4-year-old well check

in the single digits, we made our way for maddux' 4-year-old well check. (and manning wore only a sweatshirt.) we didn't really have any questions for the doctor. we spoke about his recent gland swelling and his coming cold (he started to get congested yesterday). she examined him again to check his tonsils and airways. given that maddux is a drooler (still), has breathed loudly since birth and is congested a lot, she said that we might want to consider getting his adenoids checked. they grow the most between the ages of 4 and 7 to present some of the problems he already has. there is no urgency and no true need for the consult, but it might help him avoid colds. apparently, adenoids can become "mucus balls" that don't ever clear up - even with antibiotics. we aren't super concerned and since we just got a $600 bill from manning's hearing test with ent, we will most likely wait until some time next year. maddux doesn't get sick any more frequently than the other kids (frequent illness is another indication of adenoid problems) and doesn't snore so he is most likely on the small side if there is anything with his adenoids. but it is something to consider. we will just watch to see if his symptoms worsen over the next year as his adenoids start to grow.

now for his stats...

height: 45-1/4 inches (97th percentile)
weight: 43.8 lbs. (90th percentile)
bmi: 20th percentile

just like we already knew, he is a tall boy.

all three boys got a flu shot/mist. mason and maddux opted for the mist, although mason had a last minute reconsideration about having it sprayed in his nose. manning screamed his head off after his shot, but not for the shot. he was screaming because he did not want to put his shirt back on. after 15 minutes of screaming and unwillingness, i picked him up and headed up to the front desk to check-out. as i put him down to sign the paperwork, he ran screaming back to the exam room because he wanted to put his shirt on in there (this is the phase we are in right now and it is EXHAUSTING!).

we are so thankful for healthy kids! love.

birthday well checks

this year the doctor's office allowed us to schedule all three june birthdays in a single appointment. it is nice to only have to make one trip, but it was a long appointment! we were there for two hours total - and we didn't wait at all, that was solid visit time. here are the stats and summary for each kid:

manning
weight - 35 lbs. (97th percentile)
height - 37 inches (96th percentile) - almost the exact same height as mason at 2 (mason was 37.4")
bmi - 83rd percentile

manning's speech is pretty difficult to understand to anyone outside of our family. he has a few words that are clear (no, yes, thank you, mama, daddy, apple, i do, two), but the majority are more intonation and vowel sounds with no real constant sounds. i am not really worried per se, but i don't think that he is where he should be so i asked about it. he has had a history of super heavy ear wax (almost blocking the ear canal most of the time) and occasional fluid on the ear when there isn't an infection - we have discussed this at almost every appointment. i know that he can hear me. i have no concern at all there, but i wonder if he can hear me clearly enough to repeat the correct sounds. as an example - he can say "daddy" very clearly, but when you ask him to say "dog" he says something along the lines of "eh." no effort at all to give the "d" sound.

so the plan is to take him for a complete auditory screening and if that comes back fine and he still isn't speaking clearly in six months, then we will pursue speech therapy. she did say that he is clearly hearing, understanding, reasoning and trying to communicate but did agree with me that it is worth just checking his hearing. she said that he is really too young to benefit from speech therapy at this point (both a professional and personal opinion - her son started therapy at 2).

mason
weight - 48 lbs. (86th percentile)
height - 46 inches (94th percentile)
bmi - 66th percentile

speaking of speech therapy, mason's teacher had recommended that we talk to the pediatrician about mason being a candidate. i don't even notice his speech any more so i was a little surprised when she brought it up. the pediatrician agreed that mason most likely won't qualify for speech therapy through the school district - it just isn't that bad - and she doesn't think insurance would cover private therapy. what she did suggest if we really wanted to do something was to try and get him to qualify for a "typical" spot. that way, he would get the therapy without qualifying for it as a need. we aren't really that interested in that as an option because we are really happy at our current preschool and mason has been there for three years. we don't really want to move him to a new school when maddux would still attend the old one. we will see. more than likely we aren't going to do anything beyond working on him on the few sounds noted as inconsistent. several teachers have noted that he can make the sounds just fine when he focuses, it is only when he gets speaking quickly or is excited that they become a little less clear. although i did run through them with him this afternoon and he has noticeably improved from when i asked him to repeat the same words when this was first pointed out in february. we aren't really worried.

we also talked about mason's insatiable appetite. he can eat three apples, a sandwich and a pound of baby carrots and then be hungry - to the point of crying - 30 minutes later. she said that since he is growing well and not overweight at all, this isn't a concern. we just have to wait it out.

