Still hanging out, pregnant, although my lack of posting would likely suggest that I'm busy caring for a newborn. Ha...I'm trying to enjoy the calm before the storm :) Doc says I'm somewhere between one and two centimeters, so my guess is that it will be a little bit before baby tiebreaker makes an appearance. I'm hoping we have this weekend to find a crib and get it set up. Seriously, we don't have a crib. We were laughing the other night about it. How many people have to buy a crib for their fifth child? Yeah, we're working on it.
In addition to preparing for bundle number five, we've had a little bit of a situation working here the past three days, weeks actually. We finally had some resolution today. Needless to say, it's been interesting.
It started two, maybe three, weeks ago when Ella said her nose was hurting a little bit. She didn't want me to wipe it, but we didn't think much of it.
Fast forward to 10 or so days ago. I noticed that the side of her right nostril was a little swollen and looked bruised. J was pretty convinced that it was just some dry, chapped skin because of all the weather changes so we started a strict moisturizing routine.
MondayElla comes to me in the kitchen and announces that she thinks her nose is hurting because of the boogies that are all up inside and not the dry skin on the outside.
Hmm, Ella, boogies should not make your nose hurt.
Well, mom, maybe it's because I stuck something up there.
Ella, did you put something up your nose?
[she looks away and puts on a "thinking face"]
Ummmm, do I have to tell the truth?
Ella, I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened.
Ummmmm, yes, I put something up there.
What was it?
I'm not sure.
Do you remember where you were?
No.
Do you think it's something that came from inside or outside?
Inside.
Okay, well why did you put it up your nose?
I found it and I didn't want anyone else to get it so I figured it would be safe somewhere in my body.
At this point things finally started to make sense. It was as if I had the missing puzzle piece.
By the end of the night, we'd learned the following:
*She wasn't sure what it was, but it was off white.
*She found it in a room that had a couch.
*It was not food.
Tuesday
Ella informed me that she'd been thinking about it and that she decided it wasn't a good idea to put the thing up her nose.
I should have put it in my ear;
that would have been much better.I quickly clarified that we'd be dealing with the same issues if she'd chosen her ears. We also had a lengthy conversation about consequences, and I explained that while in this situation she did not have a consequence that came from me and her dad, she was going to have to deal with the natural consequences of the situation.
We headed out to the pediatrician to see if we can't figure out what's in there and get it out. Ella was nervous, but handled the situation really well. Unfortunately, there was so much blockage from her nose drainage that the pediatrician couldn't really see anything or do anything, so it was on to plan B: the ENT.
WednesdayOur appointment with the ENT was late this afternoon, and I was apprehensive about exactly what would happen if we were unable to get it out today. I feel a little bit like a ticking time bomb, and I'll be honest: I did not want to know what plan C was.
Ella was laughing and giggling while we waited, but as soon as the doctor came in, she was crimson. After a long visit with the suction [which I affectionately called the "boogie eater"], it was time for the extraction.
And let me just tell you, I don't think Ella will ever put anything in her nose again. She did a great job and sat really still even though I know she was so scared. I could not believe it when the doctor finally got "it" out; it was so much bigger than I thought. It's no wonder her nose was hurting!! I could not believe it. I'm actually not sure exactly what it was, but it was the size of a large pea and looked a little bit like some sort of tiny brown pine cone. Un.be.lieve.able.
I'm just so glad that she told us what was going on and that she'd put something up there. J and I had already said that we were going to give it just a few more days before we took her to the pediatrician, so I am confident we would have gotten to the bottom of the situation eventually. However, I'm so glad that we were able to get the situation resolved with relative ease.
My PSA for the day: Hug your kids and remind them that noses and ears are for exit only :)
