4 Month Checkup and My McDreamy

Libby had her 4 month well check yesterday. Tom came with us and we saw (yet another) new doctor, since I still hadn't settled on one I really liked. Libby weighed in at 12 pounds 13 ounces and measured 25 1/2 inches long. That's 25th percentile for weight (which she has been at since birth) and 80th percentile for length (which she has also been at since birth). The doctor said that the relation between the two measurements is insignificant; all that matters is that she follows her growth curve for both height and weight, which she is doing beautifully. She's just a long and lean girl :) He reassured me that her eating and sleeping habits, while unusual for a baby her age, are nothing to worry about and that she is growing and developing just fine, so I should enjoy the fact that she sleeps 12 hours a night and eats only 4 times a day.

Libby got shots (yuck) and one oral vaccine. She fussed during the oral vaccine and screamed for the shots. I hated it. I've decided shots are worse as your baby gets older because you feel like they understand more what's going on and, as my mom put it, you know how happy they're capable of being at this age, so when they scream, you feel really bad. She calmed down after I picked her up and slept forever last night. This picture was taken after her appointment. Its not good quality because it was taken on my phone, but note her two little band-aids :(

He said we can start solids any time between now and 6 months of age. He assured me that even though she doesn't show much interest in rolling over, her gross motor skills are fine. I tend to be a little over paranoid because of my Early Head Start job--I did so many screenings on so many kids there that I have all the developmental milestones memorized and I'm constantly evaluating Libby in my head. I really liked this doctor because he was able to laugh at my neurosis but then give me good advice/reassurance about my "issues." I also really liked the way he interacted with Libby. He was great with her, talking to her and laughing at all the sounds and faces she was making. I left the appointment thinking "THAT is our doctor." When I told Tom that, Tom said, "Well, I'll be coming to every appointment with you then." I pretended like I didn't understand why he was saying that, but let's be honest...our new pediatrician is h-a-n-d-s-o-m-e. If Libby is suddenly getting "sick" a lot in the near future, I guess we all know why...