Is there a doctor in the house?

The kid who hated the doctor is now obsessed with playing doctor/veterinarian. Doodle has her own clinic now,with a binder of patient records, medicine, prescriptions, etc. We already had the working kid stethoscope, but it's totally over the top now. We're on the hunt for a clipboard so she can check the patients in. I gave her an empty over the counter allergy medicine bottle, and it's now filled with fake paper pills. She even has a few x-rays (don't judge, the preschool show and tell was letters all year and we had to come up with something for x, y or z for the last one. Since she refused to yodel and/or bring a zebra, this is what she brought--along with an "x" marking the spot for pirate treasure).

Interestingly enough, she doesn't want to be the doctor, just the nurse. Now, this just about crushes my feminist, type-A heart but I'm rolling with it. I'm actually encouraging the nurse thing--so Cousin B, she may be calling you about this!

Some choice notes from her charts--she has a scribe (me, Dan or Mary Poppins) help with the writing):

Patient Parroty: DOB 5/27/06, Home town--Jungles of Seattle. Allergies: Prevacid (Doodle takes this for reflux) and water. Complaining of a stiff wing. Sent home with medicine, follow up visit.

Patients Octopus, Star Fishy and Crabby: Hometown--Ocean. Allergies: Ritz crackers. All have sea pox. Medicine: pox medicine. See in one month.

Patient Water Baby ( a doll that can go in the bathtub): DOB 4/1/08, Hometown--Hawaii. Allergies: water. She has a sore throat. Needs surgery to unclog throat. Keep overnight.

Patient Little Huggy Face (an Ugly doll and FYI Dan helped with this one): Hometown--Jungle Cave. Allergies: Penicillin (like Doodle). Medications: Lidocaine. Chief complaint: Hair too long, hirsuitism. Plan: haircut, shave and wax. Prognosis: Good.

It is hilarious to watch her do this. She is very professional and has picked up a ton just from listening to Dan. We're encouraging it. She keeps telling me she wants to be a worker like me, but I think it is because when she comes to my office my co-workers give her lots of chocolate.

I'll let you know when she asks for a pager and starts complaining about insurance companies.

Not Strep

So the good news is it's not strep. The bad news is it's not strep. I wouldn't wish strep on anyone but at least with a bacterial infection, 24-48 hours after the first dose of the antibiotic the kids are back to normal. I hate the lingering viruses...fever for several days, etc. and just when one kid is getting over it, the next kid gets it.

I waited until the very last moment to tell Doodle we were going to the doctor. I did it while she watched tv and I got her dressed. She got so hysterical that she threw up all over her clothes and the couch. I re-dressed her and took her in, along with a barf bowl and a roll of paper towels. There were walk-in hours and it was busy so we had to wait a while. I rocked her, I reasoned with her, I explained what the doctor would do. I promised no shots. I tried distracting her. Nothing worked. She cried from 9:10 a.m. when I told her we were going to the doctor until we were done with the doctor at 10:40. Doodle asked for Dan the whole time. Sigh. That was really demoralizing. Especially with all of the other moms in the waiting room. I guess the positive thing was that people avoided us in the waiting room since they assumed she had some horrible illness since she was so miserable ... that and she didn't barf at the doctors' office.

She's now on the couch whimpering. Doodle won't eat even a few crackers since she is afraid to throw up again but without food in her stomach, I can't give her the Motrin that will make her feel better. At this point, we might have to resort to Tylenol suppositories. I can only hope she falls asleep soon.

I Jinxed it.

Did I really say we were recovering nicely? That we might have even been bored? Apparently that was a warning to the universe that I needed another smack down. Wow, a weekend where we actually all left the house for fresh air! We saw friends! I had champagne! I completed some much needed home organization! Clearly it was time for some additional pain and suffering!! I can hear the universe now, "Yes, let's teach that type A bitch what it means to be a mom of three. You thought your maternity leave would be fun! You thought you would be going on lovely outings with your girls! Fun, my a**! You won't be bored now!! (insert evil laugh here)"

Today, Doodle refused to go to a play date with her most favored friend, E. We went to preschool and she performed in the Magic Rainbow Garden (A preschool play. She was the magic galloping horse with rainbow hair. Dan did the shirts and the horse kind of looks like a cross between a dinosaur and a horse. I may have to post pictures at a later date, but I digress).

So Doodle was a bit punky and asked to go home from the ice cream parlor we visited as a treat after school. It came as no surprise that she felt warm tonight, or that her throat hurt.

When Dan came home, he looked in her ears--fine. But her throat...he was all "Yikes." He even made me look and sure enough she has a tonsil the size of Jupiter. It was like her one tonsil decided to blow itself up like a balloon. And then Dan says, "Hmmm....swollen glands, unilateral tonsil, fever. Yep, I think you should take her to the ped tomorrow for walk-in hours to rule out strep. A virus would likely result in two large tonsils."

This child HATES the Doctor (not your fault, Dr. L). She freaked out when I got MY shots for Ethiopia. She cried and went to her room when we tried to get her to try a new type of peanut butter last night. "I HATE to try new things MOM!!!" Clearly, tomorrow morning will at the very least require large amounts of caffeine (me) and possibly some sort of cocktail following (also me). Perhaps it will also require some bribery for her. I'm open to suggestions.

