So this is parenthood No. 6

I called the doctor's office 7 times today. Three times, a recorded message told me they were so busy they couldn't even bother to let me stay on hold and hung up the phone (my words, not theirs). Four times, I stayed on hold for 15 minutes each and still never talked to a live person.

Peanut had no fever. Her stomach issues had stopped manifesting themselves in ways I would rather not get into. But she wasn't herself. She wasn't eating much if anything and she wouldn't play at all. She just wanted to sleep and sit on my lap.

I finally called our insurance's nurse hotline at 4:30 p.m. after a long and worry-filled day. The nurse said we were doing everything right. Peanut whimpered and whined on my hip the entire time.

As soon as I got off the phone, she wanted to play. She laughed. She ate.

She's fine. I've aged five years today.