Okay....so I have been really fortunate to have survived 9 years of immunizations without being one of 'those' patients that has a screaming kid in the examination room next door. None of the older three kids have hardly shed a tear for their shots; no matter how many they have gotten.
Don't get me wrong, I totally understand why shots would be scary for Fia and Kwame and why they would freak them out. I just didn't prepare myself mentally and physically for it! With the kids so close in age, they are alot like twins in some ways. They hurt for each other, they take care of each other, and they learn from each other. Well....today they witnessed how much shots and blood work hurt each other. If I was smart, I would have brought Daron, enticed a friend, my mom, or asked my sister-in-law or cousin to accompany me to help with the kids. Instead, I thought I could handle it. Well, I did(because I had too). But it wasn't very fun and all three of us might be scarred from it for a LONG time. First, Fia got 6 shots and she was none too happy. Kwame got to watch her squirm and wail and they he followed suit(while Fia was still screaming)! If that wasn't enough salt in the wound, then we had to go down to the lab to get blood drawn. 5 VILES FULL!!!! None of this was fun and we definitely were heard by many. Kwame went first at the lab and his blood work went very slow, as they didn't find a good vein. When it was Fia's turn, she freaked out the 5 minutes before they even started on her!!!! It didn't get better either......she continued to wail throughout, even though they were easily able to find a vein since it was bulging due to her screaming. Luckily for her, the draw took half the time of Kwame's. Unfortunately for me......she holds a grudge!
So....they lesson for the day is to ask for help and bring a friend to take one kid out for a walk while the other gets their shots and/or blood drawn. No sense in having both kids cry at the same time when one isn't even getting pricked!
Disclaimer: Even though I started the day out by biting my tongue after missing the ferry by ONE car to our appt., I did get to have my fav fast food for lunch at Chipotle in the UDistrict with my sis-in-law & niece and we also got to play at the UVillage playstructure with the Harrington cousins! Thanks for the moral support when I FINALLY asked for it!
Plus, we ended the night by being invited over to our friend's house for dinner! Thanks for the great food, wine, and company!!! We had a blast(and thanks for taking the chance for having a family of 7 over)!!!!
12 comments:
Oh so sorry.
We have had our doc space the immunizations out a little. Three one month, and then three the next month. Six in one day, sounds like a LOT.
My sweet 7 year old (from Ghana) still cries when she gets her shots, so I can imagine your two little ones.
Hope tomorrow is a BETTER DAY!
Blessings,
Laurel :)
Selina hates them too. I am surprised your doctor wanted to do six in one day. We decided together that we would only do four in a day and so she has been four times at four shots each since coming home and we did blood draws on different days as those were super tramatic. I had to go get blood draws twice because they wanted so much blood that they couldn't get it in one draw.
I hate having her get the shots. All of our poor kiddos having to catch up on their shots!!
I am sorry it was so hard, I can imagine it with two. I remember Amy's stories about this too and am not looking forward to it with my Kwame!!
Jennine
Sorry for the rough visit Kristin! Can't say I envy you on that one. At least you were able to have some fun at the end of all of it- did your little lady forgive you by then? ;)
Fabu
Kristin, I hate to admit that this post made me laugh. Only bc I, too have been there. My 2 boys are 16 months apart and I never seemed to learn. I took them both solo once and then each time after that I thought, "I think I'll be fine, they're older now." Ha! Not so much! Thanks for the reminder!! I hope Fia's grudge is short-lived!
I took Anna JUST today for some more of her shots, so I feel your (their) pain!
A few months ago I took all four of them alone for a flu shot and had the strategy of doing Anna's "catch up" shots first, then telling the others that it was no big deal bc she got 6 shots and they had to only get one. Sophia (3) proceeded to cry before and after everyone's shots, and may never recover from it. No amount of stickers, suckers, or coloring books would help. Just a bad, bad day.
I am sorry you all had to experience that! The next time you have a bad day, you can think "oh, at least I don't have to supervise multiple shots + blood work on two toddlers ALONE today...."
Another good one I use to lift my spirits: "at least all of us don't have the stomach flu simultaneously today" when I'm having a bad day...
Don't be too hard on yourself that you didn't bring a buddy--they still might have reacted that way. You never know how kids will do with shots. Donny (9) has been my biggest wailer more than the three girls. When I took him to get shots at the same time as his sister 6 years younger Donny went first and screamed before, during and after. Grace just looked a little confused as to why her big brother was crying! And yes they will bring it up as needed--even months and years later! Hey mom remember that time...
Well at least the day ended better.
love courtney
ps my blogging is going slower than slow!ha
Oh dear!
Sorry you had to learn about this the hard way.
Here's to going a long time without shots now.
Wow that sounds like a rough day!
I think I will leave myself a reminder now not to take the girls in for shots at the same time, or at least not by myself! I will learn from those who have gone before me! :)
Miss you guys
Kristin,
You made me laugh, cause Jennifer's first round of shots went about the same way with me physically holding her down-which I have never had to do with our other three..........there is hope though-last week she had to go back for round two of shots and DID NOT SHED A SINGLE TEAR!! I was so amazed-hopefully your two will 'be brave' for the next go round. Kuddos to you Super Mom for handling it all in one day and living to tell about it ;)
We took Jennifer swimming for the first time this week and she loved it-even though she had been terrified of water. The joys of experiencing so many firsts truly does out weigh days like you have described. Thanks for sharing the 'ugly' days too.
Praying for you-
JJ
Kris, you are right we need to update our site and put pictures on it. Since we picked up our son in Jan. whom is now 11 months and started walking at 91/2 months is doing well. We are doing awesome the Lord is good; thank God for His goodness. I was planning on doing that today but something has come up it will be this weekend do not know how much I will get done but I will get it done. How is your family?
From Tee
IHWT
wow.. this is so familiar... The first time we went Mariama won an oscar for best dramatic performance after a shot and Grace FREAKED because she went second. Second time, Shawn went... and Grace went first.. the blood draw thing...ewwww... it makes me quesy but the girls don't mind that as much. Thank the LORD above they are finished!!
R
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