2/1/08 The Lesson

Bonne Maman accompanied us to Katrina's 15-month appointment today, and helped me keep her entertained. This time, I asked the nurse if we could wait in the waiting room instead of in the exam room, which turned out to buy us about 10 minutes. It was still another 15-minute wait with a diapered baby in a room with nothing to do.

Well, except play with grandmother, that is. Katrina let Mom hold her and play with her, and was just as physical with her as she is with me.

And, Bonne Maman got treated to a rare cuddle.

She's still got a cold, and the doc thought she heard some wheezing inside her lungs, even though there's no sign of it from the outside. I realized today when a few times I'd have expected a scream from Katrina that she just can't.

Stats:

Katrina @16 months: 21 lbs 1 oz (25%), 31" long (70%).

(For the sake of useless comparison:)

Gabriel @ 16 months: 18 lbs 10 oz (0%), 31-1/4" long (45%)
Julian @15 months: 22lbs 2 oz (20%), 31-3/4" long (75%).

(Hmm, all I get out of that is that Gabriel is pathetic! And that I couldn't get two out of three to the pediatrician in time for 15-month appointments - how's that for pathetic?)

The doc was floored by her weight gain, going from 5%ile to 25%ile, and that's even while being under the weather and not eating well the past few days. Even her chicken-ankles have filled out.

Mom and I dropped Katrina off at Melissa's afterward, and went on to have a nice grownup lunch, a little browsing, more shopping, tea and a snack (those mini-tartelettes at Whole Foods are killer), then the onslaught of children.

Gabriel finally got his first piano lesson, sort of. My mother, the accomplished pianist, who performs, does chamber music, takes classes, practices for hours every day, showed him scales and chords and arpeggios and proper fingering....and then taught him to play Chopsticks! I mean, really!


He loved it, and so did she. She spent a lot of time with Julian on the little piano too, which he did for most of the evening tonight. I wish Melissa & Doug would make another songbook, as Julian knows all of them by heart now and is ready for more. Being 4, he treats it more like a toy than Gabriel does, who Bonne Maman thinks is genuinely interested in learning to play.

I'm sure we're in for nonstop Chopsticks this weekend.

2/1/08