And once again...

I have a sick baby.  Seriously, let's get to the bottom of this already and be done!!  Both of the boys had their routine check up appointments yesterday.  It was the first time that Carter would see the new group.  He wasn't hesitant at all, probably because I didn't tell him he'd be getting shots.  I have to play my cards right.  They called us back and we patiently waited in the room. Talk about trying to keep a four year old (who was in his Buzz Lightyear underwear), and a seven month old entertained in a small room... workout!  The doctor came in and Carter jumped to his feet.  Mr. Personality was all excited to meet Dr. Egan.  She asked to see his muscles and he held out his little tiny arm and waited for her to feel.  She assured him he had huge muscles.  :)  She then went through all the routine questions about eating, sleeping, behavior, etc.  Carter told her eats all his vegetable (1/2 true), all his fruit (true), all his protein.  She looked at me after each question and I would either nod yes, or no.  With the protein I said he gets his protein from milk, and chicken nuggets.  Dr. Egan just laughed and said she hears that all the time!  He weighed 39 pounds, and was 41" tall.  The doctor told us to get in some more protein to get his muscles even stronger, and that the sleeping issue well... her words were, "He's playing you mom!"  So, no more playing this momma!!! :)

On to Tucker bear.  He weighed in at a whopping 19lbs. 5oz. and he was 28".  Big boy, big appetite, what can I say.  She asked if he was eating baby food and cereal.  I said, "what isn't he eating?"  The kid loves table food.  He has a few jars of baby food left, but you try to feed him those and he bucks and snorts until you give him whatever we are eating.  Once I get these last jars out, we're done with that stage of year one.  It seems like everything is going so fast with Tucker.  Maybe because I already know what to expect, and what to do... maybe because I know this might be the last time I buy baby food, or feed him or a little one from that tiny spoon.  Dr. Egan called him our little linebacker, and gave him an a-okay bill of health.

Then it was time.  The moment I had dreaded all day.  With Carter, I knew it was going to be an issue.  That is why I told the nurse to do his shots first because if he saw Tucker fall apart, he would surely fall apart on me.  He crawled in my lap and she gave him the flu mist.  I thought to myself, YUCK... there is no way I could snort that stuff up my nose, I'd rather have a shot.  I didn't tell him that though.  I told him to sniff like he was smelling a flower, and he did.  Then he looked at me like, that didn't smell like a flower ma! Now it was time.  The real ones, the ones that would send chaos echoing down the hall. I had him look out the window across the way to see if he saw anything on the roof of the next building.  He looked, she poked, and he screamed!!  It was that scream of, 'holy moly what did you just do to me, I wasn't expecting that!'  Then, he saw her coming towards him with the second one... he bucked, he snorted, he kicked (he nearly kicked the poor girl between the legs), bowed his back, and looked at me with the most pitiful look ever.  I tried to calm him and let him know that it would only hurt for a minute.  Gator tears were streaming down his face.  I was pouring sweat by this point.  Tucker, he was just watching from the stroller like what's the big deal dude, just take it.  Little did he know he was next.  Four shots later, he sat in the chair shaking.  What kind of mother am I was the look I was getting from him.  He wanted to be mad at me, he wanted me to love on him, and he was confused.  Poor guy, pure trauma.  

We waited for the next nurse to come in to give Tucker his shots.  Carter asked why was I putting Tucker on the table, surely they weren't going to do the same thing to him!!  He told me, "Momma, don't let them give Tucker those shots, they hurt!"  "Is he going to cry momma, will that lady stick him like she did me?"  Poor guy, all I could think was I had seriously traumatized him and now I was going to make him watch his brother go through the same thing.  The nurse came in and Carter's eyes got big and he said, "he doesn't have to get them momma."  I told him to just sit quietly and we'd be out of there. Butterball (a.k.a Tucker) laid on the table kicking and smiling, until... STICK!  He looked at me, then STICK, gasp! SCREAM!!!  His face turned red, then purple and the screams got louder and louder.  Once again, I'm trying to console him, keep Carter away from the table so the nurse could finish and yet I'm sweating like it's 103 degrees in there!  The nurse finished, I said, "Thank you" and she left.  Two crying babies, 8 shots total and I said, "Thank you?!"  What mother says, thank you for shots?  

I did my best to get both of the calmed down, Tucker strapped in the stroller, made sure we had everything, snatching a few Kleenex for Carter's runny nose, and then Carter says, "momma, I really have to pee!"  So, off we go down the hall.  Tucker still screaming, Carter sniffling and everyone looking at us.  Granted, I knew I wasn't the only mom in there with crying kiddos, but my two were off the chain!!!!

Finally, we make our way to the check out desk.  I laughed and told the receptionist that we were the ones causing all the ruckus!  She looked at me and said, "wow!  I thought we had a torture chamber back there!"  Thanks lady, thanks a lot.  As if I didn't feel bad enough about inflicting pain upon my kids you go and tell me it sounded like a torture chamber.  Thanks.... see you next time!

We didn't make it out of the parking lot and they were both out.  When we made it home Carter asked why did that lady stick him with those sticky shots?  I tried to explain that they are supposed to help him from getting sick from things like the chicken pox.  He says, "Momma, I don't like chicken pox!  I like chicken nuggets!!!!"  Cute, huh?  They both seemed fine until around 7:30 last night when Tucker started vomiting.  Then came the diarrhea, and we are still dealing with fever & diarrhea this morning.  Carter, he's fine.  Tucker on the other hand, poor guy just can't seem to catch a break this past month.  He's sleeping now and has been since about 10:00.  I hope when he wakes up that we can be on the road to happier, healthier days. The nurse on call last night said that it could be a reaction to the rotavirus vaccination he was given, or that he could have picked up a stomach bug in the office  because they saw several cases yesterday.  GREAT, WONDERFUL, THANKS!!!!  

Please pray my little guy gets better soon.  Through it all, he's still smiling and blowing endless bubbles and spit at us but I know he's tired of being the poo monster.  ***Maybe, I'm tired of him being the poo monster***

Lysol, Clorox, and GermX are going to know me on a first name basis before winter gets here!!!

Happy day to all, God bless!

PS.  I've been lacking in the picture department lately... I've been up to my eyes in dirty diapers, dirty clothes, and a house that looks like a pig sty!  I'll get back on the picture wagon, soon.  I hope!