bookends (to a day in the life of an apple cheeks)

if emma were writing this right now, i think she'd agree that her day had two very positive bookends to some challenging substance in the middle.

we started the day at the National Gallery of Art. we're so fortunate to have access to free, wonderful art collections thanks to the Smithsonian which is, relatively speaking, just a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from our home.

at the Gallery, emma enjoyed some Monet, Manet, and Matisse, smiling and giggling along the way.

she stared inquisitively at a Picasso sculpture.

she grunted her way through a modern exhibit that's new to the Gallery. i am still not sure whether they were sounds of pleasure or disapproval. but, the exhibit clearly provoked a hearty response from our little e.

and, she went up and down a really, really, really big elevator to go from floor to floor to see the exhibits, which for her seemed to be just as much fun as the rest.

we then trekked past the Capitol and the Washington Monument to lunch at the cafeteria in the National Museum of the American Indian, which has a variety of pretty decent food as far as museum fair goes. she noshed on some potatoes and stewed apples, some wild rice, and some squash. 

but, then, well...we had to go to her 15 month check-up (and follow-up to her month of viruses and infections and antibiotics and nasal sprays) with her pediatrician.  her doctor examined her, weighed her, measured her (she's 30 inches long! how/when did my little baby become 2.5 feet tall?!), chatted with her, and then sent her to a room where a nurse administered four (yes, four) big shots in her legs. three vaccinations and one flu shot.

ugh.

the crying, the screaming, the salty tears rolling down her plump little cheeks ensued for a good 45 minutes. without. end.

the entire drive home sobbing. and declaring mama, mama. mama....and then (perhaps knowing that mama was the one who took her to the appointment in the first place) invoking dada, dada, dada....

and so it went. a snack, a brief nap, and some motrin (at the doc's recommendation), Zantac for her acid reflux, vitamins, and her children's DHA cod fish oil later, emma was back in the game with a smile on her face, exploring the house, crawling, climbing, taking a few, ever-so-hesitant steps as she cruised alongside the sofa. 

she grabbed the ball, she patted the ball, she even repeatedly rolled the ball to her mama (after so many weeks of practicing, it just suddenly all came together, even after the day she'd had).

she picked up her pretend phone and held it to her face and said hi and then hung it up to say bye-bye. (again, this after so many practice runs in therapy recently where one or another piece was missing, she pulled it all together today of of all days).

and, to top it all off, she ate mama's homemade Indian food for dinner, smiled her way into the tub, and then fell deeply asleep...and, i'd like to think off into a peaceful dreamland where there are no viruses and antibiotics and shots galore or salty, sobbing, throbbing tears rolling down my litttle apple cheeks' face.