Check-ups!

I usually look forward to taking the kids for their check-ups at the doctor. I like to see how much they've grown, and I enjoy getting answers from my pediatrician about my goofy questions. Last week I decided to kill two birds with one stone and I took Parker in for his 18 month visit, and Avery in for her 3 year visit. Let me start off by saying that they both got A+ reports and I am very, very thankful for healthy children. And I love our pediatrician; I trust her and she works so well with the kids. Now, let me continue by saying, never again will I take them both in at the same time for their check-ups (maybe when they're older). But last Thursday was a nightmare!
Avery has a "Courdory Goes to the Doctor" book that we actually haven't read in a while, but I decided we should pull it out and read it a few nights before Thursday, to prep her for her appointment. I really wasn't worried about Avery; she'd have to get a flu shot, but that would pretty much be it. So at the end of the book Courdory (is that how you spell this teddy bear's name? oh well) does get a shot; but he does very well. Avery was actually excited about going to the doctor, but when she asked me if she was going to get a shot like the teddy bear, I figured I couldn't lie to her....so I told her "yes", but just like Courdory, it doesn't hurt for very long. She was okay with that....until we got there, of course.
The first bit of trauma started with trying to get her to pee in a cup; didn't happen. It brought back a specific memory when I was little and sick and my mother almost brought herself to tears trying to get me to pee in a cup. It requires absolutely no special effort on the child's part - just pee. The mommy is the one who has to work hard to keep pee off of her hand. I guess that was payback. Oh well, it was no huge deal. Dr. Benaim told us not to worry about the urine sample.
Next was the finger stick. Didn't prepare her for this one. Now the lab tech at this office is fabulous. In times past, I have never seen anybody draw blood so fast on a child...which makes things a little easier. So we explained to Avery what she needed to do, and Avery decided she was going to be a big girl and sit still in the seat NEXT to mommy. Big mistake; what was I thinking? She was fine until she actually saw the blood, and then she lost it. Kicking, screaming, flailing....drama! I haven't seen her throw a fit like that since she was an 18 months old. Then her crying sent Parker into tears, screaming, and "hold me" mode. I couldn't hold both of them, so there was constant crying the rest of the visit.
In the meantime, Dr. Benaim comes in to do her assessments. Parker settles down and sits down in the chair and is a perfect angel during his exam. Avery flipped out with Dr. Benaim's every move because she thought she was going to give her a shot. Seeing Avery's fear, Dr. Benaim offers the flu-mist for Avery, instead of the traumatic shot. She was a little relieved when we told her "no shot", but when the nurse squirted water up both of her nostrils while I firmly held her down the saga started all over again. Go figure. By this time, Parker is a mess again, and he's escaping from the exam room, running down the hall in his diaper, trying his best to get away. And then we waited what seemed forever to get Parker's 2 shots. We spent 2 long hours in the exam room. And do you know that Avery had the nerve to tell Parker not to cry, it will only hurt for a second, when he got his shots. If he was only old enough to tell her a little something I might have let him.
Parker was asleep by the time we pulled out of the parking lot, and I counted each of their 2 suckers they had in the exam room as their special treat for going to the doctor. So mommy went by Starbucks on the way home and got her treat....both a latte and a slice of the so-fattening marble-loaf pound cake. I called Shane and shared the events of the day; I laughed the whole time I was telling him. I'm thoroughly convinced that God has a good sense of humor!