4/3/07 Appointments

Today Katrina had her 6-month appointment, and Gabriel had his 5-year-old appointment, including the final shots he needs to enter kindergarten. Julian was along for the ride, and mostly provided opportunities for displays of worn and futile parental nagging.

On the way to the doctor's, Gabriel asked me what he was going for, and I said, "Well, you're going to get s-h-o-t-s," you know, like you'd spell "v-e-t" for a dog. But he said right away, "Oh, shots!" So much for the spell trick. He is reading things around us ALL the time now -- signs, ads in newspapers, things on boxes; always pointing out words and phrases and sometimes even short sentences.

Checking in for the appointment, I was taken aback when the nurse handed me a Dixie cup with Gabriel's name on it. Oh great! After 3 pregnancies, I myself am very familiar with the "provide a sample" routine, but for someone else?! Even my own son? The nurse assured me that most boys think it's great fun to pee into a cup, and certainly Gabriel was no different.

Stats:

Katrina: 13lbs 8oz (10%), 26-1/4" long (25%)

Gabriel: 34.5 lbs (3%), 42" tall (25%)

Katrina's only put on 8 oz since her 4-month appointment. Being 13-1/2 pounds by itself isn't a problem, but her rate of weight gain slid to a screeching halt. So, she'll be carrying on the fine tradition of weight checks for Doudna babies, in a month.

It's pretty clear we won't be forward-facing her at one year old -- she'd have to put on 6.5 pounds in six months, very unlikely. Even skinny Gabriel weighed 14 lbs 14 oz at 6 months old, and he didn't weigh the requisite 20 pounds for forward-facing until he was 19 months old! Katrina's on track to lag even more.

Other than that, there was little to say; she's boringly normal and perfect.

The big news, however, is that Gabriel didn't do so well on a routine hearing screning.

The test involved putting headphones on him, then playing a beep sound, and he'd respond by putting a block in a bowl when he heard something. Consistently at various frequencies, he needed the volume to be higher than normal, and overall this effect was more pronounced in his right ear than left.

We've had concerns on and off about his hearing before, but then he'd seem fine, then there'd be another time we'd wonder, then he'd be fine again, but we've never followed up. NOW we're following up with an audiologist next week, for a thorough analysis of his hearing ability -- or loss.

I ordered a new camera today -- same kind as my old one, thanks largely in part to the informative and entertaining Web site by an apparent volunteer enthusiast, Ken Rockwell. I should get it Friday. I feel so....lost! without one.

I went to the Y and pounded my body again tonight. It makes up for the mental and emotional pounding I get during the day.

4/3/07