My brother and his wife had a beautiful baby boy on Christmas Eve. It has always been difficult living two hours away since I’d like to see them more (especially now!) but I was fortunate to see them twice the week my nephew was born. Once the day after Christmas, and once a few days later. On the second visit Antina and I went together, and my brother announced that they were trying to decide on godparents for my nephew. They said the godfather was easy– my sister-in-law’s brother– but for the godmother, they said they love both me and Antina equally so they couldn’t make a decision. So my brother came up with this idea that we’d each draw cards and the high card wins.

Of course we were all giggling about the idea and just to make sure we all understood, we started to wonder aloud: Are aces high or low? Are twos wild? What order are the suits in the case of a draw on the face value? That one was Mom’s question–  and once my brother rattled off the suits, she expertly wrote it all down in her executive assistant-style notebook, just to make sure there were no arguments after the draw. You can never be too cautious when dealing with sisters.

After we got serious again, I drew a card. The eight of clubs. With a deep sigh I resolved to being the “loser”. I thought there was no way I was holding the high card. I showed my card to the room and you could almost hear the heaviness in the room as if everyone was thinking “oh, too bad for her”.   So we were all surprised when antina drew the six of clubs. (Sorry Antina ) And now, not only do I have a new appreciation for the number eight, I’m a godmother too.

The disaster occurred because the visit scheduled for 10:45 a.m. — shortly before Jaden’s normal 11:00 a.m. lunchtime (and noon nap time)–did not go as scheduled. I don’t know if I realized how close we were to lunch when I made the appointment, or if it was the only appointment I could get with our preferred pediatrician. It probably would have worked out fine if it were our normal visit to the ped – walk in, get called into the examining area before we even take a seat in the waiting room, wait 5 minutes for the doc, spend 15-20 minutes and leave — home within the hour.

No such luck today. We arrived and waited in the waiting room, which by the way has no books or toys for kids other than a couple of those wire thingys with beads on them. After waiting about 30 minutes I asked the receptionist what was taking so long -they said the doc was running 30-45 minutes late. Now, had they told me this when I arrived I would have rescheduled, because at 45 minutes late, the timing is getting dangerously close to nap time, without lunch, and anyone with a 2 year old knows that a tired toddler is challenging, but a tired and hungry toddler is nearly impossible. However, they had not given me that information, and therefore I now had to decide whether to wait another 15 minutes, or cut my losses and go home.

Since it was already 11:15 I thought I’d be better off waiting. I should have known not to trust my instincts today (although how I should have known this, I don’t know). Or maybe I should have actually done the math to realize I’d be getting home very, very late.

There was one bout of waiting after another – waiting to get into the examining room, waiting for the doctor, and then waiting (seemingly forever) until the nurse with the vaccination showed up. By the time the doctor came in we were already nearly an hour past Jaden’s lunch time, and coming in for a crash landing on his nap time. He was one CRANKY baby. He hates doctors to begin with (who doesn’t? No offense, Neville) so he spent the next 20 minutes screaming, thrashing, kicking, squirming and at one point I thought he threw a punch at me, while the doctor tried to talk over his yells and perform the examination. He was so exhausted (and probably starving) that he fell asleep within seconds of putting his head on my shoulder after the doctor finished prodding him. Then the doc gives me the good news – he needs a vaccination (I was told he wouldn’t need any at this visit) – oh, yay. The docs are too smart to freak the kids out by giving them needles themselves, so they make the nurses administer the sharp stuff.

So to add to the already crappy visit, by the time the nurse showed up Jaden had been asleep on my shoulder for nearly 20 minutes and the nurse stabbed him while he was still sleeping. She thought it would be better that way. I thought he’d possibly be afraid to fall asleep in my arms ever again, since now he’ll never know when mommy’s going to hand him over to the evil nurse with the needle. Okay, maybe I’m paranoid.

Now Jaden was really screaming at the top of his lungs, naked as a Jaybird (LOL– pun intended), and I had to try to dress him (another one of his favorite activities — sarcasm intended) then carry him out into the bitter cold, snap him into his car seat and drive him home. Screaming all the way. That sounds like a Christmas song to me…

“Dashing through the snow

in a barentz blue Volvo

All the world can hear

Jaden screaming as we go

ah ah ah….

There’s no way we’re taking a nap

so it’s early to bed tonight

These docs make Jaden cry and scream

and give him an awful fright…”

Okay… now I’ve really lost it. No, antina, I’m not drinking (at the moment).

Back to my story – by the time we got home it was 12:45 — two full hours after our original appointment time. Starving, over-tired, with a 20 minute nap on my shoulder, this boy was not going to give me a break and take his usual 12:00 to 2:00 nap. I tried, I really did. I tried hard. He just didn’t want to sleep. At one point I even just told him Mommy needs a fifteen minute nap after that doctor’s appointment – so he waited in his crib and let me sleep. What a good boy. He must love me. He must also have a very good internal clock, since he woke me up nearly 15 minutes on the nose, saying and signing “train”. Ahhhh – he wants to play with his new train we got him for his birthday. So we did.

Here’s some pictures from Christmas: