Oh yeah, that was fun

Four years ago, at one of Katherine’s infant appointments I remember seeing a little boy about four or five years old going through his checkup. How adorable I thought. Then I looked down at my child. A four year old wellness appointment seemed like eons away. What would my own sweet baby girl look like at that future appointment?

Well, that’s the end of that. I hope you gotten your dose of “ohhhh, the poignant moments of parenthood” for the day because Katherine’s four year old wellness appointment was nothing like that little boy’s. There is nothing, I repeat, NOT A THING about Tuesday’s appointment that I will feel nostalgic about, except maybe walking out the door to go home.

Katherine new she was going to the doctor for a checkup. I told at bedtime Monday night. Yes, there were tears and cries of “I don’t want to go to the doctor.” The first words out of her mouth the next morning “Please I don’t want to go to the doctor.” Phew, I thought…got that meltdown over with.

Hardy har har.

Stupid me gave away my ace in the hole on the two block drive from the daycare to the doctor’s office “If you’re really brave and are a good girl for your checkup, we’ll stop at the store on the way home and get some Skittle and Gummy Bears.” Doh! The tears started the minute we walked in the door.

We’ll start with the appetizer.

Want to make a parent of doctor phobic child shake? Utter the words: “We’re gonna need a urine sample.” Katherine is a camel, if she doesn’t have to go not much is going to make her go. The brute force method of putting her on the potty resulted in kicking, screaming and crying. Were idle promises and threats made? Yes, yes they were. Did they help? Not a bit. We were sent home with a Mexican hat and specimen cup.

Round one: Us: 0, Katherine: 1. On to the main course.

Off to the exam room where things went from bad to worse. Kicking, crying, squirming, you name it. At one point it looked as if we would need to reschedule the appointment (heck no, I didn’t just pay the $25 co-pay for nothing). God bless the nurse for being able to get her calmed down enough to do a blood pressure check (this alone took 20 minutes), height and weight. Hearing test? Yeah, um, no. “Mommy, I wanna go home!” The Nurse Practitioner was EXCELLENT and was able to get a lot done but Katherine balked when it was time to look in her ears. I had to hold K’s head and at that point I had had it.

Honestly, I was torn because while I knew that Katherine was genuinely terrified of this whole ordeal, a big part of me was just plain ticked off at her behavior. Let’s just say her and I had a few “words of prayer” which did absolutely no good. Why did I even threaten to forgo the Skittles and Gummy Bears? Because a. it only made her more upset and b. I knew (but she didn’t) that shots were coming and I knew full well that I would cave after watching that. I even let her play with those germ infested doctor’s office toys but my GOD I was desperate people. (A side note to doctors: throw away the toys, please??? They are broken and disgusting and cause more angst than they help.) I knew flying off the handle would do nothing to help the situation but it was all I could do NOT to fly off the handle. I’m not a spanker, don’t believe in spanking, and don’t plan to spank my children. EVER. But did I want to pop her right then and there? You betcha. Wouldn’t that have helped the doctor phobia.

Am I expecting too much of her at four years old to act like a decent person at the doctor’s office? I understand the medical odyssey that was her second year of life pretty much did her in but it seems to be getting worse and not better. I’m at a loss for what to do.

Ahhh, shot time. Think of it as the dessert course except burnt toast was being served instead of a hot fudge sundae. Once she caught wind of what was about to happen it was all over. For her safety another nurse came in to hold her down instead of me. Screaming, crying, and kicking ensued, how the nurse at that end held her legs down and got the shots, I don’t know how. I guess their used to it. I was at her head. When the shots came she let out the loudest scream I have ever heard from her. A blood curdling, “Oh my goodness this is the worst pain I have ever felt and why are you doing this to me??” type scream. It brought tears to my eyes.

Oh and the after dinner mint? They haven’t received their state issued supply of flu shots yet. We’d have to bring her back for the flu shot. BWAAAA HA HA HA HA HA! You think I’m voluntarily going through that again???? I’ll think we’ll pass this year. And explain to me how every drugstore in the area is advertising that they have the flu shot yet the state can’t ship it out to the pediatrician’s offices????

