You'd think the scariest part of a little boy's checkup would be the shots. You'd never think the real battle would be over a piece of cotton and a Daffy Duck band aid. I thought the reason they have those cute little character band aids is to add a little excitement to a scary situation. But Liam did not appreciate the gesture...not one bit.
Our visit started with the usual...a trip to the lab in the back for a finger prick to check his hemoglobin. In there they always have a couple of those silly singing stuffed animals to entertain the kids; the kind you'd find at Valentine's or Easter in the holiday section at a department store. I always promptly take him over to the counter and show him the new toys while the nurse preps for the stick. I wait until right before they stick to press the button that starts the song. This time, Liam started getting pretty worked up just during the prep. So I pressed the ducks foot and she started swaying and singing. I can't even remember the song because, reacting to Liam's reaction, I was too flustered by this point to hear anything but the wimpers of what I knew was about to be a knock-down, drag-out wrestling match. The nurse stuck Liam's finger, and he took it pretty well. Just a little fussing...until she started to put the band aid on. He didn't like that she was holding his finger so tightly, as she fumbled to get a band aid around the boo-boo with cotton still underneath. When it was finally secure and Liam was able to retrive his appendage, that's when he realize he was crippled. Crippled by an adhesive piece of a cartoon duck.
Worried that he was still in some way bothered by being in the presence of the nurse who had just violated him, I made a beeline for the exam room to quiet him down. I thought surely when he was away from the scene of the crime that he would regain some of his composure. Boy, was I wrong. The fit lasted a good 5 minutes as Liam tried to fling and pry the restraint from body. I wish I had known what his mindset was. I couldn't figure out for the life of me why he had just whimpered as she jabbed a needle into his finger tip but was now wailing at his new decoration. Removing it wasn't an option. He was still bleeding, more profusely than he would be if he hadn't been in the middle of a full-blown hissy-fit. The nurse had sent me back to the room with a backup band aid, somehow keenly aware that the first wouldn't last very long. So when Liam was finally able to wrangle the band aid from his finger, there was a mad rush to apply the second one before he got his blood all over Mommy's white top.
There was lots of dancing and singing, pointing and distracting that never really helped until he finally decided on his own to give in. Finally we were able to get him somewhat calmed down...right before Dr. Smith walked in. Now, my other children love old Dr. Smith. As goofy as he might seem, he has an incredible rapport with my older kids. They've loved him from the beginning. He always talks on there level and includes them in his exam. He asks them questions, tells silly stories, and never fails to have a neat little knick knack in his pocket for them to ogle. If I am taking one of the boys to see Dr. Smith, Evie is always profoundly jealous and suddenly so sick she needs a checkup too. This is why she accompanied us to the office today...just so she could see her beloved Dr. Smith.
Liam has not yet become a huge Dr. Smith fan. It doesn't help that he is really heading into that stranger anxiety phase. But he did pretty good this time. He let Dr. Smith listen to his chest without a hiccup. He didn't scream his usual cries when he took a peak at his ears, because Dr. Smith was kind enough to let him rest his head on my shoulders when he did so. And, without fail, out came a toy which showed Liam puppies running around in a plastic egg trying to catch a football. I think Evie was more interested in the toy than Liam, as she almost fell out of the chair she was standing on trying to see it; but it helped some, nonetheless.
We had a nice, long conversation with Dr. Smith about Liam's big attitude. We told him about how Liam does what Liam wants to, and there's not much wiggle room to work with. I can scream at the top of my lungs (which I have done on many occasions) and if Liam doesn't want to turn around, he doesn't. Dr. Smith gave us a few pointers and ideas on how to help curve his behavior in the right direction. This is all new to us. Chase and Evie were fairly well-behaved toddlers. Heck, they were absolute angels compared to our little horned Liam.
And off went Dr. Smith. And in came the two nurses we knew were up to no good. With them they brought a couple more of those trusty band aids along with 4 syringes and 4 shiny needles. I had to help hold him down as they poked him again, this time in his thighs. I think the worst part for him was being held down...Liam does not take kindly to being restrained. It was all over in a matter of seconds, and so were the tears. I don't think he even noticed the band aids this time.
Our visit concluded with the usual statistics. His weight was 20lbs, 13oz; his height 29 1/2in. He ranks just below the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight. He is definitely the tiniest of my children. If I remember correctly, Chase was probably off the charts at that age...a total chunk. Evie was 21 1/2lbs, 30 1/2in (60th, 90th respectively). I have attached some pictures of the kids at 1 year for comparison. Enjoy their chubby faces!
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