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“Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair…the doctor is almost ready for you.” The pretense of being married to Marley continues. And neither of us does anything to end it.
“Unfortunately, your regular pediatrician, Dr. Goldman, had an emergency,” the nurse says as she ushers us inside, letting the door close behind her, “and she’s not in the office today. Instead, you will be seeing one of her associates…Dr. Ouchi.”
“Dr. Ouchy? Seriously?” Just saying that name makes my tongue ache.
The nurse laughs. “Dr. O-U-C-H-I. She has all of Isa’s charts and is looking forward to meeting her.”
With a quick turn to the left and then to the right, she escorts us down a hallway to a small but charming examination room. Room 4. While I can hear the muffled wails of babies in other examining rooms, I’m glad to be out of that crowded, germ-infested waiting room. A whimsical cow-that-jumped-over-the-moon mural circles the walls, and recessed lighting bathes the room in a warm glow.
The nurse tells Marley to set Isa on the table and to undress her, diaper and all. Washing her hands at the sink, she tells me I can take a seat in the chair in the corner if I want.
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m tired of sitting.”
Marley stays close to a squirming Isa as the nurse uses a tape measure to record not only her height but also the length of her limbs and the circumference of her head. She then carefully places the baby on the scale and notes her weight on the chart attached to her clipboard.
Isa weighs six pounds two ounces and is twenty-two inches long. To Nurse Marley’s delight, Isa’s body weight and height are both at normal, healthy levels. Leaving the clipboard on the sink counter, the nurse tells us the doctor will be with us shortly. She exits, closing the door behind her.
To my relief, we don’t have to wait for long. In less than a minute, there’s a soft knock at the door. The door swings open and in walks a petite forty-ish Asian woman with a blunt black bob and clad in a white lab coat over a blue button-down blouse and black slacks.
Addressing us as Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair—again, we say nothing—she introduces herself. Dr. Ouchi.
“Yes, I know it’s a weird name for a pediatrician. I get a lot of grief for it. My husband and I are Japanese.”
“So nice to meet you,” says Marley with a smile and the sweetest of voices…not mentioning that she’s Isa’s caregiver. Her night nanny.
After washing her hands, Dr. Ouchi grabs the clipboard left behind by her nurse, and scans the chart. She seems pleased.
“Looks like Isa is doing wonderfully—she’s gained six ounces—and she’s absolutely beautiful.” She asks a beaming Marley a few questions about Isa’s bowel movements, her sleep patterns, and her feeding schedule.
Marley matter-of-factly answers each inquiry and tells her about the switch to baby formula because of Isa’s problem with breastfeeding.
Upon hearing the brand of formula Marley is using, Dr. Ouchi nods and gives a reassuring smile. “That’s perfectly fine and it’s obvious by her weight gain that Isa is responding well to it. I suggest you continue her on the formula and increase her bottle size by two ounces if you see she can handle more.”
Nurse Marley keeps her gaze lowered on Isa. “Yes, I think she may be ready for a five-ounce bottle soon.”
Dr. Ouchi scurries about the room, gathering a few pieces of equipment. “I’m going to check Isa’s heartbeat and reflexes and a few other routine things.”
She turns to face Isa and utters a couple of endearments before putting a baby-sized stethoscope to her chest. Marley doesn’t take her eyes off Isa as the doctor examines her.
The doctor lets go of the stethoscope and clasps her hands together. A small celebratory clap. “Well, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair, everything seems normal. Congratulations! You have a beautiful, healthy little girl. She’s absolutely perfect!”
Perfect! My kid is perfect! I look down at my baby. Her big blue eyes lock with mine and I could swear she’s smiling at me. “Hey, kiddo, you’re perfect!” I tell her, tickling her tiny pink feet.
“Do either of you have any questions?” asks Dr. Ouchi.
I don’t but Marley does. “When will she be able to travel?”
I find it a bit odd that she’s asked this as I have no travel plans anytime soon.
The doctor answers. “You can take her outside for walks—the fresh air is good for her—and take her in the car. But until she has her first 5-in-1 vaccination at eight weeks old, I’d keep her away from crowds.”
“So that means air travel is off-limits…?” Marley’s voice trails off.
“I wouldn’t say it’s off-limits,” replies Dr. Ouchi. “I just wouldn’t recommend it unless it’s absolutely essential.” She pads to the sink and washes her hands. “Isa should come back for another checkup in a month. You can schedule an appointment with the receptionist. And congratulations again on your beautiful, healthy baby!”
With that, she grabs the chart and dashes out of the room.
Marley redresses Isa, lifts her into her arms, then looks my way with a gleam in her violet eyes. Man, those eyes.
