A Taste of the Nasties

Sorry I have not been keeping up with my normal blogging speed. We have had some craziness the past few weeks but hopefully it will calm down soon and life will return to normal. Anyway, we made another trip to the doctor on Thursday for Wyatt's 6th month check up. I had to reschedule it a bunch of times with the commercial and everything. He was due for some vaccines and I didn't want him being cranky for his debut.

The numbers are in: he's a back breaking 19.5 lbs and 28 inches long. To put it in perspective, I was a year old weighing 20 lbs, 27 inches and was walking. He might be a bruiser but he doesn't look the part. He is really long. He has the cute chubby baby belly and mandatory double chin but is proportioned. He is doing fabulous. The Dr's were very impressed that he hasn't been sick yet. Ear infections are a right of passage around this age and he has been unbelievably healthy. Cross your fingers.

I have been doing tons of research on vaccinations. I like to keep myself informed and aware of what I am injecting my son with. It is a scary world with not enough research done. After doing all my reading, I came up with my own schedule. Thankfully, our Dr is content to allow me to make the choice. As they said, "It's your son and your decision." I am very grateful that I have doctors like that. The bonafide Kate Vaccine Schedule is only one at a time, limit or eliminate aluminum and mercury containing shots, and he is only vaccinated against diseases that are more dangerous then the vaccine side effects. For example, polio does not exist in our country so he does not need the vaccine until he begins traveling or until he starts pre-school. Meanwhile, whooping cough is common, contagious, and harmful to infants so he will get that shot. I took me a while to get this all down so don't feel bad if I lost you. I have researched and weighed every vaccine; the side effects, the disease itself, the potential hospitalizations, the reactivity, the brands, etc.

I wish that someone cued me into reading about vaccines when I was pregnant and had all this free time on my hands. No one had mentioned anything about it. Then as my legs were in stirrups, giving birth, and the nurse asked me about giving Wy his first Hep B shot. Is that really necessary? At 5 minutes old? In my opinion, I don't think so.

Now that I have it figured out, we have gotten back on track to getting fully immunized by 5 years old. This last doctors visit Wy got a DTap shot. Funny story: Rebecca was holding her ears waiting for Wyatt is start crying as I am holding him down. Wyatt did not cry at all. I didn't even realize the Dr had given it to him. Unfortunately, over the weekend, he had a mild reaction. He has been fussing beyond anything I have witnessed from him before. He will be smiling one moment and crying the next. He is not happy playing, eating, or sleeping. He has reverted back to bad sleeping habits, needing to be rocked, and sometimes moans or cries in his sleep.

I tend to blame most of this on the shot but he also popped a bright white bottom tooth on Saturday so maybe it is more of the teething/shot combination. When I got a good look in his mouth (truly an art form with trying to hold down his bottom lip, push back his tongue, and search with a flashlight) it looked like he was getting another one right next to the first. Two teeth in two days. I would probably be nasty too. I guess I am getting a glimpse of how normal babies behave. Thankfully, teething with pass. As soon as I can get a picture of his crooked tooth I will post it.