As we wrote yesterday, we took both Tony and Enzo to the doctor this week for dueling appointments. Tony was scheduled for a pre-op exam and Enzo was scheduled for his one-month checkup.
The appointment times were back-to-back, but we all went into the room together. The nurse examined Enzo first, who didn’t make a sound as he poked and prodded his head, stomach, legs and arms.
Then, the nurse asked Tony to take his shoes off. We cannot get Tony to keep his shoes on while in the car or at home, but he broke down into a tantrum when this request was made by the nurse.
He finally complied and removed his shoes, but this was not the end of the tantrums despite an easy appointment for Tony. We went into the hallway to stand on the big-boy scale and to measure his height.
This caused another meltdown. Tony did not want to get on the scale, so I put him on there, and then he didn’t want to put his arms at his side. Instead, he began touching the buttons on the scale, turning it on and off. Once we finally got him weighed, it was time to measure his height.
Tony was ok with this, but wanted to play with the tape measure the office had installed on the wall.
He also wanted the handheld tape measures the nurse and the doctor used, the stethoscope, the thermometer and the otoscope. When told that these items were not toys, Tony absolutely broke down.
After being examined by the nurse, Tony wanted Mommy to hold him. She obliged and asked him, “What’s going on with you today?”
Tony replied, “I’m cranky.”
All while this was happening, Enzo was being examined by the doctor and was still calm and quiet, not realizing what was in store for him in just a couple of minutes.
Enzo was due for a shot, which he received at the end of the appointment. The nurse stuck the needle in his leg and Enzo scrunched his face and began to cry, the first time all day at the office despite having to remain in just a diaper for most of the visit. Usually, when we are changing his clothes or his diaper, Enzo cannot stop crying because he hates being naked. Yet, yesterday, he didn’t mind it at all.
Now, the doctor turned her attention to Tony. He fought us vehemently when the doctor wanted to check his ears, his eyes and his mouth. Then, we put him on the table so the doctor could examine his stomach. Boy oh boy did he hate this. Tony, like most children, did not like having to be held down. I had to hold onto his legs because he kept trying to kick the doctor.
Safe to say, one of the two appointments went very well. The other appointment, which can be expected from a two-year-old, was exhausting. Despite knowing Tony probably would not be happy at the office, I wasn’t expecting him to be louder and more dramatic than his newborn brother.
