4 Months - Doctor Appointment, Stats, Shots

And by "tomorrow," I really meant "in two weeks." You have no clue what I'm talking about?...I thought so.

Joshua had his 4 month check up at the doctor's office on April 28th. I'd love to say it went off without a hitch, but then entered the insurance woes. The woes that we don't have any. Doctors sure are expensive. Long story short, we thought we were getting one insurance at his 2 month appointment, so we told them so, and so they gave him his shots, etc. Then I got the bill for like $800 because we didn't end up going with that company because they denied Dave coverage because he has back problems related to Spine Abifida Acolta. Soooo since we had told them we were getting insurance they gave us the "expensive" shots at his 2 month appointment. After many stressful tears on my end, we applied for CHIP and went to his 4 month appointment assuming we wouldn't get it, so they gave us the "cheap" shots (expensive and cheap shots are exactly the same, but the state gives them the cheap shots for those without insurance) and gave us a discount on the other fees ($14 to give a shot?! lots more to look in his mouth and ears and say he's growing great?!...I need to switch careers!).

Was that short enough?

Joshua is growing wonderfully, which is what any mother loves to hear and brag about. He's 27 inches long (95%ile...we're not surprised), he weighs 14 lbs 15 oz (50%ile), and his head is 43.5 cm (75%ile).

Joshua started eating "solid foods" the day before his appointment, because the doctor suggested that. He has eaten some rice cereal mixed with breastmilk, and some blended up canned pears. We did rice cereal for 3 days and then pears for 3 days. I wouldn't suggest feeding your baby pears 3 days in a row. I have pictures of the results if anyone feels so inclined (email me). He gobbled it all down like a champ (once he got used to the spoon idea). That was put on hold when we went to California last weekend, and hasn't been picked back up again yet.

He sleeps like a champ as well. He has been going to bed around 8:30 or 9pm every night and usually sleeps solid at least until 3am, but sometimes we can push it to 5am or 6am. If he wakes up at 3am, sometimes I can get him back to sleep with just a binky, but sometimes he's just too hungry to sleep. Then he'll wake up again around 5 or 6am and I'll feed him again, and then he'll go back to sleep until 7:30 or 8 or 8:30. Then he's usually up for the day. Not too bad, if I do say so myself. Now I just need to work on getting myself in bed at a decent hour and sleeping the whole night through.

I got Joshua a playmat for $10 or $15 (can't remember) and ever since he has been very grabby. It's like he just needed that mat for him to realize that he has hands. He grabs at anything in his reach - toys, hair, fingers, cell phones, food, plates, computers, burp cloths, etc. Then whatever he is strong enough to lift (e.g: cell phone is too heavy), ends up in his mouth (unless we take it away first). However, he hasn't figured out how to turn an object the correct way, so it's usually just his hand in his mouth, with whatever is in his hand facing the other way.

He also enjoys his bumbo and walker, and the new views that they bring. I spend most of the day trying to make him laugh. Some sure fire ways are "sneezing", making funny noises, lightly tossing him in the air, and swinging him back and forth by his hands and feet (that one always always always gets him giggling).

Every time I put him in his crib to sleep, he always grabs his blanket and pulls it up close to his chin. I have had to figure out a way to get it so it won't cover up his face when he sleeps. It takes some tricky tucking.

And that's it for his 4 month update.