Last week was our 6 month check-up. I am always worried about being judged by the nurses and doctors when we go to the pediatricians' office. Probably because they seem to like to judge me. The night before, I request Larry's help to hold each baby while I scrub every crack, crevice, and fold that might hide splattered baby food, stray dog hair, or exploding diaper remnants. I inspect their ears, noses, and mouths for any unsightly hangers-on, then clip their nails and brush their hair. Somehow, though, the one nurse always seems to find some neck cheese or diaper rash and she will point out what a bad mother I am.
"You need to keep this area clean," or "It's important to pull back the folds of skin to apply the lotion."
You think? Wow, thanks for advice, Dr. Spock. And how many babies did you have at once that makes you feel qualified to pass judgment on me? What's that? You aren't even a mom yet? Back off. If only I were as brave and mouthy as my inner-Vicki. I usually leave the office feeling like a teen mom rather than an educated, well-read, overly-concerned 37 year old mother. Oh, how I miss my perinatology office. They knew me well enough to take my file out of the "Dumb-Ass" pile and treat me like human being instead.
But I digress. The boys checked out well! They both had a growth spurt, and Grayden not only jumped onto the height chart but he landed squarely in the 50th percentile. He's still heavier than 90 percent of the kids his age, but who expected my kids to ever be little? Ren still isn't on the height chart and he's in the 25th percentile for weight, but his surge shows he is growing quickly. He just has a lot to make up for after weighing only 4 1/2 pounds!
Meal times have become an adventure as we introduce more and more new foods. Their first taste of turkey was priceless, and if Larry's laptop ever gets fixed, I'll attach a video. They are not too sure of meats at this point, but they weren't sure of peas or bananas at first, either. Luckily they are adventurous little eaters and will try anything once!
They are now interacting with each other and it's amazing to watch. I caught their first conversation on film (again, broken laptop). They were in their high chairs looking at each other and talking as if they completely understood each other. They even took turns and allowed the other one to reply. Now, every morning we spend 5 minutes visiting on the couch. This usually involves face touching, hair pulling, and even some eye-gouging, but all of it is accompanied by excited talking. I can see where having two children the same age may just have its advantages in the future.
We made a return trip to the orthotist in Charleston last week. The good news is that the boys did wonderfully well on their first overnight trip to Uncle Will's and Aunt Nicole's, but the bad news is that their heads are getting flatter. We will be in helmets next week. I hate that they have to be in them through the heat of the summer and I hate that their pictures will be "ruined" for the next 4 months and I hate that people are going to stare when we're out in public. But I am thankful that they will never look at me in the future and ask "Mama, why didn't you fix my head?"
I am in for a long battle with my insurance company, though. If anyone has tips for seeking coverage of durable medical equipment, please shoot me an email. I am currently gathering information on plagiocephaly and working on a letter for the doctor to sign. I hope to be the first United Healthcare patient at Level 4 Orthotics to get coverage. Watch out insurance company! I just may unleash my inner-Vicki on you....
