Thursday, April 05, 2007

Doctor Bozo STAT

Typically I schedule my prenatal checkups very early in the morning so Mark can go into work a little late and stay home with Noah. I know he'd be an angel at the doc office, it's just easier not to have to take him. And it's one of the few times I get to wander around alone - which feels sort of weird and timewarpy since my doctor's office is in the same building that housed my former place of employment. Anywho - this week my appt. got rescheduled to a later time so I took Master Noah with me. He was very excited to come along and very well behaved. However he eyed me suspiciously when I took him into the bathroom with me and then I peed in a cup. I explained that the pee was another way the doctor used to check that both me and the baby were healthy - and that seemed to satisfy him a bit. After my checkup and a run around Washington Square I took Noah to the Gallery to have his photo taken with the Easter Bunny. We got there at 10:50 AM and the sign said the Bunny we would be in at 11 AM. So imagine my surprise, disbelief and frustration when it was 40 minutes until we got to sit with said Bunny - and we were the first photo taken! The kids running the booth came in late, got McDonalds, chatted and fielded many calls on their cells before one of them scurried off to get the damn costume on. (You see Santa has to be an older guy, who talks to the kids and is personable -but any schmoe can don a bunny suit and sit silently in a chair while kids sit on him.) Seething though I was on the inside I kept cool and explained to Noah that the bunny was late, maybe he had to go potty. At which point Noah asked me "Does he have to pee in a cup?"

And the results of said Doc visit were mixed. Things seem very good (good ultrasound, good quad screen, good growth rate, good heart beat) except for my iron. My levels are still weird - and the two blood tests they have already done are odd and inconclusive so I have to go and get another test series. Not sure what they are looking for, and not sure I want to know unless they find something bad. Also Noah was really pleased because the Doc let him help by allowing him to hold the fetal heartrate monitor. It was super cute. He also keeps informing me and others that pregnant women are very tired because it's hard work to grow a baby in your belly.

I've mentioned it a million times - I gained 75 pounds when pregnant with Noah. And though I started out 10 pounds heavier this time, I've only gained 18 pounds thus far and therefore hopefully I'll complete this pregnancy with less than a 40 pound total weight gain. So though I'm not a small pregnant woman (or a small woman EVER) I'm not HUGE. So imagine my surprise when I had this exchange last week: "Nicole, you're really looking alot bigger all of a sudden." "Yeah - I just sort of popped out suddenly. He's getting bigger and bigger." "When are you due?" "August first." "OHMIGOD! THAT LONG??? WOW." "Ummm... yup...." WHAT person in their right mind thinks that this is an appropriate response? WHY on God's green earth do people assume it's peachy keen to talk to a pregnant woman about how large she is? Seriously. These people must be stopped.

Other super exciting news: THE CIRCUS IS COMING TO TOWN! I was so thrilled when Mark informed me that I almost peed my pants. We immediately bought tickets for opening night in two weeks. I hope Noah loves it as much as I think he will.

I still get Baby Center emails about Noah's development. These things seem ridiculously rigged to make you think your child is a genius. The one I got yesterday said about my 29 month old child: "Conversations with your child are a wonderful opportunity to help build her verbal skills. For instance, if she says 'Car go,' you might say, 'Yes, that red car is going down the street very quickly.' She won't be able to imitate your bigger words or complex sentences just yet, but she's learning from your example." CAR GO! ARE YOU SERIOUS? My kid is saying things like "Where is my water? You usually put it on the dresser." I mean at this point there is little Noah doesn't understand, and if he doesn't grasp a word he asks for clarification. In fact I was saying that last sentence verbatim to Mark last night and Noah said "What is clarification?" Of course the email also said he should be able to put on two articles of clothing himself - and since I've not been prompting him to do that at all he hasn't a clue.

And it seems like Noah has come down with a little something. What - I have no idea. He's running a bit of a temperature and he seems sluggish, but he has no other symptoms as of yet. Whatever it is I hope it's fast and relatively painless for all.

2 comments:

hazel said...

bella has fevers like every other week. just fever, nothing else. she's clingy and sluggish unless I give her ibuprofen. then she's fine. I have asked the doctor 7 thousand times and they say it's no big deal. so maybe it's just no big deal.

re: you getting "big". it does just pop out there fairly early with your second baby cause there's already a pouch there. you'll probably stay right where you are at some point. you may be like me, where I got as big as I pretty much was gonna get at like 7 months along. so everyone assumed I'd go early. but after that 7 month mark, I didn't get any bigger. so you get bigger earlier but at some point it levels out.

anyways.

you have to tell me who said that.

Stine said...

Does the Easter Bunny pee in a cup, what a crack up that kid is.

A pox on the people who feel they can tell you how "big" you're getting. It's amazing how some people's boundaries go right out the window in conversing with pregnant women.