At least they have cute band-aids!

Camryn had her 6 month check up yesterday, and all I have been able to think about in the past week or so is whether or not she should get the flu vaccines! We have discussed it, fretted over it, and ultimately we decided that we need to trust the people who we depend on for her medical care...her pediatricians. That being said, I had a page of questions I was ready to ask during our appointment. My love for Camryn's doctor was confirmed when he spent 30 minutes with me discussing the flu vaccines (and another 30 minutes discussing the normal 6 month check-up "stuff"). One of the things I was most concerned about was the risk of getting the vaccines vs. the risk of getting the flu. One minute I hear on the news that H1N1 is taking the lives of children every day, and the next minute I hear that it is actually a mild flu virus. What?! Which is it?! Is it really worth getting the vaccine? According to Dr. Dupuy, it is the secondary complications from the flu that are dangerous for young children like Camryn, not the virus itself. H1N1 causes significant upper-respiratory illness, which puts infected people at risk of developing pneumonia. Pneumonia in babies quickly becomes life threatening. You can see where this is going... I also brought up the fact that we are quite prudent when it comes to seeking medical attention for Camryn...would it really be possible for her to develop pneumonia if we brought her in as soon as she got sick? Tamiflu can, in fact, be used in infants, however, it stops the body's normal development of antibodies. So, although it will speed up one's recovery from a virus the first time they get it, the next time that person is exposed to the same virus, they do not have the same immunity as they would have if they had not taken the Tamiflu. To further complicate matters, H1N1 is already becoming resistant to Tamiflu. So, if Camryn were to get the flu, she could take Tamiflu, but if she were to get it again, there would be little that we could do to shorten the duration of her illness and limit her risk of developing secondary complications. Dr. Dupuy also feels as though the risk of complications from the vaccines themselves is extremely low, and that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Ultimately, I did go with his recommendation and get the seasonal flu vaccine. H1N1 is not currently available in our area, but as soon as it is, Camryn will be getting that one as well. The decision making process was a long one for this issue, but Andy and I both feel great about our final decision.

In the end, Camryn had to get 4 shots...two in each thigh. This time around it was especially sad for me, because in addition to crying because the shots hurt, she also appeared to have her feelings hurt :-(((. She cried so hard that no sound came out, then pouted and cried, and was still sniffling at the check out counter. Poor baby!! At least they have cute band-aids:

She is 75%ile for height and weight now (almost 17 lbs and 26.5 inches) and is meeting all of the developmental milestones for her age. Dr. Dupuy said that she is beautiful, and that we are doing a great job. <3.>

I will leave you with a couple more cute ones from this week:

Have a great week!