The Journey of Parenthood…

15 Month Pediatrician Visit

June 7th was the day I was dreading. The big MMR appointment. YIKES. I am a person who likes to research before making decisions but I typically prefer to rely on trusted resources (like the Babywise books or blogs I follow or close friends). When you start hunting around on the internet for advice regarding this shot you get so many different answers. You also get so many different answers when talking to friends. You hear that there is NO link to Autism with getting the vaccine but then you hear of those cases where the child had the shot and BAM! woke up Autistic. It’s just scary. And the stats for Autism are an unbelievable 1 out of every 110 children! Since boys are more likely than girls to suffer from it I feel I’m right in worrying. It’s a scary thing and I just don’t want to make a choice that could potentially affect the rest of my life and especially my child’s life.

In the end we went with getting the shot as scheduled. Our pediatrician feels confident about it and our close friends all gave it to their children. Zach’s sister, Courtney, did hold off until Colt was 2. Based on that alone I almost waited. However, Dr. Griner let us know that the Dr. who did all the findings linking the shot to Autism has been stripped of his license to practice medicine since he was found guilty of falsifying his data AND that there is currently an outbreak of measles in the Northern US due to parents not vaccinating. Hearing that I went for it! I know it sounds horrible to think this but it’s what I thought: if I HAD to pick Autism or death then I would choose Autism. Who wouldn’t?

While I’m still so nervous about it all so far Kye seems fine and just like himself. And even if he does, by some chance, start to show Autistic symptoms then I have enough faith in the Lord that Zach and I will do everything in our power to make sure we seek the right help to get us through it.

Other than the “big shot” I didn’t have many questions this time around. Actually, it’s the first appointment that I didn’t have a LIST of questions! We did talk about several things and this dr (Dr. Kelly) actually ASKED us milestone questions which was a first and I told her I loved her for it!!! Here’s a list of what was covered:

  • She asked if Kye can turn pages in a book, say 4 or more words, throw a ball, stack blocks, follow simple instructions, and walk. The answer was yes to them all!
  • She said he’s a good walker and complimented his Stride Rite shoes (from Gramma!). She said good shoes are so important and that Stride Rite is the best!
  • I did ask about his teeth as I worry about the bottom ones. They are very close together and seem to get some discoloration between them. She said it’s normal and that it may be from him having a fever or something when they broke through but that if she were me she’d go see a pediatric dentist just to have a look at them and get a suggestion on how to prevent it from getting worse.
  • Along with his teeth I did not ask about the gap between his top ones. I had the gap (thank you veneers!), my brother has the gap, my dad has the gap, and both of my grandmothers had the gap. It’s very genetic and we call it “the Sedgley split.” Well, I didn’t ask b/c I didn’t want to know…but she told me anyways. She said that the gap will be permanent as his gums come to a point between the two teeth. On the one hand I hated mine, but on the other it looks better on guys and it’s neat that he’ll have something that I can look at and always know he’s my child 🙂
  • While one thing that’s “me” on Kye is here to stay, another most likely isn’t. Again, I didn’t ask because my gut told me the answer and I didn’t want to know, but Dr. Kelly informed us that Kye’s eyes are changing and will probably end up being hazel. I mean duh I’m okay with it b/c what can you do to change it?!? I love the blue eyes but never got too attached to them just in case!
  • She did ask some questions about his right foot which makes me a little nervous. It’s a 1/2 size smaller than the left one and sometimes I’ve noticed (especially in his “early” walking days) that he’ll lead with the left foot and even occasionally seem to drag the right one. She looked at his joints and such and didn’t seem overly concerned so I didn’t want to appear as a panicky mom…I’m sure if there is an issue we’ll explore it at the next appointment.
  • I asked about his head as, to me, it still appears a little flat in the back. She said it can take awhile for that to fix itself and that his is normal and could also just be the natural shape of his head. More hair will help 🙂
  • His stats at 15 months old are: weight is 25.5 lb which is the 60th percentile, length is 32.5 inches which is the 90th percentile, and head circumference is 18 3/4 inches which is the 60th percentile All of these shocked me. I thought he’d be a higher percentile for weight, lower for height and higher for head circumference! I think it’s because we’re used to seeing him compared to all our friends kids and they are all so thin which makes Kye look thicker than he is??? And I guess being around Colt and Payton, who are both so tall, makes him look short?
  • Along with the MMR shot (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) he also got the Hib vaccine.
  • She checked him out and all his man parts look great. She also said (again) that he has “beautiful” ears! I don’t get it but I like hearin’ it! I told her he’s never had an ear infection (knock on wood) and she couldn’t believe it. I gotta think it was the breastfeeding…but it could be genetics? 

He behaved pretty well for this appointment. He again did great on the big boy scale and did well for missing most of his nap (the appointment time was at 10:30). I was nervous about his behavior as Robyn told me that Lorelai has realized what going to the dr means so she’s been acting up during their visits. Luckily, Kye did pretty well. He did get annoyed that all my attention wasn’t on him (since I was trying to talk to the dr…so next time Daddy may just take him out of the room during that part) but overall he was great and did well for his shots (at least I couldn’t hear much screaming from outside the door!).

It’s strange to think he only has two appointments left then we’ll only be going once a YEAR! I joked with the girl that by that time I’ll probably have another one (I won’t, just sayin’) and she thought I was pregnant. Thanks lady!

Emily Parker
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