18-Month Appointment: height, weight, milk

Last Wedneday, I took Ivan for his 18 month appointment. And the verdict is: 24 lbs 5.2 oz fat and 31 1/2 inches tall, which again puts him in the 25th percentile category---right on the mark for weight and a smidgeon under the mark for height.

And stupid me, I expected him to have grown himself into the 50th percentile category.

Actually I was thrilled that the appointment itself was a few weeks after his actual 18th month birthday. It was on the 27th, while he turned 18 months on the 9th. I was crossing my fingers that during this two week delay, he'd fatten up his little fingers and beat the system a bit: that at 18 months and 20 days he'd measure in the 50th percetile category for the 18 month olds. But, alas, it was not meant to be.

When the doctor asked her usual litany of questions--what's he eating (everything, except when he's picky), how many words he's saying (between 15-20), which milk he's drinking (full fat), is he off the bottle and onto the sippy cup, I found myself fudging the truth a bit.

I dreaded for weeks before the appointment and even Andy made a point about it. "Good luck telling the doctor that he's still drinking milk from the bottle," he said. We had already gotten scolded at the 15 month appointment, which Andy attended with me.

I told her, I had succeeded in weaning him off the bottle (I omitted the qualifying word "almost") back in July, but then he cut seven teeth in one week and cold milk in a bottle was the only thing that got him through the day and night. I also forgot to say that now he's more attached to the bottle than he had been before.

Of course, as I was talking to the doctor and trying to conduct an adult conversation, Ivan got cranky and started a temper tantrum. He was tired and needed his milk. He was trying to wiggle out of my lap to rummage through the diaper bag to look for milk. I didn't let him and instead leaned into the bag to prevent him from pulling everything out. Why? Because I had a bottle, an empty bottle that is as I had forgotten milk in the car, but nevertheless a bottle.

And I was petrified that the doctor was going to find out.