Last week I had taken Evan to the endocrinologist for a recheck. He had (very slightly) high TSH levels back in December, so they wanted to check him again after he turned two. The doctor just called with the lab results...normal levels! So we've dodged that bullet, at least until next year. Doc says kids with DS (well, he says "kids like Evan" but we all know how I feel about that) need to have their thyroid checked annually.
Doc had been very impressed with how much Evan had grown since December...over three pounds and something like two inches in height. He's still smallish, mostly in weight: 3% on the typical chart and 50% on the DS chart; in the 25-50% for height on the typical one and 75% for DS.
He's 24 lbs. and 31 inches tall. He just grew into a size 5 shoe, although there's plenty of room in them. He wears anywhere from size 18 months to a 2T. He can even still fit in some 12 months size shorts, but if they were pants they'd be too short. He's got no waist or butt to speak of. (Yet something else he gets from his dad, not from me.)
I don't know why I have issues with his size, but sometimes I seriously agonize over how small he is, mostly when I'm buying clothes for him. And he's really NOT that small, but Eli and Cal are both wearing sizes way ahead of their ages so I guess it's all in my skewed perspective. It will probably only be six more months and Evan and Cal will be in the same size. There's only a 7 pound difference between them now. Evan just grows very, very slowly (uh, the past six months notwithstanding) and so I guess, like everything with him, I silently urge him to hurry up, hurry up, grow. Hurry up, walk. Hurry up, feed yourself. Hurry up, please start talking. All of this is my own deal, my own problem, my own personal bullshit that I need to just get over, already. My son is doing freaking awesome, especially considering the challenges he's faced, the early birth, the heart surgery and the extra chromosome. Why are there times when I just can't remember that? Why do I care that he's 2 and still wearing 12-month size shorts? It matters NOT AT ALL. So what the hell is my problem?
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14 comments:
the problem is you're the best mom on earth and that YOU'RE freaking awesome! REMEMBER that!!!
It's hard to ignore this stuff, because everyone tells you it does matter. Why else do they torment us with those charts?
I am taking the approach that slow growth means I can buy more expensive stuff, because she'll get more wear out of it.
I might have a tiny shopping problem, though.
Most importantly, though, yay for normal levels!
I am not sure if this is supposed to make you feel better or worse, but the other day I couldn't find Ryan's size 2T swim trunks, so I dug around in his closet and found a 18-24 month. They fit!!
Okay, so maybe that makes you feel worse because now you are thinking "Great, Ryan's almost five and he's still able to wear 18-24 months. He's almost five and he's still that small. Holy crap!"
But I didn't share that to make you feel worse; I shared it because I want you to know you aren't alone in the whole hurry-up-and-do-stuff thinking.
Last week when I had those two other kids in my house it was disheartening to watch how sophisticated the oldest child is compared to Ryan. Logan is only a year and a half older than Ryan, but the stuff he understands just blew me away.
The part from: "what the hell is wrong with me" to "what the hell is wrong with me" is almost verbatim from the conversation I had with my husband last night.
I've been really stressed out about all these things (growth, walking, talking) and I feel like sometimes it just dawns on me, "Why am I pushing her? Right now is awesome. Why do I even WANT to push her beyond where she is?"
I hear you. I hear you. I hear you.
My son will be 2 in August. He can still wear 12 month old EVERYTHING. He does not have special needs, he is just little. What's wrong with that?? I think we all compare too much. And what/who are we comparing them too?
I could have written the same thing Marcy did.
Can I tell you how many times some random person has said to me, "Wow! The twins are going to be bigger than Archie soon!"
Well, no sh*t, I hadn't noticed.
I am so glad the levels came back normal. YAY!
On sizing, it's totally bogus. 2T in one brand is the other brand's 12 mos. A (who is 2.5 and "typical") is anywhere between the 50th and 75th percentile on the growth chart. She can still wear 18 mos. clothes, especially without a diaper.
I worry about S's size, too, and she's in the 50th-75th percentile right now. How stupid is that? And I know that I'll worry that she's too small now and too big later. Annoying.
hang in there. mayson is 28 months and still only 29 lbs and 30 inches! she doesnt make the charts anymore... just think of it this way... he can wear his clothes longer..woo hoo!
Hi, first time commenting, really love your blog. Anyway, my daughter is 19 months with ds and wears anywhere from 3/6 month up to 18 month clothes. My son who is 3 and typical (whatever that means) is currently wearing 18 mo to 2T shorts. Last year at 2 all of his shorts were 12 months.
I think that we all really have hurry up thoughts with all of our kids - we just feel guiltier about the thoughts we have toward our extra chromosome cuties.
wendyp
I know what you mean. Like, out of all the stuff I could worry about, I am worried that Ian was wearing 18 mo. clothes by now and Chase still fits into 6-9 mos. Seriously? I don't know how to stop it. I guess I should just be happy that at this point in time, that's my most important issue...
I was posting pictures the other day, and thinking, Holy crap, Ruby was wearing that SAME dress last summer!" As an infant.
I guess it saves on the clothing budget?? That's a bonus.
I agree with Tricia - I need to focus more on right now is good, why push it?
oh hon. i miss hugging you and hugging all your strong healthy boys (no matter their sizes). everyone here has said such positive, smart things -- i hope you're listening. evan will probably catch up, someday, size-wise. (ever hear of the book "leo the late bloomer"? you would LOVE it. i loved it.) i was a late bloomer. i was in like, the 10th percentile for everything growing up. i was miniature. but by 16 or so i was normal. i'm normal now (ha ha, kind of. whatever "normal" means, as we all know). evan will be "normal" size someday. i'm pretty sure
Can totally relate to what you have said. I'm with Cate though, just think of how much more wear he'll get out of his clothes (and the $ you'll save!). I think it's natural to compare your kid with others and the fact that you have not one but two other little boys to compare Evan with makes it even more tempting to play the comparison game.
Just hang in there and don't beat yourself up for feeling any certain way. And he's going to get there in his own time, just as he does all the other things.
Great news about the thyroid too! Reminds me I have to make an appt for that fun blood draw...
My son (no special needs) is 17 mo and still wears a shirt marked 3-6 mo. He is mostly in stuff marked 9-12mo. He does wear 12-18 stuff but it is baggy, falls down at the waist and has to be rolled up 3 times. He is 0.4th-2nd centile for weight and 25th for height. Sometimes I look at him and just could tear my hair out with worry. But he has been seen at hospital (mainly for his small head circumference, 0.4th-2nd centile) and they swear up and down that he will grow just fine and that some kids are just fine-built, even though they are boys, even though their siblings are not petite, even though their parents are not petite. I write this because I soooo know how you feel, at least wrt the size issues.
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