Today Leilani got vaccinated – on the way to the clinic I explained to her she’d get an “Owie” or “Booboo” and she needed to be brave. It took almost all of the way there to answer all “Whys”
…”Poor Leilani, you’ll get a booboo” “No booboo” – “The uncle doctor needs to give you a booboo.” “Why?” “So you won’t get sick” “Jaya Booboo?” “Yes Jaya also got vaccinated and a booboo. She was very brave, did not cry at all” “Jaya. Booboo. Brave” (pointing to her leg) “Booboo? Why?””So you won’t get sick” “Why?” “Sick is a big ouwie. Uncle doctor poking you is just a little ouwie” and so on. After a while it got old and she requested “Sing Mommy.”
In the waiting room she was very good, but inside the treatment room, whatever the nurse wanted her to do made her afraid like stepping on the scale, or taking temperature, but I could really see how hard she was working on being brave. When the nurse finally came with the syringe I told her now it was going to hurt a little, and she needed to be brave like Jaya and herself the last time she was vaccinated – and she was. She was so relieved when it was over and she got a Bugs Bunny band aid which she treasured (even showed it to Andy when he got home).
I cheered her and told her how brave she was, the nurse then told her she could have a sticker and let her pick “Just one” from a big bucket. Of course Leilani picked two – both Bratz stickers of all things. “Just one Leilani” “Why?” “You can have just one” (checking out if the answer matters…) “Why?” “Because there is just one sticker for every child” “Why?” “So that everyone can have one. We need to share” (Keyword here :-) Leilani put the blue sticker back and kept the pink one, said “Tat Yu. Up. Home.” (Thank You. Pick me up and let’s go home) and off we went.
Andy adds: I took Leilani back to Lihue the following day for shopping, and when we got near in the car, she started saying something I could not figure out. When I turned around to look at her, she was pointing to her leg (where she was vaccinated) and I realized she was saying “Bugs Bunny.” Since she seemed to be saying it with a little anxiety, I reassured her that there would be no ouwie today, just shopping (but I didn’t confuse her by saying “Daddy Mastercard ouwie”). I did look for the Bugs Bunny band-aids, but ended up with Hello Kitty ones (kitten + pink). You would not believe how many kids’ band-aids they make, all with the latest animated movie characters, none of which looked cute or even remotely pretty.