4 year old Check-Up

Ty had his 4 year old check-up on Friday. He is getting so big! Poor thing had to get 3 shots plus the flu mist. He was limping last night because his thighs were sore. It was pitiful! After the first shot he said "that hurt" and started whimpering.

He weighs 43 pounds and is 42 1/2 inches tall. He had a hearing test and did pretty well on that. He missed the lowest tones but most likely due to some congestion from his allergies. He is often stuffy nosed, congested, and snores. So we are going to add an allergy nasal spray to his Zyrtec to hopefully clear up the allergies even more.

We are seeing glimpses of more independence which is nice! He often wants things done for him and we often remind him that he isn't a baby. :)  Friday night before we went out to dinner he wanted to change his shirt by himself. He said he needed privacy. Here is the video...I was laughing the whole time Andy was recording. Hilarious. Listen for him to say "right" when he checks to see if his shirt is on the right way. Once he spots Andy you see a smile...ADORABLE!!!

Ty loves his preschool so very much. He asks when his next school day is all the time. He just marches in by himself when Andy drops him off. He is very proud of his projects when he comes home from school and is excited about choosing a book from his very first book order.

Psychiatrist Update

We had our appointment on Saturday with the psychiatrist. It went really well. I am very pleased with who we were recommended to see. She was very thorough and it went so well. I really didn't think we'd be able to have the conversations we needed to have with our guy in there with us but she made it work. She asked him lots of questions and got to know him. She got to know what causes him to worry from his own lips. He was open and honest. Then she talked to us as he was playing (and listening) in the room. But it was all okay. We were there for right at 2 hours. We have a diagnosis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder. He started medicine this Sunday morning. We are starting with such a low dose this week that she thought we probably wouldn't notice a difference until maybe next week. So far I haven't noticed anything. Next we will slightly increase the dose and try that for 2 weeks. Then we go see Dr. S. again to make sure things are going okay with no problems. Our sweet boy asked me when he "got" to start his medicine. He is tired of feeling this way. I told him we'd start it Sunday morning. So Sunday morning he asked Andy for his pill.

Our decision to try medication has come as the last thing we can do to try and make life more enjoyable for him. Dr. S. has a plan for tapering off med- a whole plan she told us about that makes great sense. Kids are still developing so we can re-train his mind and help him learn how to deal with his feelings/anxiety in a healthy, manageable way. So that as we taper off he will be able to handle how things make him feel. Andy and I have basically tried to avoid things we know that cause him anxiety whenever we can. With the medication (when we find the right dose) we will need to start trying the things we've avoided.

Dr. S. also wanted him to start taking Omega 3 & vitamin D vitamin supplements in addition to his multivitamin. She told us all the benefits and we were sold. Now Andy, Luke, Wilson, and I are all taking those vitamin supplements! I wish I could get Ty to eat a vitamin...

4 & 6 year old Appointments

Yesterday Wilson and Luke had their annual doctor visit. No concerns for either of them. They are thriving, healthy boys! Wilson is 47" tall (73%ile) and 50lbs (73%ile).

Luke was such a BRAVE boy! He had to get 4 shots plus the H1N1 flu mist. He didn't cry a bit. He didn't make a sound or do anything to avoid the shots. He was such a trooper! He said they hurt but he was so proud of himself and his 4 band-aids! He earned 6 stickers for being so brave! Luke is ~42" tall (76%ile) and 41lbs (86%ile).

1 Year Check-Up

Ty went to the doctor today for his 1 year checkup. He had a great visit other than the two shots that hurt his feelings! He also had stranger anxiety which was a first - sometimes he doesn't want people to take him from his mommy or daddy but today as Dr I got near him he'd start crying! I talked to Dr. I about Ty's non-interest in any type of sippy cup so far. The I'm-not-going-to-drink-out-of-this-non-boob-thing syndrome. (Well, maybe not in so many words). He suggested trying a regular cup! Why hadn't I thought of that?! Tyler is such a determined little guy - of course he wants to start from a cup (and will hopefully then switch to sippy cups later). He tried his whole milk tonight and did well from the big boy cup. I cut the afternoon feeding today. Yay! Now just the morning and night to work out of our routine over the next 2 weeks.
Height: 31 1/4 inches (87%ile)
Weight 24 pounds, 7 oz (72%ile)
Head: 50cm (99%ile) My Tyler, what a big brain you have!!

