Yesterday I had to take both kids to the pediatrician, Molly for her 2-month appointment and Jack for his 3-year. Boy oh, boy. If that wasn't an initiation into dual motherhood I don't know what is!
First, you have the typical getting out of the house rush involving getting all of us ready to go, bag packed for two kids, everything and everyone schlepped out to the car and on the way (on time! Go me!). Then we arrived at our destination and had to do it all in reverse.
Once everyone (and everything) was successfully inside I, of course, had to fill out forms. Am I the only one who really hates the form filling out process at the ped's? Whoever thought this was a good idea clearly wasn't rushing to make an appointment on time and juggling kids at the same time. You're sitting there, trying to keep them from being a maniac in the waiting area, not wanting them to touch anything because who knows what kind of supervirus is crawling over the solid surfaces at the doctor's office, AND you have to fill out these forms (with info they already have!) and they always, always end up calling you before you're even done just adding to the load of things you have to carry with you back to the exam room.
So anyway, I'm trying to keep Jack off the supervirus covered floor, keeping an eye on Molly in her seat (which, side note: why, WHY do I keep schlepping Molly around in that seat that only gets heavier as the minutes go by instead of wearing her in the wrap? I don't know why I do this. It always seems like a good idea for some reason until I'm actually walking around with a diaper bag over my shoulder, trying to keep Jack holding onto my hand, and lugging this giant seat around. I need to stop this!) and filling out the forms while texting Mark to get his social security number (again! Must memorize this. I'll add it to my list of things to do.) and of course they call us back.
First, Jack needs to take off his coat, hat, and shoes and step on the scale to be weighed. This was probably the simplest of all things to come and he didn't want to remove any of the necessary items or be weighed and instead started running around the exam room area which is just a circle. Super. After some finagling, and a second nurse cajoling him onto the scale by demonstrating herself, he finally got weighed.
Then, all people and goods had to be transported back to the actual exam room were Jack doesn't want to be measured. More cajoling with me demonstrating and he cooperated without too much drama. Don't worry, drama ensued when he had to have his blood pressure and temperature taken. Oy vey. It was like pulling teeth the whole time.
Then I had to undress Molly, get her on the scale, get out another diaper while she was being weighed, get her off the scale, diapered, and stretched out on the little measurement chart thing so they could get her length. Meanwhile, Jack is complaining about being there (I don't blame him, I didn't want to be there either!) so I'm trying to tell him what's going on and that we would be done soon.
Thankfully, we didn't have to wait long for the doctor to come in. We chatted for a bit and I answered her questions about their developmental progress. The only question I had was about potty training, which she wasn't helpful with. In her defense, I don't think there's much anyone but Jack can do, but still... I was kind of hoping she'd have the magic advice to unlock this whole
potty training nonsense. Alas, I'm not any more enlightened having discussed it with her.
Anyway, she then checks out Jack. He fights her when she needs to look in his ears. He fights her when she needs to listen to his chest and back. He doesn't want to take his pants or diaper off so that she could check out the boy parts. He was already in tears before we even got to the shot portion of our visit. Oh yes, yes, they both got shots today as well.
Jack was MORE than ready to go after his exam, but then it was Molly's turn, luckily that didn't take too long.
Then it was time for shots. Jack got to sit on my lap while I held him in place for his vaccine. Then he cried, of course, and I had to ask the nurse to wait a minute before administering Molly's so that I could get Jack calmed down. Then it was Molly's turn to be stuck. Instant tears, of course. Jack's still teary and now I'm also trying to comfort a crying newborn. The sad part is, when it was just Jack, I could focus all my attention on him until he was calm and ready to go. With her, I comforted her until she stopped crying, but then had to put her right down so I could get Jack's shoes and coat on to get ready to go. Then I had to get her loaded up in her seat, which she wasn't happy about AND THEN I had to collect all of our junk along with the stupid clip board of papers I feel like I have to fill out every time we're there. Don't you have this info in your computers already? Forthelove!
THEN to add insult to injury I had to stop at the desk to make an appointment to return in just a few weeks to repeat this whole process (without an exam or injection for Jack, THANK GOODNESS! But he will have to come along.). Lucky us.
We did eventually make it back out to the car and we stopped by Target so that Jack could pick out a surprise, which I don't typically (well, ever) do, but man we needed some fun after that experience!
Of course a new truck (a tow truck) cured all Jack's ills and Molly slept through the whole trip and we eventually made it home and lived to tell the tale.
Molly's 2 month stats:
Length - 22 inches (50th percentile)
Weight - 11 lbs 3.5 oz (75th percentile)
Head Circumference - 15.5 inches (90th percentile)
Jack's 3 year stats:
Height - 3ft 3in (90th percentile)
Weight - 37.8 lbs (90th percentile)
