A Second Birthday Celebration
Greetings to everyone.
We had planned to keep it simple this year. Only have a couple of people over to celebrate Xavier's birthday. Just immediate family and friends close enough to be family. It grew a little bigger than it looked on paper, and a little more complicated.
First, we chose graduation weekend. We didn't know; we never thought about it. Two parties drove down from Fort Collins and another from Colorado Springs. The traffic in all directions did not support a soothing drive.
Second, the weather threatened mischief. Fortunately, it behaved until long after the party ended.
Third, Friday near noon, Xavier stabbed himself in the eye with a fork. The trip to the doctor's office took the rest of the afternoon, the very afternoon Rebecca planned to finish cleaning up the house.
Though the weather had us keeping watch on it, we set up tables on the patio. We grilled burgers and dogs. Xavier had a pack of kids to run around the yard with, most of whom were years older than he, but that did not stop him from having a good time.
After cleaning up the lunch plates, the home-made ice cream (which Xavier helped turn) was brought out and the Minion Army assembled for the festivities. Hiding in the back-right, one special Minion having two yellow candles on top its head. After singing "Happy Birthday," Xavier blew out his candles (with help from Mom and the breeze), then pulled his Minion apart.
After each guest ate their Minion and had some ice cream, the wind began threatening some rain. We all moved inside to let Xavier "have at" the gifts others had brought for him.
Xavier has been opening gifts all week. We started on Thursday (yes, the day after his birthday; it's been a very full week) with the tricycle. Friday, Xavier opened presents from his Aunt Kathy, Grandma Penny and Grandpa Danny. Saturday, Xavier's guests blessed him with more gifts. We should have let Aunt Chelle's present be the last one Xavier opened.
Everything else took a back seat when Xavier torn away the paper and saw a set of five off-road Hot Wheel cars. His mouth made a its tiny "Cheerio" O shape, his eyes lit up and he said "Ooooo!" His new Hot Wheels stole the day from that point on.
Better Than a Stick in the Eye?
Greetings to everyone.
It has been one busy week so far, and the week is far from over.
Today started with me working from home so Rebecca could go to a doctor's appointment without Xavier in tow. As I worked, Xavier pushed his new tricycle around and played at squirreling away various items in a little satchel attached to the frame.
When Rebecca came home, we decided to take Xavier to the park and let him try out his tricycle along the river. We were just a few minutes from leaving. Rebecca was in the kitchen. I was in the office. Xavier was in a room between the two of us, playing with his tricycle.
Then the screeching squeal cracked through the air. Rebecca was closer and got to Xavier quickly. We saw only this: Xavier collapsed in a fetal ball on the floor, screaming in pain unlike we've heard from him before. In one hand a fork he sneaked off a table. His other hand was pressed tight to his left eye.
Three stab wounds: two in his eyelid and one in his sclera (white of his eye). Examination suggested everything was superficial, so Rebecca called Dr. Abbey's office. They concurred with us, but thought it prudent to get Xavier in for an exam anyway. Off to Westminster Rebecca and Xavier went.
Xavier poked his sclera, but missed his cornea. The doctor prescribed eye ointment to guard against infection (oh, the fun of administering that to a freakishly strong, uncooperative, wriggly boy three times a day!). The rest of the day, Xavier had orange stain under his eye (the stain was used to dye his eye and make scratches and damage show up better).
Thank God nothing more serious; this was scary enough. And, thank God Rebecca noticed the poke to the sclera; it is only visible when Xavier looks all the way to the right.
The one nice thing to come from this was another weigh-in. Xavier weighed in at 19.1 pounds. At least that is something!
Two Year Checkup
Greetings to everyone.
Today was Xavier's two-year checkup. Last week, Rebecca began tensing up about it. She was dreading hearing another lecture about Xavier's weight and being told he needs to eat more, etc. and yada, yada. You could tell she was steeling herself for such a tongue lashing. Xavier's eating has been off the last few weeks due to new teeth and a cold. His chest was looking more bony. What else was the doctor going to say other than "he needs to eat more."
As always, God is good! No lecture and nothing to make Rebecca feel like an "inadequate mother" because of Xavier's languid weight gain.
When the nurse called Xavier back, she weighed him, but this time not on a baby scale. No, he got to stand on a big-boy scale. After removing his shoes, Xavier stood still, fascinated by height-measuring part of the scale. Meanwhile the electronic readout fluctuated between two numbers. Before the appointment, Rebecca was hoping Xavier would weigh in be close to 18 pounds; I was voting for 19 pounds.
The number first jumped and held steady at 18.8 pounds. It moved to 19 point something, then back down to 18.7. There it wavered, holding more steady at 18.8 more than 18.7 (in my opinion). I lobbied the nurse to record 18.8. Alas, his official weight today was 18.7 pounds (18 pounds 11 ounces). Glory to God! (note, he got another unscheduled weight check Friday, but that's a whole other story!)
So, in three months (since his last weight check), Xavier put on one and a half pounds. He is supposed to be adding a third to a half pound a month according to the doctors. Xavier cranked it up, putting on one and a half pounds. The comment on Xavier's chart concerning his weight is <1st percentile (CDC). Less than the first percentile! Xavier is off the charts, but still tracking with his own chart!
The height measuring rule on the scale did not go low enough to measure Xavier's height, so we had to use the roll-out mat rule instead. Xavier gained three quarters of an inch in height, now at 31.5 inches! This puts Xavier in the 3rd percentile for height.
Everything else about him looks fine. His "bony chest" interestingly is due to something called "asymmetric chest development." Dr. Abbey gave the technical term also, but after the fourth word, my mind dropped it like a slippery, wiggly eel. Nothing to worry about on this; it's a mild case, but does make Xavier look a little more bony than he is.
He got his final Hepatitis A shot today, which he was not all to happy about, but he survived nicely.
Xavier was very active and chatty today for Dr. Abbey. And he took part of a bottle while we consulted with the doctor. Dr. Abbey said he would like to see Xavier in six months (generally it's a year for the next physical), but he wants an interim weight check and exam.
All told, this was a great exam and a good report. As many problems we have getting Xavier to eat and the amount of work we have to put in, we did not think to have so good a report. Thank you, Jesus!