you can do for your child, but I always had a nagging suspicion that I was horrible at it and really not cut out for the job. But now I realize I have the best job in the entire world, and my son brings me so much joy that I frequently find myself worrying my head might actually explode from being so happy. So happy that I can't help but get a little sad when I watch him grow.

But seriously, the first time he brings home macaroni-art, I might spontaneously combust.

The Disease Saga Continues...

For those of you just tuning in, a week ago, I took Jack to the doctor on suspicion of chicken pox. My suspicions were confirmed (despite the fact he's been vaccinated for it) in a most bizarre and hilarious chain of events. Since then, we've been cooped up in the house, losing our sanity, and waiting for the illness to run its course.

Then last night, David was giving Jack a bath and pointed out that Jack's pox had gotten worse but in a weird, different-looking way. I told him I thought it was probably just the virus pulling a Custer's Last Stand, but he said, "No, seriously, I think this is a totally different kind of rash." So I made an appointment with the doctor.

So once again, Jack and I were ushered in the "special" entrance, and once again, we were treated like we had West Nile Virus.

The pediatrician took one look at Jack's new outbreaks and said, "Um... this doesn't look like chicken pox... this looks like... shingles... but, I don't even know if that's physically possible."

A little epidemiology lesson: shingles is a re-activation of the chicken pox virus. It usually occurs when you're around 50 or 60, but it is possible to have the virus reactivate as early as a month after having chicken pox. It looks more like a rash, whereas chicken pox looks more like mosquito bites. It's apparently extremely painful, but usually not fatal.

Back to the story...

My pediatrician pulled out all her medical books, trying to see if it's possible to have the virus reactivate while you're still sick with the original virus. When she didn't find anything, she called the pediatric epidemiologist at Dell Children's Hospital.

According to that guy, it actually is possible to get shingles while you still have chicken pox. Apparently it only happens in about one in every MILLION cases of chicken pox, but it does happen.

So basically my child managed to get chicken pox even after he was vaccinated for it, and THEN he managed to be the one kid in a million who gets shingles on top of it. I really feel like the CDC should send someone out here to document this, as the odds of this happening have to be like one in a billion. (I'm clearly not a mathematician, so that's the best estimation I can come up with.) I'm really tempted to go buy a lottery ticket just in case we've fallen into some karmic loophole of beating astronomical odds.

So it seems that we'll be locked away in this house for about a month while this thing runs its course. If anyone needs me, I'll be in a corner rocking back and forth while Jack watches more Barney.