Growing Pains...

The girl is growing...FAST. No really, she's having a growth spurt. How do I know? Pants that were way too long a month ago are fitting perfectly. Her legs are finally catching up to her long torso. She's eating everything in sight. She's moody. Now the latter could be caused by several different things, she is 2 now, but I'm going with growth spurt. Her sleep patterns are changing, again. And tonight at bed-time, she complained of pain behind her knee. She was confused by it and wasn't sure if it itched or if it hurt. Poor girl fell asleep holding her knee up to her chest. Again, all signs point to growth spurt and growing pains.

Amelia had her 2 year well check with a new pediatrician here in Lansing. Visits to the doctor have always been...how do I say...painfully painful. However, another sign that she is growing (although she did cry through the entire visit) is the fact that she actually did what the doctor asked; opening her mouth while tears streamed down her face, letting her listen to her chest and back...all the while crying and interjecting an occasional "don't check me! I don't want a check-up. I don't want to, I don't want to...." Heartbreaking. I even told her before the visit that there would be no pokes and that nothing would hurt this time...just a check up. Well, surprise. Though I didn't mean to, I lied...hemoglobin check means prick to the toe. Wow, she was NOT happy. And I felt terrible too.
Gratefully, she understands more therefore she can prepare for what's to come when it comes to the doctor, she can ask questions, reassure herself by playing doctor on her stuffed animals, and she even asked the doctor personal questions about her family...responses regarding her 2 year old son seemed to please Amelia and made the doc seem a little less scary. She acted like a big girl despite all those tears. And I was very proud of her. Lots of praise and hugs as well as a trip to the diner across the street for a post doc visit vanilla shake seemed to erase the pain. At least most of it.

She's healthy. All that growing turned out the following results: At 27 months she weighs 30 lbs putting her in the 78th percentile for weight. She is 37 1/4 inches tall...96th percentile. And her head is, as always, off the charts...this time at 99 cm.

She's growing and sometimes painfully fast. Whether it's my heart aching for things to slow down just a bit, or Amelia's little legs aching from sprouting up so fast so she can one day tower over her mother, it's the growing that is the journey and it's those painful moments that makes all the others so sweet.