Well, the car seat carrier is getting heavy. I’m not sure how much longer I will be able to cart my sack of potatoes around in it without enrolling in a gym to build up some muscles. One of my most favorite things about Tessa is the fact that she literally melts into your shoulder when you hold her. It’s a product of her low muscle tone (meaning: it takes her more energy to get the muscles going than is typical) and I adore it. However, when it comes to her being carried in a car seat or otherwise, she gets heavy fast. With little to no assistance from her own muscles, mine are tired.
I bring this up only because we had a nine-month visit with Tessa’s pediatrician today and she is tipping the scales 😉 at almost 17 pounds and 26 inches these days. She’s essentially not on the growth charts for height or head circumference, though not surprisingly, her weight was on the percentile charts. On the old, no-longer-in-use Down syndrome growth charts, she’s at a solid 50th percentile in all areas and continues to grow. And, as John so correctly noted, she’s in the 100th percentile for cuteness. For comparison’s sake, she’s about the size that Ellie was at 5 months.
(Yes, I did run home and check Ellie’s baby book for that comparison. But, for the record, I was only trying to determine how much longer I might be able to keep Tessa in the six month clothes, based on what Ellie was wearing. I think we’ll get through the fall and maybe part of the winter…. yippee!)
With good reports from cardiology, her ENT, and her eye doctor, we are thankful to have a little break from appointments until the end of the year. We don’t have to go back to cardiology until she is about 2 and a half. They are still monitoring the very, very small hole that Tessa has between the top two chambers of her heart. It is causing no issues and we fully expect that the hole will close on its own in the next couple of years. If not, she may have surgery at around 3-5 years of age. No ear infections recently, tubes are still in, eyesight is normal, clogged tear duct resolved months ago… we’re in good shape! For once, when the doctor asked for any changes to her medical history, I had nothing to add!! Tessa did get her flu shot today as well and took it like a total champ. She puffed out her lower lip a bit, but there was no horrific, blood-curdling scream as her sister tends to do. We had originally thought that Tessa might be our drama queen, but I have to tell ya, she is not showing any signs of being dramatic at this time. Let’s keep it going.
I’ve been oddly reflective over the past couple of weeks, but am saving my posts up for the 31 for 21 Blog Challenge that I will take part in during the month of October (which happens to be Down Syndrome Awareness Month). More details coming soon…. And since my crazy schedule is keeping me from taking a tremendous number of pictures these days, I leave you only with Tessa’s new sleeping position… and solid evidence as to why I pick out the girls’ clothes every day (not John):
At least they are just pajamas, but poor Tessa… 🙂
Yo soy La Lay 