6 months

 
River is 6 months old today. Only a half of a year ago, he was still inside of me; and now here he is, devouring all the applesauce I offer him.

To mark the day, we also had his wellness visit with our favorite nurse practitioner, Yvonne. She was impressed with his smiley disposition, his strength and muscle tone, and his giggly wiggles whenever she went to examine him.

She declared him healthy. All 17 pounds, 8 ounces and 27 inches of him, putting him in the 50th and 75th percentiles respectively. (He is a full 2 pounds heavier than Liam was at this age.)

When I described River's symptoms whenever I consume even the smallest amount of dairy (intense abdominal pain, gas, mucousy stools...), she agreed that it definitely sounds like a genuine allergy and not just an intolerance, and is referring us to the allergist in Bentonville for further testing. We are going to have Liam tested as well. It will be good for my peace of mind to officially find out what I should and shouldn't feed these boys, since it is likely that they could have other allergies. 

She also gave us a referral to another specialist in Fayetteville to see what can be done about his lop-sided head. It was something we discussed at his 4-month check up, and I have followed all of her suggestions to encourage him to put pressure on the other side of his head. It has helped, but he is still not symmetrical. Because this can potentially cause developmental problems down the road, we want to address it now, which may mean River could be one of those goofy babies in a shaping helmet for a month or so. We'll see what the specialist thinks.

It seems like it is just one weird thing after another with this kid. But, I am grateful that none of these medical quirks are anything life threatening. And what is most important is that he is a vibrant, happy little guy, who seems to be thriving despite it all.

I sure love my sweet, not-so-little River.

-----