Doctor Daniel

There is now a doctor in the house: Dr. Daniel.

This whole thing started when he came into our room one morning with a pair of headphones on, stuck the jack end into my chest and said, 'Mommy, I need to listen to your heart.' When I asked what it sounded like, he said, 'A cookie.' And walked out.

Shortly after that, Fernando got him his own toy doctor's kit and he's been giving all of us exams every since.

Fernando had the flu for nearly a week recently, and whenever Daniel suddenly went MIA, I could find him perched on the pillow next to Daddy's head with all of his equipment spread out on the bed. Poor Fernando was too sick to even really wake up, but that didn't stop Daniel from listening to his head with a stethoscope.

When I pretended to be sick, he used all of his tools on me and I finally said, 'Ok I'm all better.' To my surprise, he said, 'You not better, Mommy. First, I have to cut you.' And he brandished his plastic surgical scissors. I will admit... it was a tad scary. But then Dr. Daniel found an apple in my stomach, which he said was the problem. Now, I was told, I could feel better.

He takes the kit with him to doctor appointments and to my recent Urgent Care appointments. Usually the staff is really cool and let him play around with some 'real' equipment. One doctor handed him a roll of gauze to keep, thinking it would be a cool addition to his kit. As soon as he left the room though, Daniel started crying - 'I don't want THAT!' (Violet, however, did.)

I'm not sure how long this phase will last, but with healthcare reform up in the air, it should would be convenient to have a doctor in the family!