9-Month Well Baby Exam

It seems like it's been forever since our last doctor visit! Sasha last had a doctor visit at 6 months, then nothing until 9 months. Well, actually, she did have a 'visit' when we took her in when she was constipated at about 7 months, but that wasn't a well baby visit that time though, just trying to figure out why she hadn't poo'ed in a week. It really did seem disconcerting to not have those monthly height and weight statistics that let me know how she was growing. We tried meaurements at home, but when we measured her length, it seemed to indicate she was still 27 inches long and only 17lbs...so no height increase and only a 1lb increase in 3 months. And that was a scary thought. I went into this appointment fearing my baby had not grown.
Sasha was happy at first arrival at her appointment, but once we sat her on the exam table she seemed to understand right away what was going on and she voiced her displeasure loudly. The nurse, same nurse as every other appointment, is never going to see another Sasha smile again I fear. Sasha recognizes her as the bad woman who does all the mean stuff. She immediately started in on a flurry of baby torture and Sasha screamed the whole time. She had us take off all the baby clothes, weighed her (sitting on the scale like a big girl!), took her height measurements. She stuck Sasha's big right toe with a needle, squeezed the toe repeatedly and milked it for blood for an iron test and a lead test. Sasha's iron levels were in the normal range. It was 11.2 but I don't know what the units are for that measurement. Apparently they like to see those iron levels between 11 and 14 so she's doing good. Hurray for cheerios- her biggest source of iron.
Dad was antsy during all the baby torture. He just wanted to sweep Sasha up and give her a big hug but we had agreed that I would be the bad mommy. The one that held her down for the shots. The one getting the "et tu, Brute?" expression from those sweet little crying blue eyes. And he would be her knight in shining armor to pick her up, wipe the tears from her eyes, and snuggle her comfortingly. So we kept him out of site for the bad stuff until it was all over and he had to bite his fingernails in the corner until then. Daddy emerged as the hero. In Sasha's eyes, Daddy made it all better.
At least, until the doctor came in. She calmed down between the nurse visit and the doctor visit, but not completely. Once the doc entered, she started back up again. Something about the exam table sent her into hysterics. I have to say her ped is very thorough when he examines babies. He checks her belly, hip joints, knees, ankles, fontanelle, etc.. I really like and trust her pediatrician...with the life of my baby girl.
All in all, she is healthy. 18lbs 2oz. 27 inches long..so she did gain weight and height! She is down to 65 percentile in height and still at about 50% in weight according to the ped's charts. (I will probably look those stats up in the WHO charts as he does not appear to be using those). He is unconcerned with her not crawling...she'll do that any day now I know. She is army crawling and able to start getting up on all fours so I know it'll happen any moment now.
Our pediatrician is happy we are making our own baby food and says to continue with that and with breastfeeding. We mentioned our concerns about how Sasha has started cutting back on her milk and food consumption. He said that is ok. He is happy with her weight and height and says he doesn't want her to get fat, she's right where he wants her to be.