Every time we go to the pediatrician I’m reminded of how lucky we are to have found such an amazing doctor for Parker. Even before I got pregnant I worried about finding a doctor who would be open to a delayed immunization schedule. And I just didn’t want someone who would be fine with delaying immunizations, but someone who genuinely believed that the CDC schedule overloaded our little babies with too many vaccines too early. I knew that I probably wouldn’t find a doctor who would say outright that the CDC schedule could use some major tweaking, but I knew that I would be able to tell their true feelings in they way they practiced medicine. I searched the internet for vaccine friendly doctors and spoke with a few friends to get recommendations and within a few weeks Kris and I had picked three doctors to interview.
The first doctor two doctors we interviewed had a very easygoing approach to vaccines. We talked with them about the vaccine schedule we had decided upon and while I was happy that they were fine our plan, I was surprised that we weren’t met with any suggestions on how to make it better. I am by no means a doctor; Kris and I figured out our schedule by reading unbiased articles on vaccines (which are far and few between), took into consideration the fact that Parker would be in daycare exposed to many germs, and came up with a plan. I would expect our plan to have some flaws, but apparently I should have went to medical school because it seemed to be perfect ;)
Then we were fortunate enough to meet with Dr. Mavani. When we told her how we were planning on spacing out the vaccines she too was fine with it, but had suggestions for us on how to make it even better. What a nice change from the other two doctors! Dr. Mavani has a young son who she has on a delayed schedule so I knew that she truly believes that delaying vaccines is best if that is what she is doing with her own child. We were really impressed with her at this point, but we liked her even more when we found out that she is not only board certified in Pediatrics, but in Holistic Medicine as well. Having a background in Holistic Medicine was huge for us because it creates the much needed balance between traditional and alternative medicine. And we definitely liked her even more when she told us that she left her previous office because they would not disclose the vaccine ingredient list to patients who asked for it. I can’t believe going to a doctor who wouldn’t let you know exactly what they are injecting into your child! In order to keep her practice from getting too large, Dr. Mavani only accepts new patients from June to October so thankfully we made the cutoff!
We have been extremely fortunate that Parker has not had any reactions thus far to the vaccines. Granted, we're really spacing them out, she's reaping the benefits of breastmilk, and we have her on Vitamin A before and after any vaccines, but you still never know. She had one shot at her Friday appointment and not only is she feeling fine, but she didn't even cry when the nurse gave it to her! What a tough babe!
In other news, this fourth month has brought about a lot of changes with Little Miss Parker. She is officially a chatterbox. She has been cooing and caaing a lot but her talking really took off when she started daycare. Whether it’s the daycare environment that’s encouraging her language or just where she is developmentally I’m not sure, but it’s amazing to have her communicating with us. I truly believe that baby cries and babbles are a form of communication so when Parker talks I talk right back to her. I must sound crazy when I hold a conversation with Parker, especially now since she doesn't stop talking, which means I don't stop talking either! When I drop Parker off at daycare in the morning she is all smiles and starts cooing away at all the other babies. Both the daycare teachers and Dr. Mavani are surprised at how vocal she is! And if that's not enough to make our day, Parker is smiling constantly now too!
This month Parker's personality has really developed. She seems more mature, which sounds silly when we're talking about a four month old, but it's true. Gone are the days of constant crying. Parker is much more calm now and understands that we are here to meet her needs. She barely even cries at daycare which is a shock to me...I thought that she would be a mess! But she is a genuinely happy baby all the time. She seems to be very social too with everyone she meets!
Baby laughs have appeared with full force! It's fun to sing songs or make silly facial expressions just to hear those giggles. Those little laughs are contagious. Parker starts laughing and then I start laughing and can't stop!
We also now officially have a back sleeper! Parker is still bed-sharing with us (love cuddling with her all night!), but she's graduated from only sleeping on our chests to sleeping on her back right next to me. We never tried to force Parker to sleep on her back because we knew that if she wanted to sleep that way she would choose to do so in her own time, and that's exactly what happened.
Parker is also great at sitting supported now. She can even sit up for a few seconds at a time on her own!
What another incredible month of developments in our house! Looking forward to each and every day!
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