Screaming like a girl at the Doctor's office

It was Tayshaun's 5-year old visit to the pediatrician's office on Monday. This is supposed to be his pre-kindergarten check-up where he completes a series of innoculations and won't have to be stuck again until 11 years old. Yippee!

Incidentally, Tayshaun's just misses the birthday deadline and won't be starting Kindergarten until next year. My frikkin' budget is going to have to include daycare for another year. GRRRRR!

Anywayzzz. "Tayshaun -- honey, I'm never going to let you live this down. I'm going to tease you for the rest of your life...in front of your girlfriends...in front of your children...everytime I get the chance, Mister."

First of all, Tayshaun's original appointment was scheduled last month. So the day before the appointment I decided that I'd prepare him for the shots I knew he was getting so he wouldn't be surprised. Well he thought about it all night. So the questions began when we got up. And on the ride to the doctor's office, it continued...(in his whinest voice) "Is it going to hurt?" "Am I gonna bleed?" "Why do I gotta have a shot?" "If I be good, do I hafta have a shot?". Whah, whah, whah, whah, whah! So I cranked up our newly purchased Black Eyed Peas cd and he forget about the shot(s) for a while...since he was concentrating on the lyrics to Boom Boom Pow instead.

Well as I mentioned before, we were running so late that when we finally got there, the receptionist decided that we needed to re-schedule. So Tayshaun got luck....on that day.

So this time, I decided not to warn him....until we were riding the elevator up to the doctor's office. "Oh yeah, babe, remember you're gonna have to have a couple of shots today, k?" "Shotsss! Ma, whiiiiiiiiii?" "It's ok Tayshaun -- all the kids get shots today" I thought if I sprung that one on him, he'd have to pretend to be brave. It worked.

So we giggled with the nurse as she checked his height (he's in the 97 percentile) and his weight (he's in the 46 percentile). She checked his eye sight 20/30 (which I guess is good). She checked his hearing..acceptable.

Then the doctor got his turn. He asked lots of questions. What comes after 3? Can you blink one eye? Can you wiggle your ears? What do you do when you're hungry? Let's see how long you can balance on one leg. After his series of questions, he remarked that Tayshaun talks very well for a 5 year old (he's 4).

So now the nurse comes back in with FOUR syringes. I hadn't dared ask how many shots he was going to get because I knew Tayshaun was going to terrified. But I didn't realize that he'd get FOUR pokes. Ouchie!

He was pretty shocked when he realized all FOUR of those shots were for him. He tried to be brave when she asked him to hold my hands. I squeezed them tight because I knew what was coming. The nurse leaned her weight on his lower extremities. But even before the first shot went through the skin, Tayshaun was screaming bloody murder. After the second one, he managed to kick his legs out of the nurses grip. But we wrestled him back into a hold to finish the next two.

I did feel sorry for you Tayshaun. You scowled at the nurse and me like we were your worst enemies. You cried so much that I finally had to tell you that the girl in the next office was going to make fun of you 'cause she didn't cry when she got her shots. That little fib seemed to pull out the bravado in you so that your cries became little whimpers (along with big fat tears). You wouldn't talk to me all the way to the car. And you walked like a crippled old man. When we finally reached the parking lot, your cries got louder again.

Look at that face! I love you...even when you're a little CRY, CRY!