Nine-month check up

Every child is different.  That statement has proven to be so true these past nine months. 

Today I left the doctor’s office, put Camden in  his car seat, got in myself and burst into tears.  I’ve never done that before.

Maybe it’s the weather…..maybe it’s my lack of sleep….maybe it’s because I don’t feel that good…maybe I just needed a good cry.

Camden is 19 lbs and 29 inches.  Appears healthy!  But he’s actually lost weight since he was in the doctor’s office two months ago.  This concerns me a little because throughout his whole reflux ordeal, he’s never had a problem putting on weight.  Why would he not gain at all the past two months and instead lose some? 

He’s not doing any of the developmental milestones that he should be, besides sitting up.  The doctor is referring him to Birth to Three to be evaluated.  I told her what I’m doing at home and she said that’s great, but he needs to be evaluated soon.  He should be trying to crawl and he’s nowhere close.  And he definitely should be rolling over.  If not back to tummy, then definitely tummy to back.  I’ve had this concern for a while now.

I also showed her my daily journal that I’ve kept.  In it I record all of Camden’s symptoms for the day.  Whether his ears are bothering him, how he slept the night before, literally ANYthing and EVERYthing, including taking his temperature daily.  I’ve noticed that for the  month of April, he’s had a low-grade fever every day but two.  The doctor said that’s not normal.  Yes, babies can have a fever with teething, but it shouldn’t last for 21 days!  She told me to continue to track it for another week or so and if he continues to have the low-grade fevers, then to call her.  His ears were fine so the fevers aren’t due to an ear infection. 

She also didn’t like how much he was up at night.  She suggested giving him Benadryl to see if that helped him sleep longer.   Although I’m really not to keen on this idea, I’m going to try it.  If it works and he sleeps longer, then his waking may be due to allergies.  If he continues to wake, then that’s not our answer.  Benadryl can either make kids tired or not allow them to sleep so we have to try it during the day first.  She said we’ve tried everything and we’re running out of options.  I thought, no kidding, we need to find out why he’s waking so much.  I’ve only been on this mission for months!

I guess I was upset because I’ve never had such a bad report with my kids.  Usually when the doctor asks, “Is he doing this…..is he doing that,”  my answer is always “yes, yes, yes.”  My kids have always been right on for development (besides the speech with Isaac).   It’s heartbreaking for a mom to know her baby isn’t where he should be. 

So we continue on……trial and error.  I ask for prayers that these fevers are nothing and that something “clicks” in Camden and he just starts doing all sorts of stuff!

Meanwhile,  I’ll be calling Birth to Three tomorrow to set up an appointment for an evaluation. *sigh*