And he tore up the paper on the exam table while we waited in our room. He loves the sound it makes and the fact that he can rip pieces apart. So fun to watch him explore!
I was happy to hear that he's still doing really well, but was not happy to find out that he had to have 4 shots and had to have blood drawn to check his Thyroid & CBC. He was plenty mad after the shots, but absolutely hysterical after he had to be stuck TWICE for blood because the first one wasn't working. BROKE MY HEART!!!! Poor baby Colton! The nurse and I had to pin him down for way too long.
But...the nurses were so sweet to him and sang to him and kissed his cheeks. They really liked Mr. Colton.
My Pediatrician told me that kids with DS usually slow down on their growth between 9 and 18 months. Colton's percentiles aren't as high as they were at his last check-up, but she said she likes his growth and that he's doing well. He's pretty average on the "typical" scale but very tall and heavy on the DS scale. We still have a pretty big boy! Here are his percentiles...
Weight: 22 lbs 10 oz (46th percentile)
Height: 29.5 inches (39th percentile)
Head: 18 inches (29th percentile)
Colton's lungs sound good and his ears look good. He will have an Audiology appointment in March for his annual hearing check. She also said it's time for a Vision check. We were referred to an Ophthalmologist and are waiting to hear when that will be. Colton does have one eye that tends to turn in at times when he's trying to focus or if he's sleepy. I'll be interested to see if that's something that needs attention. His heart still has a murmur, but she said it's pretty loud. Loud is actually good. Murmurs get louder as the holes in the heart get smaller. So, hopefully when we have a follow-up Cardiology appointment in the future, we will see some of those holes from his ASD shrinking.
We are going to switch from Thick-It 2 to Simply Thick. This is a thickener that we use to thicken his liquids. Simply Thick cannot be used until after the Age of 1, so we are excited we can finally switch. I've heard Simply Thick is way more consistent than Thick-It 2. It's more of a gel to add to his drinks than a powder. It should be easier to take with me when we are out and about because it comes in packets. Also, I can mix his drinks ahead of time and they won't keep thickening to cement like they do with the Thick-It 2.
As far as feeding goes, she wants me to keep him on Formula for a few more months until he's fully eating table foods. Right now, we are just doing purees and slowly adding solids because of his sensitive gag reflex. He's getting better, but we need him to be eating more calories before we stop formula. She said hopefully by 15 months he'll be ready to switch to milk, but if not, we could do Boost or Pediasure instead of formula. So we will continue to do bottles for a few more months until his eating progresses.
Colton will be getting AFO's for his ankles (ankle braces that go inside his shoes). Our PT wants to stabilize his ankles so that we can practice strengthening his legs from the knee and up. We are beginning to practice standing at therapy, and we want to make sure his ankles are well supported. Our Pediatrician has to give us a prescription in order to get those AFO's. Tomorrow, his PT will cast his legs so that they can make AFO's just for him. He's actually pretty good at standing...his legs are really strong. He just needs support so that he can stand longer without getting tired. I just had to share this picture again of him standing. He is so proud!
And here he is practicing at the Athletic Club.
He's not a fan of crawling yet, but we are trying to get him moving. His upper body isn't quite as strong as his lower body. I think in a few more weeks he will get there. We just need lots and lots of practice and motivation.
Every year, Colton has to get his Thyroid checked because children with DS are more prone to having Thyroid issues. He also had to have a CBC to check his blood count because children with DS are also more prone to Childhood Leukemia. That's why we had to have blood drawn today. The nurse called me the next day and told me that all of his labs look normal. HOORAY!!!!
We had lots of things to talk about at Colton's 1 year check-up, but things are going well. We will have a lot of appointments coming up in the next few months. Keep us in your prayers!
P.S.
Colton's been battling a cold for a week or so but at his checkup everything looked fine. I was worried about his cough because he was having coughing fits in the middle of the night so I took him to the doctor last night. His lungs sound just fine, but he does have an ear infection. This was him at the doctor last night....does that look like a sick kid to you?
My little trouble maker destroying that paper again...
We are currently on antibiotics for an ear infection in his right ear. Hoping that clears up soon. He's a pretty tough little guy.
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