The Wildebeest, Part II

The Wildebeest

So, Tuesday was a challenging day with Analise.

I really thought it was an anomaly, a bump in the road, a headache that with a little TLC would go away.

Then came today.

Oh, my, had I seen today coming, I would have told yesterday to take a chill pill.

So, Wednesdays are gymnastics days. With our bad day yesterday, I was thinking from the get-go about how to make this a positive situation for all.

So, when it came time to get ready, Analise was still in her jammies. Mommy just hadn't the heart to start that conversation any sooner.

I gave Analise the choice to go to gymnastics and change her clothes, or we could just drop Nicolas off and she could stay in her jammies (she has a cough, has had a temp on and off and hasn't been eating/sleeping well).

She immediately said she wanted to go to gymnastics and asked to put clothes on. The minute her pajamas were half off she screamed, "NO GET DRESSED!" and tried to put her pajamas back on. "Please honey, let's change your diaper," I begged. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

I managed to change her diaper and get clothes on her body. Nicolas got in the car and I got our stuff loaded in while Analise waited inside. By the time I came to get her she was begging to go along ... that is until we got to her car seat, at which point she became stiff as a board and refused. So, we resumed the "force you into the car seat" routine.

Analise screamed her protests all the way to gymnastics. I took Nicolas in and got him settled for his class and lunch bunch. Analise let me know she did not like the car when I returned and resumed her high-pitch screaming.

At this point I decided it was more than three-year old independence and called our pediatrician.

Analise has had a low grade fever that spikes up in the evenings for the last few days and has been complaining about pain in her diaper area, which combined with her aversion to diapers, pants and the car seat made me concerned. So, I called and luckily we could get in to see our pediatrician within a half hour.

So, across the town we went. Analise settled down on the ride. When we arrived she came inside compliantly, letting me hold her.

I set her down to get checked in ... my biggest mistake of the day.

I turned around to find my darling daughter, minus her diaper and pants, attempting to remove her shirt in the middle of the doctor's office lobby.

"Analise! No! We can't take our clothes off in public!" I whisper-yelled.

"NOOOOOOO!!!" she screamed with the force of an approaching tornado.

I attempted to put the diaper back on, fighting what seemed like hundreds of limbs. She was having none of it. Observing the looks from the other parents waiting in the lobby, I quickly realized we needed an exam room, pronto.

Thankfully the receptionist agreed and ushered us back.

Analise immediately ran to hide under the exam table.

I tried to lure her out with games on my phone, and Tom and Jerry and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse via YouTube; she was not impressed.

The nurse and I decided that getting her weight was not all that important. Analise screeched through most of the intake. By the time our doctor came in, Analise had settled down a bit. She came out from her hiding place under the exam table and decided to let Doctor Amy see her face. Thankfully we have any amazing doctor who is a mother herself and knew better than to try to do a physical exam first. She came up with three pretty pink stickers and a yogurt pop to bribe Analise into peeing in the potty.

I went into the restroom with Analise, apprehensive that we would eventually have to do a catheter to get the urine sample required. We played the dance of getting on the potty to pee in the little pot over and over again. I was having no luck and wondering how long the nursing staff was going to let this little charade go on before they broke in to let us know they would have to do the cath.

Then she started crossing her legs and squatting. I tried to get her up on the potty with all manner of bribery. Finally, I appealed to her sense of fairness. "Wasn't it nice of Dr. Amy to give you the ice cream?" "Yes," she said. "You know, it would be really nice if you'd go pee pee for Dr. Amy," I coaxed.

"Yes," she said. Unfortunately, the potty was still a no-go.

Finally, I decided there was no way she was getting on the potty and pulled the little bowl off the potty and slid it under her squatting bottom.

"Go potty for Dr. Amy?" I asked.

And the golden liquid began to flow.

The preliminary urine test showed no abnormalities. Thankfully, due to the fever, fluid in the ears, the cough and the potential for infection of the diaper area, Dr. Amy prescribed an antibiotic.

Not much has changed. Daddy reported a difficult bedtime tonight.

I can only hope for a better tomorrow.