2 month shots

Yesterday Hayden had to have her two month vaccines.  There were a total of four - three in the legs and one oral.  She and I had to go by ourselves since T had a meeting up in Scottsdale.  I was nervous about her shots.  I wasn't sure how I would be able to handle her crying and being hurt.  Not to mention that I hate...despise...needles.  I agree with my Dad.  With all the technology that is out there today, how is there not a way to receive the vaccines we need without being stuck by a needle?  All of you up and coming medical students, work on that, won't ya?  You could be the hero of the 21st century!!

The office was pretty empty, as it usually seems to be.  Probably because it is a big building with many different practices so it spreads everyone out pretty good.  We got called back pretty quick.  The nurse showed us back to room number 4 and had me undress H.  We went to the scale for a weigh in...11 lbs, 3 oz.  We went back to the room and she measured her length...24.50.  And then put a stiff measuring tape around her head like a crown...40".  The nurse checked her stats with the country's norm.  H is in the 50 - 75 percentile in weight, 97 percentile in height and 75 percentile in head circ.  She said that I have a tall and thin girl who has potential of being really smart!  I'd say!!

Then Dr E came in to chat.  She looked at H's eyes and ears, listened to her lungs and checked some other odds and ends.  We talked about H's gas and reflux, what to expect from the shots and her sleep schedule.  Dr E was really impressed that we have such an established sleep routine and that H is in her crib with no issues.  I mentioned how desperately I wanted her to sleep through MY night and she just looked at me and chuckled a bit.  As a Mom and a doctor, she knows that wishes are just that...wishes.  Babies will do what babies do and that's that.  She then played a little with H and got a couple of smiles out of her before she left the room.  I asked who would be giving the shots and she informed me that the nurse would.  Ahh!  Now that's a smart doc!  Get some good smiles out of baby and then have your nurse do the dirty work!  Brilliant!

I was able to put H's shirt back on and just leave her little legs exposed.  I felt so bad about what was to come but tried to hide it by playing with H.  She was so happy and smiley!  That just added to my guilt.  Nurse Needle Nose came in with her fist full of vaccines.  She had me lay H horizontally on the examing table.  I was at her head and Nurse NN was at her feet.  She instantly went to work swabbing H's legs with alcohol before getting started.  She explained to me the order of the vaccines and that she was saving the one with more of a "sting" for last.  Well, great.  Oh, before laying H down, she administered the oral vaccine.  H did great with that one.  Probably due to the fact that she has taken Prevacid and Mylicon now for weeks.  She is used to nasty tasting meds.

Back to it.  Nurse NN prepped the first needle.  I had my face over H's and was looking at her eyes.  She was looking at me with her sweet little expression...until the needle entered.  Her first response was big, scared eyes followed by closed eyes, open mouth, red face and a shreiking scream!  Oh it was horrible and, even though Nurse NN was quick on the draw, it didn't feel quick enough.  I wanted to hold H so bad and make her feel better.

The last vaccine must have been the doozie.  She really wailed on that one but then it was over.  Nurse NN put a band-aid on each injection spot and I swooped her up for comfort (H, not Nurse NN).  I knew H was hungry - she was when we got there - so I prepped her a bottle and fed her immediately.  That definitely helped get her mind off of things for a short time at least.

When we left the office, we met Lauren and L for lunch followed by a trip to Target.  I know it is hard to ever imagine anyone crying in Target - I mean, why would you cry in heaven?  But H had different thoughts about it.  The effects of the shots, along with hunger, had her screaming and crying.  I remember back when I would visit Target as a non-mom.  Those kind of babies would just pierce my ear drums and I never knew why ANYONE would ever want to deal with that in their life.  And then I had H.  All of a sudden, she and I are the only ones in the store.  I could care less what others think.  I was all about consoling my baby who was just treated as a pin cushion! 

H fell asleep in my arms around 7:30 last night.  I was having a pretty hard night that involved a large amount of crying on my part - I'd rather not get into why.  But it was difficult to manage my feelings and get them in check in order to take care of my girl.  When T got home, we took our nugget straight upstairs sans bath, swaddled her and put her to bed.  She slept without a peep until 5:15 AM!  I,then, fed her and put her back in her crib and she slept until 8.  No, I won't get used to it.  I know it was all due to the shots, a long day and a shot of Tylenol.  But, after the emotional breakdown I had last night, it was a good sleep.

Today she has been a bit fussy but still does her best to smile when we are talking to her.  She has been napping a lot and eating less.  All very typical post-shot characteristics.  I am about to leave her in T's capable hands so that I can go to the gym real quick!  My first time since...I don't even know!!  Hopefully she will sleep for him while I'm gone.  She is very clingy today.  She is actually in my arms dozing off now!  Yep, I am typing with one hand.