When Mary Grace got her first shots I cried as much as she did. I took her home, put her in her coziest jammies (at 11 am) and we laid in my bed all day watching daytime TV (me) and nursing our blues away (her). I didn't leave the house for two days. I did this every time she got shots.
Jack got his first set of shots today. I teared up a little. After the doctor's appointment we picked up MG, then BJ, then our friend Wright and we took Wright to the airport (about an hour, hour and 15 minute drive - much longer if you count the time in the car running around to pick everyone up), then we went out for lunch at a fairly grown-up sit-down restaurant (a microbrewery - while we have seen kids there, I didn't see any other kids today), and then we spent the afternoon with Shannyn and her boys at the Children's Museum. We got home around 6, and Grandpa brought dinner over. Then I bathed the girls while BJ held Jack. He started to cry so I finished up an e-mail before I came down and BJ went on bedtime duty.
And that, my friends, is the fundamental difference between the first child experience and the third child experience. (The Claire experience was about halfway between these extremes - more crying than with Jack, but less taking-to-the-bed-with-the-vapours than Mary Grace).
Sometimes I wish I could go back 5 years and smack myself.
(Jack weighs 10 pounds, 12 ounces, and is doing great - our doctor has no concerns. YAY!)
4 comments:
Too funny! I was never a crier at shot time (neither were my kids), but I have plenty of other things I wish I could go back an counsel myself on (um, colic anyone? It will end.)
A friend once told me that with the first one, you're dicing grapes until they reach kindergarten. By the third (fourth, in her case) you're letting your two-year-old juggle knives (scars build character, ya know.) Yes, she was kidding, but it proves an excellent point... and one we don't "get" soon enough.
Good job you! And good job Jack - getting big!!
My beloved wife was that way with Abby. I was the "strong" one when it comes to that sort of stuff. Lucky for me, I took over the duty and now Abby looks to shots knowing they help her stay well. That's my girl!
Funny you mentioned shots... I used to take an extra 10 minutes or so in the exam room to nurse my first and calm him down after his shots. Granted he was a fussier guy than my second, but I don't think I've whipped out the boob to nurse the 2nd after shots even one time. It's not that I don't care, I just realize now that he'll calm down just as quickly if I get him out of there and distract him instead of holding up the doctor's office for 10 or 15 extra minutes.
The world revolved around my first... with my second the world has resumed its natural rotation :)
I used to take over the exam room after shots for 15 min or more to nurse my 1st baby and calm him down before we drove home. I don't think I've whipped the boob out once for my 2nd after his shots. Granted he's a more mild child than my first was... but I perpetuated some of that I'm sure.
With my first the world revolved around him... with my second the world has resumed its natural rotation :)
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