*alternate title: The Very Best Use For Party Favor Bags
By Rachel Ostlie
Today was a big big trip to the doctor for me and my Bunch (daughter, who just turned 3, and son, 19 months). They were each due for a check-up, plus they each needed a physical as we apply for new health insurance. What that translated to at the pediatrician's office was keeping two toddlers happy in a tiny exam room, a full-body exam for each, two shots and a TB test for Big Baby and three shots and a TB test for Little Baby.
Once they stopped crying, I told them we were going for a walk to see the fishies. Our pediatrician's office is attached to a medical center with a lab, and the lab waiting room has... a huge aquarium. So off we went, their tears forgotten and their hopes buoyed by the thought of fishies. Down one hall, turn a corner, wait to be registered, squirm in chairs as the lady behind the desk took forever to register us, then down another two halls and turn three more corners all to find... the fishies were gone. For some inexplicable reason, they got rid of the aquarium. Now the only consolation was a TV high up near the ceiling, which was only of interest to Big Baby girl.
As I filled out forms (No, they aren't both three years old. No, the boy isn't potty trained.) Little Baby ran wild. The lab technician attended to the next person in line, and I overheard her say “I have two babies I need to draw blood from. But I'll do you first. One of them looks very strong.” I'd like to think that “strong” was what she actually meant, instead of “a real pain in the neck.” So I waddled down the hall to a bathroom, encumbered by my bag, various medical forms, and three winter jackets, calling my ducklings to come with me. The next trial was getting my three-year-old to pee in a cup. It's hard enough for some adults to pee on command, but getting my daughter to do it, with a cup positioned under her little bottom, was a challenge. I ended up having to semi-submerge the cup in the toilet bowl, then lift it up as soon as she started. I didn't get pee on me, but I got who-knows-what from public toilet water. All this while keeping Little Baby from having his own playdate with the johns in the next two stalls.
Back to the lab that no longer had fishies. The lab technician decided she'd try to do Big Baby, who by then was calmly sitting on a couch playing with stickers. Though the blood drawing went painfully slow, we managed to get through it with her. Then it was Little Baby's turn, who is actually in truth VERY strong. Thankfully, by then a second lab technician had arrived, and while I held his body in a legs-plus-arms-bear-hug, the other lab tech held an arm, and the original tech drew the blood. My son's blood had more viscocity than his sister's, and the ordeal was over surprisingly fast. I pulled out the lollypops I had received from the pediatrician's office and saved for the occasion, and granted them all some more TV viewing in the waiting area before we did our long walk to the car, and then home again.
All this would have been a much more painful experience, had I not made a split-second decision before leaving that morning. One that I highly recommend to anyone in for a long trip to the doctor's office, since you don't even have to prep anything. I brought along a party favor bag for each kid. We had been at a birthday party on Saturday, and, as usual, I hid away (there are definite benefits to having kids so young) the ridiculous amounts of candy and useless trinkets that the kids received. Frequently, the candy just sits around and rots. But this time, it had a noble calling. It saved the sanity of a Baby Bunching mommy and two poked and prodded toddlers, with each sticker, trinket, mini-book, and candy piece it contained.
Rachel is a Baby Bunching mom of a daughter (3) and son (1.5). No persons were truly hurt in the writing of this post.
ugh, i feel your pain. I had to take my kids (18 months at the time and 3) to the dr. when my DD has pnuemonia which required xrays and shots and the whole shebang and it was unpleasant to say the least. I think I may have cried just as much as my little baby (the sick one who has severe stranger (doctor) anxiety). Wish I would have thought to bring a goody bag! What a great idea! I'll definitely remember that the next time we get a bag of useless crap at a b-day party! :)
Posted by: Kelly | Jan 25, 2011 at 02:53 PM
I have found the Happy Meal/Kids Meal toys are great for this, too. I'm not sure how, but I have a stash in my car for similar situations. But now I can't figure out how I wrestled these away from my kids. hmmmmmm....
Posted by: Linda | Jan 25, 2011 at 07:02 PM
For us the trick to the doctor's office has been finding a REALLY great doctor that interacts well with the girls. That and finally figuring out that our older daughter who's always been more comfortable around men would prefer a male doctor. *lol*
Posted by: Molly | Jan 25, 2011 at 11:46 PM