The boys' checkup

Poor Connor was SO tired after our appointment this morning that he snuggled with me for a little while.
Brandon...being cute! Look at his hair...it's really starting to grow!

Well, the boys had another developmental checkup today and they both passed with flying colors. I'm going to go into detail, so if you don't want to read all the mumbo jumbo...you can stop here!!!!

For the rest of this blog...the boys are considered 3 1/2 months old, which is how old they would have been if I made it to my due date.

BRANDON 13 lbs 5 oz

Eating - Brandon is not eating enough. I KNEW this and I'm glad someone finally listened to me. He's been consuming almost the same number of ounces that Connor is, but he needs a lot more calories throughout one day than Connor. So, I'm going to have to give him at least 2 feedings a day of only high calorie formula. He should be taking in over 600 calories a day, and he's only getting roughly 500. That doesn't take into account how active he is.

Percentile - Brandon is in the 50th percentile on everything the measure...except his head...95th! HAHAHAHA Looking at his last measurements, and comparing them to the ones they took today, tell them that he's growing at a very consistent rate, which is good.

Development - Brandon was a very good baby today! He rolled over for them, talked to them, grabbed the toys they put in front of him, and attempted to sit up really well. His pallet in his mouth is arched very high, which could have been part of his eating issues as well. His suck might not be as strong as it should be, and he was over-compensating in other ways to eat. Mix that with the ear infection he had and you have an unhappy baby boy.

CONNOR 16 lbs 15 oz

Eating - It's obvious that he doesn't have any problems in this area. I was instructed to take the boys off rice cereal until roughly September. They don't need it right now and the nutritionist said there's no need in trying to develop the ability to use a spoon at this point either. Fine with me...one less thing to worry about! She said that our society "markets" baby foods in a way that makes mothers think their babies need it. In all actuality, even a full term baby doesn't "need" rice cereal until they are able to completely support themselves when they sit up. So, the fact that I was feeding them in a bouncy seat was kinda silly. She said, they should be able to sit upright and not have to be reclined before any solid foods should be introduced. Once again, I'm glad she was there today for me to talk to. I don't want to push my boys to eat something they don't need in the first place to try and keep up with society. Bottom line...no more cereal for about 2-3 more months.

Percentile - He may seem big, but he's still in only the 60th percentile for everything. At least they are both ON the chart now.

Development - Once again, Connor was a very good boy today!!!! He laughed, played with the toys, kicked, and followed stimulation very well. There's no longer a concern with the formation of the plates in his head. Whatever slight deformity that was there a month and a half ago, is now gone and no longer a concern. He also attempted to sit up very well and flirted like a champion. I asked about them pushing with their feet to scoot backwards and if that was a concern. She said as long as I'm not putting them in a walker, exersaucer, or johnny jumper, I don't need to worry about how they start to move. She did tell me not to promote scooting backwards by placing him up against a surface to push off on. Connor has started bringing both of his hands to his bottle and will hold it momentarily. THIS..is ahead of schedule for him..WAY TO GO BUDDY! They did encourage me to get a Bumbo Baby seat. This seat actually helps them in an "occupational" way to learn to sit up and develop the correct musculature. My mom is going to the used kids store to pick one up for me to have while I'm in KY. They are made of a foam type material and are ridiculously expensive. Amen for consignment shops!

Overall, I was very pleased with their appointment and look forward to going back. The commander's wife, Debby, went with me to help me with the boys and I'm very thankful for her help. Connor had a mini-fit after he was weighed and luckily she was able to get him to calm down and take a little nap. As the grandmother to twin girls herself, she's very experienced. She also learned a lot in the 2 hours we spent with these ladies. It really is an amazing thing to be able to take part in this developmental program. I'm very thankful to the military, once again, for all the care and services that have been extended to us and the boys. Couldn't ask for anything more!