And for the double whammy, the last time I was at the ped they forgot to give me the materials for the newbie's stool samples. Three days of samples. I really don't want to know where I store the poop samples for three days. So, I have the privilege of picking up those bad boys tomorrow. Oh, and the newbie didn't poop at all today. I tell you, tomorrow is going to be fun!

Lots of Firsts

The last week or so has been a week of firsts for the newbie. First time meeting Grandma Grace and Auntie Lorri, the Hogans, Auntie R and Uncle M, Uncle Gerry, our friends from Minnesota, and the Wollers. First dinner at Nama's. First time in the sprinkler (not sure about it). First time eating broccoli (does not like it). First vaccinations (4- not too bad). First new tooth in the US (lots of drool, more teeth to come). First time in a pool (not sure about it). I put most of the photos in the slide show, others still need to be downloaded from the camera.

In the 16 days since we last saw the pediatrician, the newbie gained 1 pound 2 ounces and grew 5/8 of an inch. Pretty impressive for just over two weeks.

We're settling in nicely. We're recovered from the eye issue and the ear infection, which later required antibiotics. Life stuff is finally getting done--the winter clothes are out, summer clothes in. We did some gardening. Now it's the end of the weekend and we're a little bored.

Update

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Mother's Day turned out to be a bit of a disaster. I got mulch in my eye and on the way to get me eye wash, Dan and the minivan got into a car accident in the alley. No one was hurt, but my prized vehicle got quite a big, new dent. Yes, I love my minivan and I'm proud of it. Then, Tori complained that her ear hurt- and yep, she had an ear infection.

Things were better mid-week. The girls were back at school and the newbie is happy and hungry. We go for vaccinations and a weight check today, so I'm anxious to see what she weighs. She's already growing out of the 3-6 month clothes and is now in a size 3 diaper, but barely. She's still a smiley happy baby, unless you are not quick enough with the food.

Friday brought parent-teacher conferences and a visit from Dan's mom and sister. We were at my mom's for dinner on Sat. I'll try and upload some pictures soon and catch up on the doings this week. I can't find the cord thingy that connects the computer to the camera in the chaos.
More later, S

Healing Honey!

We had a great brunch with our friends the Wollers this morning and they were telling me about a You Tube video featuring their honey, Gentle Breeze Honey. There is a study being done by the University of Wisconsin to see if honey helps heal skin ulcers caused by diabetes. The video on You Tube explaining the study never says what brand of honey they are using, but they sure feature Gentle Breeze Honey in the video!!! Here's a link to the video. Many Midwestern Whole Foods sell the honey, but here is a link if you want to go to the Gentle Breeze Honey website and see the Wollers in action at their Wisconsin farm.

We love the bee farm, and the girls are addicted to their honey sticks. The best was when Grandpa Gene let us taste the fresh honey and caught a bee for us to watch and touch--he removed the stinger. When we saw them today, Doodle was disappointed that Grandpa Gene didn't bring the Gator (tractor/trailer thingy) for her to ride. She cried when she had to leave her friends. I thought she was upset that we might be leaving her there but she was so sad to leave, she cried!

Dan roomed with Scott during medical school and we soon were adopted by the whole Woller clan. They are our family and we couldn't be prouder of the Wollers and their family business.

Oh, and Richard, if you are reading, we owe you a lunch!!

Mothers' Day Potpourri

Things I forgot about babies:

1. The laundry- Dear God.... the bibs and the cloth diapers we are using for burp cloths and the sleepers. How can one small baby generate so much laundry? Carrots stain like nothing else. This too, I had forgotten.

2. The dishes- we normally run the dishwasher twice a day but we're upwards of three times now. Filled with little bowls and baby spoons and bottles and toys dropped in the dirt. We're not even dishwashing the toys that fall on the floor like we did when Doodle was little.

3. The drool- she drinks a ton, but I think most of it ends up on her shirt. I don't remember my other girls drooling this much.

4. If spit up happens on your shirt, you don't always notice until it cools off. I vaguely remember this. Oh, and the straight spit up down your shirt and into your bra is just lovely.

5. I don't remember having to pee in the middle of the night when I was up with the baby. Maybe before I was breastfeeding and dehydrated? Or maybe it's just that I am older?

6. Food+blowing raspberries= sweet potatoes in your hair. And you might not notice until much later.

7. Glasses are a baby magnet. Glad I bought new ones before this baby came home. There already out of whack.

8. The smell of a clean baby after the bath is irresistible.

Things are looking up here. Today was the first day that the girls woke up without a fever. The grown ups are getting stir crazy, but we're surviving. The DVR broke while the girls were sick, so I've seen more on demand shows than ever. Now we have some recordings and I can fast forward through the commercials. It's the little things in life. I knew we were watching too much when Doodle asked for this toothpaste dispenser on a mini infomercial for her birthday. Next it will be the Sham-wow.

It is weird to have left in winter and returned to spring. My tulips are blooming and we have a robin's nest, complete with three bright blue eggs, in the front bushes. One of our lilacs has bloomed for the first time in three years. I planted flowers in my porch planters and planted the vegetable garden yesterday. A new beginning for all of us.