Two minutes after the shots she was mostly recovered. Of course, she also new that the appointment was over and she was heading home, after a stop at the treasure box. Yes, I caved on the Skittle and Gummy Bears, boy am I a sucker. More like, I was a wreck, physically and emotionally spent for the rest of the night. I couldn’t think straight. Wandered aimlessly around the house. Katherine, on the other hand, was downright chipper. We asked her about her behavior at the doctor’s office and why she doesn’t like it there. “Because I don’t.” Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.

And wouldn’t you know not less than two hours after the appointment Katherine announced that she needed to go potty and she wanted to pee in the Mexican hat. Would not take no for an answer. Thought it was the funniest thing. There I was yesterday afternoon, leaving work early to go drop off my daughter’s pee at the doctor’s office. The nurse asked how she was doing and assured me that their used to kids acting like that. She said that Katherine may grow out of it “but some kids never do”. Greeeeaaaaaaat.

I’d say that Ted has the next doctor’s appointment but he’s already gone through similar experiences (save the shots) with the dentist and the impromptu throat culture in August (where he had the distinct pleasure of being yacked on right after they did her culture). We’ve both put in our dues; we just want relief from this. Next week is Teddy’s 6 month wellness appointment and I’m thinking of taking her along to show her the doctor’s office when the appointment isn’t for her, that it’s not such a scary place.

Funny, the NP asked me in the initial “interview” how she does with other people and groups, does she socialize well? Yeah, she does great except when she sees all of you people.

Glad that’s over with.

Til Tuesday...

We started this weekend with sun and 90 degrees.  We're ending this weekend with rain and 70s.  I couldn't be happier.  Fall has arrived...finally!  Most of September has been unseasonably warm and by the end of last everyone was just plain sick of it.  But what is funny about it is that I can't remember a time before when you could literally say...today summer, tomorrow fall.  That's it, done.  Forecasted temps pretty much in the 70s, maybe a few low 80s from here on. 

I went up in the attic yesterday and brought down all the fall decorations.  Katherine had a blast decorating with me and needless to say, she's looking forward to the trick or treating this year.  We may have a bit of a costume dilemma.  Early on, she told me that she most definitely wanted to be a princess this year.  Easy peasy I thought, princess costumes are a dime a dozen.  Papa and Gram Meagher if scored big deal on one at Costco and its soon to arrive at our house.  Problem?  We were at Bj's and she saw a dinosaur/dragon costume.  Mind you, I'm pretty sure the costume was for a kid a bit younger than her but no matter.  She's now saying that she wants to be a dragon (and every time she says it she goes ROAR!).  We're hoping that one sight at the princess costume will change her mind but just in case, the receipt is arriving with the costume.

So what else it new around here?  We have a baby that is pretty close to being a confident sitter upperer.  He does great in his high chair and will sit on the floor unsupported for a few seconds at a time.  This is wonderful because you can also tell that he isn't as interested anymore in hanging in his bouncy chair or lieing down on the playmat.  He sees what he wants and he wants to go and get it.  He also holds his head up really well during tummy time and spins himself around to see what he can see.  Mobility can't be that far away.  I know some people loathe the day their kids became mobile but I was so happy when Katherine started down that path and I'm just as thrilled now that Teddy is on the verge as well.  Right now you can just see how frustrated the boy gets that all the good stuff is just out of reach.  Although I think all that new found mobility will coincide just perfectly with the trimming of the Christmas tree.

Oh yeah, and then there's this coming Tuesday.  I am not in any way, shape or form looking forward to that day.  It starts off with a dentist appointment for me and ends with Katherine's four year old wellness appointment...complete with kindergarten shots.  She could wait and get them right before registration but that would mean a whole other appointment with a whole other copay.  We're there on Tuesday and they can do them on Tuesday.   I don't have the heart to tell her that a. she's going to the doctor on Tuesday and b. she's getting shots.  Point a will probably be mentioned Monday night or Tuesday morning.  Point b...well...that probably won't get mentioned until the nurse walks in the door with the vaccines. 

