18 Months and Big Boo Boo #2

We had Ben's 18 month well-baby visit this morning and absolutely love his new pediatrics practice.  They were very welcoming and friendly and thankfully have a second office much closer to where we'll likely live.  They also have a wonderful focus on eastern and homeopathic medicine balanced with traditional western practices that I know we'll appreciate.

They have a somewhat new system of milestone tracking that groups into larger categories such as communication, fine and gross motor skills and social/self-awareness.  I liked that this gives credit to a broad skill without focusing on smaller tasks.  They will send the checklist ahead of future appointments so we can attempt the skills as several today were things we had never tried.

Overall Ben got great marks for milestones and general health.  

 

His height and weight did take big jumps as well as come exactly together.  The PA mentioned that babies often have height spurts when they start walking and their bones finally have weight to support.  She does think he will average back out a bit to his previous curve and probably come out between 50-60%.  We obviously love Ben however big or small he is but it's nice to have a little bit of an educated guesstimate because there are so many unknowns for us.

We got guidance for toilet training when the time comes, reiteration that his eating and milk intake are right on, and some advice for how to care for big Boo Boo #2.  I referred to Big Boo Boo #1 as First Blood for those who might have forgotten:).  Ben LOVED being naked and running around the exam room.

 

Good pose Buddy!

Belly! Belly! Belly!

Boo Boo #2 on day 3

Boo Boo # 2 came smack in the middle of a very busy Sunday for us.  We had just left breakfast with 24 our of closest as friend JR and his new fiance were in Denver from NYC for the weekend.

Reagan being a Mama

A few people were hidden at the picture taking end of the table.

We stopped briefly to chat with Nana Pat before heading south to Colorado Springs for dinner at the Wilson's and a Myrtle Beach vacation planning meeting.  Ryan, Pat and I chatted in the kitchen while Ben played in the family room as he often does.  Just as we were preparing to leave (and already late,) we heard the scream.  We found Ben face down on the carpet in front of the brick hearth and knew from his location the outcome wouldn't be good.  I prepared myself for blood as I picked him up and quickly scanned to see if both eyeballs were intact.  Slowly the blood started creeping from his cheek and it quickly began to swell.  He had obviously tripped and fallen into the hearth, scraping his cheek on the way down.  We are blessed it was only a scrape and that his head didn't hit the corner and that his eyes were not injured.  Lots of love and neosporin is all we can do.  After a short nap that afternoon,  Ben was back at it in the thick of things with the big kids.  He is more resilient than his Mama and per Dr.'s orders will be getting lots of extra sunscreen on that spot this summer.  The PA also said we really won't know about long term scarring until at least this time next year.  Maybe by then I'll be ok with a little tough guy stamp but for now my heart breaks every time I look at him.  I know, I know the second of many................................

Freshly scraped on Sunday