Booster Shots!

Andrew had to receive his 12th month shots yesterday. I know what you are thinking, "12 month shots? Isn't he over a year old? In fact, almost two?" Yes, it is true. Because of complications when he was little (he had a nagging cough that won't go away) he got behind on his shots and then whenever I went in to get his shots, he had a ear infection. He has had five ear infections since October! Totally insane! So we finally got the shots yesterday. Anthony, being the most wonderful husband in the world, came with me so that I wouldn't have to hold him down. I hate holding them down. It makes me feel like such a meanie and I can't stand the pain that they go through and the tears and the fearful expressions. My heart just crumbles when they have to go through it. So Anthony, being the awesome support he is to me, he decided to come with me. But because Andrew is so big (26 pounds and almost 35 inches tall) it took both of us to hold him down. I had his arms and Anthony had his legs. After being stuck four times, we were done! I picked up Andrew and kissed and hugged him while he clung to my neck and glared at the nurses, screaming all at the same time. He is completely done now until he is four! Whew! Thankfully, Andrew has little to no reaction to shots. Not even a fever! That is a huge blessing!

Andrew wasn't the only one though that received a boaster shot yesterday. I did also! But my shot was not as painful and didn't come in a needle. Mine was a boaster in testimony. I came to better understand how much my Heavenly Father loves me and how much it pains him to see me in pain! If it tortures me to give my kids the shots that they need in order that they may not have painful diseases later, I can only imagine the agony, our Father in Heaven feels when he must give us trials that will make us stronger for the battles ahead. These trials give us pain now and seem to be horrible and sometimes too painful to take, but they often save us from having to experience life's harshest experiences. I don't know if this makes sense to anyone else but I felt myself renewed with love when this realization came. He loves us so he must give us a little pain now in order to spare us greater pain and consequences later.