Off the Curve

We had a kind of depressing doctor's appointment today. We were in getting James's g-tube checked, and he hadn't gained weight since his last appointment (still hanging out at 19 lbs, 11 oz). What this means is that he's no longer tracking on the right growth curve, which makes them concerned. The nurse practitioner said that it's bad because a lot of brain growth and development happens in the first two years, so they really want to make sure he's getting enough calories so that it doesn't hurt his development. This is the kind of statement that would normally freak me right out, but in this case, I'm not as concerned for a few reasons: 1) things were okay at his last appointment, which wasn't all that long ago, 2) the body directs energy to where it is most needed, and I think that means prioritizing brain development, 3) his head circumference is right on track, 4) he's catching or caught up to his actual age in a lot of the developmental testing they've been doing. So, I don't think there have actually been any bad effects for him.

But, nonetheless, we all want to see him start putting on some weight again. So we have to start tracking his calorie intake more closely again, and supplementing his formula with even more extra calories (a supplement called DuoCal), and maybe even using the tube again. (We're really bummed out about that, because we were thinking we were on track for getting rid of it this summer. Not likely now.)

We're a bit sad about all this, but really, we're reminding ourselves that compared to all the things we used to have to worry about, this isn't so bad.

The next step is to figure out if he's not gaining because he's just hasn't been taking in enough calories, or if there's some issue with absorption (which would mean going back to more broken-down formula). Of course, he's also very active and always on the go, so he's burning a lot of calories, too.

Poor James does not like the hospital these days. As soon as we got out of the car he was saying "all done!", "Ride-rides! [Translation: put me back in the car!]", and he had a complete fit when we had to weigh him, and when the nurse first came in. Poor little guy! There are definitely some downsides to long-term memory!

A student in my class last semester was doing a project on childhood obesity, and asked me if that issue had more personal significance to me now that I have kids. I just laughed and said that with preemies we had the opposite concerns!

P.S.  Kitty update:  Mike dropped off the kitty at the shelter this afternoon.  The lady there said that with the muted calico coloring, it's most likely a girl.  She also said that kittens usually get adopted very quickly, and we have an ID number so we can call and check on her.