Shot Through the Heart

There are many wonderful things about motherhood. Natch. There are also a few not-so-wonderful mommy moments. Vying for first place in this category (and likely to take home the blue ribbon) is the dreaded "shot" day. The level of trepidation I experienced leading up to Lili's first round of vaccinations was practically debilitating. After researching vaccines for hours upon days upon weeks, and attempting to navigate the murky waters of both autism spectrum disorder and the Center for Disease Control, I had finally made moderate peace with our decision to vaccinate the girl. As it turned out though, moderate peace was insufficient when it came to pinning little Lili's arms down while the nurse injected her chubby little thigh with one, two, and THREE shots. No, no. Restraint is a job better left to the Mama. I much prefer to swoop in when all is said and done (and after the nurse has had ample time to rub my back and assure me that I'm not going to parental hell for inflicting pain upon my child) and offer up the all-soothing nursing session. Who actually needed to be soothed more, Mommy or Lili, remains undecided.

Naturally, the entire immunization process has become a little easier as Lili has gotten older. I would still rather suck on a live cattle prod for five minutes than have to watch my baby's smiling face crinkle with the realization of pain, but the aftermath is far less traumatic these days. Lili's most recent shot was the second round of her annual flu shot, which is recommended for all babies over six months of age, as well as anyone in contact with small children (Mama? Grandma Kool? Ahem.). This time, though, I was without my usual Mama "bad cop" and for days had been quietly wringing my hands in anticipation of having to hold Lili down while the nurse worked her vaccination magic. Most of our ride to the doctor's office consisted of my hollow explanations to Lili about the importance of herd immunity and recalling the recent tragic death of an otherwise healthy young man from the flu. To my great relief, her occasional grunts in response seemed to indicate that we were on the same page. Same page or not, however, I was stunned when, after Nurse McMeany gave Lili her shot...not a sound. A surprised look? Definitely. A moment's hesitation? Absolutely. But not a Single. Cry. Of. Pain. That's right. My girl is tough as nails. And so is her Mommy...at least until next time.