Doctor checkups for Vanessa (age 4) and Eli (age 2)

Along with birthdays come the annual doctor check ups for the younger kiddos.  I was able to leave Violet and Calvin with a friend (thanks Kim!) while I took Vanessa and Eli to Dr. VanSickle's office.  I knew Vanessa needed two booster shots and didn't want the "drama of getting a shot" to be hyped up by the older two, because the question going to the doctor is predictable and inevitable, "Does she have to get a shot?"  I didn't want Vanessa to be freaked out by the idea. It worked like a charm by the way. 

I had to navigate through a lot of road construction to get to Kim's.  I picked up an iced mocha for her at Cabin Coffee prior to my arrival.  I dropped off Violet and Calvin and had to explain to Vanessa that she couldn't stay at Max's house (she was pretty mad).  We got to the doctor's office and her mood lifted when she realized she could push ALL the buttons to open doors and call elevators.  Eli in the stroller left her with nobody to fight with about that.  When we got to the fourth floor, by now they know the check in and play area well.  They darted over to the toys while I checked in.   They were looking out windows at the tiny cars and trucks (it was only four floors high so not like we were on top of a skyscraper or anything, but that's what it must have felt like to them), and running to and from every toy in the area.  The goofy concave mirror on the wall, wooden pegs, and play house. 

The nurse called us back after a few minutes and the exams started.  It felt very strange to be there with a 4 yr old girl and a 2 yr old boy AGAIN, because I'd just done that ohhhh...4 years ago with Violet and Calvin.  Sometimes my younger two feel like repeats of the older two. 

Vanessa got to stand on the big scale to be weighed (a whopping 34.4 pounds, haha) and measured 40 1/2" tall.  The nurse had me undress Eli down to his diaper and bring him to the "baby scale" and noted that this would be his last "weigh in" on the baby scale before graduating to the step-on one.  Eli weighed 30 lbs, 9 oz.  35 1/2" tall, 19 3/4" head.    While we were in that area, she did a quick vision screening on Vanessa asking her if she could see certain objects from far away, covering her right and left eyes.

Back in the room after the eye check and weigh-in, the nurse had Vanessa change into an exam robe and they took her blood pressure. 

 The nurse left, and while we waited for the doctor to come in, Vanessa wanted to play doctor so she climbed up on the exam table and pretended to sit and lay down.

 Eli found the little slide-out step stool and climbed up and jumped off continuously.

 Dr. VanSickle's exam. 

Both kids were declared extremely healthy (which makes one happy mama!).  The doctor left, and I knew the nurses were going to come in and give Vanessa her two vaccinations.  I told her then that she'd have to get two shots.  She got a worried face, but I told her that she would get her two pokes and then we'd be able to get stickers and I had a surprise for her (a sucker).  The nurses came in, and I laid her on the table.  They made quick work out of giving her the shots and must have done a pretty good job.  I held Vanessa's hands, watched her face, and she only winced.  When they were done they put cute little bandaids on her pokes and I stood her up.  She said, "That hurt!" and I gave her a hug.  She didn't cry or lose it at all.  She just had a sad face for a few minutes.  She cheered up after getting her stickers and suckers, and walking out, and then cheered up.  She knew she got to push all the buttons to call the elevator and open the doors as we walked out.  Overall a great doctor visit!