A shot in the dark

Took Travis and Sophie for check-up appointments last week. Each involved vaccinations (3 for each of them, for goodness sake), and Travis got ear and eye exams to prepare him for Kindergarten.

I did not want to lie to Travis, so I informed him that morning that he had the doc appointment and that he would be getting shots (it was the first question out of his mouth). I didn't want him to dwell on it and worry about it at school all morning, so I quickly distracted him by talking about something random like what if our car could fly. We made up a great story about feeding our car magical gasoline that came from carrots that would make it fly over everyone else's car, and how great it would be not to have to stop at red lights or drive over railroad tracks.

Anyway, on the way to the doc appt, I told him I needed him to get his shots first so he could be brave for Sophie, since she had to get hers as well. I figured it would be better this way than to have Sophie get hers first and be all screamy and traumatized and then say "your turn, Travis!"

So, the doc come in, checks everyone out, they are good and healthy and growing well. Travis is 39 pounds (about 50th percentile) and 44 inches (about 75th percentile). Sophie is 21 pounds (about 10th percentile) and 30 inches (about 50th percentile). That's a lot of numbers that just says I've got reasonably tall, skinny kids. No surprise there.

Anyway, doc leaves, says he'll send the nurse in for the shots. It took 20 minutes before she got there. 20 minutes of Travis trying not to freak out, forgetting every so often what we were waiting for, then remembering and whimpering and trying to be brave. When the nurse came in, he was hiding under the table.

But, he did good, I held his hands and made sure he didn't move as he lay on the table (once we pried him out from underneath). He cried but he didn't kick and scream, and when it was done he calmed down nicely, and he got suckers and stickers for his trials. Noah, bless his heart, was clearly concerned about his big brother's ordeal, because as we were finishing up the last shot, he snuck his way between me and the nurse and offered Travis the stickers we had given him to distract him.

Then it was Sophie's turn, she was mad at me afterwards, as evidenced by her furrowed brow and her accusatory look as I picked her up. She also calmed down relatively quickly however, and the worst was over.

Its always been a little tough to watch my kids gets vaccinations, but this was the hardest. I can't pin down exactly why. Maybe is because when they are younger than two, I can assume they won't remember the ordeal after an hour or so. Maybe its because there is no need or expectation to explain ahead of time to a baby what is about to happen, and the anticipation is the worst part of it. Maybe its because I actually have to look Travis in the eye afterward and I'm concerned he'll hold it against me. I told him he wouldn't have to get another shot for a long long time (thank goodness for flu mists) and he appears to have forgiven me.

This morning Noah and Sophie and I took Avery to the vet for her rabies and distemper vaccines. I've had quite enough of the needles this week, thank you very much.