Lego Land...

So, I was going to write up a post the other day about how much Braden is into Legos right now. He plays with them almost constantly from the time he wakes up until it's time for bed. He asks to take them with us when we go out running errands in the car. (NO) When Uncle Dan comes over, Braden begs him to play Legos. He picks them up when asked and is good about keeping them away from his little sister.

Until this morning - Legos could do no wrong at our house.

This morning, he was absent mindedly watching cartoons and playing with some Lego pieces when he decided it would be fun to put one in his nose. No biggy - it came out just fine, so he tried the other side. This time it didn't just come right out and started hurting him. At this point, he ran over to me screaming, "MOM! Mom! There's a Lego stuck in my nose!" I of course grab the phone and call the first person I can think of - my mom. Get him to the Dr. she says, which I already knew I had to do - I just needed someone to say it out loud. I hung up the phone and call his pedriatician and the receptionist tells me to jump in the car and head over. My mom had also reminded me that I needed to stay calm so that Braden would be calm and at this point he's pretty freaked out. So I start cracking jokes and try getting him to fake a sneeze to see if he can get it out. He thought that idea was so wierd.

In the waiting room, I get out the camera to document the process and to keep him focused on something else other than the green circular Lego stuffed up his nose. The receptionist tells us a funny story from when she was little and in daycare and convinced a little boy to stuff little berries up his nose and then about the time she accidentally swallowed a penny.

Our favorite nurse, Blythe, comes out to get us, weighs Braden (52 lbs) and takes us back to the waiting room. She asks him to tell her the story of how it happened and he's calm. The Dr. then comes in, gruffer-than-ever (apparently to scare him out of ever doing it again) and explains to us how it's gonna go down and that Braden better not move a muscle while he's got instruments shoved up his nose. He explains that "if this doesn't work, our next option is surgery." Aack. Mom panic here - we cannot afford surgery!

I nervously giggle, set Mylie on Braden's legs as I hold his arms down. The nurse braces Braden's head with her hands, the Dr. dons his magnifying light headpiece and grabs his first instrument of torture - a dental looking metal tool with a hook on the end. The poking and proding begins and out of nowhere, Braden starts coughing right in the Dr.s face. Evidently something was tickling his nose which caused him to have a cough attack. The Dr. stops for a minute to allow Braden to calm back down and reminds him to be still. "Hold your breath," he suggests. The Dr. pokes the instrument of torture back into Braden's nose and says that it's gone further in. In the saddest voice, Braden mutters, "Oh no. Dude."

Worried and nervous, I'm still trying to hold back the nervous giggle that I despise. The Dr. then grabs his second instrument of torture - loooong metal tweezers. He puts them down for a second to swab the itty bit of blood coming out of Braden's nose from the poking and prodding. Braden freaks out at this and we reassure him that "it's just a q-tip" and it cannot hurt him.
The Dr. again picks up the loooong metal tweezers pokes around for almost a full minute before declaring, "It's OUT!" and out he pulls a teeny tiny, bloody, lime green round Lego. We all breathe a sigh of relief except for Braden who sits up and starts sobbing into my shirt. (Yes! No surgery required!) The Dr. sets his things to the side and in his gruffer-than-ever voice tells Braden to look at him and tell him that he is never-ever going to put anything up his nose again. "I'm not!" Braden sobs and shoves his face back into my shirt.

Dr. leaves the room and our favorite nurse waves us goodbye. I snap a few quick pictures of the headpiece and the instruments of torture and we head out of the room. We wave goodbye to the receptionist who takes one look at Braden's red-splotchy face and asks if he was given a prize? (What!?! The kid stuffed a Lego up his nose and he gets offered a prize?!) He says no and she digs around in a box and hands him a plastic snake and a toothbrush. I am trying so hard not to laugh at this point. It's just sooo funny. The Doc. encourages Braden never to put anything in his nose again and the Receptionist is like: "Come back again soon!"

On the way home Braden wonders out loud "Where'd my Lego go?"
Ummm, Buddy, they probably threw it in the trash.
"But!" he exclaims - "what if I need that piece?!"