Shots & A Lump

Tuesday morning I had Brady on my lap rubbing his head and my hand happened to slide to his right ear where I discovered a mysterious, although movable, lump behind it.  I am not one to panic about things but I couldn't help but feel a little apprehension since I know lumps can sometimes be bad things.  After a little Internet research and discussion with my mother, we concluded that it was most likely a result of a bug bite since goodness knows, we all had a generous dousing of them from camping.  I figured it would be a good idea just to get it checked out and since the girls had their annual wellness checks the next day, I got Brady an appointment at the same time.  

Calleigh has been pretty disgusted with the idea of having to go to the doctor.  Although she hasn't had any shots since her second birthday, she somehow figured that she would need one this time around.  I didn't know for sure so I didn't say yay or nay lest she give me a really hard time about getting into the van.  As we drove the short distance, I mentioned to Calleigh that Brady will also be seeing the doc because of his lump and she said "You mean the one behind his ear?"  I said "You know about that?"  And she said, "Yeah, he's had it since he was like two months."  I said "THAT long?"  She amended herself, "Well, maybe since he was three months." "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked.  "You never asked," was her reply.  Ahhhh!!   Now, I know she doesn't know that the lump was there since he was actually that age but I do believe she knows it has been awhile.  So there went my camping bug bite theory.  

The doctor's office had called Tuesday night to reschedule our appointment from 11:00 to 10:30 but Calleigh had a swimming lesson from 10:15 to 10:45.  We dropped Calleigh off at Ron and Elaine's for the lesson and then Elaine would bring her to the doctor when she was done.  This seemed like a workable plan but I forgot the part where Aubree wouldn't cooperate without Calleigh there.  So yeah, she didn't want to get weighed or measured.  We finally got some measurements but I don't know how accurate they were.  Thankfully Calleigh finally arrived and all was well. 

Of course, my big thing was getting Brady's lump looked at.  Dr. Holson felt it and immediately said it was lymph node that got like that from any kind of anything that happens to the head such as a bug bite, cradle cap, a scratch, etc.  She's sure that's what it is because it's movable and close to the surface.  She said it could have been there for months and could last for months more.  In fact, her daughter had something like that for four years.  I just need to check every three to six months to make sure it doesn't get bigger.  So that was a big relief.  Oh, and he got weighed and came in at 17 lbs, 5 ounces.  I was glad he broke 17 pounds but considering he's almost one year, that is TINY.  We'll get all his official stats at his one year appointment on June 12.

Calleigh went off for a few minutes and did her hearing and vision test which went perfectly.  Dr. Holson had the girls do some little activities like wagging their index fingers and hopping on one foot.  She did some letters and a word with Calleigh which Calleigh was easily able to do.  She was talking to me about Aubree and what she knew and I said, "You know, it's funny, but with the second kid, you just don't do that great of a job teaching them things like you do with the first."  Because it's true, at three, I know Calleigh knew all her letters and Aubree certainly does not.  Dr. Holson was so nice though.  She said, "Kids will have many, many years to sit in school and be educated.  Right now it's just important they play and have fun."  I couldn't agree more so my appreciation for her went up a few notches.  That being said, she drew an "A" for to which Aubree quickly said "A" so I was at least happy about that! 

The other thing that Dr. Holson marveled at was that the girls hadn't been in since last July when we all had that cough (the one that did Brady in).  Indeed, they have not been sick at all in almost a year.  Knock on wood!

The last part was Calleigh getting her shots.  She was very cool, calm, and collected about it all the way up until the nurse arrived and then she freaked out and I had to hold her arms down.  I hate that feeling.  But it was over in just a second.  As a reward, I said we could get some ice cream and I persuaded them in getting ice cream supplies at Publix so we could make our own sundaes (this was as opposed to going to Jeremiah's which seemed like it would be a big operation.  Bruester's closed down so it was no longer an option).  It was a big success (at least until what unfolded at the Isidro's a few days later).

Girls enjoying their ice cream. Sorry Brady!

