18 month check-up

I've just been listening to a book in the car - yes, that's right, listening. Too busy and tired to actually read - about blogs and the internet, which has inspired me to get back to writing about our life with Aidan.

He had his 18 month doctor's appointment this week. Erin took him with one or two worries but they seemed to have been calmed down by the doc's comments.

Unlike his dad, Aidan's not a big eater. He picks at things. He loves some food one time then pushes it away the next. He might only eat a tiny bite for lunch - even though we try desperately to get him to eat something - and not necessarily make up for it with his evening meal. Also, each time he gets a new tooth he goes off his food totally, loses weight and doesn't seem to put it back on.

In moments of weakness Erin and I simply worry about him.

We've also worried about his speech. Certain books say he should have 20 words by now. Now, adding them up, including words he's used before but doesn't now, words he's used once or twice, words he's copied one time from us, he has a few more than twenty but he probably has about 10 he uses most days including Mama, dada, choo choo, woof woof (he used to say dog but doesn't now) and ball.

He's actually getting more and more words each day but that's an improvement which has just started in the last week or so.

Anyway, Erin went to the doctor with these worries and came out more reassured. She called me at work to say he's the same weight as he was when he last went. But has grown taller. He's in the 17th percentile for his weight but 80th for height.

The doctor wasn't too concerned about his weight as he saw that he's physically developing. Actually, Erin said the doctor seemed relieved that he wasn't overweight or obese as that's a major concern even in infants here at the moment.

As for Aidan's vocabulary, the doctor wasn't concerned about this either. Aidan seems to be a normal boy and the fact that we read to him regularly and have seen an improvement lately, should be celebrated.

Phew!

There were more questions from the doctor, too.

Can he run? Yes. And trip over. And fall. And it all ends in lots of boy bruises.

Can he walk backwards? Yes (see above).

Can he throw a ball? Yes. Too hard sometimes.

Does he sleep through the night? Yes, thankfully. And when he doesn't, the following day can be very difficult to get through.

Can he put one block on top of another? Yes, but he prefers to knock them down.

I think he just about passed.

He had two shots which seems to have made him a little under the weather. But he's all good.

Speaking of shots, here's one of the cheeky lad himself: