Brave Boys

In the matter of 1 week this summer I took Vincent to the doctor for his 5 year checkup, which includes a lot of vaccinations.  I took Joel to have his blood drawn for a lead screening and Vincent to the eye doctor.  Cecilia lucked out on not having to participate in the doctor appointments for the week.

Vincent doesn’t mind going to the doctor, so I wasn’t too worried about his appointment.  I brought the two little kids with us to the appointment.  I don’t know why, but I did and they were very good!  Vincent had heard in preschool from classmates that the doctor’s appointment included a lot of shots.  He was not happy about it.  When he told me I said yes you get shots and I explained what vaccines are and why it is so important to get them.  Then I added that he was probably braver than his friend at school and he would do great.  Probably not the best technique, but I couldn't think of anything else.  That was about 1-2 months before the doctor’s appointment.  Vincent spent his time at his appointment chatting with the doctor.  Before the doctor left he asked me in a whisper if Vincent knew about the vaccines.  I said kind of but I would tell him before the nurses arrived to give the vaccines.  I said “Vincent, you need to get some pokes in your arm.  Do you want Joel to give them or the nurses?  Joel has never done it before but the nurses are really good at giving pokes.”  He quickly chose the nurses because he didn’t want Joel to vaccinate him in the eye or teeth.   When the nurses came in he took the shots really well, his lip quivered and he said that it really hurt, but there was no crying!

We generally camp around the 4^th of July.  Then when we get back I take Vincent to the doctor.  I am going to stop doing that.  Last year Vincent had a terrible burn on his leg from camping, this year a mosquito bite in the corner of his eye that caused his entire eye to swell shut.  It was terrible!  He rarely gets sick so they just see him once a year looking like he has been beat up.

Bug bite 2 days after it happened!

Joel had to get blood drawn for a lead screening, one of the perks to growing up in an old house.  I was so proud of how well he did.  He just sat on my lap, was very still and didn’t even make a peep!  I was cheating a little bit by letting him have my iPhone, but oh well.  I was just happy to have it over without a wrestling match.  That kid is strong and determined and it could have been bad.

Vincent also went to the eye doctor this summer!  He was so excited to get to go to the eye doctor.  He must have asked me at least 10 times if it was his turn yet while we were in the waiting room.  Then he happily greeted the nurse when she came to get us and take us around to do a lot of the screening tests before we saw the eye doctor.  He then was so enthusiastic about every “cool” machine they had and loved playing the “games” at every station.  When they took a picture of his eye he thought it was the coolest thing ever! 

He looked so time sitting in that big chair

Then he was thrilled to meet the eye doctor and sit in the big chair and tell him what pictures he was seeing.  The only problem we had was that he didn’t know what one of the pictures was.  I didn’t either!  It kind of looked like a heart, but kind of like an apple.  Vincent’s eye sight is just where it needs to be and even if he does need glasses someday I don’t think he will mind going back to see the eye doctor.