Here are the stats (previous stats are from previous year)

Calleigh - 5 Years

Weight - 45 lbs, 50th percentile (down from 75th)

Height - 44.5 inches, between 75th and 90th percentile, (unchanged)

Shoe Size - 11

Clothes Size - 6

Aubree - 3 Years

Weight - 28.5, 25th percentile (down from 25th - 50th)

Height - 37 1/4 inches, 50th percentile (up from 25th)

BP - 88/48

Heart Rate - 104

Shoe Size - 7

Clothes Size - 3T

Thursday morning I decided to head to the mall to look for some shoes for the girls for the wedding.  We had success at Payless and then started towards the playground.  As I was passing H&M, I saw a blue dress that caught my attention and what happened next can only be categorized as "What was I thinking??" At the moment, my thought was "Oh, it will just take a second to try this dress on."  Despite Calleigh's pleading to continue on to the playground, I grabbed the dress and started maneuvering to the dressing room.  Just as I had finally gotten us there with only rolling over a few sets of toes and one clothes rack with our Sit 'N Stand, or so it seemed, Aubree announces she has to go potty although I'm sure I had asked if she needed to go just a few minutes previously.  I thought to myself, "Self, this is the EXACT reason I waited to potty train her because it seems like they always have to go at such inopportune times."  Nevertheless, I hastely hung the dresses (gotten two different sizes just in case) back up, in the right spot I might add, and went to find the loo.  

After a successful operation, we were back in the store.  I should have given up right then but the dress was just so cute.  I got us back to the dressing room only to find that the dressing rooms are seriously like 2 feet by 3 feet.  I mean, you could probably fit like three adults in them at one time.  It's ridiculous.  They most certainly could not fit a stroller.  The one handicap one was already taken.  I knew there would be no way to control Brady if I let him out.  He would go bonkers trying to crawl under the door.  I had no choice but to put the stroller in the door frame and just leave the door open.  I have no idea if H&M sells men's clothes and thus it was a unisex dressing room but it seemed male free at the time.  I pulled the dress on under my clothes which proved to be a challenge because it had criss cross straps that I couldn't quite figure out going from bottom to top.  I finally contorted myself enough to get the straps right only to run into zipper problems. It was stuck on some fabric.  Naturally, no employees were in the dressing room to assist in my dilemma.  After a minute or two of fervently trying to get it fixed, I finally gave up and managed to get the dress off, got the zipper unstuck and started trying to get it on again from bottom to top. I was still trying to be somewhat modest considering that I had already removed my bra when I had originally gotten the dress on  After a few seconds of frustration with those criss cross straps again, I said "Forget it.  I'm going top to bottom.  I don't care if anyone gets an eyeful."  And that's just what I did.  Poor Calleigh.  Without my asking, she stood right in front of me and spread her arms out really wide as if to cover me.  You could tell how frustrated she was because she was only covering a small portion.  Did I mention that during this time Brady was screaming and crying to get out of his stroller and Aubree was singing some song at the top of her lungs?  At last, I got the dress all the way on and then I couldn't get it zipped up all the way because my arms couldn't reach.  By this time, I could tell the dress just wasn't going to work so I gave up.  Let me just take it off and be done with it.  But then the darn zipper got stuck again and this time it was too far up to wiggle out off.  So I walked around that doggone dressing room for like five minutes trying to find someone to help me.  Nightmare!  As I said, "WHAT WAS I THINKING???"

Fifteen minutes later, we were now just walking to the playground.  Unbelievable.  At least, they did have a good time once they finally got there.  We ran into a couple of people we knew, including twins Joshua and Sarah, that the kids had met at the Hilliard's Easter party and the girls had a really great time playing with them.  So great a time that both girls actually took a nap and I think for about 25 minutes on Thursday afternoon, all three kids were sleeping at the same time.  Bliss!  Of course, that bit me in the butt that evening when they were awake until like 10:30.  But it was a nice 25 minutes.

Brady having fun at the playground.

