Oh The Horror

 

Today was Parker's 12 month check up. (Almost a month late, but better late than never.) I can't say that I ever look forward to a check up when I know there is going to be shots, but I handle it better than I used to. His first shots I cried harder than he did, and I didn't stop crying for a long time! But when Michael left I had to do it on my own several times, and while I still get teary now, I'm a tougher Mama. Still, it's a new set of shots at 12 months, and I am severely allergic to the MMR (which is one he was getting) so I was a little more nervous than usual.

My son is scared of stethoscopes. He was frightened of them when we had to go to the UCC last month and today he started screaming the moment he saw the doctor take it out. I felt terrible for him, but was also trying not to laugh. Really son? You'll jump head first off the couch, you'll climb up stairs as fast as physically possible with no care for if someone is there to catch you, but you are scared of stethoscopes? Ah well. Some people refer to planes as metal tubes of death. 

He's growing wonderfully, though it's slowed down quite a bit. He's lost 2lbs since last month and a half a pound since his birthday, but the doctor said that is normal since he is running now. It should even back out soon. He's 30 inches tall and his head, which had been of some concern at his 6 month check up, was fine.

Poor little man had to get 2 shots in each leg! I felt terrible. Your every instinct as a mother is to protect your children from what can hurt them. It goes against your gut to hold your child down while some stranger jabs them in the leg with sharp, painful objects! I'd rather those few moments of pain than years of pain or disfigurement or death from a disease he could have easily been immunized against though...so I held him and then afterwords gave him lots of cuddles and kisses.

The minute the nurse left the room he grabbed his pants and jacket and thrust them at me saying "Go! Go! Go!" which made me laugh, though I was a little misty. We couldn't "Go! Go! Go!" though. I still had to take him down to the lab to get a blood draw. Not only were they doing the usual blood draw for 12 months but they had to do a draw to test for lead because our house was built in the 40s. Really? I live in housing so old that they need to test my child for lead content? That freaked me out more than a little, and I am thinking that we will talk with housing about moving to the newer houses when we get home from our vacation. I was going to wait until we had another one on the way to move, but I'm pretty freaked out.

Apparently they felt the need to have someone in training take my child's blood. I know that the only way to learn is by doing, but the afore mentioned instinct to protect your child from pain doesn't allow for error when someone is sticking your baby with needles. One guy is holding his arm down, I am holding him as tight as I can to keep him from jerking away, and this other guy is poking into his arm with a needle, wiggling it around, tapping on his arm and then pulling it out to try again! I was furious, which kept me from crying, and the man holding Parker's arm finally took over to get the blood they needed. Much snuggling, and a strawberry Dum Dum, followed. (Never leave home without them!) 

I'm glad it's over with! I am not looking forward to next time, but that is in the far future and not something I have to think about right now! Right now we have some more important Parker milestones to concentrate on...his first plane ride and trip to Ohio!!! 

God bless and thank you for reading!