3 year check up with the Pediatrician

Astrid had her 3 year checkup earlier this month. We had to wait 3 months to get an appointment with her Pediatrician (who was recently voted best Pediatrician in Glendale). After all the required doctor's visits and shots that are required for an infant, U. just couldn't believe that after her 2 year visit, we wouldn't need to see her Pediatrician again until Astrid was 3. So it was utmost important for him, for us to get her checkup as soon as she turned 3 to make sure everything was okay. (Parents always worry right? Even though they know that everything is alright.)

Last time we were at the doctor's office, Astrid cried and cried - terrified of the office itself and the nurses, and the doctor. Even the door of the doctor's office reminded her getting shots.

This time around at 3 she was less scared but still anxious. I told her there wouldn't be any shots this time, just a checkup. But I don't think she fully believed me. She wanted to believe me of course but then how come we were going to the doctor's office where she always gets shots? She played with the toys in the waiting room and leafed through the children's books studying the pictures and words, and stared at the goldfish in the aquarium, but always kept real close to mama. Then when the nurse opened the door and called Astrid's name, she jumped onto my lap and clung to me.

I reassured her that everything would be alright and it would be a simple checkup to make sure she was perfectly healthy. First they measured her height - and that's when Astrid started crying. She thought the measuring stick was some sort of torture device. I stood underneath it and let the nurse measure me to show her it didn't hurt. But she still cried the entire time. With a lot of consoling and encouragement, and a bit of force - we were able to get her to stand against the wall with her feet touching the back of the wall for a correct height measurement.

Then we went into one of the small rooms - and the nurse weighed Astrid. She cried at being on the scale for the same reason - she was expecting the pain to come sure enough.

Then the doctor came in to look into her eyes, nose, ears - listen to her heart and lungs with his stethoscope, and talk about her development. Last time we were there Astrid was starting to potty train. Now I proudly told him that she's been potty trained for awhile now and hasn't worn a diaper at all (even at night) for a long time. I explained that it was easier than we thought, and she just did it on her own when she was ready. (He told me girls are faster/easier to potty train.) I also told him about her graduating from a crib to a big girl bed. (He asked if the bed has bed rails on the side to keep her from falling out and I said "yes it does and it has a canopy too.") He asked me if she can be understood by others. (And said, I know she's not going to tell me. As she was super quiet with the Pediatrician in the room.) I told him yes, and she has to because she's in preschool now. We also discussed how her vocabulary is just exploding and she can count and is starting to sound out letters of the alphabet - and she loves to sing and dance.

Astrid got a clean bill of health. Her Pediatrician told us that he wished all of his patients only came to see him once a year for a checkup. I told him that she just doesn't get sick (to which I attribute a lot of that to eating organic food). We thought once she started preschool she would come home with all these viruses, but nope - other than a minor cold - she's a healthy baby.

Astrid continues to be at the high end of the scale for height - 90th percentile, and her weight is proportional. We knew that would be the case as people always think she's older than she is because of her size.

A couple things that I brought up to ask her Pediatrician about:
1) her toenails being wavy and misshapen. We cut them back and I know other kids have the same issue - but wanted to be reassured this is normal and nothing to worry about - which the doctor did. Perfectly normal.
2) stuttering - When Astrid gets excited she starts stuttering. We discussed it and he said it's perfectly normal since it's at the beginning of words (and not in the middle or end, which would indicate a speech problem). It's like her brain is faster than her mouth and take awhile for the two to work together to get it out. We allow her to finish her sentences (thoughts) and then repeat the sentence to her to reinforce what she's trying to say.

And of course no shots this time. After the doctor's visit was over, Astrid got a sticker. She called U. who was catching a flight to Germany for his father's funeral (he was really disappointed that he couldn't be at the doctor's office with Astrid - but that's why "parents" are important - plural - when one can't make it the other one can.). She told her papa about how she didn't get a shot this time. Hahah. So you know what was on her mind the entire time we were there - when are the shots coming? 

She announced to her papa over the cell phone "Papa I go doctor's office.  No shot today.  I healthy!  They gimme sticker."  That about sums it up.