I’ve just been to Tristan’s annual check-up, something that has been delegated to Beloved the past few years. (So much so, in fact, that I showed up at the wrong building. Good thing we were running a bit ahead of schedule – in the year or two since I’ve been with the boys to the pediatrician, apparently he moved his practice across the street.) I feel the need to reassert my maternal ‘ownership’ of appointments every now and then. Who me, control issues?
I adore our pediatrician. He has the reputation as one of the best in the city, and it’s well-deserved in my opinion. He makes me feel like a wonderful parent with every visit. He earned my undying affection and loyalty way back in the early days, when I had to bring newborn Tristan in every week for the first month for a weigh-in because he wasn’t latching well and wasn’t gaining enough weight. It seems we were in the ped’s office endlessly that first year – Tristan had an EKG when his eyes were doing a weird little roll-back-in-his-head thing around 6 months, then he had a UTI with a fever so severe that we were in the ER for all of Christmas Day – and of course each had a series of follow-up appointments. No matter how anxious or neurotic I was, Dr Bialik’s calming manner not only reassured me but bolstered my negligible parenting confidence.
That long, skinny baby, who was almost failure-to-thrive before we figured out the whole breastfeeding thing, is now a whopping 3’10” and 51 lbs at five years old – more than 95th percentile for height and for perhaps the first time, more than 50th percentile for weight. And five years later, Dr Bialik still finds ways to reassure me with the most casual observations. I didn’t even pointedly ask any questions, and yet he managed to allay my concerns about Tristan’s social development (he seems painfully shy to me, and I worry just a little bit about his lack of interaction with the other kids) and to completely put to rest any nagging fears I had about hyperactivity and ADHD.
While Tristan flopped around on the examining room floor like a carp and bounced around the room like a pinball on Red Bull, Dr Bialik assured me that he could see clear evidence, in this short appointment, that although he has a high energy level Tristan has the ability to reign it in and concentrate on a task when asked to do so – exactly what you need to see in your average engergetic five year old.
I feel like a good mommy today. I wish I could stuff this feeling in a jar and keep it under my pillow for the next time I need it!
These appointments are sometimes not so fun… for the first months Christos would do great at his doctor’s, but then he began to realize where he was and started hating it. I guess in part it had to do with the fact that he has gone through so many tests and procedures because of his hydronephrosis, from blood work, countless catheters, ultra-sounds, renal scans, IV’s… it’s dreadful, really and he clued in that this man is like the other men and women in white coats at CHEO. Anyway – I am loving my son’s pedi too, he was mine and my sister’s doctor when we were kids, as well, so a real family conection there. 🙂
These appointments are sometimes not so fun… for the first months Christos would do great at his doctor’s, but then he began to realize where he was and started hating it. I guess in part it had to do with the fact that he has gone through so many tests and procedures because of his hydronephrosis, from blood work, countless catheters, ultra-sounds, renal scans, IV’s… it’s dreadful, really and he clued in that this man is like the other men and women in white coats at CHEO. Anyway – I am loving my son’s pedi too, he was mine and my sister’s doctor when we were kids, as well, so a real family conection there. 🙂
🙂
You just reminded me to remind my husband to make our son’s next pedi appt.
we love our pediatrician too! His front desk girl can take a hike…but he’s awesome.
🙂
You just reminded me to remind my husband to make our son’s next pedi appt.
we love our pediatrician too! His front desk girl can take a hike…but he’s awesome.
Dani, you mentioned in your post your son had a UTI – did he have to go all the tests that go along with that, to see if he had something like my son has, hydronephrosis? Christos has a UTI at just under 3 months old and was in CHEO for 10 dreadful nights hooked up to an IV. Again at 6 months, in CHEO for 4 nights.
Dani, you mentioned in your post your son had a UTI – did he have to go all the tests that go along with that, to see if he had something like my son has, hydronephrosis? Christos has a UTI at just under 3 months old and was in CHEO for 10 dreadful nights hooked up to an IV. Again at 6 months, in CHEO for 4 nights.
WOW Nathan just hit 40 lbs and is I think about 3’8…don’t quote me on that. YEs long and skinny. Tristan is a Good size strong healthy young boy. He’s not shy just stand offs and observes first. He reminds me of your Hubby.
I wish I could bottle those things too.
WOW Nathan just hit 40 lbs and is I think about 3’8…don’t quote me on that. YEs long and skinny. Tristan is a Good size strong healthy young boy. He’s not shy just stand offs and observes first. He reminds me of your Hubby.
I wish I could bottle those things too.
Hi Loukia,
Yes, we had a whole series of tests (VCUG, I think it was called?) following Tristan’s UTI, because they discovered one of the valves on his kidney (or bladder?) was under-developed. He was on preventative daily antibiotics from 9 mos until he was two years old, I think? I can’t believe how much I’ve forgotten! I hope Christos is lucky like Tristan, who didn’t go see the doctor once between his four and five year check-ups to make up for all those appointments that first year!
Hi Loukia,
Yes, we had a whole series of tests (VCUG, I think it was called?) following Tristan’s UTI, because they discovered one of the valves on his kidney (or bladder?) was under-developed. He was on preventative daily antibiotics from 9 mos until he was two years old, I think? I can’t believe how much I’ve forgotten! I hope Christos is lucky like Tristan, who didn’t go see the doctor once between his four and five year check-ups to make up for all those appointments that first year!
We have our check-up soon too. I Love how you mention wanting to bottle those god mommy feelings…perfectly said!
We have our check-up soon too. I Love how you mention wanting to bottle those god mommy feelings…perfectly said!
a good mommy and you had shiny hair and the cutest shiny shoes on today!!! Glad you had a great day Dani!
a good mommy and you had shiny hair and the cutest shiny shoes on today!!! Glad you had a great day Dani!
Dani… I have a funny feeling we’ve had this discussion before but something happened to my brain after I had my son and I forget EVERYTHING. Anyway, yes, Christos has had the VCUG, too. Not fun at all. We have another ultrasound next week and I am hoping it shows some improvement. The last renal scan showed that he had excellent kidney function and some improvement with the drainage. He’s also on medicine everyday, Septra. It is not easy getting it in him everyday, and we’ve been doing it since he was 3 months old. I am hoping he can stop taking it at 2 years old, like Tristan. Thank you for sharing…
Dani… I have a funny feeling we’ve had this discussion before but something happened to my brain after I had my son and I forget EVERYTHING. Anyway, yes, Christos has had the VCUG, too. Not fun at all. We have another ultrasound next week and I am hoping it shows some improvement. The last renal scan showed that he had excellent kidney function and some improvement with the drainage. He’s also on medicine everyday, Septra. It is not easy getting it in him everyday, and we’ve been doing it since he was 3 months old. I am hoping he can stop taking it at 2 years old, like Tristan. Thank you for sharing…
Funny how Sarah weighs the same yet is 95th percentile – guess girls are supposed to be lighter. She’s still a couple of inches taller than Tristan, though. Maybe he’ll catch up in high school. 😉 Glad to hear he’s doing well.
Funny how Sarah weighs the same yet is 95th percentile – guess girls are supposed to be lighter. She’s still a couple of inches taller than Tristan, though. Maybe he’ll catch up in high school. 😉 Glad to hear he’s doing well.
You are a very good mommy. Mwah!
You are a very good mommy. Mwah!
Yay for Tristan and yay for the good mommy 😉 xxx
Yay for Tristan and yay for the good mommy 😉 xxx