The 9-month checkup

Today Reilly and I headed out to West 11th Pediatrics for her 9-month appointment.

When we got in the door, a five-year-old boy approached me and said, “Don’t let them give your baby a blood test.”

I told him not to worry, and that Reilly wouldn’t be getting a blood test, though she might need a vaccination.

“What’s that?” the boy asked.

“A shot,” I said.

He wrinkled his nose at me and walked back to his mother. Clearly, I was one of them.

When we got into the examination room, the first thing that Doris the Nurse said was, “Okay, no shots today, but we will be taking Reilly’s blood to test for anemia and lead.” I had to laugh. Damn that little kid.

The taking of the blood from the baby went as you might imagine it would. Doris the Nurse was apologetic, but Reilly was screaming too loud to hear anything anyone was saying. Doris the Nurse got out of there fast. Unfortunately, I had to stay and comfort a baby that was looking at me with betrayal in her eyes.

By the time I calmed her down, Dr. Zullo came in for the checkup. Reilly broke into tears the second she came in the door, no doubt recalling the ear cleaning she received last time she saw the doctor.

The stats, generated by this percentile calculator:
15 lbs, 14 oz = 4th percentile
2 ft, 3 inches = 23rd percentile
44 cm head circumference = 35th percentile

So, she continues to live up to her nickname, “Pippy” (short for “Pipsqueak”). Also, she has real potential to end up a tall, skinny girl with a big head.

The doctor also gave me a lecture about our lax sleep training, overuse of the pacifier, and slow introduction of the sippy cup.

Prepare yourself for some lamentable blog entries in the very near future.