madelyn
weight - 56 lbs. (71st percentile)
height - 52 inches (95th percentile)
bmi - 26th percentile

there wasn't really too much i wanted to talk about regarding madelyn. but i did ask her about breaking madelyn's thumb sucking. she had stopped but it seems to be increasing in frequency when she is sleeping. madelyn was actually the most honest she has ever been about how frequently she is sucking her thumb and why she does it, which was nice. i don't want her to be ashamed of it but to understand that it just isn't good for her teeth. we had great success with the 'yucky' nail polish a few years ago, but now madelyn will just scrape it off when we put her to bed or cry when we talk about putting it on. the doctor recommended a thumb guard but explained that madelyn needs to want to stop since she can just take it off. and that was when madelyn lost it. she just started crying and wanted to get down off the exam table for me to hold her. it was just heartbreaking. i explained that we were only discussing options because we won't be back until she is 8 and i wanted to know our options. we will see. the doctor suggested that she made have picked up the frequency again with all of the changes from attending school. i had not even put that together before. we don't plan on pushing her to stop. we will continue to educate her and talk about her options.

mason got his kindergarten vision and hearing tests - even though he isn't going yet - and three shots. he passed the vision and hearing tests. manning also had to get one shot. they both watched and neither one of them cried! mason even cheered and offered to go first when the shots came in! crazy kids. so nice to not have any crying though.

it had been an all day doctor fest today. we had to take maddux in after a weekend of screaming that his tooth hurt and even waking up twice in the night from the pain (he won't let us put any ora-gel on his tooth). the pain was with his molar, that i learned today, is half filling at this point! the good news is that he wasn't in pain today and there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with the tooth or filling. the dentist thinks that he had probably just bit down or hit the tooth in some way that made it hyper-sensitive over the weekend. well, at least it wasn't going to be expensive.

so thankful to have healthy kids. we don't take it for granted for even one second. love.

last day of preschool and 18-month check-up

this is where mason (and manning) spent the last day of preschool - on the couch. manning has not been well since tuesday, but he had a 18-month well check scheduled for today so i was trying not to make a second trip earlier in the week. he has been super congested  with one oozing eye since tuesday. last night the second eye got in the on the oozing fun. his eyes have not turned red at all so i thought that it was just the congestion (and maybe an ear infection or two) working out through his sinuses into his eyes.  unfortunately, mason looked at me with a bright red eye this morning.  sigh.  at least we were already heading to the doctor's office.  a quick phone call and he was added to the appointment.

the real bummer about mason missing school today is that it was miss r's last day and i was planning on getting a picture of her with mason and maddux.  instead we just got a picture with maddux.  i had expected this pose to be from the first day of school next year when maddux moved up into her classroom, but it was not meant to be.  she is going to be such a blessing to campus crusade for christ!

we had a little bit of time at home and then it was off to the doctor's appointment.  first for the well check portion.  manning is doing really great in all categories, well ahead of his age, except speech.  he is well within the "normal" range though. here are manning's stats:

height - 35 inches (99th percentile)
weight - 31 pounds, 6 ounces (99th percentile)
head - 20 inches (99th percentile)

now for the sick visit portions.  manning has double pink eye and one pretty major ear infection.  mason has pink eye (hooray for clear ears on him!).

manning had a quick double vaccination and we were out the door because it was already past the end of the preschool day!  it does not matter what time i schedule appointments for during the preschool day, i never get out of there on time!  i think i will just give up trying to go when i don't have all of the kids - it is too stressful rushing back to the preschool.


here's to hoping the meds kick in quickly and the rest of us don't get pink eye!  those would not be some very cute christmas pictures!  i did talk to the doctor about just getting prescriptions called in if we have further contamination instead of having to come back.  she said as long as they don't have fevers or major eye swelling, it wouldn't be a problem since she had seen two cases from our house already. thank goodness! love.

maddux 3-year check-up

i picked the boys up early from school to take maddux for his 3-year check-up.  he was the 'birthday snack friend' today and brought cocoa-banana snack cake.  i was worried that it might be too 'healthy' but the report was that the kids loved it.  i had checked with his teacher last week to make sure that maddux wouldn't miss the snack when i picked him up early.

the kids just love it when they get old enough to wear the gown at the doctor's office.  and maddux is now a big kid.  he wanted to answer all of the doctor's questions that were directed at me.  it was nice to have him be so vocal at his appointment.  here are his stats...

height:  42-1/4 inches (over 99th percentile)
weight:  39.4 pounds (over 97th) - she said he was right on track with his height
bmi: 33rd percentile

i had several minor things to ask her about - one of which being the excessive drooling.  maddux was never a drooler as a baby, but he is like a faucet now.  she checked his nose, tonsils and throat throughly but she said there is nothing that would explain his drooling.  she said that it is most likely one of those things like a runny nose - at some point he is going to learn to suck it back in.

since we were there, we got flu shots for the two big boys (manning already had his).  the boys were told to keep one arm out of their shirts.  they each picked an arm and then talked about how they weren't going to cry.

do you know that they both watched but never cried or even flinched at all?!  they did each say "ouch" though.  i was very impressed that they were able to take turns getting a shot without any theatrics - especially since it was well past lunch time.

maddux also got a new kind of eye exam for non-readers.  it is just a photo of his eyes that is super sensitive and picks up all sorts of abnormalities.  they are testing it to see which insurance companies will cover it.  if ours doesn't there will still be no charge to us (it is just a $10 procedure).  as long as his test results are 'normal' we won't hear any more about it.

oh and she also said that his lungs are clear of the pneumonia, even though he has picked up another cold.

yay for a healthy 3-year-old!  love.

