Weight: 29 lbs, 50th - 75th percentile
Length: 34 inches, 25th - 50th percentile
Head circumference: 18 1/2 cm, 10th percentile
Clothes size: 2/3T
Shoe size: 7/8
Diaper size: 5
LOVES: Diego, shutting doors, turning lights on and off, yogurt, graham crackers, Elmo, dancing, taking baths
DISLIKES: Meat, getting his face wiped, getting his hair brushed
TANTRUMS: Unfortunately yes and in full force; I've lost count of how many times I've been kicked, elbowed and slapped.
EATING: Nathan only gained 6 ozs from his18 month appointment but since he's a chunker Dr. Hirsch wasn't concerned. However she was concerned with his lack of eating; we're still struggling with getting him to eat different foods. I can't even man handle him and force food into his mouth anymore because he's so strong. He clinches his teeth so tight, turns his head and whatever I manage to get in his mouth he immediately spits out. We have no problems with breakfast; he eats waffles, french toast, pancakes, grits, oatmeal, CoCo wheats. But when it comes to lunch or dinner he gets very selective, only eating yogurt, peanut butter and jelly and sometimes cream of broccoli soup. Even though we give him the Yo Baby Toddler yogurt which has fruit and vegetables, he's not eating enough of other fruit and vegetables. He also doesn't eat meat, so the only protein he gets is when he has peanut butter. Surprisingly he took to the children's vitamins very well, which is a good thing seeing as it's going to take some time to figure out how to get him to eat more. Dr. Hirsch gave some suggestions but I'm open to more tips/ideas.
DEVELOPMENT: I've lost track of his vocabulary but he knows his ABCs, counts to 10 and is imitating us and Justin more and more each day. He's saying 2 word phrases and helps dress himself.
Showing posts with label well baby visits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label well baby visits. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
15 month appointment
Weight: 26 lbs, 12 ozs, 75th - 90th percentile
Length: 32 inches, 50 - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 19 1/2 cm, 75th - 90th percentile
Clothes size: 18/24 months
Shoe size: 5/6
Diaper size: 5
Nathan drinks 3 cups of whole milk daily. His food loves: Cheerios and yogurt. I'm still struggling with getting him to eat different foods. Sadly I have to man handle him and force food into his mouth. This past week he's been perfectly fine after it's in his mouth and realizes it's actually good. Sunday I got lucky and he willingly ate 1/4 of a waffle for breakfast and a small bowl of cream of broccoli soup for lunch. But it's a real struggle because more often than not he'll suck on new foods for a minute or so and then spit it out. Obviously he is no where close to where he needs to be eating wise so Dr. Hirsch wants us to start giving him vitamins. Although I know getting him to take them will be a struggle as well.
He sleeps 11 hours each night and takes one 1 hour nap. I've been very fortunate that he goes down without a fuss and wakes up with the sweetest disposition; I love hearing him wake up and start having a conversation with Elmo until we come to get him.
He's running and climbing on EVERYTHING. He plays well by himself but he also plays with Justin, Aiden and Ariana. He's also becoming more interested in books; we're starting to find him tucked away in a corner flipping through the pages. He has a vocabulary of about 5 words: mama, dada, cat, hi, yay, car and he just recently started saying "all done". He's also starting to mimic a lot of what his big brother does.
Length: 32 inches, 50 - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 19 1/2 cm, 75th - 90th percentile
Clothes size: 18/24 months
Shoe size: 5/6
Diaper size: 5
Nathan drinks 3 cups of whole milk daily. His food loves: Cheerios and yogurt. I'm still struggling with getting him to eat different foods. Sadly I have to man handle him and force food into his mouth. This past week he's been perfectly fine after it's in his mouth and realizes it's actually good. Sunday I got lucky and he willingly ate 1/4 of a waffle for breakfast and a small bowl of cream of broccoli soup for lunch. But it's a real struggle because more often than not he'll suck on new foods for a minute or so and then spit it out. Obviously he is no where close to where he needs to be eating wise so Dr. Hirsch wants us to start giving him vitamins. Although I know getting him to take them will be a struggle as well.
He sleeps 11 hours each night and takes one 1 hour nap. I've been very fortunate that he goes down without a fuss and wakes up with the sweetest disposition; I love hearing him wake up and start having a conversation with Elmo until we come to get him.