Friday was a total bust for yard sales because it rained.  Fortunately, the rain let up later in the day when we headed out to look at some houses.  Have I mentioned how difficult it is to look at houses with three kids?  The looking actually isn't that bad but it's the talking that you try to do afterwards that has proven to be a real problem.  Calleigh was cute though when I told her we were going to go look at houses.  "Do we have enough money?" she asked me with a furrowed brow.  Before I could answer she says "Oh, if you need some more money, I can go get some from my piggy bank."  "Just how much do you think a house costs?" I ask.  "Ah, thirty cents?"  I smiled and said, "A little bit more."  She giggled, "Sixty-two cents?"  

We had very nice Sabbath which included me teaching Sabbath School.  I'm on for this week and next.  Aubree requested to be "on stage" (her words) with me and proved to be a good helper.  We give Cheerios to the kids during the lesson story and as to be expected, quite a few land on the floor.  Duncan told Aubree to pick them up and if she didn't kneel down and painstakingly pick up every single one off the floor.  She took her helping job very seriously.  

After naps, we headed to the Isidro's for some fellowship and a meal of roll your own sushi (the vegetarian kind, of course).  The kids lounged in the blow up pools in the back yard which Brady just loved.  This is why I want my own back yard!  The Ottati's joined as well.  It was a lovely evening until I nearly embedded the twins with shards of glass.  I had thought it would be fun to bring our sundae supplies with us for a special treat.  As the kids were standing there awaiting their goodies, I went to grab the jar of strawberry topping and it was wet or something and it flew right out of my hand onto the floor and shattered into a million pieces.  The twins were covered in red, in what we hoped was strawberries.  They both started crying and I felt horrible!  Thankfully, after some washing off in the sink, we found it was indeed just strawberries and not blood and after we gave them some cones, they calmed down.  Phew!

Allen cleaning up the strawberries

This morning after First Watch, I went to a baby shower for Amy Z while Duncan took the kids to a birthday party for Calleigh's friend Danica.  I had told Duncan I would swing by after the shower (the party started an hour after the shower) so I could help out but once I found out that Allen would be there with his kids (while Tangie was with me at the shower) I told Duncan he was on his own.  They did have a fantastic time complete with an obstacle course, a pinata, and a candy necklace that Calleigh was thrilled about.  

The kids minus Brady at the party.

Our day was complete with a trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a swim and sandwich bar.  Ron and Elaine started a kitchen remodel just after Easter and it is finally just about done now.  It looks really, really nice but their recommendation to us has been to buy a house with a kitchen we like because it is a lot of work, not to mention stressful.  

The Old (the kitchen, not them)

And the New

Hanging out on the golf course after supper

As Brady come up on his first birthday this week, I'm happy to say that he seems to be saying a few words or at least, we think he is.  I think he is most clearly saying "bye bye" and then also "hi."  He's stood for a few seconds longer on his own but I really don't think he's about to walk.  If you try to walk with him holding his hands he only takes a few steps before he loses interest and wants to sit down.

I did finally get the results from his blood work from last week.  Maybe this is par for the course with doctor's offices but I had to call them like four times before the doctor called me back.  They kept saying someone would call me and then they never would.  Naturally, she calls me when I was in Payless and she kept saying she couldn't hear me because it was a bad signal.  But I heard her and what she said was that the t-cell levels had improved a little but were still below where they need to be.  The low levels still mean that his immune system is weak although it's interesting that he hasn't been sick since he got rid of the cough seven months ago.  The bottom line is that he still needs to go to the immunologist up in Gainesville.  Darn.

I think that will do it.  In closing, this was an cute exchange I had with Calleigh this evening.  The girls were up in there room for bedtime and I was sitting downstairs.  It makes you wonder just what they are discussing up there.

Calleigh (leaning her head around the corner of the stairs):  "Mom, was Jesus married?"

Me: "No."

Calleigh: "Why not?"

Me: "You'll have to ask him when you get to heaven."

She goes back into her room and then I hear her say to Aubree "She said no."

Taking a potty break in the library parking lot.  Good thing we checked out some books!