Oh Deer!

So, I'm not generally too much of a "soft touch," well, at least I didn't used to be. I think being a parent has changed that...or something. Anyway, just about everything makes me feel and overthink things now like I never used to. I give you this back story so I can get to the front story. It's all about a deer.

I'm driving to a meeting for a service group that I'm a part of down our area 4-lane highway when I see a police car in front of me turn on his passing lights and then red-n-blues some distance down the road from me. As I approach him, he's in the left lane stopped with his spotlight on shining into the median. I'm slowing down to respect him as I always do police and other emergency personnel (and maybe to rubberneck a little too) when I look over and see a deer. The poor thing is laying down, crouched kind of on all fours, just off the side of the road looking at the policeman in horror, but it can't move. I'm assuming it's been clipped by a car. So, wishing I could wash my eyes and brain and not remember seeing that, I drive on to my meeting.

Great, now I'm all teary thinking about what he might have to do to the deer. What's the protocol on something like this? Will animal control come get it and put it out of its misery? Will the cop shoot it? I pretty much figure the policeman will just shoot the poor thing. Now I'm all upset, but I manage to keep it together and get to the meeting after turning up the music a little and vowing to think about other things. Now, after the meeting, all the way home, I'm thinking about it again. As I approach the spot where the deer had been I'm looking into the dark to see if it's still there and wondering what did happen to it. I don't see it. So, I'm going with this: the deer wasn't hurt, she was just tired, took a little roadside nap and the officer just came along and sent her on her way. Ok? Ok. We're going with that and I'd thank you to let me live in my happy little place on this one! I guess this is more of a misadventure for the deer than for me, but still, I felt like I wanted to share this story for some reason.

I think the point I'm making here is mommy-guilt is real. Life experiences have made me soft. Everything that can even hint at pulling out emotions does now. And to the extreme! Hallmark commercials, thinking about other peoples' situations even when I don't know them, and on and on and on and on. Realizing how short life is and how important every moment is definitely is something I have come to respect more than I used to. Whether it's age or becoming a new parent, I both love and hate it. So thank you, you poor little deer for reminding me again that life is short and even if it's the little things, we shouldn't take them for granted.

The Ongoing Ear-y Misadventures

Happy New Yaer! Wow, my apologies for not posting in a terribly long time (especially in the blogosphere!). We've been busy at our house. Most of what's going on is what the subject of this blog is about. Ears. My poor son, Tyler, has had nothing but trouble with his for the last 4 months of his life and we've crossed over from understanding and consoling to downright anger and "get something done now" type of feelings. It started with an ear infection, which of course we didn't know about until it was bad. Ear infections in babies have a way of being stealthy until they're pretty full blown. I'd say this first one was when he was about 3-4 months old. We went to the doctor, got the medicine, healed it up, all was well. Then they started happening frequently, as in one would come up a week after the antibiotic course from the last one. So, we continued to see the doctor (about every 2 weeks) and kept getting antibiotics. I know I speak for a lot of parents when I say that all you want when they feel that way is to make them better. The poor guy tosses his head around and wakes anywhere from 5 to 15 times a night because of it. So after several months of this, we are referred to an Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT). We have our appointment with her and she suggests saline rinses to his sinuses and Prevacid to stop any reflux (also known as spitting up) that we can.

While I appreciate that she didn't rush right into surgery, I have to admit I was a little disappointed that she didn't go ahead and suggest tubes for his ears. We were just wanting SOME sort of relief. She said she thought the spit-up was splashing and sitting in his ears causing the constant infections. Try it for six weeks and come back (January 20th). Oh, ok. Would you like to come home and deal with this with me for 6 weeks, because I'm pretty sure you have NO idea!

Well, here we were 2 weeks before Christmas and he gets ANOTHER one. This time, his ear drum bursts. To say I am mad is a vast understatement. I get that she can't predict that, but now I'm ready to talk tubes. I hold myself together for the pediatrician who more than senses my frustration. She gives him more antibiotics and puts him on a semi-permanent preventative dose. She says "that should be enough evidence (for tubes)." Okay, that'll do for now, but I am NOT waiting until the 20th. Luckily, we got rescheduled for this Friday, January 6th. In the meantime, my poor little kid is still tossing his head around on occassion but is generally the happiest baby you could ever know. He's been quite the trooper. But I'll tell you one thing, I will not be discussing anything other than tubes this Friday. As far as I'm concerned, the ear-y misadventures must stop.