Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Who Wants a Shot?

No, I am not talking about a shot of tequila.  Of course, that would probably make taking three kids 5 and under to the doctors or dentist's office much easier.

Luckily, both our doctor and dentist's office have less than 5 minute wait times to see the doctor which in my view helps endlessly.

Since Ry and Maddie's birthdays are only one day apart, they both got to visit the doctor for their well visits at the same time.  

Maddie, now 4 is more fretful about new situations and has never been a fan of the doctor's office.  She usually would thrash and cry when she got shots.  Who could blame her?  I used to get light-headed up until I was in my twenties anytime anyone even came near me with a needle. 

Yesterday, in the waiting room, she announced "I hope I get a shot."

I just looked at her.  I wasn't quite sure how to respond.

Possible responses running through my head ranged from "Wow, you're so brave" to "Why in God's name would you want a SHOT?!?!"

I never even thought to ask in a calm voice "Why, sweetie?"

At that point we were called back, thank heavens, and I was saved from responding. 

I decided to avoid that minefield and pray that we made it through without any major meltdowns.  

Maddie got her height and weight checked in this little room where they also did her vision exam and her hearing exam.  Then, off to the exam room we went.  As soon as we stepped inside, Ry started to pucker his lips and fret.  My normally easy going little 2 year-old knew darn well what was going to happen in that room.  Just a few months ago he got several shots in a room just like it.  Someone was going to get a shot and he hoped to hell it wasn't him.

Maddie patted his hand and offered to hold his hand during his exam. He settled down after seeing how calm the girls were.

By the end of their exams, the doctor said she had to leave the room for a minute and that she would be right back to finish discussing what we needed to discuss.  Madison started pouting and asked in a whiny voice, "But, Moommmmmy, what about my shhooot?" 

I patted her on the back and said that the doctor would be right back with her shot and that was what the doctor was going to get when she left the room.  The doctor looked at me like I had lost my mind.  I seem to get that look a lot.

I explained to the doctor that they have doctor scrubs and a patient gown (from when Maddie got rushed to the hospital with a febrile seizure) so they love to play doctor.  They also have a little doctor kit with band-aids, a blood pressure cuff, a pretend needle to give shots, and the other doctor related accoutrements that came with it.

She nodded but she still had a look of disbelief on her face.  Apparently, when Emmy was younger, we saw this particular doctor's partner more often in the practice.  Em rarely if ever cried when she got shots.  It was the weirdest thing.  I would almost be in tears and she would just flinch.  She loved, loved, loved the band-aids.  Who wouldn't?  A Snoopy band-aid cures everything.

Maddie sat on my lap and got four shots.  Not a peep out of her for any of them.  She looked at me and said, "Mommy, wasn't I brave?"

Weird, just plain weird. Apparently, my children do not only NOT look like me, they also don't act like me either, the coward that I am, when it comes to needles.