Broken Wrist

Sweet Pea was at cirque last week and fell from the German wheel. She landed very painfully on her wrist, and said she heard something crack. So I picked her up and drove her straight to orthopedic urgent care. They took X-rays and determined that it wasn't fractured, but the growth plate was strained. Normally they would put a cast on it, but the doctor talked to Sweet Pea sternly and determined that she was mature enough to keep a brace on it enough for it to heal. So off we went, with Sweet Pea wearing her brace, and instructions to come back in a week. After seven days of wearing the brace religiously, and fully resting her arm, it should be good as new.

A week later, it is only slightly better, and Sweet Pea definitely doesn't feel up to trying her cirque activities. So they took another X-ray, and it turns out it is broken after all. She has a buckle fracture that wasn't initially visible at the time of the injury. They told her to give it three more weeks of rest with the brace, and then start to ease back into her normal activities.

Here's hoping it works! She has several major cirque performances coming up in the next two months, and she is pretty concerned that this will affect her preparation or participation.

More Braces

There have been two of us in braces for years now, and Little Man has joined the crew. First CC had braces while I had Invisalign, then when I was done Sweet Pea got her braces on, and now that CC has hers off, Little Man has them. Whew. It's a LOT, and I'm looking forward to a time when everyone has beautifully straight teeth, and we're not paying an additional mortgage each month!

He looked so happy in his "Before" picture because he was enjoying a massage chair at the orthodontist office. I agree, they're amazing. 

Little Man handled Day 1 very well. No tears, no whining, and minimal Motrin. Fingers crossed that he brushes really well during this phase -- that's my biggest concern.

Annual Wellcheck

As much as Little Man and Sweet Pea were looking forward to their birthday, they've been dreading their annual pediatric appointment. Before middle school, all the kids need their vaccine boosters, and their time was up.

Sweet Pea went first (naturally). She sat there, bemused, as the nurse got all three shots done in less than a few seconds, and without any pain. She couldn't believe it! She hopped down and it was Little Man's turn. His did not go so smoothly. He had to be pinned down as he wriggled and fought and begged for more time, and right as the last injection went in, he jerked his arm hard. Blood started running down his arm and dripping off his elbow. Goodness. Sweet Pea had stepped out of the room to go to the bathroom, and when she walked back in, her eyes went wide and she whispered, "What happened?" The nurse rolled her eyes as she mopped up the mess, and warned Little Man that he was going to have a whopper of a bruise there.

After that, the appointment went smoothly. They don't have any medical concerns, and they're both rambunctious, healthy pre-teens. Thank God! Sweet Pea weighs 77.5 pounds, which puts her in the 18th percentile. And she's 54.5", which is 4th percentile. Small, but mighty. Little Man weighs 67 pounds (5th percentile), and is 56.5" (18th percentile). We're keeping an eye on his weight, but so far it seems he takes after CC -- naturally slender and fine-boned, like MJ.

They were relieved when it was all over, and we celebrated by getting milkshakes at Chick Fil A. Now ... bring on their birthdays!

Toothless

Like her big sister CC, Sweet Pea had to have four adult teeth pulled because of massive overcrowding in her mouth. Sweet Pea's overcrowding is even worse than CC's was; there's just literally no room for all her teeth. So last week we bit the bullet and got it done.

She took it like a champ. I was so surprised how calmly she came to the appointment and followed all the dentist's instructions, despite her fear. She was so nervous! But everything went well and pretty quickly; we were done in less than an hour.

Later that day, her last remaining baby molar came very loose and is now hanging by a thread. We believe it was being held in place by one of the adult teeth that was extracted, and now it's hanging down into her mouth and causing a lot of problems with eating and talking. It's been over a week now, and it's still there. I can't wait for it to be gone!

She's just at the beginning of her orthodontic journey; she has a long way to go. But in the next few years, this girl's mouth will be completely transformed!

Brace Face!

Sweet Pea has braces!

She wasn't particularly nervous; she had more of a "let's get this over with" attitude towards the whole endeavor. Her mouth is the most complicated of the three -- the orthodontist estimates that in addition to having four teeth pulled, she'll also need at least two years of braces.

