Calan’s Two-month Checkup

Calan had his two-month visit today with our pediatrician, Dr. Chambers. This appointment was more than just an exam like in our previous visits. In addition to his regular check-up routine, Calan received his first immunization shots (ouch!), and his parents filled out a couple forms to start tracking his development. But most importantly, we (as parents) experienced a few “proud” moments when Calan received some positive feedback from the doctor and his staff. [More…]

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The first of these comments came when Dr. Chambers acknowledged this little guy’s strength (again)–specifically, his arms and legs as well as his neck. When asked if this was typical, the doctor shook his head with a smile and said most babies aren’t that strong at this point. For example, Calan is able to keep his head up easily now and move it from side to side on his own. And trust me, you don’t want to be in the way of his head when he thrusts it at your chin while you’re holding him upright. Do they make mouth guards just for parents? Needless to say, this little man has some power. We all chuckled after we concluded we should move to a farm where Calan can work behind the plow and keep the ox in line. 🙂

Dr. Chambers was also surprised at how social Calan is. He really picked up on this when Calan would respond to gestures and facial expressions from us. Our favorite of course is his smile, which is becoming more full and a little more frequent now. Now, some would say he’s just a baby, and is merely letting out some gas when that happens… but we’ll take the doc’s assessment! Dr. Chambers also liked that Calan is already vocalizing, or “cooing” a little bit. He said that he’s a little ahead of his time, trying out his “inside” voice already.

Finally, toward the end of our visit, after Calan received all three of his immunizations, the nurse told us how impressed she was with Calan’s tolerance of the shots. Oh, he cried (who wouldn’t, with the size of those needles?!), but he recovered almost immediately. The nurse said more than once how “tough” our little “C” is.

This kind of feedback is so fun to hear as new parents. And who really knows what it all means…especially the parts about strength and toughness–you’d never know from some of the wailing that goes on during a simple diaper change! But perhaps, we’ll just let that slide and relish the wonderful and proud feelings that being a new parent brings.