12 month check up

Wednesday we had Kian's 12 month check-up. We saw the nurse practitioner, whom I really liked the other time we saw her. She has kids, more experienced and is into the organics and naturals as well. He just hit 20 lbs. The scale said 20 lbs 3 oz, but I know that 3 oz was from the soggy diaper he was wearing. So they gave us the go ahead for facing forward in the car. He is a little over 29 inches. I'm kind of surprised that he's only grown 8 inches in 12 months, but then again I'm not so tall and Kevin's in the average range for height. Oh well.

They did their look over and developmental questions and did not have any concerns. Well, except for his weight. Because this child shot straight up on the growth charts by 4 months, doubling his birth weight and leveled out since then, his weight 'curve' is not so much of a curve. It's more like a sideways L. He's passed two 'lines' without really going up much so they gave me a lecture. He's in the 13th percentile for weight. I tried to explain to her that Kevin struggles to gain weight and his father's side of the family is all very tall and thin. She then suggested they all have some metabolic abnormalities and even more of a reason for me to increase his calories. I then explained that he still nurses 3-4 times a day, just started Organic whole milk, loves chicken, turkey and pork, eats as much oatmeal as me sometimes, etc. etc. etc. He's just so active. So I have to add more snacks and 'good' carbs in his diet. Funny, he eats all the time now, don't know how I'm going to add in more!

Then we had to go next door to the lab to get the lead test done. Usually it's a finger prick/stick test. Not this lady, she wanted to do his vein in his elbow. Great. Said it's quicker than squeezing blood from his fingertip. Okay, maybe it was quicker, but she missed the vein the first time and he was screaming bloody murder. I hated it. So, of course the next day they call me and tell me he's slightly anemic and needs iron drops. I asked how much is slightly anemic. His numbers were 30.5, and they like them to be 34. If he was a 32 they'd just suggest he get a multivitamin with iron. Wonderful. We don't eat much red meat, so I'm going to have to add in iron-rich foods as well as more food. He sure doesn't act anemic. And get the dumb drops for now...we'll see how well I follow along, remembering that. The first time he gets constipated from them, they're done.

Kind of annoying that I spend so much time making sure he gets nutritious food, and the right kind, and I get lectured to give him more food and iron. Blah. I don't know how much more food the kid can eat and gain weight, being so active! They weren't super worried, and I'm not really worried at all because he is growing, he is healthy and smart. So, that's that.