Because she still has a few baby molars, and needs her bicuspids pulled, they only put braces on her front teeth. There are brackets on all the other teeth, so once the babies fall out and the bicuspids are removed, the rest are ready to attach to the wire. But I told her this is actually a good thing: it gives her a chance to get used to the braces in stages, versus having all her teeth sore at once. 

Sure enough, her front teeth were "a little bit" sore yesterday. She didn't even need Motrin. And by the time they connect the rest of her teeth to the wire, she'll be used to the brackets, so it'll be less sore again. Win-win!

CC is scheduled to get her braces off in a few months, so for a while, both girls have matching tinsel teeth. And Little Man is scheduled to get his in December. I hope our orthodontist enjoys the vacation home, yacht, and private jet we're buying him ...

Summer Surprise

The final week of school before summer break ... and CC's on crutches!

She was doing cartwheels in her room, and smashed her foot hard against her dresser. We treated it with Motrin and ice, and hoped it would be better in the morning. But the next day, she still couldn't put any weight on it at all.

So off she and I went to Urgent Care, where they treated her like a princess and pushed her around in a wheelchair. The X-ray revealed that it's not broken, and her growth plates look good. She just injured the soft tissue. The doctor's official diagnosis was: "You bruised the bejeezus out of it!" Oddly enough, it's not bruised or swollen at all; it doesn't look injured in any way.

Current situation: her foot has a supportive wrap, and she has crutches to help keep her weight off it. Navigating the school bus and carrying her backpack are tricky, but she's managing.

And maybe she's learned a lesson about cartwheels in the house!

Playdate

Sweet Pea and her former gymnastics bestie, Emmy, have been pretty good about keeping in touch since Sweet Pea quit gymnastics (and then Emmy switched gyms). We had Emmy over the other day for a playdate, and the girls had fun making push pops from a kit Sweet Pea got from Santa. They turned out really cute, and they were so delicious!

I hope these sweet girls always stay friends.

12 Year Wellcheck

This morning CC had her annual checkup, and she's physically very healthy. She had to get a shot, which caused a lot of tears and distress ("Mom, shots are my greatest fear in the world!") but thankfully she survived the experience.

We talked about her growth, which is still very slow. However, the pediatrician believes that CC will have a growth spurt in the next year, beginning with her feet. And she even anticipates that CC will end up being of average height when she's an adult. (Then again, MJ's childhood doctor thought he'd be over 6 feet tall ...)

In the meantime, she is 4'6" (3rd percentile) and weighs 58 pounds (not on the chart).

We talked a bit about the importance of mental health, because CC has been showing signs of anxiety. We will have her start talking to a counselor, which she's very open to.

But by the time I dropped her off at school, the tears were gone and she was back to her happy self. 

Braces!

CC finally got braces! She's actually been looking forward to it for years now. She thinks braces are fun, and cool, and cute. She's been debating which color rubber bands to get for months. 

But as the big day approached, her nerves started getting the best of her. By the time they took her back for the process, she was almost in tears. But fortunately she came bouncing back an hour later with a big smile, telling me it wasn't nearly as bad as she'd feared. And for the record, she picked pink and turquoise.

I dropped her off at school, and she refused Motrin. And she later regretted it -- by the time she got home from school, she was crying from the pain. MJ and I both had braces when we were kids, so we understand and sympathize. We've told her that the pain is just for a few days, and she'll be so glad she had braces when she's older.

"No I won't!" she insists. "I'd rather have crooked teeth forever than have these braces!"

Visiting CT

Last month, Little Man and I took a short visit to Connecticut to see one of his doctors. Fortunately, it was close enough to visit Grandma Jean! So we made a weekend out of it, so we could spend some time with her.

What fun, to go on a flight with just me and Little Man! He was so excited to be on an adventure without his sisters.

Once we arrived, he was the center of attention, getting showered with praise, hugs, gifts, and treats. What a lucky guy!

Bonus: we saw Cousin Carol too! We had a nice dinner with her and again, Little Man enjoyed all of the attention.

