I knew today was going to be rough for Emilie because she had her one year well check and had to get immunizations. What I didn't know was just how rough rough would be. It started this morning. I put Em in the shower with me since she woke up before I could get ready for the day. She was having fun until she knocked down the plastic soap dish holder (it connects to a built in thing in the wall, kinda hotel like if that makes sense) and then sat on it and bruised and cut her little bum (not bad, but she was really sad.) Then we went for her well check and she was so sad the entire time. Normally she doesn't mind doctor's visits (except the getting dressed and undressed part) but today she just cried the whole time the doctor was in the room. Then came the shots. I hate when she has to get shots. She is always so happy and playful right before and then they poke her little chubby legs and she looks at me as if to say "What did you just do?" as she cries the saddest cry ever. I know they don't remember it and a few minutes later she was playing and fine, but I feel bad about it anyway. THEN we had to go to the lab to get her blood drawn for her lead levels and anemia (just routine one year lab work.) I was already feeling terrible for her after the shots and was about to skip the lab, but listened to the "good mom" on my shoulder and went ahead like I was supposed to. So, onto the lab where I find out it isn't just a heel prick, but a vein puncture in her arm. As much as I wanted to just walk away at that point I kept hushing the bad/overprotective part of me and said OK. Then, the girl drawing Em's blood couldn't find a good vein and went to get someone else who was supposedly great at poking babies. At this point I am worried and start having flashbacks of my very sick, dehydrated and jaundiced four day old baby being poked over and over and had bruises all over from it. I sit there and try to have confidence in this kid knowing he had little experience with babies (it was on base, where they usually do blood work for perfectly healthy grown men.) So he pokes my babe and digs around and around in her tiny arm for probably a full minute while she is screaming and crying big tears and he never finds the vein. He said to bring her back tomorrow to try again, with no confidence at all. I cried as we walked to the car because I felt so guilty that I even let them try when I knew they didn't really know what they were doing and weren't going to be able to get the sample. I will NEVER take her to the lab on base again. So, we go home and I call the pediatrician's office and tell them what happened and that I want to take her somewhere else. Now they tell me to just bring her back to the office tomorrow because the pediatric nurses there are great at drawing babies blood. SERIOUSLY!!! Why didn't they just do it there in the office in the first place? Sometimes I really hate military health care and how it make everything harder than it needs to be. Anyhow, Emilie recovered from her morning trauma and had a good rest of the day... until she ate a Christmas light off the tree. Well, that didn't seem to bug her but it gave me a good scare when she threw up a broken piece of a glass bulb. I called the nurse advice line and they said she should be okay, just make sure she doesn't vomit or poo any blood and that I have to dig through her diapers to make sure she passes the rest of it. I am so glad to see this day end. I'm not sure what else the day had in store, but I really don't want to find out cause my poor babe really didn't need any more owies. Okay, I'm done ranting and complaining, and am happy to be going to bed!
