Maddie's First Shots

Well, we all survived the pediatricians visit yesterday with just a few tears and a bit of really red faced screaming. The visit started off poorly due to the fact that we got there an hour and fifteen minutes too early because I missed a voicemail asking me to bring Maddie in at 10 instead of 9. So by the time Maddie could see the doctor she was already over it and getting cranky before anyone even started examining her. I dont blame her though, who wants to be stripped down to their undies and poked and prodded by some stranger, poor girl. The doctor examined her and said we have a perfectly healthy little girl. She weighs 12.5 pounds which is on the large size (80 percentile) and is 23.5 inches long which is longer than average (75 percentile). I think my suspicions were right, I have been over feeding her! The doctor didnt seem concerned so neither am I but I am going to try to breast feed more and lay off on the formula a bit. So after the exam came the shots, oh it hurt my heart to hear her scream like that. My eyes welled up with tears but I didnt cry. The baby books say I have to practice being tough so that my fear doesnt "rub off" on her. Luckily Daniel was there to hold and comfort her. She got a shot in each thigh and an oral vaccine, to my surprise she really hated the oral vaccine. I guess because it was very cold and had to be administered in six doses. She screamed so loud and made the worse face, I suspect that it probably tasted pretty yucky too. One good thing about the doctors visit was that Madeline successfully sucked her thumb for the first time there. I was so happy. Up until the doctors appointment she had been able to get it in her mouth but hadnt really been able to keep it there and suck on it for an extended time. I have really been wanting her to suck her thumb so that she could learn to self soothe. I dont really like pacifiers although there have been a few moments of frustration where we have offered her one, but she really doesnt take to it so I have my fingers crossed that she will be a thumbsucker. Some people advise against thumb sucking but it seems to naturally soothe their urge to suck and I think it may help me to stop overfeeding her:) Unfortunately it must have been just the stress of the doctors office that caused her to suck her thumb because she hasnt been able to successfully do it since. Oh well I am sure it will happen in time.
When we went to the doctors office we were feeling particularly festive so we dressed her in her Christmas onsie which was a gift from Uncle Dwayne and Aunt Roberta in Oregon. I think it is so cute, it has reindeer on her feet and on her bum.


Here she is "waving" and smiling in her Christmas onsie, see those shots werent too bad!

Her little reindeer feet.

Speaking of Christmas, we put up our first Christmas tree. This is Maddie's first tree and the first tree I have had since I was four years old. At first I didnt really care if we put up a tree or not, but now I love it! I want to keep it up all year round. It a bit sparse on the trimmings but I suppose we will build that up in the coming years.