Play by Play

Yesterday we spent the day in Renfrew visiting the dentist and doctor.  We all had dentist appointments in the morning but I cancelled mine as the thought of someone working in my mouth at this point in my first trimester just didn't go over well.  So, I snoozed in the van until Isaac woke up from his morning nap and then went in search of Tylenol at the local drugstore.  Why Tylenol, you ask?  I was hit last week with a whopper of a cold that seems to have lodged itself in my sphenoid sinus (I googled this to see if there was a sinus behind my eye) causing a right nostril that alternates between complete blockage and free-running tap.  A significant amount of pain has also resulted; thus, the Tylenol.

I would love to report that everyone passed their dental exams with flying colours, but this is never the case, is it?  Jacob finally managed a clean exam but Hannah had her first inkling of a cavity.  And, Dave, poor Dave, he always has to go back for a follow-up.  Ben was also clear and Joe, I am told, is doing a fabulous job of brushing his teeth as he has no plaque whatsoever.  He also hardly ever brushes his teeth.  Embarassingly, I get to him when I can - which isn't twice a day.  We were also admonished on the need to floss our kids' teeth.  This happens at every dental appointment.  One dental hygienist once sat me down, placed a well-meaning hand on my thigh and said, We need to talk about flossing.  I am always reduced to repentant floss-sinner and make promises to floss children's teeth for Advent and Lent as penance.  Then I leave; and the kids use their new floss for elaborate games involving tying up objects.  And I have to go to confession.  Mea culpa.

My doctor's appointment was uneventful except to confirm how much I love my doctor.  She was genuinely thrilled that I am having another baby.  She spent the last 5 minutes of the appointment telling me about births that had turned into emergencies that made her wonder why she continues to practise obstetrics.  These stories don't scare me, they fascinate me and make me very happy that she is at my side when delivering.  One of her stories included hand pumping a transfusion bag into a just-delivered mom as they raced along the highway in an ambulance.  Up until this point, I had never pictured her outside of the office before.  I thought, Gee, I guess if I want anyone by my side in that sort of situation, it's this doctor.  These stories also make me very thankful for medical interventions that save lives.

And then we dropped off our van to be undercoated and winter-tired.  We drove the 20 minutes home in Dave's parents' van only to realise that I had also dropped off the house keys at the mechanic's.  Dave discovered that our house is quite difficult to break into and we drove back to the garage.  Poor Dave, he is full of grace these days; especially since we arrived home at 5pm and he had a 4 hour tutoring session ahead of him starting at 5:30.  He is a very good man.

So, we sat down to eat supper, which was a mix of cold cereal and bagels, and I looked at the kitchen and the laundry and the kids who had only parts of pyjamas, and I almost cried.  But then the doorbell rang and a mother of nine was standing there with a huge pot of homemade soup and a baguette in her hands.  And a smile and a prayer.  And I almost cried.  (I should have taken a picture for her eventual holy card.)  It is always those most busy who find the time to provide the most tangible of help.

And today the three youngest are at home with me (Ben has a habit of developing stomach aches that last from breakfast til Jacob's and Hannah's departure for school) and I am in laundry-recovery mode.  At least I don't have to make supper tonight.

Update:  A big bag of Jolly Ranchers arrived in the mail today.  Thank you, Tanya.  This means more than you know.