Lilybean is the cutest squeakaboo EVAH!

I won't say cutest baby since Em has a pretty strong hold on that title too...but I'd say a complete TIE!

Superadorableness. I'm sending Ple a box of barrettes tomorrow. Not for the bean, but for her own self.

I have an urgent care near me but since I just paid the mortgage, I'm going to try to deal until tomorrow morning.

This just makes me want to scream and completely overhaul our medical system. I mean, I totally get why you are deciding this way, Nicole, but it shouldn't be that way.

And I was going to say what Kristin said - it's a UTI that's gone to your kidney, and I can't imagine worse pain. Even the part of labor I did without drugs wasn't as bad.

Not only do I have a thermometer, I have THREE. One for me, one for Mal's butt, and one in the fully complete and stocked EMT kit that's in our safehaven. Because I have a completely normal life.

What I'm missing is a candy thermometer, as mine died a couple months ago.

Babies as cute as Lilybean are why there are arranged marriages, because those of us with sons are all clamoring for her hand NOW.

The second picture with Plei and Jilli and Fay and Sqeak just about killed me. The way Lillian is looking at Jilli is sooooooo CUTE!

The fucking earth still hasn't stopped swaying, and I disembarked over 12 hours and 800 miles ago.

Oof, Juliana. I'm sorry you had such a horrible time. Hopefully your body will allow you to enjoy your day off tomorrow.

I slept for a couple of hours, at least. That was nice. The waking up? NSM. I'm wondering if I'm possibly slightly allergic to tampons, since I rarely use them the entire period and that's what I tried to do this month. I'll have to ask the doc about it. Or google it, if I can't get back to sleep soon.

Didn't get to check the board all weekend (I spent yesterday afternoon helping to paint a basement, but I digress), but now that I'm here --

P-C, you're the one who has to live your life. Not your parents. Not your uncle and aunt. You're the one that has to deal with the consequences of what job/career you have, what relationships/marriage you enter into, your religious beliefs, and so on. Nobody else.

That's point one. And at the heart of it all, there is no point two. Only one-A, one-B, and so on.

It sounds like you need your own space. So I'll sign on with those that say you need to move out of your uncle's home. If finances are an issue, you might be able to find a roommate situation.

As badly stressed out as you are, counseling wouldn't hurt. Again, I don't know whether finances are an issue. (Hivemind -- do university Psychology Departments offer free/low-cost services for grad students to obtain experience, much like law schools frequently set up clinics in which budding attorneys gain experience, especially in litigation?)

Someone upthread suggested family counseling. I'm not sure that's a good idea, especially at first. Get your own feelings sorted out and your own feet under you before bringing anyone else into it.

And good luck!

Not only do I have a thermometer, I have THREE.

Raq is me. Also, I have the little heart-shaped stick-on thermometers because sometimes, I'm just too damned squeamish to use the rectal one on my kids.

Usually, though, I just use the kiss-the-forehead technique and I can tell if they're too warm.

I'm calling and getting Owen an appointment somewhere to even out his hair today. I don't care if I have to bribe him with an entire bag of mini m&m's to sit still, I want it fixed.

Olivia slept for 11 hours straight last night. She was the last one awake this morning. yay for well-rested EVERYBODY.

I didn't make it to class today, for which much beating-up is occurring. I was up, but having some trouble with my asthma. Took the inhaler and went to get into my robe to get into the shower and had a full-blown coughing fit. Decided I needed the nebulizer. By the time I was done with that, calmed down, and feeling better, it was too late to even just leave for class. So, as I was exhausted, I crawled back into bed.

The good thing is, we haven't reached the stuff I haven't learned yet. So...I don't know. Feeling crappy (still not breathing great) and feeling like I've done something wrong. Hate that feeling.

Work on breathing, and try to let go of the self-judging. You're not missing anything you haven't covered in your class before, so use this time to rest and recover from the weekend and get your breathing going. It's all good.

Don't beat yourself up and get sucked into a whirlwind sucking vortex of guilt that will fuck up your entire day, and possibly your week. Er, not that I know anything about doing that.

ION, I am seriosuly considering changing my tagline to sub out "FileMaker" for "South Dakota."

(STABBY STABBY STABBY)

Don't beat yourself up and get sucked into a whirlwind sucking vortex of guilt that will fuck up your entire day, and possibly your week. Er, not that I know anything about doing that.

Yeah. I'm trying very hard not to do that. Gonna make my to do list for the day right now.