| Tuesday, August 07, 2007 |
| the doctor's appointment |
Ah, the doctor's office. As you know, it's one of Harper's very favorite places. I usually try to schedule the kids' appointments at the same time to eliminate having to go there more often than necessary. So today was a breathing check-up for Cole (asthma) as well as Harper's 2-year well-visit.
In the car she was adamantly clear on her position: "no doctor, no doctor!" But she was okay once we got there, especially when she found a Winnie-the-Pooh book and a wagon to pull her puppy around in. As it happened, the doctor's office was running waaaay behind today, (mental note: don't ever schedule an appointment right before schools get back in session if you can avoid it) which meant that we waited an entire hour before we were ushered to the back rooms. In the back rooms, of course, you have to wait again for the doctor to show up. A mere 15 minutes later he came into the room apologizing for all the delays and got right to work. Harper, amazingly, was surprisingly good this time around -- in other words, the doctor could actually hear her heartbeat since she wasn't screaming bloody murder the whole time. Cole was good as well. So glad we waited so long to know we're doing well. After the doctor left we had to wait again for the nurse to come back in for one of those dreaded S-H-O-T-S for Harper.
When the nurse finally came in she informed me that Harper would also have a "little" blood drawn from her pinky finger in order for them to do lead testing or something like that.
Commence screaming, wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Apparently they need a LOT of blood for said testing, and Harper wasn't about to let them have any.
Oh, the agony.
Actually the shot itself was quite a letdown in the drama department compared to the blood-letting.
And then finally it was over, and the nurse said "bye bye" and Harper glared at her through tear-stained eyes and walked directly past her without saying goodbye, snuggling her puppy (with its matching bandaid on the leg) and dragging her pink blanket behind her.
(nurses sure get a bad rap)
So, two hours after we first arrived at the doctor's office, we were one our way again. We were also starving, as it was now 12:30, and I decided to take the kids to Chick-fil-a for a quick lunch. We went inside, for reasons that I can't really justify now in hindsight. We ordered our food, all was fine, we sat at a table, all was fine, I unpacked the nuggets and emptied the contents of a ketchup pack on each of their napkins, and all was fine. Because I had ordered one meal with fruit as a side and one with fries as a side, I thought I would simply divvy up the contents of both between the kids. Unfortunately, I had already pushed to the back of my mind the extreme duress that Harper had been under for the past two hours (not to mention that shots usually make her cranky) and I was not prepared for the battle that ensued over the fruit cup. To end the argument I took the bowl away from both of them, but Harper was not satisfied. Her arms began flailing in front of her. I managed to remove her sippy cup and the box of nuggets before they sailed away, but I didn't have time to grab the napkin which held the contents of one small ketchup packet on it. This, my friends, was my fatal mistake.
The napkin whirled in the air and the ketchup went flying. Fortunately, it made contact with one large object, which prevented the ketchup from splattering all of our neighbors in what was a very crowded lunchroom. Most unfortunately, the large object it came into contact with was me. My face, my neck, my shirt, and as I later discovered accidentally while running my fingers through it, my hair. Can I just say that I have never in my life been in that situation before, plastered with ketchup while trying to calm down a screaming toddler who has had a very bad morning? The worst Cole ever did was throw a spoon across Cracker Barrel when he was little. It didn't hit anyone.
As there were no adults with me, I decided that we couldn't make it to the bathroom very easily, so I just sat there, extremely thankful for the extra-large stack of napkins I always grab when I am eating with my kids, and started to mop up the mess. Who knew one little ketchup pack held so much ketchup? I had never really thought about that before now. And I'd like to thank the male paramedic who sat across from us but acted like he didn't notice that there was ketchup streaming down my neck. As for all the single people in the room, as well as those who are married without kids or considering having kids, I am fully aware that this was one of those moments where your eyes widen, you nod discreetly in our direction, and whisper to the person across from you, "and that is why I will never have children."
Seriously, I couldn't believe that we were in one of those moments.
But then I cleaned myself up, gave Harper her nuggets and milk, and we all resumed eating as if I hadn't just received a tomato puree facial.
And so it goes.
She doesn't have another well-visit scheduled for a year.
Heeding Mel's request for photos, here's the little dolly all sacked out during her nap this afternoon.
