I am a bad mom, and I was too flustered at the doctor’s office to make sure I got Susie’s measurements written down, but as far as I remember, here are her 10 month stats.:
Weight: 16 lbs 1 oz (3%) (at 9 months, Tommy was 20 lbs 9 oz [50%] and Elizabeth was 18 lbs [25%])
Height: 28 inches? (38%?) (at 9 months, Tommy was 28 1/8 inch [50%]and Elizabeth was 27 inches [25%])
I don’t remember her head circumference, but it was in the 60%.
The big discussion with Dr. Antall was over her growth. She has grown a pound since she was last in, so he’s happy with that. We’re also happy that she’s eating so well–all table foods except meat (which is still too tough for her to chew without opposing teeth)! She got the go-ahead to try strawberries (huge fan!) and egg whites (in pancakes and French toast, also a fan), and she had no reaction to either. But she’s such a fan of table food that nursing just doesn’t interest her at all anymore. She’ll occasionally take a bottle if she’s feeling tired, but if I don’t catch her right when she wakes up or force feed her right before she falls asleep, she won’t even drink. Finger food is more exciting. I’m desperately trying to keep nursing her at least first thing in the morning and before bed, but I think it’s a matter of days before I can’t even manage that. At this age, the doctor said she should ideally be drinking 15-20 ounces, and my production seems so down that he guesses she’s not getting more than 2 ounces at a time. I’d guess she’s getting a combined total of maybe 12-13 ounces a day, so when I give up and let her finish weaning, it might actually be easier to get more ounces in her. Sigh. After all the struggles with nursing in the past 7 months, I know I should be happy that we’ve gotten this far, but every mom knows how emotional it is to wean, even if you don’t enjoy nursing.
Another possible reason for Susie’s slender physique might be her hyperactive behavior. I don’t think I’ve ever met a child as wiggly as she is. She races across the house to keep up with her siblings, and she squirms, rolls, and insinuates herself everywhere she doesn’t belong. Favorite activities include eating kleenex out of the bathroom trash and banana peels out of the kitchen trash, chewing on refrigerator magnets, and climbing out of her high chair.
Just in the past few days, she has started standing for 10 or more seconds at a time, and she took her first step this weekend with Grandma and I watching! (It was an accident, so I don’t think she’ll be walking for a little longer…) She claps her hands and waves bye-bye, shakes her head, says Dada, Mama, Baba, Nana, and makes air kisses.
And yesterday she went down the slide with Tommy and then “by herself.” She’s gotta keep up with the big kids!
Huh, I guess I didn’t know about all the feeding issues over the last 7 months. 🙁 I know what you mean about it being hard on the mom when a baby weans. I don’t think K2 got much from me during the last several months he breast fed, mostly because he wasn’t much interested. Well, she is adorable and may just be one of those rail-thin kids because she’s so active; that’s not a bad thing.
It was hard for me when Ian Michael decided he was all finished nursing…I would have forced him to continue, but I had thyroid surgery looming in front of me. You have done so well and she is approaching the 12 month mark very soon. She has gotten loads of benefits from your milk. It can be even more frustrating when they don’t want to nurse! It turns that time in to a wiggling, squirming, battle! She is completely adorable and seems like such a grown up girl. 🙂
Hey Emily, it looks like Susie is doing great. You made me laugh with not writing down her stats at the doctor’s office. If that makes you a bad mom I don’t know where I fall on the continuum (sp?), as I haven’t kept track of either of my kids stats!! I hope that you can be at peace with the nursing. I know it is hard to let it go, but at least once she is weaned the stress over it goes away too. I will pray for you as I know the sadness/depression that can come with wening and the stress of having a kid in the 3rd percentile.
How cool that she’s doing so many things! I’m sure the mischevious behavior must be frustrating for you, though.