15 month check-up

i had to take manning in for his 15-month check-up this morning.  he fell asleep on the ride over - at 9am!  seriously, this kid needs to not wake up so early.  he wasn't his chatty and friendly self for the doctor and nurse but he did hold still really, really well.

here are his stats...

length: 35 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 29 lbs. 6 oz. (98th percentile)
head: 19-1/2 inches (97th percentile)

yep.  still a beast.  she said that his weight is right on track with his same growth curve (we - matt and i - have been asking about this since we excluded meat and dairy; the doctor has no concerns about the change).  she asked me if he had his molars yet and i initially said, no, but then i remembered him getting some back teeth before the eye teeth.  yep.  he already has them it has just been so long that i had forgotten!

manning is walking all over and starting to think that he can run.  he loves waving and saying "hi" to everyone he sees and often waves and says "bye" after we or they have long since left.  he has learned that madelyn's bus is the second one and will 'run' towards the bus stop (aka the end of our driveway) calling "sissy" with a big smile.  he is starting to really try to form new words that i repeat for him (which the doctor told me was a little ahead of schedule).  today he said, "ball" for the first time.

manning enjoys 'running' just a little too much and his naps seem to be getting shorter so i think he is really going to keep me on my toes fairly soon.  i better rest up!  love.

madelyn's 6-year check-up

madelyn's six-year check-up was pretty straightforward and easy - well, except for the one hour wait before we saw the doctor!  oh well.  i just told myself that they were seeing some sick patients or giving others so extra time.  i actually am pretty understanding about waiting as long as when i/we are finally seen, they don't try to rush us out in an attempt to get back on schedule.

i did have a few concerns to discuss with the doctor and she agreed with my current course of action (like with her mystery stomach pains) so that always makes me feel good, like i wasn't ignoring/writing-off something more serious.

here are her stats:
height: 49 inches (96th percentile)
weight: 50.6 pounds (77th percentile)
bmi: 38th percentile

the doctor thought everything looked great.  again, we are so blessed to have healthy children.  love.

check-ups - mason and manning

annual check-ups day for the birthday boys!  (madelyn's is next week because they wouldn't do more than two at once.)  it wasn't the greatest appointment time - 10:45 - because it is just too close to lunch and nap for manning and he was not having it.  he had just woken up cranky.  he must have sensed the impending pokes.

mason on the other hand was super excited to be going to the doctor.  surprisingly, this was his first visit to this office.  we switched practices right after his check-up last year.  he was extra excited when he found out that he got to wear this super cool gown!

mason's stats
weight: 45 pounds (95th percentile)
height: 45 inches (99th percentile)

manning's stats
weight: 26 pounds, 10 ounces (98th percentile)
height: 33-1/4 inches (99th percentile)
head circumference: 19 inches (95th percentile)

we had lots of items to discuss with the doctor, mainly about mason, and it was a long appointment.  it was nice to hear that everything we brought up was nothing to be concerned about (not that we were really worried).  she was pretty impressed with his alphabet knowledge and didn't even bother to ask him shapes since the alphabet is better.

manning is still nursing three times a day so i wanted to ask her about weaning and how she felt about us not giving him whole milk.  i was actually relieved that she had no concerns or hesitation.  i wasn't really worried about doing it but more about how she would personally feel as our doctor (i have read that some are not very supportive of a vegan diet in general).

and then came the moment i had been waiting for and dreading a little - the iron test.  not only did he pass - they were surprised at how well he did!  anything 10 and higher is good (i think the other three had 9/8), manning scored a 12!  i was so relieved that we would not have to come back for more tests.  it was also nice that it was just a finger prick and not the blood draw that the others had to endure.  the funny part was that he was hysterical until they pricked his finger and then he was totally calm the whole time they were squeezing the blood out to fill the sample card.  now when they brought the vaccinations, then he started screaming again.

all in all a successful trip to the doctor's office.  we are so blessed to have healthy kids.  love.

manning 9-month check-up

we would have taken manning in to have his ear checked if we didn't already have his 9-month check-up scheduled for today, so i was thankful for the appointment.

when we checked-in i was given an evaluation for his different skills at 9-months. he could do everything listed for 'eating' (i can't remember what the actual section on the form was really called), fine motor and social, but the large motor was a big flop. some of it made me feel like a failure (no, we don't play patty-cake or other similar games so i couldn't answer the three questions about that sort of thing) and some of it made me wonder if he wasn't developing fast enough. there were lots of questions about pulling to stand, reaching down to pick up while standing, cruising, etc. um, he just started crawling.

i knew he wasn't as fast as madelyn (she was cruising and walking assisted by this age) but i didn't consider him 'slow'.

the doctor said he was in the normal range for the large motor skills (he was 'above normal' in the other areas - particularly fine motor and social) and predicted that he will not walk by his first birthday. but she said that was still 'normal'.

i was right about the ear infection. in fact, there were two. he just finished the antibiotic from the last one a few weeks ago so she put him on something stronger this time to make sure they heal up all the way. if he is still rubbing his ear after this round, she wants to see him again.

other than that, it was a good appointment. here are his stats:

weight: 23lbs 3oz (93rd percentile)

height: 30-3/4 inches (99th percentile)

head circumference: 18-1/4 inches (86th percentile)

of course, being the crazy that i am, i started playing patty-cake and trying to work on getting him to hold on to something while standing today. i don't care if he isn't 'advanced', i just don't want to be the one holding him back because i am too busy or ignorant about what he needs.

more age relevant info...

