My little Valentine wants to say hello.

She was so ridiculously happy today and we felt awful bringing her to meet the surgeon who will be doing her tubes procedure sometime next month.

Yup, tubes. 10 ear infections in 13 months of life — including several during the summer — is what is driving this decision. Poor girl has been on one antibiotic or another most of her life. ;-/

Anyway, I took a half day from work, had lunch with a friend (hubby couldn’t leave work today at lunch since we had to go to the doctor in the afternoon) and then we met up at the hospital.

[Side note: In the waiting room, Maya was a little ham walking laps back and forth between L and I. At one point, I asked her to give Daddy the paper she was holding — and she did! (Though she took it back a second later) It’s funny because I think she understands a lot — but doesn’t always listen 😉 Such is life with a 13-mth old!]

The surgeon was great and we could see she liked him a lot. He explained the procedure, how it only takes like 20 minutes but she will inhale a gas to go to sleep … that part I didn’t like and a friend whose son had tubes recommended us NOT being in the room for that; pretty sure we will take her advice! I know Maya won’t know what’s going on or feel it but I just don’t think that would be a good situation to witness if I don’t have to … if she were older, I think I’d have to be there but I dunno …

So we’re set for tubes now … it isn’t a guarantee she won’t have any more ear infections, but the likelihood is much less once she has them put in and she can still go to swimming class — which is a bonus :). So we will see how it goes. Obviously I’m nervous, but everyone says it’s no big deal so just please keep us in your thoughts when the time comes!

After the appointment, we went home (hubby had to go back to work) and played. It’s amazing how much happier I was after getting home around 3 with her …  I even had time to make a lovely family dinner! (a grocery-store-bought rotisserie chicken can truly set the stage for an easy meal). I coupled the chicken with herbed [rosemary-thyme-garlic-parmesan] roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus and we shared the delicious cupcake L brought me for dessert our usual way — most of the frosting for me, most of the cake part for L and baby got in on the action, too.

It was so nice to sit down at the table, all together — a rarity on a week night for us! Even Rocco enjoyed some of our dinner 😉 All in all, a great family day with the people I love the most. And now we will be doing something for the littlest valentine we love the most … hopefully easing her chronic ear pain and discomfort by getting tubes. Eeks!

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day with family and friends.

How about you? Did you or your kids have tubes? Any advice for us?