1 Year Doctor appt...

I had heard horror stories from my good friend about baby's 1 year doctor well-check. She had her son 3 months before me so I always use her as a gauge for what will be happening in our lives. She said that they gave him his shots and also took blood. She was sent to the diagnostic labs and they took blood from him just like an adult, with the rubber tournequet and needle with vials. Now my little one will not sit still for anything, let alone having a needle put in his arm. So I was terrified. I figured that I would go for our appointment and have my husband come with me to the lab for his bloodwork.

He has always been such a good boy for our doctor visits, sitting nicely, smiling at the doctor, and only crying when he gets his shots. This time was a whole different story. He is just so active now that he has mastered walking that sitting in the waiting room was torture. He wanted to climb up in everything and was constantly trying to wiggle out of my arms when I held him. When we were finally called, I undressed him for his weigh-in. He was fine for that but when I tried to get his diaper back on, he practically jumped off of the scale. He wouldn't lay still for the nurse to check his length. Eventually he let me put his diaper on and the nurse took that opportunity to see how long he was. He gained about a pound since his 9 month visit and is now off the chart for weight. He was in the 5th percentile but not anymore. They said they aren't concerned yet. He is just tiny. He is in the 25th percentile for length where he has been all along. So he is long and skinny at this point.

The nurse walked us to the patient's room and said she was going to take his blood. I couldn't believe it was going to happen right then and there. She said they do a finger prick. I held him in my lap and she pricked his finger. He didn't even flinch and I didn't even know when it had happened. Then she had to squeeze his little finger until 1/2 a vial was filled. The tests should take a couple of days and if they see anything, they may send him for more bloodwork. They check levels of lead and things like that.

Then I had to wait in the patient room and he was all over the place again. He didn't want to be held. There was so many new things to look at that he couldn't bear to be in one spot. When the doctor came in, I had to hold him and pace otherwise he would squirm and cry out. She said that he is doing this because he is gets frustrated with his physical limitations and can't express himself verbally yet. This happens to early walkers. They can move around but can't do all of the things they want and they can't say what they want yet.

I have switched to cow's milk now and things seem to be going well. He loves his milk and hasn't had any digestive issues. The doctor told me to keep feeding him full fat foods and just offer a healthy variety of foods because he has become picky all of a sudden. She said that is normal. She also said that they at around this age their big growth spurts aren't as frequent so I may see a drop in his appetite.

I had been worried about the heart murmur that she had heard at his 6 month check-up. She didn't hear it at his 9 month and didn't hear it again at this visit. So now I feel better. When she was done checking him over, she left and sent the nurse back in. He had to get 4 shots this time - MMR, Chicken Pox and something else I can't remember now. He also got his flu shot. He screamed and cried for a few seconds and then was fine. By the time I got him out of there and into the car, he was asleep. He slept for 3 hours when we got home which was fine. He probably needed it. Then he was absolutely fine when he woke up, no fever or ill effects from the shots. I have to take him back in 4 weeks for his second flu shot. Then back again in 3 months. Hopefully he will grow a little more so they don't have reason to be concerned.