Today was…an adventure…to say the least.
I remember standing at the counter three months ago at Chase’s 15 month well check, waiting to make his 18 month appointment. I remember thinking, how convenient, just as he will be coming back it will be time to bring in the baby for her two week check up. I’ll do them at the same time!
Even this week as the appointment approached I was unconcerned. I mean, my mom is here, there would be a 1:1 ratio of adults to children.
You see where I’m going with this don’t you? Once again my tendency to be naively optimistic has left me sitting in my car shaking my head vowing to be more realistic in the future.
It’s not that there was a catastrophe per say, it was just a little circus like. Trying to get two kids undressed, get them in dry diapers (at least there was no poop to contend with), get them both out to the scale and measuring sticks, all while answering questions being fired from about three different people and my head was spinning before we’d been there for 5 minutes.
Once the nurses were done mom and I were left to deal with two naked babies. Two naked and slightly cranky babies. Poor Chase has been under the weather this week, stupid teeth anyway. As for Katelyn, she was just a little hungry and she’s just having a fussy couple of days. She hasn’t figured out yet that being awake doesn’t mean she HAS to be eating. We no sooner get them both settled, Katelyn on my lap, Chase with my mom when Chase decides that he needs to be on my lap RIGHT NOW OMG RIGHT NOW. Commence freak out when this didn’t happen in his predetermined time frame.
As we are sitting there I realize that the shot the nurses think Chase needs is one that I *think* he got at the health department so I have to send my mom out to the car to get his immunization record. Now I’m alone with both them. Fantastic.
Somehow I managed to keep my shit together. The doctor came in and all was going well until he finished up with Katelyn and wanted to move onto Chase. Apparently this is the appointment where they start looking more closely for developmental delays, meaning the doctor pulls out a box of specific toys and tries to get my son to “perform”. If I know one thing for sure about my son it’s this, asking him to “perform” usually ends in disappointment. Today was no different, I’ll be writing more about this later on so stay tuned.
All told we were there less than an hour. There were no major disasters. Hell no one even got shots. And yet, as I buckled my seat belt I paused to consider what the last hour would have been like if I’d been by myself with my two kids. I won’t lie, the sheer terror that though produced almost caused me to pee my pants.
Please tell me that I don’t actually have to become a hermit. There will come a time when leaving the house with two small children by myself will be a possibility. That it will happen without sure disaster.
Although the view from our couch isn’t all that bad either. I suppose there are worse places to be.
I can’t help you. I basically didn’t leave the house with the kids for the first year without someone else. Heh. We’re now 5 and 2 and leave the house, the three of us… so there’s that! 😉
P.S. Congrats again, you have adorable little kiddies!
Jen,
I so totally know what you are talking about. With twins, at first it was very hard for me to do things alone. I needed someone else there for appointments, mall outings, grocery shopping, etc. After awhile I figured it out and I started to get out more often.
One thing I did everyday was go for a long walk. I had a great double stroller (if you don’t have one yet, get one! It’s a necessity). My girls were born in November so it was winter but I walked everyday anyway, they were bundled up in snowsuits with blankets under and over them and they were toasty. I got fresh air and exercise and felt a lot better for it.
Great photo of the three of you.