18 Month Checkup

Filed Under Eighteen Months, Pediatrician, Talking | 6 Comments

Today Bailey had her 18 month visit to the pediatrician. I am so glad that we see her doctor on a regular basis. I think people who don’t go regularly are missing out. We have a wonderful doctor and she is always so supportive, encouraging, etc. I guess it depends on how much you like your doctor.

Here are the stats:
24 lbs 4 oz
31 1/4 in
head 18 in I think… 80th percentile, I remember that.

She asked about her speech and said she should have at least ten words by now. Bailey has over 80 last time I counted. I think I have officially lost track. Some of her new words are car, cow, (she just learned how to make the c/k sound), geeta (grammy), cacker (cracker), ehnie (ernie), keech (cheek), bow, mail, she now says “c0ck” for clock, which is just wonderful, especially because she loves to point them out everywhere we go… I have noticed that within the last few days she is picking up at least five or so new words each day. She is really starting to sound things out on her own. She also calls us Mommy and Daddy now, which I love.

Her doctor asked whether she was starting to go up/down stairs. I said, “Yeah, but she still has to hold the handle unless its just one or two steps.” She was like- what? She’s going up stairs upright? Apparently she meant crawling up and down the stairs, but Bailey has been walking up and down on her own for at least a month or so. She’s good enough now that I can leave her downstairs and tell her to come up when she’s done playing. It’s kind of nice. We still leave the gate upstairs closed though, just so there aren’t any accidents! She was also impressed by her jumping off the ground, and climbing. She said her motor skills are very advanced and ahead of most two year olds. She suggested getting her involved in activities where she can use her gross motor skills.

We talked about how she doesn’t like to get her hands dirty- which her teacher at one of her classes implied could be a sensory problem- but since it doesn’t carry over into any other parts of her life like eating, clothing choices, etc she thinks that she just likes to be clean and is picky about it. She has always been a neat eater, too, and will wipe her mouth if food gets on her lips or face. I guess that is just part of her personality. She has started to get braver about touching messy things but then tries to wipe her hands off right away.

She also watched her do a puzzle on the floor while we talked, and asked about her reading and comprehension when we talk, and stuff like that. She did a screening for autism that they do with all their patients. She said that Bailey is currently ahead of where she needs to be by her two year checkup, in all the areas except speech. She has enough words, but she said by two years old they will be putting two or three words together. So she said that she expects her to still be ahead of the “charts” at her two year checkup and that she is doing great and is a smart little girl. Aw, mommy just loved hearing that. I just don’t want to push Bailey to do things she doesn’t want to do.

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