Six Month Doctor Appointment

The twins had their six month doctor appointment last week! They haven't been since their four month appointment, so I was interested to see how much they've both grown in the last two months. I know Peytie certainly FEELS so much heavier, I was thinking 25 pounds or something.

I had lots of questions this visit, so it didn't go as fast as the last visit. One big difference this visit was that Peytie was actually happy throughout (except for when he got his shots, of course), and Lauryn was the fussy, crying one this time.

To make a long story short, Lauryn is doing just fine. She's a strong girl who is growing just as she's supposed to. There are some concerns, however, with Peyton. The big one for now is his head size. Not so much because of how big it is (Brayden's was almost the same size at six months, but he also wasn't born premature), but more because of the rate of growth. It's just growing too big, too fast. It could mean a lot of things, or it could mean nothing. I'm trying my hardest not to let my imagination run wild but, naturally, I consulted Google Doc and have driven myself wrought with worry.

Another concern for Peytie is the fact that he still has a little cough. STILL. I feel like he was born with this. Again, could mean something, could mean nothing.

Because of these issues, Peyton will have a head ultrasound on Wednesday, and an appointment with a pediatric ENT the following week. Any and all prayers/pixie duxt/good vibes/or whatever you believe in would be appreciated. My little guy can use all the help he can get (and momma too because I'm really, really sad and worried about it).

Overall we got through the appointment with only a few tears (babies, me, all around) and left the appointment ok. A family selfie was in order.

Their next pediatrician visit is at 9 months!

Lauryn Elizabeth

Weight: 17 lb 10 oz (75th percentile)  Gained 3 lb 3 oz since their four month appointment!

Height: 26.0" (51st percentile)

Head Circumference: 42.5 cm (56th percentile)

Peyton James

Weight: 19 lb 8 oz (82nd percentile) Gained 4 lbs 1 oz since their four month appointment!

Height: 26.0" (19th percentile)

Head Circumference: 45.8 cm (97th percentile)

Four Month Doctor Appointment

The twins had their four month doctor appointment two weeks ago! After Peyton's last appointment, and the car accident that followed, I have to say that I wasn't thrilled to return to the doctor's office. You gotta do what you gotta do, so we headed back to the office for their four month checkup.

This visit was super-quick. Doc came in and checked the babies. Lauryn, as usual was her happy self.

And Peyton, of course, was not.

Both babies were growing well. One surprise was Peyton's weight. For the first time, he weighs more than Lauryn does! Quite the chunker! He was still sick though and doc agreed that he is much weaker than Lauryn. Poor baby...I have such a soft spot for that boy. When the visit was over, it was selfie time before the babies got their shots. Overall, a very short visit.

Lauryn still has those baby blue eyes! I will miss them when they're gone.

Their next visit is at 6 months!

Lauryn Elizabeth

Weight: 14 lb 7 oz (54th percentile)  Gained 2 lb 12 oz since their two month appointment!

Height: 23.5" (11th percentile)

Head Circumference: 40 cm (30th percentile)

Peyton James

Weight: 15 lb 7 oz (47th percentile) Gained 4 lbs 5 oz since their two month appointment! Went from the 12th percentile to the 47th percentile since our last visit.

Height: 23.5" (2nd percentile)

Head Circumference: 42.5 cm (74th percentile)

Two Month Doctor Appointment

The twins had their two month doctor appointment last week! It was supposed to be on a Saturday, but their doctor had a snowboarding accident (say what?!?!) and broke her arm so we had to reschedule with another doctor at the practice. Thankfully it all worked out great, and I actually like the doctor we saw a lot. The twins are still doing great and gaining like champs! Getting out of the house is still a stressful ordeal, but we were only 5 minutes late for our appointment. Improvement!

Snug in their seats on the way to the doctor.

I am loving this doctor's office more and more because, on our 3rd visit there, we still have yet to wait more than 5 minutes to be seen. This place is efficient! Without wasting any time, we get the babies stripped down and ready to be weighed, measured, and checked.

My mom and Brayden came with for this appointment, and the less Brayden has to wait for anything, the better! Patience is certainly not a strong suit for him, unfortunately. He loved being a helper at this appointment though. I'm sure the nurses and doctors thought he talked a little too much, since he talked their ears off. That boy had more questions than me! He wanted to know exactly what was being done to the babies and why. It was actually quite cute.

In a way Brayden was concerned, but he was also way too eager for the twins to get their vaccinations. You could almost say he was happy about it and looking forward to it. Momma wasn't as keen to get that part of the visit started. They got 2 shots this time, as well as an oral medication.

Getting their shots!

This was the twins post-vaccinations. As you can see, they were NOT thrilled.

At the end of the visit, I had to take another family selfie! This was also post-shots so there were lots and lots of tears.

Their next visit is at 4 months!

Lauryn Elizabeth

Weight: 11 lb 11 oz (47th percentile)  Gained 2 lb 5 oz!

Height: 21.5" (5th percentile)

Head Circumference: 38 cm (30th percentile)

Peyton James

Weight: 11 lb 2 oz (12th percentile) Gained 2 lbs 13 oz!

