Chewin' the cud

So. Here's a conversation the Kidlet and I had about a month ago:

Kidlet: Ugh. I keep burping up dinner.
Me: I'm sorry. It happens sometimes. Is it heartburn? Does it hurt?
K: No.
M: OK. Just let me know if it does.

a few minutes later I noticed her chewing on something.

Me: What are you eating?
Kidlet: (swallowing) Lettuce.
Me: Was it stuck in your teeth (dinner was well over an hour before)
K: No. I told you I keep burping up dinner.
M: Hun, that's not what burping up dinner means. You can't actually burp up food, just the taste of food.
K: Well, I burp up pieces of food.
M: Yeah. Well, next time it happens I want to see the food. (I mean, come on, no one can bring back up actual pieces of food just by burping...we're not cows for crying out loud....)

A few minutes later:

Kidlet: See.... (sticks out her tongue, showing a piece of food) I can burp up pieces of food. I told my teacher but she just told me to tell you.
Me: Ummmmmm......How long has this been going on?
K: For as long as I can remember.
M: I think we better bring this up at your doctor's appointment next week....

She also, sometimes, will wake up in the middle of the night, throw up, and then feel fine in the morning. For years she has had this problem, and other night-time bathroom problems but it took this to really open my eyes. Talk about strange. So I mentioned it to her doctor, who ordered a "gastric emptying" test. I guess we're going to try a few tests before seeing a gastroenterologist (the closest one being in Grand Rapids). But she agreed that being able to burp up pieces of food was not a normal thing. She is also now on Prevacid to hopefully help with the night-time vomiting. So far she hasn't had any diarrhea or vomiting during the night, but that often comes and goes so we won't know if it's the drug or not for a while yet.

On to the test: It's tomorrow morning. At 6:30. In the morning. We have to be there early for paperwork and whatnot. With a 21 month old in tow. In the morning. They're going to feed the Kidlet some scrambled eggs and then watch them move through her digestive system. For 2 hours. With a 21 month old. In a boring hospital. Thankfully Daddy is coming along or I might seriously lose my sanity. I really hope they can figure it out from this test! Please, please, please! And I hope it's nothing too serious or anything. GAH!

And as if that was enough for one day, here's the rest of what my day looks like:
Get up at 5AM, go to hospital, hopefully leave around 8:30, take Kidlet to school, take MP3 to my Mom's, go home and get ready for class, go to class, get out at 2:30, go back to my Mom's and get MP3, pick up multiple kids at school, go home, hurry to get the Kidlet to eat dinner, take her to Girl Scouts, go home and feed everyone else, go get Kidlet from GS, etc. Here we go again!
And since I can't leave you without some pictures...