Two-Year Check-Up with Dr. N

Riley saw Dr. N again yesterday for his two-year-old check-up. We had to wait an extra couple months to go because Dr. N was on maternity leave.

Riley weighed in (fully dressed and with shoes on) at 32.5 pounds and measured 37 inches high. That puts him in the 90th percentile for both categories. Wow. I knew he would score high, but I didn’t think it would be that high. Nurse Ann even double-checked the numbers because she couldn’t believe it.

Riley did great throughout Dr. N looking him over, and he only had to get one shot (flu). We are to switch him from whole milk to 2% and start giving him a daily vitamin. And as long as he’s potty trained by the summer, Dr. N is okay with that. We don’t go back to see her for another year, although of course Sprout will have to see her earlier than that.

Some of you may have noticed I have stopped doing monthly “birthday” posts. I figured once he turned two they weren’t really necessary anymore. But I have still kept notes on what he’s doing each month, so I’ll throw those in every now and then. Here’s what Riley has been up to the past couple of months:

• He’s still talking a blue streak, and he will say the same thing over and over again until he's acknowledged. He started talking gibberish in September (which is too funny, but he doesn’t do it much anymore), he pronounces his “th’s” like “f’s” (everyfing, somefing, etc.),  and he asks “what is that” all the time.
• He is very opinionated.
• He’s still very much testing his limits, and he is a whirlwind of emotions. The slightest thing can set him off these days.
• He stopped getting his paci overnight early in September; he only gets it for naps now. I’d like to get rid of it completely, but he still asks for it every time we go upstairs for his nap in the afternoons. I tried getting him to agree to give it to his baby cousin, but he wasn’t really thrilled with that notion.
• His naps have shortened to two hours or less most days. It’s rare to get three out of him now.
• He learned his last name.
• We listen to music at almost every lunch and dinner these days. He also asks that “Mama not sing.” He especially likes Eric Hutchinson and requests “Alright with You” all the time. I have also introduced him to James Taylor and Billy Joel, who he can identify pretty well.
• He really struggled with dinner last month. He had multiple meltdowns over eating his veggies especially. We were actually both in tears one awful night. If he refuses to eat, we’ve taken to marching him straight upstairs and into the tub, with no time to play before bed. This has not been fun at all. It seems to be getting a little better, but my fingers are still crossed.
• He seems to do better with switching tasks if he’s given a 5-minute warning.

That’s my sweet, smart, stubborn little wonk potatoes!