The nurse took us back and asked us the usual questions about milestones and nutrition. Then she took his measurements. He weighed 19 lbs 8 oz and was 27 1/4 inches long. His head measured at 17 3/4 inches. This puts him in the 20th percentile for length, 30th percentile for weight, and 50th percentile for head circumference. So it seems he is just about average or maybe a little small for his age (hard to believe! since everyone always says he is a huge kid or a tank, haha)
Then Dr. Wynalda came back to check him out. He asked me the same questions about milestones. The only thing they think he should be doing that he isn't is when he pulls up on furniture, he should be walking along it. He said he should start that very soon. He asked me about how he grasps things, to which I answered with his whole hand versus with his index finger and thumb. He thought he should be doing that as well. Then Jacob dropped the keys he was playing with so the doctor had me let him pick them up. Apparently, he did it in the right way! Dr. Wynalda says I underestimate him. Haha. :-)
He told me we could start giving him finger foods (oops, we've already been doing that!) And that he could start on dairy as well as table foods. He should still be eating 3 meals a day. He said we should avoid giving him citrus, seafood, peanuts, and eggs (although cooking with eggs and giving that to him is okay, just not the whole egg) because early exposure to these foods can cause children to have allergies they wouldn't have otherwise had. I never knew that. It makes me wonder, though, how they would have set up studies to prove this. In any case, we've already given him baby food that contained oranges as well as tuna. I went through all his jars when we got home and pulled out the offending ones. Once he turns a year old, everything is fair game.
Then Dr. Wynalda looked him over. I got to hold him in my lap the entire time instead of putting him on the table. That seemed to work really well. I couldn't help but laugh when Dr. Wynalda was listening to his lungs and heart though. The look on Jacob's face was priceless -- wondering what that stethoscope was. He, of course, grabbed it away from him too. I suppose I should get mine out (NOT my nasty work one!) at home and let him play with it from time to time.
I asked him my three questions and he laughed at me and said I am so laid back. He said I should see the lists people come in with. It's funny because he's usually laughing at me for being so crazy! I guess time has done me good! I asked him about the amount of food I should be feeding him. I am so afraid to overfeed him that I am worried I am now underfeeding him. He said the amount of food didn't matter, it's the amount of milk. He should be getting between 20-30 oz of milk in a day. I have no way to know how much he is getting but since he is growing as he should be, I have to assume it's enough. He said I could give him as much solids as I wanted -- but that the 6-8 oz per feeding I am doing was probably perfect. The more he eats per feeding, the more likely he will be "really fat." So I guess we'll stick to what has been working. I also asked him if it was okay to wash his face with soap now, which it is. And if I should be cleaning his teeth now that he has them. He laughed at me again (I asked this when he was about 4 months old as well) and said "If you really want to!" In other words, I definitely don't have to yet but it won't hurt anything if I want to do it and get him used to it. Part of me wants to. However, I have yet to do it.
Then the nurse came back in and gave Jacob his flu shot. Since he's a baby, he will have to have another one in a month before he has the immunity. He did amazing! In fact, he didn't even flinch at all. Just smiled at me the whole time. What a trooper!!!
We go back in exactly three months later, on December 9, 2009. He will be a year old then. I can't even believe it!
