an update...finally

today i actually feel rested! it's the first day in a long time that i don't feel completely zapped of energy, or at least like i'm going at a snail's pace. i was beginning to think i was just really lazy-- but today i am feeling normal, and it is such a change from the past few weeks. i actually did the dishes, and didn't dread it at all! as a result of my fatigue, i have neglected blogging. just haven't felt up to it.
but i thought i'd use some of this new found energy to write a little update...
C had his 15 month checkup this week-- even tho he's now 16 months. he got his first combo vaccine (DTaP, HIB, and Polio) and so far hasn't had any reactions-- although the first night i could have sworn he was developing a twitch. i have been doing a lot of research on vaccinations since before he was born, and i am glad that we decided to wait a year before starting them. i highly recommend Dr. Sears' Vaccine Book, which gives a very thourough and unbiased review of all of the vaccines and their ingredients, side effects, and history-- but it's very easy to read, and he writes like a normal guy who just really cares about kids. (and i'm not a reader)!
i know everyone has to make their own decisions regarding their own kids' health, but this is an issue i am very glad i've taken the time to look into, and would advise any new parent to do so.
what does not impress me is how uninformed our pediatricians' seem to be on these things. for example, i asked whether they were using the PediaRix brand of shot or the Pentacel, and the Doctor wasn't sure why they had switched from one to another (he guessed that CHOP probably got a better deal from one pharmaceutical company over another). i don't like that. i'd much rather have him say that they are using it because it has less aluminum content, and it's in the best interest of the children they serve.
when i asked if i could have a printout of all of the brand names of the shots they give in the office, he looked astonished and said i'd have to ask the nurse-- who also looked astonished and asked if she could mail them to me, b/c it would take a while for her to complie such a list. i was surprised that i would be the first parent to make such a request... when i don't really consider myself to be an extremist when it comes to the vaccine issue-- just a concerned parent.
in other news, i've been trying to take time to really play with my child during the day-- to watch him enjoy life, and discover the world. we stopped by the park on the way home from the doctor, just for something to do on a cloudy morning, and it was really fun! we watched the big kids play for a while (there was a kindergarten class from the YMCA out playing)... and when they all ran over to the basketball court and sat in a circle, C ran over a minute later and sat down on the concrete across from them. he wants to be a big kid already!
he's also discovered how to put his feet in our shoes and walk around (kind of). it's reallllllly funny to watch-- he gets so much pleasure out of it, and gets so frustrated when he trips or his foot comes out or gets stuck in a strap.
he's still bringing up things from the Lake, out of the blue... memories that we haven't even talked about since they happened. it's remarkable.
and today he brought me his little tonka loader, which he had ripped the front off of, and said, "broke".
i read on this 'frugal family fun blog' that you can make finger paint from a little flour and a little water, with a drop of food coloring. so after lunch i put some on his tray and he loved it! i showed him how to draw a star and a heart (with my finger)... and then he asked for a "2" and an "8". these are his favorite numbers -- really the only ones he knows, and therefore loves. so we spent the rest of the time writing numbers on his tray. ... oh, and squishing the paint through our fingers so it made an ew-y gooey noise. he kept saying "goog-y" and giggling. so cute.
the baby is rolling around and kicking a lot now, and it's fun to have a constant companion secretly communicating with me all the time-- even if he is exhausting me!
i have still been struggling with not having a girl, and am trying not to feel guilty about that. i know it will be great having two boys-- it's just a process of acceptance i guess :).
i'm going to try to post some pictures soon. we've got some great ones from labor day and end of summer... hopefully i can get some time later...