- size 4 diaper

- 12/18 month clothes, some 2T sleepers

- 'talks' all the time. he actually says quite a few things that sound like real words, in context - "all done", "sissy", "ba-ba" (for mason), "hi", "da-da", "ma-ma".

- he prefers feeding himself which has led to less food at meals. he mostly refuses the spoon. but he doesn't really seem any more hungry or fussy than usual so it is just a phase.

- he is quite content to play by himself - as long as someone else is in the room.

- he can follow commands - come here, hand that to me, clap your hands, etc.

- a cup has been a little hit or miss. he can drink from a straw or a sippy but he doesn't really want to most of the time.

- he loves his brothers and sister.

- he has to hold his pants while you change his diaper. no matter where i tuck them on the changing table, he will not stop until he finds them. it is the oddest quirk and uniquely manning. the other kids would grab them if they could see them, but he seeks them out almost every time.

- he is another very early riser! i try to get up at 6 so that i can have a little time to myself in the morning (you know, to do things like shower) but he has been getting up at 6 or earlier. at least he sleeps all night.

he is a delight and i can't believe how close we are to him being 1! matt and i have noticed that this kids got 'their' look by 9 months when we look back at their first year pictures so we are interested to see if this holds true with manning too. love.

manning 6-month check-up

since mason was at school (yes, he really did have school today and took his teacher gifts with him), madelyn and maddux joined me for manning's 6-month check-up.  he fell asleep on the ride over and i had to wake him up for his measurements.  he did not take very kindly to being woken up from a deep sleep and removed from his snugly carrier only to be stripped naked with my cold hands to be weighed and measured.  the doctor later pointed out that his height was less than last time.  maybe it was because of the way he was driving his head up with his heels while screaming on the table?  here are his stats:

height: 29 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 21 pounds (94th percentile)
head circumference: 18 inches (97th percentile)

the summary is that he is healthy, developmentally on track and happy.  he generally does not like to have his head touched and he did not want the doctor to look in his ears - at all.  we did talk a little bit about diet because there are some new recommendations on proteins being introduced earlier but since we do "super baby foods" she didn't think we need to do anything differently since they do grain proteins fairly early (manning is more or less already doing that).

so what else is manning like at 6-months? he loves to eat.  he loves to nurse, he loves any (well most) foods the very first time they are offered.  he has just started homemade brown rice porridge and whole milk yogurt.  he has been eating three meals a day for at least a month now.  here are the other foods he is eating: bananas (he can eat two fresh mashed bananas in one sitting), sweet potatoes, avocado, nectarines, peaches, plums, prunes, pears, mango, brown rice, millet, pumpkin, squash and whole milk yogurt.  i think he might love yogurt as much as maddux (which is saying something because maddux begs for yogurt all day long!  he will eat two at breakfast and asks for some at almost every meal and snack).  the foods have made a huge difference in his digestive system as well.  he now poops almost twice a day.  i don't love the extra diapers, but i do like daily assurance that his digestion is working well.

manning seems to have dry skin like mason, but not quite as bad.  he is just starting to get the thick dry patches on his ankles that mason had that need extra lotion and attention.  no big deal.

he is very, very chatty.  if he is awake, he is normally making some sort of noise.  he added "da-da-da" two weeks ago and "ba-ba-ba" this past week.  he sounds like he is saying "hi" very clearly most of the time.  we have not counted any of these as "first words" though.

there is a lot of love between his siblings and him.  lots.  maddux is especially attentive to our littlest man and alerts me the second he spits up or cries.

we are working on sitting.  well, i should say "sitting comfortably".  he doesn't fall over to the side.  he just slowly leans more and more forward until he gets stuck and seems like he can't breath very well.  but this is after like ten minutes of sitting and playing.

he reaches for items around him very well and seems excited about his sister and brother's toys that are a little too close.

i think he might be a blanket kid.  we haven't had anyone attach to a blanket, but i think he might be the first (and last).  he sucks his thumb, but i think he prefers chewing on a burp cloth and i have found him many mornings 'snuggled' up with the edge of the ultimate crib sheet (a flat sheet that attaches to the crib instead of the mattress).  i might just have to sew him one!

we could not have asked for a more perfect temperament in our fourth.  he was a little high maintenance for the first three months, but he is a dream now.  we get lots of comments about how happy and easy he is (although we got a lot of those the first three months too).  he is always quick to smile at any one who looks his way.  love.

