9 month checkup

I know boring title but I am tired. Keegan had his 9 month check-up yesterday. Before I get into that though Lyle and I had a new experience on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. We got to experience Keegan having the flu. Poor kid wasn't sleeping well at all Tuesday night. He woke up around 3am Wednesday morning and puked all over in his crib. So we're trying to clean that up and Lyle fed him a little bit. We had given Keegan some Motrin at midnight because it seemed like something was hurting him; we figured maybe he was teething or something. Well apparently the Mortin didn't sit well in his tummy; at least that's why we thought he puked.

So at 4am Lyle and I are sitting up trying to decide if Keegan should go into daycare or not. I really didn't want to stay home because I had an experiment set up for Wednesday and if I didn't go in I would have to remake some of the solutions. Not to mention I was trying to get all of the testing done for this experiment before Friday. On Friday all of our samples from our last experimental manufacturing coating come in; so no lab work will get done for a couple weeks after that.

Anyway, Lyle and I decide to see how Keegan seems to feel. Keegan goes back to sleep for about an hour. Then he wakes up and we take him out of his crib to see if he is acting sick. Keegan seems very tired and lethargic but he hasn't thrown up anymore. So I say to Lyle "well maybe Keegan can go to daycare". Then Keegan looks at me and starts to cry. He screws up his face all sad like and then....he pukes all over me. Guess I am staying home with Keegan. So Keegan and I stay up and play for a bit while Lyle gets ready for work. Keegan is just pitiful. We are sitting on the floor playing and Keegan keeps crawling into my lap and leaning into me. I can tell he just feels horrible.

I ask Lyle to watch Keegan for a second so I can make the prerequisite call to work letting them know that I am staying home with my pukey baby. Keegan is tired, so I put him back in his crib and he is out like a light. Lyle calls daycare on his way to work to let them know Keegan won't be coming in. The rest of the day basically goes like this: Keegan sleeps for 2 hrs, Keegan wakes up, I try to get him to eat some formula and drink some water, Keegan is awake for maybe half an hour and then he goes to sleep for a couple hours again. I manage to get some rice cereal and some formula in him and he keeps it down.

At 3:15pm it's time to leave for Keegan's 9 month well child visit. Lyle came home early from work so that he could go with us. Keegan woke up from a nap at 3pm and is raring to go.

We find out Keegan weighs 20lbs 14 ounces and is 28 inches long. He is now average instead of being 75th percentile. As the doctor watches Keegan try to climb over everything she mentions that with his level of activity he might drop below average for height and weight for a while. This is perfectly fine, she explains, that he will probably be just way more interested in exploring than eating.

I had promised Keegan no shots this time. Well I lied. I asked Dr. Kuku about getting a flu shot for Keegan; she thinks it is a great idea since he is in daycare. Keegan has also had this rash in his groin area that went away for a little bit and then has been back for a couple days. Ends up it is a yeast infection. Poor guy also started getting some diaper rash again on Monday. So now little Kee needs Butt Paste on his butt and Nystatin on his groin every time the diaper is changed. After all of his frenzied action during the examination Keegan is starting to get tired. So, of course now it is time to get his flu shot. The nurse comes in to give him the shot. Keegan is all helpful smiles until the nurse pokes him. Then he screams, but not for that long. Next we have to go and get Keegan's finger pricked for his 9 month blood testing.

We have to go and wait for our turn outside the lab. By now Keegan is getting bored and tired. Lyle and I take turns walking him in circles around the waiting area; Keegan thinks this is great fun. Keegan likes it even better because people stop and wave at him; this just tickles him. Then Keegan's name is called. I go sit in the chair with Keegan on my lap while Lyle waits with our stuff in the waiting room. Keegan is getting a bit listless but still has a little smile for the nurse. That is until she pokes his finger; then Keegan screams. The nurse has to squeeze his finger to get the blood into a little vial. Keegan screams like he is dying; he has this supersonic shriek that makes your ear drums ring. It was just really special.

Then the nurse gives me a cotton ball to hold on Keegan's finger to stop the bleeding. Well guess what, Keegan doesn't want a cotton ball held on his finger. He wants to leave. So I am trying to hold him and a tiny little cotton ball pressed to his tiny little finger. It just not happening, he yanks my hand away and the cotton ball falls off and Keegan starts dripping blood everywhere. Try to remember neither Lyle nor I have gotten any sleep for the last few nights because of Keegan's antics. I ask the nurse for some help and she is like "Oh, my". So she kneels down in front of Keegan while I hold him and she holds the cotton ball to his finger until he stops bleeding. Well the nurse touching his finger starts off another new set of wails. I am sweating by now; don't know why but it suddenly seems really warm in the room.

Lyle peeks around the corner to pass in Keegan's nook. Finally Keegan's finger stops bleeding and we are done. Lyle hoists Keegan onto his shoulders, which Keegan loves. Now Keegan is smiling and giggling (with tears still running down his face) as we leave the building. I grab my purse, his diaper bag, and look down on my coat to realize that Keegan must have hit my coat with some puke earlier today; lovely.

Keegan hasn't vomited since early this morning. So I offer him his full dinner of oatmeal, fruit, and veggies. He gobbles down most of the stuff like a champ and then smiles at me and pukes it up all over me. Okay, no more food for Keegan today.

Keegan is at my mom's today; hopefully he is feeling better. I really don't want to have to stay home again tomorrow. Not that I object to spending the time with Keegan; I am just getting behind on things at work.