Doctor's Update

What a blessing today's doctor's visit was! I mentioned yesterday that we were a little nervous about her checkup, and we had some very specific prayers about it this morning. We specifically prayed that

• the doctor and nurses would be especially compassionate and loving (they usually are, by the way -- we love our pediatrician!)
• procedures (shots and other labs) would be few and the pain would be minimal
• Phoebe would be brave and free of "irrational" fears (the scale was very frightening to her at our last visit, for example; she was also nervous to even walk on her own)

I am learning that when you pray specifically, you can see specific answers to those prayers. And we did today!

Warning: this is going to be long!

In spite of our best efforts to get out of the house on time, we still arrived a few minutes late (thanks to 8:00 traffic on Valleydale). This delayed just about everything, which was actually a wonderful thing for us today. Phoebe had plenty of time to get accustomed to the waiting room, and allowed me to put her down just a few minutes after we arrived. By the time we were ready for the exam room, Phoebe was ready to walk the whole way!

When we got in our room, Phoebe was very excited when I told her that she was going to get naked (for her weight). She was nervous about sitting on the scale again, but Phoebe calmed enough to stop holding onto me and to actually sit on the scale to get her weight. Lamby helped her lay down still for her length and head measurements. Amazingly enough, this whole harmless nurse bit was one of the most frightening things about the whole appointment for Phoebe. In retrospect, I'm thinking we may have moved too quickly for her -- a lot happened to her really fast!

We then had to wait for the doctor. Y'all, there was a true blessing from heaven in that exam room. Balls and legos. I have never seen toys in one of the exam rooms, and since we were in that room for a grand total of an hour and a half... let's just say this Mama forgot all her rules about doctor's office toys and let Phoebe have at it. (We did clean our hands several times!) Phoebe was entertained, and in a great mood by the time the doctor arrived.

Dr. B showed Phoebe everything she was going to do (listen to her heart, look in her ears, etc.) on Lamby first. She was also able to sit in my lap, and she sat very still and calmly while she was examined. What a delight! (Lamby, by the way, was a model patient.)

Phoebe also was able to play while I talked to the doctor about some concerns I had. (More on that in a minute.) She was such a big girl that she was able to choose a sticker from the basket -- a Clifford sticker! Another short wait, and then we were ready for shots. One major blessing here is that we were also able to get her flu shot today, rather than having to come back -- I am all for minimizing our appointments, especially with Nora's arrival at "any day now". The nurse was delightful, and worked quicklyl; by the time I picked Phoebe up, she had stopped crying.

We also had to have another nurse check Phoebe's iron with a finger stick. This was the worst part of the visit, really, for both of us. Phoebs was unafraid, but by the time the nurse started squeezing... let's just say that it didn't feel too good, and it took a rather long time to get the sample that the nurse needed. It took Phoebe several minutes to calm down from the experience, but fortunately -- we were finished!

As a special treat, we stopped by Daddy's office on the way home for hugs and kisses. Phoebe had all but forgotten the doctor's visit, and Daddy had a few minutes for a break -- so he hopped in the van and we went to the park for a short (but wonderful!) trip. Phoebe particularly loved the slides this time, and went by herself over and over. Did I mention that it was only 70 degrees and breezy at 10, when we went to the park? Michael and I think it feels that way in heaven.

Phoebe is now sleeping soundly, dosed with some Tylenol and a Lamby.

Here are the important statistics for her 18 month visit:

• 20 pounds, 4 ounces -- 7th percentile (we are no longer concerned about this; the doctor has conceded that she's just going to be a peanut!)
• 31.5 inches tall -- 50th percentile
• 18 inches for head circumference

We are currently on "watch" for Phoebe's verbal development. In all other areas, she seems to be developing normally. However, she's a fair bit behind the benchmark for verbal development at 18 months. Since we're doing all the right things (lots of reading, talking with and to her, etc.), we're going to continue to watch her development until Christmas. If she's still significantly behind the benchmark at that point, the doctor can order an evaluation for us. That said, the doctor thinks that we will probably see a word "explosion" in the next month or so. We can only wait and trust the Lord to develop Phoebe's speech in his perfect timing!


No matter what, though... we think our little girl is wonderfully made, and just the way He intended her to be!