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!)
Showing posts with label statistics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label statistics. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
9 months old!
We took Michael to the baby clinic for his 9 month check-up today and here are his latest stats:
Age: 9 months and 3 days old
Weight: 10.27 kg (22.64 pounds)
Length: 74 cm
Head circumference: 45.6 cm
Number of teeth: 6
Food: 7 breastfeeds a day and two solid meals
Current temperament: Drifting off to sleep (hopefully!)
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
As you can see, he's doing very well and the doctor was pleased with him. It is always such a relief when no issues are raised by the doctor. I actually have a set of scales at home to monitor Michael's weight so that I don't get any nasty surprises when the nurse weighs him.
He's a happy little chap and has just started comically shaking his head. He doesn't know that it means 'no' because we don't shake our heads when we say no. He pumps his arms up and down furiously when he is excited and sticks his little lip out when he is upset. I'm having trouble resisting the power of that lip.
Last night when I was giving him a feed, he bit my nipple. In the past he has nipped but it has only been a little nip and he hasn't really done it since having teeth top and bottom. Last night he bit me and hung on. Ow!! I yelped and said 'no' very firmly. He looked up at me and his mouth started to turn downward at the corners and out came that little lip very slowly. Before I knew it, I was comforting him and my knackered nipple was forgotten. I've got to work on resisting this particular trick!
I'm sure that there was something else I was going to mention but for the life of me I can't remember what... oh yes!
I might have mentioned that Phil and I have been taking him out to one particular restaurant periodically. It is a good choice because there is a large non-smoking section and a lot of bustle. No-one minds if he is a little grumpy and there is a lot of people for him to gaze at. We sit him in one of the wooden highchairs and let him soak up the atmosphere. We went there last week. He hadn't been in the highchair two minutes when he clambered up onto all fours with his feet wedged against the back of the chair. He leaned forwards onto the tray and climbed out of the chair onto the table where he proceeded to crawl off!!! Phil and I sat there stunned. Naturally, he wanted to do this again and again and again so one of us had to hold him whilst the other ate. We'll need to pick a restaurant with highchairs that have a harness in future or ditch eating out altogether. It was very funny and we were very impressed. He really is a serious escape artist!
Age: 9 months and 3 days old
Weight: 10.27 kg (22.64 pounds)
Length: 74 cm
Head circumference: 45.6 cm
Number of teeth: 6
Food: 7 breastfeeds a day and two solid meals
Current temperament: Drifting off to sleep (hopefully!)
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
As you can see, he's doing very well and the doctor was pleased with him. It is always such a relief when no issues are raised by the doctor. I actually have a set of scales at home to monitor Michael's weight so that I don't get any nasty surprises when the nurse weighs him.
He's a happy little chap and has just started comically shaking his head. He doesn't know that it means 'no' because we don't shake our heads when we say no. He pumps his arms up and down furiously when he is excited and sticks his little lip out when he is upset. I'm having trouble resisting the power of that lip.
Last night when I was giving him a feed, he bit my nipple. In the past he has nipped but it has only been a little nip and he hasn't really done it since having teeth top and bottom. Last night he bit me and hung on. Ow!! I yelped and said 'no' very firmly. He looked up at me and his mouth started to turn downward at the corners and out came that little lip very slowly. Before I knew it, I was comforting him and my knackered nipple was forgotten. I've got to work on resisting this particular trick!
I'm sure that there was something else I was going to mention but for the life of me I can't remember what... oh yes!
I might have mentioned that Phil and I have been taking him out to one particular restaurant periodically. It is a good choice because there is a large non-smoking section and a lot of bustle. No-one minds if he is a little grumpy and there is a lot of people for him to gaze at. We sit him in one of the wooden highchairs and let him soak up the atmosphere. We went there last week. He hadn't been in the highchair two minutes when he clambered up onto all fours with his feet wedged against the back of the chair. He leaned forwards onto the tray and climbed out of the chair onto the table where he proceeded to crawl off!!! Phil and I sat there stunned. Naturally, he wanted to do this again and again and again so one of us had to hold him whilst the other ate. We'll need to pick a restaurant with highchairs that have a harness in future or ditch eating out altogether. It was very funny and we were very impressed. He really is a serious escape artist!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Latest stats
Michael had an appointment at the baby clinic this afternoon so here are his 7 month stats:
Age: 7 months, 1 week and 2 days old
Weight: 9.410 kg (20.75 pounds)
Length: 71 cm
Head circumference: 44.8 cm
Current temperament: Asleep
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
When it comes to taking Michael to the baby clinic, I have rather a negative attitude to the whole experience. When I was a baby, I was breastfed for the first two months and never regained my birth weight. After switching to formula milk, I gained weight well, and then for a long time gained no weight at all. It was very distressing for my mother, who did the very best that she could, and as a consequence she never took my younger sister to be weighed because she did not want to put herself through the ordeal for a second time. I don't blame her at all.