It was a short weekend, but full of love. Next time, we'll visit with the whole family!

Photo Friday

Cuddles at the dentist!

10-year Checkup

Yesterday the twins got out of school early to have their 10-year well check. And it was all good.

Sweet Pea is definitely not as tiny as she once was, compared to her peers. She's 63 lbs, 3 oz, which puts her in the 22nd percentile for weight. And she's 51.25 inches tall, which is 11th percentile. Those numbers might seem small to other parents, but considering she was once not on the scale at all, they're very robust to us!

Little Man weighs 66 pounds (34th percentile), and is 53.5 inches tall (33rd percentile). Definitely our most balanced kid, and the largest as well -- which he's very proud of. He tells everyone, "I'm the biggest kid even though I'm the youngest!"

They were relieved not to get any vaccines this appointment, but they're already dreading next year, when they'll get three in preparation for middle school. Shots are one of those things that my kids really freak out about! But for now, I'm focusing on how healthy they are. Thank you, Lord!

CC's 11-Year Checkup

We finally had CC's annual pediatrics appointment, and -- surprise -- she's healthy! Once again I am humbled by the robust health of my three children. It is such a blessing.

Unfortunately, she is proportionally even smaller than she was last year. She's 52.5 inches tall, which is the fifth percentile. But her weight is 53 pounds, which is less than the first percentile.

Her doctor isn't particularly worried, and neither are we. CC is generally very healthy, and has a decent appetite. But in the last few months, there have been two instances of a stomach bug where her body didn't handle it as well as kids normally do. So considering that, and her small size, the doctor ordered some basic bloodwork to make sure everything is okay.

Fortunately, it is. The labs have come back perfectly normal, which is a relief to us and to CC. And now we have a baseline to compare any future bloodwork against, which might really come in handy.

Photo Friday

Fresh-from-the-dentist smiles!

Nine-Year Appointment

Yesterday, Little Man and Sweet Pea had their 9-year checkup at the pediatrician and, unsurprisingly, they're totally healthy. I didn't have any concerns about their physical health, but it's still nice to get their annual checkup and to hear confirmation. Especially since we skipped their well checks last year, due to Covid.

Sweet Pea is 49.5 inches tall (12th percentile) and weighs 52.5 pounds (12th percentile). No surprises there -- she's steadily tracking right along these last few years.

Same with Little Man. He's 50.5 inches tall (19th percentile) and weighs 54 pounds (15th percentile).

Both kids are following their own curve very closely, not deviating very much at all in the last few years. That makes me happy: they might not be large, but they're perfectly strong and healthy. Thank you, God!

New Smiles Ahead

Bid farewell to these smiles! Yesterday they changed forever.

Early in the morning, Little Man went to the orthodontist and had rubber band spacers put in between his last two molars on the top. These will make a little room for the bands that will go there to anchor his new device, to be installed next Monday, that will (hopefully) stop his finger sucking and reduce some of the movement that it caused in his teeth.

Just a few hours later, CC went to the dentist to have four adult teeth pulled. This should make enough room for her remaining teeth, and allow braces to be effective at getting them in the right position. 

CC was a model patient, but unfortunately had quite a bit of pain and nausea after the procedure. But once we got home and the Motrin kicked in, she was back to her old self. She even felt well enough to go to her first swim practice before dinner. Of course, she considers the whole experience well worth it, after the Tooth Fairy brought her $8!

Once her extractions have healed, she will be ready for braces.

Orthodontist Visit

The kids didn't have orthodontic checkups last summer because of Covid, so we were long overdue. Last week we finally went, and the orthodontist was happy to see us after so long.

Since he'd seen us last, Sweet Pea had four baby teeth removed in order to buy time for all her adult teeth to try to find room in her very small jaw. He was pleased with how her teeth are coming along so far, but warned me that there will still be a lot of overcrowding in her jaw as her adult teeth come in. But there's nothing we can do about it now -- we just have to wait and see.

But CC and Little Man, on the other hand, have some BIG changes coming.

