Venture to the Pediatrician

7:26 am - Awake to The Sgt beside me in the cradle and think about how one of these days I need to make him sleep in his crib all night. Maybe next year.

(times will only be sporadic in this post, but understand that I want them to be here)

Change a diaper. Let Dear Old Dad take The Sgt downstairs while I make myself some oatmeal.

Look at the flyer from the pediatrician's office and realize walk-in clinic hours start at 8:30. Yikes.

Eat oatmeal downstairs. Watch a power struggle with Dear Old Dad and Firstborn about picking up the cereal that Firstborn had so much fun letting fall on the floor with the Gyro bowl. (Those things are a joke. The food flies to the floor in a fun glorious fashion.)

Finish oatmeal. Take shower, dress boys, get in car. I do the grand guesture of taking Firstborn with me even though it is a Sgt-only visit to follow up with his ear infection and get his shots. That way, Dear Old Dad can get to work at the preferred 9-9:30 time.

8:45 - Arrive at pediatrician pushing the school-bus sized double stroller. Think about how I really don't like this office at all because everything takes so long and there is no clear reason why. There are 5 families waiting in front of me. I fill out the technologically archaic notepad screen thing and give it back.

9:00 - Am called back into the office much sooner than I expected. Find out our usual Dr. Younger-Than-Me is not there today and there is only one doctor there. I am extremely grateful for the turn of events that got me in the door before all those other families. They, ironically, probably had appointments and will have to wait an hour.

9:01 - The nerf dart gun I brought to entertain Firstborn is boring and he must explore places. Its an 8x8 room. There isn't much to explore except the cabinet under the sink which only contains an empty garbage can.

9:03 - Firstborn comes out from under the sink so proud with one of those plastic funnel things that goes on the ear exam tool the doctors use. It must have not made it into the trash can. I spend some time convincing myself that he didn't get any deadly cooties from touching it.

9:07 - Firstborn gets angry at the cabinet and has a full-out throw down screaming tantrum for no clear reason. I try to ignore it but I'm still in an 8x8 room. The Sgt is as happy as can be. I don't understand why his brother's cries make him so upset and other times he cares so little.

9:10 - Firstborn is still screaming. I put The Sgt in the stroller and try to rock and shush him. It doesn't work. I realize I might be reversing the effects of ignoring his tantrums by picking him up and  giving in but this is getting embarassing.

9:11 - I step outside with The Sgt because I just can't take it anymore. This is The First Huge Tantrum and I have absolutely no idea why. I guess toddlers don't operate on logic so why is not in the equation.

9:12 - I make small talk with the nearby nurses and a lady who turns out to be the pediatrician. She is kind and efficient and examines The Sgt's ears in the hallway. His ears are perfect. That's good because I don't have to start the ENT doctor dance yet and bad because his reverting back to semi-annoying sleep habits are because he is The Sgt. I also like her because she is somewhere between my age and my mom's - the age a pediatrician should be.

9:15 - I'm back in the exam room with The Screamer. The nurse comes in to do the shots. The Sgt screams once and then cuddles with her and he's fine. My boys could not be more different. At this moment Firstborn is more interested in what is happening and he forgot he was supposed to be screaming.

9:20 - Loading to the car. I can tell The Sgt will be asleep soon. Firstborn is whining about his life.

9:21 - The Sgt is out cold. Firstborn enjoys the view out the window.

I decide I deserve a Grande Soy Decaf Vanilla No-Whip Latte at Starbucks. (I love those and I don't know if I can make it any more high-maintenance)

9:40? At Starbucks, and they charge me for soy even though I had a gift card and I thought they didn't do that. I would stop going to Starbucks like I have told myself multiple times I will but there is a drive-thru and I have a high-maintenance drink order, and I still haven't picked up more decaf fair-trade coffee and non-dairy frou-frou creamer at Kroger.

First world problems.

9:55ish - I pull into the driveway and see that Dear Old Dad hasn't gone into work yet. I want to stab his eyeballs, except I have to carry in a sleepy Firstborn. That man hasn't even taken his shower yet. I can't get too mad at him because he probably put together something for me in the basement. He helps me take off Firstborn's jacket and I lug in The Sgt.

9:56 - The Sgt wakes up as soon as I get him and carseat in the house. I decide he is just going to chill next to me on the bed while I play on the computer and drink my coffee.

10:05 - Dear Old Dad is showered and off to work. And here I am to start another stay-at-home-mom kind of day. It started with a blog post.