I am the one who makes decisions for Michael such as breast or bottle; when he will feed; what solid food he will have; how much food he will have and when; when his teeth are cleaned; what he will wear; when he will nap. You get the picture. As a consequence I take feedback on Michael's well being very seriously and can react forcefully to suggestions I don't agree with.
We saw the nurse today at the baby clinic. We usually see a doctor that I like very much. She is thoughtful and well informed. The nurse is a bit of a battle-axe. She was not impressed that I have been giving Michael paracetamol at night to help him cope with the teething pain. Jeez... it is not as if I am not trying other options first. My first option is to offer the breast. If that doesn't work I try Dentinox (local anaesthetic applied to the affected area of the gum). If that doesn't work I try pacing the floor, singing and offering a finger to suckle on. If that doesn't work then I will use paracetamol because I am a mother and not some kind of baby torturer. Michael enjoys sleeping and not being in pain. I'm quite fond of that too. The nurse suggested that I use a homeopathic remedy. I politely (I can do polite... honest!) told her that I think homeopathic remedies are quackery.
We also had a bit of a disagreement on solid food. She made suggestions that contradicted what the doctor had told me previously. I have been advised on numerous occasions to be cautious introducing solid food because of the allergy history on my side of the family.
I do take her advice sometimes and she was the one who spotted the lump above Michael's eye so I won't say anything too impolite, even though she rather annoyed me today.
Physically, Michael is developing very well. The nurse put him onto his back and he was raising his head and upper body in an attempt to sit up. He promptly rolled onto his belly and tried to crawl backwards off the mat. He does crawl forwards sometimes and - shamefully - the best dangling carrot is the remote control for the satellite receiver. That makes me sound like a terrible mother but the only TV he watches is "Bubble and Squeak" once a day. I still don't understand what he sees in that wizard but he is always totally engrossed in the show.
Age: 7 months, 1 week and 2 days old
Weight: 9.410 kg (20.75 pounds)
Length: 71 cm
Head circumference: 44.8 cm
Current temperament: Asleep
Current location: Upstairs in his cot
When it comes to taking Michael to the baby clinic, I have rather a negative attitude to the whole experience. When I was a baby, I was breastfed for the first two months and never regained my birth weight. After switching to formula milk, I gained weight well, and then for a long time gained no weight at all. It was very distressing for my mother, who did the very best that she could, and as a consequence she never took my younger sister to be weighed because she did not want to put herself through the ordeal for a second time. I don't blame her at all.
I am the one who makes decisions for Michael such as breast or bottle; when he will feed; what solid food he will have; how much food he will have and when; when his teeth are cleaned; what he will wear; when he will nap. You get the picture. As a consequence I take feedback on Michael's well being very seriously and can react forcefully to suggestions I don't agree with.
We saw the nurse today at the baby clinic. We usually see a doctor that I like very much. She is thoughtful and well informed. The nurse is a bit of a battle-axe. She was not impressed that I have been giving Michael paracetamol at night to help him cope with the teething pain. Jeez... it is not as if I am not trying other options first. My first option is to offer the breast. If that doesn't work I try Dentinox (local anaesthetic applied to the affected area of the gum). If that doesn't work I try pacing the floor, singing and offering a finger to suckle on. If that doesn't work then I will use paracetamol because I am a mother and not some kind of baby torturer. Michael enjoys sleeping and not being in pain. I'm quite fond of that too. The nurse suggested that I use a homeopathic remedy. I politely (I can do polite... honest!) told her that I think homeopathic remedies are quackery.
