Dang, I was hoping for an easy solution.

Susan, I can't remember exactly, but I think around Annabel's age, my kids outgrew their morning nap. I don't know if she's still napping twice a day or not, but if so, this might be the beginning of the end of two naps. With all three, I ended up moving the afternoon nap earlier, once the morning nap phase was over. It all depends on the baby, though.

She seems to be drifting sleepward. At least, she's lying down quietly, eyes closed most of the time, and isn't whimpering.

It's probably just the adjustment after having an extra day of Daddy over the long weekend. She's usually a little grumpy on a Monday and worse after a long weekend or vacation.

We've definitely got a daddy's girl on our hands. And I have to admit I'm jealous.

Susan, I can't remember exactly, but I think around Annabel's age, my kids outgrew their morning nap.

She skips it sometimes, and will instead take a single long afternoon nap or a brief nap around 1:00 and another around 4:00 or 5:00 (the latter being her standard second nap time). But this was a clear case where she was exhausted and fighting sleep--the way she was fussing, the eye-rubbing, the lying down for a minute only to pop up again are all things she does when tired but not wanting to admit it. Only on a much larger scale than usual.

But now I think she's really asleep. Phew.

Susan, I'm so glad she finally went down.

I am making my head hurt. I'm trying to figure out what requirements still need to be done before I can graduate. It's crazy-making!

((Connie))

Heaps of health-ma to Emmett.

((((Connie)))) It sounds like a good, neutral but kind letter. I hope it turns out to be exactly what your mother needs to feel at peace.

ION, bleargh. I'm 99% certain that I am sick. Weak, achy, queasy, drippy nose and the whole nine yards. I feel like I should stick it out today, though; there's such a ginormous pile of crap to be done, and as long as I'm just sitting quietly and typing I'm not overtaxing myself or infecting anyone.

Plus, I have a doctor's appt. at 4:30 -- mostly to meet and talk about other, girly-stuff, matters, but I feel like I should stay until the appt. The doctor might be able to prescribe something, and even if she doesn't, I can at least get the other business squared away without hopping on the rescheduling merry-go-round. The appt. for today was such a fluke -- usually they're booked a good 2-3 months in advance, and I will never ever get an appointment this early again. I feel disinclined to squander it.

Emmett looked so small and wan and flinchy lying on the couch this morning it made me crack into little pieces. I want him happy and pain-free, dammit! And if the universe can spare any -ma from that task, a little bit in my direction wouldn't go amiss.

Yay for at-long-last-crashing Annabel!

News in my office today. Big!Boss and Wife had been on vacation for the past month (in Arizona), and were due to get back in Cincinnati this past weekend.

Apparently Big!Boss is VERY sick with a rare strain of strep, and he's in a hospital in St. Louis. The information we got was relayed through Daughter, who flew out there over the weekend (and is still there). So I don't know if this is a doctor's assessment or if it's Daughter's opinion, but apparently he's in serious condition.

And, again, if it's Daughter's assessment, I have no idea what qualifies as "serious" for her.

But in any case, he's in the hospital with a strep infection. Big!Boss never even takes time off when he has a cold, so if he's in the hospital, I imagine it IS pretty serious (which is the consensus in the office as well). Hopefully he got to the hospital in time so he doesn't get worse or develop complications. He's very healthy for a man in his early 70s, but then again, he's in his early 70s -- which is generally not as hale and hearty as someone in their 20s.

Daughter is going to be back tomorrow with a full update. Freaky.

The appt. for today was such a fluke -- usually they're booked a good 2-3 months in advance, and I will never ever get an appointment this early again. I feel disinclined to squander it.

Do not squander the appointment.

Appointments can be SUCH a PITA to get.

You don't have a nicce check-list you can go down, vw? I had one for every academic program I've ever been in.

Everyone needs to get a lot healthier, stat.