Natalie's 3 year check up

We all need a check up once in a while. In fact it would do us all well to go in and see the doctor at every birthday. I know I have a list going I just can't find the time nor the severity to see the doctor. Why do my elbows and knees ache (I am ONLY 32)? Am I the right weight? What foods should I be eating what skills can I do? As parents we are always so careful to follow the rules, no candy, chips and soda. Limit juice, getting enough exercise not too much TV. Make sure to see the dentist and the eye doctor...all things us tired adults should consider.

Well Natalie turned 3 a few weeks ago and it was her 3rd year check up with Dr. Pillai. We LOVE Dr. Pillai! Natalie has been a patient of hers since she was a baby, maybe 6 or 9 months old. Dr. Pillai is the kind of doctor that smiles and calls you by name (to your face, not from your chart) she is friendly, helpful and patient. You can call her on the weekends, evenings and in between. Her nurses are also fantastic, they give shots with love while wearing Dora scrubs and they pass out stickers without end. Natalie knows them all and keeps them busy with her lengthy conversations when we visit; which with two kids we do quite a lot!

Natalie was first weighed and measured. 32 pounds! This surprised me as we barely made it to 30 and she teetered for 6 months before this BIG jump to 32 (60th percentile)! She is also 39 inches tall! To put this all in perspective 32 pounds means she is in the child size life jacket , no longer the infant one so we can pass that down to Ally. It means she is still light enough to carry and lift while sleeping, she is a TALL 32 pounds so she is a string bean, still wearing a 2T but I insist on purchasing 3's because I don't want to be fooled - there will be a growth spurt. Let's look at her 39 inches. That is tall, over three feet! 90th percentile, she can ride the Matterhorn and Space Mountain at Disneyland...she can reach the second to the top shelf in the fridge. And she is great at jumping over things(like her sister).

She was also supposed to "talk" so the doctor could check her speech, this wasn't needed because the whole staff could hear her in the waiting room ask about the mermaid picture, the books to read, what the other kids names were, wondering who could use the potty and the scale, then she continued into our patient room with the Dora's on the nurses shirt, the purple crocs she wore, the posters on the wall and that her favorite color was green that day! CHECK she has sufficient speech. She got to breathe for the doctor and then be very still so Dr. Pillai could listen to her heart. Interestingly, Natalie has a heart murmur. Over half of children her age have this and it is fairly common. We are only to check in on it at regular checkups. We are NOT to worry:) She needed a shot and so my brave little girl sat up on the bed beside her sister (who gets shots at every visit) and put her arm out to test her bravery. No tears, no sadness, only a bit surprised that this time it was her arm and not Ally's.

Natalie will be going to see the Ear, Nose and Throat doctor about her excessive ear infections. Unfortunately, a trait she inherited from me. Tubes may be in our future. This will dramatically cut down on her ear infections but could limit her swimming.

Natalie is a healthy girl. We are off to check in with the dentist too...mommy is a little scared of that visit, have you ever tried to brush a 3 year olds teeth consistently and perfectly every time? Not to mention the pacifier use....yikes!