 Labels: a humorous life |
posted by Joanna Bolick @ 1:39 PM  |
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| 24 Comments: |
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and next time? Dh gets to take her, eh? ;)
LOL Joanna! Thanks for the laugh - and know i'm not laughing AT you but SOOOOO with you!
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ohhh that's too funny. tomato facial. I've had an apple juice facial and a milk bath before.
I demand that my DH go with me on all shots appointments for this very reason. Poor Joanna!
I give the boys a small dose of tylenol before shots, it really helps alot!
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Thanks for the great laugh at the end of a long stressful day at work. Just too funny - not so for you I am sure - but what a trooper you are!
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what? no photos? seriously, i'm dying over here.
and hey, i'm jealous you have chick-fil-a as for some reason, they dare not venture this far north.
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OMG, you had me rolling with laughter Jo! I can just imagine the look of horror on your face when the ketchup hit you. I would not have handled that situation very well to say the least. I am sure that my Aveda Perfect 10 facial was better than yours, lol.
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Thank you for the laugh. I'm laughing with you... No, maybe I'm laughing at you just a little bit.
Aren't 2-year old baby girls the "best"? :P
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jo, don't you just love a sleeping child??
great story! i get why you don't want to swim with us tomorrow...EmmaRae is GREAT with toddlers if you change your mind!
J
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Wow! Now THAT is a fun time! ;) Love the sweet photo! My little toddler is acting up as I type this! Is it bedtime yet? ;)
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Constant entertainment!
Love the sleeping beauty!
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Poor Harper and Poor mom. And I imagine Cole was sitting there enjoying his lunch thru it all. Hope tomorrow is better for both of you. She is such a doll.
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This is making me laugh. Next time, maybe Cole could take some pictures of the action. ;) Every so often, I have days where I can't get the song "Mama said there'd be days like this, there'd be days like this..." out of my head. This may be your day. :)
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Come on, no picture of a ketchup-stained Joanna? Thanks for the giggle, though. :)
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oh my goodness. but first - harper eats fruit?! can she come teach my harper how to do that??
secondly, i've so been there and visit pretty much daily. girls at two are a whole different breed than boys at two. i tear my hair out pretty much every day. hopefully your miss h will sleep well and be a perfect angel tomorrow ... ;o)
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Oh my goodness!! What a day. You sure know how to tell a story Joanna :) By the way, my little one close to Harper's age has the same pink blanket that she cannot live without.
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I used to be the same way when I had to go to the doctor. I even kicked him one time for trying to give me a shot. Bad mistake because my aunt was his nurse and in the eyes of my mother I embarrased her so not only did I get the shot but I also got a spanking when we got home. I hate that you had to go through that. But it is a memory you will never forget.
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Thats why I am not having TWO kids.
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I'm feeling slightly guilty for laughing....but it looks like everyone else here is laughing right with me :)
She is the cutest little spitfire! Love hearing about her fun personality!
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Exciting times at Chick-fil-a.
Glad to hear that the doctor's visits went "well".
Take Care!
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bless her lil heart for doing so well up until blood time......
i had the honor of takin my dd to the dentist.....only got as far as sealing the teeth....and there was no way fillings were gonna happen, not even with happy gas......
sorry for your lil accident. hope u had a better day. u should take one of those "harper naps".
she looks absolutely "angelic"....lol'
lynda in calif
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This is too funny. I am also amazed at how Caroline never put up a fuss at things where Grace goes nutty. Grace has put me in an "all eyes on us" a few times and I do not remember them before her. Regardless, I am sure that the ketchup looked great on you.
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Oh, I can SO relate! That's why I get to laugh! ;)
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Did you know I worked for a pediatrician for 3 years.
Uh huh... this particular scene is not unusual.
Now, where's the picture of ketsup-stained Joanna?
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Oh my!!! Little girls....a whole different breed I tell ya!!
She is a doll, though!!!
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Hi Joanna.... that bring back lots of memories at McDonald's but I was not laughing at the time.
Aunt Phyllis
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and next time? Dh gets to take her, eh? ;)
LOL Joanna! Thanks for the laugh - and know i'm not laughing AT you but SOOOOO with you!