We spent the weekend organizing, cleaning, unpacking boxes, and generally hip-deep in boring household activities.

And then around 3:30 or 4 am on Monday morning, Jill woke up almost unable to move and in horrible pain. Pain in the neck was no longer just an expression.

Tylenol, a heating pad, no pillow, and a couple of hours of intermittent dozing later, we went to the emergency room.

Hours, doctors, and drugs later, we were finally home with a diagnosis of a pinched nerve and the recommendation that if it still hurt in 5 days, she should see doctor so and so.

We were both wiped out and slept most of the afternoon.

On the plus side, she is feeling somewhat better and the drugs are helping.

We were well enough to go to our lawyer appointment this morning.

We like this lawyer. She does something like 90% of the same sex second parent adoptions in the state, and she was funny, intelligent, and reassuring without making any unrealistic promises. We are cautiously optimistic that by the time I return to work full time, Jill will also be Smudge’s legal parent.

However, we have a lot of homework. The paperwork on all this is significant, to say the least.

Jill was also well enough to call the montessori school people back, and they gave us the wonderful news that there will be a spot available for Smudge sometime in May or June. That’s a little later than we hoped to juggle our own child care, but not so much longer that we won’t be able to manage it.

And Smudge is kicking up a storm. Maybe two storms. I think he takes after me and my Mom — he gets restless and cranky when he’s hungry. Mom and I get crabby and maybe a little snippy, which is kind of the adult equivalent of kicking.

I forsee a Smudge childhood with my purse full of snacks.