maddux 2-year check-up

we took maddux for his 2-year check-up this afternoon. it was his first time seeing the pediatrician even though he has been there several times with everyone else. he did great, but didn't really show any of his personality while the doctor was examining him. he was extremely cooperative and the doctor even commented on how great he was doing - especially for almost being two - but he was mainly quiet. he wouldnt blow or jump or high-five. oh well, at least he let her examine him. here are his stats:

height: 38-3/4 inches (100th percentile)
weight: 32.6 lbs. (92nd percentile)

he also got one vacination and the flu shot. they gave him the shots in his arms and he did not cry at all! i was actually a little surprised but shouldn't have been. he is a pretty tough kid. love.

manning 4-month check-up

i didn't remember until i woke up at 7:30, but today was manning's check-up, rescheduled from last monday, at 9am!  ahhh!  i woke everyone up and tried to hurry them along.  (matt was getting ready for work even though he was sick all afternoon and evening yesterday - crazy man.)  the only way we were going to make the appointment was for everyone to be in the van and for madelyn to ride the bus then drop mason off a little early (his school starts at 9).  the good news was that i had nursed manning a little before 6am and went ahead and took a shower before getting back in bed - otherwise i would be on day 3 without one.

mason didn't take to being woke up and cried almost non-stop. he finally pulled it together enough to get dressed but missed out on breakfast (i threw some cheerios in a to-go cup for him).  i quickly made madely's sandwich for lunch, wrote an absence note for last week and got maddux and manning dressed.  and, yes, i did take the time to make myself an iced coffee because mommy still needs some sleep after this weekend!

it was about 10 minutes before the bus would come so i started loading up the car.  mason has pictures today so i grabbed a cup of water and comb to fix his bed head when we got to school, grabbed maddux and his socks and shoes and put him into his seat and buckles - thankfully, he was agreeable today.  mason managed to get his own shoes on and grabbed his jacket.  then he and madelyn got into the van too.  (madelyn had a lot of crying about my request that she put a long sleeved shirt under her summer dress she had chosen to wear on this cold, windy and rainy day.)

i didn't wait for them to buckle up but took off towards the bus stop (it is only a block from our driveway).  we pulled up behind the bus and madelyn and i jumped out and ran to the stop as the bus was turning in the cul-du-sac.  we had made it!  now to drop off mason (a much calmer happening) and then off to the doctor.

manning is great.  he is healthy, eats well, sleeps well and is exceeding developmental milestones.  here are his stats (at least what i remembered them to be since they didn't write them down for me this time and i didn't expecting that they would...):

height: 28 inches (100th percentile) - same as madelyn, taller than mason and shorter than maddux
weight: 18 lbs. (90th percentile) - heaviest of all four

surprise, surprise, another big boy! so happy to have another healthy baby.  we are so blessed!  love.

4-month-old manning

here are some other updates on manning.

- he has been sleeping through the night again for about a week now!  (enter cartwheels)

- he is doing really great with solids.  we are up to two meals a day of about 2-4 oz.  he has had sweet potatoes, avocado, bananas and mango in addition to oatmeal cereal. 

- the solids seem to be getting his digestive track going more frequently, but he still goes only once or twice a week.

- he is starting to roll across the room and get up on his knees.  it seems like he is really anxious to get moving.

- he doesn't spit up quite as frequently as he used to, but it has picked up with the teeth cutting (all of the other kids did the same thing when cutting teeth).

- he is the only one of our kids that has woken up happy this consistently.  it probably has something to do with the fact that he is also the only one who doesn't need to eat the second he wakes up.

- with more feeding options, i have a lot more freedom!  matt was able to put him down without a bottle when i was at mops this week and i even got to sleep in on saturday (well, until brad called to tell me about wyatt, but that was worth getting up for).

- he takes two or three naps a day.  the morning nap is the least consistent.  it can be from 20 minutes to 3 hours and being home or not does not influence this.  in the afternoon he naps from 1 to 4 or 4:30, generally, and if the morning nap was short, he will take another short nap between 5 and 6 in the swing.

- and i mentioned in another post about getting tangled in the crib bars.  he is a rolly guy.  thankfully, we haven't had a lot of the 'getting stuck' mid-roll arm flailing in the crib and rarely on the floor.

- manning is wearing a size 3 diaper and 6 and 9 month clothes (although i think we are going to be getting out the 12 month sleepers very soon).

manning is just a happy little (big) guy!  we love him so.  love.

