Doctor's Office Bravery (Project 358: Day 75)

Day 75: Two-Year Checkup

Last Wednesday, Elinor had her two-year "well child" appointment at Kaiser. She's been two years old since Christmas Eve, but we kept rescheduling the appointment because the kids have been bombarded with one virus after another this Winter and we didn't want her to have to get shots while sick. She was still battling a cold this past week, but was energetic and in good spirits, so we decided to just get the appointment over with.

We checked in and, after a short wait, Elinor was measured and weighed and we were led back to our pediatrician's office by a friendly woman whom I assume is a Medical Assistant. Once in the room, Elinor quickly assessed the situation. She grabbed a chair, pushed it up next to the examining table, and used it to climb aboard. She laid down on the table and stared up at the ceiling for a few seconds before turning to the Medical Assistant and asking, "Should I sit up?" We all got a chuckle out of that one, including Evan, who insisted that Elinor's appointment be scheduled at a time that would allow all of us to attend; it was very important to him to be able to hold her hand during the vaccinations.

The exam with the doctor was pretty uneventful: here's a book for you, Elinor; numbers look good; eyes, ears, throat, lungs, fingers, toes, all healthy; well, she seems to have quite the vocabulary; any questions? concerns? no? okay, well, a nurse will be in shortly with the shots, she'll be getting two today.

Elinor very clearly remembered the last time she received vaccinations and would bring it up from time to time. She remembered it hurting, her crying, the little round bandaids, the stickers given at the end of it all. Because she remembered the last time so clearly, we made sure to talk to her about this round of shots ahead of time; we didn't want to spring it on her at the last minute. So, a day or so before the appointment, we told her that she was going to the doctor and that she would have to get shots again. We told her that even though they hurt, it is only for a short time and that they are important for her health. We said that she was a very brave girl and we knew she would do great. And besides, we would all be there with her to help her through.

Well, when it came time for those shots, that girl was most certainly brave. She laid down on the table, Stephen holding her legs gently to prevent her pulling away mid-shot, Evan standing next to her, holding her hand in order to comfort her. (My goodness, the look of concern on his face as he held his sister's hand just killed me. That boy will always look out for his sister, no doubt in my mind about that.) First shot administered and you could see Elinor's muscles tense ever so slightly as she let out a nearly inaudible grunt. I know it sounds silly, but in that moment, I was intensely proud of my daughter, so brave! Second shot administered, and she broke, the tears came. Stephen held her and kissed her. Evan and I rubbed her back and legs and told her we were proud. In retrospect, as I write this, it all seems so melodramatic. But at the time, the tiny examination room was filled with emotion. Funny how you can get so wrapped up in moments that later seem so small.

Now on to the numbers...

Elinor's Stats (Two Years, Three Months):

• Weight: 26 lbs 6 oz (34th percentile)
• Height: 3 feet (80th percentile)
• Head Circumference: 19" (63rd percentile)

Stephen and I (and the doctor) were surprised by her growth percentile for height. She seems so teeny!

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For Elinor's second birthday, I made a slideshow of photos from her first two years of life and set it to music. I "premiered" it at her birthday party and afterward posted it to Facebook. I planned on posting it on my blog alongside her birth story, as I had done for Evan when he was three and a half, but never got around to doing so. I still plan on writing down her birth story at some point, but it's not happening anytime soon. So, I am linking the slideshow to this post just to get it on the blog. I'm sure that most of you, if not all, have seen it before. Of course, I highly recommend watching it again. If I do say so myself, the girl is pretty darn cute. ;-)

Elinor: 2 years old from Alison Silack on Vimeo.