Well-Baby Visit: Four Months

Last Thursday was a big day for us! It was time for one of our very seldom trips out of the house with Delilah. We rarely go anywhere, so when we do it takes a lot of preparation. Delilah’s diaper bag is hardly ever packed and we’re still learning how much time we need in the morning to make it out of the door on time!

Joshua had an important test to take in the early afternoon and in the evening, was Delilah’s 4-month well baby checkup. Due to technology needs, Joshua took his test at a close family friend’s house.

When we were there I saw for the first time how Delilah reacted to someone who wasn’t an immediate family member. While she was sitting with our friend, Delilah exhibited some stranger anxiety for the first time. With everything going on we haven’t experienced this sort of thing. She regularly hears the voice of our family friend on video calls but Delilah had only met her once.  She didn’t immediately get upset; our friend had been holding her for a while before Delilah really looked at her and realized she didn’t recognize who was holding her.

After Josh’s test we had just enough time to pick up some food (all of our planning to make it out of the house on time didn’t include packing a lunch), and drive to the doctor’s office. We did our new normal procedure at the doctors: calling the office from the car, meeting the nurse outside, donning my mask, and taking Delilah inside while Joshua waited in the car eating a carne asada burrito.

The first part of Delilah’s appointment, where she is weighed, is probably my favorite because I get to see how much she’s grown.  I also get to see if my guess about her weight is right. I was over by 4 ounces this time. Then I scramble to remember all the questions I have for the doctor. It might help if I actually wrote them down before the appointment!

This appointment was super exciting because Delilah’s doctor gave us the okay to start her on solid foods. I’ve been really looking forward to this because I love to cook and I’m interested in trying to make homemade baby food for Delilah.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t excited for too long because after the doctor left it was time for Delilah’s 4-month vaccinations, which are never fun. Since her last appointment I participated in a free workshop for parents to learn more about childhood vaccines. The program was from Boost Oregon, a parent-led non-profit organization that seeks to provide access to information to parents about childhood vaccinations. The workshop took place via Zoom where a pediatrician gave a presentation about vaccinations and then answered questions from the parents. I liked that Boost Oregon did not try to sway parents to make a certain decision, and it provided parents a way to have their questions answered in real time.

During Delilah’s vaccinations, I thought for a second that we might have a miracle when she didn’t cry after the first shot, but sure enough, after the second one she was not a happy camper. Since her first shots at two months I’ve learned a few tips to help make the process go a little smoother.

First, I put her onesie back on while we waited for the nurse to come in with the shots. It’s a lot harder to dress an unhappy baby.  Second, I have a bottle ready for after her shots. I’ve noticed that after I get Delilah calmed just a little, offering her a bottle helps to distract her and calm her down enough to fall asleep on the car ride home.

After we left the doctors, I was excited again about trying solid foods with her for the first time. I was obsessing over what her first food should be. It ended up being chicken, but I’ll explain that decision next time! In my excitement, I wanted to go straight to the store to buy baby food and supplies to feed her, but I knew when Delilah woke up she most likely wasn’t going to be in the mood for shopping, or waiting in the car with dad while I do the shopping. So, instead, we went home for lots of cuddles and rest!

For more information on Boost Oregon or to sign up for one of their free parent workshops, check out http://www.boostoregon.org/ or the Boost Oregon Facebook page.