Of Baby Chain Smokers and Pint-Sized Hobos

*****Team 317 (Vinson vs. Vinson) are the Meet the Challengers Interview today in the Move It 2011 Competition****** Come check out our story.

Really I needed some more stress this week given we moved up painting the entire interior by 3 weeks to save money. Painters are here Monday-Wednesday. Direct quote from our realtor, "you are not letting any grass grow under your feet." After a day with a professional landscaper I will answer, "and how much would you charge me to cut said grass and get me on the market faster."

But back to the fact by day-end yesterday I had managed to sadden both kids by medical appointments for each.

Kid #1 sounds like a pack a day smoker. Most people almost immediately ask if Ian is sick with a cold after being around him. No, he was diagnosed with tracheomalacia or a "floopy trachea" 2 weeks after birth. At every dr appointment I have asked if we needed to be seen by a specialist. No, by 12-18 month it should disappear, nothing to worry about.

At his one year appointment I brought up that I don't think it's getting better, rather that he frequently begins to choke and gag on just air, even when not eating. At meals it's even more pronounced as he often sucks his thumb to push the food down making the choking worse.

We saw a ENT yesterday and after running a fiber optic scope down into his trachea through his nose he confirmed no structural issues, he looks fine, even good. Luckily I was expecting my super wiggly boy to be super duper wiggly and also crying. I asked Bill to come and help me hold him.

After the initial crying he was ok with hugs and kisses. To our complete surprise nothing is structurally wrong with him and the ENT questioned the original diagnosis. So at this point, he is still gagging and choking with no answer. We are going to evaluate if this is more of an eating issue and consider a swallow study if by his 15 month appointment he is not better. We also are going to reevaluate what he is eating as with only 1 tooth even with smallest bites of cut up food he is swallowing most everything whole. We may move back to a stage 2 soft diet. Overall I am thankful that while they didn't find anything, frustrated wondering what is going on with the choking on simple air. In the scheme of issues this is really not a big one, just one we would like to find the answer for. Believe me this kid is thriving. Just check out my grocery bill.


Kid #2- The pint sized hobo- Prior to both pregnancies I never had a cavity. After Ben I had 9. After Ian 7. The only explanation I have is being post bariatric surgery and missing the ability to metabolize 12 known vitamins, likely more I take a lot of supplements. As in in have two separate pill cases I filled to the brim daily. I should get reward points at Target pharmacy. And you might want to consider buying me a cane for my 37th birthday.

When Ben showed up with two small cavities at his cleaning recently I immediately wanted to die the bad mommy death in that I *think* I do a good job. He brushes every night, uses a fluoride rinse, doesn't drink juice at home, has never had a soda in his life.

Ugh. Super Ugh. We have not been making a big deal about his sick tooth. I mentioned in the morning that we had to go back so his sick tooth could get medicine. He was good with this explanation and not until we were going in did he pull the rarely seen shy Ben mode of standing behind me and tugging on my leg.

Enter shy Ben. I asked if he wanted me to go back. Yes, please Mommy. I had to change Ian and the hygienist came to tell me he agreed to walk back with her and to meet them in exam 8. Good. I was hoping if she could get him settled watching the tv then he would not be scared. When I wheeled back I was standing where he couldn't see me and the hygienist was talking to him in preschool terms about picking a mask for the nitrous (he picked pink, his favorite color)and talking about painting tooth shampoo (the filler) onto his tooth. I gave the thumbs up and wheeled Ian back to the front. The Dentist came to talk to me about 15 mins later and said he was fine just a little confused why he couldn't feel his mouth. We paid, booked the other appointment and headed home with one quick stop.

I had promised Ben a pink sprinkle frosted doughnut if he was brave and let the dentist make his sick tooth better. Don't even comment on the whole Doughnut=Brave at the dentist thing. I know but in desperate times, I will opt for desperate measures. You better believe we were barely in the car before he was asking about his doughnut.

As I was crashing from the stress and late nights this week I had to get some coffee so we stopped. I told him that he could have it for dessert to which he said, "you can have yours too for dessert". Obviously he doesn't understand the immediate need for caffeine. He promptly ate, no inhaled, the doughnut and chewed it on the non numb side.

Not that I wish for him to have a mouth full of cavities and seeing we are remembering to floss every night plus add am brushing he did really, really well. In part because I think we didn't play it up other than in some simple preschool terms and I left the room when the momma bear really wanted to stay.

Glad that the only appointments today are 2 house related events. Mouth of a hobo and my little chain smoker, you bet. Pros at being a big boys(both of them) makes be happy to see them able to handle the an out-of-the ordinary dr appointment without a meltdown.