2-month check-up

we stopped home to clean up and have a snack before taking manning for his two-month check-up.  i was really looking forward to the check-up because it was with a new pediatrician.  i was excited to meet her after she was recommended by five or so friends from mops when i asked for someone they loved.  and she did not disappoint! 

dr. c is like a younger version of our doctor in wisconsin. she was very thorough and friendly. i had all of the kids with me (of course) and they were a little tired (read: crabby) after being to the zoo in the morning. dr. c asked each child their age and name and then she spoke with madelyn about kindergarten.  i thought this was nice since we were there for manning. 

i was asked more questions about his development by the nurse than i was in all of our visits for all of the kids to our (soon to be) old pediatrician.  so i was happier before even meeting the doctor.

i did have some questions about his pooping (only once a week - which is still considered "normal" for a nursing baby), the frequency of his smiles (because it seems like the others were smiling more at this point) and a few other minor things.  she was great about answering everything (and there is nothing at all wrong with manning - its just me).  here are his stats:

weight: 15lbs. 3oz (>97th percentile)
height: 24-3/4 inches (97th percentile) - i think he might be a little taller because he turned his head up as she was measuring him which scrunched up his neck
head: 16-1/4 inches (80th percentile)

dr. c commented that i must have really great breast milk because there is nothing wrong with his weight.  this was a big vaccination appointment and she spent some time explaining his tylenol dosing and the semi-recent changes between the infant and children's formula (they are now the same) in case he was too fussy or seemed to be in pain).

i was also able to talk with her about mason's lyme disease and if we should put madelyn and maddux on antibiotics too since we know that they were bit at the same time.  she said that she wouldn't be worried unless they show symptoms because the midwest doesn't have the prevalence of lyme disease that you see in the northeast or west coast.  she also felt that mason's antibiotic was appropriate and that he should be fine.

manning is still getting up once a night, but i can't really complain about that at this point. he has started to outgrow some of his 3 month clothes and general wears a 6 month sleeper.  we might be getting closer to a schedule because he has started to nap in his crib instead of the swing.  still not quite predictable but it is more about me not being able to pay attention to his routine because of running around and other distractions throughout the day.  pretty much he just feeds on demand but i am trying to move to only feeding upon waking (except when going to bed for the night). when not nursing, he does like to suck on a pacifier.  and he is starting to suck his fist now that his arm movements are not as jerky in nature.

we love him and the way he completes are (not so) little family.  love.

check-ups

i was able to schedule three check-ups at once - madelyn (5 year), mason (3 year) and maddux (1 month). i thought that everyone was due for shots but it turned out that it was only mason. madelyn was very happy about this information and a little too happy to make sure mason knew that he was the only one getting a shot.

here are the stats for all four kids (maddux wouldn't get off the scale so the nurse weighed him too which worked out well since i couldn't find the sheet from his 18-month check-up. he won't stand on it for his own appointments though...):

madelyn - 47lbs, 2oz (85th percentile); 47in. (98th percentile)

mason - 38lbs, 6oz (94th percentile); 40.75in (97th percentile)

maddux - 30.5lbs (88th percentile); 37/38in. (99th percentile) - I couldn't see his height that well

manning - 13lbs, 3oz (94th percentile); 23.5in (88th percentile); head circumfrence 15.75in

mason didn't even cry when he got his shot. he was scared after madelyn's build up but he realized that it didn't hurt all that bad. such a brave boy.

and that was pretty much the appointment. no questions about mason's speech. no questions about manning's nursing or digestion. no questions about madelyn.

and that is why i am going to look for a new pediatrician. at least now i can ask my mops group for someone they love. one more thing for my list... at least everyone is healthy. love.

38 weeks

check up went fine today. i do not have fifth disease (they didn't say if i had it before or not, just that i didn't have it now). other than that everything is fine and we keep waiting. the doctor i saw today (mine is on vacation this week) said that their practice wouldn't let someone like me go beyond 41 weeks. she said that we might talk about scheduling an induction during the next appointment (scheduling, not doing). it still doesn't mean much to me because we have had an induction scheduled for all three and have never been induced - labor has just started on its own by the time i got to the hospital.

the picture is from sunday. i don't think that this baby is going to be as big as maddux. i need to take a front view picture because there is very little width to my belly. i don't think i am very big and today they said that i am measuring back on schedule (who knows which schedule). the doctor was surprised by how high into my ribs the baby was. i told her that they all have been and that my sternum may never be the same again. the tip sticks straight out and actually makes it painful to lay on my stomach after the baby is born (and for quite some time after). it goes down a little as time goes by, but it has never straightened back out. oh well. they are worth it. love.

18-month check-up

for the life of me i can not find what i did with the paper where they wrote down maddux' stats at his appointment. i am going to keep looking but i have a feeling that i set it down while trying to schedule the kids' birthday appointments (which they had me wait on because i would be bringing the baby in and could do all three at the same time) and never picked it up again. short story - he is very tall (over 97th percentile and way off the curve), average weight (just over 50th percentile) and a large head (proportional to his height). he was just a little early for his next vaccination, so we will wait on that - probably when we bring baby in at some point. he won't have to come back until he is two. the doctor said that "he looks practically perfect".

since there isn't much to tell about the appointment, i thought that i would give some general info about his personality.

- he is my little helper - or at least he tries to be. his favorite is helping with laundry. and he really is super helpful! i usually sort laundry in my bedroom and then move everything to the laundry room. maddux helps carry each of the piles with me. and whenever he sees me switching a load over from washer to dryer, he goes to get the next load into the washer. all of the kids have enjoyed helping switch the loads, but maddux doesn't mix sorted piles and gets an entire load in the machine before closing the door. he doesn't even let a stray sock get left behind. he really is good. now folding is where he is not helpful at all. in fact, he destroys any sock pairings or folded piles.

