Two Year Doctors Appointment

Friday was quite the day for doctors. Hadley had her two-year doctors appointment. Here are her stats from the appt:

Height: 35″ (75th percentile)
Weight: 27 lbs (53rd percentile)

Hadley had a great time at the doctors office the other day. I think she is the only kid who WANTS to go to the doctor. As we pulled up to the office, she got all excited, saying, “Doctor! Doctor! Right dere, Mama! Right there!” Then once we were inside the building, she literally ran down the hall to the doctors office.

Once the nurse called us back, Hadley was recalling her last appointment at the doctor for her ear infection and kept saying, “Doctor? Ears? Medicine?” I assured her the doctor would check her ears, as well as her mouth, eyes, nose, and many other things. The doctor came in and very cleverly started asking her questions and asking Hadley to show him things she could do, all while blowing bubbles. Hadley was having a blast and dancing around trying to catch the bubbles and didn’t even realize she was being examined. One of the funnier moments was when he asked her how old she was and she said somberly, “Just two.” He started laughing and she made him completely forget what he was going to say next. That’s my girl!

Then he got to the part of the exam where he needed to check her eyes, ears, etc. so he had to put the bubbles away. For the rest of the appointment after each thing he did, she looked at him expectantly and said, “More bubbles, p’ease Doctor?” He finally appeased her by telling her she could have more bubbles at the end of the exam. He did check her ears and said there is still a little fluid in them (which is very common following an ear infection) which should clear up in a few weeks but all the infection was gone. Hooray! Everything looked great and she is doing wonderfully.

Then the nurse came back in to give Hadley her flu shot and her Hep A vaccination. Hadley gave us a very stern look after the vaccine and said, “Ow. Hurts me!” but never cried. She quickly forgave us for the shots as soon as she realized there would be band-aids, stickers, AND suckers for being so brave. So she was able to leave the appointment just as happy about doctors as when she arrived at the office.

Another Trip to Urgent Care

Playgroup started normal enough. The kids were all running around Chloe’s house, hyped up on sugar, laughing and chasing each other around the house. I went upstairs to check on Hadley to find her playing with her friends, happy to be one of the “big kids.” Then as I turned around to leave the bedroom I saw Ana stumble a little and then walk over to me. She looked like she was about to cry and said she was walking out of the bathroom and hit her head on the banister. I asked her if she wanted to come sit down with me for a bit and she agreed. I should have known something was up when she actual sat, curled up on my lap for several minutes. Finally I asked her if she wanted to go play and she said no, she just wanted to stay with me. A few more minutes passed and as she wiped her face with her hand, I noticed some red streaks on her sleeve. Upon questioning her about it, Ana brushed it off saying she must have gotten marker on her shirt when she was coloring earlier. Since this happens all the time I didn’t think anything of it. A little more time passed and Ana shifted on my lap and it was then that I realized her hair was looking red. Like REALLY red. Not the lovely auburn highlights God gave her, but like blood was drying in streaks in her hair. It was then that I quickly escorted her to the bathroom (and to better light) to examine my oldest daughter’s head wound. I could tell it wasn’t anything too serious, but since I am unfamiliar with head wounds I was not sure how to proceed. The blood was clearly clotting (always a good sign)  and it wasn’t too deep (another plus) but it was rather wide. So I called the closest Urgent Care to see what I needed to do. Once I called the clinic, Ana, who had been relatively calm and under control, pretty much lost it. She didn’t really understand what was happening and just overheard the adults around her mentioning key phrases like “shave her head” and “stitches” and wanted nothing to do with any of it.

It was at this point, that I started to feel a little weird. I hadn’t eaten anything in several hours and was suddenly feeling really light-headed. As I was talking on the phone I started losing my ability to focus my eyes and my vision started to get dark around the edges. Worried I was about to pass out (and thoroughly freak out my already frightened children) I handed off my kiddos. Chloe swooped in and grabbed Hadley, telling me that I looked totally green. As Elle picked up Ana she said my lips were the same color as my purple vest. So I decided to call Simeon and ask him to come over. Now.

Once Simeon (and Brad!) arrived, we got the girls ready to go, I ate a cookie, drank some water, and started to feel like myself again. Then we loaded up and headed to Urgent Care.

