It’s good to start your day off with a laugh.  I imagine everyone’s kids bring them joy.  And just about everyday Matthew does something that makes me smile.  However, yesterday morning he had me falling out of my chair (literally) laughing.

18 months and counting

The little guy had an appointment for his 18 month checkup. Both Anne and I were there and everything went well.  He is in the 90th percentile for weight and the 96th percentile for height (no surprise there).  So after going through the routine and the Dr. asking us a few questions – and vice versa, she mentioned that he was due for a couple of shots.

So a few minutes later a nurse heads in with 2 needles and asks that Matthew sits on one of our laps.  He was close to me, so I propped him up and crossed his arms to look as though he was giving himself a hug.  I imagine the nurse learned the hard way and may have gotten 5 fingers across the face from a toddler at one point in her career.

As you could guess, the moment the needle goes in, he started to cry.  He received a shot in each leg in a matter of moments.  I continued to hold him as his crying grew louder and louder.  The nurse swiftly placed a band-aid over each spot on his leg that now had a drop of blood.

By this time Matthew was wailing pretty loudly.  Tears were streaming down his face and he was inconsolable.  I’m repeating “It’s alright… it’s ok” while softly rocking him back and forth.  However, I don’t think anyone could hear a word I was saying over his screams.  With tears now streaming down his bright red face, the nurse quickly gathered her stuff and headed out the door.

bye bye

As she was leaving, Matthew stops everything and whispers, “bye, bye” as he waves his hand simultaneously.

I immediately started laughing.  Anne started laughing.  Then Matthew started laughing.

In an instant, Matty went from terror screams… to belly laughs.

For a few minutes we all sat there laughing hard, so much to the point that my stomach started hurting and my face had turned red.

I’ll take the trade off of screams to laughter any day of the week!