18 Months

We had our official 18 month well check this week!

My big girl loves walking on the sidewalk.

Mason and his pincher wave to the old lady that lives across the street.

We're free! :)

Despite getting one shot each, the appointment actually wasn't too crazy! I really like our nurse and she was sweet to take one baby out of the room so Dr. B and I could actually focus on kiddo at a time. I usually have help but everyone is so busy at work that I decided to brave it alone, and it was actually the easiest appointment we've had. So for the official 18 month updates...

Mason:

Height - 32.25 in (42%)

Weight - 25 lbs 14 oz (72%)

Head - 19.5 in (95%)

Mallory:

Height - 30.75 in (17%)

Weight - 25 lbs (78%)

Head - 19.25 in (97%)

Three things about those stats that stick out to me: My children have giant heads! Mallory is finally in double digit percentile for height! And, the babies are solid and healthy!

They really are doing well. It's amazing to me that two tiny 4+ pounder babies that spent the first two weeks of their lives in the hospital hooked up to monitors are thriving as though they were never preemies at all and are right on track for their actual ages. We are truly blessed and thankful for advances in the medical world.

I did discuss language development with Dr. B, not that I have any serious concern at this point, but we still do a lot of communicating with sounds and pointing. He assured me that they don't even begin to evaluate that until 2 years because every child will learn to communicate differently early on. Now we just have to really begin identifying everything, repeating words over and over, and eliminating any baby talk! So that is what we will be doing in our house for the next 6 months. Mason will attempt to say SO much but it is in his own way basically just making sounds, neh for milk, eh for finished and so on. Mallory, just in the last three days has started talking non-stop. Seriously, "badabu ghee me la be gadu" over and over. I have no idea what any of it means but she even moves her head and hands while she talks. Or she walks around with the pretend cell phone held (backwards still) against her ear blabbing 90 miles an hour. Her new most favorite thing to say that she has mastered 100% is "uh oh". She has said that for a long time but now its completely clear. I think "hello" would be her next clearest word.

We also went over Mason's lab results from his illness last week. His throat culture came back negative which means the antibiotic won't do anything. His CBC showed elevated levels of antibodies used to fight off viral infections which basically means the junk in his throat is something he keeps catching. Poor guy. There is nothing we can do. I expressed my concern that he has had this so much and they told me that some kids immune systems just aren't as strong and kids with allergies (like Mason) are more susceptible to these type of viral infections. Also, during his exam he noted that his eardrums were quite red so they are having me continue the antibiotic because that combined with elevated C-reactive proteins on his labs indicate a possible bacterial infection... another ear infection. I was going over the kids pedi charts online and poor Masons list of visits is more than twice as long as his sisters. Hopefully we can get him healthy soon.

But all in all we passed our 18 month check with flying colors! I can't believe that I have two ONE AND A HALF year olds! How does it happen so quickly!?