Chanel's funny lil' quirks & our sensitive lil' Briggs

While Briggs was at school today, Chanel and I took a bath.  She said so many funny things, I couldn't relax at all.  I wished I had a piece of paper nearby, so I could remember all of them.  But I remember this one: while I was shaving my legs, she said, "Mom, I can use that thing on my legs, too.  I cut off my eyebrow."  I tried to explain that she can't use a razor until she is fourteen (the first number that popped into my head...not necessarily an age I'm sticking with!).  Chanel quickly replied, "But I AM fourteen, Mom!  It was my birthday today!"

Today wasn't my proudest day as a mom.  Briggs usually exceeds our expectations (which are already WAY too high), but not today.  Chanel had just thrown up, (she's totally fine now, and never throws up ever...so we're sort of confused) and we'd finally comforted her enough.  Then, Briggs happily ran across the wood floor, but unfortunately snagged his bare foot on a small piece of wood.  Jonathan and I tried look at the damage, but Briggs made it quite difficult to do so.  He was freaking out.  It was as if he had lost his foot or something.  We tried to patiently calm him down, but nothing worked.  Jonny finally used a medical tweezer thing to pull it out.  Briggs screamed and cried and panicked and yelled and hollered and wiggled around, writhing in pain.  Holy cow.  Jonathan and I looked at each other, baffled.  It is a little sliver.  He wouldn't calm down, so I carried him to his bed for a long time out. 

After he calmed down, I checked his foot.  There was still a little tiny piece left in there.  I explained that I would put pain-relieving Neosporin on it first, then take it out.  He began a mini-episode of the earlier trauma...freaking out.  I lost it.  I screamed as loud as I could, and told him to calm down.  Ironic, since I was ANYTHING but calm.  I quickly pulled out the remaining sliver, even with his uncontrollable flailing and screaming.  Sliver was gone.  He experienced another time out, then we had our little hugging session.  He got in the shower when I asked him to, and kept saying things like, "that didn't even hurt my foot!" or "I didn't even feel the tweezers!!"  I tried to calmly explain that sometimes things seem worse than they are, but he always can trust Mom and Dad to help him feel as comfortable as possible.  I told him we would never try to hurt him. 

I learned more than he did.  I do not know everything about my son.  He is not the bravest kid in the Universe.  He is a little on the sensitive side...well, a lot on the sensitive side.  I learned I am not patient with my kids all the time.  But, the most important thing I learned was that I love Briggs as he is, especially as I see his weaknesses and we work through it together.  I count myself very blessed.

This coming Monday, I have a doctor's appointment.  My OB/Gyn wants to do another ultrasound to check up on Max's kidney, which measured large 8 weeks ago.  Right at the moment, I have 2 perfectly healthy kids.  They have their quirks and their crazy moments, but I need to breathe, and take a snapshot of my life right now.  I have no idea if Max will be okay, but I have faith that I can handle whatever comes.