Okay, this blog post will certainly make the Grandparents smile…

We just finished having your 3-year old “well” visit with Dr. Shipley and Kristy, the nurse who works with her. They were both so fantastic with you as well as with us. The whole hour+ was quite the adventure… let’s see what I can remember…

* First, Kristy measured your weight (30.8 lb; 50%) and height (37.5 in; 60%). Later Dr. Shipley told us that your body mass index is also 50%.

* Then we attempted a hearing screening. Kristy asked you to point to different shapes, and you did GREAT! However, when it was time to put on the headphones and “listen to the man whisper,” you were first not so into the headphones (honestly, I tried them on to show you, and I agree – they were heavy and uncomfortable) and then you just decided to point to a bunch of pictures quickly and randomly. We asked if Kristy thought that was a problem of compliance or hearing. She smiled, nodded and confirmed “compliance.” “We’ll try again a different day.”

* Both Kristy and Dr. Shipley asked Mommi and Daddy MANY questions including:

Does she know her shapes?
Does she know her name?
Can she ride a tricycle?
What does she like to do?
Does she formulate 3-word sentences?
Is she a good eater?
Does she like books?
Does she go to bed easily and sleep through the night?
Does she like her school?

yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, oh yes, yes, oh yes and yes (you get the idea.)

* We also tried a vision test for which Daddy held you on his lap and covered one of your eyes. You didn’t like that much, and you kept trying to peak. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, Daddy asked you to choose an eye to have covered, and you chose “Mommi’s.” ( 🙂 We laughed and complied.) So you covered both of Mommi’s eyes while Daddy covered one of yours, and as Kristy pointed to about 7 consecutive shapes asking you to identify them, you said “Star. Star. Star. Star. Star. Star. and Star.” We all laughed and decided we would try this again later with the hearing thing. You totally crack me up. We are now supposed to practice head phones and covering eyes at home… how silly.

As we’re talking, you said “I have to go potty” so Daddy took you and I continued answering questions. The next question from Kristy was “So she is living with you and Daddy?” I surprised her with my first no, and I explained our new living situation. After asking a few questions about how I perceived it to be going, Kristy complimented Daddy and me for being so loving and clearly focused on you. I think Kristy and Dr. Shipley were happily surprised to hear this news after they saw how you, your Daddy and I all talk and interact with one another. Dr. Shipley spent a very long time explicitly complimenting and encouraging us by telling us how good it was that we both made time to be at your doctor’s appointment, how difficult she knows all of this to be (as she had been through it herself) and how well we have done at prioritizing you. She felt it was clear that you know you are so very loved by both of us and our first priority.

After your second request to go potty (see quote below), Dr. Shipley decided to ask us to wait while she met with her next patient. That gave the three of us quite a bit of time to play, laugh and talk. We broke out the “moon sand” and you totally glittered your Daddy. We all laughed and gently and lovingly teased one another. Though we probably would have preferred not to be asked to wait that long, it turned out to be a very sweet and special time. When Dr. Shipley returned, she chuckled at the bit of a mess we had made and assured us that it was nothing to worry about.

She listened to your ears, looked at your eyes with a flashlight, tapped on your belly and asked you to open wide so she can see your teeth. She also took your blood pressure! You did GREAT through all of these! Dr. Shipley said that the most “hugs” they have ever gotten with a blood pressure cuff with kids your age was five. Your Daddy was so awesome with you – he reminded you that this is what he does at work, and he helped you focus your attention on the changes of the needle on the dial – You weren’t nervous AT all, and Dr. Shipley and you set a new record of “hugs!”

Awesome quotes from the morning:

“She is nutritionally very healthy and developmentally advanced” (Dr. Shipley)

“Hey, Miss Doctor, look at me!” (Maya, as she is break dancing, spinning on her bottom in the middle of the floor.)

“My tummy hurts; I have to go potty” (Maya) at which time I took you and you went POOPIES on the POTTY!… You are SUCH a big girl!!

“We usually hope to understand about 75% of what three-year olds are saying, and I can understand EVERYTHING Maya is saying. She is even engaging in conversations!” (Dr. Shipley)

“Though she just turned three, developmentally she has probably been three for a while.” (Dr. Shipley) We agreed.

As we walked out to our cars, I held out my fist to Daddy to congratulate him and said, “Go, Team, Go.” Daddy and I agreed, that of all the things we could be getting right right now, we’ve been blessed to get the most important thing right – YOU. He bumped his fist on mine and said “Go team go.” You immediately offered your little fist to both of us saying, “Go, Team, Go.” And our hearts melted as we laughed.

God is so very good.