December 12

Today was awful. Just awful.

Do you remember how I posted  yesterday that Daisy failed her preschool hearing screening for the second time? Well. Our doctor's office called this morning and offered us a 4:00 appointment to check Daisy's ear. Aside from needing someone to stay with Lily while she napped and pick Caleb up from the bus stop, it was perfect, so I jumped on it.

Then I loaded the girls in the car for a quick stop at the grocery store before Daisy's gymnastics class. When we arrived at the store, I went to unbuckle Lily from her car seat and noticed that her left ear was full of yellow pus and goo. 

Her eardrum had ruptured during the 10-minute car ride to the store, and if not for the pus, I never would have known. I quickly called the doctor's office, and they said they couldn't fit both girls in during the perfect-timing 4:00 appointment, and suggested 2:00 instead. 2:00, as in the girls wouldn't get to nap at all. I told them no way, and finally we settled on 3:30 with our doctor's partner. 

In the end, the girls got to nap for 30 or 45 minutes before I had to load them in the car. The doctor checked Daisy's ears first, and informed me that the right was absolutely clear and perfectly healthy, but the left had ruptured and was full of pus. Great.

Then she checked Lily's ears. As I thought, the left had ruptured, and the right eardrum was bulging and ready to burst at any moment. 

The doctor marveled at what high pain tolerances my girls must have, and how good they were about the whole thing. In the meantime, I felt like such a jerk for not even knowing my girls were hurting. I was so foolish to think that we were actually all healthy for a change! The doctor saw that I was struggling, and rushed to reassure me that there was no way I could have prevented this, and that I am doing a great job... and then I started crying. And then she started crying. We were a mess.

But. Even with a ruptured eardrum apiece, the girls are in great spirits. Daisy is sleeping fine, and Lily is doing some occasional night waking. You would never know they are hurting! I am so thankful that we have children who are so healthy and strong that they can just roll through a situation like this without even batting an eye.

This morning, before Lily's eardrum burst:

She was petting Daisy's hair, and Daisy was loving it. I am just dying at how special the bond is between these sisters!

You can't tell it, but both girls were mugging for the camera. Goodness, I love them.

And this was just as we got home from the doctor. Chris was able to scoot out of work early to meet Caleb at the bus stop, so he was home when we returned. Lily, tired from no nap and hurting from her ear infections, only wanted to snuggle her Daddy. I think she has the right idea.