I had to take little Solomon to the doctor today. (By the way, Solomon is not his real name – there has been some confusion with this lately. I am considering calling them by their God-given names but have not yet arrived at a decision on that one. Until then we’ll keep calling him Solomon…)
He’s the third baby.
In four years.
Now this doesn’t mean that we don’t love him any less because I love the pants off of that child. Even when he isn’t wearing pants which for some reason, is often because he really likes his brother’s “Potty Power” DVD and enjoys stripping his drawers off to sit on the potty any chance he gets. Which is why I think he just might be potty-trained before his non-interested-in-the-potty older brother…
The little guy just has the unfortunate (or fortunate – depending on how you look at it) luck of being the last one to arrive in a line of babies born too close together in too short of a time frame.
I’m so sorry, Solomon. Daddy and I proved to not be so good in the “family planning” department. Luckily, we realize that you were planned to be here with us all along and I love everything about you. I wouldn’t change your birth order or the spacing even if given the choice because I know this is how God wanted our family to be.
But it doesn’t mean that I can’t discuss how achingly tired I often am or admit that there are days I just want to go fetal in the corner.
Susannah was my first born child. Back then, way back in the days of yore, I was the most conscientious mama on the block. I knew how many ounces of formula she drank. I could tell you the exact hours and minutes she slept. I knew every vaccination she received at each well-baby visit to the doctor. I kept each little sheet that told me the size of her head’s circumference, length and weight.
I knew Solomon wasn’t feeling well. I had been gone at the Hearts at Home Conference and when I returned on Saturday night, one look into his puffy, red eyes told me he was just going along with the party because he did not feel well at all.
By the time Monday rolled around, I was ready to take him to the doctor to get him rolling on something a little stronger than the Zyrtec I had been pumping him with since Saturday night.
Since he is my third child, I understand the rule that no one wants to see your cold-suffering child in the doctor’s office unless he or she has been afflicted for longer than two weeks. I get that. But something was not right. My mommy radar was going off.
I called and made an appointment for that afternoon then hem-hawed around because I thought maybe I was being overdramatic.
Sure, his deep cough sounded like he had been smoking since before his conception. Yes, his nose was running faster than the kitchen sink. His eyes were scarlet. He was having a hard time breathing due to the congestion. But still I thought I could possibly be overreacting.
Then he vomited all over the kitchen floor and again, I just knew. Something was just not right.
Sweet JJ came home and went to bed because as luck would have it, he too was feeling ill. I arranged for the others to go play at the neighbors and I packed my sleepy little guy into the car to visit the pediatrician.
Our regular doctor, Dr. Anna, only works two days a week so we saw a new doctor. I’m pretty sure she thinks she might as well have been talking to Solomon’s fifth cousin thrice removed. Here’s our conversation:
Me: Solomon has had this horrible sinus thing going on – drippy nose, red eyes, non-stop cough. He’ll have it for a while, it will clear up for a few days, then it’ll start again. He had a temp last night of 101.
Doc: Has he had diarrhea?
Me: Hmmm… I don’t really know. I have two boys in diapers and all of their stuff just runs together. Not literally, of course…(at this points she is formulating her hypothesis that I could actually be a loon) I just can’t remember whose poo is whose.
Doc: Has he been having wet diapers?
Me: Umm… I think so. I haven’t really noticed.
Doc: Has he been pulling at his ears?
Me: I don’t think so but I’m not really sure. He has been fussy but I figured it was because of his cold.
At this point the questions stopped because she probably figured she already knew the answers. I wouldn’t know any of the information she needed to know. There was no need to waste anymore precious pediatrician time.
Doc: Let me take a look inside his throat and ears.
Doc fumbles for her instruments. Looks in his throat. Looks in his ears. Makes a clucking sound.
Doc: He has an ear infection in his left ear.
He probably has been pulling at his ears. Heck, he’s probably had diarrhea and hasn’t been wetting, too.
How on earth would I have ever noticed? He’s the third baby for crying out loud!
Oh, Natalie…how I understand!! Our youngest is going for his 8 month check-up in a couple of days and I am dreading all of the questions that I won’t have the answers for. With 3 others before our littlest guy…it’s all such a blur! They are all ages 4,3,2 and 9 months, so …as I know…you know how hard that is to keep track of all of it!
Poor Solomon! Little guy. Our oldest had so many ear infections that he ended up having tubes put in right before he turned 1. I felt like I was ALWAYS at the pediatrician’s office! =)
Hope your little guy feels better soon! He’s beautiful!!
.-= MandyP´s last blog ..I’m Baaaaaaaaack! =-.
Oh good Lord, Mandy. I didn’t realize they were all so close in age. You will have a special pedicure chair in heaven. You are one tough cookie.
Sawyer had tubes put in at 9 months so we have traveled this path before. I know what you mean – we WERE always at the pediatrician’s office or the ENT office. This is Solomon’s first infection so I am hoping it’s not a recurring thing…:) We shall see.
Thank you for your sweet words!
I have just the 2 boys (18 months apart), but I get what you’re tallking about. I knew everything about my first born. Since he was a preemie, I had memorized all the medications and the 11 different dose times throughout the day.
By the time Baby #2 came around, I felt like I was suffering from a giant brain fart. I couldn’t remember anything.
God must understand this. Because my second one figured things out alot faster.
Sometimes the simpliest of prayers answered mean the most.
I know – my second and third children did things MUCH faster than my first! I hear you!
I believe their birth order is part of God’s plan for our family so I don’t sweat it too much. Truthfully, it just makes me laugh at how neurotic I was with my firstborn.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Mary!
