Growth

Andrew's two-year well baby visit was today.  Not so much well baby as well toddler.  Sniff.

At 35 and one-half pounds and 37 and five-eighths inches, Andrew continues to jump off the growth charts.  "Greater than the 97th percentile" is the technical term for it.  We just call it "like a 4 year old."

I stayed for a few minutes in the exam room copying down all his growth stats from his chart.  Deep in thought, I didn't notice Andrew opening the exam table drawer and taking out a fistful of tongue depressors until I heard him drop them in the trash.  I was going to retrieve them from what I thought was an empty garbage can (with a plastic liner and everything) until I noticed the wet diaper down there and remembered it was I who had just deposited it.  Hopefully Dah-duh Eh-nin (Dr. Erin) won't mind losing some sticks.

Here are Andrew's measurements and percentiles:

• Birth: 8lbs 6oz (50-75%), 22 1/2 in (> 97%), weight-for-length percentile < 3% (skinny!!!!!), head ??
• 2 weeks: 9lbs 8oz (75-90%), 22 3/4 in (97%), weight-for-length < 3% (but not as much), head 14 5/8 in (50%)
• 2 months: 14lbs 10oz (95%), 25 5/8 in (> 97%), weight-for-length 25%, head 16 1/4 in (75%)
• 4 months: 19lbs 3oz (> 97%), 28 in (>> 97%), weight-for-length 50%, head 17 3/8 in (90%)
• 6 months: 23lbs (> 97%), 29 1/2 in (>> 97%), weight-for-length 75-90%, head 18 1/8 in (97%)
• 9 months: 26lbs 5oz (> 97%), 31 7/8 in (>> 97%), weight-for-length 90%, head 18 7/8 in (> 97%)
• 1 year: 29lbs 4oz (>> 97%), 33 1/8 in (>> 97%), weight-for-length 95%, head 19 1/4 in (97%)
• 18 months: 33lbs 5oz (>> 97%), 36 1/2 in (>> 97%), weight-for-length 90%, head 19 3/4 in (97%)
• 2 years: 35lbs 8oz (>> 97%), 37 5/8 in (>> 97%) weight-for-length 90-95%, body mass index 17.6 (75%)

So this is what I found interesting:

1. Crazy long at birth.  CRAZY.  That's why they told me at my 32-week ultrasound that he was already close to 6 pounds and could weigh between 10-12 pounds at birth, which caused me significant anxiety over the next two months, including that afternoon, which was my baby shower at work.  Everyone was congratulating me and I was terrified of a 2-year-old trying to break out of me.  He in fact probably wasn't 6 pounds at that time.  They use bone length, which they can measure, to extrapolate weight, which they can't, and most freakishly long 32-week fetuses are going to be HEAVY at birth.  Andrew's birth weight was just north of average.
2. Remember how I said that he ate for eleven solid months?  These figures prove it.
3. His BMI is nice and healthy.  All the broccoli and constant movement makes up for the chicken nuggets and fries at Chick-Fil-A.