He's running and climbing on EVERYTHING. He plays well by himself but he also plays with Justin, Aiden and Ariana. He's also becoming more interested in books; we're starting to find him tucked away in a corner flipping through the pages. He has a vocabulary of about 5 words: mama, dada, cat, hi, yay, car and he just recently started saying "all done". He's also starting to mimic a lot of what his big brother does.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
12 month appointment
Weight: 24 lbs, 50 - 75th percentile
Length: 30 1/2 inches, 50 - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 18 1/2 cm, 50 -75th percentile
Clothes size: 18 months
Shoe size: 5
Diaper size: 5
Yesterday Nathan had his 12 month check up and boy was that an adventure. Whenever I chased after Justin, who kept running into either Dr. Hirsch's office or behind the receptionist desk, Nathan would take off down the hallway. And when I went after Nathan, Justin would take off again. But overall our little toddler is doing very well. Initially Dr. Hirsch was concerned with his weight because he lost a pound since his 9 month appointment. But then she remembered that he was a huge chunky chunk (literally off the growth chart) at that appointment and he's in a much healthier range now.
He's drinking 7 ozs of formula/whole milk from a sippy cup 3 times a day and should be completely transitioned to whole milk by the end of the week. He loves Cheerios, yogurt and applesauce but 'm struggling with getting him to experiment with different textures; he curls his lip and turns his head whenever he sees any table food coming his way. I was desperate so I resorted to sneaking different foods into his yogurt or applesauce and it worked for a while, but he quickly caught on and now pushes my hand away. But I'll keep offering until he eats, because he has to start eating more since he's switching to whole milk.
We've established a good sleep routine, he sleeps 10 hours each night and takes one 2 hour nap, and he goes down without a fuss and wakes up with the sweetest disposition. He has the sweetest personality, he usually only cries when he's not feeling well or is really hungry. He loves to be tickled, watching Elmo and playing with his new toys.
He's walking, starting to run and climbing on EVERYTHING. Boy am I in for a lot of trouble if he's anything like his big brother, the acrobat. Which by the way, Dr. Hirsch and the nurses were really impressed with J counting to 15.
Length: 30 1/2 inches, 50 - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 18 1/2 cm, 50 -75th percentile
Clothes size: 18 months
Shoe size: 5
Diaper size: 5
Yesterday Nathan had his 12 month check up and boy was that an adventure. Whenever I chased after Justin, who kept running into either Dr. Hirsch's office or behind the receptionist desk, Nathan would take off down the hallway. And when I went after Nathan, Justin would take off again. But overall our little toddler is doing very well. Initially Dr. Hirsch was concerned with his weight because he lost a pound since his 9 month appointment. But then she remembered that he was a huge chunky chunk (literally off the growth chart) at that appointment and he's in a much healthier range now.
He's drinking 7 ozs of formula/whole milk from a sippy cup 3 times a day and should be completely transitioned to whole milk by the end of the week. He loves Cheerios, yogurt and applesauce but 'm struggling with getting him to experiment with different textures; he curls his lip and turns his head whenever he sees any table food coming his way. I was desperate so I resorted to sneaking different foods into his yogurt or applesauce and it worked for a while, but he quickly caught on and now pushes my hand away. But I'll keep offering until he eats, because he has to start eating more since he's switching to whole milk.
We've established a good sleep routine, he sleeps 10 hours each night and takes one 2 hour nap, and he goes down without a fuss and wakes up with the sweetest disposition. He has the sweetest personality, he usually only cries when he's not feeling well or is really hungry. He loves to be tickled, watching Elmo and playing with his new toys.
He's walking, starting to run and climbing on EVERYTHING. Boy am I in for a lot of trouble if he's anything like his big brother, the acrobat. Which by the way, Dr. Hirsch and the nurses were really impressed with J counting to 15.
Monday, November 29, 2010
9 month appointment
Weight: 24 lbs, 14 ozs, 90th - 95th percentile
Length: 29 inches, 50th - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 17.5 inches, 25th percentile
Clothes size: 12 & 18 months
Shoe size: 4
Diaper size: 4
It's official, my 9 month old is bigger than my 29 month old. We all saw it coming, Dr. Hirsch even predicted at Nathan's 2 month appointment that he would be bigger than Justin by 9 months. But now that it's actually happened I'm taking it pretty hard. It's a constant reminder of J's prematurity and the issues we're still dealing with. And then there's the concern for Nathan who's off the charts. Dr. Hirsch called him fat for his length, ouch. It's tough having kids who are on opposite sides of the growth chart. It would be nice if they were both in the middle. Anywhoo, I digressed so let's get back to Nathan's progress.
