We will go chronologically through the day. Before we headed to Kendall's checkup we took Ella for an allergy shot. She started getting shots in late-March, and I can't put into words what a difference they, along with her new medication, have already made. Compared to this time last year, she is a different kid. Last summer we spent very little time outside because her nose would pour constantly and her eyes would swell up, but I can't even remember the last time she had a reaction like that. Today she finished up her second vial...there are ten vials before we start "maintenance"...when we can start spacing out the injections a little more. Right now we are going at least once a week...usually twice a week. The more we do now, the sooner we can start maintenance and the sooner she will reap the full benefits. She's already improved so much that I'm hoping we can drop some of her medication soon - she is currently taking Claritin, Singulair and Nasonex daily.
Ella is so tough when it comes time to get a shot. The first few were rough, but once we got used to it, and once she saw several other tough kids get shots without crying, she stopped crying and took the shots like a champ. Ronnie took her for the first time a few weeks ago and he couldn't believe how brave she was. He got home and said, "She just sat there and took it...she never even flinched!" Today they called her name and she hopped into my lap and had her arms ready. The nurse always asks me to verify her birthday and vial number. When she asked her birthday, Ella pipped in "January 16th!" before I even had time to answer. Since it was the last dose of the vial, today was a pretty big dose, but she never flinched or squirmed or anything. We are so proud of her for being so brave!
After her allergy shots we took Kendall to see Dr. Bindner. Kendall was in a grumpy mood this morning. She is cutting her bottom molars and also has a cold, so she's been a little grumpy for the last couple of weeks, but this morning she was especially out of sorts. So today she wasn't too excited to have a nurse poking at her and measuring her. She weighed in at 23 lbs (50th%) and was 30.5 inches (50th%). Her big old melon head still came in at 97th%. :) When Dr. Bindner came in I asked about a couple of things that I was worried about. First, she took a pretty hard fall right on the middle of her forehead a few weeks ago. You can still feel the vertical knot going down her forehead. She said that was fine and would go away soon. Then I told her I was a little worried about Kendall's vocabulary. She isn't saying very many words, and usually doesn't say any words unless she is encouraged to do so...."Kendall, say 'bird' now Kendall, say 'Ella!'" And the words that she does say, it's usually just the first sound of the word that she will make. After we talked about it Dr. Bindner assured me that her vocabulary is average for her age. I recently watched a video we have of Ella at this age, and she was talking so much more, that is what made me kind of worried. But, Ella had a very extensive vocabulary at a very young age, so it isn't really fair for me to compare them. Kendall does other things very well. She can identify a lot of body parts and she understands commands very well. One of my favorite things that she does is bring me the right book when I ask for a specific one.
Ella absolutely cracked me up during Kendall's checkup. When the nurse was getting all of Kendall's measurements and asking me questions about her progression, Ella kept trying to talk to the nurse. Then she asked Ella how old she was. Ella held up three fingers and said, "Three." Then she said, "When will you be four?" Ella matter-of-factly said, "At my next birthday." The nurse laughed and asked when that was and Ella told her January 16. After the nurse left Ella was pretending to write on a book and asked me questions about Kendall..." how old is she?...can she put her clothes on by herself?...can she ride a bike by herself?" It was quite funny listening to Nurse Ella's assessment!
Then, unfortunately it was time for shots. Today Kendall received the MMR and the Pentacel vaccines. Of course she wasn't quite as brave as Ella, so there was some screaming and there were some tears! But we survived and will anxiously await the next checkup. I'm sure the next 3 months will fly by as quickly as the last 3 did. Next checkup will be at 18 months in October!
Here is Kendall on the 4th of July :) Such a little sweetie pie!
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