Not so.
At 7 1/2 months Johnny weighs 15#15oz = 8th percentile!
I was right about his height last time; they did measure wrong. He is 26.5", which is the same as before. It't not because he hasn't grown, but because they mismeasured him. That puts his height in the 25th percentile.
I hate to sound like a paranoid mother, but I am! Suggestions?? I vacilate between thinking that he's fine and just small, and that I need to stop nursing and pump the bottles. I guess I'll call the pediatrician tomorrow and see what she recommends. Johnny seems happy enough, but he's still not sleeping through the night. Maybe it's because he's hungry.
Oh, by the way . . .
JOHNNY HAS A TOOTH! It made it's appearance on Memorial Day, when we were leaving Arlington Cemetery in D.C. You would never know since he hasn't fussed at all about it. Memorial Day last year was also the first time I felt him move, i.e LEAP.
These are pictures of Johnny flying home from our trip to D.C. The seat next to us was empty - yeah! I love being a mom.
16 comments:
If you have a happy, healthy baby, which you so obviously do....don't worry about what size he is. He is perfect. Filling his tummy up with rice cereal in the evening may help him sleep longer though. You're a fantastic mom!
hey emily... Matt & I have been checking out your blog for a while now but i never leave a note. But those pictures on the airplane are to cute not to comment on. Those blue eyes are amazing! It is sweet to watch him grow.
I hope all is well. Keep up the good work mama! He is perfect.
much love~ katelyn vanderpool
p.s- we have a little bitty too. Reese is only 12% but a perfectly happy little lady... my advice would be, if you enjoy it, to keep nursing!!! If he is happy and healthy he will grow. Just feed him other food too. You are doing great!
we have a blog too, but it is private, send me your email if you would like a peek! :) katelynvanderpool@gmail.com
Aw, he's so cute! And perfectly healthy. Don't worry at all. (I know-easier said than done. lol). Ira slowed down in growth about his time, too.
those pictures are SO CUTE!!! Love that little guy.
He may just be small. My mom would give us a bottle with rice cereal in it at night to help us sleep better. It was thicker than milk, but runnier than spoon feeding consistency. Because he will get the food faster in a bottle as opposed to spoon feeding, he will get more. He is adorable and seems to be happy, so just do your best, don't worry, and he'll be fine.
I just had to say CUTE PICTURES!!! And I second what everyone else here has said! Kaelah didn't sleep through the night until she was 15 months old & we began buying the super expensive Huggies Night time diapers (but she had stopped eating in the middle of the night a long time before that). I know 3 very very small children, ages 3, 2, & under 1. All 3 of them have gone through a horrible onslaught of testing to only find out they are small for their age. So don't worry!
He is ADORABLE! He has grown up so much! Dylan's in the 10th percentile, will be 2 on Friday and hasn't slept through the night yet. Don't worry...Johnny will be fine!
You honestly have one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. He totally has John's nose and the biggest, most beautiful bright, blue eyes.
Emily, look at his genetics - you and John are both small people, it's very possible he's just small. When we were there he seemed very healthy and he is super happy so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Olivia is 18 months now and still only 18 1/2 pounds, but it's normal for her. It's also normal to worry, it shows you are a good mama!
Look how happy he is that you let him have the window seat! He's just plane cute!
I'm another one of your non-creepy followers. Bottom line, you inspire me!! I'm a friend of Val Housely & Steph Webb. That's our "blog" connection. I didn't intend to out myself, but like you, I am the Mother of a peanut.
My son lost weight between his six and nine month appointment. Once he became mobile, he burned through his calories like it was nobody's business!
I was stunned considering his eating habits are stellar. The quantity was also more than sufficient! I nursed him until he was 14 months. At his one year appointment, he was a little more than 16 lbs (below the charts)... the next month, I was shocked to see that he had gained three pounds. The only addition/change I had made, was that I had started him on whole milk. Apparently I made skim!
I take him monthly to be weighed, they've done blood tests, but all appears to be well. I understand your concern. I was likewise, nervous. His older sister was always "average"in her weight/size/etc... If you need the peace of mind and your doctor suggest something like that, go for it if you want the peace of mind. Otherwise, trust that inkling you have that you know he's healthy. You see how much he eats!!
My Mom's advice was, "Feed him a bowl of ice cream every night before bed!"
It's a genetic thing, if you ask me. In both of our cases. Sorry for the novel. Who cares about a stranger's child's health history, right?! I guess, I should have just said, "ditto" to the other comments!