Overall Nathan is doing very well. He's crawling, pulling up, starting to cruise and he's spoken his first words: dada, mama and hi. He's drinking 7 ozs of formula 4 times a day and eating 3 meals a day: usually yogurt or cereal for breakfast, stage 2 baby fruit for lunch and stage 3 baby food for dinner. Dr. Hirsch said we can transition to whole milk around 11 months and that by 12 months he should be completely transitioned to table foods by 12 months. But I might tweak a few things nutrition wise to get his weight more into the average range.
On the sleep front he's getting closer to the 8-10 hours he should be sleeping at night. He's now sleeping for 7 - 7.5 hour stretches but I know he's capable of sleeping longer. He seems to do better when he's been out in fresh air. He slept for 9 hours after we went trick or treating and during vacation he slept for 8.5 hours multiple nights. Too bad we can't go back to Florida. But we're making progress, and I'll definitely take 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Length: 29 inches, 50th - 75th percentile
Head circumference: 17.5 inches, 25th percentile
Clothes size: 12 & 18 months
Shoe size: 4
Diaper size: 4
It's official, my 9 month old is bigger than my 29 month old. We all saw it coming, Dr. Hirsch even predicted at Nathan's 2 month appointment that he would be bigger than Justin by 9 months. But now that it's actually happened I'm taking it pretty hard. It's a constant reminder of J's prematurity and the issues we're still dealing with. And then there's the concern for Nathan who's off the charts. Dr. Hirsch called him fat for his length, ouch. It's tough having kids who are on opposite sides of the growth chart. It would be nice if they were both in the middle. Anywhoo, I digressed so let's get back to Nathan's progress.
Overall Nathan is doing very well. He's crawling, pulling up, starting to cruise and he's spoken his first words: dada, mama and hi. He's drinking 7 ozs of formula 4 times a day and eating 3 meals a day: usually yogurt or cereal for breakfast, stage 2 baby fruit for lunch and stage 3 baby food for dinner. Dr. Hirsch said we can transition to whole milk around 11 months and that by 12 months he should be completely transitioned to table foods by 12 months. But I might tweak a few things nutrition wise to get his weight more into the average range.
On the sleep front he's getting closer to the 8-10 hours he should be sleeping at night. He's now sleeping for 7 - 7.5 hour stretches but I know he's capable of sleeping longer. He seems to do better when he's been out in fresh air. He slept for 9 hours after we went trick or treating and during vacation he slept for 8.5 hours multiple nights. Too bad we can't go back to Florida. But we're making progress, and I'll definitely take 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
6 month appointment
Weight: 19 lbs 14 ozs, 75th - 90th percentile
Length: 26 1/4 inches, 25th -50th percentile
Head circumference: 43 cm, 25th percentile
Clothes size: 6 - 9 months
Shoe size: 3
Diaper size: 3
Yesterday Nathan had his 6 month check up and got another round of vacinnations which Carl said he handled pretty well. Our little chunky monkey (which by the way is an oxymoron, isn't it, lol) is doing very well. He's pushing up, rolling, sitting unassisted, and reaching for objects.
He's drinking 7 ozs of breastmilk/formula 3-4 times a day and nursing at night. He's eating 2-3 tablespoons of either rice or oatmeal cereal for breakfast and a package of Stage 1 baby foods for dinner. So far he's had green beans, sweet potatoes, peaches and applesauce. We'll add other fruits and vegetables in the next week or so and start adding meats and some finger foods in a few months.
Dr. Hirsch told us that he should be sleeping 8-10 hours at night but she really should've told Mr. Nathan that because that's obviously not happening, lol. She gave some suggestions so we'll see.
Length: 26 1/4 inches, 25th -50th percentile
Head circumference: 43 cm, 25th percentile
Clothes size: 6 - 9 months
Shoe size: 3
Diaper size: 3
Yesterday Nathan had his 6 month check up and got another round of vacinnations which Carl said he handled pretty well. Our little chunky monkey (which by the way is an oxymoron, isn't it, lol) is doing very well. He's pushing up, rolling, sitting unassisted, and reaching for objects.
He's drinking 7 ozs of breastmilk/formula 3-4 times a day and nursing at night. He's eating 2-3 tablespoons of either rice or oatmeal cereal for breakfast and a package of Stage 1 baby foods for dinner. So far he's had green beans, sweet potatoes, peaches and applesauce. We'll add other fruits and vegetables in the next week or so and start adding meats and some finger foods in a few months.