After Tuesday I can have the moment where I stand there in astonishment that my child just got her shots for KINDERGARTEN.  But honestly, I gotta get through that appointment first. Trust me, there will be a trip for Skittles and gummy bears right afterwards.  And maybe a treat for Mom.

Learning to sit up

Hello there! We're still here, just really busy. More soon.


-- Post From My iPhone

Clumsy things Beth does, #248

I should be on my lunchtime walk right now.  Instead I'm sitting at my desk with a bag of ice on my toe. You know where this is going.  Oops, I did it again.  Let's start from the beginning.  Family woke up Tuesday morning with a terrible cough coming from one particular four year old. Actually I wasn't feeling too grand myself but figured I could sequester myself in my office for the day.  If she had been a few years younger that seal bark would have prompted anxious waiting by the phone for the clock to strike 8 to join the appointment line at the doctor's office.  We asked her if she wanted to go back to bed and she made a beeline for her covers.  Katherine never does that.  So it was official, one of us was staying home for the day.  Since I'm the one with options to put in some hours away from the office, it was me.  We made the decision to send Teddy in for the day, figuring that Katherine might be one germy handful and to give me the best chance possible to get some work done when I could (reminder: MAJOR federal report due September 30th).  Off we went to start our day.

By 11am, Katherine was downright chipper, she had coughed up whatever needed to be coughed up and declared to me that she wasn't sick anymore.  And lo and behold when we went to pick up Teddy at 4, I found out the whole gosh darn place had the same thing she had.  Everyone, and I mean everyone, was coughing and sniffling.  I guess it's going around.

Back home to get the kids settled and dinner started.  Which is the exact time everyday that Teddy decides he wants to be held. Most nights Ted is there so we can tag team it but he had to work late last night and then had plans to stop for a haircut on the way home. Usually you can appease the little guy in his high chair with some toys for a bit, which is what I did at first, but your luck usually runs out and he declares that under no uncertain terms should he be put down for at least the next hour.  Then begins the shuffle, pick up, do a few laps around the house, put down, run into kitchen and cook until the screaming starts again, repeat.  Well on one of these repetitions, I put him down in his bouncy seat, turned and stubbed my toe on the recliner handle to the La-Z-Boy.  Maybe grazed with great force is a better way to put it.  I knew it right away.  And boy was it hard not to let you a litany of swears in front the verbal sponge that is our daughter.

Things went downhill from there.  I hobbled around in pain, trying frantically to appease a baby that would not be comforted, finish dinner (cause the solid food eating people in the house were starving) and tend to my poor foot as best I could.  The things you do when you have to, did you know that you can carry a 17lb baby up and down the stairs with a bad foot in order to change a poopy diaper? Yes, the kid chose that particular moment to take a dump.  Katherine...I can't say enought how good she was and wow, helpful too.  She never complained that dinner was slllooowwww in coming, that Teddy was screaming his head off and that Mommy was frustrated as all get out at the situation.  That's my girl.

Ted arrived home in the middle of all the chaos and well, together we got everything straightened out.  Today... I won't lie...it hurts but I can get myself around.  I've been icing as much as possible.  Still, it feels much better compared to the last time I did this, so I figure by tomorrow, I'll be well on my way.  Probably flip flops and lunching in for the rest of the week.

Co-workers have suggested I purchase a good pair of steel toed shoes to wear around the house.  Their all heart.

Grace is not my strong point...off to fill up my bag of ice.

Saturday Morning

She busted open the scrapbook kit she got from Papa and Gram Coberly for her birthday.


And Teddy? He's busy bouncing.


-- Post From My iPhone

Trials and Tribulations of a Four Year Old, Vol. 1

A few notes about the latest on our little girl:

