WHAT????

Ok so we're good parents. The house is baby-proofed. Anna watches maybe an hour of TV PER WEEK and it's always her precious Cinderella. She eats a well-balanced diet and is at a good weight and is off the charts developmentally in all things.

So you'll forgive my Crazy Mom Moment when I hear this on the answering maching this morning, "Your daughter's lead level is slightly elevated and we need you to get an venous draw as soon as possible."

WHAT?????

I called, trying to hide the fear and disbelief in my voice and asked, "What, exactly, do you mean my elevated?"

We're talking a 17!!!!

So, after an epsiode of tears from both Curt and I (give us a break, we're first time parents) and after I saw all Anna's hopes of college going down the toilet in a wash of ADHD and behavior problems, I came to my senses and realized HOW OFTEN these tests show false positives. Not to mention that all we have to do is remove the offending lead from her precious baby world if it is still elevated and the problem may go away.

I ignored my churning stomach and the fear of another unsuccessful blood draw (see THIS blog entry for that sad tale) and geared up for another trip.

One giant sucker,
One successful blood draw from a very wonderful flabotomist (sp?),
One short debate between Curt and I on the chemical abbreviation for lead (Curt was right, as usual)
And one big ice cream cone finished off almost entirely by Anna (including the cone - her favorite part)
And we are awaiting the results.

Cross your fingers.

Mommyhood changes...

So motherhood has changed me.
Some were obvious. Some I didn't see coming.

Take last night for example. I was harmlessly checking my email and I read a post from a blogging mom I follow (gosh, that sounds geek-ish). The title was "A Tribute to Maddie". OK. I know I shouldn't have even clicked, but this mommy is funny so I figured it was a funny story.

Turns out Maddie was a toddler. A beautiful, blond-haired blue-eyed toddler. Emphasis on the WAS........

As soon as I realized what I was reading... that the tribute to Maddie was a tribute to the Maddie who WAS....

I should've shut off the computer and ran.

But what did I do? I SCOURED the website to see what killed Maddie because I HAD to make sure it was something that could not touch Anna. So there I was, scrolling and crying. Crying and scrolling. Heartbroken for Maddie. Maddie who I never met. Maddie who WAS.

(I am sniffling as I type).

So! THIS is something I would never have done pre-mommyhood. Now, the second it dawned on me that I was reading about a dead toddler, the mommy monster in me screamed so loud and long, I'm sure the earth shook. I can NOT accept the fact that toddlers, little toddlers like Anna, Molly and Ben, die. No no no no NO!

NO!

And the mommy monster is still grumbling...... God bless Curt who held me last night as I sobbed about Maddie. The Maddie I NEVER met.
The Maddie who was.

Crazy mom moment...

So Anna has a cold and decided that she wanted no part of the lunch I made her.
-sigh-
Me: "Fine, you can get down but Momma is FINISHING her lunch, okay?" "Momma is going to be ALL DONE with her lunch while you play!" (Repeated several times so the itty bitters understands).

She got it.

For five seconds.

A: "Waaaaahhhh. Mommommmmommmmm." (Repeat)

I. just. wanted. to. eat. my lunch.

So I did the only logical thing....



I handed my daughter a screwdriver.



Now I know the not-yet-moms and the moms of older children (who have forgotten this) out there are scoffing. But the moms of toddlers get this.


There was a screwdriver on the table (from one of many attempts to resurrect a humidifier). There was still food on my plate. A likes to "fix" things. A+B=C.


(Earlier attempts to "fix" the vacuum)


And you know what? I got down to the last 5 bites IN PEACE. She didn't poke her eye out. And her push cart got a much needed tune up.


So there.