Dr. Hirsch told us that he should be sleeping 8-10 hours at night but she really should've told Mr. Nathan that because that's obviously not happening, lol. She gave some suggestions so we'll see.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
2 year appointment
Weight: 20 lbs, 4 ozs, less than 5th percentile
Length: 30 1/4 inches, less than 5th percentile
Clothes size: 18 months
Shoe size: 4/5
Diaper size: 4
Justin continues to follow his own growth curve but did have a little bit of catch up growth. But since he's still small for his age Dr. Hirsch wants us to continue giving him Pediasure and not switch to whole milk. He transitioned pretty well to the sippy cup so we're now bottle free, YAY! He's doing very well with his solids, eating 3 meals a day and snacking in between, but has his moments of pickiness like any toddler. We're now working on introducing more juice and water.
Dr. Hirsch was really excited to see J running around the office and see how far he's come. She couldn't stop smiling throughout the exam.
Normally he wouldn't be seen again until his 3rd birthday but Dr. Hirsch wants to see him again in 6 months to monitor his weight gain. But other than that he's doing very well.
Length: 30 1/4 inches, less than 5th percentile
Clothes size: 18 months
Shoe size: 4/5
Diaper size: 4
Justin continues to follow his own growth curve but did have a little bit of catch up growth. But since he's still small for his age Dr. Hirsch wants us to continue giving him Pediasure and not switch to whole milk. He transitioned pretty well to the sippy cup so we're now bottle free, YAY! He's doing very well with his solids, eating 3 meals a day and snacking in between, but has his moments of pickiness like any toddler. We're now working on introducing more juice and water.
Dr. Hirsch was really excited to see J running around the office and see how far he's come. She couldn't stop smiling throughout the exam.
Normally he wouldn't be seen again until his 3rd birthday but Dr. Hirsch wants to see him again in 6 months to monitor his weight gain. But other than that he's doing very well.
4 month appointment
Weight: 16 lbs 3 ozs, 50th -75th percentile
Length: 24 1/2 inches, 10th -25th percentile
Head circumference: 40 cm
Clothes size: 6 & 9 months
Shoe size: 0-3 months
Diaper size: 3
Our little chunky monkey is doing very well. He's not rolling just yet, but he's pushing up on his elbows and using his legs to push his butt up in the air and over his boppy.
Nathan seems to have his days and nights mixed up; the past few weeks he's been up during the wee hours of the morning talking up a storm. Dr. Hirsch said at this point he's capable of sleeping 8 hours at a time so during the day he shouldn't sleep more than 3 hours at a time. Hopefully that helps get him back on track and gives me some much needed sleep.
He doesn't particularly care for his bassinet so at night he's been sleeping in his swing or with us. I'd like to transition him to his crib/room soon.
Dr. Hirsch gave us the okay to start solids. We'll start with rice cereal for a couple of weeks and then add on veggies and fruits. I'm thinking he'll take to solids pretty well since he's such a healthy eater.
Length: 24 1/2 inches, 10th -25th percentile
Head circumference: 40 cm
Clothes size: 6 & 9 months
Shoe size: 0-3 months
Diaper size: 3
Our little chunky monkey is doing very well. He's not rolling just yet, but he's pushing up on his elbows and using his legs to push his butt up in the air and over his boppy.
Nathan seems to have his days and nights mixed up; the past few weeks he's been up during the wee hours of the morning talking up a storm. Dr. Hirsch said at this point he's capable of sleeping 8 hours at a time so during the day he shouldn't sleep more than 3 hours at a time. Hopefully that helps get him back on track and gives me some much needed sleep.
He doesn't particularly care for his bassinet so at night he's been sleeping in his swing or with us. I'd like to transition him to his crib/room soon.
Dr. Hirsch gave us the okay to start solids. We'll start with rice cereal for a couple of weeks and then add on veggies and fruits. I'm thinking he'll take to solids pretty well since he's such a healthy eater.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
2 month well baby visit
Weight: 12 lbs, 2 ozs; between 25th & 50th percentile
Length: 22 inches; between 5th & 10th percentile
Head circumference: 32 cm; above 95th percentile
When Dr. Hirsch walked in the room and looked at Nathan's weight she smiled and asked "How much does Justin weigh again?". She was very pleased with Nathan's weight gain and predicts that he will be bigger than Justin by the time he's 9 months. It will be interesting to see if both boys will eventually be wearing the same size clothes or if Justin will be wearing Nathan's hand me downs.
Developmentally Nathan remains on track; he's starting to coo, holding his head up, moving his head around to see where certain noises are coming from and is able to track moving objects. The biggest news is that he's sleeping through the night (5-6 hours at a time), although he needs constant movement so he's sleeping in his swing. So I need to work on transitioning him into his bassinet and/or crib.
Dr. Hirsch even discussed starting solids, although she doesn't recommend it until at least 4 months, but I'll follow his cues as to when he's ready.
