Perhaps it was the full moon last night....at least it looked full to me. Perhaps it's just crazy season. Whatever has been floating in the air....it's left our household reeling from craziness.
It started yesterday when we arrived home from church. Rachel was refusing to take a nap. We desperately needed her to take a nap as yesterday afternoon we'd scheduled Rachel's 18 month photos. My friend Ginny had graciously offered to meet us at Falls Park to photograph our little darling and capture what she looks like at 18 months. So we REALLY needed her to rest so she would be awake, alert and hopefully not as fussy. Ney, cooperative! I fought her for an hour before she finally was worn out enough she relented and slept for just an hour.
In a rush, we got her in the car, 3 extra outfits and tried in vain to get her to eat something. Nope. She didn't want to.
We get to the park and instantly notice this photo session isn't going well. While she wasn't fussy, she was somber. Nothing would pull more than a cracked smile out of her. She was, however, very interested in the tacos we'd picked up to eat while she was getting her photos taken. (We tried to eat in the car, but she threw a fit when she saw food and we weren't passing any back). So instead of focusing on the trees, the water, the grass, ANYTHING....she was concentrating on our food. So I gave her a few bites here and there that didn't contain as much of the meat that would drip down her WHITE DRESS....and tried desperately to get her to eat the raisins or craisins that I had brought with us.
Ginny suggested we get out of the congested park and head over to where the baseball diamonds used to be as there was a bridge there she takes photos on. It was perfect! However, Rachel had her own agenda. She wanted to run down the bridge, but never at the camera or away from the camera when we wanted her to. Ginny has 2 kids of her own and was more than accommodating and explained to us that photos are practically impossible on children ages 1 - 3 years, at which stage you can bribe them with ice cream and they smile on command. *sigh* So after 30 minutes of pictures that will most likely come out with only one of us smiling at the camera while the other parent is desperately attempting to get Rachel to look at the photographer we gave up and headed home.
Then this morning I arrived at work and was instantly reminded that Rachel's 18 month appointment was today. Crap. This means I don't have the diaper bag with me and will be arriving at the doctor's office without a spare diaper (which we always end up needing) and am also sans toys (aka distractions while the nurse gives shots or the doctor is taking forever).
After a crazy day at work I left 10 minutes later than I meant to and hurridly grab up Rachel and remember to ask for one of her diapers to take with me. Score! I'm feeling pretty good. Until I strap Rachel into her car seat and realize she has a poopy diaper. Did I mention we're already running late and if I didn't get to the doctor's office in the next 15 minutes we lose the appointment we'd waited 3 weeks to get? Against my usual practice, I left her like that and hauled us both to the doctor's office, arriving exactly 15 minutes late and saving the appointment.
Oh....and on the way there? Rachel totally threw up all over herself and the car seat. She was even generous enough to get some on the seat next to her. Lovely.
So we arrive, flustered, poopy diaper, throw up on both of us now and we're late.
Due to our tardiness, our appointment took much longer than usual. Thankfully, the lady at the front knew we needed to get back and get her changed, so she rushed us to the room so I could change the diaper. Rachel needed to be stripped down to her diaper anyway, so it worked out. But as we waited for the doctor to arrive and check her out and then wait more while the shots were ordered and put together...Rachel was antsy and kept trying to open the door to get out (which she can't, she's too short to reach the door handle). But she didn't like being stuck in the room, so keeping her entertained took everything I had.
Today we had to do a lead test, which is a finger prick and then get 2 more shots. One shot is one she's gotten at least twice before, but it stings really bad going in. Lovely.
Finally....she's checked out, questions answered, re-dressed and is ready for shots. Such a trooper. Didn't even cry over the pin prick (but did refuse a band-aid and ended up bleeding all over the faucet, water handles, cabinets.....pretty much little drops of blood over the whole room). Did really well with the shots and they gave her a teddy bear that she hugged tightly after she was done with them.
To try to at least keep her calm we walked the hallway outside our exam room and looked a pictures while we waited on the results of the lead test. 2 weeks ago we would have passed. (And I mentioned before that we had to wait 3 weeks to be seen? Yeah. We wouldn't have this issue at all if I was able to get an appointment in the same week I called and made it.) But some organization lowered the parameters and her levels were just high enough that we now have to go get blood drawn from a vein to have it tested again. Lovely. The doctor informed us that it could have been something on her finger and perhaps the alcohol swab didn't get everything cleaned off. She told me not to do anything differently in our household until we have the test done. So now we have to find a lab that can draw blood from a toddler (seriously?!) and also that as far as these tests are concerned, we're the lowest of the low for children that need to have further testing. I checked on line when I got home and was told the number that will cause a child to have to have these tests is 10 something something something. Rachel was at 5. BAH!
So what can cause her lead levels to be high? Paint....paint chips (which we have neither of)...soil....water...toys....etc. Not sure what we're going to have to do as a result of this test...but I know this will raise eyebrows in our household and we'll be looking for ways to make the house safer. Geesh.
As we were leaving the doctor's office I said, "See you in 6 months!" and the doctor said, "No you won't! I won't be here then, I'm leaving the practice." Now honestly. On top of everything we've been through over the past few days, this was the pickle on the crap sandwich. This pediatrician came highly recommended from my OB, who I think the world of. This is where her children go. I really like this pediatrician. So now we have to go in search of another one. Jason and I have had a heck of a time finding a good family doctor that's not in Anderson. So to find another good pediatrician?
Needless to say.....Jason and I both are pretty frazzled right now with all of this. We'll have to spend an evening this week in the hospital getting tests run on Rachel.....(AGAIN)....
2 thoughts - 1) on the lead issue, toys could be the culprit. When Ashley was around 3, there was a big toy recall when Fisher Price (I think it was them) had to recall tons of Dora, Sesame Street, etc. toys because there was lead in all the paint. We had to take Ashley to the county health dept for a lead test back then, and dispose of quite a few toys that were on the list. 2) If you want recommendations on a pediatrician, we LOVE ours. We've always gone to him for our kids and all our nieces/nephews do too. Name is Scott Curnow with Northpoint Pediatrics. They have offices in Fishers, Saxony, and Castleton (campus of Community North). If he's not taking new patients, all of the other Drs we've seen there seem great too...but I just don't have as much knowledge of them.
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