I've Been Shot! Again!

I cannot go to bed tonight without recounting our trip to the doctor this afternoon for checkups. Erin's birthday is the day after Ian's, so I scheduled their checkups together. I knew that Erin would need her 12 month shots, but I wasn't so sure about Ian. We have the added benefit of have our doctor's office in town, so it's about a 3 minute drive if there's not a train blocking the road. As usual, we got there and waited. And got weighed and measured, etc and shown to a room. And we waited. An hour later, we were waiting for the nurse to come and give both kids their shots and HC and Steven came. HC had had a work thing to do, a statement to get or whatnot, so he had been unable to come. Boy I was glad that he came anyway because it was Shot Time. We decided that Ian would go first before he could hyperventilate about how bad it would be and work himself into a faint. Later, I wished I would have waited for the faint.

The nurse showed me how she wanted me to hold him--the "I-Am-Your-StraightJacket-Lockdown" and yes, told Ian not to flinch. I repeat, how can Anyone relax when someone is about to insert a long needle into the side of their leg??? It's just not going to happen. And it didn't.

He screamed like a Banshee the entire time, like someone combing a cat the wrong way. He screamed even louder when she put the band-aids on his legs. Then it was time to switch sides and give the last one on the other leg. Ian wanted nothing to do with me, the nurse or the world and just Forget about school. If this was what it took to go to school, he'd take door number 2. Not even the Garfield band-aids would cheer him up.

Erin sat there in Chris's arms the whole time with her eyes as big as dinner plates. She looked like she wanted a recap of those 2 minutes when she hadn't been listening beforehand. Had she Really heard someone mention that her turn was next or was that just some sick misunderstanding?

Ian screamed so loud on the last shot that I heard my brain rattle around and spin my eyeballs.

Then it was Erin's turn. She didn't scream, she growled at the nurse during the first one. HC couldn't handle holding her down and instead held Ian while I held her cute little leg. The last shot though, given in the fatty part of her little leg, she had had enough. I was holding her leg and her other foot, since she was bracing it against the nurse to keep her from getting any closer with that needle. Then she wrestled the other leg out of my hands and the nurse's hands, squalling/yelling/Braveheart battle cry ringing out "Freeeeee-dom!" She almost made it, but the nurse finished and snocked that last band-aid on.

Erin later tried to express her rebellion by eating that band-aid, but I caught her and threw it away.

So we went home and had some Tylenol (and some medicinal peaches, in Ian's case).

At bathtime, Ian peeled off his band-aids and proclaimed himself 'all better.' Now he's ready to go to school.

But first, we have to get through kiddie pictures tomorrow.

Sheesh. The things no one mentions when you say you want kids.....