Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Six-month checkup

Yesterday, we brought Seth to the pediatrician for his 6-month checkup. The doctor gave him a clean bill of health, and Seth gave the Doctor some spit-up, smiles and giggles.

Of course, the dreaded part of these visits is the vaccinations. Yesterday, there were five - four shots into his legs, and one oral. Fortunately, they make the oral vaccine taste yummy, and the nurse knew from experience the best way to administer all of them: Four quick shots (two in each leg), followed by the yummy oral vaccine. Getting the liquid candy helped to calm the boy down for a few seconds, but he remained upset for about five minutes while we did our best to console him. It's a little upsetting to watch him endure pain that's inflicted intentionally - even knowing that the pain is for good cause and will help protect his health and life.

I feel bad for the nurse who has to administer these things a dozen times a day... the doctor gets to look like a good guy, checks you over and plays a little -- then it's up to the nurse to give all the shots.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that Seth recovered quickly, besides prolific spitting up for the remainder of the day. He was his playful self again this morning.

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