"Vocal Rest"

So yesterday I went to the doctor. Diagnosed with bronchitis and laryngitis. My doc thinks it's viral at this point but gave me a prescription just in case it gets worse. If it does, I'm supposed to get the prescription filled. I don't feel bad but I can't talk. She said I need vocal rest- no talking. So I did well yesterday not talking. Got a lot done as a matter of fact! Emptied kitchen pantry. Cleaned all shelves and the walls. Put contents back in very organized! I even got to use my new label maker for a few things. I washed the trashcan and the lid to Lottie's food container. Very clean in there now! Then I entered about 25 accessory/equipment things into the computer to make my consignment sale tags. I got them in baggies and ready to go. Still need to tackle the clothes and toys. In the afternoon I cleaned out the hall closet and packed up some of our games so it wouldn't be so full. I reorganized the hanging shoe organizer that is on the door. I use that for hats, gloves, scarves, umbrellas, etc. It looks very nice too! We are trying to pack away some of our stuff so when we put our house on the market it isn't crammed full of all our stuff. So I've been bring boxes home from school. Anyway, back to today...
I went to school today so I don't have any more days without pay. Thankfully I have a student teacher. She did a lot of the talking. Carrie and Brenda covered for me as well. I was useless there but did help with behavior monitoring a lot. I got several things done this morning but still felt stupid being there and not being able to talk. Hoping my voice is back tomorrow. I'm staying home from small group tonight so that I don't talk!

Doctor Check-Ups

5 Year Old Check-Up

Wilson did great at his dr check-up. We were thrilled to find out that this appointment brought no shots. He had already had his flu shot. We have our Immunization Certificate and School Entry form for Kindergarten this fall!! I can't believe Wilson is getting so big!! Wilson is 44" tall (70th percentile) and 45 lbs (76th percentile). He was healthy and his BMI was good! This is a picture of Wilson at our nearby Arboretum.

3 Year Old Check-Up

Luke also did great at his dr check-up! He was happy to have zero shots as well! Luke is 38 1/2" tall (68th percentile) and weighs 35 1/2 lbs (83rd percentile). He definitely has a pooh belly! However, his BMI was good and he is healthy! His tubes are sitting in the ear canal, they haven't fallen completely out but aren't doing anything either. He is completely potty trained. Next step: get rid of the passy for nap/bed time! Luke got his first set of Lego's after his dr checkup!

4 Month Old Check-Up

Our biggest baby ever had his check-up this week too! He is happy and healthy and Dr. I was thrilled with our report from CCH. He had already gotten a report as well. Tyler wasn't as lucky as his brothers. He had 3 shots but handled them well! With those thunder thighs maybe it wasn't as bad. Ty is 27" long (96th percentile) and weighed 18lbs 12 oz (96th percentile)! He's a big boy! Tyler is still waking up to eat every three hours day or night. It is KILLING me to wake up this much every night when my alarm goes off so early. Andy has started helping me the last few days with giving Ty a bottle before he goes to bed. This means I've gotten up to feed him 1 time instead of 2. Dr. I said we could try cereal in the evening to see if it helps him sleep longer. Not sure if I want to start it this early or not. We waited till 6 months with both of the others. His head circumference is in the 88th percentile. In the picture Tyler was really eyeing my cheesecake!! These boys might eat us out of house and home as they get older!

5 Blissful Days!

We are so excited to be on Thanksgiving Break! Lots to look forward to. Today Wilson told me his ear was hurting around 4:40. I called the Dr. right away and they fit us in. I didn't want him to be sick over TG. When we got there I realized that his ear was red all around the top- inflammation. So anyway he has a bad ear infection but is now on antibiotics. While we were there I made him get a flu shot. That was rough. Me and the nurse pinned him down after trying to talk him through it and tell him about it. The nurse was really good with him. I told him he had to get one for Ty so we don't get him sick, Drs orders. Then after the crying and panic on his part while waiting for the nurse I finally used bribery - legos. I knew there was a $5 one that he wanted and I knew we were going to Meijer to get the presecription so that helped, a little! Wilson and I left the house around 4:45 and returned at almost 6:30. Had to wait for the prescription and everything. When we rushed out of the house to get to the doctor it was already time to feed Ty so Wilson and I took him with us. We got to the office and I was going to feed him in the waiting room. I picked him up out of his car seat and he had poop all up the back of his outfit. So W and I went to the bathroom and changed his clothes. Of course they called us back while we were in the bathroom. Then I fed Ty while we were waiting on the Dr. Sorry that is kind of out of order but I can't cut and paste on blogger! With 5 days off I'm looking forward to sleep! Time with the boys! Time with family! Board games! and yummy food! Have a great Thanksgiving!

