Max the growing wonder

Max had a doctor appointment yesterday. I'd call it a well-baby checkup, but he's 3.3 years old. It was his first "big boy" appointment. I about melted when I helped him put on a little robe. When did my firstborn become such a tall guy?

When I say tall, I mean it. He's 41 inches tall and weighs 41 pounds. He's on track to be 6'3 and 220 pounds by age 18.

He got a flu vaccine, and I was preparing him for a shot. But they have a mist vaccine now, that squirts up the nose. Fantastic! No crying, no sadness. But he still got his surprise I promised him -- a pair of little scissors (blunt) and he's been cutting up scrap paper ever since. He also had his first eye exam, but got bored pointing out the squares, boats and hearts on the chart. He sat down on the floor and started coloring instead, still covering one eye with his hand.

When the doctor came in he cleaned his hands with the strong antibacterial stuff he always uses. The scent took me back to that first morning in the hospital after Max was born and his doctor came in to check him out. He remarked on the blonde hair, the features like JB's. The scent also took me back to when Max was three days old and we spent a night at the hospital with him on the strong billi-lights for jaundice. Then the whole week at home on the lights, taking him daily to the doctor's office to prick his heel and check if the jaundice was gone. The scent also reminded me of the few times we took Max in for ear infections last year.

I thought of the bumps and bruises, the occasional bleeding lip and the awful Christmas day when he was bit on the face by a dog. Thankfully now he only has a small scar almost two years later.

As those things popped into my head, so did relief that we have not faced anything worse. I'm so glad he's healthy and well, and developing normally. He meets all the milestones plus some for social, emotional and physical health and for that I feel so blessed.

Get ready for more emotion when I take Ben in next month for his 1 year checkup!