Big Update

We've been very busy lately, getting Aerin all checked out and watching her add skill after skill to her repertoire. There's a lot to report.

Developmental Follow-Up Clinic
The Developmental Follow-Up Clinic is at the Parham Campus of Henrico Doctors' Hospital. The NICU and Perinatal Special Care Unit are at the Forest Campus, so we didn't see any familiar faces. Aerin was examined by both a developmental specialist and a neonatologist who specialized in follow-up care. The developmental exam was very fun for all of us. We were taken into a room that was both a playroom and an exam room. The specialist, Tammy Tarochnik (who I'm sure will forgive me for the misspelling of her last name), first handed Aerin various blocks to test her grip and coordination. Aerin did everything on that checklist - she took them in either hand, transferred from hand to hand, waved them around, and put them in her mouth (everything in the room is sterilized between patients). We then moved down to the floor. They had an anti-bacterial play mat, so Aerin got to show off how well she crawls. She pulled herself into a standing position, took a couple of sideways steps holding onto a chair, played with various toys, and talked up a storm. Aerin had a fantastic time and was all smiles and giggles. She is either on target or ahead of her adjusted age, which is pretty much what we expected.

The neonatologist, Dr. Brown, did a brief physical exam and spoke to us at length afterward. Basically, Aerin is a healthy baby. She has no health issues other than her hemangioma. Their only concern about the hemangioma is that the weight of it will interfere with the development of her arm muscles. It hasn't so far, which is a good sign. They want us to watch it and make sure that Aerin doesn't favor her left arm. We try to hand her things to her right hand and make her reach up for them. She does it easily and without complaint, so I feel confident that her arm will develop normally. They also want us to try to get her to crawl as much as we can. Crawling is important for the development of her abdominal muscles. Aerin stood very early (even for her adjusted age) and she very much wants to walk, so she prefers to take steps holding onto a support. We just try to put her where she has no choice but to crawl and it's working out pretty well.

We do need to work on Aerin's pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger grasp). We didn't know if she was ready for cereal, so she'd never really gotten the chance to use it at all. She was approved for cereal and now, almost 2 weeks later, she has almost perfected the pincer.

Aerin had such a fun time at the clinic. She really enjoyed playing with their toys and she loved crawling around on the floor. She positively beamed at Tammy and Dr. Brown for most of the exam. She did scream when Dr. Brown carried her to the scale, but she calmed right down when I picked her up. Aerin loves people, as long as they don't pick her up or take her away from her momma. She eventually gets used to unfamiliar people holding her, but it takes longer than an exam. She quickly forgave Dr. Brown and impressed her with her talking.

One-Year-Old Check-Up
Aerin's one-year-old check-up was the day after her developmental appointment. She got her chicken pox vaccine and barely even cried. They let me hold her when she gets shots and that makes it much easier for everyone. I think that at least 50% of a child's reaction to pain or trauma is caused by the parent's reaction. Andrew and I are always very careful to be calm and encouraging whenever Aerin falls, gets a shot, etc. We smile when she looks at us, even if we are freaking out inside. Aerin cried when the nurse stuck her, but stopped when she saw I was smiling. She has a high threshold for pain, but a very low tolerance for discomfort. She was very unhappy when poor Dr. Al-Mateen had to lie her down to listen to her chest.

Dr. Al-Mateen confirmed what Dr. Brown told us - Aerin is very healthy. Her heart is strong, her lungs are clear, and her eyes and ears are perfect (and beautiful). Aerin is so big and healthy that she's not getting Synagis this year. Honestly, that makes me a little nervous, but she just doesn't qualify. We don't even have to go into full quarantine this RSV season. As long as we keep using our normal micropreemie precautions (good handwashing, cleaning with bleach, no exposure to sick people), she'll be okay.

Aerin has move up from the 25th percentile in height and weight to the 50th percentile. She's a whopping 18.5 pounds and 27.5 inches long. This is for her adjusted age - she's still not on the charts for her chronological age. I think they probably need to adjust the charts to allow for how big babies are nowadays. I usually tell people her adjusted age when they ask and everyone is always remarking how tiny she is.

Something that we're particularly happy about is that Aerin is off formula entirely! She's on 2% milk and, boy, does she love it. She's a milk junkie. We figured she'd be taken off the high-calorie formula, but we just thought she'd be moved down to regular. It's so much easier for us - preemie formula is hard to find. Aerin is also allowed cereal and blended foods. So far, we've given her organic turkey, which she kind of likes. She mostly wants to eat her flakes (what we call her cereal) and her milky. She likes to feed herself her cereal, which is great for me, too. I can put some on her tray and eat my supper while she eats the cereal. I forgot how much better food tastes when it's hot.

Aerin has said both "Momma," "Dad," and "Dog." She said "dog" after an incident where she shoved her jar of food off the table and it splashed all over our Shih Tzu, Marlowe (I had put the jar down for a second to wipe her face and her reach had improved more than I realized). She watched intently as I cleaned him off (you can't imagine the smell). As I threw out the paper towels, she looked up from Marlowe, looked me right in the eye and said, "dog." It was so adorable and exciting.

Life with Aerin is never dull. A few days ago, I was checking my email upstairs and heard the following:

Aerin: Na na na na na na.
Andrew: [anguished scream] My eye! She poked me in the eye.
Aerin: Na na na na na na.