An Apple A Day Keeps the Dr. Away

So this morning we had dr's appointments for both kids. As usual, we were both prepared for W's award winning display of horrific behavior. Seriously, he can easily win the "Most Dramatic Patient" or "Most atrocious Behavior in a Toddler" award during his appointments. I'm sure when they see his name in the Schedule book, there is a collective verbalized "Ugh," or four letter expletive that is repeatedly stated.
When he was a baby, he was an absolute doll, sporting his angelic halo at every appointment, but then I guess his memory of the vaccines kicked in, and it's been a downward spiral ever since. W is the type of patient that makes pediatricians probably go home at night and down a 5th of hard liquor and contemplate why they are 150K in the hole for this.
I really thought he had a change of heart when he kept saying, "Go see the doctor! Go see the doctor!" I was cautiously optimistic that maybe this would be the revelation day and W saw the light. Nope. As soon as the nurse called us to go back, W turned into the human form of Cerberus after the gates of hell opened (On a side note, we actually had a dog named Cerberus, who lived up to his name and turned my parents house into a makeshift Hades for 11 years-but that is a another story for another time). During the exam, W acted like the stethoscope was a lasso that would strangle him to the ground, while the otoscope would burn out his retinas. I have never seen a stronger 2 1/2 year old! He had some pretty fierce karate kid moves directed towards the doctor and the nurse. I just might have to sign him up for karate lessons!
So after about 2 hours of piercing screams, shoving, kicking, and limbs flying everywhere the appointment was over, and W and the doctor remained unscathed. My husband and I, on the other hand, probably have yet another stress induced ulcer developing.

Wishing I could nap like these two...

Our 6 Feline Family members..

My cats definitely rule the roost. As all pets should be, they are completely spoiled, and know it.

A Lil' of This and a lil' of that..

Just a little bit about myself and my clan: I am a 34 year old mom of 2 little boys (nicknames "Bug" and "The Elf"). For some reason, I always find a way to invent a nickname for my children (don't ask me why, because I don't know why). W, or Bug, is my 2 1/2 year old. He is my "Little Napoleon," who could start a war over an ice cream sandwich. He also can rock some curly blonde Billy Idol hair. My youngest, S (the Elf), was born in September of last year. S is as laid back as you can get. He only really fusses when he has a huge blowout in his diaper, or he is craving his bottle.
I became a stay at home mom when my 1st son was born. My husband and I decided to make our sacrifices, and have one parent at home with the kids full time. I am grateful that we are able to do this, even though I am pretty sure my gray hairs have had a growth spurt since being at home. Thank god for hair dye. Anyway, I do work part time on the weekends when my husband gets a chance to hang out with the boys and see what I do on a daily basis. Life is chaotic here, and the best piece of advice I can give to a new stay at home mom is..ROUTINE ROUTINE ROUTINE. Seriously, get yourself on a schedule and this will make your chaos be controlled chaos, and make the day go by so much smoother for you.
I grew up in a small town in PA. My mom stayed at home full time with us, and my dad was a veterinarian. I had the opportunity to grow up in a house filled with pets ranging from a hemophiliac dog to a raven that ate road kill (maybe that is why I didn't get a prom date). I knew what hemophilia was by the time I was 7 years old, and my sisters and I got to bring in really cool props for show and tell such as a dog heart preserved in formaldehyde. In case you are wondering, no, we did not grow up like the Munsters. I have 2 sisters, and I am the middle child.
I earned my degree in Biology in college, and went on to go to physical therapy school. I do practice as a physical therapist, and in 2009 I was able to finish my doctorate degree with a whole lot of multitasking and diaper changing going on.
I met my husband, Bran, in 2005 at a bar at the beach. I proved my mom wrong when she said that you cannot meet anyone decent in a bar. By the way, she LOVES my husband, and just gushes over him any time she can (points for him..AND me!). B is totally left brained, and analytical, while I am right brained, and perhaps a little bit eclectic and eccentric. Between the both of us, we have both brain hemispheres covered.
I am also a HUGE animal person, and we have 6 cats, plus a stray cat, "Major Tom" who adopted us, and lives on my deck in a wooden house that my husband built for him. Some of my other interests include music (I have played piano and violin since I was a youngin), hiking in desolate areas (sorry everyone--but I hate going to overly crowded tourist spots where you are trying to enjoy the serenity, and just get caught up in a plume of nicotine, and blinding camera flashes), art, and the paranormal (insert Michael Myers music here). I just recently created a Etsy website, where I am designing different pet products. If you are looking for bling for your pets, check it out: http://www.etsy.com/shop/shan32?ref=si_shop
My life is very busy, but I wouldn't have it any other way. For all new parents out there, having kids is a huge adjustment, but it is the most rewarding gift possible!