A few updates

* I had my 6 week checkup on Monday and I'm all healed and off all restrictions! While I was there Ty was the hit of the office. All the nurses came to see him and Dr. S held him. They couldn't believe how chubby he was! We weighed him and he was 14 lbs! Crazy- My Dr. said he could be the office mascot!!
* Ty drank milk out of a bottle yesterday with daddy! So good to know that the pumping/bottle thing will not be a problem for Ty. He loves to EAT!
* Ty has his first cold :( - he caught it from Wilson who also has a cold. His right eye keeps running. It's pitiful.
* Ty went to the dermatologist today. See separate post soon.
* A couple good recipes I've tried this week- acorn squash with a delicious maple syrup/brown sugar butter (from Pioneer Woman Cooks). Me and Luke liked it! And a pasta dish with fresh mozzarella that we all enjoyed (from Annie's Eats).
* The boys are carving Luke's pumpkin right now.
* Can't roast the pumpkin seeds because our oven is broken. It does this weird thing occasionally where the heating element won't turn off unless the breaker is off. Making dinner yesterday was interesting- I kept turning the oven from off (where the heating element would just stay on, making the oven hotter and hotter) to broil, where the bottom heating element would go off but the top one was on.

2 Week Check-Ups

Tyler's Appointment
Ty was a whopping 10 lbs 5 ozs at the doctor today! They weighed him on the same scale they did last time (he was 9lbs on Sept. 17th). At 2 weeks old, the goal is for a new baby to be back up to their birth weight. Way to go Ty! He is a whole pound above his birthweight. Dr. I. is referring us to a dermatologist to check on his face. When Ty was born the right side of his face was very pink compared to the left side. It still is, especially when he cries, grunts, or gets mad. We're thinking it might end up being a birth mark. The placenta was up on his cheek in many of the ultrasound pics throughout the pregnancy so I don't know if that has something to do with it or not.

My Appointment
Was pretty uneventful but I can drive! I ventured out on my own with Ty for both appointments and we did really well. Stephanie loaned me her stroller which is smaller than mine and I left it set up in the van. So I just unstrapped Ty from his carseat and pulled out the stroller and strapped him in that. It worked (since I can't carry the carseat!). My appointment today was just to check my incision site and make sure it was healing well. I can take the steri strips off now as well. I go back in 4 weeks for another check-up. Dr. S. said when she performed the c-section I was still only dilated 1 cm and that Ty wasn't even down in the birthing canal. She said she really didn't think his shoulders would have fit in my pelvis, that my body might not have gone in to labor on it's own. Crazy! Especially considering how easily Wilson and Luke were for me during delivery.

Ty was a trooper today and I fed him in both the OB room I was in and then fed him in his doctor room. Then we went and picked Wilson up at school with Andy. Wilson wanted to stay at church with Andy so then I came home, ate lunch, and watched 2 epidsodes of Friends before napping. It was a good day!

