Surprises

Well.... today has been an incredibly eventful day, full of fun and surprises...

Yesterday, I decided that Major might be getting sick. He hadn't slept very well the night before, and anytime Major doesn't sleep you know that something is amiss. He had a cough and a very slight fever, but was complaining to me, telling me "ear hurt". I am a person who doesn't like to take my kids to the doctor at the hint of a sniffle. In fact, I think that many people take their kids to the doctor's office WAY too often. In the event that any part of Major's ears are involved, however, I always feel compelled to call the doctor right away. So yesterday, I jumped through several hoops to get certain medical records sent to a new pediatrician (something I thought had already been taken care of because I requested the records--IN WRITING__SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, but then found out that our old pediatrician's office never sent them to the new office). Anyway- I got an appointment for Major with a new pediatrician for 11:15 this morning.

On the way to the pediatrician's office, Major started crying and whining continuously. This is uncharacteristic of him, but I chalked it up to him being sick. Mary Alice played a little mother, giving him his sippy cup of water and comforting him as he cried. We got lost, due to our lame Mapquest map that didn't know that major road construction was occurring about five miles prior to the pediatrician's office. We waited on a funeral procession for several minutes. We also waited on a string of ambulances. When we finally arrived at the pediatrician's office, I could see exactly where we were and realize another way to get there that bypassed the road construction. I also realized that we were about 15 minutes late. Oops. I entered the building holding Major and my diaper bag on one arm and half dragging Mary Alice with the other arm. We walked through an atrium and into the pediatrician's waiting room. Just as we opened the door it happened.....

Major threw up...all over himself, all over me, all over my keys, all over the door to the doctor's office, all over the place. I was totally stunned. I thought Major had a little cold and did not come to the doctor's office prepared to deal with anything like this. I looked up to see the crowd of people in the waiting room. Half of them looked like they were thinking, "Bless their hearts! How unfortunate." I noticed several of the ones sitting near the door hurry to scoot their little ones away from any possibility of contamination. Those people had a grossed out look on their faces.

I am a slow reactor to shocking situations, but thankfully, I quickly backed into the atrium, where the floor was hard and vomit would be easier to clean (as opposed to the carpeted waiting area). I looked around desperately for a wastebasket. All I could do was to hold Major out and let him throw up on the floor. It was really very sad. I looked up and saw an old friend of mine from college emerge from another door and into the atrium. I haven't seen this girl in a long long time. She looked at me and said, "Hey there! It's good to see you!" Then, when she realized that I was right in the middle of a predicament, kept her kids at a distance, apologized for my situation, said, "Nice to see you!" and then quickly exited the building. What a rotten way to reunite with an old friend.

When Major was finished throwing up, I sat him down and started cleaning him off as best I could with wet wipes. I decided to peel off his clothes, because there was no way I could really get him totally clean. An office worker came out into the atrium and started cleaning up the mess. She offered Major a clean t-shirt. She also offered one to me. Mary Alice came out into the atrium and read The Cat In The Hat to Major more than once, which kept him still and interested. We decided to stick out the rest of the wait time in the atrium, just in case. The people there were so nice to us. One woman in the waiting room offered to sign us in. Another woman offered to let the front desk know that we were not in the waiting room, but sitting in the atrium. I apologized to the poor girl having to clean up Major's vomit. She was so gracious, saying, "I was glad to get out from behind the front desk for a while. I usually answer phones." Yeah right, but she sure was sweet to say that to a frazzled mother with two young kids.

As I sat there, listening to Mary Alice read The Cat In The Hat, I was thankful for God's kindness to me in several ways.

1- First of all, Major didn't throw up in our car.

2- I didn't know that he was going to throw up, so I was thankful for that too. I was already panicked enough, due to the fact that we were lost, running late, and behind ambulances and funeral processions. That might have sent me over the top to have known that my son was about to throw up.

3- He threw up right as we walked into the pediatrician's, allowing me to step quickly back out into the atrium. It could've been all over the waiting room carpet.

4- It was warm outside today, so I could peel off his clothes and let him sit in his diaper without him getting cold.

5- The people at the pediatrician's office (patients included) were so kind to me and really helped me out of a sticky situation (literally).

6- Major and I didn't have to wear reeky t-shirts, but instead wore ones that read, "Camp Holy Cross School-Springfest 2005" The people at the office must have been Christians with t-shirts like that.

7- Mary Alice didn't mind reading Major's favorite book to him, several times.

8- Mary Alice didn't get throw up on her. (That is debateable, according to her. She thinks it got all over her legs and shoes. I think she has a vivid imagination.)

9-When I stepped into the office, Major threw up and I had to step back into the atrium, it allowed me a chance to see an old college friend. I definitely would not have seen her if we had gone in and been seated. Of course, it was not an ideal meeting circumstance, but I'm looking for the good in that one.

10- God blessed us, for the first time since my kids were born, to go to a pediatrician that we chose. Yea!!!

11- Major has slept from the time we got home and is still sleeping now. I am so thankful that God is granting him sleep to help him get well.


Little Major does have red ears and will start a round of antibiotics today. Isn't it great that our kids have the option of antibiotics? I hate to think of what illness was like before those were invented.

I guess that is it for our eventful day. I am hoping for no more crazy surprises.