Pediatrician or Sadist?

On Tuesday we had a doctor’s appointment. Alexander now weighs 14 lbs 1 oz – so we were a little off in our guesstimates of 75 lbs. Maybe if I had spent the last 9 months in the gym instead of on bedrest, I could lift a feather without popping a blood vessel. Well, if 3 am infomercials have taught me anything, it’s that it is never too late to go from a before picture to an after picture. Alexander is serving as my weight machine. Since he is needier than the average weight machine, he provides great motivation and I’m up to 2 million reps a day. Soon I can justify calling my biceps “guns”.

Anyhoo, the little guy hasn’t been feeling too great this week because the doctor gave him five (yes FIVE) vaccines. In fact, one vaccine was a 3-for-1 shot, so really he had seven vaccines. Four shots in his leg and one oral vaccine. That seems really excessive for a little guy of his size. That’d be the equivalent of an adult man getting 64 vaccines in one horrible doctor’s visit. Even though I knew the shots were better than, say, contracting polio, I have to admit it was really hard to watch. One minute he’s a happy baby and the next he is crying his eyes out. Stupid doctor with her stupid live-saving vaccines…

So this week we’ve been busy trying to convince Alexander that life really isn’t that bad. Fortunately we don’t have to go back to the doctor until his 4-month appointment in December. By Alexander’s timeline, two months is literally a lifetime away. Thank god.


Below is a reenactment of the incident.