I didn't sign up for this...

So for about the past week our smiling little man has been less than happy. On top of cutting teeth, some sort of virus decided to camp out in his little body. Since Saturday night we have been battling a fever off and on and our normally very independent boy has been very clingy. Probably the most alarming -- our chunk has pretty much been on a hunger strike for almost a week! He hadn't eaten or drank hardly anything since the weekend. We decided it was time for a trip to the doctor today, and that's where my fun began...

We got to the dr. for our appointment at 8:20. Pretty standard stuff -- took his temp (of course he had NO fever, even though he's had one almost nonstop since Saturday), weighed him, etc...and took a blood sample. No biggie, except that keeping the band-aid on his finger is practically impossible yet extremely necessary to avoid a huge mess. More on that later...

His blood work came back showing a virus, which we already knew. Then the dr. says the words I will never forget. "We are going to need a urine sample." I'm sorry, what???? Exactly how am I supposed to get a urine sample from a 9 month old? My question was answered by the nurse coming in with a bag that had a foam opening. They cleaned his "area," put the bag around it, and closed up his diaper. Then they say to me, "just keep him drinking!" and walk out. Did I mention he hasn't drank hardly anything for days???

So I proceed to try and get him to drink -- which is NOT working. He will have nothing to do with me or his sippy cup. Then I try to get him to drink out of my water bottle -- sometimes he thinks it's fun to play with and I can squirt water in his mouth. Of course he's on to me, and promptly closes his mouth. Somewhere in all the fighting with each other Will has managed to get his band-aid off and I know have blood on me and have the stuff on the table. The dr. comes back in and I tell her that this isn't working. She comes back with a syringe and tells me to use it to get fluids in him -- yeah, right. Maybe try running the water and put his feet in it -- okay, sure. Did I mention we've now been in the exam room for an hour?

So after an hour of playing, crying, and completely destroying the exam room, Will is now exhausted and has fallen asleep. Still an empty bag. So now I am sitting in a dark exam room (I've turned off the lights to try and calm him down...) with a sleeping, dry baby. Another 30 minutes passes...

Will wakes up and we start the whole thing all over...the syringe, the playing, the waiting. By now I feel like I have participated in the rodeo calf scramble and am not coming home a winner. And then suddenly...the bag has filled! I run out of the exam room and get the first nurse's attention I can find. She comes in and removes it and tells me it will be about 10 minutes. Sure, why not wait some more?

All of this AND -- "Everything looks normal. He just has a virus, let it run it's course and keep him hydrated. You can go." Are you kidding me???

So of course tonight, he's fine. He's been playing, laughing, and even eating a little. His mom on the other hand, is exhausted. Wine, anyone?