12 Month Check-Up

Oh, Banner Boone! You have gone and grown up on me a whole lot today! First I want to tell you about your 1-year well visit today with Dr. B. You did great! It was fun watching you walk around the waiting room for the first time. You were friendly to the others waiting - walking up to them and smiling - and you kept Daddy on his toes as he chased you around when you tried to make your way to the back or out the front door when patients came in to the office. Luckily, just when he was about to lose his patience with you, the nurse called your name.

You did great as the nurse listening to your heart and checked your height, head measurement, and weight. But then, we had a long wait before Dr. B came to see you. You were all over that exam room trying to open cabinets, playing with the rolling chair, grabbing all the books from under the table, and wanting to touch everything you saw! Yes, it was a whole new world for you to explore, and you certainly kept us busy! Finally, when Dr. B walked in, he brought a medical student with him to meet you. You were friendly and cooperative for them. You didn't like your ears and throat being examined, but otherwise, you were great - and curious about what Dr. B was doing to you. You even made a funny "ehh?" sound as he unfastened your diaper to take a look at your goods. Almost like you were saying, "What the hell?" :)

So, here's what we learned about you today:

• You are 30.75 inches tall, which is the 75th percentile (You grew 3 inches since your 9-month check-up!)
• You weigh 23 pounds and 8.5 ounces, which is the 65th percentile. (You gained almost two pounds since your 9-month check-up.)
• Your head is 47.1 cm, which is the 70th percentile. (Surprisingly, this is down from the 75th percentile at your 9-month check-up.)
• The biggest change was your height! You shot up these past three months (when comparing you to your 9 month check up which may have been an inaccurate reading because at that time they told us you were in the 35th percentile - and we all doubted that was correct)
• Developmentally, you fall somewhere between a 12.5 month-old and a 15 month-old - based on our responses to the questions asked. When Dr. B told us this, the medical student asked when you started walking, and when I told him 10 and a half months, Dr. B said, "Yeah, he's always been pretty advanced." (Daddy and I loved to hear this - even though we are SO okay with wherever you happen to fall in these bell curves. We know you will learn at your own pace and are just fine with that. But, we are very proud of all your accomplishments and don't want to downplay that pride!)
• You are a healthy boy! We were excited to report to Dr. B that you did great with weaning you off of your reflux medication. 
• You got three shots: Hep A, Prevnar, and Varivax for chicken pox. Daddy and I decided to skip the MMR vaccine for now because we are just not comfortable with it at this young age. You'll get it eventually, but not yet. This round of shots was by far the hardest for you (and me). You are more and more aware of what is going on, and you cried an awful, deep scream of a cry immediately after the first two shots were administered at the same time (one in each leg). I kept waiting for you to take a breath, and I think Daddy even said, "Breathe, breathe!" to you as I held your hands and whispered in your ear that I loved you and that you were okay. You took longer to calm down when it was all over, but Daddy was right that once we left that exam room, the change of scenery really helped you. You laid your head on my shoulder as we checked out - so tired and exhausted from such a long visit and from being so late to start your second nap!  

We were told to stop the formula and replace it with whole milk, to stop bottles and only offer sippy cups, to introduce you to any foods we want other than nuts/nut products and uncooked honey, and to start brushing your teeth with a toothbrush instead of a washcloth like we were instructed to do your first year of life. So, big changes for you - and mostly for me since I'm so accustomed to following a specific plan/schedule for you each day. New routines are a good thing, but Mommy is not the best with change, so give me a couple days, and I'll be fine. YOU on the other hand, are so "go-with-the-flow" that you don't seem to mind a few of these changes! Here's how our night went:

• After your nap, we gave you a bottle of half formula and half whole milk. You seemed to like it! I was worried you would reject it, but so far, so good! (Aside: part of me was a big nostalgic as we finished our last bit of formula which has been the core of your nourishment your first year of life! Yes, I know, Mommy is extremely cheesy and emotional, but I feel like that formula and I have been through a lot together. It started off as my worst enemy as I felt like I was offering you poison when breastfeeding wasn't working out, then it was a cause of confusion when we weren't sure which one to offer you as a refluxy baby, and finally, it was our mainstay - a central part of our day (and once upon a time, our nights) that so many of my thoughts and anxieties revolved around!)
• Since Daddy didn't go back to the office after your appointment, we all ate a nice dinner together. You ate a great meal of cheese quesadilla, broccoli, and diced apples. You were cracking Daddy and me up with your "Soooo Big!" arm movements and saying "Wow!!" over and over.
• We played for a while before starting your bedtime routine. You had a great bath, and once ready for bed, you took what I hope will be your last bottle. (If I need to give you a few more every now and then tomorrow and the coming days, that's fine with me!) Yet another "goodbye" to your infancy - watching you and Daddy snuggled up in the glider with your bottle and those precious times of just holding you as you ate. 
• After your bottle, instead of trying to wipe your teeth with a washcloth, we took you to the bathroom for your first official "toothbrushing" session! :) You were not a fan of the fluoride-free toothpaste, but you liked the toothbrush with just water, and it was fun to hear those bristles scrubbing your little teeth. Yes, it's the little things that get a mom excited!! :) 
• Then, to bed you went after our Goodnight Sh'ma book Daddy and I have started reading to you each night. 

I am so proud of you my Angel Baby. I am so glad to know you are healthy, growing, developing, and learning! I love watching you each day, and I'm so proud to be your mommy! Here's hoping you and I both take to these changes well in the coming days/weeks. Thank you for being patient with me as we go through all of these learning curves together. And, thank you, for letting me be mushy and sentimental! Some days I forget that you are going to grow up and that our days of bottles, formula, and rigid schedules are going to be a distant memory all too fast. So, I'm mourning it now as it happens, and I promise to hold all of these memories for you! I love you!