I took all three kids to the pediatrician last week. Ellie needed a follow-up visit for a kidney infection and Addie and Macie needed well child checks and immunizations. L.J. was going to come along, but decided not to because his leg was hurting (more on that later). No big deal, I thought, realizing there would be a few shots and a few tears. That's nothing.
(All three girls are doing good, all three in the 50th% for height and weight with the exception of Macie's height - she is off the chart tall. {Note to self: most of my friends and relatives do a separate post on each child with specific stats for yearly appointments. Does that mean I'm a slacker when I can't really even remember the numbers except to the tenth place and clump all three of their stats together into one sentence? Yeah, probably.})
Ellie got her blood sugar checked - her sample from when she was sick showed a really high glucose. She had also been really thirsty all of the time - a hallmark sign of diabetes. Lots of anxiety for me as everyday I see the ravages of diabetes on patients of mine. Result=116. Big sigh of relief. It's normal.
Everything else checked out fine with her and the other girlies. Then the medical assistant came back in. She was carrying the immunizations + flu shots for them. She had eighteen syringes in her hands. EIGHTEEN! Five immunizations each + a flu shot. I started to panic. Not because of the needles (give me a break), not because my kids were getting shots, but beacuse I didn't know how I was going to hold and console three crying kids.
I quickly worked out the order in which I thought that things would go the smoothest. Macie first. She didn't know what was coming, and would probably be the easiest consoled. That worked well. There were some tears, but after a couple minutes and a sucker, all was right with her world again. But Ellie and Addie had watched and knew what they were in for. This was a tough decision, but I knew Addie would give us the most trouble, so I saved her for last. Ellie's turn it was. I told her it was her turn. She said, "okay." Really? "Okay?" She was supposed to fight and cry and tell me she didn't want to get shots. That would have made it easier. But "okay?" She even pulled her little pants down to her knees by herself so they could get at her thighs. As she sat there I said in her ear, "I'm so proud of you. This is going to hurt, and it's okay to cry. Squeeze my hand, okay? Cry as loud as you want. I'm not making you get these shots to hurt you, I'm making you get them so you will be healthy and strong. It will only hurt for a minute, but they will keep you healthy and strong for a long time, okay?" Her reply: "I know, Mom. It's okay." She was tough. Really tough. With each shot she said "ouch!" And by the sixth one, there were tears trickling down her face. There were tears trickling down my face too. For an instant, I thought I understood a bajillionth part of what our Heavenly Father felt seeing His Son suffer for our sins. He understood to some degree what had to happen. He knew it would hurt. But he did it so willingly. ("Okay.") Understanding that the suffering now would benefit so much in the future (I know Mom.) I'm so thankful for those little learning moments - the spiritual tender mercies that happen when you least expect them.
On with the rest of my story - Addie got her shots and, as expected, totally freaked out. But they were all in. All eighteen of them. Whew! Almost home-free, I thought. Turned out, not quite. Addie's freaking out made Ellie start to cry. Then Macie, who had totally stopped crying, started crying just because the other two were crying. (this is where the oh, the drama part comes in :)). They all sat there on my lap, fitting the best they could, and cried for about 5 minutes. Then one stopped. Then another stopped. Then finally, the last one stopped crying. Then Addie started crying again (I think the silence reminded her she was supposed to be crying). Then Macie started, then Ellie. And so it went for about 15 minutes. They finally all stopped crying long enough to make it out of the office. Then we had another 20 minute session on the couch right outside the office doors. FINALLY, after promises of treats at the store, were we able to make it to the car. Yep. LOTS of drama with three girls. Lots of tears. Lots of loves (and a little cursing L.J. because he wan't there to help). And a stronger testimony, too.
Being Thanksgiving this month, I've been focusing on realizing my blessings and the little tender mercies afforded to me on a daily basis - spiritual, physical, financial, whatever they may be. Like a couple days ago when I stepped away from the computer for a minute to change Addie's diaper. Macie climbed onto my chair, onto the table, and promptly dumped over my full 20 ounce water that was sitting right next to the computer. Somehow, it missed the computer and and just seeped underneeth. No damage done. But I know that should have dumped all over the laptop and fried it.
The next day, L.J. was doing laundry (sorry, he's still taken:)) and heard a rattling start in the dryer. He immediately stopped the dryer took it apart, and found a hair clip that got sucked through the filter and was about to be sucked into the motor, where it would have been irretrevable and it would have been time to shop for a new dryer (not a good time of year for that). But somehow, L.J. just happened to be standing there and turned off the dryer one second before it was too late. (L.J.'s leg is mostly healed, and he is walking/limping again. Things are starting to get back to normal again. It's so nice!)
Maybe it’s the hot bath and the slather of lavender vanilla lotion, but I feel so peaceful tonight. A kind of floaty bliss that just makes me smile a little bit. I am so incredibly, amazingly blessed, so lucky, so undeservedly fortunate that I’m humbled to just think of all the little beautiful things in my life. There are the Big things - home, family, health, safety, a job to do, a husband who loves me. And I had hot water for a long luxurious soak. And it’s 1 a.m. and I’m getting ready to snuggle down in this comfy bed. I hope you’re feeling blessed tonight, too.