New red highlights

This was the first time Ana allowed me to get a picture. This was after we had already cleaned up most of the blood (to find the wound) but you can still see all the blood red “highlights” in her hair.

Being brave at Urgent Care

Luckily the Urgent Care office was empty (despite there being NO PARKING because the Urgent Care shares a parking lot with Cinetopia and it was opening weekend for Breaking Dawn) so we were able to go right back to the room. By this time Ana was herself again and giggling and chatting up a storm with the nurse.

One tiny staple

Apparently for these types of wounds, staples are the way to go. No need to shave the hair or even need to use medicine to numb it. Just one quick staple and that was that.

In theory.

But our doctor (nurse? practitioner?) shifted ever so slightly just as she pushed in the staple and instead of pulling the two sides together, missed one side entirely. She then had to remove the staple and put in another one. (I was more than a little miffed about THAT.) But Ana was brave and amazing. She didn’t even cry the entire time we were in the office. She kept cool and they rewarded her with a pen with a flashlight in one end.

Close up on her staple

Ana is doing well. She has a little headache (understandably so, after the banister AND the staples) so I gave her some children’s Tylenol before bed. Tomorrow we will get to wash the rest of the dried blood out of her hair and in 7-10 days we get to go back in to have the staple removed. Fun times. Not exactly the evening I envisioned, but with kids, you never know what is going to happen next.

A Letter: Twenty-Four Months

Dear Hadley,
Today you are twenty-four months old… which means today is your birthday! Happy birthday, my sweet TWO YEAR OLD girl! You have grown up so quickly, I honestly have no idea where time has gone. You are talking up a storm lately and it is just so much fun listening to all the things you have to say. Mostly you are telling me “I do it!” because you are quite an independent little thing.

Sunshine beauty

We celebrated your birthday last weekend and I know you had a wonderful time because you simply cannot stop talking about your party. You are obsessed with owls so it was only natural that you had an owl themed birthday party. As I pieced together all the details for your party (love is in the details, after all) from owl favor bags, to an owl pull-string pinata, and your (if I don’t mind saying so myself) adorable homemade owl cake, I kept you involved in the whole process. You were very quick to give my work your “Like it!” seal of approval.

Hadley and her owl cake

In our family, smartphones (that can trust the services that are available in a cell phone repair site mentioned here) are never more than an arms length away. From keeping track of all of our busy schedules, to responding to emails, to constantly snapping pictures of the adorable things you do, you are no stranger to having an iPhone in your face. So it was no surprise when I caught you trying to take MY picture with your iPhone the other day.

Taking iPhone pictures

Before we round the corner into winter, I must take a moment to discuss all the fabulous fall activities that you were able to enjoy for the first this year. We went to the pumpkin patch with our MOMS Club friends and it is my firm belief that no pumpkin patch experience is complete without a caramel apple. So I bought one for you and Ana to share. You were delighted to no end with the sticky, sweet treat. Eventually you girls ate the apple all the way down to the core and I literally had to pry the stick from your gooey little fingers.

Mmm. Candy Apple

While we were at the same pumpkin patch, you took the opportunity to play on the assorted obstacle courses and slides scattered around the grounds. You were VERY fond of the tunnel slides. Not knowing how you would react the first time you tried it, I encouraged you to start with the little slide and gradually work up to the loooong one. But you, being the fearless child you are, as soon as you shot out of the small one you made a beeline for the large one and you never looked back.

Down the slide

We also did our annual family trip to Lakeview Farms  for their corn maze and pumpkin patch. It managed to stay dry for our entire walk through the maze and while we wandered around selecting our perfect pumpkins. But just as we boarded the little train to take us back to the farm and check out, the sky opened up and it rained (there was even a little hail mixed in there) like I have never seen before. I pulled you close to me and use myself as a human shield to keep you as dry as possible. You looked up at me with a bewildered look on your face and said through chattering teeth, “It raining….co-co-cold.”

Sitting on a pumpkin

The grand culmination of fall festivities is indisputably Halloween. Since you had ballet that morning I seized the opportunity to use your costume from last year (which I had bought big) and dressed you as an adorable peacock for ballet class. You kept referring to yourself as a “Hall’ween Peacock” and you even remembered to say the “pea” the majority of the time.

