Thrills of Moving: PART 2

Oh how I wish there wasn't a part two, but there is...all for your reading pleasure. Thankfully, it doesn't involve getting locked out, but it does involve keys.

So, Clark and Andrew have been congested the last few days, but I haven't worried about it because it has seemed relatively mild, and I haven't noticed any changes in their behavior...until yesterday. Clark is all better, but Andrew was up a lot of the previous night seemingly very uncomfortable, which I thought was a result of my eating some chocolate earlier on in the night. I still think that was part of the problem and have now cut out chocolate from my diet for now. weep! Yesterday he was really congested and was having trouble eating and staying asleep because he was so congested. I would clear out his nose using the almighty bulb syringe only to hear him stuffed up again a few minutes later. At one point he woke up from a nap and was burning hot. I took his temperature and he was 101.1. I became a little concerned, and decided I should take him to the dr. But wait! I don't HAVE a dr. yet because you may remember we just moved here. So, I looked up the closest urgent care center and called the bishop's wife to see if she could watch Clark while I took Andrew in. I was hesitant to do this because I knew that her 8 year old daughter had her tonsils removed a week ago, and didn't want to ask too much, but I honestly couldn't remember anyone else's name from the ward. She answered the phone and sounded TERRIBLE. The first thing I asked was if she was sick. She said she has been very sick and that her daughter has had a terrible recovery from her tonsil surgery. Yikes...time to change strategy. So, I asked her for the names of people I described from the mother's group I attended last week to see if I could have one of them watch Clark. She sounded relieved that I wasn't asking her to watch him and gave me the names. Shea said at the end that if I couldn't get a hold of them, to please drop Clark by at her house if I needed to. What a nice lady...but I would never do that to a woman.
So I called a very nice woman in our ward who was more than willing to take Clark. I got the kids ready and dropped Clark off and arrived at the Urgent Care Center. So far so good right?
We ended up having to wait two hours to be seen, and of course, by that time Andrew had decided that he wasn't really that stuffed up after all, and he didn't feel nearly as hot and also decided to have a full feeding. When the doctor came in, he took about 5 minutes...listened to his chest, looked in his ears and pronounced "your son has a cold". Thaaaanks doc. I said, "Of course, but I was worried about how high his temperature was and if there was anything I needed to do about it." He looked blankly at me and stated "that's how the body helps fight infection is by running a temperature". Thaaanks doc. Now that I feel totally stupid...not that I am upset because I would rather feel stupid and have nothing seriously wrong with my child than the other way around, but seriously? Is that it? I asked at what point I should be concerned about the temperature. He said 103. oookay...that's not what my other pediatrician said but whatev. He also then said to try to maybe give him some water. I said, "Well, I am breastfeeding so should I give him water in addition to that? He said, "No, I guess that's good enough." Get me out of here. Quality care, I am telling you.

So, I go to leave. No keys. Empty the diaper bag. No keys. Empty Andrew and his BundleMe out of the carseat. No keys. Go back and look in the room. No Keys. Look by where we weighed Andrew. No Keys. Look by the seats in the waiting room. No Keys. Go out to the car to see if it is still there. There IS a car, and it IS locked...which means I had them when I entered the building since I only lock my car from the outside. Lay on the ground and look on the asphalt underneath the car. No Keys. Go back in, empty the carseat and the diaper bag two more times. No keys. Look in the waiting room two more times. No keys. Even look in drawers, I am that desperate. No keys. People are now helping me, and others in the waiting room are "betting" they are back in the room somewhere, we just can't find them. Whatev!
Finally, after 30-45 minutes, I give up and realize I can't call Tanner because our house phone still is not working because Verizon is LAME! So, I sheepishly call the very nice lady who was watching Clark. She reported that Tanner came and picked him up, and I then reported to her that I had lost my keys. I was sure she was now loathing the fact that we have moved into her ward. She said "Oh my goodness, I'll be there in 10 minutes". While I waited for my rescue ride, I bonded with the others in the waiting room. We all HATE Verizon, we all HATE moving when you have little kids, we all HATE losing our keys, and we all HATE the doctors office. Suddenly someone said, "Is that your ride?" I looked out and there was a HUGE jet black Hummer right outside the door...and out stepped this 50-60 year old woman to come rescue me. She brought me home and before I got out of the car, I said to her "Do you love your car?" She laughed and said "ummm...I like that it makes me feel safe, but it was all my husbands idea...I would drive something different if I could do it over". I don't know why, but that totally cracked me up.
I opened the door to the house and said to Tanner, "I lost my keys, we need to go pick up the car at the doctors". He kind of looked at me with the same blank stare that the doctor had for me. This was all becoming very reminiscent of my younger days when I would lose everything, and my parents just could not believe that I had lost my fountain pen, my shoes, my backpack, and my underwear (another blog, another day). We went back to the doctors, and I ran in to get some paperwork I had also forgotten (shocker) to get in the midst of losing my keys (and apparently my mind). I walked in and said, "No luck with the keys yet?" They said "YES, WE HAVE THEM....we just tried calling you." I couldn't believe that they had found them in the office. We had practically turned that place inside out. Except that they didn't find them in the office. The person sitting next to me had accidentally picked them up, and was back getting treated while I was trying to find them. They had actually left the office and got home and realized they had them and came back. I was very relieved, and I told Tanner I was going to pick up dinner for all of us...since this adventure started at 3:30pm and it was now close to 8pm. As I was just about to pull into KFC, I decided I needed something a little more comforting tonight after my day, so I went home and made French Toast and eggs. That, and talking to my mom made it all better.
I have decided that since these kinds of experiences are just going to be a staple in my life now, I need to identify the blessings that either helped me get through them or made it so it wasn't an even worse experience. So here goes:

I'm grateful that nothing is seriously wrong with Andrew. A trip to the hospital would not have been enjoyable for anyone involved.

I'm grateful for the nice male nurse who kept coming to check on me even though they were taking FOREVER to see me.

I'm grateful for health insurance so that when there is a bill for $164 to see a doctor who does practically nothing, I don't have to pay for most of it.

I'm grateful for the nice people in the waiting room who felt my pain about Verizon, moving, lost keys, and doctors offices.

I'm grateful for the 10th grader who was the one who picked up my keys who actually was good enough to tell her dad that she did, and didn't steal my car.

I'm grateful for the dad who was willing to bring the keys into the office to allow his daughter to avoid the embarrassment.

I'm grateful for the bishop's wife who was still willing to watch Clark despite her own trials.

I'm grateful for Tanner, who didn't make me feel like a total doofus, and who fed himself and Clark.

I'm grateful for Judy who watched Clark, rescued me at the doctors office in a Hummer, and who, despite telling me I will never be completely free of these kinds of experiences in life, assured me that there will always be people who will be able and willing to help.

Next time, I want to be the person doing the rescuing instead of being the one who needs to be rescued. Only time will tell.