ouch! the 4 month shot update.

whoever said shots are harder on parents than they are on the baby was absolutely correct.

i was totally not prepared for finn's two months shots... didn't even have baby tylenol in the house... and was caught completely off guard when he woke up from a post-shot nap screaming and with a low fever.  so of course, i was dreading his four month vaccines today.

billy has a harder time than any of us with the shots, i'm pretty sure.  about two days before the appointment he starts trying to get finn out of it.  he is his closest ally. 

billy- "why does he have to have them? he doesn't need them!"
meg- "so he won't get sick. the doctor says he does need them."
billy- "why can't we just give him medicine?"
meg- "um, i don't know. i think he would actually have to contract an illness for us to give him medicine, which we're trying to avoid altogether here."
billy- "i just can't take it! i can't take it!!!!"
meg- "you're going to be at work!"
billy- "it's too much!!!!!" < runs out of the room waving his arms above his head >

so of course finn is all smiles and a ball of gleeful joy at the doctors this morning, talking to everyone and showing off his leg rolls.  i am overcome by anxiety by what is sure to come.

now, i can't say enough about our doctors office.  it consists of one doctor, and one nurse, and one receptionist.  who have all been there for thirty years.  they are amazing.  it's like a family.  actually, the doctor's daughter was working in the office today because she is home from college for the summer.  we see the same nurse every time, i know how her "shot style" and we see the same doctor every time.  this definitely helps to lower my anxiety meter.  if i ever have a question about finn or a problem (like after his last shots) i call the doctor's cell phone number directly.  it's pretty amazeballs.  they are super awesome.  anyway, the no nonsense nurse immediately sized me up today and said "listen, just because he had a hard time the last time doesn't mean it's going to be like that every time.  it could just be one and done."

enter wonderbaby.
seriously, this time when finn got his shots he didn't.even.cry!!!
he literally let out like a deep guttural grunt, turned red, frowned at me, and then continued playing with his monkey, al. (tripp named him al).
i was dumfounded.
he then promptly fell asleep in the car on the way home and remains sleeping now.
phew!

i did give him tylenol before we left today, so i'm hoping when he wakes up from his nap he will be feeling a-okay, and not like total poo poo like the last time.  sigh of relief!  now i can relax!

in other four month doctor appointment news, finn ways 18.2 pounds (yes you heard me right) and is 26 inches long.  he is in the 95th percentile for height, weight, and head size.  i think he probably took his shots like a man because he basically is a full grown man.

i asked the doctor about finn's lumpy head.
i have recently discovered that finn's head is shaped exactly like my dad's head.
i also recently took a closer look at a picture i have of dad when he's about two years old...
and his head is still lumpy.
it's literally shaped exactly like finn's. kind of like a parallelogram. wonk head, we call it.
this gave me little hope for finn's birth canal bump to disappear back into his cranium.
the doctor said "well, it will probably stay lumpy for awhile, but you won't notice it as much when his hair starts growing in."
all signs point to finn rocking the long locks.

he is also ready for food!
AHH!!!
the nurse said to start with rice cereal and then alternate fruits and veggies every 3 or 4 days.
i am still kind of in disbelief that my baby is old enough to eat real food.
they said to wait to start them until a few days after his vaccines, so i think i will start on sunday.
i plan to make my own brown rice cereal, and then just puree my own organic fruits and veggies.
things are definitely going to start getting interesting around here... i dread the first solid food diaper.

the doctor also gave me a prescription for a baby multivitamin with fluoride for when finn's teeth start coming in.  i have never heard of this before.  it's a liquid dropper that apparently tastes kind of bad and i 'm supposed to mix with his food if he has trouble taking it directly.  we'll see how that goes!

thanks to everyone who offered me advice on how to make finn's shots easier for him.  he did such a great job!  and billy and i are doing okay now too! :)