18 month check-up

We drove up to Moncton on Aug. 19th for Gracie's 18 month well-baby check up appointment. As you know, Canada has socialized medicine; for the most part, I don't have any complaints about the healthcare system or the care that we've received. The main issue in our province (we live in New Brunswick) is a lack of physicians. Some of our friends from the States are on a wait list to get a family doctor and some never were never assigned one while they were here --- for 4 years. We, however, got lucky! After Gracie was born, the family practice doctor on call that weekend that assessed Gracie was nice enough to accept us into her practice. (Initially, she said her practice was full and she checked with a few other doctors who were also at their limit for patients...but she agreed to add us anyway...I think it's because she liked me - and because I'm a nurse!).

So, because it's so difficult to get a family doctor and to keep continuity of care we've kept going to our doctor in Moncton even though we live 90 minutes away. We usually make a day of it and after her appointment we met up with friends at the park or go shopping.

Gracie had a great check-up! She's a healthy girl and doing everything she needs to be doing at 18 months. She also got her immunizations. Americans usually say "shots" but I've noticed that Canadians say "needles". Either way...Gracie didn't like 'em.

She loved sitting on the scale.

(She doesn't get that from me!)

She weighs 26 lbs. 12 ounces (75th %) &

is 35 1/4 inches long (>95th %)

She's really good about taking her

binky out when we ask her to for pictures.

Uh oh!!!!

Why is the nurse coming in here?

Awwahh! Such a sad pouty face.

She knows what's coming next....3 needles!

She cried with each injection but really recovered well. However, this was the first time after the immunizations that she got a fever and was pretty grumpy. Poor baby!!! She's had all of these immunizations before but in different combinations. This round included almost all of them all at once... Pneumococcal, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus, Polio, Influenza Type B, and MMR. While I know immunizations are important and I absolutely agree that they are necessary, I just wish that the schedule was different - not that I have any scientific basis for my opinion - I just think it's a lot for a little person in a very short period of time.