Countdown to Jack's Birthday: THREE DAYS!

Wow. Three days. I have no idea what we are going to do for his birthday. I just know that the party is going to be on Sunday afternoon at my house. Probably around 6:30 or so, to give Jack and Father Jim both time to take their PLNs (Post-Liturgical Nap, a brilliant thing), me time to get things ready, and Kelli and Jared time to get here (though if I have it my way, Jared will already BE HERE, since I am supposed to have him reserved every weekend until I move).

I also have no idea what I am giving him for his birthday. I was going to be clever and giftwrap two medium Huggabuns, but I have a feeling we will need them before Sunday, since the diapers take forever to dry and most of them are soaking now (to be washed). One thing I will say about moving to GA is that it will be REALLY NICE to have a washing machine again, even if I have to rent-to-own!!

Renting to own? What?? Okay, under most circumstances, I DO NOT believe in doing the rent-to-own furniture thing. It ends up costing more, and you shouldn't buy what you can't afford, right? Right. Totally. Except that I absolutely cannot be without a washer and dryer anymore. It won't be convenient to take stuff to the parents' house, since I will be away from Jack enough for work anyway. Plus, I do have to do a load of diapers pretty much daily, and I don't want to have to stay out to do them. I could take them to work, but their washer and dryer are like the ones James and I had -- very few settings. I end up having to wash diapers three or four times, and I can't dry my Huggabuns and Fuzzi Bunz on the high setting (all they have) without messing them up. And I need a set anyway. It's a lot easier to come up with $40 a month than to come up with the cost of a set all at once. So, I am going to very seriously look into it.

And now we have more fears about moving. I have not been away from Jack for more than a few hours every few days IN HIS LIFE. I've tried to go back to work, but I haven't been able. There's this little problem of having to get somebody to watch him for me to go on job interviews, which I can never seem to work out. Then there's the daycare issue. That s__t's EXPENSIVE. But things will work out better in GA. While I am working, James and his godmother are going to watch Jack. James will watch him when he is not at work (and he has no job yet....), and Sharron will watch him the rest of the time. Not having to pay for daycare, AND being able to leave him with someone who will use our cloth diapers and respect our dietary restrictions? THIS IS A GOOD THING. Bonus points? She's Catholic, and is able to teach him about our faith as he gets older, as the Catholic and Orthodox Churches are, to quote Father Jim, "more similar than different." I just have to get her used to helping him make his cross (we go right to left instead of left to right).

But I have separation anxiety in the worst way.

I am also a little afraid of ALL THE STAIRS IN GA. Seriously, that place is like a city of hills and stairs. I have a hard enough time walking on flat surfaces!! Good news? I will at least have a parking permit there, which I don't have here. And I am just a week away from being able to file for disability. I don't think I will get approved, since most people DON'T on their first application, but at least I can TRY now, right?

Speaking of moving and mobility issues, this packing and unpacking thing scares me. Seriously, I don't have much mobility at all these days, but I have to pack my entire apartment BY MYSELF while taking care of a toddler? This is overwhelming. At least unpacking, I will have some help (TRACY, THIS MEANS YOU!!!!)

There are so many good reasons to move back to Georgia, so why do I keep harping on everything I am giving up to do it? I have no job, no money, and no real help here, and I will have all of that there. But I have to leave my priest, a couple of very good friends, and JARED. And with everything else going on in my head right now, that almost seems too much.

I should touch on "everything else in my head," huh? Next post, perhaps.