11 month stats

We took Michael along to the baby clinic at lunch time for his 11 month check. The nurse thinks it is hysterical that I am still giving Michael 6 breastfeeds a day. Fortunately I'm secure enough in what I am doing now that I take her reaction in good humour. She agrees that developmentally, Michael is doing very well so there is no reason to change what I am doing. My breastfeeding counsellor would be horrified by her reaction because babies are supposed to get 75% of their nourishment from milk up to the age of one and encouraging me to cut down on breastfeeds isn't the right thing to do. I know the nurse has my best interests at heart though - she just doesn't want me to be tied to a breastfeeding schedule. I don't mind at all, and eventually she might believe me!

Remember I mentioned in a previous entry that Michael has outgrown all his clothes? I was hardly surprised that he is now 78 cm in length. He has grown 4 centimetres in 2 months! He's back between the 75th and 90th percentile which is where he was for most of the early months. I think I'll give up buying him anything expensive to wear because he'll only fit it for a couple of months at most. Linda, my mother-in-law, is the only one who has any success in providing clothes for Michael that fit him for any length of time. She knits him some truly beautiful cardigans, hats, etc. in the winter months. She's very used to sorting out clothes for big lads having had three of her own. She intends to get the tape measure out when we come over in September and has some wool ready and waiting :o)

Ok... I digressed slightly there... it was vaccination day again at the baby clinic. Michael had the last of his series of whooping cough/polio/tetanus/diphtheria etc. vaccines. He handled it very well and didn't give the nurse a look of pure fury like he did last time. Next time we come to the clinic (when he is 14 months) it will be time for the MMR vaccine. I have done quite a lot of research and do not believe the claims that autism is linked to the vaccine. I am, however, quite nervous at the though of him having it. I asked to see the vaccination leaflet so I can read it through and examine the ingredients before making a final decision on whether or not he will have it. Single vaccines are not offered in The Netherlands. This request, as with the breastfeeding, caused much mirth from the nurse but she was still kind enough to go and get me the leaflet.

The nurse asked us a number of questions in order to gauge Michael's comprehension and wanted to know if Michael will fetch a specific item on request. We're still working on give and take. At the moment if I ask him to give me something he is holding, he will gleefully throw it on the floor :oD She checked to see if he can pick up a small item with finger and thumb which he did easily with his right hand but not with his left hand. The item was a scrunched up piece of paper and I think he just lost interest in picking it up but the nurse believes that Michael is showing signs of being right-handed. I thought it was too early to determine that at 11 months? Ok, enough waffle from me, here are his updated stats:

Age: 11 months and 5 days old
Weight: 10.80 kg (23.81 pounds)
Length: 78 cm!
Head circumference: 46.0 cm
Number of teeth: 8
Food: 6 breastfeeds a day and two solid meals
Current temperament: Settling down to sleep
Current location: Upstairs in his cot (I wouldn't have time to post if he was downstairs!)