well-checks

After reading April's post, I was reminded that I never wrote about Isaac's well-check. You know when you're in one of those moments that you know needs to be recorded as one of those "Top 10 Things You Should Never Do As a Parent" moments? That doctor's appointment was one of them. I was trying to be efficient and so I scheduled Moriah's 2-yr-old appointment at the same time as Isaac's (some of you are already laughing). The Lord was so merciful to this ignorant mother that day - McKenna was sick and home from school, so she got to accompany me. We get there and he's ready to eat so I'm standing there trying to hold a bottle in his mouth with one hand while trying to sign them in. Every time I accidentally drop the bottle or have to take it out, he SCREAMS and all eyes in the waiting room simultaneously turn to us. McKenna takes over while I fill out new patient paperwork on Moriah (who has never seen this doctor before). A bit later, Isaac is finished with his bottle and happy and little Mo-Mo is happily playing on the germ-infested play equipment when McKenna notices that some kid really stinks. I'm wondering to myself what clueless mother has failed to change her child's diaper when I realize that I'M the mother - Moriah REEKS (I just thanked God that she hadn't taken the diaper off - she's in the disgusting habit of just removing the poopy diaper and dropping it on the floor. That would have gone over real well). I start digging around in Isaac's diaper bag, so proud of myself for remembering to toss one of Moriah's diapers in his bag, when I determine that I have no wipes. So I leave my 8-yr-old in charge of the baby while I take Moriah out to the car to use the "emergency" wipes that live in my car. We come back in and finally get to go see the doctor. Most of you know that Mo is not particularly shy, so there is none of that inhibition that often graces children when they're in a new environment. She chats with the doctor and procedes to climb the walls(literally, she was attempting to climb up the wall via the back of the chair)/turn off the lights/jump off the chair while Isaac is being examined. McKenna is coughing incessantly, but trying to keep Mo under control while I calmly make eye contact with this doctor(let me just say that I was sweating!). He's warning me to never let my sweet 2-yr-old see where we keep the medicine because the ages of 2-4 are the prime age for poisoning, etc. (I don't mention that she can climb anything and has already drunk half a bottle of Ibuprofen and sampled my prenatal vitamins. Does he really need to know this!?).
Then...it was time for the shots. I mention to Mo that it will just be a little poke that will hurt a little bit (McKenna looks at me like I'm nuts and says, "Mom, why did you tell her THAT?"). Moriah crawls under the chairs and starts saying, "It's scarwy. It's scarwy." At this point, I'm REALLY questioning my sanity for bringing both of them to the same appointment and begin strategizing about who should go first and about what I'm going to do when they're both screaming and I have to go pay for this lovely visit. Thankfully, Moriah only had to have one. She survived and just kept repeating, "I'm okay, I'm okay" as we walked out. She was much calmer. With the help of mighty McKenna (WHAT would I have done without her?), we make our escape and finally arrive home. Sweet McKenna had a raging fever again by this point and almost couldn't walk in the house.
I think my #1 thing on my TOP TEN list might be: Never take your 2-yr-old and your 4-mo-old in at the same time for the well-checks! Wish someone had told ME!! HA, HA!

Blessings!
Anda