7 Year Check Up & Everything Else From the Past Week

Miles had his 7 year check up on Monday. I've been trying to blog about this all week, but all I can say is Carson REALLY likes to be held :)  Miles is 52lbs (55th percentile) and 48.5" tall (59th percentile). I've had a few concerns about Miles lately. He complains about being tired a lot and also complains about headaches more often than I think is normal. I asked the doctor if he could visit with the nurses while we talked b/c if he would have heard my concerns, he would have used them for attention in the future. Sometimes I struggle with how seriously to take him b/c I don't think he has a very high pain tolerance and I know he can sense my concerns.

She recommended getting his vision checked. Poor vision is often the reason for headaches in kids. They also did a finger prick to check for anemia. I've always dealt with anemia so that wouldn't surprise me. Plus he is so pale. This was his face after being told about the finger prick. I tried to distract him with Carson, but he wasn't having it. Of course he said it wasn't bad after the fact, but he can never seem to remember that on the front end. 

The visit must have worn him out b/c this never happens. He's resting his head on a case of formula that the pediatrician gave us. What a blessing!

While we were there, Carson had a weight check. He weighed 8lbs 3oz! That's an increase of 1lb 13oz in just 17 days. He's had nothing but progress since we've been home from the hospital. He finishes almost every bottle down to the last drop. This week we've been able to begin feeding him every 4 hours instead of every 3. That makes a huge difference. Dr. Amy said we don't have to wake him up at night anymore either. We feed him at 10pm and then wait for him to wake us up for a bottle. It's usually between 2:30-3:30am. Then, we feed him again between 6-7am. Not bad for 7 weeks old!

Other random news...Carson attended his first volleyball practice.

He wore his red Bulldog sleeper that my friend, Stephanie got for him. He went to a scrimmage later in the week. Between the music and the whistles, it was way too loud. I don't remember having that concern with Miles, but I don't plan to take him back to any games this year if I can help it. This is what he thought of the practice.

Miles loves going to practice with Darrin. The girls are so nice to him. He knows the routine and he's old enough to shag balls. He asks Darrin what drill he's going to do next. This was before we left. It's a hard time of year for Miles b/c he misses Darrin so badly when we don't see him much.

I met my brother, Dave, sister-in-law, Emily, and niece, Sarah, for lunch last weekend. Emily's mom lives somewhat close to us, so when they visit her, it's easy to sneak a peak at Carson. Sarah really likes to spoil him :)

Carson has been introduced to his bouncy seat. He's okay with it sometimes and not other times. Miles loved his, which was so helpful. I don't know if it's a preemie thing or just different personalities, but so far Carson needs more attention than Miles did. He's the cuddliest baby I've ever seen. I know he's too little to really know what going on, but it's like he just wants to be near us at all times.

Last Sunday was Carson's first trip to church. We kept him with us in the service. He grunted a lot. Darrin took him out once to walk and I took him out once to change his diaper. I jokingly questioned why we went since we didn't hear much of the sermon, but it was good to be back with our people. It's important to get back to our routine. We also hosted our small group that night. It was wonderful to have our dear friends back in our home.

On Tuesday, Miles had his first fall baseball practice. He was very engaged, much more so than during the spring. He wants to continue playing third base, so we've stressed that he needs to work hard and try to earn the spot. He seemed to take our advice to heart.

I had to take Carson to the practice b/c Darrin was working late. Darrin's parents offered to watch him, but I really need to get out there and show myself that I can handle two kids. I've had some anxiety lately stemming from worrying about how I can juggle two kids, with two very opposite schedules, especially while Darrin is so busy. I think the fastest way to relieve my anxiety is to live life and prove to myself that the world will not swallow me whole. Carson did not care for baseball practice at all, or the stroller for that matter. I had to walk and bounce him for most of the 1.5 hour practice. It was hot and sticky, so maybe that was some of it. Again, some friends offered to bring Miles home after practice, but I need to conquer these kids! We are giving practice another try tonight. I'm going to try to make the stroller more comfortable. We shall see how it goes.

Darrin's season kicks off in 30 minutes. I will be watching online & cheering the Bulldogs on from here. Let's go UU!