Nine-month check-up

Today was Flara's nine-month check-up, and we were quite pleased with the visit!

Best of all, she was up-to-date on shots and so did not have to have any!  I was really feeling bad for the little girl.

Although Flara has been struggling to gain weight (usually an ounce or two a week... if even), she gained an amazing 8 ounces in the last 10 days!  She tipped the scales at 13 pounds, 15 ounces.  She also grew one-half inch so now measures 25.5 inches long.  Of notable cause, she finally appeared on the real "big girl" growth chart!  She's been charting on the preemie chart, but she transitioned over this time.  Still adjusted for prematurity, she is about 35% for length (if a 6-month-old baby) and 12% for weight!

With this most recent growth spurt, she is literally eating straight out of our wallets.  That's never an easy thing when you're on a super-tight budget!  Thankfully, she was given the go-ahead to begin working on stage II foods, then progress to stage III foods within a few weeks.  We get to switch off of the expensive preemie formula and start using "normal" formula, plus supplementing her with one bottle of Pediasure daily.  Hopefully, this will result in better weight gain and save us a bit of money!  =)

Her doc was pleased with the sound of her lungs, so we will not have to be referred to a lung specialist at this time (to follow up on the fast-breathing spells and blue hands and feet).  Yay!  Our pediatrician's best guess is that she is having some residual effects from scarring from being intubated.

She has been labeled 'delayed onset' in the matter of teething.  I believe I've mentioned before that the roof of her mouth is considered 'high and arched,' which is a lovely result of being intubated as a newborn.  If she doesn't have teeth erupt before her first birthday, then little Flara will be referred to a specialized pediatric dentist.  A series of x-rays would be obtained to see how her little teeth are doing, and to further evaluate her palate, and ultimately, to determine if it's fully closed or would need some sort of medical intervention.  Right now, it does not affect her ability to eat, so we can sit and wait.

If anything else happened at the visit, I cannot remember it right now.  =)

We will follow up in about six weeks to check on her weight gain.