Our Kids

About 4 months ago a light line appeared on Piper’s middle finger on her right hand. I thought she had written on it with a pencil but over the next couple weeks it got darker. Then a small spot appeared and after a couple weeks it had turned into a line as well. So I went online and nothing sounded good so I called the pediatrician. The nurse told me to watch it and see if was a trauma and if it would grow out at all. It didn’t. In fact as it grows out it just keeps growing a line. Lately the fingernail started to get darker and darker and then it started to split so I decided a trip to the doc was in order. We went in and she looked at it and referred us to the Head of Pediatric Dermatology at Phx Children’s Hospital.

I was expecting a 6 month wait to get in but the receptionist wanted us to come in that next day. So at this point I did freak out a little because I had been reassured it was nothing, it would take forever to see this guy, he would probably send us on our way and wonder why we had taken any of his time. Well we were in there two days later with him and his two residents looking at Piper’s finger. She did amazingly well seeing as she still screams when we try to weigh her at the ped office. She showed her finger and laughed and was quite the sport. They took some high res photos and then he asked if we would be willing to bring her to the Mayo clinic the week of July 9th so he could get more opinions.

So if you or I walked in with that type of thing under our nail they would take the nail off and dig out the black stuff and biopsy it without question. The thing with Piper is her age and the size of her tiny nail. I am thinking that he will ultimately recommend a biopsy which involves a plastic surgeon to remove a portion of her nail and biopsy the skin. The challenge is that at her age it is more than likely not cancerous but he has only seen two cases in 29 years of practicing, one of which is Piper. So there we go being unique again.

I am not freaking out about it, she is not freaking out about, I don’t like the idea of it, it will leave permanent damage to her nail but in the long run I would rather know it was not cancerous than wait for it to potentially spread. We will keep you updated and you can keep us in your thoughts but don’t worry about us because we are go with the flow folks and no need to rock the boat until we see if the water is choppy:)

The girls sometimes call us in after they have gone down at 7-3-0 and we try not to go in because that is a slippery slope but more often than not they just want some little thing and then it is off to dream land.  Well tonight Jason was doing the step and fetch routine and after bringing them Reba (their stuffed elephants), two sets of chopsticks and one drum he got another call.  From out here it sounded like stroller but I couldn’t really tell.  So I told Jason to solve it because I was too busy sitting on my butt to go in, LOL and lucky for me he did.  He went in and and stroller was actually BOOGER, BOOGER, BOOGER.  So after a quick 5 second trip he returned with the world’s most gigantic booger on his finger which I refused to photograph for him.  I mean what is next, I have to come and look at his poop in the toilet?  He disposed of the booger in a manly fashion and then ate a peach without washing his hands.  Ahhhh….to be a man.

So the girls are changing in little ways everyday.  One of the major things is that they now say “help me” when they used to say “help you.”  They are realizing that they are the “me” in the equation.  Piper still likes to say “help Piper” but she is also referring to herself as herself by saying “Piper do it self.”  They are very helpful with each other which is kind of handy because sometimes I don’t bend so well in the middle anymore since I am 6 months along with number 3.  They are still eating really well, more some days than others but everyday I can put a plate of broccoli in front of them and they will eat it, I couldn’t ask for more in that department.  The potty training routine is well established which is good just in case we have some regression when the new little one arrives.  Piper still sleeps on the floor a lot of the time and we put her in her bed at night.  Lela still wakes up at night and comes in our room every once in a while and is up with the birds in the morning.  Lela can sing just about all the Mother Goose nursery rhymes and I can understand about 85% of it, she puts in a few of her own words when she isn’t exactly sure what is what.  They still nap about two hours a day from 1-3 and go to bed at 7:30, although they don’t fall asleep right away they don’t come out of their room.  They have started getting their step stools so they can reach things which is cute but they have never been ones to get into things so everything is generally safe.  They like to dress up in my clothes and wear my shoes which is a stitch.  Oh and so many other things but I am weary and must rest:)