The Shot Heard Around The World

I have witnessed and experienced the deepest level of misery EVER..a baby who is sick! And not just any baby, MY BABY! I can't remember anything being more upsetting then holding Jules the past two days when she is clearly miserable.

She had her first round of shots on Wednesday. Three shots and one liquid dose. I have been dreading this appointment since we took her home from the hospital. I made the appointment around hubby's lunch time because there was no way I was going to be the only one going to be put through parent hell. Plus I would need him there in case I had to leave the room. When I was younger my mom would take me to my sisters vaccination appointments and I would have to wait in the lobby because I was crying so hard. I hated the thought of someone giving my sister a shot and now I had to live through someone giving my little baby one! And not just one shot THREE shots! SOMEONE HAVE MERCY ON US! And just to add insult to injury, Jules and I were coming down with a very mild cold. So things were not looking up for us.

The well baby appointment went well. Jules is healthy, happy and growing just perfectly. In fact she is off the charts in height!! My little super model. The whole time our pediatrician is telling us all these glowing things about Jules all I could think about was... when does she pull out the needles? Again, thank goodness hubby was there to listen to the doctor because my mind was on something else!

What a smart doctor we have, she doesn't give the shots. She has the nurse do it. Why be the bad guy?!? So in walks the little Russian nurse to poke my little angel.

We had to stretch out Juliette on the bed and help hold down her legs. Yes, can you imagine this?!?! ITS PURE TORTURE! Why hasn't someone invented immunizations that can be given in a lolly pop?

Here we go... the moment of truth...

First shot clearly pisses off Juliette as she slowly realizes what just happened to her. Second shot, like a bullet to the heart she is unhappy. By the third and final shot Juliette's face gets the color of a red I have never seen before. Oh all things holy this girl is going to blow!!!!

And she did... the tears came, the scream.

Someone just shoot me now!

I grab her up into my arms and try my hardest not cry. Don't show her how much it pains me to see her in pain. Keep my energy happy and soothing. (that's what I am trying to do but I don't think that's how I came across) At this point I can't tell if she is still upset about the shots or the fact I am squeezing her to death.

She is calm now and able to be placed back into her car seat. I get her into the car. I am even able to run an errand to the grocery store. We get home we lay down on the couch together and take a nice long nap. Ahhhhh, peace.

And then we enter the twilight zone.

Ohhhhhh the fussiness was just so miserable. There was really nothing I could do to make it better. She got a low grade fever and just needed her mommy. Poor hubby came home to find her crying and me crying. I just couldn't stand that I couldn't sooth her.

This went on and off for two days.

We are fine now... and really Jules wasn't "that" bad but it was a new low for me. I just physically couldn't stand her being unhappy. It broke my heart. And this was just a low grade fever and cold.

And here's the big problem, she is only going to get more colds, more vaccinations as she grows. ARGH!

This parenthood business is tough! T O U G H!