2 Year Check Up

The following story is pure Parker. When it's not her way, it's not going to happen.

I took you in for your two year check up this morning. I've always been the one to take you girls to the doctor and other than the moment of shots, it's always been a friendly happy place for you. Until today. Today was horrid. Today was terrible. Today was exhausting for everyone. We arrived at the office and you were happy to play in the waiting room, spread books around and drink/play with the water fountain. Then the nurse called us back, and it all went downhill quick. You would not stand on the scale so we moved on and figured we could come back to that. You were fine while she asked me questions about your development, including "Does she have tantrums/fits?" to which I answered "yes." Then she needed to listen to your heart, and your response was to scream, cry and flail. She tried and tried, but there was no chance. So, we moved on to taking your temp, which somehow we did get done. Back to the heart, no way. So we tried to lay you on the table to measure you. I don't know what number she came up with, but with the three lines above your head and the scraggly one at your foot, it couldn't have been right. The end of the line seemed to be your head circumference. NO WAY were you having it! Eventually we had to get you on the scale, and since you wouldn't stand on the big girl scale I had to get your clothes off to use the baby one. Have I mentioned that you were kicking and screaming?? Well, you were. The nurse took you from me and told me to go into the room while she tried to weigh you. I have no idea if she actually weighed you or if she made it up since no one was watching, but there's a number in your file and it's over so I don't care. She determined that her numbers, other than weight, were off so she sent the doctor in to try. We got to do it all over again! Fun! I have to tell you that you are one lucky kid, because Dr Foley and her staff are all saints. They never got frustrated with you (or at least didn't show it), and may have even given you a little sympathy. At some point in your fit you broke open the scab on your arm and had blood dripping everywhere. So, we had to wrestle with you to get a band aid to cover that and to wipe blood off of you and me. Dr Foley got some numbers down that she could live with and we moved on. Finally it was time to take a drip of blood for a hemoglobin test and give you your one shot that was due. We all braced ourselves and you for the worst. I held you down, Payton cowered behind me very very concerned over the whole ordeal, and the nurse started jabbing. I'm not sure who started crying first, you or your sister, but I do know who cried longer - PAYTON. As soon as the nurse pulled away from you you were over it. Payton was not. So now I'm trying to console you and Payton and get you dressed and escape this evil place, while keeping all of your bleeding parts off of my white t-shirt. We did make it out of there and you did live, but I'm not really sure how or if we'll ever be able to go back. I'm not sure that I can live that experience again.