Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Vaccinated

Poor Eli got his 2-month shots today! I had no idea when I took him to his appointment that that's why we were going- I just thought it was a check-up! He did so great the whole time we were there- not a single moment of fussiness. And then as a reward he got 4 shots! I couldn't look- it brought tears to my eyes. He SCREAMED, but the moment I picked him up he was fine. I like that about being a mom. :) But this afternoon he has been super fussy- I guess he's just hurting, and he's running a low-grade fever, which is a typical side-effect of vaccines. Hopefully it all resolves tomorrow. I feel so bad for him. And for me, because I'm the one who has to listen to him. :)

Eli is up to 6 pounds, 6.5 ounces, and he's 19 inches long. He's the size of a normal newborn! His stomach issues are resolving, too, which I'm so thankful for. We tried so many different things and he was miserable for a few days, but finally we got him to take this specialty formula that is hypoallergenic. We have to mix a little Karo syrup in it to make it taste good enough to drink (the stuff is AWFUL- we tasted it.), but at least he'll drink it. The other specialty formula he flat-out refused. So his stomach is getting better, and the doctor is really pleased. As are we! Now we just have to finance this formula- it's so expensive! But the doctor gave us "samples" today- 5 whole cans of it! It's almost $30 a can, so she just saved us $150. We'll take it! We see the GI specialist on Monday, and hopefully he tells us that Eli is all better.

The doctor's appointment today was the first time that Eli and I have been out all by ourselves. All the other outings we've made have been with Eric, too. I felt like a real mom today- lugging a diaper bag, my purse, and the car seat. Those things are HEAVY! I'll have buff arms before I know it. My admiration for mothers of more than one child grows daily. I have enough trouble with one!

I am so, so thankful for my sisters. Heather has two kids- Jacey, who is 2, and Cooper, who was born on June 16. She's a wealth of good mom advice, but she's so kind and non-condescending in giving it. She helps me so much. Kelly is pregnant with a boy also and is due any day now. She and Phil live two houses down from us, and she has been a LIFESAVER to me. She comes and visits and brings meals and watches Eli and just lifts my spirits by being around. I am so, so blessed to have such wonderful sisters!!! I hope I can help them as much as they help me.

I was watching these two boys play in the street tonight. Our street is intersected by another street that is a really steep hill. They make a "T" with each other. The kids were walking to the top of the hill street, sitting down on a skateboard, one behind the other, and FLYING down the hill into our street and then into the neighbor's driveway. So dangerous. My heart was beating so fast just watching them- I was sure that at any moment they were going to tip over and scrape all the skin off their legs. Then I thought, "That will be Eli in a few years!" Yipes!

I was also reminded of the time that Kelly and I decided to ride our bikes as fast as we could down that hill. We walked them to the top, gazed down at the sharp right-angle turn we would have to make onto our street as the hill ended, and we went for it. I rode down first, as fast as I could. I miraculously was able to make the right-angle turn at top speed. Kelly wasn't so lucky. As I slowed down and turned around I watched her fly down the hill, gain too much speed to make any turn at all, and plunge head-first into a bush and telephone pole. :) It was quite the accident, poor thing! How fitting that now Kelly owns that bush and telephone pole as the owner of that house. :)

1 comments:

kate said...

I'm so glad to hear he's doing better. A trick for the shots. When the doctor goes out to get the nurse to bring the shots in. Rub Ambesol Maximum Strength on both his legs. It numbs the top surface and really works. My kids never cry with shots. My girlfriend who is a nurse gave me the advice and it's been a life saver.