• She's stubborn.  This isn't anything new, heck my parents have been saying she's just like me at the same age for years.  Case in point...see that picture up there?  That was her attempt last night to write her own name, which she decided to do all by herself.  She made it through the K, A, T, & H.  Not too shabby for a newly minted four year old.  I decided to take a picture for this post.  She decided she wanted a picture with her camera (which by God, one of these days I will find the cord and take all the pictures she's taken off of there).  She was insistent that she only wanted one of the cameras to take the picture, why, I haven't a clue.  Well, I beat her to it and she was not pleased.  So not pleased in fact that she grabbed a NEW peice of paper and proceeded to write her name again, this time making it to the I.  She took a picture of that one with her camera.
• She'll happily tell you she was good in school today..."I didn't spit."  Spit, you say?  We had an "incident" last week.  School has started tying a small bit of yarn around each kid's wrist in the morning.  It is your "listening band".  You are expected to be a good kid all day and if you keep your listening band until the end of the day you get to visit the office and pick a prize out of the basket.  We're talking cheapo dollar store stuff...real treasure to the preschool set. Our good little girl has been getting a prize everyday, except for once last week.  We were told that she spit at another kid.  When Ted asked her about this and inquired as to why she spit, she replied "She spit at me first."  Ahhhh, good old retaliation.  Katherine also fessed up later that night that she "punched her in the chest too."  Hmmm, those may be valid reasons for having your listening band taken away.  I found out from the teacher the next day (which the whole place was shocked, I might add, that Katherine got her band taken away) that Miss K got so upset that her listening band was cut off that she showed that frustation by slapping the other girl (who had just lost her listening band as well).  I didn't ask but I am sure that got her a time out as well.  The lesson of that day has sunk in, Miss K happily retorts at pick up time every day that "I was good today, I didn't spit."  That's my girl.
• She has become quite attached to Teddy in the mornings.  Ever since he started in the infant room she has been dying to check the place out.  Usually, she has to just peer in from the door because of the no shoe rule and I think they like to just keep the germy much more active older kids at a distance from the young ones.  Well, one morning a week or two ago Katherine and Teddy happened to be the first kids to arrive.  Since Miss LaRue (director) was trying to get some things done in the office, Katherine got the unique pleasure of taking her shoes off and sitting in the infant room with Teddy and Miss Mary for a bit.  You might have thought she died and went to heaven.  Well, since then, she's hooked.  Every morning she wants to go in there, except well, she really can't, that one day was kind of the exception to the rule.  I think we're all regretting opening up that can of worms with her.  We've had some upsetting mornings where she declares on the way to school that "Teddy needs his big sister" and tears up when she is steered into the other classroom with her friends.  I know from other situations that nothing is going to help this one but time cause she isn't going to forget that one day any time soon.
• She seems incapable of playing by herself lately.  Probably closer to the truth that she can do it but she doesn't like it.  I think may have to do with a combination of playing with other kids all day at school/daycare, a summer of visits to Papa and Gram's houses where, let's face it, she was the center of attention (and rightly so) and Ted and I being agreeable to as many of her playing requests as possible.  Except, sometime we just need to get some things done or we really want to do some adult things rather than play tea.  Ted played with her for a bit last night and then told her that was going to do something else.  At some point I heard him say "You can play by yourself Katherine" and her response of "No I can't!"  We need to work on this one because, let's face it, there's a good deal of life where you are left to your own devices.  I know some of this is baby brother related too, she's watching us dote on someone who can do nothing for himself right now.  She wants us to dote a little more on her too.  Here's hoping some of this changes as Teddy gets more mobile, cause I think once he starts getting into "her stuff" she's going to want to be left alone a bit more.

Volume 2 probably isn't that far off...

Summer in Pictures

Another summer draws to a close.  And this one flew by due to the number of trips a certain member of this family went on.  I finally went through and finished the albums for both July and August (check them out on the picture site).  Here are some of my favorites, most from our most recent trip north.  Head on over to the picture site to see them all.  Even in this short amount of time I can't believe how much the kids have grown.  I feel like Katherine is at least 4 inches taller.  And Teddy has gone from a newborn to an alert infant that rolls over, smiles, laughs and loves him some baby food.  I'm pretty sure we'll add sitting up to that list within the next month.

Welcome Fall!

Up in the air

Spotted this on my way home from a Sonic run. Don't worry I stopped the car first. Someone else is enjoying the late summer evening. Perfect evening for it too. Seriously, I need to find out who does this around here because I would love to do it myself.


-- Post From My iPhone

Thanks Aunt Colleen and Uncle Sven!!

-- Post From My iPhone