Kate had her four month check up with the doctor today. She is 25.3 inches long (75th percentile) and weighs 14.8 lbs (60th percentile). She has been within these percentiles since the beginning and Parker was in these same percentiles as a baby too.
Fortunately (but really, unfortunately) we all happened to be sick today, so I didn't have to make a separate appointment for Parker and Kate to be seen for this pesky cough and runny nose they've developed. The doctor checked Parker after she was done with Kate and found that he has an ear infection... at least that's what she said, but honestly, I'm a little skeptical. She listened to him breathe and said that he sounded very congested. Agreed. Then, she checked his right ear. No problem, she said. Looks great. Then she tried to check his other ear and he really shied away and wouldn't let her. She tried several times, then finally he sat on my lap and I tried to hold his arms down while she took a look. She said that one had an ear infection, but it seemed like she was basing her decision on the fact that he wouldn't let her look. She said that it probably hurt him and so that's why he didn't let her look. I was surprised that he even let her look at all the first time and I think that he didn't let her look into the second ear because he'd wised up and knew what she was up to. He was squirming around so much when she looked into the left ear that it's hard to believe that she was able to see anything at all. As we were leaving I thought that maybe I'd like a second opinion, but we have Kaiser insurance, so we'd have to see another Kaiser doctor and I doubt they'd go against what one of their own doctors had already said. I asked Paul to bring his loupes home after work, so we'll see what the real doctor has to say about it. Ha Ha Ha.
Oh yeah, this post was supposed to be about Kate. At four months Kate:
* LOVES to smile. She'll giggle without reserve if you tickle her in just the right spot.
* is completely zen during baths- even when I pour the water on her face.
* is not really on a sleep schedule. She takes a nap around 9:00am, but her other two naps are not as predictable. Lately she's been waking up twice at night to eat and then wakes up for the day around 7:30.
* coos and gurgles.
* is consistently good in the car. She hardly ever cries!
* wears a bow every day. And it must coordinate with her outfit and socks. If she has a wardrobe malfunction midday (spit up or blowout) you'd better believe she's also getting a new bow and socks. (I love having a girl!)
* loves when Parker pays attention to her. He too tickles her and at first I thought that maybe he was being too rough, but she loves it!
* pulls her pacifier out of her mouth and then cries. I put it back in, she pulls it back out. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
* shockingly, does not spit up very much.
* has a big, gummy smile.
* has eyes that are changing colors. I don't know if you can tell by the photos, but the inner part of her iris (near the pupil) is starting to look golden.
*has thinning hair on top and the sides, but her mudflap is alive and well.
* smiles when she hears mama's voice.
* wakes up smiling.
*enjoys sitting in her Bumbo.
* is just the best, cutest baby you ever did see!
**Quick update on Parker- the day after we saw the doctor, he was jumping around and being his normal, loud, happy self, so I never gave him the antibiotics and he never complained about his ear. I'm conflicted on how I should feel about the doctor. Maybe she was justified in wanting to give him medicine preventatively, but she actually said that he did have an ear infection and that it was still in the outer ear. So did she lie? Can an ear infection cure itself in a day? Hmmm...
