It Does A Body Good

Well, after three years, we are now (knock on wood) and allergy free family. Reeves had his milk challenge last Tuesday and passed with flying colors. Over the course of four hours, he consumed about two cups of milk. First they pricked his arm, then rubbed on the cheek, then rubbed on the lips, then the tongue, then he was finally able to actually imbibe some, in increasing amounts every ten minutes, of course, always looking to see if he started breaking out. It wasn't the easiest allergy challenge because towards the end, he wasn't the easiest child. I had to do some transitional breathing and make some outrageous promises to get him to drink, in a timely manner, the last few cups. Needless to say, we walked out of there with a lot of lollipops and enough stickers to cover his entire body. Truly though, for the most part he was an angel patient. He played with the toys in the room (luckily there were some dinosaurs and legos), and in the third hour, when the toy fascination wore off, he was content to sit and watch a Tom and Jerry video. I was so proud of him (other than those few moments when I was ready to sell him on ebay).

So now we're working on drinking "cow's milk". Unfortunately, who knew?, he doesn't really like it. The first time I gave it to him at home, he handed his cup back to be and told me the milk was old. He still isn't crazy about it, but luckily, the Hershey's chocolate seems to mask the "old" taste of it. He is, however, loving all other things dairy. He always wants cheese on his sammies now. He picked up the box of Cheezits, proudly took it to Bryant, and told him he could eat these now. I can't wait for him to try a milkshake and goldfish.

We went to a birthday party yesterday, and it was unbelievable how much more relaxing it was now that we don't have to inspect everything before he eats it. The freedom is amazing. I had only imagined how wonderful it would be to drop him off at the nursery or school without having to put a "MILK ALLERGY - NO GOLDFISH" sticker on his back. I am so happy for him. And for everyone else who no longer has to worry about whether he accidentally gets something with milk in it while he is in their care. We're all breathing a heavy sigh of relief. And the other good news is that Bennett doesn't show any signs of a milk allergy, so neither boy has to watch his brother eat something he can't. Yeah! One less sibling quarrel we have to deal with!

Sheer Agony

Today I feel better than I have all week, and that's not to say I feel great, but I am up to about 75% which is far better than the -50% I was earlier. I have been attacked by the worst swimmer's ear I have ever had, quite possibly the worst swimmer's ear anyone has ever had. (I put that in just for you, Mom!)

On Tuesday morning we took Reeves to the hospital to have his endoscopy. He did perfectly, and the procedure actually took place on time. He recovered quickly from the anesthesia, and, much to my disappointment, didn't feel like he needed to sleep for the rest of the day. Unfortunately for him, my left ear had started hurting worse than ever. I couldn't hear anything out of it, and it was swollen and painful. I didn't have the energy to force him to take his nap. Bennett had spent Monday night with the Bairs, so when Bryant finished his day, he came home and got Reeves to go with him to go get Bennett. So sweet. This would give me time to rest and hopefully recover. No such luck. Two hours after they left, the pain was worse than ever. I called my dad. Through the tears, I asked him if he thought it would be overkill to go to the ER for swimmer's ear. He came and got me. There was something oddly reminiscent about having him take me to the ER. It is a trip he and I have taken many times over the years. I was finally sent home with Lortab, Augmenten, and Cipro drops.

So this is what my days have been since Tuesday - drugs, drops, and sleep. My children stayed out in the country this whole time. I can't thank the Bairs enough for their help with the boys. There was no way I would have been able to take care of either of them. The Lortab was the only thing in those first days that would even touch the pain, and, since they made me dizzy, nauseous, and tired, I just wouldn't have been able to mommy. We're heading out today to see the boys. I miss them more than I thought I would. Bryant has seen them everyday, but somehow, his reports just aren't quite fulfilling enough. I can't wait to have them in my arms.

I've said it before, I would rather give birth without an epidural than have this ear infection. This is by far the most neverending pain I have ever been in.

Open Wide And Say "AAAHHH!"

Can't believe I didn't put it on the blog right after the appointment, but that's what happens when Mommy decides to take a month off from blogging - important events in the children's lives go undocumented. Oh well. This post will have to suffice.

