what do you look forward to?

[brachysira]

When I was a scientist, I would write grants and then I would be so happy when they were in.  Then I would be so excited if I got them.  There was a lot of work, but there were always grants and projects to start.  At home, cleaning up is never done. I feel like we are always sick too.  What kinds of things are in your life that you really look forward to?  

[cam]

I look forward to a lot - in no particular order: visiting with family, time with friends, time one on one with MH, fun activities with LO, projects, etc.

[lo95]

Fridays, seeing DD when she wakes up in the morning, going out for lunch, going to the beach (hypothetically because God knows when we are getting to do that again)

[younglove316]

I am looking forward to next month when we are taking DD1 to an indoor Waterpark overnight. My SIL is taking DD2 and I know it's going to be a blast.

Warmer weather so we can start getting out more.

Mexican dinner and Margarita nights with my best friend.

[vettymama]

Starting new books, parent time with other ECFE moms, time in the evenings with DH, visiting my parent's farm, warmer weather- playing outside, gardening, signing the boys up for summer activities, baby #3 coming in June, building our new house, when a big project I've been working on is completed. Bedtime! I'm trying to find more joy in the little things.

[brachysira]

I think what my problem is is that we have been sick for months! We can't go out to socialize, no one will visit us, and I am too tired to set up too many activities at home. No date nights because we don't want to expose baby-sitters and no one wants an at home date night when at least one of you is hacking up stuff. Maybe if we schedule some things in the summer, I can look forward to that. I think my question should have been how do you get well and stay well.

[ashiscute]

brachysira what kind of sick do you mean? I only stay home if it's a stomach virus or a fever or a contagious infection and they haven't been on antibiotics for 24 hours yet. Regular coughs/colds do not keep us home or keep us from socializing. Kids have colds all the time. It would be impossible to stay in every time someone had one.

We all have a cold right now. My bigs are still going to preschool. Last night we went to the library. Last month we had a stomach virus that kept us home for 2 weeks and that was rough. We did way more tv time and kindle time than normal and survived. As soon as we were well we got back out.

[brachysira]

We had a stomach virus. We had something respiratory that just about killed all of us and has given DS pink eye and now he's on this 4th ear infection antibiotic because he can't get rid of this thing...it literally started in mid-January. Just when I was feeling better, my daughter brought home something where she had a high fever and terrible cough. This morning her fever was down to 99 and she said she felt well, so we went to gymnastics where she coughed continually, earning me hateful stares from the other parents and the teacher even had her get a drink because she sounded so bad. I don't get antibiotics for my kids very often because, you know, they say you shouldn't. Plus, she's a bit of a freaker-outer, and she just can't keep it together at preschool if she doesn't feel well. If the kids just seem to have runny noses, we go out and I'll send her to school. But this year, it has been one terrible thing after another. When my older child was in the mouthing stage, she had a runny nose all winter but I would get slightly sick for a single day at the most each time and she always felt fine. Not this year. No one gets better in even a week. I don't know what it is...do babies get mono? I am tired of feeling exhausted all the time, not seeing any friends, dealing with extra tantrums, having tons of screen time, eating quick unhealthy dinners... I want to feel better and do things! But more winter coming they say.

[ashiscute]

Our winter was like that last year. The kids got a cold that turned into a sinus infection, double ear, and double eye infection for DD. And the eye infection came back 3x. Plus DS got the double ear infection and double eye infection (contagious) and I was pregnant. Plus lots of snow days it felt never ending. But it did and this winter had been much better.

Hopefully you're on the other send. And ignore the dirty looks.

[Deleted]

All that sickness sounds awful. Would tubes help the ears? Hope it gets better for you soon.

I look forward to hanging with family and friends, traveling and doing new things/ going new places. I guess experiences. I look forward to warm weather.

[mrsmuq]

I look forward to being able to nurse and just cuddle DS2 when DS1 is otherwise occupied, being cared for by someone else, or at school. I never really enjoyed cuddling/nursing DS1 because he was just so damn difficult, and I was so damn tired, plus PPD kind of sucks the joy out of all things in new mommydom.

I also look forward to time spent with family, date nights, sex, and time with friends.

[brachysira]

Thanks guys. I now have what DD has, which if I could guess, I would say a bad version of the flu--although we had flu shots. We had the flu last year and hers was not too bad b/c she'd had the shot and mine was terrible and long lasting b/c I had not, and in some kind of miracle, DS, who was 5 months or so and exclusively nursing, did not get it. DD has been sick for 5 days and is still feverish and grouchy. We've been to the doctor tons and I'm starting to worry we are getting sick from there, so I haven't taken her, but I guess I will tomorrow if I am at all functional. I went to the doctor yesterday before I was very sick for the sinus thing, and she gave me some antibiotics, but I probably needed tamiflu instead.

Not sure what we're doing to do now b/c DH is having work drama and he'll probably get this, and he really needs to take off tomorrow because I have terrible chills and raging fever and I don't think I can do it, but he really can't miss many days at all, or even one really. All of my closer friends are very pregnant or have newborns, so I can't ask them to be around the sick kids. Our old baby-sitter got a full time job and we are supposed to meet two new ones, but I can barely focus and can't just hand the children off to someone I haven't really met when at least one is very sick plus the house is terrible and I can't just have random internet people over when there are banana peels all over, so I have put them off for now. My parents live 14 hours away and are in their late 60's, so they don't need to get this. DH's parents are in their 60's, his dad is in poor health, and their dog just had surgery, so I really don't think they can do this either. DH has a brother who works in a factory but has days off, but he has zero experience with kids and has really only spend about 5 days total with ours...

[Deleted]

When we had DS's tonsil surgery, he was supposed to go the ICU becuase of his severe sleep apnea, but there were no beds due to the flu. I guess it is super late this year. I hope that isn't what you have. Hugs.

[icequeen]

brachysira, hope you are feeling better. I am just catching up here but your post caught my eye. I used to be a researcher also and writing grants and manuscripts was so rewarding. What field were you in? Was it in academics? Sometimes I ask myself what the hell did I do leaving all that behind. I'm not sure if I will ever go back, but I am writing up a manuscript from some unpublished data from my dissertation a while back. It is satisfying and I'm looking forward to submitting it.

I look forward to cuddling my kids every day, even when they pull away.
I look forward to coffee.
I look forward to MH coming home.

[brachysira]

I was just about to graduate with my PhD in ecology but when my daughter was born 8 weeks too early, I just walked away. Not really a good long term plan, but I know I don't want to be an academic at this point. It still would have been better to graduate and keep some references intact... I have plenty I can publish if it's organized enough for me to remember what's going on, but right now I can't even get the dishes done half the time, so no time for writing, for fun or otherwise.

[penguin129]

Here are some things I look forward to...

*Getting everything moved out of the townhouse completely, hopefully by the end of the weekend
*My first appointment to see the new baby
*The end of the first trimester, I'm hoping my afternoon exhaustion disappears when the first tri does
*Painting our house (in the summer)
*Grey's Anatomy
*Nights I can get to bed before 11
*Showers
*Soaks

[namastebiotches]

-when DH comes home
-bedtime
-our alone time each night
-uninterrupted tv time lol
-quietness
-DS starting kindergarten