Flu Shots

Confession: I have never gotten a flu shot. My husband has never gotten a flu shot. My mother has never gotten a flu shot. I just never felt the need. When I did work around patients and on the floor, it was not a requirement at that time. There wasn' the gigantic push there is now. Now, I am a microbiologist by training and my Masters' degree IS in Public Health. Yes, I am strange. I wasn't against getting it, I just ... didn't do it. Oh and I had an Immunology Professor in college that called flu shots "Voodoo Black Magic".


V has gotten flu shots every year. Because she is egg allergic and the vaccine is grown in egg culture, I usually have to go to the Allergy Clinic and they give it to her there, then observe her for a while. It requires me to take a substantial time off of work. The past three years she's had no reaction. Except a behavioral reaction. Last year she freaked out, kicked the MA in the stomach, ran down the hallway and hid under a table, and dug bloody caverns into my hand, I still have the scar.

The MA appointments for immunizations are all prior to 4:00 pm. This again, requires me to leave work early (I have waaayyyy too many appointments between the three of us). Thus, I found out our clinic was having walk in Flu Shot Clinics. One on a Saturday morning! I decided we all would go.

Benny had his shot three months ago (And still came down with influenza). I was at the doctor for my torn bicep and received the shot (my 1st!). Two down, two to go.
We all went to the open clinic. The nurses freaked out when they found out V was egg allergic, saying there was no doctor on duty (there was so - liars). I told them she would be fine. It really helped having P there. I held her legs and he held her arms. I don't think the nurses were accustomed to dealing with small children; although there were many there. She did fine after some screaming. She was so proud of herself afterwards. Here she is hanging out (at my insistence) to make sure she didn't have a reaction.

Halloween

The last few years by the time Halloween has rolled around, we were trick or treated out. This year was kind of a bust due the Wee One that was sick. We missed most of the Trick or Treating downtown that we usually go to. We managed just the last 35 minutes or so when most things were gone, but V didn't seem to mind. We had to drag my mom along the entire time that was in town and complained. Usually we go with V's BFF and have a splendid time.

THen there is a Trick or Treat indoor parade at our local Rec center. I didn't buy advanced tickets in time and thus, didn't want to stand in line. So we didn't go. The daycare has a party during the day that V loved. Just loved. So that was good.

Halloween was big letdown. It POURED rain the entire day. Thank goodness the temperature was around 65F. Since we moved, I wasn't sure how much candy to buy. So due to the craziness and sick Wee One, I bought three bags of mini-candy bars and a 25 pack of teddy graham crackers. We ran out. Almost immediately. I was so embarassed to have to turn off the light around 50 min in. Since it was raining, I took V to about 12 houses with umbrellas, rain ponchos, and boots. She was more than happy. It just wasn't the fun Halloween I envisioned with the baby and V and P and I all out together. Halloween = Fail.


Anyhoo, V wanted to be Merida from Brave as soon as she saw the costume. The WIG was awesome and I enjoyed seeing her with hair. Benny is wearing V's old monkey costume. He hated it.

Toddlerhood Food Funnies

Every morning P and Benjamin eat cereal together. He sits on P's lap and B usually has Chex and a banana and milk with two spoons. One for Benny, and one for P. It's is the cutest thing I've every seen. Yesterday morning, while we were getting various things ready, Benny flipped open the dishwasher, grabbed a giant spoon, and ran as fast he could towards the cereal. Adorable.

The other night I was trying to hold off on his sippy cup of milk (time change - ugh) and he rummaged through the kitchen island drawers, and threw the lid of sippy cup in my lap. Sort of like - "get with the program".

Last night he went and got a plastic kid's plate out of a cabinet and handed it to me as I was making dinner.

I am convinced he understands 90% of what I say, but just doesn't feel like talking much. He communicates just fine though.

I love Fall

pics in our neighborhood.

SIck baby

Friday the 18th we had a nice afternoon and I was looking forward to the field trip for daycare to the local Orchard/Pumpkin patch.  Last year, I left the baby at daycare and took only my daughter and P was out of town.  P was home and we took the afternoon off to spend time together.  Benny had been sick the two days prior; he developed a honking cough and I took him to Urgent Care on Wednesday morning (my ped never has any appointments).  He was super jolly and diagnosed with an ear infection (again!) and croup.  I filled his amoxicillin and took him home.  I kept him home the next day, just in case.  Friday afternoon when we went to pick him up, he looked AWFUL.  I wanted to take him home right then, but we all rode together and I really wanted a family fun time.  He clung to me and cried the entire time.  That night he had a fever.




Saturday morning he wouldn't eat, but would drink thank goodness.  coughing, crying, won't get off laps.  He spiked a bad fever in the afternoon and I called Urgent Care.  Then brought him in.  There was no wait. 103.5 F. We did chest x-rays and there was some evidence of pneumonia. Both ears were now infected. They gave him a breathing treatment and I had to hold him down with my legs while basically following his head around and being his worst nightmare.(zero help from nurses. "Ill let you handle this" and ran from the room"). She gave him some juice and he actually drank it, but never really perked up. The extra Motrin finally lowered his fever. The MD on duty wanted to sent him to the ER in another town for a closer look. I went home, collected some items if I had to stay overnight and P came with me. (My mom was in town, and being pouty because I wasn't there to run her around shopping instead of caring for my very sick child).

He perked up on the way (of course) and they took us back right away. He sat in P's lap and clapped a bit. His pulse ox was 95. He perked up. I think the breathing treatment help. THe diagnosis: Influenza. Yikes! He had the shot 6 weeks before. The MD wouldn't swab him despite my insistence (Microbiologist here). So I kept him home Monday and P stayed with him Tuesday (they had a great day). Wednesday he went back to school.


Last Tuesday evening he had a slight fever, was listless and didn't eat. Ugh! I called his ped's office the following morning and got an appointment with the resident for 2:15. Yay! His left ear was still infected. He got some Augmentin (which he despises). A follow up to Otolaryngology - hopefully the go on tubes!