One-Year Appointment

Finn had his one-year pediatrician check-up today, it went well.  He is 21 pounds 10 ounces (29th percentile) and 30" long (75th percentile).  Since getting mobile, he's really slimmed down and lost the baby fat.  He seems to be shaping up to be tall like Zoey too.

Dr. Clapp was happy with his overall development.  He's not walking independently quite yet, but he's close.  He really likes the security of holding onto my pinky finger when he walks, I fully think he COULD walk on his own, he just hasn't decided to yet.  He'll let go when he's ready.  She was impressed with how well he uses his sippy cup and how well he's eating (of course).  She did say that he's a bit behind in speech, they like for babies at one year to consistently say "Mama"and "Dada" intentionally.  Finn has said "Mama" to me only a handful of times, and not Dada at all yet (at least not purposefully in reference to Marty).  I'm not worried though.  He can't get a word in edgewise with Zoey's constant stream of rambling!  And I can tell that he understands a lot of what I tell him.  Yeah, it strikes a very small prickly pang to hear your child is "behind" on anything, but kids reach milestones differently and when they're ready.

His temperament is just so different from Zoey, they are such different children.  Zoey was always on the go from day one, never sits still, always very advanced in being very early to accomplish any milestone, super outgoing, fiercely independent, never liked to be held that much, tests limits relentlessly, she has always pushed herself repeatedly to do a new task over and over and over again until she gets it right and gets really mad/irritable when things don't go her way.  Finn is so very laid-back and mellow, he takes everything in stride, his overall demeanor is really calm, he's smiling and content 99% of the time, he's very sensitive to being reprimanded though and when you tell him "no" he immediately stops and his bottom lip sticks out in a little quivering pout (whereas Zoey would just laugh and try to do the "no-no" again), he loves to hug and cuddle and often puts his head on my chest and nuzzles in all close, he is content to just hang out and accomplish new things one step at a time.  Even their sleep habits are different at one-year old.  Finn takes his blankey, rolls over, and goes right to sleep.  He actually LIKES to go to sleep when he's tired and is so easy to lay down.  He's turned out to be such a good sleeper (ironic since he was tough for the first 8 weeks).  Zoey would fight sleep with everything she had, stand in the crib, throw things out of the crib, and even fall asleep standing because she was too stubborn to lay down.  Heck, even my pregnancies with them foreshadowed these differences.  Zoey was CONSTANTLY rolling and flipping and kicking and digging into my abdomen with elbows, knees, and feet.  Finn moved but much more gently and it felt sort of like rocking waves instead of a crashing tsunami.

Anyway, I'm happy with the appointment!  I wasn't as excited that he got four shots AND a TB test though.  He obviously was not a fan of getting poked five times, that little bottom lip was sticking out and quivering and he had big fat tears rolling down his face.  I felt so bad!  The rest of the day he was an irritable mess, which is unlike him.  He got a dose of Motrin and an early bedtime.  Tomorrow will be a better day.

I still can't believe my littlest baby is ONE!