Well Baby Visit

Today Stefan had his 9 month well baby visit. No shots, just a check up today, though you'd never know from the crying. Dr's visits are a mix of stress and happiness. Usually I'm planning on some battle because I've chosen to do something different than normal. Then I see the Pedi, and he is totally cool with my decisions, gives me advice about them, and I leave happy. Unless my Pedi is not in, but he was there today, so I'm not going there. I was prepared to fight BLW (though he said it is fine, but he didn't know much about it). I also thought Stefan was going to need his iron checked, since he's not consuming iron fortified cereal that much. (Note: babies don't absorb iron supplements readily and breast milk iron is actually designed for absorption.) However, as a part of my fight, I was ready to with that breast milk information- though cautious, since it isn't my first hand experience. Common sense would tell me my milk was sufficient (unless I was iron deficient which I am quite the contrary, from past blood tests), since back in the caveman days, there was no Gerber Stages at the local grocery store, or watering hole. Yet some how, they survived, since we're all here, right? 


The second part of my fight would have been how to get more iron in Stefan's diet without supplements. I found some sites with lists and "recipes" on how to get iron into Baby's diet. We actually tired smashed prunes in cereal earlier this week and he liked it.It turns out, there was no fight, no iron tests until 1 year, and I was uber happy.


The other cool part about Dr. visits is finding how much Stefan has grown with reliable scales! He's only put on a little weight this time: 19 lbs 12 oz and is 29 inches. So the new car seat needs to be had, since ours only goes to 30 inches. I thought I was off the hook for a while due to his weight not reaching the 25 lb. limit. Now you'd think the people who made our seat would have one in the very next size up. Nope. 35lb is the next size up with them, which seems to me to be a HUGE business blunder as we would have stayed with that company. We have another one now. Anyway, that is neither here nor there.


We've had a week of severe ups and downs. Tuesday, frustrating. Wednesday, WONDERFUL! He was a perfect gem in music classes, despite having only one nap. He discovered he could write with his finger in chalk dust on a chalk board- and that it coated his already magical fingers in white. He played on the floor quietly while I taught class for 45 minutes straight. We arrived home late, as we do every Tuesday and Wednesday, and he pretty much goes straight to bed (hence all the unreturned phone calls on Tuesday...sorry, bed time took a LONG time). Wednesday night...out peacefully listening to some cello music my childhood neighbor's mom, Eileen, sent us back in the winter. I suppose it's a little microcosm of "this too shall pass". For almost a week, we cut out the 10pm feeding. Now it's back. I wish the good stuff didn't keep passing! I know it will be back, but it was nice to chill with Sean longer than a couple of hours before I have to tend to the baby and hope I don't pass out for the night while doing so.


Today, we're back to troubled napping, and an overtired, silly baby. It does give me a chance to step back and remember what is important. Stefan getting a nap, or most things when he is truly sad, trumps most everything else (but for a bathroom break and even that is pushed further away). BS (Before Stefan) I thought I'd be sick of him after seeing him 24/7- there are certainly students of mine who I'd feel that way about after only a few hours. Of course, it's never the case. I don't know why he was so hard to go to nap just now...but if I felt as bad as he was seeming to feel, I'd want my mom to sit and cuddle with me also. If UPS hadn't shown up with Sean's new work computer, I'd still be trying to make myself comfortable in the rocking chair (the wood is much too firm for my tender bony bum and I love sitting sideways, however my blood vessels don't. Nothing like a numb back and legs). Yes, did you see that I said IBM actually sent Sean a new work computer...so now he isn't working on something that is over 5 years old, refurbished multiple times, and slower than molasses in January. Kudos for looking out for your employees, jerks...<pleh!> Sorry, sometimes I wish I could tell IBM to "Out source this!", you create a visual.


Tonight I'm off to band rehearsal, almost 3 baby-free hours! I said I don't get sick of him, I didn't say I don't appreciate time away...to drive... by myself... in my car... with my music loud, my windows down, and whatever other not so crazy things I choose to do.