15 Month Check Up and Developmental Update

Sorry, no pictures. Just the facts ma'am.
Last Friday we took the kids to their developmental specialist for their "12 Month" check up. I've mentioned this before but right now they measure their development based on their adjusted age, meaning when they SHOULD have been born, rather than when they were actually born or actual age. It is expected that by the age of 2 they will have caught up.
On Friday their actual age was 14 months and 24 days but their adjusted age was 12 months and 16 days. Do the days really matter? You will see in a minute.

Eloise
Gross Motor: 12.25 months
Fine Motor: 13.2 months
Receptive Language: 12 months
Expressive Language: 12 months
Weight: 19 lbs 0.4 ounces (Just above the 10% for adjusted age, and just below the 5% for actual age)
Length: 28 inches (Just above the 10% for adjusted age, and just below the 5% for actual age)
OFC: 18.66 inches (at the 95% for adjusted age, and just at the 90% for actual age)
Weight for length: Just below the 50%
So basically she a perfectly proportioned tiny little thing with a very large head (OFC is fancy for head size) and is right around her adjusted age with the rest of development.

Addy
Gross Motor: 14 months
Fine Motor: 13.2 months
Receptive Language: 12 months
Expressive Language: 12 months
Weight: 20 pounds 1 ounce (Just above the 25% for adjusted age and just above the 10% for actual age)
Length: 29.3 inches (at the 50% for adjusted age, and 25% for actual age)
OFC: 18.1 inches (at the 75% for adjusted age, and at the 50% for actual age)
Weight for length: Just above the 25%
Addy is our biggest but as you can see for her actual age, just above the 10th percentile. That is probably because she is so very active. She not only walks but runs, and also runs in circles to make herself dizzy.

Beckett
Gross Motor: 11.75-12 months
Fine Motor: 13.2 months
Receptive Language: 10 months
Expressive Language: 11 months
Weight: 19 pounds 11.6 ounces (10% for adjusted age and right at the 3rd % for actual age)
Length: 29.4 inches (Just above 25% for adjusted age, and at the 10% for actual age)
OFC: 19.2 inches (Just above the 90% for adjusted age, and between the 75-90% for actual age)
Weight for length: Is close to the 25%.
Beckett is officially long and lean with a perfectly round large head. He actually has made some progress on his weight curve which was very encouraging given how much I struggle trying to get him to eat. He language skills and the fact that he is not walking put him behind but remember this was LAST week.

I would say that if they went through the same tests today, the numbers might be very different. In just a week, they change so much. Eloise is now walking normal and not like Frankenstein as she was last week and even picks up things and carries them around. Also, I was testing Beckett this week with his receptive language and I think he understands much more than he got credit for. I can tell him to bring me a a diaper or take his passy out of his mouth or give a lovie to his sister and he follows directions. As far as his expressive language, that is probably right. I would give him credit for the curse words that it sounds like he says but apparently that doesn't count in these tests. I guess it is very common for language to be the last thing to catch up in preemies and particularly with multiples. I'm pretty sure they have their own language and are able to communicate with one another. You should see and hear the scene in the morning when I open the door to the nursery. They are all standing in their cribs facing one another chatting away. I'm still trying to get them to sign but Beckett wants nothing to do with it.

If they tested Beckett's gross motor this week, he would get some extra points because he is starting to walk! Well, walk might be a bit of an exaggeration. He can take a few steps before flinging himself forward into your arms. He looks like the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz on those skinny wobbly legs. Then I remembered that they thought he had some low tone in his legs so that might be why he has to build up a little more strength before he is more stable.

Then on Tuesday we went to our 15 month check-up and it was a great visit. Our pediatrician was so pleased with their progress and feels that they are slowly catching up. She could not believe how healthy they have been over the last year and was blown away by the results of their complete blood counts that were done last month. At this age with the transition from formula to milk and finger food there is always a concern that they will develop what is known as milk anemia from drinking too much milk therefore not consuming a balanced diet with a full complement of vitamins and minerals, hence not enough iron. Looking at the labs our pediatrician said, "What are you feeding them? Lentils or something?" Lentils are high in iron and their hemoglobin levels were surprisingly high (but still in normal range) especially given this milk transition time and their primarily vegetarian diet. Yes, I DO feed them lentils- with coconut curry.

We have to work on language development with all 3 and work a little more with Beckett to walk but we also got some really good tips on how we can help with their development at home. Like start with CRAYONS. That was part of the tests and I found out they can draw! They prefer to eat the crayons over drawing but that is going to be a fun new project this winter. So overall, we need to keep doing what we have been doing and really focus on keeping them healthy again through this last crucial RSV season.

Oh yeah, we finally found a place to live in Milwaukee. Nothing like cutting it close. We are leasing a townhouse for the winter and will be urban hipsters for the next 8 or 9 months. Well hipsters might be stretching it but urban living is not. We, or actually Bambi found us an amazing townhouse in downtown Milwaukee across the street from a dog park (for the pugs of course) and walking distance to restaurants, shopping, Lake Michigan, museums, coffee shops and pretty much everything else. The best part for Rich is that he even has his own rec room, or man-cave, so he can continue to train and bike throughout the winter. We are super excited to be in such a great location and think this will be such a fantastic start to living in our new city.