First Vaccinations

Anders just received his first vaccinations - Rotavirus (oral) which protects against rotavirus and DTaP (shot) which is for diptheria, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). He is such a trooper. After the shot, he only cried for a couple of seconds and it was only a "you have annoyed me" cry rather than his truly upset cry. Meanwhile, I had tears running down my face in anticipation of how I thought he would respond.

Vaccines are a somewhat controversial topic for many parents these days. We held off on giving him any until we had a chance to do research and make our own decisions. For anyone wanting more information about vaccines, we found the The Vaccine Book by Robert Sears (2007) to be very helpful. The book talks about the societal positives of vaccinating as well as the possible negatives of each individual disease and its vaccine. He also provides several alternative vaccination schedules that minimize (in his view) possible side effects while still resulting in a vaccinated child. Mike heard the author on a recent episode of our favorite radio show, This American Life. Dr. Sears quoted Star Trek: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - or the one."

Contemplating the needs of the one

On a lighter daycare note, Zachary had gotten out his baby (doll) so that the babies could talk. On our way out, Zachary said, "Bring the baby back tomorrow!"

- Corinne, Mike, and Anders Rocket