Reeves had his first dentist's appointment on April 8. Luckily, I'd been preparing him for this day since he was a month old by making fairly regular visits to the office just to go ahead and get him acquainted. Well, that and I suppose visiting his grandfather had something to do with it. Actually, I am convinced that those past visits did indeed get him excited about finally getting into the chair where he has seen his Pops working on so many people.
Like anyone who goes to the dentist, we made sure to brush his teeth right before we went. He first got to watch me get me teeth cleaned. (No cavities, thank you!) Kim, Dad's wonderful hygenist, let Reeves assist her with my cleaning. When it was finally his turn, he jumped right up in the chair, where he got to wear some "pretty tool" sunglasses. She counted his teeth (20) and even polished a few. She told him and showed him everything she was going to do. I can't thank her enough for being so patient with him. It's not really a pediatric dental office, so I'm glad we were able to pull some strings to get in!Reeves thought it was really neat when Pops came in to check out his teeth. And naturally, I thought it was very special that Reeves got to have his grandfather do this.
I was so proud of how brave my all-too-quickly growing boy was. If only each and every dental appointment could go as smoothly as this one did. Thanks Pops and Kim for making a potentially traumatic situation a happy and memorable one!

All clean!

Bennett's Six Month Stats

Weight: 13'6"

Height: 27 1/2"

Head: 17"

Well, he's done it. He's off the charts - on the downside. He was 15th percentile at 4 months, and now his weight has dropped him below the chart. Dr. G said she wasn't terribly concerned, given that his head and height are growing, and he has gained a pound since last time. And since he has been revolting against food, that may play into it as well. She suggested going to Stage 2 baby foods and just to keep trying. If I am still concerned in a week or two, I may give him a bottle a day of formula in addition to everything else. She also said that based on his brother's small size as a baby, she wasn't too worried either. Other than the weight issue, he is doing wonderfully. He is active, babbling, laughing, reaching, kicking, even sitting up unassisted for about 10-15 seconds.

I know in my heart of hearts that his weight is really nothing to worry about. The "charts" are based solely on averages. But still, you always want to walk out of the doctor's office feeling like all's well, so this little thing is nagging at me. We'll just have to redouble the eating efforts. What fun. He did get three shots plus the Rotovirus oral. He cried a little but quickly consoled himself when I picked him up. I didn't even nurse him till we got home. He is now sleeping peacefully. Enjoy it, Bennett Boy, because when you wake up, it's chow time!

By the way, his cousin, Caulder, who is 4 months younger than Bennett, now outweighs him by a pound!

Bennett's Four Month Stats

So, nearly a month ago, we took Bennett to his four month appointment. He weighed 12'13" and was 26 1/2" long. I have long since forgotten what his head circumference was, and I don't feel that I really need to go rummaging through my papers to dig it up. Let's just say it was 50th percentile. Anyway, we have all marvelled at how much bigger B is than R at this same age. This child has folds in his thighs. Reeves never had anything other than chicken legs (and even that is being generous. They were more like yardbird legs.) Apparently our accurate memory goes back only to about last week. Thanks to the blog, I was able to, amazingly, prove us all wrong. Reeves was not only heavier at his four month appointment, he was nearly two pounds heavier! He weighed 14'5". I can't believe it. Of course, Reeves was on supplemental formula at that stage, but still. Bennett is in the 15th percentile for weight. Conversely, he is in the 90th for height. Looks like B and I have adopted another one because these boys certainly didn't get those genes from us! We're holding off on starting his with food as long as we can. The thinking is twofold in this. First and selfishly foremost, it's so much easier to only deal with nursing him. I already carry around so much stuff that I'm not anxious to add to the load. Secondly, and in the interest of his health, given Reeves' allergies, it is best to wait as long as possible before introducing foods to Bennett. Siblings tend to have similar allergies, so maybe Bennett will be able to grow out of any sensitivities before we have to test them. He's still sleeping through the night, so there's no mad rush to add calories to his diet.

We go back towards the end of February. I'm interested to see where this one's weight will be then. I'm sure we will have started on some sort of food by then. Maybe he'll have moved up to 20th percentile by then!

What a Difference a Day Makes

Looks like we've made it through the roughest part. Bennett is doing much better today - no fever, and we're getting those sweet smiles again. It appears that he just has a stomach bug. I'm sure the nurse, on whose hand he poopied today, would concur. Of course, she had left the room to wash up when he peepeed on his own chart. Despite the copious amount of practice I've had at beating the stream, Bennett is still the pro and has no qualms about putting me back in my place. Needless to say, dehydration is, thankfully, not a problem.

The blood cultures still have a couple of days to go, but there has been no growth yet, so that's positive. Looks like this little one will be back to being dragged around in no time! Thanks for the prayers. They definitely work.

