Flintstone Kid…

 

We had our 4 year check up on Wednesday.  It was a good news/bad news visit. 

Stats:

Height: 41 inches  (75% percentile)                 Weight: 42 lbs (90% percentile)

Dr. Elahee-White (yes, she got married but Erin refuses to call her by her new name!  She still calls her Dr. Elephee.   Dr. White loves it!) was not concerned about her weight.  Anyone who has seen Erin or picked her up knows she’s a solid kid but by no means overweight.  The doctor told me she grew 4 inches last year and the average is 2 inches a year.  She said she had gained 6 lbs. and the average is 5 lbs.  Considering her growth spurt, this weight gain was to be expected. 

Her teeth and eyes got a good report.  I was actually wondering about her eyes because she squints a lot but it appears that is just a bad habit.  I also wondered how they check a kids eyes.  Now I know.  They have an eye chart with shapes instead of letters.  The kid just stands back the measured distance and reads the chart.  Nothing too complicated about it.

As for her ears…she failed part of the hearing test and got zeros on the low frequency.  She was perfect on the higher pitches.  The doctor looked at the results and Erin’s ears.  She thinks it might be because she has some fluid behind her ear drums.  I’m thinking this came from our trip to SeaWorld.  She also has some wax on her actual eardrums.  She gave her an Rx to get earwax remover and a decongestant.  I clean her ears, but I don’t go that deep.  Both tubes are still in there and barely hanging on.  The doctor thinks that after the ear drops and the decongestant that the swelling holding them in will go down and they will fall out. 

We go back next Wednesday to have her hearing checked again.  I’m not at all concerned about this.  Erin hears very well and I think it’s just the fluid on her eardrums that is causing the issue.  She can hear a fly walk across the ceiling in another room!

She also got 4 shots while we were there.  I didn’t tell her before hand that she was getting them.  Dr. White told me that was the best way to do it as they get more anxious and build it up more if you tell them before hand.  I did tell her that the nurse was coming back in and that she was going to need to be brave.  She was great when they came in and she saw the shots.  She laid down on the table and they made me hold her down and hold her arms.  I was in her face with mine and tried to comfort her.  She cried a lot and yelled “Owyhee”  when the did them.  One of them must have really hurt because the nurse made a noise and Erin really squealed.  She was very distraught after the shots but I would have been too.  Four shots is a lot of shots.  The good news is that she’s done with shots until she turns 11!

Dr. White asked me if there was anything for the school that she needed to sign.  Like a moron I told her no, but I did have the presence of mind to get a copy of her shot records.  I called the school when we left and yes, I was supposed to get a Statement of Health for her to start back to school in August.  No biggie.  I called and they’re going to fax one over from the doctor’s office. 

We love Dr. White.  Erin was not good during the visit.  She is so ticklish that Dr. White had to have me hold her down to be able to do the physical exam.  Everything turned out okay but it was a challenge with Erin acting up.  She refused to count and say her ABC’s.  She also started tearing the paper on the table and acting like a wild hyena.  I’m sure the doctor was very impressed with the level of control I have over my kid!  She was a perfect angel until the doctor walked in.  I promise!

All in all it was a good report except for the hearing thing, but like I said, I’m not too concerned.