Extremes

In the midst of post partum depression, it's easy to go from one extreme of emotional reality to another, but what's the excuse for a toddler? I took all 3 girls (by myself) to the pediatrician today so that Juliana and Grace could have their flu shots. To begin with, that's a crazy venture and any mom of more than 2 can tell you why. But since this is my blog, I'm going to tell you too. ;-)

Ooh first I have to BRAG on Grace. She still won't wear clothes when she's at home but I finally got her to be OK with wearing clothes when we leave the house! It started when I took the advice of my shrink and got her a special lovey toy just from me to just her, that she could carry with her and know that my love was in it. The theory being it would help her transfer some of her anxiety and control issues into this toy. It's a "puffball" from the Barbie Fairytopia movie, whose character is named "Bibble." I actually have photos of her IN CLOTHES! I'm so happy because it's been a losing battle to get this girl to keep her clothes on without a screaming crazy tantrum. She's also spontaneously wearing clothes in the house if she sees a shirt or something she likes. Today she wore a purple sock and a pink sock with some flowery underwear for a couple of hours, then easily transitioned to a real shirt, jeans and princess shoes to go to the flu shots in. Of course as soon as we got home the clothes came off, but she did keep the shoes on. That's progress! I'll take it!

OK the plan was to get out the door at 4:15 to avoid rush hour traffic and make the 4:50 appointment. Why they make appointments for the clinic when it's first-come-first-serve I don't know. All of the shots were spoken for, so as long as you showed up you were guaranteed a shot. First order of craziness was going into the pedi's office to be told to go across the hall to the OB's waiting room because it was larger and because that's where the flu clinic was set up. The waiting room was PACKED with nervous FTM's, FTD's and bored BTDT parents too. Tons of kids, all nervous and none willing to get stuck with a needle. There was a partition up on the far end of the waiting room where the administering nurse was, surprisingly chipper but maybe because she knew she was only there for an hour and as soon as each crying child was done, he'd be dragged out by the collar by his frazzled mother. There was another nurse set up near the entrance with a big folder full of sheets with every child's name on it. The poor woman was so frustrated because kids and mothers kept interrupting her or trying to "cut" the line. Kids everywhere. Mine included. Every now and then Grace tried to escape to the play room in the other office where our pediatrician actually was. The whole time clutching Bibble. Juliana kept making friends and trying to share personal information. Anneliese just kept looking around. Thankfully she sat on the floor near Juliana for the times I had to run across the waiting room to get Grace before she walked out the door with someone who was leaving.

Our number is called and Juliana sits in the chair, but she argues with the nurse as to why she didn't want a stupid flu shot. She tensed so the poor kid is sore and has a warm bump on her arm, and she keeps telling me hours later how she hates flu shots. Grace had to be held on my lap, and cried when she saw the needle. When she cries, people always laugh because until you see the look of abject misery on her face, you think she might be laughing instead of crying. She was fascinated with the bandage the nurse put on her arm, and decided that since the nurse let her play with 2 more bandages that she wanted to stay to help the nurse. The kid wouldn't LEAVE! After all the chasing her back into the waiting room, it was time to go and she didn't want to! I had my purse on my right shoulder, Anneliese on my right hip, and grasping Grace's wrist (without hurting her) by my left hand. I had to get Juliana to stop talking to her new friend Abigail so that she could take Grace's left hand and we could walk to the car together. I pulled out my Trump card though and declared: "You girls were so good that I'll give you Hershey Kisses, but they're in the car. Why don't you help me go get them???" A father who apparently was leaving the insanity to his wife laughed loudly and says "Aahh you brought the heavy artillery!" Damn straight I went prepared. Chocolate really is the answer to life's problems.

Anneliese decides in the car that she needs kiddie music (that stuff drives me nuts but I end up singing along) and Grace decides she REALLY wants to go back inside. I reminded her of the Hershey Kisses and all was golden. It was even quiet in the car on the way home. Thank you Little People music tapes! Thank you Hershey! You guys rock!

And tomorrow I get to do it all over again! Well, I'll be minus one child. Anneliese turned 9 months old this past Saturday, and her check-up is tomorrow at 1:00. She's getting her flu shot then. Better, but the kid who walks without being dragged will be at school. It's Grace who I have to fling over my shoulder sometimes to leave a place she doesn't want to leave. She hates the dr's appointment and the exam room, but she LOVES the play room since it's jammed full of learning toys. I've actually left her in the waiting room with the nurse watching her to put the other 2 kids in the car before so that I could have both hands free to pick her up over my shoulder to get her to leave. I was afraid it would come to that tonight but thankfully I had chocolate muwah ha ha ha haaaaaa!

It's bed time so I'm off!