Big Band-Aids for Little Boys

Bennett woke up this morning with a 101 degree fever. Normally, not such a big deal, but he's only 6 weeks old, therefore, it is a big deal. I called his doctor'soffice, and they said to come in at 9:45. The nurse took his temp again when I got there, and it was 101.6. This is not good. They bagged his pee-pee to get a urine catch and drew blood to run tests. On a side note, I now know for certain that it is easier to get a sample from an infant boy than an infant girl. It may take longer, but it is definitely less traumatic on both mother and child. Both tests came back clean. The doctor suspects it is just something Bennett has picked up from his older brother. (Isn't it sweet that he is already sharing so well with his brother?) I hope so, but just in case, he sent me to the lab to have a blood culture drawn. Unfortunately for me, this is nothing new. Through pyloric stenosis and several allergy tests, I have become accustomed to seeing my children's veins be probed. Poor Bennett. He was not a happy child while it was being done, but I nursed him immediately afterward, and he seemed to be OK. We should get the results back in a couple of days. In the meantime, we have a follow-up appointment tomorrow, just to be sure he's doing OK. He's eating well, and each diaper is wet, so that's good. And we now know that he weighs 10 pounds, 2 ounces.
Update - He has had a couple of diarreahs and a huge throw up. Looks like it may be a stomach bug - hopefully. We'll know more tomorrow and over the next 72 hours as the blood culture grows. Keep Bennett in your prayers, and let's hope that this passes soon.

Bennett's Second Checkup

Thriving. That's what this boy is doing. He's thriving. While this may not seem like such a big deal, particularly here in this First World country of ours, for us, it is a momumental achievement. Reeves never gained any weight until after his surgery. It has been so refreshing to see Bennett noticably grow nearly every day.
His second doctor's appointment was on Wednesday. He weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces. That's a gain of 14 ounces in only 10 days! We are so happy. His cord stump has fallen off, so diaper changes are now as pleasant as they can be. Everything else looks great on him. We also had another first at that appointment. We don't have to come back until his two month check up. What?!? With Reeves we were in there at least once, if not twice a week at this age. What a relief.
His latching on is still hit or miss. Unfortunately for him, he only latches on very well if he is starving, so that's what we do. No food for him until he's crying. Again, it may seem cruel, but just like you can lead a horse to water, with this child, you can offer him food, but you simply cannot get him to eat it until he is ready.
He is really starting to have some good awake time now. He is constantly looking around and making faces. His grip is getting stronger everyday, and he is getting faster and faster at unswaddling himself. We are so happy with our little Deuce and are so blessed to have him.

The Two Year Old Appointment

We took Reeves yesterday for his two year old doctor's checkup. Oh, how cute he was holding my hand as we walked across the parking lot. How perfectly adorable he was playing with the toys and reading the books in the waiting room. Even undressing him and taking his measurements was a dream. By the way, he is 27 pounds and 37 inches tall. According to Dr. Goedecke, he should be a little over six feet tall when he grows up. I'm taking that with a grain of salt, but apparently, along with those Messervy eyes, he may have inherited some of the Messervy and Robertson height of a generation or so ago. But I digress…it wasn't long into the appointment that this angel child of mine suddenly turned into a devil. We were talking with the doctor. He wanted to leave the room. Let the screaming commence. Pediatricians are special people. It didn't even phase her. She just kept talking to me, maybe a little bit louder now, and hardly seemed to notice the howler monkey now trying to launch himself from his father's grasp. Reeves finally did calm down and put his head on my shoulder and nearly fell asleep. This was when Bryant mentioned to her my concerns about his speech. It’s so funny. I'll be OK one day, knowing that he is developing just fine, but then I'll read something about a child with a vocabularly similarly lacking in volume to Reeves', and I start to panic. Bryant does his best to convince me that he is fine, but I read more and get more worried. Then I talk to people whose children hardly uttered a sound until they were three, and I start to feel better again. And that was what Dr. Goedecke confirmed yesterday. Her main concern was that he understands and hears what we were saying to him. For example, when he's playing on the other side of the room and we say, "Are you ready for a bath?", does he jump up and go running to the bathroom? Well, he hears the question, but recently, his reaction has been more of falling to the ground, rending his clothes to shreds, and screaming like his eyes are being gouged out. So yes, he both hears and understands the question, although his response is a bit hyperbolic. This is good. She said at 2, the main concern is that he doesn't have hearing problems and that the comprehension is there. He does communicate verbally; it's just that the words aren't actually English; but that's a good thing. Once the words start coming, he'll just start filling them in where right now he only has sounds. Momma's relaxed … for now. If I'm still concerned in 6 months or so, maybe we'll reevaluate.
There were no shots at this appointment, but he did have to get his finger pricked to test his iron. Iron levels are fine, and there was a lion on his bandaid, and as we all know, that helps heal a booboo faster than anything. I can't believe we walked out of that office without setting up another appointment. There's not another visit due until his 3 year old check up. Are we already there? We went to this office nearly every other week for forever, and now we just have to pop in once a year? I can't believe it. We did talk to Dr. Goedecke about Deuce. She said, depending on when the delivery takes place, she'll either be there that day or the next. That was a reality check for me. We're already talking about a pediatrician's visit with this next baby!! Where has the time gone?? Why do I feel so behind in the preparation for this baby? Oh my goodness, I've got to go. I have about half a house I need to go through and purge!

