Steps, Stats & Shots

Max took three steps this morning. Not huge to anyone else but us, but you all know how exciting it is when it is your own child. I cheered him on while wondering where my baby went.

Today was his one year well baby checkup.
Weight: 20 lbs
Height: 30 inches
Cuteness: Unmeasurable! :)

*Notes: DTaP in left leg: No bruising, no crankiness, just cuteness walking.

Flu and HIB Shots

Max had an appointment for shots this morning. At our last appointment the Pediatrician had wanted to give him the flu shot. I told him that we would like to research it and discuss it first. He has always been great about never pushing us and supporting us on what we decide. James and I read in our vaccine book about the shot and decided that we would go ahead with it. However, when I got to the appointment I was feeling really uneasy about it. I checked to make sure that the shot was the one without mercury but they didn't have any without. Because of the mercury and because flu season is over March I decided against the shot. I felt so much better once I had made that decision and we went ahead with his HIB shot. I know there is so much talk and controversy about the shots but ultimately I am trying to be educated and to follow my intuitions as his mother.

Notes: HIB shot in right leg. No bruising. Just a bit cranky.

9 Months

I can't believe he is already 9 months old. James is home for the holidays and was able to go with me to Max's well baby check up. Current stats are 18 lbs 8 oz, 29 inches. He is so long that he is wearing 12 months clothes.

As always we discussed his cafe spots; he is getting more of them and the ones he had seem to be getting a bit darker. The pediatrician is great to never push it aside as something we already talked about. He said that right now we are just in a holding pattern as we can expect that nothing will manifest for years. The part I don't deal well with is not knowing what will manifest if and when it does manifest. It is very ambiguous and I want to know exactly what to look for and what to expect. But as the pediatrician is very positive and assures me that I should not be concerned I will do my best to follow his advice.

* Notes: Only PC shot, left leg. No bruising. A littly whiny.

Shots

Two weeks in a row I forget Max's appointment for shots. I finally got him in for his next shot. I really need to stay on top of these things.

* Notes: DTAP right leg. No bruising, woke up several times crying, cranky and jumpy. Also, woke up gagging on something.

Shots & NF (Cafe au lait)

Max had two shots on Friday. Although he only cried briefly, he has been quite cranky for the last two days. (Might also have something to do with the no pooping.)
*Notes: HIB & PCV. Reactions: Cried briefly, no bruising, very cranky.

When Max was born he had a little brown spot on his leg. Many more of these spots; called Cafe au lait spots, have appeared over the last few months. He has what is called NF. Because symptoms vary so much there is really no way to know what to expect. Although the information seems scary, the pediatrician has asked me not to worry. It may never affect Max at all and if it ever does, we will handle it then.

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a genetic neurological disorder that affects cell growth in nerve tissue. NF produces tumors of the skin, internal organs, and nerves that may become cancerous (malignant). It also can affect bones, causing severe pain and debilitation and may result in learning disabilities, behavioral dysfunction, and hearing and vision loss.

Shots

We took Max in this morning for his DTap. James was home so went with me. What a different experience it was this time. Last time there was so much crying (Max and me.) He only had the one shot this time and the nurse was so fast. She had it in and out before he even realized. And he only cried for just a second and then was as cheerful as ever. I was glad, I really was...but it was a little unfair. James didn't have to experience holding him while he cried and cried and cried some more because of something he did to him. But how mean of me that I even thing like that at all. I am just going to be glad that Max did so well this time and hope for similar results in the future.

Max wasn't cranky like last time but he did have a bit of a fever and was really lethargic. I gave him some Tylenol and he had a good nap and was fine. Although he has been very jumpy tonight and keeps bowing his back. He seems to really like hanging upsidedown. Don't know if that is a shot thing or just an infant thing.

*Notes: DTap Shot in left leg. Reactions: Slight fever, loss of appetite & lethargic. No bruising around shot area.

Shots & Solids

Max Stats: Weight: 13 lbs, 12 oz. Height: 25 3/4

Shots: Today Max had his first shots. And can anyone tell me whose cruel idea it was to make the mom hold them while they are being tortured??? He was looking up at me, holding onto my fingers, smiling. Then the look on his face...I cried. He cried. We cried.

Home safe with Dad. (He loves this positions.)

Solids: I tried some rice cereal for the first time today. (Not sure you can really call it solid.) Max loved it!

"What am I supposed to do with this Mom?"

"More Mom More."

"Humming"

"Mom, this is taking too long."

On a food note...the pediatrician told me that it is a fallacy that if you give infants foods before a certain age they will become allergic to them. He said that we could actually give Max anything to try. Crushed, pureed, etc. But anything. Apparently there is a window of time between four and six months that they are especially able to try anything. I didn't think that he meant to start off with something like Indian food, but James said to go for it. I gave him the tiniest taste of our Saag Aloo and he actually seemed to enjoy it. Of course, that is not surprising considering the amount of Indian food I ate while pregnant with him.

*Notes: Hib & PCV shots, not sure which shot went into which leg. Reactions: Cranky, cried for quite a while before going to sleep, just lasted the one day. No bruising around shot area.

Immunizations

Max is going in for his 4 month wellness checkup and will be getting his first vaccine shots today. Dr. Sears book has been great to ease my concerns about immunizations. There is an alternate schedule which spreads out the shots so fewer are given at once. The schedule also puts the most important first and pushes off others until later. I thought I should clarify something that my pediatrician said. In a previous post I mentioned that he said some were OK to not have, but that he really wanted us to get the others. The two he was referring to were the HepB and Polio. Basically if the Mom doesn't have them then they aren't necessary at birth. However, he still recommends that they be given, just at a later time.

The schedule pushes both both of those into later years. Because there is so much talk about vaccines being related to Autism I have really been scared to do this. I know that so many kids have it done and don't have problems, but I would hate to be the one in whatever number it is whose child is affected. So I plan to have the vaccines on the alternate schedule. It means more office visits and more co-pays but for me is a small price to pay. Also, the book gives advice on things moms can do to help boost the immune system, such as Vitamin A & C before and after the shots. So, I feel like I can do something proactive and preventative to insure that Max is vaccinated without side effects.


I highly recommend the book to anyone who has concerns about or just wants more information about vaccines.