Shots All Around!

Here we are at Friday and we could probably use a shot or 2, but the title actually refers to Mason's immunizations. We put off the immunizations in the NICU because we had seen a couple of other babies having respiratory reactions to their shots. Since Mason already has a compromised respiratory system, we wanted him to be stronger before getting the shots. So, now that he is about 2.5 times bigger, and in the hospital where he can be observed for bad reactions, today was the day. He got his DTaP, his 2nd Hep. B, his Hib, pneumococcal, and 1st flu shot. For those of you who don't have kids or don't remember what everything means, the DTaP is diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis or whooping cough; the Hep B is for hepatitis B; and the Hib and pneumococcal are for bacteria that can cause meningitis. Bill said the nurses were great about doing the shots all at once (I guess they triple teamed him) to avoid prolonging the experience. So, we've got it behind us now, and so far, so good: no bad reactions. In fact, he and the attending doctor were giggling at each other quite a bit this evening. I'm glad to see he always returns to his happy, giggly, smiley self. We will be here in the hospital for a couple more days, just to make sure his lungs stay stable after the shots.

Otherwise, Mason's doing about the same today, maybe even slightly better. He hasn't had to go up to 2 liters of oxygen today, so although its a small step, it is a step in the right direction. We will take all the small steps we can get!