Doctor Appointments Out the Wazoo

It is no secret that we have a frequent flyer membership at the pediatrician.  This winter our family has been plagued with no illness after the other.  Luckily, the days between visits is getting longer and longer (yes, I'm knocking on wood...).  Anyway, here are the lastest two updates.

Update One:  Madilynn's First Year Check-Up

Madilynn's one year appointment went great!  She is still tiny at 19lbs. 10oz (30th %) and 29 inches (40th %), but she is healthy and strong.  I was concerned that she is not yet walking or talking.  Reagan started walking and talking right around  a year old and hasn't stopped since, but the doctor said that Madilynn's lack of speech and walking is nothing to be concerned about.  He said that second children often hit these milestones later than first children.  Second born kids don't have to verbalize their needs as much since this is the second time around the block for the parents who can anticipate those needs better than they did with number one.  Also, the older sibling talks for the younger one.  For example, when Reagan wants a snack, I give one to both girls.  Therefore, Madilynn never has to express that she is hungry.  So we will continue loving and cuddling and teaching her, and I'm sure she'll be walking and talking right along with her sister in no time.

Update Two:  Reagan and Asthma

For several weeks we noticed that Reagan was having coughing spells at night.  They were getting so bad that she would be up for several hours coughing and crying out.  We tried treating her with cough medicine, but that would just mask the symptoms for a few hours.  After dealing with these for nearly two weeks, I finally took her to the pedi.  The diagnosis is that she is being treated for asthma.  Apparently chronic coughing, mainly at night, with no other symptoms is treated as asthma.  This does not mean she has asthma; only time will tell.  Unfortunately, Trey had it pretty bad as a child, so she is already predisposed to it.  For now, she gets a breathing treatment with an inhaler at bedtime and then whenever she needs it throughout the day.  We will follow up with the doctor in several weeks if the symptoms continue to see where we go from here.  I will post a pic soon of her with her inhaler.  The first couple of times were a struggle--I think it scared her and the medicine can make her feel jittery--but now she is already a pro.  I'm so proud to be her mama.