Hazel's 1 year Check Up

Dear Peach, 
You're growing strong!  You had your one year appointment and shots last week.  It is really your 13 month but that didn't save ya from getting poked.  You've made a lot of progress in your PT and OT.  While you're still a bit behind in your strength, endurance and motor skills you're above on track for your cognitive and problem solving.  You're a funny little cat.  We've caught you multiple times trying to write on the walls!  Lucky for you and us you can't get the lid off the markers just yet.  You like to play keep away games and give the dolly that WW brought you for your birthday snuggles.  Though you may still be learning some motor skills, like walking, you are a super on beat dancer with interesting moves.  

Today you showed a lot of love to some hardcore punk songs.  Daddy and I weren't too proud of your natural head banging skills.  Any beat you hear you make yours and start moving.  The other day Grandpa Tim and Bahboo were beating on the wall trying to figure out an electrical issue and you liked that just as well.  When you're not dancing you're getting Mommy to help you stand up.  You like when I count and as your legs start to melt you propel yourself for me.  

You're also using some signs; all done, more, night night, I love you.  Knowing a few signs doesn't keep you from using your voice; mama, daddy, Hi Daddy, bye, night night, duck, I love you, and one day you said bye grandma when Grandma P was leaving.  You're a smart cookie.  One day the remote fell on the floor and the batteries popped out.  I made my way to pick it up and you had put the batteries back in.  You know what every day items are used for too.  If you ask where the eyes, legs, mouth, and nose are on your dolly you will point them out to me.  You still only have two teeth by I think my next month you have the edges of your two top front teeth poking down.  So, at the doctor, you weighed in the 25th to 50th % and your height is in the 50th to 75th %, a study curve this far.  I know one thing, you are the most lovey baby lady.  Your joyfulness brings us and so many such happiness. 
Love, Mama

Hazel's Waxy 4 Month Check Up

Dear Skittle, 
 Your 4 month check up yielded more than just your weight or height update; you had a waxy right ear.  The doctor had to dig out junk.  You didn't like the nugget excavation and I didn't like it when he discovered your first ear infection.  I wasn't completely surprised.  Conveniently just the day before your appointment you were junky nosed and sounding like a pug half the night, occasionally choking on your thick sticky phlegm.  A good and gross example of this occurred just before the doctor came in, you were on your tummy squealing exuberant smiles at me as I snapped pictures of you and two seconds later and one snapped frame like a cat coughing up a hairball you choked on the stuff.   

The bottle I fed you to keep you satisfied at the doctor's office poured out.  Just after, you were back to smiles.  You're amazingly flexible and resilient!  You were in happy spirits though and smiled radiantly seconds after the assaults to your tiny ear (I did take a picture of the crap pulled out but I'll spare ya) and to your tiny legs when you were a pin cushion for vaccination needles.  With in two hours later you had a 101.9 fever and a whimper of misery.  Here ya are just before bed, insert my sad face here...

The medicine hasn't really touched the fever yet but you're sleeping well.  I can't seem to go to sleep because I am worried about you and just now I am hearing your brother in the next room with a barking cough.  What is a year without a little visit from Croup?  I don't know either because we've not had one.  Let's just hope it doesn't come to that.  The bummer sick stuff aside you are growing great, nearly 14lbs! and 24".  You charmed everyone too.  I hope you feel better soon baby lady, I don't like seeing you so unhappy.  

4 months old

Love, Mama 
You can see your past check ups and growth here and here...and here 

Here is the scene this morning by my side as I finish typing this update.

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Ooops! Spoke too soon!  Just after I finished typing I heard Henny coughing I got up to check on you to find you sprawled in the door to our room with the lights on screaming and coughing and shaking sick as a dog.  Luckily I had an inhaler and it helped calm you down along with misty dragon.  We are camping out on the couch today.

2 Week Doctor's Check Up

Dear Zellie, 
Your 2 week check up was great.  You are doing all the right things and growing all the right way.  You established your growth curve with this second appointment and you went from 6lbs 4.2oz, 18.5" (you measured 19 at the hospital) and a head of 32.8cm to 7lbs 8.8oz, 20 inches long and your head was 35cm.  

