My Faith and Joy… and Boys!

Rebecca had a doctor appointment this morning, so I left Susanna with my mother-in-law and headed out with only one child in the backseat.  It was my first single-child outing.  I felt like I had forgotten my purse, or my keys, or an appendage – something vital was missing.  Rebecca didn’t seem to mind being an only child for a few hours; she was probably glad that she didn’t have to put up with her sister’s fussing during the car ride.  Susanna was also similarly unfazed by her sister’s absence, and seemed to appreciate  all the extra attention from her “Bubba” (grandma). 

Rebecca’s appointment was with a pediatric ophthalmologist.  She had been referred by her pediatrician, who noticed that she almost-imperceptibly tilts her head toward her left shoulder.  It didn’t appear to be a neck muscle problem because she has a good range of motion, and none of the head flattening that can occur when a child favors laying on one side.  It turns out that the pediatrician made an astute call.  Today, after conducting a brief eye exam on an incredibly compliant Rebecca, the ophthalmologist leaned back in his chair, looked at me through his stylish glasses (is that why he became an eye doctor?  To always get the latest in eyewear fashion?  Or to get free eye exams?…although it’s probably kind of hard to do an eye exam on oneself…but I digress…), and said:

“Yes, your daughter does have a very mild case of Superior Oblique Palsy.  She got it from you.”

I nodded thoughtfully and assumed that he meant “she got it from you” in the same way that she got her clavicles from me – she got everything from her father and me. 

The doctor continued, “Did you notice that your daughter’s left ear is lower than her right ear, just like yours?”

Me: “Um…no…”

Doctor: “Do you notice that you tend to lift papers up to read, rather than reading them flat on a table?”

Me: “Yes, but…”

Doctor:  “Do you hesitate when you first put your foot down on the top step of an escalator?  Do you tend to sit on the left side of a couch?”

Me: “Yes…I do…”

Doctor: “You also obviously have a very mild case in your right eye, like Rebecca.  It’s a common condition – about 10% of the population has it.  Even Katie Couric has it – watch the evening news and you’ll see her tilting her head, especially when she holds up a paper to read it.  You probably won’t notice any vision problems in yourself until you turn 39 or 40, and then you’ll need to be sure that you don’t get progressive bifocal lenses, since that would amplify the problem, OK?” 

Me: “Um, OK.”  By this time, my head was spinning, and I was probably tilting my head to the side out of puzzlement, let alone this congenital eye defect that I’ve apparently had since birth and never knew about.  The doctor leaned back in his chair, hands folded and a bemused smile on his face, as if he never ceases to enjoy surprising people with his powers of observation. 

Rebecca and I both had smiles on our tilted faces when we left the office; she was smiling because she’s just too cute for words, and I was smiling out of pride that my daughter behaved so well during her exam.  I’m not concerned by the diagnosis, either in her or me.  It’s obviously not negatively impacted my life, and I doubt it will hers.  I apparently simply compensate for a weak right eye muscle by tilting my head slightly, and it looks like she’ll do the same.  If only all of life’s problems could be solved by looking at them from another angle! 

I had started to wonder whether my kids were going to resemble me at all, given that they look so much like their father.  Now, all I have to do is look at Rebecca, and rest assured that even if she’s an ATV-riding, car-selling jokester like her dad, she’s got her mama’s jauntily tilted head!  

Even though the girls are still slightly under the weather, the temperature outside remained anything but “under.”  Who ever heard of 92 degrees in April?    I was feeling cramped in our germ-infested house, so we ventured outside for a stroll.  We picked a local street with plenty of shade and enjoyed the slight breeze and budding foliage.  When I was feeling a bit overheated, we ducked into the nearby library where we drew a bit of attention from the librarians (they assured me that theirs was not a very quiet library, so I needn’t worry that their cries of delight at seeing their new young patrons were disturbing anyone).  We meandered into the children’s section, and I started dreaming of a soon-coming day when I could curl up with the girls on one of their many oversized bean bag chairs and read stories to them.  I just hope that the librarians will continue to be accommodating of noise, since I’m sure my girls’ lungs will be generating plenty!

Here are a few pictures I snapped during our time outside: 

We’re back!  We just returned from visiting our friends and family in Pennsylvania.  I’m too tired to fully describe our time there, so I’ll just say that it was a wonderful, fun-filled weekend.  Here are a few pictures of the girls playing with their friends, Gavin and Mason.  I’m not sure who was being entertained by who – but regardless, the kids were happy, so the parents were happy!

The kids size each other up. 

Gavin assures Rebecca she’ll soon grow hair.

Mason teaches Susanna the fine art of stealing toys from one’s sibling.

Gavin shows Susanna the powers of a Batman computer.

Susanna then teaches Mason what she’s learned. 

I know it’s too early for the girls to be talking, but sometimes I think Becky might be onto something.  My mother-in-law watched the girls for me this afternoon while I did some spring cleaning, so I was away from them for several hours.  When I went over to her house to pick them up, I walked upstairs into the room where Becky was playing.  She saw me and instantly started kicking her legs, grinning and exclaimed… “Mama!”  I know, I know, she was probably just babbling like she usually does.  But it was a wonderfully appropriate and endearing babble, don’t you agree?! 

I would generally characterize Becky as more laid-back than her sister (although this wasn’t always the case.  For the first few months of the girls’ lives, I would have said the opposite). Susie’s moods are currently more intense than Becky’s; when Susie is happy, her whole body seems to smile, and when she’s upset, she’s miserable.  Becky is rather content and mellow, except for when she gets excited.  She pants, grins, and bounces as if she just found out she’s heading to Disneyworld.  She now does this adorable gesture where she swings her hands back and forth as if she’s brushing them off.  I think she’s trying to clap, but rather than bringing her hands together so that the palms touch, she frantically swipes them up and down against each other.  This movement is usually accompanied by a gulping noise that sounds as if she’s chugging back a drink.  I haven’t yet been able to catch this mood on video, but I was able to capture her squealing in delight.  Here’s a video of her bouncing in her jumperoo.  She’s jumping up and down with all her might, and then she stops and squeals as if she’s incredibly pleased with her jumping prowess.  May she always take such pride in a job well done!

In order to avoid constantly doing laundry because of messes like this:

I’ve resorted to occasionally doing this:

The girls don’t seem to mind eating while naked. 

Now if only I could figure out a way to avoid bathing them all the time…