Two weeks ago we noticed that Zelda had trouble focusing on objects right in front of her. When she looked directly at someone her eyes would cross a little bit. I took her to her pediatrician who told me it was probably nothing. She said it was probably an optical illusion, but if I was worried I should call an opthamologist. I did and Peter and I went on Monday.
The visit to the opthamologist was not fun. In the middle of a very hot day we all met at a crowded office building in midtown. In the bustling waiting room we held our little bean and told ourselves that this visit was probably silly, Zelda was fine. After half an hour we were called in and the doctor asked us what we had noticed. He looked at her eyes up close and held lights in different directions to see if her eyes followed. After a few minutes he told us that Zelda did appear to be cross eyed, but he would need to dilate her pupils to be sure. This was the first time I cried on Monday.
The nurse administered some eye drops to dilate her little eyes. The rest of the tests were held in the dark and bits of light were shown around the room. Zelda could see the light from far away, but not up close. My little bean, I was told, was farsighted and would need baby glasses. She would have to wear them all the time for the next few years.
I cried again when I returned home. The glasses that Zelda will wear are really cute, but I am super bummed. It makes me so sad to think Zelda is now dependent on them to see and that she has probably needed them for awhile. I know that in the grand scheme of parenting and the life of my little bean this is a VERY minor bump, but it is our first bump and I am upset. I joined a babies with glasses support group online and am preparing myself for the many questions strangers will ask when they see them.
Yesterday, when we went to the eye store to fill the prescription there were two little girls there with their mother. They were bouncing around picking out new frames for their glasses. When they saw that Zelda would have a pair they became super excited, "we had glasses when we were babies too!" they told me. Zelda waved her arms up and down when she saw them and the two girls made funny faces at her and got her to giggle. By the time we left the store my little bean and the sisters had become good friends.
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