- he is very good with his "please" and "thank you" signs and frequently uses them without prompting. he even signs "thank you" at times when it is appropriate but i didn't think of it before he did.

- he. never. stops. and has pretty much stopped napping. he only naps if he falls asleep in the car because he is just easier at bedtime if he doesn't get a 'real' nap in. we don't wake him up or anything but don't encourage him to nap during the day.

- i would say maddux knows all of his basic colors. he can point at the correct color 9 times out of 10 when asked.

- he sings "twinkle, twinkle little star" to himself a lot. he doesn't use the words but the tune is very clear.

- most of what maddux communicates is very clear. he doesn't use a lot of words but it is usually easy to guess what he wants and with some yes/no questions you can have a pretty lengthy 'conversation' with him about most topics.

- he gets into 'trouble' frequently, but it is good natured curiousity not that intentionally-doing-the-wrong-thing where toddlers will get that look in their eye and are challenging you. he is a pretty great listener in general though. people often comment on his good behavior when we are out and about.

- sleep has been a little difficult. it is mainly the going to sleep part. he almost panics about being left alone (aka without mom and dad) and will fight sleep. generally, he sleeps through the night and is starting to sleep closer to 7 than 6 which has been nice. the boys still come into our room from time to time in the night and have started to just take a spot and go to sleep without disturbing us very much, if at all. not ideal, but at least no one has to be all that tired the next day. last night he laid down at the dinner table (on the bench he sits on) and went to sleep. it was 6:30 so we quickly gave him a bath and put him to bed. he was asleep by 7. when he is ready to sleep, he falls asleep quicker than either of the other two! just like his daddy.

- he can turn lights on and off and close the van door by himself which pleases him very much (his sister and brother aren't as thrilled with his new abilities).

- he is very independant and will wave me off from the bottom of a slide before coming down and prefers to walk with us without holding hands. he stays right with us so it hasn't been that big a deal and he will hold madelyn's hand as an option. parking lots are non-negotiable for handholding and he seems to understand the difference without much argument.

- he sits on the 'little potty' whenever someone mentions going to the bathroom. hopefully, he keeps his enthusiasm until we are ready to train him! (he makes no effort to remove his pants or i would get him started now.)

and that is all i can think of for now. he is generally a delight and very full of life. he keeps me on my toes but he is also very generous with hugs and kisses. we love him. love.

15-month check-up

i finally got maddux in for his "15-month" well check, so what if he is almost 17-months...  in my defense, i couldn't schedule the appointment until they received his medical records from our old pediatrician.  for some reason i took an appointment right at lunch time.  it worked out much better than i ever would have thought but it was a risk. especially when i realized that it was spring break and i would have all three kids with me.

the kids like this pediatrician because of the animal cookies, lollipops and stickers.  i just realize more and more how special our pediatrician in wisconsin was - i knew she was special at the time, but it has been hard finding a replacement here.

anyway, here are maddux' stats...

height: 34-1/2 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 25.6 lbs (57th percentile)
head circumference: 19-3/4 inches (97th percentile)

long and lean.  the doctor said at this growth rate, he will be 6'3".  maddux also got three shots which i think upset madelyn more than him.  maddux passed out as soon as he got settled in his car seat and i thought it was funny the way his lollipop stick is hanging out of his mouth (he wasn't eating it, just 'holding' it on the ride home).

here are just a few more notes about maddux at this age.

- he loves wearing hats.  or i should probably say trying hats on.  he often wants to wear a winter hat when we get ready to take the kids to school and has a hard time seeing a hat and not trying it on.

 - he also has a hard time passing a bench or chair without having a seat.  i think he just likes how he can get up all by himself.

- he has pretty much stopped sitting in the booster chair at the table and sits on the bench with his brother and sister for meals and snacks.  i miss being able to strap him in, but he is getting better and better about not wandering around while eating.

- maddux likes to 'read' in the car and has such a studious expression.

- he has more and more 'words' and just delights in being able to repeat what i say or the animal noises we might make.  i think his favorite part is being understood.  he did say "pa-pa" for the first time last week while we were skyping; he watched me say it and then repeated the sound.  he is working on 'names' for madelyn, mason and himself.  his words for "mason" and "maddux" are very, very close and i can't distinguish between them yet.  he calls madelyn "sis" at her request - this is also what mason calls her or "mads".

- maddux often out eats all of us.  it is amazing how much food he can fit in his stomach!

- he still takes an afternoon nap, but i don't have very high hopes for him keeping it much past two.  some days he only naps 30 minutes, but usually it is two hours.

- maddux is a very good sharer and cleaner-upper.  he shares nicely when asked nicely and i have been working with madelyn and mason on not just snatching something from him when he shouldn't have it; generally, he will give it right back when they ask calmly with a "please".  and he loves finding things that can go in the trash can.

