Why everyone should have a Dr S

So, the 15-month check up

Connor

Weight 10.8 kg (23.8 lbs - just for you, Heather)
Height 82 cm
Head circumference 48 cm

Connor has now "slimmed down" as Dr S put it because he's so active. He is slightly BELOW the 50th percentile for weight (I never thought I'd write that :)) but still on 75th for height and HC.

Kendra

Weight 8.04 kg (17.7 lbs)
Height 78 cm
Head circumference 46 cm

Kendra is on 78% of where she should have been, blah blah blah, but basically still makes a perfect curve from where she was at birth.

She is on 50th for height and HC, so is still super skinny but at least won't be the shorty in the class *ahem*




So here are all the questions I had for the good Dr S.

What is this obsession with sippy cups and straws?

My kids will only take water or diluted juice in a sippy cup. Remember the screaming when I dared give them milk in their sippy cups? And of course I haven't even bothered with straws.

Anyway, so Dr S said there is no rush for anything. Some kids never take to anything other than bottles and it's all normal. Some kids go until 5 or 6 with their bottles (I'm tempted to say "no child of mine" but I know how that works out and don't want to jinx them, not that I believe in jinxing :))

He said the bottles are clearly part of their bedtime association and they will give it up when they're ready.

They're clearly not ready.

He also said (and this is why I love him) you can go all Tough Commando on them and "get it done" but why? You upset yourself, the kids, everyone and it's not even a proper issue.

The main thing is that they have milk, not how they get it in.

Oh I love that so much.

Kendra seems to have changed personality since the fever. She seems to be more timid, delicate, introverted almost and we were wondering what on earth's going on.

As I write this, she has now had 3 fevers. Thankfully, I am now a Zen mom (stop laughing) so I gracefully dealt with fevers 2 and 3, thanks to the Dr S's advice at the Babysense seminar.

He said that it's probably coincidental (I told D he'd say this) and her personality (both of theirs actually) is developing all the time. Also, she is a girl and they do tend (I'm not generalising but I do have a boy too and I clearly see the difference) to be more, well, girly. Not so fearless.

As mother of twins, I already know they keep switching so one particular child is never the "good one" or the "quiet one" - I actually love how they do that to prevent us from labelling them.

It's a cool child trick, don't you think?

Some more pics D took on Wed
I love this one. It looks like we're having a conversation. I dream of having conversations (proper ones) with my kids one day.

climbing all over me

And then the last thing we discussed with him, the walking or not walking, as the case may be

I honestly have no issues with them not walking.

I'll be concerned on 7 January next year, their 18-month birthday, because the average age for kids to start walking is 9 - 18 months.

But here's the thing, Kendra has been crawling for 7 - 8 months, and Connor for 5 months.

My question to him, isn't that a bit long to be crawling?

On the contrary, said he, we LOVE it when kids crawl for a long time. Who knew?

And remember they're technically only 13 months old.

Crawling is very good for a whole host of developmental reasons. The longer they crawl, the better. I switched off at this point.

But Kendra took lots of steps at 13 months and since the fever, nothing.

He said one of his daughters did the same thing. Took steps and then flatly refused for about 3 months before she started walking at 16 months.

Sounding very much like Kendra.

Connor will do nothing he doesn't want to do. We are slightly apprehensive about the future. Will have to learn how to use his love language to motivate him.

Bottom line, again, they will walk when they're ready (I said I have no doubt of that).

Their legs look fine (muscle tone and whatnot), they seem strong and this is where they did some tricks for the good doctor.

Kendra took a chair and started walking around with it. She has a new cute thing she does, saving me lots of money, not having to buy a walker. She takes a stool I have in my kitchen and pushes it around the kitchen while walking.

Connor was cruising around his consulting room, all one-handed, doing some baby signs (duck - gosh, they love ducks!) and TALKING (loud and excited).

When we left I told D why I like Dr S so much - I find him so affirming and encouraging.

There's so much out there of things you should be doing and things you should not be doing and at the end of the day, not that many people saying, "you're doing a great job"

So that's my very long story of why everyone needs a Dr S.

What are you up to this weekend? I'm going to the ToddlerSense seminar!

P.S. I really want to know what you're up to this weekend.