Check Ups

This post was inspired by Safire over at Waterfalling Up - she has a new blog design and lots of cool giveaways this week.  Check her out!

In the past I have always scheduled the girls' yearly checkups on a Saturday so that Andy could come with me.  It was just too nuts with me bringing them by myself.  This year I couldn't get a Saturday appointment close to their birthday so I just picked something during the week and decided this was the year they would just have to learn to start behaving.  And, thankfully, they did a pretty good job.

They both wanted to bring their doctor's kits with them and I thought it was a great idea.  Getting all the parts into the teeny box was another story - why do they make that box so shallow?  Sheesh. 

One girls sat while the other was being checked.  This is a very small office, only one doctor and 2 nurses, so the girls know everyone.  I chose a practice like this on purpose because I didn't want to see a different doctor everytime I took them - I like consistency.  He is an internist, too, so he is Andy and my doctor as well.  I like small town livin'.

First were the height and weight checks - Katie is about 2 inches taller and 3 pounds heavier than Maddie, but that was no surprise.  All you have to do is look at them to see that.  Katie is all muscle - it amazes me.  Maddie is still soft and jiggly - just like her mommy!

They had their eyes checked, too - and they both did great.  I have a feeling that they will both end up with glasses someday, considering Andy, I, and all our parents had glasses - and all but one of our brothers.  But for now they are fine. 

They get the biggest kickout of that blood pressure thingy.  The use their toy ones at home constantly on anyone or anything that will sit still.  Me, Andy, their dolls, stuffed animals, you name it.  If it has a limb it will have its blood pressure checked.  So you can imagine how much they LOVED seeing the real thing in action and having someone do it to them. 

This part of the exam went great - nothing to set them off.  I knew they were getting shots and I casually mentioned it to them once or twice so I let them practice on my at home with their little pink syringe that came with their kit.  I made them do it to my arm fast and then I would say "Ouch!  Hey - that was fast - not bad at all."  I didn't want to pretend that it wouldn't hurt, it felt like lieing, but I wanted them to know that it was over quickly.  They always laughed at me and I would laugh back.  I felt like Pavlov trying to condition my girls to laugh at the sound of my "ouch!"

Once we got into the examining room we had to put those little gowns on them - and the looked so cute!

That kit came out again and kept them very nicely occupied - they just kept examining each other.  They finally they got to see their buddy, Dr. B.  He is such a calm person - it's so nice.  No rushing - no talking fast - he thinks before he responds to my questions - it's such a nice atmosphere for the girls.  He tells them what he's going to check - the other one watches - it's great. 

Dr. B doesn't do their shots - he has the nurse take care of that.  He doesn't want the girls to associate him with the pain.  The nurses laugh and are like, "sure - let them blame us!"  But it is a good idea.

They took their shots (2 each) in stride (just a little crying but I kept saying "It's over fast, right?  Right?" and they agreed through watery eyes) and were rewarded with Dum Dums - brown for Katie (she loves the root beer) and Maddie likes the orange ones.  Mommy snagged a cherry!

It was a great visit and I was very happy that they behaved so well.  It easily could have gone the other way. 

And now they love to say, "No more shots until next year! Yay!"