Doctor day

I've been dreading today for the past 2 weeks. Today was doctor appointment day for Ellie and Zach. I love our pediatrician and usually look forward to the visits, but today I knew I couldn't put off the shot debate anymore. For the past two weeks, I've been researching the crazy amount of shots the two were due for today. I've read a ton of websites, articles and got 1001 opinions. I've looked at diseases, outbreaks, statistics, side effects, complications, shot development, progressions over the past century and on and on. Unfortunately, that didn't bring me any closer to a decision. I know we vaccinate for a reason. These diseases are scary. I don't want to risk my kids getting any of them. In some ways the shots are just as scary. The ingredients alone are enough to send any parent into a panic and we all know the side effect/reaction horror stories that may or may not actually be related to the shots.

So here's the break down: Ellie 19.1lbs and 28.5". Both are in the 5th percentile. I had 2 concerns for her today. The first was her stranger anxiety, or lack there of. She will go to anyone and if you don't want to be near a baby, she will try even harder to get you to pick her up. The doctor wasn't concerned. She said if Ellie was 18-24months and acting like this, she might be concerned about attachment, but at this point, she is perfectly normal.
My other concern was her speech. After constantly worrying about Ben not talking right away, I've tried to mellow out a bit in that area. Clearly Ben has no speech problems now. However, with all the warnings we received about possible developmental issues, I wanted to get some reassurance. Ellie will say baby 100 times a day. Mama and Dada pop out every now and then and thats it. We covered all the things that Ellie can do like follow directions, knowing her shoes go on her feet, helping to get herself dressed etc. Based on that, we have no reason to believe she wont be talking nonstop in no time.

Zach is 16.5lbs (25th%) and 27" (75th%). We had the same 2 concerns for Zach that we've had since day 1: his tear duct and neck. His tear duct is getting a little better, but its still blocked. She reminded me that if its not open by 9months, it most likely wont open on its own, but she is fine with waiting until next year if we want to give it more time.
His neck is still an issue, but its getting better. When Zach is sleeping, his neck still leans to the side. When he's awake he is getting a lot better about keeping his head up straight. Sometimes he will lift his shoulder to compensate, but his head being straight is most important at this point. We do not need physical therapy yet. The theory is now that he is starting to sit up more he will be working his neck more. If we continue to stretch his neck, he will continue to get stronger and one day he will have a straight head whether hes up or down! PT isn't completely ruled out at this point, but its looking less likely.

That just left the shot portion. I have to give her a lot of credit. I am fully aware that she is (very, very) pro vaccinations, but she listened to my concerns, she spent a lot of time reviewing my research and trying to reassure me. In the end she left it up to me to delay or skip them with out any real pressure. I split the difference. Both kids did get a shot, but neither of them got the full arsenal they were due for today. I honestly don't know if that was the right thing to do. I can honestly say that no matter what I would have done today, I would have walked out not knowing if it was the right thing to do. I'm sure I will be on high alert for the next week turning the slightest cough into a reaction and praying constantly that neither of them experience a side effect. Outside of the worrying, I feel good that I finally stepped up and made an informed (yet confused) decision for my kids and didn't just do it because the doctor said it was right for my kids. The best part: neither are due for shots at the next visit!