Overall Nathan's doing really well, although he wasn't too happy with getting his 1st set of vaccines.
Length: 22 inches; between 5th & 10th percentile
Head circumference: 32 cm; above 95th percentile
When Dr. Hirsch walked in the room and looked at Nathan's weight she smiled and asked "How much does Justin weigh again?". She was very pleased with Nathan's weight gain and predicts that he will be bigger than Justin by the time he's 9 months. It will be interesting to see if both boys will eventually be wearing the same size clothes or if Justin will be wearing Nathan's hand me downs.
Developmentally Nathan remains on track; he's starting to coo, holding his head up, moving his head around to see where certain noises are coming from and is able to track moving objects. The biggest news is that he's sleeping through the night (5-6 hours at a time), although he needs constant movement so he's sleeping in his swing. So I need to work on transitioning him into his bassinet and/or crib.
Dr. Hirsch even discussed starting solids, although she doesn't recommend it until at least 4 months, but I'll follow his cues as to when he's ready.
Overall Nathan's doing really well, although he wasn't too happy with getting his 1st set of vaccines.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Dr's appointment & first trip out alone
Weight: 9 lbs 7 ozs, between 10th and 25th percentile
Length: 21 inches, 10th percentile
Head circumference: 36 inches, above 95th percentile
According to Dr. Hirsch babies gain about 1 lb every 2 weeks, so at 6 weeks Nathan's actually ahead of the average. Developmentally he's also on track; he's already smiling and moving his head around during tummy time.
When Dr. Hirsch consulted with the nephrologist regarding Justin's ultrasound his first question was what were the results of his kidney blood work. So to avoid an unnecessary visit with yet another specialist Dr. Hirsch had me bring Justin in to have his blood drawn. My poor baby was poked twice. Since Justin is so strong and moves so much/quickly they weren't able to get enough blood from the draw in his arm so they had to poke his finger.
But Justin is such the social butterfly/flirt. While I was undressing Nathan he walked out of the room and started roaming the halls. He got to one room and just stared at the boy in it. Another room he just walked right into, lol. He also made his rounds to the nurses at the front desk.
This was also my first trip out alone with the boys and it wasn't too bad. We bought a double stroller a few days ago so the night before the appointment I practiced opening and closing the stroller and getting the car seat in and out of both the stroller and the base. I felt pretty comfortable with it, but low and behold, when I went to get Nathan out of the car yesterday I couldn't get it out, so I had to take him out of the carrier and put him in the stroller.
Length: 21 inches, 10th percentile
Head circumference: 36 inches, above 95th percentile
According to Dr. Hirsch babies gain about 1 lb every 2 weeks, so at 6 weeks Nathan's actually ahead of the average. Developmentally he's also on track; he's already smiling and moving his head around during tummy time.
When Dr. Hirsch consulted with the nephrologist regarding Justin's ultrasound his first question was what were the results of his kidney blood work. So to avoid an unnecessary visit with yet another specialist Dr. Hirsch had me bring Justin in to have his blood drawn. My poor baby was poked twice. Since Justin is so strong and moves so much/quickly they weren't able to get enough blood from the draw in his arm so they had to poke his finger.
But Justin is such the social butterfly/flirt. While I was undressing Nathan he walked out of the room and started roaming the halls. He got to one room and just stared at the boy in it. Another room he just walked right into, lol. He also made his rounds to the nurses at the front desk.
This was also my first trip out alone with the boys and it wasn't too bad. We bought a double stroller a few days ago so the night before the appointment I practiced opening and closing the stroller and getting the car seat in and out of both the stroller and the base. I felt pretty comfortable with it, but low and behold, when I went to get Nathan out of the car yesterday I couldn't get it out, so I had to take him out of the carrier and put him in the stroller.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Newborn follow up appointment
Since Justin didn't gain well when he was given my breast milk in the NICU I was a little nervous about the quality of my milk this time around. But Nathan now weighs 6 lbs 4 ozs, a weight gain of 12 ozs in 1 week. Good weight gain is unchartered territory for us and Dr. Hirsch was so pleased that she gave me a hug. He's doing so well that I can continue feeding him on demand and don't have to worry about his lack of nursing on both breasts at each feed.
She was also impressed with how well Nathan is sleeping because newborns typically wake up every 2-3 hours for a feeding. I hope he keeps this up; just my luck he'll start waking up more often when I go back to work. But for now I'm appreciative of the extra sleep I get at night.
