Jordan’s Visit to the Doctor

We just got back from Jordan’s two month check-up and my how my baby has grown.

In just eight weeks he’s gone from six pounds 15 ounces to 12 pounds six ounces! His doctor says he's a healthy … he's just a big boy.

But his weight wasn’t the only surprise. This baby was not phased at all by his visit. He slept through most of it and only fidgeted when he had to get his ears and mouth checked. We did have to do some maneuvering to get him to open his eyes so the doctor could get a good look them. He finally woke up enough for her to check his eyes and fortunately everything looked good.

Then it was the time I had been dreading ... immunization time.

I could hear several of the other babies in the office getting their shots and they were not happy. The faint screams reminded me of a previous experience and I was not looking forward to the whole process. Before she left the room, the doctor told me Jordan had to get five shots and take an oral immunization. Am I crazy or is that a lot for a two month old to have to endure? While we waited, I held Jordan close and tried to soothe him as best as I could -- getting him ready for what was to come. No parent likes to see their child hurting and just imagining the shots had me sick to my stomach.

Finally the nurse came in the exam room. I laid Jordan down and before I knew it she gave him the first and second stick in his right leg. OUCH! Jordan cried, but only briefly and stopped right after the second shot. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. No crocodile tears, no wailing -- just a mild cry. In fact, we get more tears than that during bath time. Then she went over to the other leg and gave him three more shots! I wanted to cry. Jordan did! But as soon as I picked him up he stopped. I cuddled him -- then kissed him and looked at him in the mirror, and once again -- the crying stopped. He was okay. I put him in his car seat and looked at him again. I was amazed at how he handled it. No more tears, not even those deep breaths many babies take after a hard cry. He’s my little warrior!

We then went to the front desk and made our next appointment (he’ll have to get more shots next time) and left. As soon as we got in the car, I called Todd to tell him how well Jordan handled all his shots. Jordan’s been sleep since we left, but I can’t wait until he wakes up so I can tell him how proud I am of him. It could have been much worse.

As for the rest of the family, we had an amazing Fourth of July (so yes -- that meant I really had to clean the house)! Both sets of grandparents came down for our barbecue. While Jordan slept through most of the festivities, Tyler was a little scared of all the fireworks in the neighborhood and when we took him to see the fireworks show -- he was, well, not impressed by the display. In fact, he found a nice bug that he played with until it was time to go. Kids never cease to amaze me.

Do you have any good stories about taking your child to the doctor?

How was your Fourth of July? I’d love to hear your family stories.