We've been SHOT!

Yesterday we had quite the day. We took all six kids to the doctor's office for shots! Isn't that an exciting event? All six needed flu shots, Bekah needed a full set of shots in addition, and Ammon need a booster shot of some sort. I know it is absolutely crazy to do all of them at once, but it is too time intensive to take them all separately. The funny thing is that all of the kids do GREAT except Hannah. Hannah is hysterically, deathly afraid of needles and blood and anything related to those two items. We discovered this fear when I was pregnant with Emma. I took Hannah (then 3) and Lizzie (about 20 months) to the doctor with me for a visit. At that appointment, I had to have blood drawn. Hannah absolutely REFUSED to go in the room with me. She stood in the hall freaking out. It was cute, though, because Lizzie was so little and she went with me. She held my hand and would say, "Good job, Mama." "So stinking cute. But anyway, I diverge...

Joe also has the same issues with needles and blood. He gets very light headed and passes out if it is too intense. We figure Hannah must have some genetic issue going on here. I feel badly for her when she gets pregnant or some such thing some day.

A couple of years ago in Virginia, I took Hannah in for some shots and she freaked out and was thrashing and kicking the nurse and stuff. Since that blessed event, I have refused to take her by myself. Last year, we tried blindfolding her and it helped quite a bit. So I figured this year wouldn't be too bad. Joe left work early to help (even with his issues with needles, he still tries to come help). We met at the doctors office. The first five kids did great. NONE OF THEM CRIED AT ALL! Not Caleb, not Emma, even Bekah had just a little bit of whimpering crying (and she was getting a LOT of shots).

I think we made a fatal error in letting Hannah go last. She had too much time to freak out. Let's just say that it took Joe, I, and two nurses holding a screaming/thrashing 8 year old down to get the stinking shot done. Ugh. Hannah then proceeded to have a total and complete meltdown for another hour. Sigh. We had screaming, throwing things, crying...like she was two years old again. She was careful to let us know how much she "hates us" and how we're so mean to her.

I don't know. Maybe next year she just won't get a flu shot. Getting influenza is TERRIBLE (Hannah contracted it when she was around 18 months and was so terribly sick). I'm thinking, though, that since she is an older child now that the actual flu may be better than the shot!

The kids running around outside of the doctors office. Hannah is under the blanket (we let her bring her blanket to "hide" in during the shots)

In the waiting room. Ammon was so funny. He wanted to be first because he said the anticipation was eating away at him. :)
We decided to split them up, so I took these older kids in first while Joe waited with the other three in the waiting room

Emma kept asking funny questions like "Will the shot go INSIDE my leg?" When I would answer yes, this is the face she would give me. I caught it!

My attempt at getting a picture of Hannah after the ordeal. She is just trying to kick the camera instead. You can notice Lizzie and Caleb feeling uncomfortable with sitting next to a spazzing out Hannah