It’s been just over three weeks without illness of any kind (not counting mental illness) so we were due. I should have seen it coming. But no, I was blissfully unaware that the SNOT was about to pounce on us in all its runny glory.  And here we are, back at square one again.

I took Kieran for his 18 month shots again today. I took him in December when he actually was 18 months.  At that appointment the doctor discovered a raging ear infection which was shocking to me as my boy had not been unusually cranky or had any symptoms to speak of other than a runny nose.  So the shots were postponed. Then, with all the snot and the fevers and the vomiting that went on for the better part of December, the immunizations slipped my mind. And then I was too busy enjoying people being healthy to worry about puncturing my little guy.

So it really should have come as no surprise that the second I finished making the appointment a few days ago, that my kids should both come down with another Goliath of a cold with the coughing and the Old Faithful of runny noses that just keeps gushing.  By the time we arrived at the office today, the doctor once again discovered a double ear infection of epic proportions.  You know it’s not a good sign when the doctor looks in your child’s ear for approximately 0.0003 seconds and exclaims “My God, that’s bad!”.

We are now scheduled for a hearing test as soon as the antibiotics are done.  Following that we may finally get in to see a Ear/Nose/Throat specialist.  What an inspired idea! If only someone had thought of that at this time last year!  Oh wait. Someone did.  I believe it was my family doctor back in Saskatchewan.  In fact, I remember telling our current pediatrician, when we first met him last spring, that I would like a referral to an ENT for the little guy on the advice of the doctor we had just left in the prairies.  But he dismissed my concerns and the instructions of a colleague.

What do those prairie doctors know, anyway? Ain’t they too busy birthin’ cattle and plantin’ turnips to worry their heads about them young’uns an’ their hear-holes?

Seriously though. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kieran does have some hearing issues due to the fact that his entire head if FULL OF MUCUS.  There are certain sounds he seems unable to understand or reproduce. Not in that toddler “I just don’t want to” or “I’m trying but it’s coming out kind of gibbled” way.  But when we ask him to say certain words he looks at us with a puzzled expression, as though he has no earthly idea what we are asking him to do or how to go about it. Like “Hey buddy! Can you go ahead and grow some antlers?”

Another fun game we’ve been playing with him lately is The Question game.  It seems he will say yes to almost any question, unless it involves going “Ni-night”.  Come to think of it, perhaps we are mocking his possible hearing disability, but I’ve got no immediate problems with a giggle or two at my kids’ expense.  So we ask him “Do you want purple dots on your face?” or “Can I stick cheese up your nose?” or “Should I slap you upside the head?” and he grunts out a cheerful “Uh!” (for “yes”) every single time. It’s quite hilarious.  Good times, my friends. Good, snot-filled, handicap mocking times.