Check Ups

Today I took two HEALTHY children to the pediatrician. I actually made it almost two weeks since our last trip, and this time we were there for our regularly scheduled well-checks--Paige's 4month, and Reese's 2 1/2 year. Luckily, our doctor would see them both at the same time, so I only had to make one trip.

Reese now gets measured on the "big person" scale instead of the infant scale. I knew she had put on some weight (and height) in the last six months, and her measurements confirmed it. She is now almost 27lbs and 34 1/2" tall. That puts both her weight and height in the 25th percentile. The nurse remarked that she hadn't been above the 15th percentile in weight since she was 4 months old! When the doctor came in he asked Reese "So, how are you this morning?" She quickly replied, "I'm good thank you." I didn't think anything of her reply, but apparently he wasn't ready for a complete sentence to come tumbling out of her mouth. He asked me a few developmental questions ("Does she use pronouns?" etc) and then moved on to her exam. Before he got very far, Reese starting talking to him about her doctor kit. "I have a stethoscope at home too. I listen to my babies hearts. And I have a doctor coat. And I give them shots if they are sick." He proclaimed her in perfect health and told me that her verbal skills are advanced for her age. Oh, and of course we couldn't move on to Paige's exam before she got a chance to show him her new panties and proclaim her ability to pee-pee and poopie on the potty like a big girl.

Then it was Paige's turn. She smiled and cooed during her check up, even during the hip exam which he warned me she wouldn't like. ("Just so you know, babies don't usually like this part," --pushes on her legs and hips, Paige coos--"ok, well, most babies don't like that part.") The only time she fussed was during the ear exam, but she also got a clean bill of health. She, of course, is still on the small side, but her growth is tracking steadily and she's on the percentile charts so they're not worried. She now weighs 11lbs 14oz and is 23 1/2" long. Her weight and height are both around the 9th percentile, but her head is 40.6cm which is the 25th percentile. Paige's appointment ended with three shots.

Reese collected enough stickers for her AND Paige on her way out (although she wasn't willing to share them) and we have our next visit scheduled for Paige's 6 month check up.