Having made it through toddler hood three times already, and with this fourth time going seemingly smoothly, I thought for sure that I had bypassed what would happen to the littlest person on this day. I had always heard stories from others, but just assumed that we were way past anything like this in our home. And with two boys in the family I never thought Ella Kate would be the one to surprise us.
After school yesterday, the girls and I were playing upstairs with the giant dollhouse. And out of nowhere, Ella Kate exclaimed, "I have a wock in my nose!" I have to admit, I thought for about a half of a second that there was no way she could have a rock in her nose. And then quickly I thought, but where would she get such an idea. She is very articulate, oftentimes we forget that she is two, and she has an outstanding comprehension level. I knew she was telling the truth. So the following conversation takes place:
Me: Ella Kate where did you get the rocks?
Her: On the playgwound.
(then I really knew she was telling the truth because the playground at school is covered with pea gravel to cushion falls)
Me: Did you tell Miss Stephanie and Miss Leyana?
Her: Yes.
Me: What did they do?
Her: Miss Stpehnie took it out.
Me: How many rocks did you put in your nose?
Her: All of them.
So I take her in my lap and look into the black hole of a snotty nose (she had been sick all week) and she screams thinking I am coming at her with the dreaded booger sucker. So I use my pinkie finger to see if I feel anything and sure enough there was something hard. At this point I still thought it may be just a really hard booger, but with the way the snot was draining out of her nose I didn't quite think that was a possibility. So I proceeded to call the pediatrician's office and the nurse instructed me to bring her in. So off we go, and the whole time Ella Kate is whining that she doesn't want to see "Doctor Woctor." I think even she knew what was coming up, literally, up her nose that is.
While waiting in the appropriately assigned green exam room, I here one of the doctors teasing our guy about going in to get out the rock and offering to help if needed. I'm glad that we could provide some amusement for them at the end of the day. I might add here that by now it's a little after five o' clock. With Ella Kate screaming and me pinning her down while a nurse holds her head, in the doctor goes with a long wiry snake like thingy. He can't get it, but informs me that his partner is good at these things, and off he goes to get him. So they come back in, again I have the bottom half of her body, now our pediatrician has her head and the second pediatrician has the wire thing in her nose and with a quick flick of his wrist, out pops a shiny square piece of tan pea gravel. And he exclaims, "Man I love stuff like this!"
So I told her, "no more rocks!" She said okay, then proceeded to ask while sobbing, "can I [sob-sob] have anothow [sob-sob] Fiona stickow [sob-sob]?" because she had gotten it all wrinkled while she was writhing and screaming. And that was it, trauma over. If only wrinkled up stickers were the worst of our problems and a new sticker would make it all better. Hopefully she learned a lesson in the process. And no I did not keep the rock, but yes now I wish that I had, it was kind of big.
