Today the babies went for their 15 month well check appointment. I was a little nervous since we moved to a different city we had to change doctor's offices. It is still the same general group, but now a new location and a new doctor. The good news is since it is the same medical group, their medical records were already in the computer system. Yay, technology!
I picked out our new doctor pretty randomly by just viewing her profile online and based on the fact that it said she specializes in babies and toddlers. I was also apprehensive because at their 12 month appointment they got 4 shots a piece and we basically had to run out of the office afterwards with two screaming babies...not fun!
I was thrilled to meet their new doctor and discover that she was very personable, extremely patient with the babies, and very thorough and took her time with their examinations. Both babies received an excellent report. They are meeting all of their developmental milestones, and are on track with their growth charts.
I want to briefly just write down a few things about both babies at 15 months so I can remember them, and then I will post a picture and each child's stats with a few facts.
Schedule: Our day begins around 7 AM for Brady and 7:30 AM for Chloe. Breakfast is at 8 AM. We usually eat and then have playtime until morning nap, which is usually around 10 AM. After the babies wake up we have more playtime until lunch, normally around 12 PM. Afternoon nap is usually around 2 PM. Once the babies wake up from afternoon nap, we usually have snack around 4 PM. More playing time until dinner at 6 PM. After dinner we usually take a walk around the neighborhood and the lake, then we have some outside time in the backyard before bath time. Bath time starts at 8 PM and we read a story and have them in bed by 8:30 PM.
Eating: The babies eat a pretty big variety of foods. The babies get a cup of whole milk with every meal. At snack time we offer water or occasionally juice. For breakfast they love cheesy eggs, hot cereal, cereal bars, fruit, Cheerios, yogurt melts, and pancakes. Some fruits they eat include: raspberries, blackberries, pears, peaches, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, apples, and pineapple. Lunch is usually our lightest meal, and includes Goldfish, cheese, lunch meat or leftovers from the previous night's dinner, fruit, and applesauce. Snack time is usually pretty light and most of the time it is one of those fruit and veggie pouches for toddlers and some water or juice. Dinner is a pretty big meal usually, a fruit, a vegetable, a meat or a pasta, and yogurt for dessert. In terms of meat the babies eat a lot of chicken but they also enjoy beef and steak. Pasta is a big favorite, I like to use the pasta made from spinach and tomatoes and mix it with butter and cheese and they love it! Favorite foods: For Chloe, any fruit. For Brady, any meat!
Development: We keep t.v. time to one hour a day, and that consists of Sesame Street in the morning while I cook/prepare their breakfast. Both babies are walking like pros! Chloe is talking up a storm and picking up on quite a few words! Brady is really branching out socially and is getting more and more comfortable venturing out on his own in social situations! Both kids are LOVING The Little Gym activities and are very comfortable playing and exploring on their own now! I am so thrilled! A lot of our play during the day right now revolves around reading. Our bookcase is at the babies' height and is easily accessible to them right there in their playroom, so they are constantly bringing me books to read. We do a LOT of pointing and naming objects. We also have a few iPad apps that we try to incorporate in the learning process. A lot of our reading focuses on animal names, animal sounds, shapes, colors, opposites (i.e. hot/cold, short/tall), letters, and counting. By the end of the day I don't know about the babies, but my brain is pretty fried and I couldn't tell you a cow from a sheep or a triangle from a square!
Growth: Interesting that they both gained 2 pounds since their last well check 3 months ago. Also many people think Brady is much bigger than Chloe weight wise, but since birth they have never been more than a pound apart in weight!
Okay, now time for the babies' individual stats:
Chloe Renee
Weight: 21 lbs, 2 ounces (23rd perecentile)
Height: 30 1/2 inches (52nd percentile)
Chloe is such a precious girl! Her personality shines through no matter where she is or what she's doing. She does not hesitate to jump into the middle of whatever is going on and to participate with whoever is around. She is an excellent sleeper and napper, and sleeps longer than her brother both at night and nap time. She LOVES to read, read, read. She is a great little talker. Some of the words she knows are: Ball, Duck, Bow, Bear, Dog, Uh Oh, Bye Bye, Night Night, Ma Ma, Da Da, Baby, and Babies. If you ask her to point to a certain animal or object in a book she will get it right most of the time. She will point out a ball or a dog without being asked. She also knows where her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are. She still has 8 teeth. She can recognize Chad and I from a picture. If she hears the dog bark and run towards the door during the day she will say "Da da, da da?" because she thinks Chad is home. Sometimes she asks for him when she wakes up in the morning or from a nap. She is beginning to show a little bit of an independent and willful streak, and you don't want to mess with the child when she is tired! She has a favorite bear that she calls "Baby" and also two stuffed dogs that she loves to carry around the house too! Chloe is such a joy and we love her to pieces!
Brady Matthew
Weight: 22 pounds (16th percentile)
Height: 32 1/4 inches (82nd percentile)
Brady is a sweet, sweet man! He gives the best hugs and he has the best belly laugh you've ever heard! Brady's walking is just amazing and he is so sturdy now! He is an amazing eater and loves to eat almost anything. He loves cars, trucks, balls, and being messy. He LOVES to play in water or sand. He has recently become just as obsessed with books and reading as his sister, if not more so. He has one book that is HUGE but he insists on dragging it over to me to read at least three times a day. He can say several words including: Ma Ma, Da Da, Ball, Uh Oh, Night Night, Truck (but sounds like Guck). He confidently goes up to play around other children at The Little Gym without us now. He has 12 teeth (4 upper, 4 lower, and 4 MOLARS)!!! He has been known to still want to cling to us or be held by us, particularly if he is hungry or if a situation is too noisy/crowded. He hates to wear shoes and spends most of the time he's wearing them trying to find a way to get them off, and usually succeeds in getting at least one off. He also hates to have his face or hands wiped! He has recently become very attached to his blanket and likes to go pull it through the slats in his crib and walk around the house with it. He is quite a skillful climber and loves to climb up on the glider in the playroom. Brady is such a great boy and we love him a ton!
Whew, these posts are always LONG! Congrats to you if you made it this far! Hope everyone had a great start to their week.