Let Him Eat Eggs!

Do you see that Egg Replacer on the right side of that picture? That egg replacer that we've been using for over a year to make cakes, cookies, pancakes. Well, no more! On Tuesday morning, Reeves and I went to his allergist's office for his egg challenge. I came armed with two boiled eggs and one scrambled egg and lots of toys and books. I had been forwarned that it would be a long appointment.
We started with the pricks on the arm - positive, negative, egg white, and egg yolk. 10 minutes later, after passing that test, we moved on, in ten minute successions to rubbing egg white and yolk on the cheek, the lips, the tongue. No reaction. So we gave him a teeny tiny bite - ten minutes, no reaction. The bites got bigger and bigger, but his skin stayed clear and not itchy. Finally, after finishing two eggs in just under three hours with absolutely no reaction, Reeves is now declared not allergic to eggs anymore!
We are not going to be giving him scrambled eggs for breakfast every day because we do still believe in the theory that the less exposure, the better. The longer he goes without eating lots and lots, the better the chance he will have of remaining allergy free for life. But we will begin slowly adding eggs to his repertoire. We won't avoid things that have egg as an ingredient. But it's so nice to know he can have them. That his cakes will actually have a decent consistency, that his pancakes will be light and fluffy. And best of all, we found out, during this appointment, that he LOVES scrambled eggs. He was wanting to eat them even during the required ten minute waiting time. It's like a whole new world has opened up for him. We are so happy. Now, let's just pray his milk challenge goes as well.

Got Milk?

I'll probably kick myself for even mentioning this, but we took Reeves for his two year allergist check up yesterday. They did the standard prick the back to test the allergens. Fortunately, we were able to convince them that he was not allergic to anything other than milk and eggs, but they still insisted on testing for dust mites, dogs, cats, and the like. This kinda made me think it's a bit of a racket, but whatever. This appointment still went better than our first one. Reeves did great. Didn't even really cry when they pricked him. The nurses left, and Bryant and I watched as two of the spots started to look like mosquito bites. Oh well, we figured, he's still allergic. It's not that bad, and we are still very lucky his reactions have only been topical. When the nurses came in and examined him, they let us know that yes, he is indeed still allergic to egg whites and egg yolks. What!? Did we hear that right? Just allergic to egg? Begin Happy Dance. His milk allergy test was negative!! We are ecstatic. Ice cream, cheese, Goldfish! The possibilities are endless. Just to be sure, we're not diving into dairy consumption. We are still testing his blood to see what that comes back with, and if that's negative, then we'll do a milk challenge (sounds like a Food TV show) in the office. If he can consume two servings of milk, he is considered not allergic anymore. I'm not buying lactose futures yet, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.
By the way, Reeves did great when he had his blood drawn. He cried when they stuck the needle in, while they were withdrawing, and when the needle came out, but that was it. (It might have been the magic lollipop that did it.) I was so proud of him. He even left the bandaid on until I took it off later. Pretty big stuff for an Almost Two Year Old.

Pardon the Interruption

What a delinquent blogger I have been. My only excuse is that I am sick as a dog! I absolutely despise warm weather colds, and this is one of the worst I can remember. It keeps me up at night coughing. I can't breathe through my nose, and breathing through my mouth tickles my throat and makes me cough more, and coughing makes my head hurt more. It's a delightfully vicious circle. On a positive note, the raging battle that has been going on in my head has completely taken my mind off the discomfort that this pregnancy is causing me. It's just like the Reverend Mother says, "Where the Lord closes a door, somewhere he opens a window."

