A painful day for mom

Well, mom, dad and baby survived the 2-month checkup yesterday.

I had been dreading it for a week or so. Just the thought of someone sticking this sweet baby of mine a half-dozen times brought tears to my eyes. On top of that, I had a lot of worries about whether all the vaccines are safe and whether such a small person could handle that many shots.

I told the nurse that I was nervous and she reassured me that the shots were safe, that babies' immune systems are bombarded with bugs from the moment they're born and that they'd seen a big decline in some of the illnesses in her 20 years at that office.

Then she checked Sawyer's weight (he's up to 12.5 pounds) and length (22.5 inches). After talking to the doctor about our other concerns, he bent down on Sawyer's level and said, "Your mom and dad have probably been telling you about these shots you're going to get today. They're going to hurt a little bit, but they're going to keep you safe from a lot of nasty illnesses."

That one little gesture might not have made Sawyer feel better about the whole ordeal (since he had no idea what was coming), but it did help his mother.

He gagged down the oral virus and then Ray talked to him while they stuck him three times. I tried not to look (since I hate needles AND was already feeling rotten about his pain) but I turned just in time to see his little face crumple and the first wail come out.

It was hard, but somehow I made it without any tears of my own. Hopefully, the next two dozen shots will go just as well for us all.