Why does going to the doctor always bum me out? I had such hopes for Morella gaining a ton of weight only to find out ... she didn't gain all that much -- again. :(

Her last appointment sixteen days ago she was 9 lb 5 oz. We were both so sure she was in the 10 pound range and possibly even venturing into the 11...not so.

Today at 9 Weeks and 5 Days she was:

9lb 13 oz weight (18% percentile)
23.25" length (79%)
38.6 head (38%)

So she is gaining about a 1/2 ounce a day. The doctor said that this is just her weight pattern, and that she is consistently growing, and she is just long and lean and it will take a while to fill out. I guess. Maybe if I weren't surrounded by such overachieving babies I wouldn't feel so bad. You know this whole percentile thing makes it seem like a competition.

Well at least the length would explain why she is fitting the 0-3 stuff accordingly. It's true that because her toes start getting scrunched that we move her up in clothes -- width wise she still swims in them. Or looks like a baby gansta.

I asked about setting up the appointment to repeat the suck/swallow barium study and she was like "In three months from the start time."

What? The speech pathologist herself said twice that we could move that up, and the doctor herself only two weeks ago suggested the end of February/March -- it sort of pisses me off that she forgets these things. For the record, I did ask when I left if they hired a new pediatrician yet, and they did -- she start in March. I might try her out... Anyway. She looked into it and saw that there was an open referral and gave me the name and number of the lady to call to set it up. She said she wanted to wait until the 3 months because from a clinical standpoint -- her case isn't severe as in she hasn't been hospitalized or gotten sick, so she might as well wait the full time. From OUR standpoint -- this thickening is bullshit and we would still like to try to breastfeed before it's really too late. Although I realize that really might not be possible because Morella won't want too. Whatever. I can try. And you know, this simply thick is expensive and making our own is a huge time consumer and I already spend enough time pumping and making these bottles. So. I'll stop there.

She had her shots today. Poor girl. I have never seen such terror and pain in my poor girl's eyes. In addition to the three shots, I let her have the rotovirus immunization because we don't live in a bubble and the doctor said last year she had to admit a kid a week to the hospital because of it.

Her next appointment is in two months. That seems like such a long time away from now.

Maybe she would gain more weight if she didn't have to work so hard for it. I mean, that thickening agent adds 4-5 ounces a day that she consumes that has NO calories. There is only so much room in that belly. I think that would be reason enough right there to repeat this study and get her off honey consistency milk.

I guess. She is gaining. She is healthy and alive, and alert and growing. Oh yeah that was the other thing. We noticed that she is turning her head to the left a lot -- Tim thought it might be an ear infection. Turns out this is quite common in babies and it's because she getting a flat spot on that side of the head (easier for them to position it and fall asleep). You can see it if you look down at them from the top. Anyway. It's a mild case and we should just make sure that she gets time facing the other way (like when she is sleeping on her tummy, to turn it or change arms in feeding...)