Birdie's 18-Month Well-Bird Exam

Birdie had her 18-month well-child exam on Friday, though she wasn't necessarily altogether all well. Her little nose still looked rather a state, and she's been valiantly fighting a bit of a cold all week. Also, she looked a little crestfallen, because she was: she'd no sooner made to sit down at the little table in the waiting room with all the books then her name was called. When Julie said it was time to head back, Clara immediately pitched herself on the floor and began sobbing at the unfairness of it all.

But she'd perked up by the weigh-in. Since the last official weigh in at 15 months, Birdie has gained three pounds and grown two inches. she is now 26 pounds 7 ounces (78%) and 33 inches (84%). She impressed by pointing to various body parts as they were discussed and putting the "hat" on Dr. Harrington's are-there-puppies-in-your-ears?-looky-scope.

At these well-child appointments, Dr. Harrington always leaves time for one to ask big, open-ended, meaning-of-parenting type questions. (One can always ask them of course, but at a sick visit, one isn't usually given the entree as one is at the well-child visits.) We didn't have any, really, but Julie sort of fumbled her way toward "You know, just, like, is she, doing everything she's supposed to do, or are we missing something important?" As you might suspect, Birdie Brigade, Birdie is doing all she is supposed to do.

Later, it occurred to Julie that really, she was asking "How do you not miss things?" Things fly by so fast, especially with the whirling dervish that is a three-year-old whirling in the background, of which you are also trying to catch a glimpse as he whirls. When Dr. Harington asked if Clara had any words, Julie said yes and rattled them off: moon, more, book, Mommy, Daddy, Joe, puppy. But then later, on the way to collect Joe, Clara saw a bus a crowed, "Bus!" and Julie realized she'd neglected to report all the other words Clara not only knows, but can say: bus, car, airplane, baby, ball, banana, apple, duck, help please, get down, all done. . .mine! So maybe we are not missing so much, except the moment to catch our breath and realize the moments as they are happening.