She was also impressed with how well Nathan is sleeping because newborns typically wake up every 2-3 hours for a feeding. I hope he keeps this up; just my luck he'll start waking up more often when I go back to work. But for now I'm appreciative of the extra sleep I get at night.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Nathan's newborn appoinment
Weight: 5lbs 8ozs
Length: 19 inches
Head circumfrence: 30 cm
Nathan had his first appointment with Dr. Hirsch on Monday. Since Nathan was a little jaundice (occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborns liver can break it down and pass it from the body)when he was discharged from the hospital, the resident pediatrician wanted us to schedule a follow up appointment with his regular pediatrician as soon as possible. Jaundice is a very common condition in newborns, but occurs frequently in premature babies since they are even less ready to excrete excess bilirubin for premature babies. Jaundice can also occur when a breastfeeding baby is not getting enough breast milk because of difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn’t in yet. But since she didn't notice any yellow in his skin or eyes she decided not to take a sample of his blood to check his bilirubin, especially since the numbers were on the lower end anyway, based on his discharge papers.
Nathan weighed 5lbs 5ozs when he was discharged Sunday and his weight was up 3 ozs at this appointment. His stools have also transitioned from meconium to yellow seedy stools, so it appears that he's getting enough breastmilk. So overall Dr. Hirsch was very happy with how well he's doing and the fact that I was able to stay pregnant as long as I did. We have a follow up appointment next Thursday to check his weight to make sure he's still getting enough breastmilk.
Length: 19 inches
Head circumfrence: 30 cm
Nathan had his first appointment with Dr. Hirsch on Monday. Since Nathan was a little jaundice (occurs when bilirubin builds up faster than a newborns liver can break it down and pass it from the body)when he was discharged from the hospital, the resident pediatrician wanted us to schedule a follow up appointment with his regular pediatrician as soon as possible. Jaundice is a very common condition in newborns, but occurs frequently in premature babies since they are even less ready to excrete excess bilirubin for premature babies. Jaundice can also occur when a breastfeeding baby is not getting enough breast milk because of difficulty with breastfeeding or because the mother's milk isn’t in yet. But since she didn't notice any yellow in his skin or eyes she decided not to take a sample of his blood to check his bilirubin, especially since the numbers were on the lower end anyway, based on his discharge papers.
Nathan weighed 5lbs 5ozs when he was discharged Sunday and his weight was up 3 ozs at this appointment. His stools have also transitioned from meconium to yellow seedy stools, so it appears that he's getting enough breastmilk. So overall Dr. Hirsch was very happy with how well he's doing and the fact that I was able to stay pregnant as long as I did. We have a follow up appointment next Thursday to check his weight to make sure he's still getting enough breastmilk.
20 month appointment
Weight: 18 lbs 6 ozs
Length: 28 3/4 inches
Head circumference: 43.5 cm
Although weight gain at this age usually slows down, Dr. Hirsch is now concerned with Justin's lack of weight gain since we still haven't seen his catch up growth. I felt bad, but at the same time I pretty much saw it coming because we haven't been as diligent with his solid feedings as we should be. In Dr. Hirsch's words we've been in "survival mode". We made sure that he got his main source of nutrition from 3-4 bottles of Pediasure daily, but making sure he got enough solids each day was hit or miss. Justin gets picky, especially when it comes to breakfast, so when we try to feed him he refuses. Home cooked meals were few and far between due to my pregnancy so we got kind of lax with introducing new foods. And when he did get solids it was baby food, which unfortunately is not that high in fat and calories.
We got some additional tips and tricks to get him to eat more so after Carl dropped Nathan and I off he went grocery shopping to buy some new foods for J to try. We're both hoping that the change in diet helps and we realize we definitely need to be more diligent in ensuring he's getting 3 meals of solids daily. Carl is off for 2 weeks and then my mom will be here for the next 2 weeks, so hopefully we can get into a routine during my maternity leave and keep it up once I return to work.
Length: 28 3/4 inches
Head circumference: 43.5 cm
Although weight gain at this age usually slows down, Dr. Hirsch is now concerned with Justin's lack of weight gain since we still haven't seen his catch up growth. I felt bad, but at the same time I pretty much saw it coming because we haven't been as diligent with his solid feedings as we should be. In Dr. Hirsch's words we've been in "survival mode". We made sure that he got his main source of nutrition from 3-4 bottles of Pediasure daily, but making sure he got enough solids each day was hit or miss. Justin gets picky, especially when it comes to breakfast, so when we try to feed him he refuses. Home cooked meals were few and far between due to my pregnancy so we got kind of lax with introducing new foods. And when he did get solids it was baby food, which unfortunately is not that high in fat and calories.