P.S. You probably hear this all the time but Johnny is the cutest little thing I've ever seen!!!
ANOTHER non-creepy follower chiming in here!
I say keep breast feeding too. If you're not working and don't need to pump it for solely for nutritional bottles, I say nurse as often as he wants. Breastmilk is super food.
And what an ADORABLE little boy you have!
What a sweetheart. I am just in love with Johnny's little face and bright blue eyes!!! He is so precious.
Love the calic (I think that's how you spell it)! And blond hair and blue eyes have always been a favorite. :) He's getting so big! Even if the numbers don't show it. As long as he's eating, just enjoy his size. Before you know it, he'll be looking you straight in the eye. Looks like he's ready to travel wherever mom wants to explore! My kids were always 90% on weight and 10% on height- short and fat. Isaac's still short, but boy can he run! No worries. Babies seem to know when they're full better than adults do. Good mama!
Emily,
I'm another non-creepy follower who checks your blog now and then. You don't know me. I was a missionary comp to your friend Jana Arbuckle. I have followed your blog ever since your sweetheart went missing last year, & Jana posted a link on her blog. I was overcome with grief for you when he had passed away. I also was pregnant at the same time, and felt a closeness to you, and my heart went out to you. My son was born on Oct 30th
My Simon was 9lbs, 9oz. Today at a little over 6 months, he weighs 15lbs 3oz. And is 28 inches long. And you know what...he is wonderful,, & nursing like a champ, loving his cereal & fruits, and meeting his milestones, and he is AMAZING. Just like your sweet Johnny! Simon is my 3rd baby. So I've been down this road before. I remember as a new Mommy the anxiety I felt wanting to make sure I was doing everything right. All those charts, graphs, & percentages can really make a new Mommy very anxious and nervous. Now that I've done it a few times, I know that THIS IS NORMAL. It is normal for HIM. If Johnny is meeting his milestones & happy, & inquisitive, & making wet diapers, then you are doing JUST FINE. Don't let the numbers worry your sweet mind or freak you out. Every child is different.
I also have had many experiences and challenges breastfeeding. I had to have faith in myself and be determined. My first child I nursed to 14 mos, my second child to 17 mos, and of course currently nursing Simon. I would discourage looking at your pumped milk as a representation of your supply. Johnny extracts more milk faster and more efficiently from the breast than a pump can. If you pump and stress over how many ounces you can get at a sitting, you may lose confidence in your ability to nurse successfully. Because what is in the bottle isn't a fair representation of what your Johnny gets when he has a go at the breast. You just can't see it and measure it. Dr's are scientists and want to see and measure and weigh with exactness. That is why so many push mom's to supplement, because formula can be measured exactly. Continue to NURSE at the breast. Believe me, you can do it! Breastfeeding has a lot to do with FAITH. Just look at his beautiful bright eyes, his healthy hair and growing fingernails. He is sitting up so well (My Simon hasn't even do that yet!). Please don't doubt your ability to nourish your baby! He looks amazing. Remember, as baby becomes more physically able and active, he burns more calories. So even if he is packing in the food...he is burning calories with his new physical exertions. :)
I hope you don't think me overbearing or preachy, coming to your blog and leaving a novel for you to read! But I saw that you were worried about your sweet little guy, and I know how it feels. I don't want you to doubt your ability to nourish Johnny. Dr’s sometimes do a good job of sounding alarms and scaring moms when it really is not necessary and baby is just normal in his own way. I wish you all the best. Johnny is so so so beautiful. I can imagine he is an incredible reflection of his father. You are an amazing Mom Emily. I know I've never met you, but I can tell. The Lord has a special plan for your sweet little eternal family.
Love
Sarah Hubler
Okay Em, my comment is a lot different from the ones I've read. Breastfeeding Jake was so difficult. He went a whole month without even gaining one ounce. He was not sleeping well. I'm sure he was not getting enough to eat. I believe I stuck with breastfeeding longer than I should have because I felt guilty feeding him formula, but neither him nor I were happy with breastfeeding. You're NOT a bad mom if you need to switch to formula. The week we started him on formula, he gained one whole pound. I think I was just too stressed out to produce the amount of milk he needed.
With Christian, it was easier to breastfeed, I was able to do it longer, and he grew much better than Jake did breastfeeding.
Here's the bottom line: Do what YOU feel is right.
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