Four-Year-Old Check-Up

Today we had the big kids’ 4-year-old check-up with our pediatrician.  Knock on wood, it was the first time we went to the pediatrician’s office in almost five months.  That is downright remarkable, by the way.  Prior to recent months, we averaged at least two doctor’s trips a month.  Even the pediatrician commented on how long it had been since he’d seen us.

Without further delay, here are the stats:

Piper:  34.3 pounds (50th percentile), 39 inches (25-50th percentile) 
Henry:  33.6 pounds (25-50th percentile), 40 inches (50th percentile)
Rosemary:  29.5 pounds (10th percentile), 37 inches (5-10th percentile)

Our pediatrician has started handing out some computer printouts of growth charts.  Since the babies were born, I’ve been using the same growth chart calculator every time I get their stats.  I noticed today that our pediatrician’s new growth chart is slightly different.  According to the new one, Piper is around the 25th percentile for weight and almost 50th for height, and is on track to be about 5’4”.  Henry is around the 25th percentile for weight and 50th percentile for height, which puts him on track to be about 5’10”.  Rosemary is right under the 5th percentile for weight and right on the 5th percentile for height, and looks like she’ll be around 5’1”, though our pediatrician noted that she may be even taller than that because she keeps gaining – so we’ll see.  Our pediatrician also pointed out that these estimations of future height are just estimates and that it depends on several other factors.  Regardless, I think those are all good numbers! 

Henry and Piper are both wearing 4T, and Rosemary is in 3T.  I can’t wait to see what Penelope’s stats are at her next appointment in August – she’s wearing 2Ts and some 3Ts already. . . .  It’s almost as if she’s trying to skip wearing 2Ts entirely (which is not cool, because I have so many girls’ 2T clothes because the big girls were around size 2T when I was on bedrest with Penelope and doing quite a bit of internet shopping).

Anyway, this appointment included four booster shots per kid.  It was pretty much as bad as you’d think it would be.  We had to hold them all down, and it took both Gary and I to hold Henry down.  Rosemary went first, and she was MAD.  I mean, seriously mad.  Gary said that if she knew any curse words that she would have really given it to us.  Henry was next, and he wasn’t happy.  Piper was last, and she was downright pitiful.  Piper’s still pitiful.  She told Gary and me tonight that, “My legs hurt so bad I’m having a little trouble standing here.”  After that, we gave everyone a round of ibuprofen before bed.  No fevers or anything yet, so hopefully we’re just going to be dealing with some sore legs and nothing else. 

At the appointment we discussed a few things in particular – including the state of the ear tubes (they’re still in and we have two years before we have to worry about whether they’ve fallen out), Henry’s upcoming neurosurgeon follow-up visit this coming Monday and the fact that his neurosurgeon is moving to another practice in another city in a couple of weeks, and Penelope’s upcoming allergy appointment next Tuesday.  Our pediatrician said that she definitely could have a worse reaction to peanuts next time, and gave us a DVD on using epi-pen juniors.  I hope we don’t have to use one, but they will give us a little peace of mind to have them around.

As free as we’ve been from doctor’s appointments so far in 2012, it seems like we’re trying to catch up in July! 

After the appointment, we took the big kids to get some frozen yogurt and toppings of their choice.  They LOVED it.  It’s been a while since we’ve been to a yogurt place, and we all really enjoyed ourselves. 

This week I have many other blog posts to make, and many photos to post.  The big kids had their birthday party this past weekend, and I have lots to share once I can get it all down in a blog post (or two or three). . . .