CC has more of her adult teeth now, and the overcrowding is very apparent. The orthodontist said he has rarely seen a mouth so overcrowded. There's literally nowhere else for teeth to go, and she already has some adult teeth growing out of her gums sideways for lack of room. So although he is usually very conservative, he advised us to have four of CC's adult teeth pulled out -- an upper and a lower on each side. CC is pretty nervous about it, but we'll go to the same dentist who was so wonderful with Sweet Pea. 

And last but not least, Little Man's finger-sucking habit is creating real problems in his mouth. It's pretty critical that we get him to stop as soon as possible, but at home we've tried everything: rewards, reminders, bad-tasting stuff, a sleeve that won't let him bend his elbow, and a chewable necklace to put in his mouth instead. Nothing has worked. But the orthodontist is concerned that as his bones solidify with age, and as his teeth get more and more out of alignment, eventually braces won't be enough to fix his teeth and he'll need surgery.

So next month, Little Man will have a dental device installed. It'll have three metal loops on the roof of his mouth to prevent him from sucking on his fingers, but you won't really be able to see it when you look at him. At the same time, it will expand his side teeth back to where they should be (they've narrowed due to the constant soft suction from his cheeks when he sucks on his fingers).

And so it begins.

Healthy Heart

After a comprehensive cardiology exam, I'm happy (and not surprised) to announce that CC's heart is 100% healthy and normal. Her murmur should resolve in the next few years.

Ten-Year Appointment

I can't believe CC will be ten on Monday! I mean, that is just crazy. She was a little baby in my arms, screaming her head off, just ... what, 30 seconds ago?

"The days pass slowly, but the years fly by." Truer words have never been spoken.

Her first official birthday event was her 10-year pediatric appointment. We skipped last year's appointment because of Covid, and since my kids (fortunately) are usually very healthy, CC hasn't been back since her 8-year appointment. It's been a while!

We have a new doctor, because our beloved pediatrician recently retired. Fortunately our new doctor is a family friend who we've had playdates with and who we'd frequently see at church (pre-Covid). She spent most of the appointment talking directly to CC, and asking her a few questions about upcoming puberty. Crazy that this is so quickly approaching! But fortunately CC and I have already had many discussions about all the weird things that will happen to her in the next few years, so she knows what to expect.

Despite spending her baby years at an average size, CC is now in the 6th percentile in height (50.25 inches), but less than first percentile in weight (49.3 pounds). For the first time, the doctor expressed a bit of concern about her weight -- CC is "falling off her curve." The pediatrician doesn't want us to do anything drastic at this point, but she stressed to CC (as I do, daily) the importance of having enough protein.

We also discussed CC's frequent headaches, and we will start keeping a journal of the day and time of each headache, as well as her screen time and water/protein intake for those days. I suspect we will start to notice a trend. But fortunately, now that the kids are starting back to school 4 days a week, there will be significantly less screen time.

Lastly, she picked up a heart murmur when giving CC her exam. This is probably nothing -- heart murmurs in kids are very common (in fact, Little Man had one as a baby and it turned out to be nothing). But since one has never been detected on CC in the past, we are getting a referral to a cardiologist to confirm that it's nothing to worry about.

Tooth Extractions

Well, we'd put it off as long as we could. Sweet Pea needs 4 teeth pulled, which was supposed to be done before Covid shut everything down. We really couldn't wait any longer, so we scheduled it.

Before

When the orthodontist first told me she needed the teeth pulled, I was confused. Why bother pulling baby teeth? They're going to come out anyway!

But he explained that her mouth is so overcrowded, that if we don't make some room now, her adult teeth will come in all kinds of crazy ways. If we make some room by pulling these teeth, her adult teeth will grow in closer to where they should be, which will be easier to correct with braces.

After our traumatic experience getting Little Man's tooth pulled back when he was three, I wanted a dentist who would sedate Sweet Pea for the extractions. And I am so happy we did: everything was so calm, and thanks to the nitrous oxide, Sweet Pea has no memory of anything. 

... except for my promise that she could have as much ice cream as she wants for the next few days! And true to her nature, she wants to share her wealth -- we are going to have an ice cream party for the neighborhood kids on Wednesday.

After