What a Day!

Well, what a day this has been. Caroline is still sick with fever but is hanging in there. I hate to think of bringing her into the doctor's office since the first thing they will probably do is check the ears. She tends to produce more wax than probably necessary and since the doctor has to see that eardrum he needs to dig out the ear wax. This procedure isn't particularly painful unless you decide to thrash around and scream, which is what Caroline does. Last time was particularly nasty because they did a saline wash to clear the ear canal. It was tough. But we've been so lucky not to have had the ear infections that Peder had as a baby and toddler. THAT was not fun.

(WARNING! If you are offended by the word "poop" and bodily functions, you might want to stop reading. I'm immune to knowing if I'm crossing the line since I talk about poop and say "poop" every day, at home and at school (I do work with preschoolers, some of who are still in diapers. Lovely, huh?)

Besides Caroline being sick, this afternoon I got a phone call at work from Peder's school. This never happens so I was concerned. They said he had a terrible stomachache. Of course, I immediately overreacted and thought the worst (for me it's the stomach bug, etc.). He got on the phone and whispered, "Mommy I have to poop." Well, I really just wanted to tell him to go to the bathroom like any normal person and get it over with but, instead, I picked him up and brought him home. Mark was already home with Caroline. Peder could barely walk upright the pain was so much for him (although watching TV distracted him so I knew it wasn't life-threatening (think appendicitis).

Well, we decided to call the doctor and immediately got in (I love our pediatricians!). Mark took him (yeah!) and I stayed home with Caroline. They were soon back and Mark told me that Peder was constipated and needed an enema (!!). Not only that, but he prescribed we do it once for 2 or 3 days. He said the doctor gave the name of it and to buy it over the counter. I asked Mark what else the doctor had said about that since I had never received nor given an enema. Mark said that there are directions on the box (!!!). Now, those of you who know me well know that I would be asking the dr. a million questions about the procedure, I'd write down plenty of notes and would probably have him draw diagrams for me as well. The doctor did mention many other things to do besides this of course.

Okay, to make a long story as short as possible, I will say that it went MUCH better than expected. (I had laid out many towels in our bathroom and had expected much crying and negotiating). Peder did want me to read the directions to him on the box, which I did. He's very thorough. Well, I certainly didn't want him to have a traumatic experience, but I also didn't want this to be a walk in the park. There was no crying or screaming. In fact, I'll share just a few of the many comments that he said this evening:

• After hearing a big plop, he said "It went like a cannon into the seven seas!"
  
• "Wow, water is coming out of my bottom!"


• Giggling "That was loud!"


• There were moments when he wanted a little privacy (understandably) and he said "Daddy and Mommy, ignore it like an elephant." We looked confused and asked him what he meant. He said "On a field trip, we saw an elephant poop and he just ignored it." Well, alright then.

Now, this reminds me of a time when he was having difficulty knowing when to poop several years ago, so I said "Peder, you have to listen to your body." He replied, "Mommy, my body doesn't talk to me!"

For obvious reasons, I'm not including photos on this posting.