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| Besties. |
I HATE taking Emma Vance to the doctor for shots. It really stinks. And, although last time around I planned her appointment so that Ryan could join me in being The Bad Guy, he had to do a last-minute shoot today. Dangit. Mom’s The Bad Guy again…
At her four month doctor’s visit, Emma Vance weighed in at 14 lbs., 4 oz., measured 24 inches long, and has a 41 cm head. Basically, she’s gone from “heavy, average height, and big-brained” to “average weight, short and big-brained.” I knew in my heart that her growth had slowed down, mainly because she’s been such a distracted eater lately. Ryan and I joke that she’s turning out like him–totally ADD. (I mean, the kid used to FALL ASLEEP while cleaning his room. Oooh! Shiny object! Getting sooo sleepy…) Hopefully it’s a phase; my mantra has been “She’ll eat if she’s hungry,” and since the doctor seemed fine with it, I’m not changing anything quite yet. Dr. Worley said that since her weight and height had slowed down, there was no concern, i.e. that’s a normal pattern. If only I could teach this child that fingers aren’t food…
Other than her stats, E.V. was her usual, charming self today. She propped herself up extraordinarily well, rolled over from her tummy, and stood very tall for the doctor. And, of course, the talking. Oh, the talking. We were having very serious discussions about her health, and E.V. would just not stop babbling! The doctor and I just kept laughing because it was so funny. I asked her if this was normal, and she grinned and said it was an “exceptional amount of talking.” (I’m sure she uses that term, “exceptional,” with all her new parents, but I have to say it still feels good.)
Then it was shot time. Ugh. I was hoping her cold would delay the immunizations a bit, but since she didn’t have a fever, they advised us to stay on schedule. Darn. The worst aspect this time around was that as soon as the nurse rubbed her chunky thighs with alcohol, Emma Vance started bawling because she knew what was about to happen. Unfortunately, it was the same experience today as it was two months ago–salty tears, painful screams, betrayed looks, hateful Snoopy Band-Aids. (Seriously, when will that roll of Snoopy Band-Aids run out? I can’t stand the sight of them!) When we got home, I nestled E.V. in her bassinet and gave her Cookie Monster to comfort her, and she scratched at his fuzzy fur and fell asleep. So cute. So sweet. Cookie Monster-1, Snoopy-0. We’ll consider it a win for Sesame Street.
I did wake her up around lunch time to eat and snuggle, and Oscar, always the concerned puppy, joined us in bed. He knows she doesn’t feel well, and a puppy snuggle can make all the difference.
Thankfully E.V. seems to be feeling better earlier than last time, napping only about five hours versus almost a full 24 hours previously, and woke up smiling and blowing raspberries. Overall, she’s growing, she’s healthy, she’s happy. Four months down, a million more to look forward to!