That Time We Took all the Girls to the Doctor

Both Rose and Wren were born on the 17th of their respective months, so their pediatrician well visits tend to end up on the same day (thank God!) In fact, I remember blurting to the nurses (I think Scott was around too somewhere) that someone had to call and cancel Rose’s 15 month appointment while I was in labor with Wren. Not sure if that ever got done.

Anyway, my mother kindly agreed to take the Bass family circus to the doctor’s office. Ruth spent the whole trip there saying that the Doctor was going to hurt her and make her sick. I have no idea where she even gets this stuff. Next she’ll be saying he has the eye of a goat and is going to steal her soul. (I was dragging her along so that she could get her flu shot, by the way.)

We got the the exam room and Rose and Wren were weighed and measured. I had suspected my supply had taken a dip since this horrible morning sickness, and my suspicions were confirmed. Wren’s weight gain has slowed down too much. We’re due for another weigh in next month. I guess this means I have to wean now. I am by no means a crunchy breast milk is wondrous magic type mama, but I always get really sad when I have to wean. One of these babies I’ll be able to nurse for the whole year, I hope.

Rose and Wren needed shots, and they were not happy about it, obviously. Ruth had an abrupt change of heart and was suddenly all about the pediatrician. She pulled a stool up right next to him, and watched him do Rose and Wren’s check ups with an enraptured look on her face. Then, she kept begging him for a check up. He very kindly obliged by listening to her heart with his stethoscope. She told me when I was putting her to bed tonight that she wants to be a doctor when she grows up. That girl does nothing in halves.

Rosie felt strongly about her shot. The lollipop seemed to greatly improve her attitude, however.

Wren got a prick on her toe to check her iron levels. At the end of the appointment, the doctor was checking her throat and said, “there is something in her mouth!” He reached in and pulled out the bandaid that had been on her toe just a second ago. I guess from now on I am going to have to insist to the nurses that they not put bandaids on my babies. Pretty much everything is a choking hazard to a nine month old. It’s not stressful at all.

This was the first time I had seen the pediatrician since Wren’s heart diagnosis. He saw that I was distraught and assured me that the heart surgeons were excellent here. I pretended to be relieved.

Still feeling blessed to have these three girls, though. They behaved beautifully at the appointment today. I just wish the staff at the pediatrician’s office weren’t so exasperating. Every time I try to combine the appointments of the girls (so that I don’t have to show up at their office three times in one week!) they act like I just asked them to hack into the CIA mainframe. They start typing furiously for ten minutes, only stopping to glare at me, ask me several times which children I am talking about, when were they born, who is their doctor, and do they all have the same doctor. Then they hand me a card with three separate appointments written on it, and I have to hand it back and explain yet again that I would like to combine some of those appointments. Today, the lady just admitted defeat and told me that she would just have to have someone else figure out a good time for Ruth’s next appointment and have them give me a call. I had been there watching her struggle for ten minutes, so I just agreed and left with my three hungry children who were over it. I’m off my game because of this terrible morning sickness, so I am still going to end up going back to the pediatrician’s office this week, but sometimes I just don’t have the energy to fight with strangers.

Ok, I want to end this post on a good note, so let’s see. I love our pediatrician! He is the only reason I haven’t switched practices despite the deplorable staffing. He was very sweet to the girls and very happy for us that we are expecting again. When you find a good doctor that you trust, you stick with them!