That put you in at the 50% for weight and 50% to 75% in height.  You gained way more than was anticipated but that's okay, you demand 4 oz bottles every three hours or so.  Glad to know you're growing. Yay!  We are doing something right.
Love, Mama

What's Up Doc?

Dear Zellie, 

We had your first doctor's check up the day after we brought you home from the hospital.  You did great.  Since you've pooped a lot already you were way past the tar poopies and into the regular curdled yellow gunk.  A crazy thing to be excited about but...hey, you're growing up already baby girl.  You were so chill and let the doctor do what he needed with little fuss.  Like your big bro Henny (click to see Henry's first appointment pics) I will take a photo of you at each of your first appointments in the baby scale basket.  We've learned already that you like to be held closely, a switch for us as Henny really liked to be held then promptly wanted his space.  You checked out perfect and healthy.  Your birth weight was 6lbs 11oz and you were in the acceptable range for weight loss at 6lbs 3oz.  

Can't wait to see how much you've grown at your two week appointment!  Henry commented just this morning that Boingy Furry is starting to get fatter  (this is what he has taken to call her, I'll address that matter in a later post, just don't know if I am up for it yet.)  I can't wait for ya to start interacting with us more.  You're a spectacular present wrapped in lots of layers of pretty papers we are waiting to get open.  2 weeks off the wait to really start to meet you!  I can't wait!
Love, Mama

2 year 6 month Doctor Visit

Dear Peep, 
Went to the doctor this week and waited over an hour.  In an office for babies and toddlers!?@  Cruel!  You did the best you could...you hung off my leg, ate my arm with a shark finger puppet,  rolled around on the doctor's chair and climbed up and down, up and down off of the table.  Then you shot to my lap the moment he came in to look you over.  Your speech and such is way over the 2.5 range...your head is 55, you weigh 30.75 lbs and you're just under 36 inches tall.  You were able to snarf up the flu vaccine.  You've graduated from the bucket scale to the standing scale and from measuring your height stretched out and struggling on a piece of paper to the sliding stick attached to the scale.  

Our boy is gettin' big! Small milestones that often go unmentioned but another reminder that you're growing up and every moment is fleeting.  I still try to catch them all to add to the pile of Henry's in my heart. 
Love, Mama

4 Month Check Up!

Dear Henry,

It was time for your 4 month check up and shots. YEP! 4 months. I know! It is hard to believe! So, here is your Health o meter photo and some cute ones on the crinkly paper. You weighed in at 14lbs 10oz and measured 24". Mommy thinks you're really 24.5" but we will go with the "official" record. You performed for the doctor like a trained seal. You were laying on the table with Gorrilli out in front of you. When Dr. S. asked if you're reaching for toys I started to answer but you reached out for Gorrilli. Dr. S. said, "That's a yes!" Then when he asked about your other motor skills you flipped over from your back to your stomach with skill and style. He couldn't hide that he was impressed. We spoke about all of your vocal gymnastics and your teeth that have dropped into your gums. No pearly whites have yet to peek out but Mommy checks frequently. I rub some orajel on those suckers and give you some teething tablets but some times you just whimper. I hope that it happens quickly so you don't have to go through lots of pain for a long period of time. You did well with the shots this time. You do your 20 second howl that reduces to a whine and by that time Mama swaddles you up you're all calm again. You're a tough lil' dude.


Seven minutes later in the van... You are the come back kid! I love seeing you happy.

Love, Mama

Little Man Turns Big Man in 2 weeks! Good Gracious he is 9lbs!

Dear Henry,

Today you had a check up. Last night Daddy and I placed bets on how much your weight has increased so I asked the nurse to weigh you. Well, let's just say Daddy and I were not even in the ballpark! All of your heavy eatin' sessions are paying off and are making more sense now. You weighed in 9lbs at 4 weeks 1 day old! I am proud of you though because you took sitting in the scale in your typical laid back way.

03-12-09 6lbs 2oz....................................... 04-07-09 9lbs

I can't believe how in such little time you've changed so much. You really are growing up! Ugh!!! Go Henry! I love every new little fold in your little roly poly body.


03-13-09 6lbs 15oz
Love, Mommy

UPDATE: April 10, 2009... At the doctor's today you weighted 9lbs 7.5oz!!!
What! That's somethin'!