Along with presents, parties, balloons and cake, turning four also means a trip to the doctor for a checkup. The first part of the check up was fairly fun. We got to see how much Sydney's grown in the past year. How much she weighs, where she ranks with other kids her age. The four year check up is an even bigger appointment than previous years. They took her blood pressure. They checked her vision and her hearing. They even took a urine sample at this visit. Such big girl things now!
Sydney took several trips to the doctor from the age of six months to two years old. We purchased lots of prescriptions for ear infections. She knew the sound and feel of that crinkle paper on the doctor's table...and wanted no part of it.
As she grew, fortunately, we visited the doctor less and less. So going to the doctor wasn't such a dreaded thing. It became sometimes fun, actually, when she would play with her doctor kit at home and then be able to relate it to the doctor's office.
There's not a parent alive, though, that doesn't dread trips to the doctor on the days when there are shots to be administered. I can't even articulate the uneasiness in my stomach before these appointments. A lot of it is irrational fear. The other part of it is knowing what you know and knowing what they don't know.
Shot visits were so very hard when my babies were little babies. But I'm not sure what is worse, a six month old getting shots or a four year old getting shots. Neither is fun. Neither is easy, but it's a toss up what is worse.
Prior to the nurse coming in today to give the shots, Daddio informed Sydney that she was going to be getting shots and that she'd have to be tough. Her response was, "Ok, but do I have to be happy about it or can I cry?"
The fact that she even thought about trying to be happy about it already brought some tears to my eyes. My happy girl wasn't going to be happy for long. The act wasn't pretty...but it didn't last long. The good news....no more shots until she's eleven.
Wow, eleven...that kind of makes me tear up too.

