the blackmons in chicago

Have you ever seen a baby so happy the day he got 4 shots?
He is very happy after his bath this evening!
Big stretch from a long nap
Face of an angel

Tuckered out from all the shots this morning!

Yes, he still has to have his arms swaddled for naps during the day but not

at night...very strange. We take the wings off the Halo Swaddle Sleepsack and wrap him up!

Playing with daddy while we wait for the shots!
Showing how strong he is for Dr. Fleming
"Look at my neck!"
"I'm one big tub of love!" - 15 lbs 12 oz

4 Month Check-up/Shots

This morning, Baker had his 4 month wellness visit at Kidz Docs and just like last time, we were a bit anxious. I don't think we will ever enjoy those visits that require vaccinations. It just hurts us to see Baker hurt but this time, he was a champ! He got 4 shots and one oral, just like his 2 month visit and he didn't even start crying until the 3rd one!! We were all a bit amazed by that. I had my syringe full of sugar water that I was going to squirt in his mouth as each shot was administered but on the first go, I somehow pushed a little too hard and doused him with it! It went everywhere, so maybe that's why he didn't cry...ha! He's been great all day, just slept very hard for his naps and didn't have much appetite for his noon feeding but overall, very happy and so cuddly (which we LOVE)! Baker weighed in at 15 lbs 12 oz (75th %ile) and was 26 3/4" long (95th %ile...he grew 3 inches since his 2 mth visit!). So, he's definitely healthy and eating well. Dr. Fleming even told us that we can start to feed him rice cereal! How exciting and scary at the same time! Brad and I noticed that Baker has been watching us when we eat lately and that's a sign that he's ready too. He's definitely growing up!

Other news...Baker's doctor suggested today that we send Baker to a neurosurgeon to check on his head. The back of his head has been a bit flat since he was at least 6 weeks old and the doc was hoping that it would have improved by now but it hasn't. She isn't sure if he'll need to wear a helmet to correct the problem but thinks that a specialist should take a look at him so they can make that decision. Obviously, this news hit hard with Brad and I. It's not the greatest news a new parent can hear but it's certainly not the worst. We had friends whose baby recently underwent heart surgery at 7 mths old so we definitely feel blessed. A flat head is something that can be fixed so we're trying not to worry. Of course, I've cried a lot today about it! It's frustrating because we have taken every effort to keep Baker off of the back of his head while he is awake for months (doing tummy time, playing on his exersaucer, Bumbo, sitting on us) but we can only do so much. He loves his floor gym so he definitely gets time on that. It is what it is and we're taking the steps to correct it. His appointment at the Childrens' Hospital in DC is on June 5th with a highly esteemed neurosurgeon on the East Coast. So, keep him in your prayers!