Natalie, I pretty much could have written your post on Friday! M just wasn’t himself so I took him to the doc. Our ped. wasn’t in so we saw the other one in the office. She had to think I was an idiot! How can I honestly NOT know how often this little boy nurses? Not a clue! We have an ear infection too with continued gross eye to go along with it. YUCK!
Hope S. Is feeling better soon!
Theresa
Oh no! Poor M! Glad I”m not alone though…:)
I took my kids to their well-child visits a few weeks back. They all had colds, but I thought nothing of it really and thought they were on the very slow mend. Turns out, my 6 yr old had a double ear infection, which he didn’t complain a word about. He didn’t tug on his ears or say anything hurt, AT ALL. So, don’t feel too bad. Some kids I guess just take it better than others.
.-= C @ Kid Things´s last blog ..Biting the Hand that Feeds Him =-.
Yes, and my last has learned to take it well because he IS the last. You are so correct!
Awww, poor sweet babe. And poor sweet tired mama. He’ll be on the mend in no time and back to his sweet self. Don’t beat yourself up about not knowing those things. I have a hard time answering questions about my 4 year old. I’m just so glad my oldest is old enough to answer the docs questions himself!
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Project 365 – week 1 for me. Week 11 for everybody else! =-.
Another encouraging thing – they can answer the doctor’s questions on their own someday?! Really?
I am beginning to think I am going to work myself out of job here…
Thanks so much for the encouragement, Michelle!
Hey Natalie –
First time stopping by – THANK YOU! I too often feel like such as loser when ask questions about my kids and I give that “uh…huh?” stare. I however have also started forgetting stuff about my first born I used to know – I feel a twinge of guilt each time he asks me things about his “firsts” and “how old was I when…?” and I make up answers because I cannot remember.
I do the same thing – I make stuff up, too. I figure she will never really know and it’s better than saying that “I don’t remember” thus making her feel unimportant…I totally get it…
Thank you for stopping by, reading, and commenting!
Seriously, unless you keep a daily journal at your side, constantly updating it with the details of your life, how would you ever remember these things? When my kids were little, I would go to bed and not even be able to recall what we had done that day, I was so physically and mentally exhausted (esp if one or two or three were sick, jeez).
Don’t beat yourself up too much. This too shall pass, and when they’re all out of diapers and able to dress themselves and even wipe their own bootay’s, you will get your groove on. I promise.
(That picture is adorable! Hope he’s feeling better…)
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Another milestone =-.
I AM so very exhausted and worry that the lack of sleep and energy has resulted in permanent brain damage. I am glad to hear it does not…But wait! There will be a day in which all of my children can get dressed on their own AND wipe their own heinies? I don’t even know what to think of a life like that. What on earth will I do with myself!? Hee, hee…I’m sure I will find something…
Thanks for the encouragement, dear!
Wow, you are a busy Mamas with all those babies!!
By the way, I saw your tweet the other day about using real names but I am completely inept at knowing how to respond to people on Twitter, but all I wanted to say was I use my girls nicknames in my blog!!
Hope your son is feeling better.
Sadie at heyMamas
.-= Sadie at heyMamas´s last blog ..Baby texting steps =-.
If its any consolation- I only have 2 kids that are 2 1/2 years apart and I would be in the same boat as far as answering. I just took my son for his 4 yr check up and pretty much sounded like I was a “rent a mom” sent to the appointment-its called “Mom brain” and I have a severe case of it, which is alarming to my Type A conscious. (case in point, I just used 2 multi-syllable words here and had to check the dictionary since they weren’t “pee pee” level)
hang in there-at least you knew where the doc office was :)
Hope the kiddo gets better and it doesn’t work through the house. Open the windows and air it out!
That’s exactly how I felt – “Rent a Mom”… I love it. I also am a pretty organized, Type A, have-my-stuff-together kind of gal…Maybe that’s why it’s so unsettling?
Thanks for reading, Farin! It’s already working through the house though – Sawyer is a victim now…:)
I have trouble remembering my own kids’ birth dates, especially when the pediatrician’s office asks. It’s like a pop quiz or something, and I’ve never been good at those. And mommy-overlooked ear infections? Raising hand …
(First time here. I’m visiting from Kid Things.)
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..The Playroom Puzzle =-.
I love the pop quiz analogy – you are so dead-on with that one! I had three in four years and I always have to stop and think through the years. I get them all jumbled…
Thanks for visiting and reading, Stacia!
First time visit here from SITS…I totally sympathize with your plight, but is it bad that I sometimes feel like those would be my answers even with my *first* (and only) child?! Yikes!
.-= Traci´s last blog ..Crafting Spring Flowers =-.
No, it’s not bad…We all lose valuable brain cells during birth – the more you have the more you lose…I am sure you are in FAR better shape than I – lucky girl…
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
That photo is so cute!
Hi SITSah!
I am following from SITS to see how many SITSahs I can support today.
.-= denise´s last blog ..Yo Tweeps: Twaffic Exchange =-.
Strolled on over here from SITS because I could TOTALLY relate to your post title! I have three kiddos (4, 2, and 6 mo) and the amnesia/insanity is slowing taking over my brain with each passing day. Not to mention we are uprooted for the moment waiting to close on property and build a house, so all 5 of us are squeezed into a 2 bedroom temporary solution. Which may be a good thing….the baby is still sleeping in my bedroom, so at least I don’t forget to get her up and to her grandma’s house in the mornings!
Those poor third children :) At least you can take comfort in the fact that your mommy radar is still on point!
.-= Alison´s last blog ..the dog-faced squirrel killah =-.