18-month check up

I got to see the Dude today for my 18 month check up! Mama told me that I wouldn't have to get any shots, but she was sorely mistaken. Or rather, she was mistaken and I am sore. She felt really bad and apologized for giving me faulty information, and she made up for it by singing and dancing with me after I got the shot.

The Dude says that I am doing really well. I'm making impressive gains on the height chart, and my weight is nice and stable too. Here are my stats:

Weight = 24lbs 12 oz (35%)
Head Circumference = 48.6 cm (75%)
Length = 34.5" (95%)

Quite nice, if you ask me! I'm on my way to becoming a basketball player. The Dude asked me if I am taller than most of my friends (yes) and Mama mentioned that people are usually surprised at my age. I look like I'm older but I still act like an 18-month old, so sometimes people think that I'm a little, er, "slow". Although to be fair, what does "slow" mean at this age?

Mama asked about all of the fun things I've gone through in the past 3 months (roseola, hives, constant cold, rash on my legs, digestive issues) and most of them are pretty harmless. The hives were probably from a virus (like the roseola), the colds are part of being a toddler, and the leg rash is from dry skin. I have to put lotion on my legs 3-4 times a day to make sure the dry skin doesn't erupt into eczema, but other than that it's not a problem.

And the digestive issues? The Dude thinks I might need to take some lactobacillus acidophilus (that's a mouthful!) with my food to see if it will help balance the digestive enzymes in my belly. Mama takes it because she's lactose intolerant, and I might have the same problem. Mama's already been giving me lots of yogurt and less milk and that seems to have been helping a bit, so hopefully adding some lacto...blah blah blah will solve the issue.

I was very patient when the Dude checked out all of my vitals. I even sat calmly while he looked into my ears! Mama was so proud. And he checked to make sure that my legs are well-toned and I have good balance and flexibility, which means I'm not showing any signs of cerebral palsy (being a preemie and having such a low Apgar puts me at risk for CP, and I've just started walking on my tip-toes, which can be another sign of CP or other developmental delays). This is also when they check for signs of autism, and I passed with flying colors.

So now I don't see the Dude again until I'm 2 years old! That seems like such a long time. But apparently Mama will see him before, because my little brother or sister will get to hang out with him. Maybe I can go with them so that I can play with the mirror, pull the paper off the examination table, and set the thermostat to 95 degrees like I did today.

Here's my latest growth chart! You can see that my weight is increasing steadily, and my height is taking off like crazy.