Life Update

It has been a CRA-A-AZY week!

On Monday, Isaac had his six-month Wellness Check (yes, one month late -- such is life). I asked the doctor to look at his leg because he was still favoring it quite a bit and not putting weight on it. Besides that, he had a few times in the previous week and a half since his fall at church that he had cried out in pain when someone touched it wrong or tipped him sideways or whatever. I was worried about a dislocated knee or something. So - the doctor said she didn't see anything or any cause for concern, but that the only way to be sure was to have an x-ray done. Translation: More money spent than you want to spend, but your love for your child and concern for his health and well-being drives you to just do it. So I drove him to Gritman and had an x-ray of his leg taken. The doctor didn't call the next day, but Grandma Gail held Isaac and bent his knee, putting pressure on something in it and causing him to cry out in pain, yet again. So I knew something had to be wrong, but who am I, right? Well, Wednesday morning I got a phone call from the doctor that HE HAD A FRACTURE and she had already contacted the Orthoped. Surgeon and scheduled an appointment for us to go and see him. Translation: I felt like an AWFUL mother and called Dave in tears about our son's broken leg! Oh, and she said to not put any pressure on it and keep him off it -- as I looked down and saw him trying to crawl around on the floor. AYYYYYY!!!!

So - Dave came rushing home and spent the rest of the day with us, taking care of Abby while I went to the doctor with Isaac, etc. Know what made me really mad? We got there at 2:35 for our 2:45 appointment, filled out paperwork, and I played with Isaac to keep him happy (since I had WOKEN HIM FROM HIS NAP to go to this doctor appointment, presumably to get a cast on his leg -- that's what my cousin [an Orthoped. in Burley] said would happen when I had the hospital fax him the x-ray report). 15 minutes later, they took us back into a VERY WARM room where I continued to play with Isaac for ABOUT AN HOUR, trying to keep him happy, his patience wearing thinner all the time. FINALLY, after around an hour and a half, the doctor walked in, cheerful as could be, and said, "So, he has a fracture . . . ." Got that --- AND? "And we aren't going to do anything because we find with infants that casts and things are more of a hassle and can cause more damage, what with blisters on their heels and things, than they are worth. The smaller bone is acting as an internal splint, so we won't need an external splint. So - watch him carefully, keep him from hurting it more, and we'll see you for a follow-up in three weeks."

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?!?! Did you just make me come in here, my husband missing class to sit with our other baby, charging me an office visit and making me sit in your HOT room for OVER AN HOUR with a TIRED, CRANKY infant? Just to tell me you are GOING TO DO NOTHING?!?!?!?!?! Is your phone broken, cuz I'm pretty sure that would have been easier all around, and you wouldn't have had to take time to show me the x-ray and try to make me feel better about you DOING NOTHING AT ALL about my baby's broken bone!!!!!!!

I'll tell you what -- when three weeks comes up, I'm going to call and see what their procedure is. If it involves us going, paying another office visit to be told we need to get ANOTHER X-RAY and then told to come back for a THIRD visit to READ the X-RAY, I'm going to tell him to just call the x-ray in and then give us a call with the results, NO OFFICE VISIT FEES ADDED to my already uncomfortable medical bill for the month of March. And if they don't agree, I'll simply have my cousin call in the order for X-rays and find out what is up. Honestly, folks!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, ABBY spent the end of last week THROWING UP and running a VERY high fever that WOULD NOT BRAKE. HERE -- we go -- AGAIN! But this time, I refused to take her to hospital or the doctor's office until it was ABSOLUTELY necessary. After the last time and the blood work, injection, x-rays, and ER visit, I am not going to make the mistake of going back and giving them another opportunity to make money on my child.

So - we sat it out -- and checked her temperature and gave her medicine all day . . . . . and all night . . . . . and tried hard to not get too worried as her temperature varied between 101.2 and 104.2. Then we called the pediatrician on call and got some really helpful feedback -- FREE OF CHARGE!!! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for restoring my faith in the medical profession.

When our home teachers came over that night, they told us what doctors and other medical professionals hadn't bothered to consider during round one of these symptoms a few weeks ago when they ordered x-rays, blood work, etc. HIS DAUGHTER GETS THE SAME WAY WHEN SHE'S TEETHING!!!!

So -- Abby handles teething with the usual high fever, runny nose, cough, and the additional THROWING UP and being just plain GRUMPY and a mommy's girl. I can handle most of the cuddle time; but I could do without some of the rest of it, not going to lie!

We also decided to start weaning them from needing to be swaddled to go to sleep. ANY SUGGESTIONS? The pacifier is next, which I think will have to wait until after the teething, cuz it's already a lot to deal with at once. But we're making progress with Isaac in the not swadling process, and I think Abby is slowly moving that way as well.

Then today, guess who else started the teething symptoms -- minus the vomiting? ISAAC!!! But he isn't handling it very well. So, life with the "two by two" continues. And it's more fun some days than others.

BUT then you go in at night when they are sleeping, looking so happy and peaceful and BEAUTIFUL that all you think of when you say your prayers is to offer gratitude for the MULTITUDE of blessings that come with your amazing little angels!