Tummy Time!

After much waiting we finally got an appointment for the Kidlet to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. So we made the drive to Grand Rapids the other day since Traverse City, with it's "Top 100" hospital, does not have any pediatric specialists. Does that make any sense?

Anyway, we went down early enough so that we could have lunch at - brace yourself - Chucky Cheese. Now it just so happens that I have a very good friend who lives in Grand Rapids (she moved there when we were in our teens) and she was able to meet us there with her 2 cute kids! Everyone had a ton of fun and it was great seeing my friend for the first time is over 10 years.

At the doctor's, the poor Kidlet had 2 vials of blood drawn, during which she did very good. While waiting she jumped up and started for the door only a couple of times, and she held very still during the actual draw. They are testing her for celiac disease among other things, not that her symptoms seem (to me, at least) to have anything to do with celiac, and we have to go back in a few weeks for an upper GI to rule out malrotation. We have to be in the hospital by 8:45AM. Blech! He seemed quite adamant that we do the procedure down there and not here at Munson (maybe he has a good reason, maybe he doesn't...but I don't feel like pissing off the new doc), so another road trip is in our future.

The day before we went downstate, the Kidlet was telling me all about this horse sculpture by DaVinci that she learned about in art class (they're studying him in art this year) and how there's a copy of it in Grand Rapids. When I told her that we were going to GR the next day she got so excited and wanted to know if we might drive by it. So, for our next trip we are planning on going to the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park (shhhhhhh! we haven't told her yet) to see the horse and - wait for it - the butterflies! We were thinking about the zoo, but mid-March seems a bit too cold for a Michigan zoo, so perhaps we'll go another time. Hopefully we'll have friends (even more friends) join us again!

MP3's favorite ride!

The Kidlet's favorite ride!

MP3 made a new friend!

My friend and her kids

Sharing the experience

The Kidlet recently bought (with her Christmas money from Bumpa) a DSi. Her brother thinks that it (or any game for that matter) is awesome and loves to watch his sister play!

Isn't this the cutest picture EVER?