18 Month Well Check

I rushed to get Jackson to school this morning so that I could have time to make it to the trio's 9:30 a.m. appointment. A minor crisis ensued since we left before Curious George was over. Jackson was still the first one there in his class. He was surprised to see an empty classroom since he is typically one of the last ones to arrive.

Thankfully today was a teacher workday and Jesse agreed to meet me at the pediatrician's office. The practice still requires naked weight checks. The scale is located in the hallway right beside check-out. I dread this process much more than shots.

Here's how the little ones have grown over the course of their lives:

	James		Amelia	Maddie
Birth	6 lbs, 12 oz 20.5 in	6 lbs, 2 oz 20 in		5 lbs, 9 oz 18 in
4 Months	13 lbs, 5 oz 2’1	12 lbs 2’		9 lbs 23.75 in
6 Months	15 lbs, 7 oz	14 lbs, 9 oz		11 lbs
9 Months	17 lbs, 6 oz 2’5	16 lbs, 11 oz 2’3		13 lbs, 5 oz 2’2
12 Months	21 lbs, 15 oz 2’6	20 lbs, 9 oz 2’5		17 lbs, 4 oz 2’4
15 Months	24 lbs, 13 oz 2’7	22 lbs, 14 oz 2’6		20 lbs, 9 oz 2’5
18 Months	25 lbs, 8 oz 2’8	24 lbs 2’8		21 lbs, 10 oz 2’7

We were seen by a different doctor. I wish I had done a little research with the practice and requested her from the beginning because she is a Neonatologist (specializes in preemies/high risk infants). Jesse and I were both impressed that she requested a nurse stay throughout the appointment so we could give individual attention and keep everyone calm.

The pediatrician raised the following concerns:

James

needs speech evaluation

Amelia

needs speech evaluation

We were firmly reminded to regularly brush the trio's teeth because Amelia has "sediment on her teeth". 

She recommended Amelia wear sunglasses or a hat if she's going to be outside in the sun because Amelia has enlarged pupils. 

Maddie

needs speech evaluation

innocent heart murmur can still be heard

Her eczema should be treated with weekly baking soda baths, Cetaphil twice a day, and a prescription oil twice a day. The doctor explained that our previous prescription ointment was for spot treating, not for her entire skin. Her exact words were, "You need oil. We've got to grease her up!"

As far as speech services go, I'm not in any rush. I was expecting this since none of the trio are using more than 2-3 words. We went through the exact same thing with Jackson at 18 months but his language exploded just a few months later. There is no concern with physical factors to cause speech delay (they can easily use straw cups and utensils), nor is there cognitive concern (they can point to objects and understand when we ask for something). They communicate clearly, just not with words. There's rarely any question what it is they want. I think I will be more intentional about naming objects and making them say the word (milk or water, more, up, etc). If they still aren't using any new words in a couple of months, I have no reservations with speech evaluations.

The only other thing the doctor mentioned was increasing DHA rich foods such as tuna, eggs, avocado, and olive oil. The trio do not eat ANY of those foods, so I'll have to get creative on how to include those in their diet.

All three received their last dose of Hep A vaccine, which means they are caught up until kindergarten! We don't go back for another well check until they turn 2.

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After we picked Jackson up from preschool we headed to the park. It was 65 degrees today and gorgeous! I was skeptical of how the trio would act after their shots, but everyone was in a great mood. I'll end with my favorite photos of each kid from our afternoon.