Well-baby check-ups

Today was well-baby check-up day for both Simon & Rachel. Poor Simon, he was ok in the waiting room. He went to play on the ramp built into the office & another little girl shoved him a bit & said, "Mine." He promptly started crying like his heart was broken! Once I finally got him calmed down (all it took was some John Deere gummies), the receptionist called me up to the window. She apologized, but said that actually our appointments were for tomorrow. I told her that I'd gotten a call yesterday (Monday) confirming today (Tuesday's) appointments. There must have been some glitch in their system b/c she said that had happened before. The biggest problem for me was that I had Brenda (mother-in-law) there with me & wouldn't have anyone tomorrow. I explained & she want back to ask Dr. H if it was ok for us to be squeezed in. He apparently said yes.

Eventually, they called us back to the actual rooms. That's when Simon started screaming & crying like a kicked puppy. Ever since he had to have his blood drawn he's HATED going to any doctor. He screamed all through getting stripped down to his diaper. He screamed while they weighed Rachel (14 lbs 10 oz). He continued screaming as they weighed him (30 lbs 14 oz). The screaming continued while they were measured for height (Rachel 25 3/4" & Simon 37"). He even continued screaming through the physical exam including in Dr. H's ears as he used his stethescope. I don't think he stopped screaming until well after Brenda took him out to the waiting room again. He did give Dr. H a hug before he left though - even while he was crying.

We knew Rachel was going to have to get shots, so we sent Simon (with Brenda) out before Rachel started crying too. I stayed with Rachel. She was really happy while Dr. H examined her. She smiled & wiggled for him. He rolled her around & actually gave her a raspberry on her tummy! For some reason, (yes I know I'm probably biased) I think he likes my kids exceptionally much. Anyway, Rachel even smiled for the shot lady - that is until she got stuck the 1st time! Then she shrieked loud enough that Brenda could hear her out in the waiting area! Her whole body turned red! She finally got over it, but it took a LONG time!

Anyway, the day went fairly well! Thank goodness for help from my mother-in-law though! Too bad my mom couldn't make it, but it was probably good for a change to do something with my mother-in-law! Hope everyone else had an ok day!

Reconcile yourself

Well, today I rested. I still don't feel great, but I guess maybe I'm not as bad as I was. Mother Nature is definitely taking her pound of blood from me though! I met w/ my Creighton Instructor today & even though I'm limited for how long I'll be doing this, it is nice to know the information so I can spread the word! We also went to the Sacrament of Reconciliation tonight. It was Andrew's first one. I tend to avoid this Sacrament b/c I have too much pride to tell another human my faults and weaknesses. However, tonight's Confession seems to have made me feel better.

What a wonderful thing. It is nice to know that even though we have sinful natures, we are always allowed access to the Sacrament of Reconciliation to reconcile with God and beg His forgiveness. While it may seem possible (no doubt easier) to do this one-on-one with God, adding in another human as a 'stand-in' for God (as well as a human who's been there done that & can give advice) gives the whole reconciliation aspect new meaning. You must first humble yourself before you can truly admit fault. You must first humble yourself to discuss your faults. The courage that it takes to do this can only come from God. The ability to discern your faults is a sign of a developing conscience. Having a 'stand-in' for God allows you to understand that this is a step forward and to ensure that you don't go too far. In other words, the Sacrament of Reconciliation uses the priest (the 'stand-in' for God) to help you mend your relationship with God through humility, courage, and conscience. I don't think its truly possible to do that on your own...

My apologies & appreciation!

I'm sorry for the downer post yesterday. I was feeling really down. I think it worked out ok today though. I'm still not thrilled w/ my new body, but I have a little bit of a better understanding right now of 1) why I felt that way last night & 2) that even if *I* hate my body, no one else sees it like I do. Andrew (and lots of others) were very sweet to me last night! I really appreciate it.

I'm still feeling bad (hurting a lot) right now, so I'm actually going to send both the kiddos to my mother-in-law tomorrow. That's a first EVER! Hopefully I'll feel better by Tuesday - they both have doctor's appointments.