Hayden's 2-year well-baby check-up was on June 9th. The last time he had to go to the doctor a couple months ago for his first ear infection, it did not go very well. He cried horribly from the time he stood on the scale (didn't want to let go of Mommy) until the very end of the appointment. So this time, I had an idea. I rented "Elmo Visits the Doctor" on Netflix and we watched it together the morning of his appointment. I got out our thermometer and ear scope gadget and we talked about the doctor, what she is going to do, and why. He typically hates having his temperature taken even at home, even just under the armpit, so I was surprised that he was letting me show him. Maybe because Elmo was doing it too. I think it also helps that Hayden has come with me to some of my OB appointments and sees Mommy get the same treatment. My nurse even lets Hayden squeeze the blood pressure bulb, which he thinks is super fun.
The good news is, the little prep session totally worked! He stood on the scale with just a little whimper, and was very cooperative except for a little minute when he didn't really enjoy having to lay flat on the examining table to get his height measurement. And of course he cried when he got a shot at the very end (luckily just 1 this time) and he calmed down quickly when I offered him some M&Ms as a treat for being so brave. Here are his stats:
Weight - 31.2 lbs (80th percentile)
Height - 38 1/4 inches (off the charts - Would be 95th percentile for a 28-month old.)
Head Circumference - 20 inches (95th percentile)
So, just as everyone keeps saying, he is TALL! Don't know how reliable this is, but according to the pediatrician, you can sometimes predict a child's full-grown height by doubling their height when they are 2 years old. That means, Hayden would be 6'4.5"!! Taller than Daddy (6'1").
The doctor also asked us all kinds of questions about Hayden's development. How many words he is saying, if he's running, climbing, jumping. How his eating and sleeping habits are. She quizzed him on a bunch of body parts and he easily identified his hair, eyes, ears, nose, tummy, knee, toes. It was really cute to see Hayden listen so well to the doctor and do what she asked.
I did have some concerns about his speech development that I discussed with the doctor. She said a 2 year old should have a vocabulary of about 50 words, and be able to say a handful of 2-word combinations. I wasn't sure if he could say 50 words accurately enough that a stranger would recognize the word. Phil and I know his "language" but I was hesitant to say other people would be able to understand him. He still says some words backwards or just the last sound. Like "Dump Truck" is just "Puh-Tuh", "Down" is "Nown", "Loud" is "Dlou", my favorite: "Doggy" is "GoDagoDago", and so on. But other words he says just fine. The pediatrician referred us to a program call Encompass that can evaluate his speech and other developmental abilities and provide therapy if needed.
Later that evening, I made a list of all the words Hayden says, and I was surprised once I got them all written down that there is definitely at least 50 understandable words. And even in the following days, he has been saying so many more words, and really trying to repeat words back to us - even hard ones like "watermelon". And he's been putting more 2 word combos together - "Mommy Daddy Moom" (Mommy & Daddy's Room), "Dooty Bvee" (Cookie Please), "Boo Boo Knee". So I'm a lot less worried, but we still have an appointment scheduled with Encompass for June 30th. Even if he doesn't qualify for therapy services (he'd have to score in the bottom 25th percentile), the therapist may be able to give me some suggestions on how to help correct some of his speech issues. Or even if we should? Like or words he says incorrectly, should I work with him and slowly articulate the word back to him? Do I say, "No, not "Ba", say FFFFFan"? Or do I just continue speaking normally and eventually he will start saying things more clearly and correctly?
The pediatrician also said I should NOT be worried that Hayden isn't very social with his peers, yet. He was clearly social with her, making eye contact and engaging in what she was doing. He probably just doesn't quite associate his peers with playmates yet, and views them more as threats (They take away his toys! They scream in his face!). He is very social with adults and if I just keep providing him opportunities to be around other kids (PEPS, Stroller Strides, Toddler Time, Playdates, etc.) he will be fine.
As for all his other developmental progress, he is excellent. He sleeps from about 8pm until 7:30am, and naps from about 1:30pm to 4 or 4:30pm and is doing great in his toddler bed. He never protests when we say "nap time" or "bed time". Goes right upstairs and into his room. He is a very good eater, loves veggies and eats almost anything we feed him, except for ice cream. He freaks out if I offer him ice cream. Whose kid is this?! But I am definitely not going to force him to like ice cream! He climbs up and down our stairs without having to hold on to anything, climbs in and out of the car and car seat and booster seat at the dinner table, can buckle the seatbelt on his high chair and stroller (thankfully not unbuckle, yet), gets a little bit of air under his feet when he jumps, kicks and throws a ball, follows a set of simple directions, brushes his teeth, washes his hands, verbally counts to 10 (sometimes misses #7), understands counting 2 and 3 items, correctly shows 1-5 on his fingers, can identify almost all the letters of the alphabet (except J, K, and Q), can identify almost all the sign language alphabet and about 15 other signs, and understands the concepts up, down, behind, front, and together.
We haven't really made any progress in potty training since that time a while ago when he pushed out a tiny little poopy. He sits on the potty chair every night as part of the bedtime routine, but has yet to really produce anything. Sometimes after his nap I put him in big-boy underwear until dinnertime, but he almost always has an accident. We don't make a big deal about it, and I think it's just good for him to start to recognize the sensation of peeing. He usually says, "Uh-Oh, Pee-Pee" but then it's too late.
He loves wheels, trucks, trains, things that move and spin, books, coloring, Play-Dough, cooking, playing with water in the sink or at his water table, finding sprinkler heads on the ground outside (calls those "Dow" for some reason - "round"?), and looking at our family photo albums. Surprisingly, he doesn't care for swimming or riding on toys - he prefers to push his ride-on cars and tricycle than sit on them and ride. And he has about a 15 minute attention span for TV. I let him watch a few shows: Super Why, Clifford, and Elmo's World. We watch them together and talk about what is going on, so hopefully that counteracts some of the negative effects of TV. Still, I feel guilty if I ever turn on the TV for him while I do something else, like cooking dinner.
Last week was the week of Boo-Boos. First he fell at Grandma's house in their driveway while wearing shorts and got pretty bloody knees. The next day, he fell on the sidewalk outside our house while pushing around his Cozy Coupe Firetruck and got a big boo-boo on his head and forearm. And a couple days later, we went to the Snoqualmie Railroad museum and he tripped on a railroad tie and went head-first into the next one. Poor guy. Band-Aids and Neosporan are in full stock! It's so sad to see him get hurt, but his reaction is a little funny. He screams a mad scream and usually that's it. Sometimes he cries a little but is usually ok in a minute or so. He actually cries more when we do the Neosporan and BandAids.
We've also started having Hayden do some simple "chores". He brings his plate and cup to the sink after every meal, he puts his dirty clothes in the hamper at night, he helps put the silverware away in the drawer after they are washed, he cleans up spills (not perfectly, of course), puts trash in the garbage can, and picks up his toys (when reminded!). I can tell he is going to be very helpful when his baby sister is born.
I wouldn't even come close to saying we are experiencing "terrible two's" with Hayden. He has a few moments of testing, but he is mostly very cooperative, listens and obeys well, has a fun temperament, and everyone who watches him confirms he is "easy". Knock on wood everything stays that way!! We are really enjoying being his parents.
There you have it. Hayden at two.
