shots

I laid Brody down on the bed that was covered with a thin role of white disposable paper. Only in his diaper, he smiled while still balancing his Seahawks binkie in his mouth. "Coooo," grinned Brody as he looked up at me with his sleepy eyes. He had just woken from a nap in my arms as we waited for the nurses to come in.

"Oh he is so cute!" exclaimed the older nurse, with the kind face.

"And oh my! He is just so long! Isn't he just such a long little boy?" asked the younger nurse, with the pretty smile.

"Oh yes, you are right! He is one long little guy!" replied the older nurse.

As they opened the sterile packages on top of the rolling cart they had just brought in the room, the younger nurse said to the older one, "Oh, how I hate this part. Remember, it's your turn to do two of them, I did two last time."

"I know, I know, don't remind me," replied the older nurse.

"Here, you just stand over here, and hold his little knees straight," said the younger nurse, pointing me over to the end of the bed. "And I'll stand over here," she said as she stepped over to the right side of my little boy lying innocently on the bed looking up at us curiously.

The older nurse took her spot on the left, and said in a caring voice, "Okay, now, on the count of three. Ready?" She glanced over to my nervous face. "Alright, one. Two. Three."

With one shot in each of his chubby little thighs, his happy, tired, curious face transformed into an expression that is almost indescribable. His little eyes closed as his body became stiff. His face, arms, and neck all became red immediately and there was a half second of silence.

And then there was the scream. A long, loud scream, that almost broke my heart.

The older nurse, quickly picked up the third and final shot, "Okay, one more. One. Two. Three." Brody continued to get redder and sadder looking as he let us all know how much he hated what was happening at the moment. Three tiny circle bandaids were placed on his little legs, and I was free to pick him up... finally.

Wrapping him up in his blanket, and patting his back, his scream immediately turned to a more recognizable cry, which sent some relief through my body. It's amazing how Brody's terrified scream made me so warm. I felt like we were in a sauna rather than a doctor's clinic.

"You can stay in here as long as you would like. You can feed him or whatever you need to do. Just leave the door open when you are all done, and we will know you have left," explained the older nurse as they wheeled the cart out of the room.

They closed the door behind them, and Brody and I were all alone. His cry was lightening down to little whimpers, and I wiped the small tears from his little innocent face.

What an experience that was. I know that it is for the better. I would never want Brody to become sick because I didn't choose to get him shots, but it was seriously so sad to see his face turn from so content to so terrified. I did not like it. However, the benefits definitely outweigh the negatives, so I just need to remember that. This is one of the many parts of motherhood that will teach me to be strong.