Happy Birthday, Here's Some Shots

On Monday I took Kai and Noah to the pediatrician for their birthday well visits. Happy Birthday, here's some shots.

Kai actually didn't have to get any shots for his three-year visit. He insisted that he did NOT want a check-up. However, he said it would be fine if the nurse and doctor asked him questions, weighed and measured him, and looked at his body. But absolutely no check-up allowed. Kai can do everything that a three-year-old "should" do. He is now 38.75 inches tall (75th percentile, down from 88th at age two, so he's probably due for a growth spurt). He weighs 34.6 pounds (also in the 75th percentile, up from the 59th at age two, so again, I think this means he's due to stretch out soon).

Noah, on the other hand, did need three immunizations, but did well for the shots. Unfortunately, he's been quite the little bugger since Monday and I'm not entirely sure if it's due to the immunizations, teething, or both. He's been pretty impossible, though. Poor kid is miserable, and I feel bad for him. But I feel pretty bad for me, too!

Noah is healthy and can do all of the things expected of a one-year-old. He seems to be following his own idea of a growth chart, though, which goes down and down! He is gaining weight at each interval, so the doctor isn't overly concerned, but Noah is definitely getting thinner and thinner. Until four months old, his weight was always above the 95th percentile. At 6 months, it dropped to the 75th percentile. At 9 months, it dropped to the 50th percentile. And now, at 12 months, he's dropped down to the 35th percentile. Meanwhile, his height has only dropped from the 95th percentile to the 90th. His measurements now are 31 inches tall and 22 pounds.

It's possible that he's just determined to be a slim little guy. Maybe he has his eye on the skinny jeans. But we do just want to make sure that he is, indeed, getting enough calories and nutrition. The doctor suggested that we use Pediasure in Noah's sippy cup in order to provide some extra calories and also to entice him to actually drink from the sippy cup, assuming he would like the flavored Pediasure. We could then begin to slowly dilute the Pediasure with whole milk until he was drinking the whole milk exclusively. Unfortunately, this plan hasn't worked so far. He is still refusing to drink anything from the sippy cup. He is also not eating much this week aside from one surprisingly large dinner. He is nursing more again and I'm not sure if it's because of his teeth, for comfort, or what. I certainly don't mind nursing my babies past age one. All of them have done it. But his doctor does believe that he needs to be getting most of his nutrition from food at this point, and that breast milk is just an added bonus.

Noah is a sweet, happy little guy much of the time. But when he is miserable, like lately, I have a hard time figuring out what the problem is. He refuses to take naps and doesn't want food, drink, or comfort. He cries to be picked up and then tries to wriggle from my arms. He begs for food, but then spits it out. He reaches to accept an offered sippy cup, but then lets the contents dribble out of his mouth. He does nothing but fuss, but refuses to sleep when put down for a nap. However, I am grateful for a healthy, developmentally perfect little boy. I just hope he cheers up soon!