So Many Appointments, So Little Time

Jack started daycare today. He slept through the whole check in process. Right now Julianna and Jack are in two different daycare centers. This adds a ton of time to my pre-work routine and it is long enough already. Gone are the days when I could throw clothes on and run out the door. My early day has me feeding and dressing Jack, getting Julianna dressed (no small feat for Miss Fancy and I must accessorize), getting showered, packed up and out the door. After out the door we drive to Children's Nest in Merrick where Jack will be dropped off, then Learn and Play in Mineola where Julianna gets dropped off and then I get to work. By the end of the month they will both be in Children's Nest. I would have gotten them in the same place but there was no room in Learn and Play for Jack and Julianna has been practicing for her big graduation for months. That big day is Friday. I am happy they will both be in Children's Nest. Julianna has been missing her friends from there for the whole year.

I am having issues fitting all Jack's appointments and work in. I also realize that it is not going to get easier. Tomorrow we have kindergarten screening for Julianna and then I have an Early Intervention meeting about Jack. I took the day off since they are both long meetings. On Wednesday Jack has an opthamology appointment. He still has immature retinas and I can't risk him having any problems with his eyes, especially considering his hearing. That appointment is in Great Neck and would require me leaving work in Mineola, going to Merrick to get him, then going to Great Neck with him, back to Merrick to drop him off and then having to go back to work in Mineola. Anyone who has driven on Long Island knows that would kill the better part of the day.

What I think I need is a personal assistant who could do something such as pick Jack up from daycare and bring him to his appointment where I could meet them on my lunch. Then, after the appointment they could bring him back to daycare. I just can't keep taking days off from work.

I am thinking I may have to get a full time babysitter for home when the fall comes. I like the idea of daycare because Jack will get to be with other babies and because they are open a lot. However, Jack's Early Intervention schedule and doctor's appointments may make that impossible.

I remember thinking it would be so much easier once he was out of the NICU. He is an easy baby but his appointments are plentiful. He sees the audiologist, ENT, GI guy, pulmonologist, cardiologist, developmental pediatrician, opthamologist, craniosacral therapist and genetic counselor. When Early Intervention starts he will have another 3 to 5 appointments a week. Then we will also have to go back and forth to NYU in NYC for all the appointments to see if he is a cochlear implant candidate. I am wondering how anyone who is also working can balance all this.

I am going to ask around to see if there is any college student who would be interested in driving Jack around for a part time job this summer. He is a happy boy and loud music in the car does not bother him at all.