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.

One Year Checkup

Filed Under Pediatrician, Twelve Months | 2 Comments

Before I forget…

20 lbs, 2 oz (30%)

almost 29 inches (50%)

head 85% but I don’t remember the actual measurement

walking, starting to climb, waving, clapping, eating fine, she has five words, meeting milestones, everything looks good

We chose to wait on the chicken pox vax until 15 months, more about that later but I started thinking about it after reading this blog entry written by a mom I know.

Today she got MMR and Hep A

Declined lead test because she did not have any of the things on the checklist

She will not get her iron test until 15 months because she is still getting some formula now and dr wants to wait until she doesn’t get any formula at all to do that so it doesn’t affect the levels. Right now she gets about 6 oz a day because I was worried about her eating habits

The Terrible Horrible Awful Day

Filed Under Difficult Stuff, Pediatrician, Sick, Ten Months | 4 Comments

Today we took Bailey to the ped for a cough- she has another ear infection. They are guessing that since there was still fluid at her re-check from her first one, it got infected more easily again. So then we waited AN HOUR at the grocery store for her prescriptions- antibiotic and the damn prescription cold meds that you can’t buy OTC anymore. That’s a rant for another day.

So we get home and Jonathon decides he’s going to go to work for a few hours. I gave B a bath and then sat her down outside the bathroom so that she could go in the living room and play while I went in our bathroom to poop. THUD. Jonathon didn’t close the baby gate when he left. She rolled down like six stairs and hit the front door at the bottom. Went to pick her up and she was crying so hard she wasn’t making any noise- that’s the worst kind of cry After nursing her for a minute or two I got her settle down and she already had a huge lump on the side of her head. I called Jonathon hysterical and he turned around and came home and proceeded to yell at me for not checking if the gate was closed.

We called the ped (now for the 3rd time today cuz we also had to call from the grocery store) and she had us check pupils, swelling, movement, etc and asked about whether she cried right away and stuff. Bailey seems to be totally fine other than a bump but it was seriously the scaries thing I have ever had happen. I know that was so stupid on our part and it just happened so fast. Please make a habit of closing your baby gates even if the baby is in bed or not in that room. Jonathon thought she was going straight to nap so didn’t close it

9 Month Checkup

Filed Under Nine Months, Pediatrician | 6 Comments

B had her official nine month checkup today with her pediatrician, who (whom?) I love. I have to admit I spent the first part of the visit whining about how Bailey doesn’t sleep anymore, she is grumpy, snotty, etc. I seriously thought it was teething. So the doctor checks her lungs- good. Nose- good. Eyes- good. Left ear- good… Right ear- infected.

Dumb mommy. I should have known something was going on. Doctor said that it was probably only the third or fourth day and that wasn’t bad. Bailey is taking amoxicillin now, and she loves it. After just two doses, I can tell a difference in her attitude. This is her first antibiotic ever, but I guess I’m glad we managed to make it this long. Also, I am *deathly allergic to penicillin, so we had to watch her really closely (Read: She could not nap in another room) in case of an anaphylactic reaction. So far she has had two doses and doesn’t show any signs of allergy. The pharmacist said that if she were going to have a severe reaction like me, that it would probably be within the first few doses.

Anyhoo, on to the good stuff… measurements.

18 pounds 1 oz (50%)
27 1/4 inches (45%)
head 17 3/4 (90%)

I knew her head was pretty big, because we always struggle to get her shirts over her head. Even the ones that unsnap on the shoulder!

No vaccinations today- she will get her next round at her twelve month checkup. We have to go back in two weeks to get her ear checked to make sure it has cleared up. She is meeting/exceeding all the developmental milestones. She encouraged us to start trying finger foods and sippy cup but I told her we already do those regularly. LOL

*Anaphylactic shock, the most severe type of anaphylaxis, occurs when an allergic response triggers a quick release from mast cells of large quantities of immunological mediators (histamines, prostaglandins, leukotrienes) leading to systemic vasodilation (associated with a sudden drop in blood pressure) and edema of bronchial mucosa (resulting in bronchoconstriction and difficulty breathing). Anaphylactic shock can lead to death in a matter of minutes if left untreated. Yep, that’s what happens to me. Not just a little headache. Hospital via ambulance, complete with IV’s and oxygen, and defibrillator on hand.

2 Month Checkup

Filed Under One Month, Pediatrician, Two Months | 2 Comments

11 lbs 2 oz

22 in long

bigger head but I forget what

4 shots, one oral vaccine

Updated: Bailey is now in like the 80th percentile for weight and 40th for height, I think… The doctor said she was doing well and probably had a big weight gain during this second month since she wasn’t gaining a whole lot during the first month.

She is meeting all of her little milestone/expectation thingies such as picking her head up enough when on her stomach, cooing, eye contact, etc. Except- the doctor asked if she was smiling a lot and we said still only once in a while- like maybe two or three times a day but she has to be in a good mood or someone has to be particularly interesting. She said she would “like to see her smiling more within the next 2.5 weeks” so whatever. I guess our kid is a slow smiler. Oh well.

She was fine for the first three shots and then screamed like crazy during the last one. I was surprised she held out that long even. She sucked on my finger for a few minutes and calmed down fairly quickly. Was crabby a little bit later in the day and had two doses of Tylenol. Then she slept last night from 11 pm until when I woke her up this morning at 8:40 because we had to go somewhere. She slept more than usual today, too, but her personality seems to be back to normal.

Professional Pictures, Pediatrician, Wedding

Filed Under Friends, Grandparents, Newborn, Pediatrician | 7 Comments

Here is the link to see Bailey’s first “professional” photos, taken at the hospital, one day old.

http://www.growingfamily.com/webnursery/babypage.asp?UrlID=5162391010

Her visit to the pediatrician went well. Her jaundice is apparently under control and not a concern. Her weight was 7 lbs 1 oz, so she hasn’t lost any weight since leaving the hospital, which is good because my milk hadn’t come in yet when we left.

Speaking of which, the feeding is going much, much better. We are down to just supplementing with maybe a half ounce of formula at a time, at the end of feedings. She eats very, very slowly but it gives Mommy lots of time to hold her

Here are our most recent pictures, from our adventure to the pediatrician and a wedding Jonathon and I went to last night (just the ceremony, Bailey stayed at our house with Gram and Grampa, but I couldn’t miss it for anything!) The bride was absolutely beautiful and it was a lovely ceremony. Darn postpartum hormones, I started crying when the first song played and the grandmothers walked in!

And just a few pictures around the house. How many pictures of a sleeping baby can we take? I am ridiculously, completely, and totally in love with her.