Sunday, December 2, 2007

Baby eats tacks

We have a 140 year old farmhouse. When we had our inspection we waived the lead issue. We know we have lead and therefore we discourage all who visit and habitate from eating any of the painted surfaces. You would think this would be easy.

All children are tested for lead at their 12 month and/or 18 month well baby visit, and then again at a later date. My children are no different. We moved into this house when Oldest was 9 months old. Her lead tests were within normal limits, every time. Middle's 12 month lead test came back so elevated I thought we would have to move before the department of health descended upon us. Our regular pediatrician was on maternity leave so we saw one of her partners. The partner called me to tell me the lead test results. She was "alarmed". [I was so calm as I listened to her tell me the results, the next time I saw her, she was said, "I was so freaked out about his results and you were so calm."] She went on to say that Middle was going to have to go to the hospital and have some sort of infusion to rid his body of the excess lead. The department of health was going to be called. Can you imagine have the department of health at your house? I don't care how good your cleaning people are, it is a scary, scary thought. Thankfully we retested him and he was within normal limits. Phew!

Baby likes to chew things, neither of the other two had a particular affinity for the oral fixation. But Baby likes to chew and chew he does. Today he ate a candle. Knawed on the dinning table, the mullions on the windows and the window sill. His FAVORITE thing to put into his mouth? THUMB TACKS. Not the flat kind but the kind that look like little hour glasses. He prefers the green over the other colors. He screamed his head off when I pinned him down to get two of them out of his mouth. You may be asking, Dear Reader, how did your baby get a hold of these thumb tacks? Well that is a good question and one I might have asked myself. I tried to put up colored Christmas lights on the ceiling in the office/den/play room, with thumb tacks. When Baby got up from his nap he promptly pulled down the lights, the tacks I did not gather up went into his mouth. And when they are not on the floor he climbs up on to the desk, stands on the laptop and helps himself to the box of tacks. I don't have to do any sweeping because he eats all the Cheerios off of the floor.

If he had been first he would have been an only. He pushes and yells at Oldest and Middle if they are sitting on my lap, he doesn't like to share his mother. Um, hello? Are you kidding me? He is the busiest of the three, never ever stops. He tries to do everything the other two do, excluding laying about watching the Wizard of Oz.

He is really good with words that begin with B. Bottle, blankie, baby. These three are the words that are most easily understood. His speech grows every day. His announciation too. Although, eating tacks will put an end to that.

1 comment:

Ticket 4 Two said...

Oh geez bets! Thanks for the warning about trying to gnaw on your walls. I will keep it in mind next time I visit.

p.s. Kaitlen swallowed quarters and staples when she was a baby.