J's 4 Month Checkup

J had his 4-month checkup yesterday morning. Getting to it was a little hectic--I honestly don't know how people with more than two kids ever get out of the house--but once we got there I settled down.

He has his first cold, but he was in decent spirits considering that he didn't feel very well. He was smiley and cooperative during his exam. He is now 15 lbs (~50th percentile) and 27 in (~95th percentile). The doctor informed me that he has four nipples. WHAT?!? He has two normal ones right where they should be, but about an inch under both of them there is a small indentation that according to him are two more nipples. Supposedly they will not become anything more than they are now. Also he has a very faint birthmark in the middle of his back that has just now become visible. Weird.

The doc confirmed that the problems with his eye are still just a blocked tear duct--no secondary infection. With massaging, 90% clear up by 6 months and 99% by 1 year so all we can do is be patient and pray it clears up without having to do surgery.

I asked about soy and he said his policy on that (as on pretty much everything biblically permitted) is moderation. With chemicals on produce, hormones in milk and meat, genetic engineering of seeds, etc. too much of anything can be a bad thing. He has lots of patients who include soy products in their diets and has not seen any ill effects in any of them. So, I think we'll stick with skim milk instead of soy and keep Morningstar products in our dinner mix. He joked that we can either eat mostly healthy food in moderation or give in to fear and starve.

J was due for immunizations again--1 oral and 3 shots. I had to hold his hands and was on the verge of tears as he cried out in pain. I'd rather get 50 shots myself than have to watch him get one. He's just too little to understand that they are for his own good. All he knows is that Mommy is standing right there while someone hurts him. I'm getting teary again just thinking about it--moving on...

Afterward between his cold and all the crying from the shots he had a dazed expression on his face and he wasn't flashing any of his usual heartwarming smiles. He took a good long afternoon nap, but only because every time I laid him down he woke up crying almost immediately so I ended up holding him the whole time. When he finally roused he was pretty much back to normal. I wasn't fearful, but all the controversy about vaccinations plants seeds of anxiety that are hard to shake.

On a brighter note, J had sort of laughed a number of times (basically a forceful exhalation/sound combined with a smile) but yesterday evening as I was changing him into his pajamas I must have tickled him because he laughed. He seemed to want to laugh because I barely touched him and he did it again and again. Then we had him in the bouncy seat by the dinner table tonight and I leaned down quickly and said "hi!" and he laughed. I did it a few more times (at Bug's encouragement) and he laughed each time and waited for more. Finally he got the hiccups (just like sister does when she laughs too hard or too long). He is growing and changing so quickly--my goal is to be present in the moment and cherish each day.