Miriam’s doctor visit

This morning I took Miriam in for her six month check-up. And I got lost on my way to the clinic. Now, I ask you, how does one get lost on their way to somewhere they’ve been more than a handful of times? Seriously, how?

I phoned Andrew almost in tears; he pulled out the Cairo Maps book and saved the day. I was late, but the check-up went well.

Miriam was her happy, cheerful self while I chatted with Dr. Omar, who was weighing and measuring her. Right now she weighs 7300 grams, or 16 lbs, and is 64 cm, or 25 inches, tall.

I’m glad that she’s stopped packing on the weight like she had been doing for the first few months—I can’t fathom how much she’d weigh if she stayed in 95th percentile…which she was in when she was two months old. She’d be huge. Her weight-gain is leveling out, as Dr. Omar said it would, and she’s now down to the 40th percentile. He suspects that her weight gain will continue to taper off until she’s back on the curve she was started out on at birth.

She had to get one shot today—for DTP and Hib—and she did not like it, not one little bit. At first she just raised her eyebrows and widened her eyes. Then she shot her quivering lower lip out in a pout. Then she took a deep breath and let it out in a shrill cry.

By that time Dr. Omar was just pulling out the needle. He took the opportunity to give her an oral polio inoculation while her mouth was wide open. She stopped screaming and smacked her lips, wondering what fell into her mouth and was fairly content for the rest of our visit.

As a side note, she spat up a few hours later and I can’t help but wonder if that lessens the effectiveness of an oral vaccination for an infant.

Anyway, she and I took a nap and when we woke up, Miriam was absolutely miserable. Feverish, cranky, sore, inconsolable. I was completely expecting it because this is the way she reacted the last two times she got this shot, but it’s still just so sad. And to make matters worse she’s teething, too. Poor thing.

Luckily, she’ll likely feel better by tomorrow afternoon. Aside from the teething, that is.

So, Miriam is six months old—
She’s mobile, but not crawling.
She’s teething, but has no teeth.
She’s babbling, but uses no words.
—and she’s as cute as can be.