Two Week Check-up

At his two week well baby check-up on September 25th, Calum was very well-behaved. ;-) We waited a long time, but finally were called back. Calum didn’t have to have any shots at this appointment, and he didn’t have to have his heel pricked, because they tested him twice in the NICU, which was a relief. I was so glad because listening to the babies cry while we were in the waiting room was horrible. I can’t imagine how I will feel when we go back at two months and he has to get a ton of shots!

Calum weighed 10 pounds, 2 ounces. That was a gain of 18 ounces in two weeks! Everything you read and hear says they want babies to gain back to their birth weight by their two week appointment. We clearly had no trouble there. He may have never lost any of his birth weight. You also read that newborns should gain between a half ounce and a full ounce every day. Well, we met and surpassed that goal as well.

Calum measured 22 inches in length, which was a gain of ¾ of an inch since he was born. He did not like being measured. He was fine until the nurse stretched out his legs to get an accurate length, which prompted some screaming. It seemed very sudden and it was over about as soon as it had begun. I realized throughout the duration of the visit that ours was not the only baby who protested being measured. It apparently is not a favored procedure among the babies.

Calum seems to be doing very well. Two things to note were his eyes and his belly button. Calum has had goopy eyes since he was born. His eye lashes get matted and he gets a lot of sleep in the corners of his eyes. His doctor says it is common with some babies and that his tear ducts haven’t opened completely yet. They should correct themselves by one year of age, though most do so earlier. I just clean his eyes a few times a day with a warm washcloth and we massage the inside corners of his eyes to help his ducts open. Nothing to be alarmed over, thank goodness.

Calum also hasn’t lost his umbilical cord yet! When he was in the NICU, the IV in his head was causing an irritation on his scalp, so it was moved to run through his umbilical cord. Because of this, his cord was cut very short and apparently that causes it to take a lot longer to dry out and fall off (not sure why, but that is what the doctor reports). We are still waiting…

Calum will go back around mid-November for his two month appointment and will get his first set of immunizations. I do not look forward to it, and I am sure if Calum were aware of it he would not be too thrilled himself.

Here is my little guy at his appointment: