We had Ava’s four-year checkup today at the doctor’s office. It included four different injections, a finger prick for a blood test, and an anti-flu nasal spray. Many tears were shed, but she actually did a pretty good job. Leah hit her with a sucker as soon as the last shot was done, and the nurse brought Ava a small stuffed panda (“remember your painful shots when you cuddle me!).
I was a little upset as Ava got her shots, but not really too much. Leah takes it harder than I do. I guess I don’t see the point in getting wound up about it, and clearly I don’t have an innate empathy for small children in pain. In the end, the treats and “prizes” calmed Ava down pretty quickly, and when we parted, she was looking forward to attending the homecoming parade this evening. She’s about 38″ tall and 32 pounds, squarely at the 25th percentile for each measurement. This is good, as she spent most of her younger years languishing at the very bottom of the scales.
The only concern was her iron. We don’t eat a lot of red meat at home, and while Leah and I are fans of spinach, Ava could (and does) live without it. The doctor recommended Cream of Wheat in the morning, which just might work if we load it with enough raisins and brown sugar. Heck, I might even have a couple spoonfuls. Leah has some cookbook at home about sneaking healthy foods into other foods to get kids the nutrition they need, but hopefully things won’t come to that. Let me know if you happen to have any iron-rich foods that are hits with your youngins!