A Glimpse Inside the Workings of Ed's Brain: Vaccination 2010

In 2001, I contracted the flu. I lost about 10 percent of my body weight, and since it was a few months before I got married, more than one person remarked how they couldn't believe even I would lose weight for a wedding. To which I would respond "yes, being unable to eat for several days in a row and puking nonstop whenever I dared attempt to eat is a very sure way to lose a lot of weight...quickly". The experience was unpleasant enough that I faithfully got a flu shot every year thereafter, figuring any possible shot at avoiding being that sick again was a good thing. I also drug the kids in to get their shots, despite their protests. I even breastfed Helen substantially longer than I initially planned because I didn't want to wean her during flu season.

So I was a little surprised when Ed announced to me that he didn't think we should give the kids flu shots this year. He argued that they had questionable value and it just didn't seem worth the trouble. So, imagine my surprise when he called me after Helen's 3 year well-child visit and told me "Helen got a flu shot". Uh, excuse me? Why?

"Well, as it turns out, there were no scheduled vaccinations at this appointment, and I figured since Helen had already been psyched up to get one, I might as well get her the flu vaccine. It's not like it's harmful or anything, just of questionable value."

Someone please tell Ed that this logic makes no sense, because it does not.

The official stats? Helen now weighs 26 pounds, which puts her at the 12th percentile. She's 36 inches tall, which puts her at the 25th percentile - and is also very important in the world of amusement parks, because often a child must be 36 inches before they can ride by themselves. Woohoo!

Elaine

Ouch!

Yesterday, Connor and Ed went to the doctor for Connor's two month check-up and vaccinations. Can I just say that avoiding the appointment so I didn't have to hear Connor cry when he got the shots was nothing compared to the dose of screaming I got after the Motrin wore off. He cried inconsolably for 20 minutes, at which point he passed out. I called the pediatrician during this bout of crying because NEVER has Connor done this before. The pediatrician's office was busy, so I called the next best thing, another mom of a newborn. She read to me from the baby owner's manual (which I have but was so distracted and distressed by the crying that I never thought about looking at it), and ultimately we decided that the shots could indeed be causing this trauma. The pediatrician then called back and told me this was normal and OK'd giving Connor more Motrin (amen!), which we have continued to give him today on the advice of my sister.

On the bright side, Connor weighed in at 10 pounds, which is not exactly accurate since Ed reported that Connor had a wet diaper and clothes on - but hey, when you've fallen off the growth chart, you need every advantage your daddy can give you. He's almost two feet tall, or should I say, long (since tall seems to imply an upright position which Connor has yet to attain). This puts him in the 50th percentile for length and his head is also in the 50th percentile - woohoo!

Today Connor went to a postpartum yoga class with me and he made an adorable yogi. He started class off sleeping, woke up during the class and entertained himself by staring at one of his favorite toys (a Lamaze Cube) and then got restless at about the time the rest of the class babies got restless at which time he did yoga with me. Yoga definitely agrees with him. I wonder if I'll be able to convince Ed to take him to yoga on Fridays in November and December when I'm back at work?

The photo above was taken yesterday.

Elaine