We got some additional tips and tricks to get him to eat more so after Carl dropped Nathan and I off he went grocery shopping to buy some new foods for J to try. We're both hoping that the change in diet helps and we realize we definitely need to be more diligent in ensuring he's getting 3 meals of solids daily. Carl is off for 2 weeks and then my mom will be here for the next 2 weeks, so hopefully we can get into a routine during my maternity leave and keep it up once I return to work.
Monday, November 30, 2009
18 month well baby visit
Weight: 17 lbs, 14 ozs
Length: 28 1/4 in
I was a little disappointed with Justin's weight gain and was really hoping he was closer to 20 lbs. Having said that, although I would've liked to see him weighing more, his weight gain is in line with that of an 18 month old. And since he continues to follow his own growth curve for both weight and length Dr. Hirsch isn't too concerned. Maybe he'll have a growth spurt when he turns 2, I can keep my fingers crossed, right.
Dr. Hirsch really wants us to start experimenting with lots of different textures and flavors outside of the the normal toddler diet, as long as it's not a choking hazard. We had a little bit of a setback a month ago when Justin stopped eating all solids, including baby food, but with help from the occupational therapist Justin is now back up to 3 meals (solids) per day, along with 3-4 bottles of 30 calorie Pediasure.
Although at the lower end, developmentally Justin is on track for his actual age. He isn't walking yet but he is quickly cruising along furniture, starting to take/make bigger steps and movement without support, and recently started standing on his own for 3-5 seconds at a time. He's also doing much better with walking while only holding one hand.
He's also expanding his vocabulary and says the following words: mama/mommy, dada/daddy, papa, uh oh, bye, hi/hey, baby, ball, okay.
Length: 28 1/4 in
I was a little disappointed with Justin's weight gain and was really hoping he was closer to 20 lbs. Having said that, although I would've liked to see him weighing more, his weight gain is in line with that of an 18 month old. And since he continues to follow his own growth curve for both weight and length Dr. Hirsch isn't too concerned. Maybe he'll have a growth spurt when he turns 2, I can keep my fingers crossed, right.
Dr. Hirsch really wants us to start experimenting with lots of different textures and flavors outside of the the normal toddler diet, as long as it's not a choking hazard. We had a little bit of a setback a month ago when Justin stopped eating all solids, including baby food, but with help from the occupational therapist Justin is now back up to 3 meals (solids) per day, along with 3-4 bottles of 30 calorie Pediasure.
Although at the lower end, developmentally Justin is on track for his actual age. He isn't walking yet but he is quickly cruising along furniture, starting to take/make bigger steps and movement without support, and recently started standing on his own for 3-5 seconds at a time. He's also doing much better with walking while only holding one hand.
He's also expanding his vocabulary and says the following words: mama/mommy, dada/daddy, papa, uh oh, bye, hi/hey, baby, ball, okay.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
12 month appointment
Justin had his 12 month well baby visit today. Here are his stats (the percentiles relate to both his actual and adjusted age):
Weight: 15 lbs, 3 ozs - below 5th percentile
Length: 25 1/4 inches - below 5th percentile
Head circumference: wasn't measured since he's wearing a helmet and is being seen by the pediatric surgeon
Even though Justin's still under the 5th percentile for both his actual and adjusted age Dr. Hirsch is very pleased with his progress. This most recent weight gain is the best improvement yet and he is slowly trending up on the chart.
We are a little behind when it comes to solids as Justin is still on stage 1 foods but Dr. Hirsch wasn't too concerned. She wants his main nutritional content to come from formula for at least the next 6 months, possibly another year. But we are allowed to switch him from Neosure to Pediasure. He will continue to receive solids twice a day and we'll slowly introduce table food. We were given the okay to start giving him dairy and tastes of other different foods and textures.
Weight: 15 lbs, 3 ozs - below 5th percentile
Length: 25 1/4 inches - below 5th percentile
Head circumference: wasn't measured since he's wearing a helmet and is being seen by the pediatric surgeon
Even though Justin's still under the 5th percentile for both his actual and adjusted age Dr. Hirsch is very pleased with his progress. This most recent weight gain is the best improvement yet and he is slowly trending up on the chart.