Yes, The Sound of Music is still at the top of the request list...

All Better Now

Reeves had a fever of 104.5 on Tuesday. High enough that we took him to the doctor, just to be certain it wasn't anything serious. It wasn't. Something's going around. He's got sores in the back of his throat. Strep test was negative. We just have to wait this one out. Tuesday night was not much fun for Mommy and Reeves. (Daddy slept just fine. We'll correct that next time.) His fever came back around 9 or 10. The poor child was miserable. Damp washcloths on his forehead actually did seem to make a positive difference. The fever finally broke around one. Silly me. I thought that would be a good thing. Oh no. Now he was ready to play! I put him in his crib and he screamed and screamed. Finally, not wanting these fits to reinvigorate the sickness, I got him out. Luckily, his Disney Channel favorites were starting up, so I was able to sneak in a couple of winks of sleep.
The good news is that he's all better now. Slept 9 hours last night. I'm hoping he'll go for 10 tonight. And I think I found the true cause of the fever. I got him to laugh really big tonight during bathtime. Looks like his first canine has poked through. Can't wait to see what joy the other three will bring!

18 Month Appointment

Reeves and I went to his doctor for his 18 month check up yesterday. He is 34 inches long (93%) and 23'8"(20%). We're still not sure we're really his parents. I mean, the whole "giving birth" thing was pretty convincing, but where is this weight to height ratio coming from? Anyway, he's a cutie, so we're keeping him. I just hope these recessive genes stick with him for the rest of his life, and our opposite genes don't take over as he gets older.
I discussed with his doctor the possibility of getting his allergies tested again, but she said that since we had rushed him to their office about a month ago with a pretty severe allergic reaction to getting straight milk one day, we didn't really need to do that just now. It's pretty safe to assume that he's still allergic. I mean, when he has intense hives all over his face and neck moments after ingestion, do we really need another piece of paper telling us that? Right.
She gave me a milestone update sheet, which she does each time. This one, his 18 month one, is titled, "Mr. No". How appropriate. Reeves can't really talk yet, but he has certainly mastered the negative headshake. And he has also picked up quite the attitude since he reached this ripe ole age of 18 months. At the moment, there is not much sweetly asking for anything. It's mostly demanding. That being said, he has quickly learned that this new attitude doesn't get much of a reaction from us, and if it does get a reaction, it is most certainly not the one he was looking for. So he compromises. He does the things we ask him to do (clean up, give kisses, one finger to touch the tree), but there is still this "amount of time" thing he needs to learn when he wants something. Getting louder and louder does not make Mommy and Dada go any faster when retrieving something. He'll get there.
Reeves was great at the appointment yesterday, but he did get a little wild towards the end of the visit. Still, no shots, so there was no crying. He was supposed to get his second Hep A shot, but as his 12 month appointment was so late (July), he can't get this till the middle of Jan. He did not get a flu shot as that is an egg based vaccine, so I've stocked up on plenty of meds just in case.
This appointment completely wore him out. We got home (after a quick trip to Kiln Time), and the child slept for four and a half hours! It was so nice. Gave me plenty of time to get things done - like making his vegan sugar cookie dough for tomorrow! I felt so Betty. As many of you know, I am not a baker, so we'll see how the actual cookies turn out, but the dough is pretty good!

Tummy Troubles

This cool washcloth was just about the only thing that gave Reeves any relief that first night.
Well, we are still dealing with the tummy thing. Bryant and I got it on Thursday, and it made my heart ache to think that Reeves was dealing with anything like the pain we were in. B had to leave work around 3:30 and go home and get in bed. I made it till 5:00, but that was only because we had an auditor in. It took all of my energy not to double over while I was talking to him! Anyway, I was shaking by the time I walked in the door, and immediately crawled under the covers. Thank heavens for Judy and Julie. They kept Reeves out there Thursday night so that Bryant and I could sleep. I don't know that we would have made it without them. We never would have gotten over it in a day, that's for sure. I should say, Bryant and I never would have, unfortunately, it is still lingering in Reeves. But luckily, he is getting better and better everyday. We have his 15 month appointment today. I'll be interested to see what his weight will be as his diet has consisted mostly of yogurt, baby rice cereal, and Teddy Grahams for most of this last week!

More later, but let me just say that I prefer dealing with the Big V rather than the Big D. Unfortunately, Reeves has both!

