Aug 4 - Max' first REAL pediatrician visit

We took Max' to see his regular pediatrician for the first time. Dr. M is also Meaghan's regular pediatrician. Dr. M had visited Max in the NICU, but this was this first "normal" office visit.

It was also Max' first trip out of the house after coming home from the NICU. We are still a little unnerved by doing the most mundane baby things. We've been treating him with such kid gloves his whole life, that the simple act of putting him in a car seat seems as gentle as throwing him into a cage match with someone whose nickname evokes a feral animal. It didn't help our nervousness that it was 105F in Dallas that day, though I'm sure he much preferred real atmosphere to the filtered, sterile hospital environment. Breathe the free air, my friend.

Dr. M was his usual laid back self. His calm demeanor is reassuring when parents' nerves are frayed. Max was accommodating when Dr. M put a tongue depressor in his mouth. "URP! There's my lunch, doc!". Dr. M was unfazed and barely made mention of it.

So the official baseline for Max' weight is 9lb 3oz (4.167kg). He's gaining again after a few days of backpedaling at the hospital. His abdominal girth was up to 41cm (from 37cm), but it has fluctuated a lot during the last month. Dr. D kept telling us that the important thing is his clinical presentation, and Max is definitely looking better than he ever has. He is more alert and interactive with his environment. I think was partly to do with him beginning to get bored at the hospital. He's getting old enough that staring a hospital wall for the majority of your waking hours just wasn't intellectually fulfilling.