Ben

He's healthy as a horse! Fit as a fiddle! Sturdy as a sturgeon, sound as a bell, whole as a hoptoad, hale, hearty, and hunky-dory.

He also got to see his heart on a computer screen today!

Last week all three boys went to the doctor (at the SAME TIME, and don't think I'm not blogging THAT little outing at some point when I've fully recovered from it!), and the doctor heard a little murmur when she listened to Ben's chest. Apparently this is quite a common thing, although nobody tells you this until your kid is diagnosed with it. Anyway, she said that even thought it was in all likelihood an "innocent" heart murmur, she'd recommend we go see a cardiologist just to confirm.

So today Daddy stayed home with The Js and Mommy and Ben drove down to Dallas to go see The Man. Ben only had to remove his shirt, so he was quite a bit more comfortable than usual for a doctor visit. Until the nurse came in with The Stickers. That was only a mild panic, though, once he saw they were just stickers. So she put all 12 (or so) of them on his chest and belly and arms. Then the nurse whips out of nowhere this ridiculously massive bundle of menacing-looking wires. That induced Massive Panic. He was pretty sure they were all going under his skin or something, poor kid. So we got him talked down, but of course his EKG showed his heart racing a mile a minute. She left afterwards, with a suggestion that we might have to to a sonogram.

I'm an idiot, so I decided to put Ben at ease by telling him about the sonograms I had when I was pregnant. Then I mentioned that sometimes the jelly on your belly is cold, and isn't that sillyteeheehee.

"COLD???!!!!" Massive Panic Number Two.

So when the doctor came in, he listened to Ben's heart and heard the murmur sounding plenty innocent, plus some extra swooshing that he was pretty sure was panic-induced and said just to be positive he'd like to go ahead and get the sonogram.

Massive Panic Number Three.

Doc and I did our best to calm him down, then doc left. Then the sonogram lady came (insert angelic choir music here). What a doll. What an expert! She totally exudes calm and wraps little kids up in it. So the sonogram was no problem, and it was cool getting to see Ben's heart in action. Then we went back to our room and waited for the doctor who came in and gave Ben his clean bill of health.

Sweet!

ALSO, he will be graduating on Friday to his next belt level in karate! Woot!

Here's hoping Uncle Greg's visit goes every bit as well. Minus the Massive Panic, I mean.