Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Finn's 18-month well baby checkup


Finn and I visited our favorite pediatrician this morning. The highlights:

  • Finn weighs 19 lbs. 8 oz. He's actually lost a bit of weight over the last couple of weeks because he had the stomach flu and wasn't eating much for a week or so. I can't remember his length, but according to his file, he's grown an inch and a half and gained a pound and a quarter since his last visit 3 months ago. Good news!
  • We're getting a referral to a Down syndrome clinic that recently opened at our children's hospital. Apparently it's staffed by a team of doctors who are especially knowledgeable about Down syndrome. While I love our pediatrician, and we've been with him for a long time (since my first was born 13 years ago), he's not especially well-versed in things relating to Down syndrome, and I think it could be beneficial to visit the Ds clinic and get recommendations for things we can do to optimize Finn's overall health and development.
  • I've been a tad concerned about Finn's urine output lately, as he is peeing through all his diapers in short periods of time. It might just be the diapers, I don't know. But I also know that diabetes associated with Ds is not unheard of. So we decided to do a blood panel to check his blood sugar levels. While we're at it, we're having his thyroid re-checked (his thyroid panel at 12 months was normal).
  • I talked to the doc about Finn's recent eye-rolling episodes. Honestly, I am just not as concerned about it as I was a few days ago. I've observed him doing it a couple more times since I posted here about it. The last time I saw him do it, he was sitting on the kitchen floor playing and babbling, and then he did it - he rolled his eyes way up. But the thing is, he kept babbling the whole time, and it seems to me that if he were having a seizure, he wouldn't have been babbling while doing it. It seemed pretty innocuous at that moment, and I haven't seen him do it since. The pedi is not super concerned about it, but did say to keep an eye on it, and if it continues and/or if I become very concerned again, we can certainly investigate. Also, there is a pediatric neurologist on staff at the Ds clinic we're getting a referral to, so I will definitely take my concerns about these episodes there as well.
Interestingly, Michael just happened, by pure chance, to catch one of these episodes on video:





(That's Michael doing the funny voice . . . such a comedian, that man.)

Sometimes he's done that off-to-the-side eye-roll like that, and other times, it's been more rolling his eyes straight up. So, I dunno.

7 comments:

The Sanchez Family said...

Cutie pie...almost looks like he is just experimenting with his eyes and his sight...so darn cute!
Thank you for putting up the blog button :)!!!

Leigh Anne said...

oh man, he's just too cute, Lisa...those jammies (maybe they aren't jammies) are just too sweet!

I had been thinking of you and this situation but i'd wanted to talk to my dad before i said anything. when i was younger, i rolled my eyes back and to the side. he always told me they were going to get stuck like that, haha. i agree w/ you and your pedi...just keep an eye on it...

and he sure is growing :)

ds.mama said...

Ok, wow... Summer has been peeing through Pampers Cruisers in a short period of time... Unheard of with my other kids. I mean soaked her pants, the floor. It has happened three times in the past two weeks. I was getting all mad at Pampers thinking that maybe they were cheaping out on how they are making diapers these days... but now... you have me wondering if something is wrong. She is getting bloods done this week so maybe I will add sugar to the list.

My name is Sarah said...

Lisa this is Joyce. I have been following your story about the eye rolling. I did not want to comment until I saw what you were talking about, especially having no experience with seizures. Watching this video now, I can share that Sarah has been doing this same thing for twenty years now. Not often but she will frequently do it when I open her bedroom door and catch her singing along to her ipod. I will try to catch it on video and post it for you. It has never amounted to anything significant for her.

Tricia said...

Sounds like good reports. THat doesn't look entirely unlike what Georgia does sometimes, too. I bet he just discovered he could do it and thinks it's kinda cool. :)

Anna Alexandrova said...

Great to hear all the good news! The eye-rolling looks so innocuous, honestly...

Love Mike's voiceover!

And Finn, as usual, as just so edible!

MaggieMae said...

My daughter (non DS) and Michael (DS) did/does that... we call it "the sideways glance". Brian did the looking off into the middle distance (where there was nothing to see). We thought it was absence seizure. Tried a natural sleep MRI. Didn't work b/c he wouldn't stay asleep while the not-very-gentle nurse placed the probes on his head. Chose not to pursue a drug-induced-sleep MRI. Don't like putting him out unnecessarily. Instead we're watching him instead. Our Pedi Neurologist said even with the MRI 50% show indefinite or no evidence of seizure and protocol would still say "watch and wait". It's happened a few times since... but doesn't exhaust him or anything similar to seizures. Looks more like he's following a floater on his optic lenses. Gotta check into that though his eye exams always come back "normal". Good luck with it. I think it looks like nothing much but a funny habit in the video... but you're the Mama and you know best.