First Outing

Yesterday was a busy day for us. We dropped Wilson off at preschool at 9am. Then we dropped Luke off at Parent's Day Out. Then we headed to the doctor for Ty's first check up. He was up to 9 lbs, which means he had gained an ounce since we left the hospital. His jaundice hadn't increased either. He had a good visit and goes back when he is two weeks old. Next, we went back to Luke's school and picked him up for his eye appointment. Luke has been doing a weird blinking thing for a few weeks. When I had him at the doctor last week I asked about it and we were referred to a pediatric opthamologist. So off we went. They tested his vision and checked out his eyes etc. They are still a little dilated today! His vision is good and when we left we had eye drops (in case it has something to do with allergies) and a follow up appointment in 1 month. Our plan was to ignore the blinking but note how often, which sides, and when he does it. This morning the eye doctor called back and he had spoken to the pediatrician yesterday. They are both still concerned with what is causing this. The eye doctor seemed to think it was stress related. But now they want us to take the extra precautionary measure and have an MRI done to make sure it has nothing to do with his central nervous system. Apparently there is a type of epilepsy that can have this symptom... So now I need to call the doctor and get the MRI set up. I know he will have to be sedated. I'm a little worried but am trying to remember that I shouldn't worry until I know I have something to worry about. Hopefully this will just be one step further to make sure nothing is wrong. Anyway, the appointment went a little long and Andy ended up leaving to get Wilson while Luke's eyes were dilating and we were back in the waiting room. He took Ty since I can't handle both of them on my own yet. When he came back Luke and I were finished so it worked out fine. At this point we started loading up the van and Andy changed Ty's diaper. Tyler is a little stinker! He has this habit of pooping when you open his diaper to change him. Then, when you get the poop cleaned up and start applying the vaseline to his circumcision he decides to pee!! So Andy went through the last two diapers I had packed right then and he pooped again! (I packed 4 diapers! Now the bag has 8!!). At this point we were both worn out from the morning and I was in pain and Ty was wanting to eat. Little stressed... We went through McDonald's drive through and went home. Andy changed Ty's diaper again and then I fed him. Luke and I "picnicked" in the bed (he thought that was fun!) and then I took a nap with Luke and Ty. We survived our first outing - the rest of the day was much more relaxing.

Doctor Check-Ups

Thursday afternoon Wilson and Luke had their 4 and 2 year old check-ups. Overall, things went well! When we went to our room the nurse talked to us and Wilson for a minute. Then, she asked Wilson to go with her to play some games (vision and hearing screenings). He willingly walked out with her by himself for the games. He did well on them because they had to vision/hearing concerns. Next we had to weigh them.

Wilson's stats:
Height: 41 1/4 inches (69 percentile)
Weight: 41 pounds (88 percentile)

Luke's stats:
Height: 35 inches (65 percentile)
Weight: 29 pounds (66 percentile)
Luke had a pretty good growth spurt over the past 6 months. His height and weight percentiles increased quite a bit! His head circumfrence is in the 99 percentile!

After talking to the nurse and doctor we had the dreaded shots. Luke had to get 1 shot which was pretty painless compared to Wilson's 4 shots. They were both pitiful- but more so Wilson since his kept coming. He was screaming and crying and kicking - it took Daddy and 2 nurses to hold him down. He kept yelling "stop, that hurts". He was brave though! They both got a sucker at the doctor and then we took them to Panera for a treat. Luke picked out a pumpkin muffie and Wilson picked a cinnamon roll.

What was really pitiful was how sore Wilson's legs have been. We gave them both motrin that afternoon. Wilson woke up in the night with his legs hurting so we gave him more motrin. Then he limped a little the next two days saying his legs hurt because the nurse bruised him with the shots. They must have hurt because he generally doesn't complain about pain once the initial shock is over. So he had a few more doses of motrin which helped some.

Today we're home from church due to bad coughs and congestion. Wilson and Luke both have a terrible sounding cough, but at this point it is just a cold. Wilson slept horribly, waking up at least 3-4 times in the night. He was having trouble breathing. Hopefully these will just stay colds and not turn into anything else.

18 month checkup

Well, Luke had a good appointment today. He has grown a little more than last time. He weighs 25 lbs 5 oz and is 32 1/4 inches tall. That puts him in the 42nd% for weight and the 48th% for height. His head on the other hand is in the 99th%. WOW! That's a BIG head! But no worries, Wilson's head has always measured big too. Luke had to get 1 shot which really hurt his feelings! His right ear still has fluid on it but no infection so that is good news. His tubes go in next Wednesday, July 18th. I brought Luke's toolbox to the doctor office. It is an old fashioned metal box, really small (like the size of a box of candy you get at the movies). It has some really cute wooden handled plastic tools in it. His gamma bought it for him. The boys were hammering, sawing, and tightening screws in the room while we waited for the dr. It was so cute, I wish I had my camera there! Good news about Luke's eczema, I asked if I could stop putting vaseline on him twice a day and she said YES! I'm so glad. Especially now that it is summer I've been skipping the morning rub down. He hasn't had a flare up in a long time so she said just lotion would be fine. Yipee!!