We also had a bit of a disagreement on solid food. She made suggestions that contradicted what the doctor had told me previously. I have been advised on numerous occasions to be cautious introducing solid food because of the allergy history on my side of the family.
I do take her advice sometimes and she was the one who spotted the lump above Michael's eye so I won't say anything too impolite, even though she rather annoyed me today.
Physically, Michael is developing very well. The nurse put him onto his back and he was raising his head and upper body in an attempt to sit up. He promptly rolled onto his belly and tried to crawl backwards off the mat. He does crawl forwards sometimes and - shamefully - the best dangling carrot is the remote control for the satellite receiver. That makes me sound like a terrible mother but the only TV he watches is "Bubble and Squeak" once a day. I still don't understand what he sees in that wizard but he is always totally engrossed in the show.
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Latest stats
Michael had his latest appointment at the baby clinic yesterday and here are his 5½ month stats:Age: 5 months, 2 weeks and 4 days old
Weight: 8.770 kg (19.3 pounds)
Length: 69 cm
Head circumference: 43 cm
Current temperament: Quietly alert and chatty
Current location: Sitting in his Maxi Cosi
We are expecting his second tooth to make an appearance in the next few days because he has been very unsettled; chewing everything in sight; coughing and dribbling like a leaky tap. Apparently the nipple biting is also to do with the teething and not just that he hates me and wants to punish me for something. We took him out to Schiphol this evening. He is always lulled to sleep by the car and the general bustle of the airport and Phil and I can enjoy ourselves with a cocktail at the juice bar. Not a drop of alcohol in them, but fabulous nonetheless.
Michael said "Mama" twice today. It wasn't in any particular context but since I have been trying to get him to say it for ages, I am very pleased. My genius child :o)
I'm not sure if I mentioned the fabulous playnest we bought for him a while back. It allows him to sit up whilst supported and play. Much better than him getting frustrated on his back. Sadly, he is now starting to try to climb out of it so I don't think it will be long before we have to put the baby gates up and find a way to protect the DVD player drawer from little jam-coated fingers. How time flies!
Monday, December 11, 2006
4 months old
Michael is 4 months old tomorrow so here are his updated statistics:
Age: 3 months, 4 weeks and 1 day old
Weight: 7.635 kg (16.8 pounds)
Length: 66 cm
Head circumference: 41.5 cm
Current temperament: Quietly alert
Current location: Sitting on his Daddy's knee watching Emmerdale.
He had his third set of vaccinations today and, again, got very mad when the nurse jabbed him with the needle. She said "Does he always go that red in the face?". I replied "Only when people are pissing him off..." He has a high pain threshold (like his father) and a low tolerance for being messed around (like his mother). The minute I picked him up after the vaccinations he stopped crying. If only all problems could be solved that easily.
We also had an unexpected trip to see the doctor this afternoon. The nurse at the baby clinic had noticed a lump under the skin above his left eye. It is under his eyebrow and only really noticeable when he cries. The clinic thought that it was simply a fatty lump and nothing to worry about, but we needed to get it checked out with our doctor. The doctor also agreed that it is a fatty lump (proper name is a lipoma). She took the measurements and we have to return in a couple of weeks to determine whether it has grown. There is the possibility that it will stay with him permanently and also that it will grow as he does, but nothing is certain at this point. If it grows then it could disrupt the sight in his eye which is why the doctor needs to keep an eye (no pun intended) on it.
So... my little fat lump has a little fatty lump. I have been affectionately calling him Fester Addams because he has a little head wobbling around on such big shoulders but I think I might call him Lumpy Addams from now on.
Age: 3 months, 4 weeks and 1 day old
Weight: 7.635 kg (16.8 pounds)
Length: 66 cm
Head circumference: 41.5 cm
Current temperament: Quietly alert
Current location: Sitting on his Daddy's knee watching Emmerdale.
He had his third set of vaccinations today and, again, got very mad when the nurse jabbed him with the needle. She said "Does he always go that red in the face?". I replied "Only when people are pissing him off..." He has a high pain threshold (like his father) and a low tolerance for being messed around (like his mother). The minute I picked him up after the vaccinations he stopped crying. If only all problems could be solved that easily.