Height: 22" (4th percentile)

Head Circumference: 39 cm (31st percentile)

A Baby Ultrasound

My twins were born at 34 weeks and 6 days, earning them their stay in the NICU. But Peyton, being breech or transverse for my entire pregnancy, also earned another "honor" - a hip ultrasound that had to be done between weeks 6 and 8 of age. Go Peytie! **GRR**

I scheduled the ultrasound at Delnor Hospital because it's actually much closer to my house than CDH (where they were born). Waking up that morning, I was nervous for Peyton because he does have the tendency to curl into you (which might be a spine thing, and not so much a hip thing) and he's also a screamer so any medical procedure is met with hesitation and foreboding on my end. I dreaded this appointment before it even began.

But as much as I didn't want to take him in, I knew it had to be done. So we were off to Delnor.

One of the first things I noticed about this hospital was how fancy it was. As soon as you walk in you're greeted with an expansive reception area and a grand piano! What hospital has a grand freakin' piano? Well, Delnor of course! Wish I got a pic of the reception area!

I did get a pic of the Outpatient Registration area though - it's almost just as fancy (minus the piano).

We registered and were taken in within 5 minutes. No joke! That just doesn't happen. In my experience, most hospitals have you waiting for a little while. Points to Delnor for making this a quick process.

The whole ultrasound was pretty fast too. I had to lay down next to Peytie to hold his leg bent and close to his body. The technician had him lie on one side, and then the other. I thought - FOR SURE - that putting the warm gel on his leg would send him over the edge. In fact, I braced myself for the noise. BUT NO! Not a peep out of that little guy. Proud (and relieved) mommy moment. When the tech stepped out of the room, it was time for some pics while we waited.

When the tech returned, she told us that she didn't need any other pictures and we were free to go. Such a quick appointment! The doc would call me within 48 hours with the results of the scan.

On the way home I was going to stop at Toys R Us to pick up a birthday present I needed to buy on my first solo trip out with Peytie, but of course he started wailing in his stroller after his appointment all the way to the car. Didn't feel like chancing it at a store...in public. I did stop at the drive through, though, because of course I run on Dunkin'.

GOOD NEWS! The doctor's office called me the same day and said that little Peytie's hips are JUST FINE! Phew! I was afraid we'd have operations and therapies in our future, but at least not this time. I'm happy to report a great appointment with an equally great outcome.

One Month Doctor Appointment

The twins had their one month doctor appointment last week! They are both doing fantastic but I have learned that getting those two out of the house is quite an ordeal. We started getting them ready to get in the car a full 30 minutes before we had to be out of the house - and we still barely made it to their appointment on time. Yes, they look cute in their car seats, I just wish we could pick up the pace a bit (or at least have them not poop through their diapers so many times!).

At the doctor's office, it was nice that we got to wait in a separate room from the main waiting area. After a few minutes, we were taken in to be seen. So far so good with wait times at this office. We have not had to wait more than 5 minutes yet. One of my pet peeves is waiting what feels like forever and a day to see a doctor. Unfortunately for the twins, they had no idea what they were in for yet.

In this picture you can totally see how much bigger Lauryn is!

First it was off with their clothes and time to get weighed, checked, and measured.

As you can see, Peyton wasn't having it. As a matter of fact, he basically cried throughout the entire visit. Uncontrollably. I asked the doctor about his screaming, and she assured me it was totally normal. I just hate how desperate and painful his cries sound, and there's nothing I can do about it. Holding him helps, but I'm afraid that he's going to be so much more sensitive than Brayden. We've been through a lot with Brayden and his sensory issues, and it just breaks my heart to think that Peyton might experience some of the same problems. Poor little guy!

He even cried when the nurse took his vitals and head circumference. The. Whole. Time. And Lauryn pooped on my hand, so, you know, just another day with these babies. The fun never ends I tell ya!

Then it was time to see the doc.

Even the doctor tried to soothe Peyton (to no avail, unfortunately)!

I'll take this time to say how much I am liking this doctor. The twins have been seeing Dr. Kelly in Saint Charles and, based on the two times we've been in to see her, I think she's really great. The entire office runs very efficiently, and the doctor is completely thorough and still allows me to ask all the questions I had without ever feeling rushed. I had questions about the vitamins they have been taking (they have to take them for at least 4 months), possible constipation (it's not), and the red bumps on the backs of their necks and heads (birthmarks called "stork bites").

I was also given an order to call the hospital so Peyton can have an ultrasound on his hips because he was in the breech position when I was pregnant. Great, just another day to get to hear him scream his head off. :(

At the end of the visit, my husband and I couldn't resist a "famfie" (family selfie).

Here are their stats. It's hard for me to believe that I have a child in the 1st percentile of anything. I'm so used to my larger-than-average kids that to have kids in the 1st, 6th, and 14th percentiles is just crazy to me. Guess it's something I just have to get used to.

I'll keep you posted in the months to come!

Lauryn Elizabeth

Weight: 9 lb 6 oz (45th percentile)

Height: 20.5" (14th percentile)

Head Circumference: 36 cm (25th percentile)

Peyton James

Weight: 8 lb 5 oz (6th percentile)

Height: 20" (1st percentile)

Head Circumference: 36.5 cm (18th percentile)