Still 9 Months :)

Wow, I feel like this is the millionth time I've done a 9 month post for Violet.  That's funny to me for a couple of reasons...#1 - because I'm super tired and everything is either crazy funny or the end of the world, #2) because I said early on that Violet could get to 9 months and then she had to stop.  I guess if I just keep posting 9 month posts, she'll just always stay that age in my mind!

Well, we had her 9 month old well baby visit today.  I have a love/hate relationship with the doctors office.  I love getting stats, I love having a professional tell me my baby is beautiful and healthy, and I love seeing Benjamin's ear to ear grin when he hangs out with Nemo and Dori in the lobby.  However, I hate insurance questions that I don't know the answers to, I hate trying to fill out forms keeping one eye on Benjamin and one hand around Violet(which is definitely not an adequate number of hands for her personality!) and I hate when my babies get shots...I hate deciding if they should get them, I hate the guilt with either decision, and I hate the pain of them getting poked.  I hate them.

Well, I completely missed my appointment two weeks ago, but thankfully when we rescheduled I was able to find a non-nap time appt.  yay.  hurdle #1 conquered.  #2 - we switched insurances, and I of coarse forgot the cards (I thought about it the day before, but never saw joel again when the sun was up, and i was thinking clearly to ask if he knew where they were)  So that was complicated, especially since I didn't even know the name of our new insurance.  But the lady was super patient, and Joel answered my emergency phone call, so we got it taken care of...hurdle #2 - dominated.  Then came the waiting period, which wasn't as bad as normal.  We found a chair by the fish tank and Benjamin was about as cute as ever running from side to side, identifying Nemo's and Big Dori.  He was singing songs to them, and saying hi to them, and checking the water level, and singing more songs.  Seriously I just wanted to eat him up.  (I felt horrible for the little boy who was also watching the fish.  His grandma was less than a peach of a woman and never made eye contact with me or Benjamin.  Seriously, if you knew how funny Benjamin was being, you'd know how cold it made this woman seem.  But they didn't seem sick so it could have been worse.)  Last came the appointment.  This requires it's own paragraph.

Violets Stats:

• height 27 inches (Benjamin was... 2 inches taller)
• weight 17 lbs 3 oz (...over 5 lbs heavier)
• head 44 cm (...2 cm bigger)

Developmentally she's a rock star.  Doing everything she's supposed to and more.  So then she asked if I had any questions...

1. she sleeps from 7:30pm - between 6:30 and 8:00am.  Getting up once at 1:30am (the last week or two, I kinda forget)  my Q.) Should I stop feeding her at 1:30a.m., or since she primarily nurses is she truly hungry.  A.) She's only hungry out of habit, and could totally make it all night if I just stop enabling her...but she might start getting up earlier.  To which I replied, "I'll keep getting up at 1:30!"
2. Her cheeks are raw from biting them Q.) is her mouth o.k.?  A.) Yes, she's just teething
3. Benjamin's breath is HORRIBLE.  He breaths through his mouth some, but I try to tell him to shut his mouth and we brush his teeth.  Q.) is his nose/ throat o.k.?  A.) after checking down his throat...Yes, just floss his teeth.  He might have food stuck
4. Violet Feet.  Both feet, primarily the left one, go severely ( Joel would disagree) noticeably inward.  Q.) is she going to grow out of it?  A.) Appointment with the Podiatrist.  After looking at them, watching her and trying to straighten them, she decided that although many moms come in with the same question Violets are fairly difficult to straighten and bounce back rapidly to their angled position.  She noticed a curve in her foot and would like me to have it checked out, so we have an appointment on the 14?th with the podiatrist.  

Hurdle #3 were the shots.  Violet got poked, and cried for 3 seconds, and recovered like a champ.  Benjamin only had to get a spray in his nostrils and acted like we were castrating him.  He was nervous it was going to be a shot, and readied himself for the worst...but recovered quickly.  Then came the time to leave, and consequently hurdle #4.  This is so ridiculous.  She said I was able to go, and I looked around and there was no well baby visit info sheet, no card for our next appointment, or info about the podiatrist.  I was confused.  I asked the nurse and she said she would look around.  After 5 minutes of trying to corral my kiddos in that small space I opened the door.  Our two nurses were sitting at the front desk and had a paper to hand me (As if they were waiting for me) and said they couldn't find the other card and they would make me a new one.  They sent me out to the waiting area, where I waited and nurses kept coming out handing me things like vaccination charts, and finally I went up to the front desk ladies and said "I'm just a little confused, they told me to make an appointment with the podiatrist, but I don't have any information." At which time another nurse came and handed me a card with an appointment written on it for Violets feet.  I guess they don't ask you when you are available, you just get what they have.  It kind of offended me, but I'll get over it.  We said bye to the fish, and our Morning at the Doctor's house (Benjamin's wording) was done and defeated.  

Now we're just praying for healthy feet and a easy "fix"!