Savannah's Five Year Check-Up

This morning I took Savannah to her five-year well visit. Savannah has a fear of doctors and medical procedures, so I talked to her before hand about what to expect and assured her that there would be no shots at this particular visit. Unfortunately, when I described what would happen at this appointment I mentioned that the nurse would take her blood pressure, and she latched on to this and started saying she was afraid and that it would hurt her arm when they squeezed it with the blood pressure cuff. As we got ready to go and as we drove over to the office she was crying off and on, saying she was scared of the blood pressure cuff, et cetera. I tried to remain upbeat and calm and helped her say her Bible verses and use various "calm down methods" that we have learned lately. Thankfully she never went into a full-on panic and by the time we got to the office she was pretty distracted and was giggling at the fish in the waiting room and greeted the nurse that called her name with a big smile and an enthusiastic, "Hi! I'm good today, how are you?" All of the nurses and doctors at our pediatrician's office are so good with the kids and so kind.

The nurse did all of Savannah's measurements and vitals, but when she saw Savannah start to cry at the sight of the blood pressure cuff, she talked to her about it for a minute and then said "Well, let's put this away for right now and see what the doctor says." The doctor came in and had a few questions for me, but this time really directed most of her questions at Savannah (this is the first time this has really happened!). I was so proud of how articulate Savannah was and how well she was able to answer all of the doctor's questions. She told the doctor what things she likes to eat and what she doesn't like, how often she drinks milk, what time she goes to bed and when she wakes up for the day ("I go to bed at seven o'clock and wake up at six o'clock!" she said), what activities she is involved in ("I go to Cubbies and dance class"), her phone number, and some other things that I don't really remember right now. I had also filled out some paperwork at the start of the appointment about some of the developmental things that Savannah can do (once again, Savannah is just so far ahead of the curve...everything that it asked about is stuff that she has been able to do for well over a year).

We also discussed Savannah's asthma, which has improved a lot over the past year, and the doctor was very pleased about that (as are we!). The doctor said it is entirely possible that she might completely outgrow her breathing issues in the next couple of years, but only time will tell. Then we discussed Savannah's growth. Just like her sister, Savannah has now fallen off of her growth curve, too. For the past few years she has been around 40% for height and 50% for weight. Now her height is 41 inches (20th percentile) and her weight is 38 pounds (36th percentile). I had a feeling this would be the case, as she is much smaller than most of her friends. The doctor said we will "keep an eye on it" but I'm not worried. She asked how tall I am and how tall my husband is, and then said, "Yeah, it looks like she's going to be pretty petite." I think that's how God made her and there's nothing wrong with that! Her projected adult height based on the doctor's chart is five feet four inches; I have a feeling she will actually be the taller of my two girls, with Hailey being even shorter, more like me.

Finally, the doctor tried once again to get a blood pressure reading. Savannah was very upset, but the doctor did a great job of talking with her and eventually got her to try the blood pressure cuff on her arm without actually squeezing it, just to get used it. She also showed her how it works and how there is nothing on the cuff that will hurt her. The doctor let it go this year but made a deal with Savannah that she would let her get a blood pressure reading next year. I sure hope she forgets about being afraid by then!

After the appointment, which went well aside from the whole blood pressure thing, we got our typical post-doctor's appointment Starbucks treat! It was absolutely freezing today so I was ready for a warm drink, but the crazy girls stuck with their cold frapuccinos!