We are a little behind when it comes to solids as Justin is still on stage 1 foods but Dr. Hirsch wasn't too concerned. She wants his main nutritional content to come from formula for at least the next 6 months, possibly another year. But we are allowed to switch him from Neosure to Pediasure. He will continue to receive solids twice a day and we'll slowly introduce table food. We were given the okay to start giving him dairy and tastes of other different foods and textures.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
9 month appointment
Justin had his 9 month well baby visit and Synagis shot this afternoon. Here are his stats (the percentiles relate to both his actual and adjusted age):
Weight: 11 lbs, 9 ozs - below 5th percentile
Length: 22.5 inches - below 5th percentile
Head circumference: 40 inches - above 95th percentile
For the most part Justin looks really good. He was very active and vocal during his appointment and even rolled on the table during his exam. Although Dr. Hirsch didn't mention anything about him being behind developmentally she did recommend that he be seen by Early On. Early On assists infants from birth until 3 years of age who may be experiencing delays in their development. I believe Justin automatically qualifies because of his prematurity and the DAC was supposed to be coordinating this evaluation so I'll follow up next week at his appointment.
Dr. Hirsch was a little concerned about the shape of Justin's head. I noticed that the back of his head was getting flat late last year. When I initially mentioned it to his home care nurse she said that it would eventually round out as he got older and more active. The very back of his head is rounding out but the top is somewhat lopsided. Dr. Hirsch said his head looks square, I don't agree it's square but it's definitely not round. The shape is a little hard to describe so you judge for yourself. I asked if he may need to wear a helmet to help round his head out and Dr. Hirsch was a little hesitant to say yes since we've already had to deal with so many other things and it may not be medically necessary. But we'll discuss at his DAC appointment next week.
If it were up to Dr. Hirsch she would've taken him off of his oxygen today because he sounds really good. His respirations are a little fast and he has a few small retractions but that's not unusual for babies with BPD. So we'll have to wait and see what the DAC says next week about hopefully weaning him off of his oxygen. We're all ready to be oxygen free. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over the oxygen tank and cords, and how many times Justin has ripped off the tape. He ripped it off 3 times today alone and I'm worried about how the tape is starting to affect his skin. He already has a permanent scar on his cheek from all the tape used during his NICU stay.
Since we just picked up the Prevacid Monday night it's too early to tell if its working just yet. Dr. Hirsch thought it was a good thing that I went ahead and started solids. So in the next week or so Justin will get to try fruits and veggies.
I asked Dr. Hirsch when RSV season was officially over but she couldn't give me a definite answer. But she thinks that Justin should get another Synagis shot so she wants us to ask about it at his DAC appointment next week.
Needless to say next week's appointment will probably be a long one. There's a lot to cover.
Weight: 11 lbs, 9 ozs - below 5th percentile
Length: 22.5 inches - below 5th percentile
Head circumference: 40 inches - above 95th percentile
For the most part Justin looks really good. He was very active and vocal during his appointment and even rolled on the table during his exam. Although Dr. Hirsch didn't mention anything about him being behind developmentally she did recommend that he be seen by Early On. Early On assists infants from birth until 3 years of age who may be experiencing delays in their development. I believe Justin automatically qualifies because of his prematurity and the DAC was supposed to be coordinating this evaluation so I'll follow up next week at his appointment.
Dr. Hirsch was a little concerned about the shape of Justin's head. I noticed that the back of his head was getting flat late last year. When I initially mentioned it to his home care nurse she said that it would eventually round out as he got older and more active. The very back of his head is rounding out but the top is somewhat lopsided. Dr. Hirsch said his head looks square, I don't agree it's square but it's definitely not round. The shape is a little hard to describe so you judge for yourself. I asked if he may need to wear a helmet to help round his head out and Dr. Hirsch was a little hesitant to say yes since we've already had to deal with so many other things and it may not be medically necessary. But we'll discuss at his DAC appointment next week.
If it were up to Dr. Hirsch she would've taken him off of his oxygen today because he sounds really good. His respirations are a little fast and he has a few small retractions but that's not unusual for babies with BPD. So we'll have to wait and see what the DAC says next week about hopefully weaning him off of his oxygen. We're all ready to be oxygen free. I can't tell you how many times I've tripped over the oxygen tank and cords, and how many times Justin has ripped off the tape. He ripped it off 3 times today alone and I'm worried about how the tape is starting to affect his skin. He already has a permanent scar on his cheek from all the tape used during his NICU stay.Since we just picked up the Prevacid Monday night it's too early to tell if its working just yet. Dr. Hirsch thought it was a good thing that I went ahead and started solids. So in the next week or so Justin will get to try fruits and veggies.
I asked Dr. Hirsch when RSV season was officially over but she couldn't give me a definite answer. But she thinks that Justin should get another Synagis shot so she wants us to ask about it at his DAC appointment next week.
Needless to say next week's appointment will probably be a long one. There's a lot to cover.
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