Shots, Shots and More Shots

Today was AC's four-year checkup. For you mommies who don't know, the four-year-old checkup is a doozy.

You get four shots.

That's right. One. Two. Three. Four.

I have been dreading this since my pediatrician informed me about it a few months ago. I could handle shots when they were babies. As bad as I hated to see my children cry, at least they didn't know it was coming until it happens.

A four-year-old knows. She can see the giant needles.

I didn't tell Ann Catherine about the shots. I figured it would only make it worse and make her dread it.

The nurse walked in and AC was fine. She had done so good during her checkup and thought it was over.

Then she saw the bandaids. The nurse told me to stand in between AC's legs and put my arms around her.

Then she saw the needles.

And then she became to scream.

I held on tight and, thankfully, the nurse was quick about it. AC was fighting us the whole time. There is nothing worse than your child looking at you for help and instead of helping, you are holding her down. After the fourth one, AC said, "Mommy, I want to go home!"

So did I.

The nurse said, "Ann Catherine, I do love that you are such a fighter." She told me that because AC was born so sick and premature, she loved seeing such fight in her.

Oh, she's a fighter alright. NICU babies have to be. And she still is.

I was really proud of AC because as soon as the shots were over, she stopped crying. We grabbed some stickers and left. She wasn't even crying anymore by the time we left the office.

I took her to Peggy Ann Bakery and got her a cookie covered in icing. Not a bad consolation prize.

The good news is AC doesn't get vaccinations again until she's twelve.

The bad news is Lily isn't four yet. In a year and a half, we get to do this again.