Crazy day vent (good ending)

LouiseB2001

It was bound to happen sooner or later when you move to a new place and have no babysitting safety net. In the US we had a very flexible nanny and several occasional sitters alongside trusted friends. Here we have daycare and new acquaintances.

So DD woke up screaming last night around 11pm and I went into her room finding her and her sheets covered in vomit (sorry TMI). DH was away on a long weekend and not back before midnight, so I had to take care of this myself. DD was a trouper and stood naked in the bathroom while I tried to at least rinse her sheets as well as her stuffed elephant, which she was very worried about. (we got communal laundry so no chance of stuffing it directly into a washer)

DH came home and after another explosive diaper at 3 am we concluded that there was no chance we could send DD to daycare. DH volunteered to skip his meetings in the afternoon when I was teaching. Flash forward to the morning where we tried to coordinate. Turned out that DH was going to a really important board meeting overlapping with my teaching and could not get out of it. I couldn't get out of teaching the two seminars because they are a tightly scheduled part of project week. 

After a stressful morning for me, attempting to come up with someone in our line of new colleagues who could look after DD for my two seminars, even considering to bring her (how crazy is that of a thought?), I found an emergency nanny service. Cost a fortune but there really wasn't much of an option. A really nice young girl came over and I left DD with her, feeling really weird. I have never left her with someone I don't know like that.

At night I came home to a cooked meal and a fairly happy toddler who was ready for bed. On top of things I had taken a migraine pill, which means I can't nurse DD to sleep. Normally DH puts her to bed when that happens but he was out for post-board meeting dinner. That was probably the hardest point of the day: I told DD that she had to go to bed without and after a few tears she pointed at her crib and she went to sleep after one song! It was very bitter sweet.

All in all I am happy I managed to turn a stressful day into something manageable, but I must admit that I can't do this kind of crazy last-minute plan changing on a regular basis. We really need reliable back-up care and we need to match our calendars more regularly.  

Uiowachick01

I'm so sorry you had a bad night and stressful day.  Maybe you can look into finding a nanny through a co-worker? Someone through daycare?  That way you "know" the nanny a little better.  I hope your DD is feeling better.

LouiseB2001

Thanks, that's a really good idea, I'll ask around. DD is still sick, another night of throwing up, (only once) so DH is home with her. Luckily she seems to feel fine.