More well-child checks

I took Miriam and Benjamin (or, as we like to pencil them into the calendar when they have activities together, BM) in for their well-child checks today. They are doing...well. 

Benjamin grew 2.5 inches since last year, and now is 4 feet 3.5 inches tall (50th percentile). His weight was a bit of a shock for the doctor because the nurse accidentally typed it into the system as 4.52 lbs. 

"This can't be right," the doctor said. "It says 4.52 lbs!"

"Well, that's about how much he weighed when he was born, but I'm sure he's put on a little weight since then!" I said. 

So the doctor pulled up the written record and it turns out he's actually 54.2 lbs (or 54 lbs. 3.2 oz), which is in the 30th percentile. Doing just fine. 

Miriam was particularly nervous about her statistics. She was so afraid that she hadn't grown at all, but like every other kid in the family she, too, grew between 2.5 and 3.5 inches (in fact, she grew about 3). She's hit 56 inches and was thrilled to learn that means she's tall enough to give up her booster seat, which is probably a good thing, considering she's going into Young Women and it would be a little terrible to have to cart her booster seat to YW activities (assuming we ever get back to doing things like that again). She's officially 4 feet, 8.4 inches (45th percentile) and weighs 63 lbs. 6 ounces (10th percentile).

While our RAZ group (Rachel, Alexander, and Zoë) all took their shots like champs, our BM group (Benjamin and Miriam) turned into a a collective puddle of tears. It was a little embarrassing, actually, bringing these great, big kids into the doctor's office and having them writhe and scream for their shots when just a few weeks ago I had come in with the babies who were literally thought the experience was, "Wo, wo incredible!" and "Fabulah!" and "Amay-ing!"

Miriam had to get a collection of shots. Benjamin only had to get the flu shot. Both of them howled about it. Which, I mean, I guess shots are uncomfortable and stuff but also...I've been told I'm not the most sympathetic mother (because, like, seriously, get over it already).

The funny part was that when we stopped by the sticker bin they were both too "mature" for the selection of stickers and opted not to choose any (while their tears were still drying). I think, in the end, that Miriam did end up selecting one she thought Zoë would like (because Miriam is very good at thinking about others like that). Still, I'm just chuckling over what stinkers Miriam and Benjamin were for the nurse. 

Fortunately, I don't think we'll have to go back to the doctor until next year. The doctor remarked that the kids seem unusually healthy (...either that or I'm unusually unconcerned about things (it might be that, actually)...) because I've never brought them in for an illness (only a follow-up appointment for a suspected break (Alexander, of course)). She wondered if it was because they were homeschooled and, honestly, that may be. Because they're not stuck in a close environment with a billion other kids. We should probably also thank Alexander for refusing to ever attend nursery because, in all honesty, he never caught any viruses flying around the nursery kids because, well, he never went to nursery!