I don’t plan on using this blog to wade into controversial waters. Maybe it is my background in journalism. The whole “fair and balanced” thing prevented me from seeing the news as a consumer for so many years. My job for a long time was to find snappy headlines and juicy soundbites, mostly at the expense of digging into the whole story. I’ll be the first to admit when I haven’t done the research. But on the issue of getting your kids vaccinated, I think I have a pretty clear picture.

On one side we have doctors, the CDC and just about every scientific study imaginable saying to get your kids vaccinated. On the other side we have the hot, funny blonde from the 90’s MTV dating show Singled Out claiming that vaccines lead to autism. Like any male of my generation, I was a big Jenny McCarthy fan. But I’m gonna go ahead and side with science in this case. My son will have enough to deal with in the decades ahead, I’d rather he didn’t get polio or measles while he’s cleaning up our messes.

Three days after returning from Las Vegas, we had Cameron’s two month check-up, aka the vaccination appointment. Our first mistake was scheduling a doctor’s appointment just a couple days after getting back from Vegas. Whether you are two months old, or 36 years old, you should NEVER get a physical the Tuesday after you get back from Vegas! Sorry Cam, won’t happen again!

I was on my own for this appointment. Sara had hoped to join us, but she was stuck operating. This was a big test for me. Most of my routine is based in the house, neighborhood, or at the local park where we stroll while Quinn runs off leash. I’ve done a couple of quick shopping trips with Cam, but I’ve been strategic about always being close to home.

We arrived at the office and got checked in, hiding in a corner trying to keep Cam from the germ factories running around the waiting room. Luckily the wait was brief, and we got going just about on time. I think the stay-at-home dad thing works in places like doctor’s offices. They (rightly) assume I have no idea what I’m doing, or at the very least could use some help. The Fogarty men prove to be a killer combination, securing free samples of formula as we wait for the doctor. I’ve still got it! *Editor’s Note: Turns out they give out free samples to everyone, all you have to do is ask.

Before the vaccine part of the appointment, I had to get Cam changed, weighed and measured. At just short of 9 weeks, he weighed in at 14lbs 15ozs. See what I mean about going to the doctor after a few days of Vegas buffets? At 23 inches, the doctor is pleased with his growth, and the rest of the check-up went pretty well. She thinks Cam may have a mild case of Torticollis, which means his neck muscles are tight because he’s always looking and sleeping in one direction. We will head to a therapist to nip this in the bud quickly. My guess is we will be ordered to take tummy time more seriously, which won’t be fun for anyone. Regardless, we are very lucky and appreciative with his continued good health.

The doctor leaves and here comes the nurse with the shots. I had NO idea what to expect. I knew he would be upset, but I completely underestimated his reaction. I thought I had heard all of his variations of cries. Hungry, dirty diaper, tired…..but the pain from the shots emitted a noise that was on another level altogether. The sound increased almost by the second, pausing only to reload the lungs. It was awful and went on for an uncomfortable amount of time from my perspective. We needed some time to regroup before packing up to leave. There were a few moments when I thought I wasn’t going to be able to stop at the desk and checkout or schedule our next appointment. Luckily he calmed down enough for us to get out of the office in one piece. We made it home and things settled down. He did great, no fevers or anything. The bad news? We have to do it all over again in July.