Landon's 12 Month Old Check-Up

Last Friday Landon had his 12 month old well-baby check-up. The days leading up to the check-up I composed my list of concerns or questions that I had for his doctor. The list contained only one question, why do his new teeth come in so yellow, and rotten looking? The smallest list of concerns I have ever taken to his doctor. I guess that means some of my anxiety and constant worry over his health is subsiding a bit, I have been able to relax. That's what I thought anyway.

The night before his appointment he was in the bathtub. When I put Landon into an couple inches of water he turns into an Olympic swimmer. He takes a bath like he is in training. He gets himself onto his belly and kicks and splashes. He purposely puts his face under the water. He scooches himself up in the tub only to hold his legs and arms up so he can slide on his belly back to the other end of the bathtub. To say the least it is not a sit-on-your-bum and play-with-a rubber-duckie type of bath. He giggles and smiles and exhausts himself. After several minutes of allowing him to train I rolled him onto his back to wash his hair and body. I shreaked out to Dylan when I noticed his private area had ballooned in size, was completely distorted and very, very hard. Even Dylan was taken back by how abnormal his area looked. We pulled him out of the tub and Dylan was able to determine that he had a hernia. He was able to manipulate everything back to normal only to have it pop back out again. Dylan said, "I'm sure he'll need surgery."

The cutest little baby butt ever!

It worked out that the very next day we were already scheduled to see his pediatrician. When she asked about my list of concerns, she knows me too well, I said I only have two. I explained the previous nights' bathtub excitement. From my explanation and a quick exam she agreed that he had a hernia on both sides and would need surgery in the next week or two to have it fixed. She laughed when I told her that I assured Dylan that she would know of a secret cure that would not require surgery! She does not. She explained what to look for if it were to strangulate. Pain. He would be in a lot of pain.

Talk about a sinking feeling in my chest. We have been so fortunate up to this point. We haven't had to speak of the S-word. It was a worry we hadn't yet had to face. He had minor 'surgeries' right in the NICU, a chest tube and PIC line were inserted right there on his 'bed'. He was still sedated and on pain medication when they did it. He has never received anesthesia. We have never had to kiss him goodbye before they wheeled him away from us to an operating room. I know I am being so dramatic. It will be a very common, mild, outpatient surgery, but it still scares me very much. Landon will have surgery the first part of September in Missoula.

Landon remained "so cool" through his appointment. 

Landon's doctor said she would also like for Landon to see a heart specialist. Landon was born with pectus excavatum, a sunken chest, and she wants to be sure it isn't affecting his heart in anyway. Nothing abnormal has been detected in his heart and he is breathing normally, she just wants to make sure. We will see a heart specialist in Great Falls the first part of September.

After we addressed these little concerns, Landon received three shots. The past several days he has had a minor fever and has been very sleepy and fussy. The shots and a new tooth about to poke through will do that to him.

So why do his new teeth come in so yellow and rotten looking? His doctor said it is a question for a dentist, but she believes it has to do with how sick he was and how much antibiotics he received. She said his second set of teeth should come in without looking damaged.

Landon weighs 17 pounds and 9 ounces and is 27.75 inches long. His growth curve officially shows up on the average grow scale for his real age, but his curve is still just below the lowest curve! He is still small for his age, but he is gaining on the average!