OP, are you me? I take immunosuppressants so recently got my third COVID vaccine dose, and am happy baby is still young enough (7 months) to be getting most of her nutrition through breastfeeding for that very reason.

I am in 100% agreement with your concerns and melancholy, too. I just took our baby to get her first flu shot, and while she cried a touch during the shot itself, she was so curious during the outing and pleasantly babbled to her toys for the rest of that Wake Window (I imagine telling them all about the adventure). It made me realize how much more relaxed she might be if we could take real people-focused outings like I had imagined when I daydreamed about motherhood: listening to big kids play at the park, checking out the aisles and other shoppers at Target, watching the ducks paddling and dogs out on walks along our town’s canal…

I think there is sometimes a little defensiveness from friends and family who had kids pre-pandemic (“raising babies is always hard, it was hard for me too, try having grown kids in a pandemic!!!”). I wish there was more grace to be given FTPs on this.