The One Where I Am So Exhausted I Can Barely See The Keys

Exhausted.  I do not function well on less than eight hours of sleep.  Little Man has figured out how to tear down the baby gate and I found him sitting outside my door this morning around six am.  After getting over my initial shock, I had to do a quick inventory of what was missing/eaten/disturbed upstairs.  A couple of headless stuffed animals, a few chewed up books, an entire sippy cup opened and spilled on the carpet (sigh), and a broken hallway nightlight.  Nothing permanent, except the sour milk smell that hopefully some OxyClean will solve. 

I just don't know what to do at this point.  The kid doesn't need sleep, last night we got home late from dinner with my family and he didn't fall asleep til around 1:30 in the morning.  Somehow he was up again and fully functioning by six.  At least for now he's afraid to walk/crawl down the stairs so we're safe for the moment (knock on wood)... but eventually he could get downstairs and cause major chaos and/or hurt himself.

We have our 4 year well-visit with the pediatrician today... since Hubs and I are still a few months away from making it legal, Little Man has insurance through the state.  The state has covered all of his medical needs since the day he was born, which has been an incredible blessing.  I think if I added up his medical bills it would probably have put us around $250k.  Brain surgeries ain't cheap, and he's had three, in addition to a 6 week hospital stay, 3 or 4 MRIs, 2 CT scans, 2 blood transfusions, 3 ER visits, another 4 day hospital stay, numerous visits with specialists... and a partridge in a pear tree.  Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, Little Man has his well visit at a clinic.  His pediatrician changes yearly because most of them are residents who cycle in and out.  And while I HATE that there is no one there with longevity, the one hilarious thing about residents is how hopeful they are that something they do will "cure" your child.  Am I cynical?  Maybe a bit, but its almost comical how many referrals I will leave the doctor's office with when I have a newbie look at the Little Man.  Last visit the doctor referred me to this "amazing" therapy program she'd heard about in ____ County.  Turns out that it was ____ County, Colorado.  Whoops.  Only wasted about 4 or 5 hours on the phone with insurance company and therapists before we realized that we were on opposite coasts.

On the flip side of that coin though, it means that residents are super willing to try anything you suggest would help your child, and think everything that is going on with your kid is interesting news.  I say "I want therapy 5 days a week" and they say "Sure, let me write you a letter to give to your school district."  I say "Little Man has a weird rash" and they bring in every doctor in the clinic to double check that their diagnosis is right before they let you leave (that one was sort of annoying but I appreciated the effort).  Visits to the pediatrician take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour and  a half, and they never rush you out the door (although they keep you waiting forever). 

The pros and cons of the situation usually balance out at the end of the day, and I have little reason to complain about the quality of the Little Man's healthcare.  I'm hoping today though that this visit has us leaving with a prescription for a safety bed and maybe something to help him sleep through the night.  Cross your fingers!