4 Month Check-Up

Aidyn had his 4 month check up this morning...1 day after his 4 month birthday. He normally sleeps until about 9-10am in the morning, so he was very tired when we got him up at 7am. (I guess I should clarify that he sleeps that late, but not straight through. He usually eats atleast once, sometimes twice, after going to bed.)

He usually wakes up when we get him out of bed, but not this morning. He slept the entire time while I changed him, took his PJs off, and dressed him. He finally woke up as we were putting him in his car seat. Ofcourse, he fell asleep on the way to the dr and slept until we went back into a room.

The nurse listened to his heart, breathing, measured his length, weight, and head circumfrence. We talked to her about several concerns we had and then we just had to wait on the dr to arrive. We always try to get the first appt in the morning if possible. That ensures no wait and not having to be in rooms full of kids (sick or healthy). This morning his appt was at 8am. We got there at 7:40am (before the nurse or dr). But luckily we didn't have to wait long at all.

Aidyn is in the 50th percentile for his height - 25 inches. He's grown 4 inches since he was born. He's also in the 50th percentile for his weight - 14 lbs 14 oz. He's gained 7 lbs 13 oz since he was born. Aidyn's in the 35th percentile for head circumfrence - 41.6 cm. His precious brain (hehe) has grown 8.6 cm since he was born. Wow...he must be a genius! ;)

Dr.Gill "predicted" that with both my height and Ben's (and Ben being the shortest person in his family)...that Aidyn should be a little taller. His prediction is that Aidyn will be about 5ft 11in. He laughed and said, "We'll see how good of a predicter I am in about 18 years." We both hope he's right!

Aidyn received the same vaccines as his 2 month appt. 1 oral vaccine and 3 shots. He did great! He did cry more than his 2 month appt, but only for a minute or two. Ben quickly picked him and gave him is pacifier and he calmed down. I took a bottle to feed him, like we did with his first shots, but had decided to wait and feed him when we got home since he was doing ok. That was the plan...until...the nurse said we had to wait 10 minutes so they could check his legs where they did the shots. With that, I went ahead and fed him. He did a great job and I'm very proud of him!

Here he is at home. See is adorable chunky legs? And his little Charlie Brown band-aids? He did so good at the dr!

Concerns Today:
Cradle Cap- Dr.Gill suggested continuing with Selsen Blue (or other dandruff shampoo) on Aidyn's head for the cradle cap since it keeps returning. He said to keep using the steriod cream if it gets worse and "scabbed" like it has.

Dry Skin- Aidyn has a dry spot on his left shoulder. The dr said to keep baby cream on it and that we could even use the steroid cream that we have for Aidyn's head. He said that Aidyn must have sensitive skin and that we just need to keep cream (not lotion) on him. He also suggested putting Vaseline on the dry spot.

Reflux- I explained to Dr.Gill that Aidyn's reflux and spitting up seems to be worsening again. We thought maybe his weight gain (he's gained 2 lbs since beginning his meds) and the increased amount that he's eating is causing the Prevacid not to work as well. I asked if we needed a larger dose or needed to increase to twice a day instead of once. He recommended that we start with Rice Cereal in Aidyn's bottles. The bottles shouldn't be thick, but not just the regular liquid (like water) consistency either. He said if that didn't work to give him a call and we may increase the Prevacid to twice a day.

Teething- Aidyn should begin teething at anytime. He has started drooling quite a bit and constantly chews on his fists and fingers. He is probably already beginning to teeth, even though it could still be a few months before a tooth actually appears.

Eating Enough? I have been concerned that Aidyn may not be getting enough to eat. Even though he usually eats all of 5.5 oz bottle, there are times that he will only eat 3-4 oz. We started by making 6oz bottles that he never finished and we were throwing formula (money) away. We decreased to 5oz. Once the water and formula is mixed, there is actually 5.5 oz. We learned that the average or expected amount for babies at this age is to eat 26-32 oz of formula a day. That's great to know! Aidyn has been averaging 25-30 oz on a given a day...so he's right on track. :)

Beginning Solids- Aidyn will begin with the Rice Cereal as I mentioned in the part about his reflux. After doing cereal for a while, we'll start on other solids. First will be vegetables. Vegetables are to be given twice a day (lunch and dinner) for 3-5 days before beginning a new vegetable. This will let us see if Aidyn has any reactions or allergies. After Vegis we will begin adding fruits. Fruits will be given once a day (breakfast or early morning). The same will be done...3-5 days before adding a new one. A paper given to us from the dr says to follow each "meal" with the bottle. However, our lactation consultant says the opposite. Begin with the bottle so you can sure Aidyn is getting enough to eat. The other foods are just supplemental but not required at this point. That is what we've been doing with the avocado and will continue with. Bottle first and then solids last.

It won't be long, I'm sure, before Aidyn is sitting up and beginning to crawl. We can't wait!