medical updates, plus earthquake

Since my last post, we have been to the midwife, the pediatrician, and the otolaryngologist. In chronological order:

1. Otolaryngologist... and EARTHQUAKE!!!

I'm combining them because they happened at the same time for me! I was on my way to the otolayngologist when the earthquake struck. Of course, because my ear is so screwed up, my balance is off--I couldn't hear the earth shake or anything, I just tripped a little. I thought I was losing my balance because of my ear.

Of course, then everyone around me pulled out their cell phones. I had a moment of confusion--are they seriously texting about how I tripped??--and then just shook it off and kept going. When I got to the doctor, everyone was crowded under the doorframe. One guy asked, "Did you feel that?"

"What?" I asked, because I couldn't hear.

"Did you feel that?"

"What?"

"Did you feel that?!?" And that time I could hear it, but I still didn't know what he was talking about. So he had me touch a metal rail that was still rattling.

So that is how I basically missed out on the earthquake. Anyway, my family's fine. Worst damage done was that a door broke at my mom's work. Outside the family, of course, the Washington Monument cracked and the DC temple lost some siding and the tips of the spires. :^(

Anyway. Then I had my appointment. Since our car (and stroller) are in the shop, I had to walk Baby D over there in his sling. At first he was good, while the doctor just felt my face and neck, but the second he had me say "ah" and shone that light in my mouth, Baby D FREAKED. Like it was the worst thing ever. I thought it was so funny, because as soon as the doctor stopped having me do that, Baby D was fine. But after that the doc had me hand the baby to the receptionists (they were so, sooooo sad about that.... not really).

Well. My freaky dumb ear is swollen too shut to see into. He inserted a wick and I have special drops for it until Friday, at which point he will be removing the wick. In the meantime, I have lost my voice and am still in total pain. He didn't want to give me any heavy-duty painkillers because I'm breastfeeding. So that's that.

2. Pediatrician

Baby D is now 23 inches long, 10 lbs 5 oz, with a head circumference of like 38 cm or something (she didn't tell me, I just snuck a quicko peek at the chart). Even though he's not back up to birth weight yet, the doc says that's fine. Right now he's at the 50th percentile for weight and head circumference, and the 75th percentile for length. The doc says he's probably one of those babies that grows long before he grows fat.

3. Midwife
I can start exercising again. YAY!! Except for the next three weeks I'm just supposed to do these weird crunches where I use my hands and arms to physically hold my guts together, because I guess my muscles are still not too close together. So weird.

Anyway, things are good (minus my ear, nose, throat, and associated pain etc). The end!