News...already?!

**DISCLAIMER** If you have a weak stomach or are eating, I would hold off on reading the first part of this blog. Don't say I didn't warn you.

This morning I hit the ground running......for the bathroom! I'm not sure if I have a bug or if it's just a combo of the REALLY BAD food I ate all day yesterday and the stress, but I'm not feeling so great. I was sad because I am supposed to be going to Arkansas with Claire and Brian for a fun visit with my best friend (Auntie Monica) and her husband (Jungle Ben). Jungle Ben is a nickname that Claire is responsible for...we love it! However, I'm thinking we may have to wait until next week. Maybe we can stay a little longer that way and hopefully meet up with Tiffany and Kennedy too!! Anyway, of course only on the mornings when I am feeling yucky do things like this happen. Cohen's diaper broke in the middle of the night.....yeah. Luckily, Brian put him in his "spacesuit" (another nickname by Claire for "footie" jammies) so it was contained.....but seriously. Thank goodness Brian was still home because he took care of it! I still haven't dealt with the "spacesuit" but I will probably just put it in with the vomit clothes from yesterday!

With that out of the way, breakfast on the table, pot of coffee made and e-mail checked the phone starts ringing. First my pediatrician's office to see how our appointment went (WOW!) and to schedule and ultrasound for Monday Feb. 4th. Wow! I just realized that was the day, 12 years ago, that Brian and I went on our first date!!! (Kim and Andy, thanks for waiting on us while we smooched on Brian's front porch!) Anyway, the nurse was worried about Claire being able to drink 32 oz. of fluid in an hour and hold it. I assured her that it wouldn't be a problem! The kid can put down milk like no other! So we will go on Monday and do that. It's easy and non-invasive so no biggie!

THEN...the bomb. Dr. Spade from Children's Mercy called to schedule the MRI and discuss the results of the bone age. We will go on March 17th for the MRI. We are planning to spend the weekend up there and make a vacation out of it with Grandma Connie, Nanny and Papa!! Then she said they have the results from yesterday. Claire is 3 years 6 months old. Her bone age is 5 years 9 months. I'm stunned. In less than a year she went from a 10 month difference to a difference of 2 years 3 months. I am still stunned. Dr. Spade said that it is a definite cause for concern and that I was right to push to get her into Children's Mercy. She assured me that we are doing the right thing and we will get to the bottom of this. I would have thought that my first instinct would have been to be so angry with the docs in St. Louis and with my old pediatrician for blowing me off, but it wasn't. I feel such a sense of peace because I know it's God's plan. He is so present in my life right now. I think that I am so overwhelmed by the kindness and compassion that I feel from Dr. Turpin and Dr. Spade that I am at peace and I know I'm in the right place. I'm not sure I would appreciate that had I not been treated the way I was treated in St. Louis. I feel like last summer was a summer of my life where God was preparing me for so many things. Here is just another example of how he was equipping me with the strength and wisdom I need to get through this. Connie and I talked this morning about how it may be a blessing and a curse that we know what Brian went through. It's a blessing because we can prepare and have a little more info to offer. It's a curse because we don't want Claire to have to endure the pain that Brian did! He started getting HORRIBLE migraine headaches when he was 6. He doesn't get them anymore because he doesn't have the pituitary issues anymore. So it's scary. But truly, I am at peace.