at last and other news

Sometimes I wonder if I am exaggerating the extent of the fusspot's speech delay. She does (finally) have a few words: mama, dada, hi, bye, 'ot (for hot) and 'dis. Which would be on the slow end of reasonable if her receptive language skills were also up to par. She is 19 months old.

So it was with the greatest of joy that I watched the fusspot for the first time ever follow a clear direction: Put the cup on your head. She did it three times in a row over a period of a half hour playing on a flight. With no visual cues. The thing is that the fusspot is so generally laid-back and well-behaved that people tend to be a bit skeptical when I mention that her receptive language skills are minimal but she simply cannot follow directions without visual signals (and she is quite good at those. I put my hands up when I want to pick her up and she comes toodling over). And poor kid is bilingual (maybe still trilingual but the 3rd language was entirely incidental and we have no intention of maintaining it).

In other news, JD and I took a flight together. A bumpy, stormy night, post-bedtime-thanks-to-the-rain-delay flight. And it was glorious. The very first time that JD and I have been on the same flight in over a year. In a year and a half I have taken the fusspot on 6 transatlantic flights, at least 6 other international fights, 1 trip to CA alone (1 trip 3 weeks later to CA with JD), and multiple trips to visit my family. Alone. So it was lovely to have JD along to carry the carseat and stroller up and down the stairs and watch the fusspot when I want bathroom (alone!) and while I spent a good half hour puking on the flight. Lovely, I say. Focusing on the good parts of that trip. Oh, and for the record I flew the first half of that trip alone with a rather fussy fusspot (see below re: possible ear infection). So JD joined me on half of one short round-trip flight after a year. And my mother's response? "Poor JD, he works so much." Huh.

Ah yes, so much for symptom-free. I have symptoms. Plenty o' them. Some of which had me dry heaving in the fusspot's room while she angrily chattered between the hours of 2 and 3 am. If only they would make me feel calmer things would be so much better.

So, dear readers in the know, any thoughts on an 18 month sleep regression? All information on Dr. Google seems to link back to a single post on Askmoxie, even though this phenomenon is in no parenting book I've seen. I only ask because ... the fusspot was a disaster at the beach. Took about 2 hours to get her to bed, screaming, waking up multiple times overnight, grumpy. So much so that we took her to urgent care where they promptly gave her antibiotics (the wrong ones, I should add). I would have at least waited a few days if I was at home, but given that we were staying with friends (as their guests) in a beach house without too much soundproofing and had to fly and drive and such, I caved. Needless to say, the drugs did nothing (nor did tylenol or motrin) and our NYC-pediatrician called in a different drug yesterday. No improvement last night (she was up 4 times. And angry about it). So, any thoughts? Or advice?

I am hoping to get some work done this week, but mostly feeling like I am just trying to pass the time until the big u/s on Friday. Friday. Really, 2 days away (counting today as practically done, and Friday as a non-day since I will wake up, rush out the door to drop the fusspot, and then straight to my appointment). Two days is nothing. Surely I can keep myself distracted that long.

Speaking of the big appointment (the heartbeat check for those just joining this round of obsession, and by the way they did not even see a fetal pole last time around), it was scheduled for early morning so JD could come. Seeing as he missed the first u/s and all early care during the last go-round seeing as I was alone. abroad. in a non-English speaking country, I was hoping he'd come. So of course ... the man who hasn't traveled more than one day in the past 6 months is being sent off on Friday for a business trip. And I'd like to say oh well, and it's not a big deal. Except that I care. I care because it is so incredibly awkward to sit alone in that waiting room watching all of the other busy high-powered NYC couples run in from their respective works and then quietly chatter to each other. It's hard because I'm terrified the news will be bad, and then I will be all alone with an RE I barely know trying to coordinate a D and C with my husband's secretary. So I wish he could be there, or alternatively, that I have anyone else I could bring. But my closest local friend is moving tomorrow, and I can't think of anyone who a. I could tell this early b. has childcare/could disappear for an hour on a workday c. would possibly be supportive. So I'll be there alone. Hoping for the best and without a real back-up plan.