I want my SHOT!

If you read my pregnancy blog, or even my facebook status, you'll see that I was having quite the dilemma about getting the H1N1 vaccine for me and/or the kids.

I got it first. I was able to get the thermisol free version from my OB who convinced me almost beyond the shadow of a doubt that I really really needed to do it. A few more objections and I think I may have even had her on her knees begging. She had three patients on ventilators and babies she had to deliver too soon because of oxygen levels and the devastating effects on a pregnant woman and unborn baby. After I got it, I had to rethink what I thought I knew was right for us.

My gut feeling was to vaccinate the kids too. But I wasn't sure because I'd already vowed not to do it. I'm not sure if I would have made a different decision if I didn't have a new baby on the way to the house. But I was starting to get kinda germaphobic about anywhere we went, any one we touched. Then it was in Lily's school, and Sabine's school, and a coworker had it...and I decided to go for it. But then we couldn't find it.

We waited in line with a friend at Tigard High School for 3 hours before getting turned away about 50 people before the building. Lily was SO weird that day. She could not WAIT to get her shot. Sabine was sick, and I was a little worried if she had it or not. (It ended up that she didn't-just an infection - and she got vaccinated 2 days later at a doc appt) She met me with the kids at the soccer field where Carrie and kids were already lined up. I told her not to tell them what we were doing, but she already had. And Lily was fine with it. This is a girl who doesn't want to have her bday because she is so terrified of her shots that follow at the annual check up.

Anyway, she kept getting impatient, "Mama, when do I get my shot?". So when they came out with the mega phone to say they were running out of doses and if we were on this side of the parking lot, we'd be out of luck. Lawrence picked Lily and Addie up, he had each of them over one shoulder. Lily was bawling her head of yelling, "I WANT MY SHOT". She cried the whole way home, "It's not fair, I waited and waited and I didn't get ANY shot". It was really funny. The news station was there, and I wished they'd seen her. Moms with tears in their eyes for hundreds and hundred behind us were a dime a dozen, but...A FIVE year old screaming out like she'd been turned away from bread in the Great Depression...TOO good. I consoled her all the way home, offered up 2 peices of Halloween Candy, and Daddy promised that on Saturday he'd wake at the crack of dawn for the next session. And that he did. He woke up at 5am, out the door by 5:15 for a 9am clinic at Sherwood High School. He was 15th in line. At 6:15 he called me to tell me to get ready because they were talking about starting early, and there would be 1000 doses and we were 15th in line. He was inside, thankfully, because it was raining cats and dogs. We called Carrie and Sean and they met over there too.

Addie and Ian eating some raisins. Notice Addie's hair, when put into pigtails or ponytails, it keeps the same shape until washed next time.
Mama Carrie said that Addie's hair made her day, but I think it was that she was finally getting the vaccine for her children, especially her 4 year old who has had RSV and other chronic breathing problems in her younger years.
Daddy's pockets stuffed with the two bear-bears. We ended up getting the mist for the girls, but we didn't know if it would be mist or shot until we got there so they both had their "guys"
Another cutie of Addie and Ian. She's a day older than him, so she can get away with this hair. And...she did bring him raisins....

Thanks Daddy for being willing to stand in line and do what was best for our family. We are all vaccinated including Sabine and the only person who had to get the mercury in their shot was Daddy. Sometimes I get all crazy and annoyed about the little things, and keeping score, and whose willing to do what for our family...but so many times Lawrence does something selfless and dutiful for us and our friends, and I appreciate so so so much this man that I married.

If you decide not to vaccinate your family, I get it. I agree with you, and I don't have any judgement one way or the other. I honestly believe that if you go with your gut feeling, you will be right, we all have different guts because we are in different circumstances and different risk situations. Do what you feel is best to protect your family, do your homework, and then rest easy in your decision. That's what I'm trying to do. And if you change your mind after you were SURE you were on one side of the fence, then go easy on yourself and trust that your gut probably changed for a reason. Also, careful about judging others and their decisions, that's not your worry. Everyone is having a hard time with this decsion, so go easy on the people who choose something different than you.