A Rough Day

Well, today was a hard day and I figure I should memorialize one of those, too, for the kids to read when they are older, so here goes.

Emilia and I got up at 5:20 this morning, not because we really had to but because she was ready. No big deal, I don’t mind getting up early. The guys got up around 6 and by 7 am we were on the road to Cincinnati Children’s. Rex hadn’t eaten breakfast, but that’s not uncommon on these early mornings. I didn’t give Emilia anything to eat because we wanted her to poop at the hospital for a fecal fat study. The stool has to be less than an hour old when it reaches the lab. Since she poops like clock-work after every meal and then some, we figured we’d feed her there and then simply wait for her to produce the sample.

Craig dropped Rex and me off at OT and headed to the lab where Emilia needed additional bloodwork, too. We were slated to meet again around 9:15 at the Rubinstein Library which is part of CCHMC. Rex had a tough OT session with some tears as his therapist was really pushing the fine motor activities. Then we unexpectedly waited for over an hour for Craig and Emilia. I was able to entertain Rex with a snack and some games for a while, but eventually he got fussy and I had to hold him and smile politely at the passers-by who wondered while my child was screaming. When Craig and Emilia finally came, I learned that despite eating her entire breakfast, Emilia decided not to poop this morning, so we set out for home with only partially accomplished medical tasks. As we pulled into our driveway, Rex began to vomit. I had no idea such a tiny body could bring so much food back up. It was gross and incredible at the same time. I don’t have to go into the details of cleaning up a pukey toddler, car seat and car… I am sure you know.

After two hours at home in which the kids neither rested nor ate, we headed back out to our first ophthalmologist visit. Emilia did very well there and her eyes are most likely fine, but Rex lost it during the exam. He screamed and kicked and wanted nothing to do with any of it. His eyes had to be dilated twice because they are so dark. The doctor was super nice about it all and tried to do her best. She suspects that something might be wrong with Rex’s left eye, but she wants to see him again in six weeks, hopefully in a more cooperative mood. If the symptoms persist, he may have to go for an MRI, but I won’t worry about that yet.

The eye exams took two hours, so we decided to get carry-out for dinner. Made a quick stop at Whole Foods and a nearby restaurant and returned home. Since we’ve walked into the door, Emilia has pooped three times and Rex has found a new place to climb unassisted:

Now, just in case you think this day was all bad, it wasn’t. They never are. Some highlights included: a delicious dinner I didn’t have to cook, free toys (wooden puzzle and peg board) to keep forever from the Rubinstein Library, December temps in the high 40s, a real hug from Rex after his eye exam, and spending the whole day with my awesome husband. If we can squeeze in an episode of Dexter tonight after the kids go to sleep, I’ll even call it a good day ;).