Ukraine Adoption

How many shots?

"I'm getting a shot in this leg," Tara proudly told us this morning. I didn't know how to break it to her that she would actually be getting more than one. Perhaps even three. Today was her exam that is required for kindergarten in the fall, which includes updates on immunizations.

In the office, the friendly doctor looked at Tara's file and then said in a sort of hushed tone, "She's five." Yes, yes, right, I said. She's five. She turned five in January. "I'm five!" Tara said.

The doc strained her smile and tried again, "No, I mean, she needs five..." OH! I said. OH! Right. OK. Um. C'mon Tara, hop up here on the table. The doc handed me five sheets of paper, each explaining the purpose and the risks of each of the immunizations. She needs another chicken pox shot? I asked. "Yes, a booster shot." The word booster sounds like they use a giant contraption and punch you with it. I never liked that word.

Tara was brave. Tara is always brave. The most painful one was the pinch in the back of her arm for the chicken pox shot. She clenched her teeth but didn't cry. She rarely cries at the doctor's. (Remember she laughed at the flu shot?)Then she got two shots in the front of each of her thighs. Boom boom boom boom. Like that. She was very still. She watched every part of it. "You are the bravest girl I have ever seen," the doctor said.

Tara sat up. I saw her little chin start to tremble. She was fighting it but she finally hit a breaking point with a very quiet whimper. I picked her up and hugged her, she hid her face in my neck, It's ok to cry honey, even big, strong grownups might cry from five shots, I told her. "Will I get 5 stickers for this?" she asked, one tear streaming down her cheek.

At the check-out desk, the sympathetic clerk let Tara pick out five stickers. Walking back to the car, Tara said, "I want to share these stickers with my friends at school." Today is a snow day, so we'll share those tomorrow, I told her.

So the doctor says Tara's height, weight, development, blood pressure, etc etc etc: "Perfect." The doctor used that word. Tara is ready for kindergarten. But we knew that, didn't we?