Since the day she was born, exactly two months ago, the only pain Maddi has experienced has been gas. She hasn’t been sick a day, and so far she’s had no injuries despite her strong desire to wiggle free of my arms after each and every bath. Her head accidentally grazed the door once when I was carrying her into her room for a diaper change, but other than a look of bemusement, she was unfazed by the bump. So this morning, I was terrifically worried that her two-month vaccinations would traumatize our delicate, uninitiated daughter for years — nay, decades — to come.
As it would happen, the only people traumatized were Chris and me. I had glanced over her vaccination info the night before, so I had about 12 hours to prepare myself, but the public health nurse was the first to inform Chris that our little princess would be subjected to not one, not two, not three, but FOUR big, scary needles during her visit.
Having absolutely no idea what was coming, Maddux was all smiles and coos as we discussed vaccinations with the nurse. When I held her close in preparation for her shots, she seemed to enjoy the nice cuddle.
I, of course, was bracing for the horror of having my little 12-pound, 11-ounce bundle of joy jabbed repeatedly with sharp objects full of burning vaccine — and the half-hour of frantic wailing I expected would come with the aforementioned baby torture. Of the two of us, Maddi was the more composed.
During her shots, Maddi only cried while the needle was in her thigh and managed to calm herself seconds after each shot ended. Meanwhile, while I put on a brave face and calming voice for Maddi, only the spectre of a horrible death from diphtheria prevented me from folding the little one protectively in my arms and racing madly from the office, never to return. In short, Maddi was a trouper, and I was a weenie.
She has needed a bit of extra cuddling this afternoon, but that worked out well since, after the trauma of getting her vaccinated, so have I.
And here, for your viewing pleasure, is Maddi’s two-month photo (taken yesterday, but close enough!), in which she is enjoying her mobile.