- maddux has no 'lovey' and does not suck his thumb.  i think he might grind his teeth and/or bite the tip of his right pointer finger when going to sleep though.

- after both grandmas visit this month, we are going to be moving maddux into a twin bed and getting the crib set up in madelyn's room.  maddux is very ready for the move.

- maddux will take you by the hand and lead you to what he wants.  or he will pat where he wants you to sit.

- he likes to sit on the little potty while i am going to the bathroom.

- overall, maddux is a lover of a boy.  i say that he 'obsessively' loves me (matt agrees).  if mason tries to sit on my lap, maddux will dive like he is sliding into home in an attempt to beat mason there.  i am trying to wean maddux a little, and he is getting better.  madelyn says that he is going to be in big trouble when the new baby comes.  maddux is already getting frustrated at my shrinking lap space.  mason had a similar transition pre-baby but i do think maddux might have a little more trouble.

we love our little man.  he loves being a 'big boy' and we look forward to watching him transition into 'big brother'!  love.

maddux 1-year well-check

we haven't changed pediatricians yet.  i had planned to but then couldn't get in with anyone for maddux' one year, so went ahead and scheduled with our old pediatrician.  but i had waited too long and had to take him in a month late.  oh well.

here are his one year stats:

height: 34 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 24lbs 8oz (67th percentile)
head circumference: 19.3 inches (96th percentile)

he is the tallest and leanest of the three at one year - granted he is one month older than the other two were at their appointments.  madelyn was 32 inches and mason was 32-1/2.

the doctor was shocked by how many teeth he had - 16 - and was pleased with his comprehension of instructions and balance.  maddux is right on track and i was given no instructions.  she wasn't concerned about his weight, but we are beefing up his milk because we really weren't giving him enough.  mainly because the other two drink water all day and maddux just has the same foods and drinks as them.  now we are giving him milk at every meal.  although he does prefer water.  love.

maddux 9-months

maddux had his 9-month check up and there isn't anything to report other than his stats...

height: 31.49 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 22 lbs. 1.47oz. (69th percentile)
head circumfreence: 18.5 inches (88th percentile)

all three kids got their flu vaccination (maddux got a shot, but the other two got the 'mist'). madelyn got a 'little mermaid' book, mason got a 'thomas the train' book, and maddux got the poky little puppy which lead to a full afternoon of book reading.

this was our last appointment with this pediatrician since it will be too far once we move.  maddux will have his one year appointment with a new doctor.  now i just have to find one...  love.

madelyn 4-year check-up

madelyn was not happy that she was too tall for the teddy bear gown like mason's and wouldn't let me take her picture, so i took this one of her back.  we brought both gowns home with us to add to our doctor play kit.

here are madelyn's stats:

height: 44.0962 inches (99th percentile)
weight: 41 lbs. 3.0176 oz. (87th percentile)

she also had her first hearing and sight tests.  what i didn't like is that they took her without me (because they might come to give mason's shot while she was out of the room). but she didn't mind in the slightest.  she said that they just played games.  she had to wear headphones and raise her hand when she heard a beep.  they told me that she passed that test.  and then the game was to tell the nurse what shape or house there was on the sign.  apparently, there were four sizes.  madelyn told me she got them all right and the nurse told me that she had 20/17 (or 20/16 - i can't remember) or better than 20/20 - she gets that from me :).

other notes about madelyn at 4:
- her imagination is incredible!  the stories she tells/plays out are amazingly detailed and she remembers every detail even weeks later.

- along with that imagination has come a healthy dose of lying.  it is getting better but not without lots of tears and consequences.

- she has taken to closing the door to their room so that she can play "in private" and tells us that she just needs some "privacy" to play quietly.  she isn't doing any thing she should be, she sincerely wants to play by herself for a little while.  i don't blame her one bit.

- sometimes she butts heads with mason - literally!  i think the head butting (or really pressing) is how she tries to block him out of whatever she is doing, but it still gets her sent to her room to calm down or gets the toy taken away.

- madelyn has more clothes than she could ever wear and she only wears only about four outfits.  she even told me that "grandma and nana bought her thousands of clothes".  we were talking about how i needed to do laundry because everyone was running out of clean clothes except for her.  she has a very strong sense of style and color combinations.  she also has a strong since of wearing clothes for the opposite season.  after spending all winter wearing her tank tops and summer dresses over long sleeved shirts, she just wants to wear her winter clothes.  we just let her wear what ever she wants - its only clothes.

- she is almost as excited as matt and i about moving into our new house and talks about moving a lot.

- she loves accessories, but never wants to actually wear them.  she just likes to carry them around with her "little things".  we discourage that because they end up all over the place.

- she loves her brothers and is always looking out for their well being.  sometimes she is a little too motherly and tries to disciple mason and carry maddux.  mason just screams "no!" at her over and over and maddux loves it when she carries him (she sort of holds him under his armpits and 'walks' him around). 

madelyn is growing into such a delightful girl.  sometimes i see too much of myself in her - independent and bossy (and i see that as a positive).  but she is social in a way that matt and i just aren't.  that part scares us a little :).  love.