Thursday, September 25, 2008

Momma McTrauma

Traumatic. Yes. I think that word best describes yesterday morning for me.

The Frog had his first doctor appointment. Everything was going swimmingly! He was even awake and completely non-fussy. Turns out he has exactly gained back his birth weight (yay!) and measured .25 inches longer (that could just be a difference in people/techniques though...) and he seems to be pooping the appropriate amounts. Life was great. Until...

The nurse comes in to give him his first hep B shot. Nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. I told myself not to look at the shot, but for some reason I just couldn't help myself and I had to. Not only did it provoke the saddest, most painful sounding cry I have EVER witnessed from ANYONE, but it came out of MY little boy and WE were allowing, nay causing it. It's all I can do to keep from welling up right now, just thinking about it. Poor little guy. So innocent. Being ruthlessly attacked with a proportionally giant needle.

I mean really, think about it. Remember the needle they stick in your arm? Well, it looked about the same as the needle they stuck in his leg, except his leg has a cross-section about the size of a Sacagawea dollar. I thought maybe she just wouldn't stick it in all the way, but NO. She did. I was half expecting to see it emerge from the other side of his poor little wrinkled thigh.

Later at home when I had to change his diaper, I think it was hurting his shot because he started crying in that new, painful sounding cry that I had never heard before. That was it for me, I totally started bawling. Me. Crying? Yeah. We're talking about the girl who didn't cry in Titanic here... Perhaps it was just the complete sleep deprivation that kicked in (I had only gotten about 2 hours of sleep the previous night) but I have a feeling this parenting thing is going to be much more emotionally taxing than I expected. I can only hope he never breaks a bone or needs stitches... Basically, I'm convinced that he is never allowed to do anything fun ever. I just don't think I could handle it if anything went awry. Now to find the right size bubble...

Needless to say, I am NOT looking forward to his 2 month doctor visit. He has to get not one, but SIX shots! I really don't think I'll be able to handle it unmedicated. It just makes me feel like I am so cruel for willingly subjecting him to such torture.

On a lighter note, we took our first stroll in the stroller today. The Frog wasn't too keen on getting in the thing, but once we started riding around, I think he enjoyed himself. (at least he stopped crying)

Also, The Frog has started having a little awake time a couple times of day! It's so fun! He doesn't really do anything except stare off into space, but he's just so cute to observe. Here's him doing a little Zoolander impersonation.


The laundry was in grave need of getting done this morning, but he was awake and I didn't want to leave him alone, so I decided the best way around this was to carry him in the laundry basket, which seemed to work out ok.

5 comments:

LRH said...

I'm glad the laundry basket has a bow:) It makes it a perfect baby resting place.

Lindsay said...

Oh my goodness, that is an amazing Blue Steel. He is looking very cute, as always! Can't wait to see him in real life again!

taylor and laney said...

if it makes you feel any better, when we took henry in, they gave him all his shots simultaneously. It was really sad. Just keep baby tylenol handy that day, it really helped and our little guy just fell asleep.

Mel said...

Poor little guy. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to give a baby a shot. Jerk. I can't wait to see him again, too! Libby, come up here soon!

Robins Nest said...

I drugged my kids with Tylenol right before their appointments to get shots. It seems to help a little bit. I remember Lil Sis' 2 year shots she didn't cry but instead turned to the nurse and said "Thank You". Hope I don't have a sadistic pain lover on my hands!!!

It will get better, for you at least.