We also had an unexpected trip to see the doctor this afternoon. The nurse at the baby clinic had noticed a lump under the skin above his left eye. It is under his eyebrow and only really noticeable when he cries. The clinic thought that it was simply a fatty lump and nothing to worry about, but we needed to get it checked out with our doctor. The doctor also agreed that it is a fatty lump (proper name is a lipoma). She took the measurements and we have to return in a couple of weeks to determine whether it has grown. There is the possibility that it will stay with him permanently and also that it will grow as he does, but nothing is certain at this point. If it grows then it could disrupt the sight in his eye which is why the doctor needs to keep an eye (no pun intended) on it.
So... my little fat lump has a little fatty lump. I have been affectionately calling him Fester Addams because he has a little head wobbling around on such big shoulders but I think I might call him Lumpy Addams from now on.
Monday, November 13, 2006
3 months old!
I can't believe that Michael is 3 months old now. Where on earth has the time gone to?!? We took him to the baby clinic this morning for his second lot of vaccinations and for a general check-up. He was a very good boy and only cried a little, but when he did cry there were TEARS! He has never cried with tears before and it broke my heart to see it. Phil and I are already wrapped around his little finger, but if tears are going to be thrown into the mix then we really are in trouble. Before I forget, here are Michael's 3 month stats:Age: 3 months and 1 day old
Weight: 6.8 kg (15 pounds)
Length: 63.5 cm
Head circumference: 40.5 cm
Current temperament: Peaceful
Current location: Lying in his pram (again)
The above photograph shows him sitting in his Bumbo. It is only in the last couple of weeks that he has had the muscle strength to sit in it without his head flopping a little. He hasn't decided if he likes the Bumbo yet. He is a nosy little chap (like his father) and likes to be on the move all the time, so his preferred location is riding around on Mummy or Daddy's shoulder.
As I mentioned previously, Michael is the star of his own webcast once a week. My parents get to coo over him on Saturday morning. This Saturday, he was very chatty and gave them lots of conversation, smiles and giggles. When he is in a good mood, he chats all the time so it looks like he is going to be a chatterbox like his mother (poor child.) Conversation for him takes up every ounce of his strength. He doesn't just chat with his voice - his arms will be waving around like windmill blades, his eyebrows waggle and expressions chase their way across his face in quick succession. Phil and I love it.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
General update
Phil and I have had a lot of fun over the last few days. We managed to cook a three-course meal on Saturday and enjoy it by candlelight and as you can see from the photograph to the left, we celebrated Hallowe'en too. I created some spooky fairy cakes, Phil carved a pumpkin and we dressed Michael in a pumpkin outfit. Perhaps one day he will forgive us for this indignity. Unbeknownst to him, there are further indignities to come as I have a Christmas pudding outfit for over the festive season. Mwahaha...Since this is a diary on the progress of Baby Gleghorn, I had better take a moment to update his statistics:
Name: Michael Alexander Gleghorn
Age: 2 months and 3 weeks old
Weight: 6.5 kg (14.3 pounds)!
Current temperament: Restless
Current location: Lying in his pram
I can't remember what his head circumference and length were when last measured at the baby clinic, but I do remember that he is in the 75th centile.
For my future reference, I am going to note down those purchases I have made that have been useful, and those that have been a complete waste of my time and money. Hopefully I won't make the same mistakes with future children.
Useful:
- Tiny Love Symphony Light & Motion Mobile
- Gymini Super Deluxe - Lights & Music Activity Gym
- Bouncing cradle
- The Dr. Seuss books - especially "Fox in Socks"
Total waste of money
- The Tummy Tub. Michael hated it from the start and was constantly trying (and succeeding) to stand up.
- The Slumber Bear. This bear has a recording of the womb hidden in it's innards. It is supposed to soothe the baby to sleep. It just annoyed the hell out of Michael, although it did send Phil to sleep...
- Any wind-up mobile. Having to constantly wind the bloody thing was enough to drive anyone to drink. Since I am breastfeeding, Phil had to do the drinking on my behalf.
- Nature environmentally friendly nappies. A friend of mine uses these for his son and has had no problems with them whatsoever. However, I was not so lucky. They LEAK. On several occasions, no more than two hours after putting the nappy on Michael, he would have big wet patches on his thighs. This never happens with Huggies or Pampers.
Right... I think that is about it for now. I'm off to change Little Sir's nappy.
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