Updated: June 18, 2014
Originally Published: February 4, 2010
It seems like I’ve spent countless hours in the waiting room of our pediatrician’s office. I can’t tell if this is a widespread issue among pediatricians or just a quirk of ours. Perhaps the idea is that parents with small children aren’t exactly known for their punctuality, so why stress about keeping things on schedule?
Recently, I found myself in the waiting room with my daughter, Emma, before her six-month checkup. Emma was comfortably nestled in her car seat, and I was slowly succumbing to the soothing effect of a never-ending loop of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood on the small television in the corner. “Of course, Fred, we can be friends! Loving that new cardigan.”
Just as the trolley was entering the Land of Make-Believe, another mom walked in, cradling a baby about Emma’s size in a car seat. After the usual exchange of weather updates, milestones, and mutual admiration for our babies, she began to energetically roll her baby’s car seat back and forth on the floor. The baby squealed with delight, clearly loving the motion.
Impressed, I decided to adopt her technique with Emma’s car seat resting on my legs. However, my attempt was met with a look from Emma that seemed to say, “Please, no more.”
As I continued to rock the car seat, I noticed something peculiar on the top of Emma’s left ear – what appeared to be a pencil-eraser-sized hole. That can’t be right, I thought. Surely someone would have noticed if my baby had a hole in her ear. After all, I did manage to leave the house this morning without shoes.
Curiosity took over, and I leaned in closer to examine her ear. It was at this moment I noticed that the dark area wasn’t a hole but dried blood. Well, that’s a relief, I thought, yet I couldn’t help but panic momentarily. Dried blood isn’t exactly a sign of good health either. Who thought it was a good idea to let me take this baby home six months ago?
Emma, on the other hand, seemed unfazed by my inspection. She was more interested in her hands, seemingly critiquing her own manicure. I was relieved to see she wasn’t in pain and that the blood was high enough on her ear to suggest she hadn’t suffered a serious injury.
As we waited for the pediatrician, I grappled with whether to mention my discovery. If I told him I just noticed it, he might think I was a negligent parent. If I claimed I noticed it earlier but hadn’t done anything, he’d think I was irresponsible. And what if he found it on his own? He could conclude I was trying to cover something up or even that I had caused it myself, Munchausen-style.
In the end, I opted for honesty (minus the part about initially thinking it was a hole) because I’d rather come off as simply forgetful than deceitful. When the pediatrician arrived, he took a quick look and reassured me, “Oh, she probably scratched herself with a nail. Look, she’s about to do it again.” I glanced over just in time to see Emma tugging at her other ear, comically resembling a young Carol Burnett. “This happens all the time,” he added with a smile.
I like to think his follow-up questions about lead paint in our home were standard for every six-month checkup, not just aimed at me.
If you’re interested in more parenting stories, check out this post on Modern Family Blog for some engaging reads. And if you’re looking into at-home insemination options, consider visiting Make a Mom for a reputable selection of insemination kits. For in-depth information regarding pregnancy or home insemination, Healthline has excellent resources available.
In summary, pediatrician visits can lead to unexpected discoveries and a fair amount of waiting. It’s a lesson in patience, parental concern, and the occasional amusing mishap.
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