Update

Two things:
1) What a sweet husband. Bryant said that I should reward myself with more than just not making dinner. Oh, hell yeah! But actually, not doing something is not really much of a reward. I think I need some sort of outside-the-home reward. Perhaps something involving a gift certificate to Urbanna Nirvanna.... I'm just sayin' is all.
2) Thank you, Judy and/or Julie, for sending leftover pizza home with Bryant last night. It was delicious and just what we needed.

"It's just a flesh wound..."

OK, just try to look beyond the wounds on his face to how precious he looked for his first day in the St. Philip's nursery. Seriously, I was worried that if we went out in public, someone was going to call DSS. Here's how it all went down…. Thursday, Jodie and Morgan were over with Davis, Guerin, and Leeze. R, D, and L spent most of the time running up and down the hall. Then we hear a fall and screaming. Reeves had fallen and hit his forehead on the corner of a little table in the hall. It was nauseating. No blood was drawn, but we watched the goose egg grow right before our eyes. It really was pretty disgusting.
Then on Friday in the country, after the disbelief that we could let Reeves hurt himself so badly, he takes a dive into the piano. Hence the wound on his cheek, just below the table wound. But not nearly as bad.
You know how things come in three's? Saturday morning, Reeves wakes up, we play a bit, and as I'm getting ready to give him his breakfast, he, out of our sight, falls and starts crying. Since we are true believers in the "shake it off" practice, we don't rush over, and he gets up and is fine. Then five minutes later, there appears, beside his eye, a mark. He must have hit the doorframe or something.
Poor thing!
But he's tough. Like Jodie said, "Good thing we don't have any portraits coming up soon!"

"The train! The train!"

"Come on, Daddy! Let's go see it!"

Weighing In At...

We finally had his one year appointment today. Reeves weighs in at 20 pounds, 13 ounces and 31 1/2 inches long, 20th and 90th percentiles respectively. I was guessing he weighed at least 22 pounds (35 after holding him for 20 minutes), but it looks like we have just barely made it to the "turning the seat around" weight. Good thing, since I had that thing flipped the morning of his birthday! Everything is going great with him. She was impressed with the moisture in his skin - something we are very cogniscent of given his atopic dermatitis. He is pretty much solely on finger food.

He takes two bottles a day - soy milk, not formula. She said to try to ween this down to one. Shouldn't be too hard as he wanted nothing to do with his bottle tonight. She wants us to work on making the paci a bedtime, naptime thing only. This is going to be hard! He loves that thing. Any suggestions would be welcome. Normally, this appointment requires three vaccinations, however, due to Reeves' egg allergy, the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) will be given to him at his allergist's appointment which I will make tomorrow for sometime in the end of August. So he got away today with only having his Chicken Pox and Hepatitis A shots. He also had to have blood drawn from his finger. They needed a good bit of blood, and amazingly, he didn't cry through any of it, the pricking or the squeezing. The shots, a different story. he screamed. I don't know, maybe I'm callous or maybe we've hardened ourselves to it after all the testing and IV'ing we had to do when he was little, little, but my heart doesn't break when he gets his shots. I hate to see him cry like that, but it never brings tears to my eyes. And he recovers so quickly. Just a quick scoop up and hug from Mama, and he's OK. He's such a trooper. So, that's where we stand healthwise with the BooBoo. All's well. Now, if we can just get him to control that temper....

How Big Is Reeves?

"May I please have some?"

OK, I got a good tongue lashing from Caroline last night for not having done this sooner. We had Reeves nine month well visit on Monday. Everything went great. Reeves weighs 19 pounds, 10 ounces and is 30 inches long. His weight is in the 35th percentile, and his height is in the 95th. His head circumference (I can't remember what it it) is in the 50th percentile. Wouldn't it be great if it could stay that way for the rest of his life! Anyway, she is most impressed with him. We are going to start giving him lots of finger foods now. She said to go finger foods first, then baby food as a back up. As you can see, he is quite interested in what we are eating.
It is amazing the transformation just over this weekend and this week. He is now readily picking up bits of food and putting them in his mouth. He doesn't always keep them there, but it's a start. We gave him some chicken last night, and he really seamed to like it. He's not too big on peach bits yet. He loves the Gerber puffs. Peas are apparently only for mushing and flinging. I guess it's because they roll so well. Rice looks like it will be a favorite food, though. I guess he takes after his Aunt Lol, "I'll eat ma rice, but na ma paas."
Needless to say, the floor under his chair is needing multiple cleanings. This is when I wish we had a dog!