Ready for ballet on Halloween

Shy peacock

While the peacock was perfect for indoor festivities, for trick-or-treating I insist that you wear a costume that will keep you warm in our chilly Oregon weather. You were more than happy to don the cuddly lion costume that was handed down to you from your big sister. You happily assumed the role of your character and would cheerily growl or gnash your teeth on command. Since your costume kept you nice and cozy, you became quite the trick-or-treating machine. I was very impressed that you walked all by yourself, never whined or fussed, and managed to keep up with the big kids the entire night.

Trick or treater

You are a very determined little girl and when you want something to happen, you don’t give up until you succeed. The other day I was working in the kitchen when I came around the corner to check on you and discovered you had dragged the doll stroller up onto the couch and were sitting in it to watch TV (while still caring for your baby, of course). I’m not sure what was more impressive: that you had somehow managed to get the stroller up onto the couch by yourself or that you were able to fit into the tiny doll stroller!

Sitting on the couch in a stroller

Ana is still your favorite person in the entire world. Sure, you guys fight over toys and get cranky when you are in each others space, but the majority of the time you get along better than I could have ever hoped. I am always witnessing little moments where you are snuggled up together, sharing a snack or reading a book and it just melts my heart. I love the relationship you two have and so on my hardest parenting days I try to remember these moments and I know that I must be doing something right.

Snuggling with sister

Reading together

I don’t know if it’s from watching Ana and absorbing her interests, but you are suddenly into building and creating things. When Ana does art projects (painting, coloring, crafting) you climb up right next to her at the table to let your creative juices flow. You’ve also developed an interest in Legos and constructing things. I love watching your “thinking tongue” come out as you figure out how to put the pieces together and create the masterpiece you envision in your mind. It’s great to watch you develop your creative side and know that my prejudice against the mess and chaos that generally accompanies these activities hasn’t stifled your potential artist or architect within.

Thinking tongue!

Building Lego cupcakes

But don’t get me wrong, just because you don’t mind making the occasional mess doesn’t mean that you aren’t still obsessed with cleaning up. In ballet class your teacher is always commenting on how you like to stop the activity a few minutes before we are done doing it so you can start putting things away. And your cleaning up doesn’t stop with toys either. Grandpa Larry came over to help us trim some of our trees and haul away the excess of yard debris that accompanies a project of that nature. I brought out the bikes and scooters fully expecting you to go play while we worked, but you got right in there with the adults and did your part with delight!

Little leaf blower

Carrying limbs

Handing off the limbs

And your OCD doesn’t even stop there. A couple days ago you kept asking me for “tan tire” and I was looking all over the house trying to figure out what kind of toy that could be. Eventually, seeing my confusion, you said (and I could almost hear you rolling your eyes with annoyance), “I show you.” You grabbed my hand, took me over to my diaper bag, and dug out my bottle of HAND SANITIZER. The whole time you were not looking for a toy to play with, but rather were asking to clean your hands. Silly mama.

Playing in the rain

But just because you get your obsession with being clean and tidy (and maybe even your stubborn determinedness) from me, doesn’t mean that you aren’t just as much like your Daddy. Just yesterday we were walking around Target and when you saw the Christmas decorations you got so excited you sounded like you were hyperventilating. Sure, you pointed and said, “Look, Mama! Hall’ween!” but I knew what you meant. This reminded me so much of your father who waited (just barely) until the day after Halloween to start listening to Christmas music. You two are going to be quite a force to be reckoned with one day.

In the leaves

Then this morning I asked you what you wanted me to make you for your special birthday breakfast. You promptly replied, “Ham sammich. Elmo on it, p’ease!” If your father had heard that request I know he would have beamed with pride. He would happily eat ham sandwiches, or “sammiches” as the case may be, just about any chance he gets.

What?!

I want to thank you so much for all you bring to my life. You make me laugh out loud every day. Oh who am I kidding, it’s more like several times a day. You are just about the sweetest child I know. Every time they pass out maracas at Gymboree or scarves at ballet class you are the ONLY child who quickly runs back to get some for me. All of the other children happily run off to enjoy their own toy while your only concern is that I get to participate as well. I am so proud of you and the amazing person you are. Happy birthday, baby!

On the floor
All my love,
Mama