Elliott's 15 Month Appointment

I'm going to start off my challenge not with a prompt but by writing about Elliott's 15 month appointment that he had on Friday. I went in there a little nervous but knowing that everything would be okay. It was just the Dude and I. Adam had just gotten back from Maine about 15 minutes before I had to leave so I left him home with Miranda. So, the two of us went in and we chatted with the secretary for a bit. Everyone in the office knows us by name and loves us there (mainly they love the kids, but I'd like to think they like me a lot too). They're always so excited to see Elliott or Miranda when they go. It's almost like they have celebrity status there. I'm really happy to have found a doctor's office that feels welcoming and safe.

When it was time to start our appointment we went through the normal routine.

Weighing ... Measuring ... Temperature ... Any questions?

I brought up the fact that I was worried that he still isn't walking. At 15 months (in my mind) a child should be walking unless there is a reason for the delay. Especially a child as active and as strong as Elliott. I was concerned there might be something wrong with his balance or internal ears. I wasn't sure. It made me feel silly bringing it up as a concern but my mommy gut / guilt was telling me that I needed to ask. I know of many moms who worry about so much more than when their child would walk ... but this is my child and I have to worry about him too.

Anyway, the nurse looked at him and said to her he looked fine. She did exactly what I hoped the doctor wouldn't do. Shake her head and brush away my concerns. No matter how silly my concerns might be, I still want them taken seriously. 

The nurse left and then it was time to wait. Anyone with an active baby / emerging toddler knows how exhausting this can be. When Miranda was his age she was so easy to distract. So easy to keep calm and contained. Elliott ... not so much. The 10 minutes felt like hours as I had to chase him around the tiny exam room attempting to get him to not touch everything, not climb everything, not try to play / destroy everything in that room. He tried opening cabinets, he wanted to look out the window, he wanted to play with the doctor's instruments, he wanted to push the stool around, he wanted to play in the sink. He didn't want to sit and read books, play with my phone or my keys, sing songs or any other method of distraction I had in my mommy arsenal.

When the doctor came in she immediately noticed how active and curious Elliott is. He points at everything, attempts to imitate everything, wants to touch and explore everything. She did her normal exam and then asked me her normal questions. She went through a pretty thorough autism screening that I believe (I could be wrong though) is required by the state at certain ages. She told me that he has no symptoms of autism whatsoever. That definitely made me feel good, although I didn't think he had it anyway. 

The discussion then turned to his lack of walking. The doctor did not dismiss my concerns like the nurse did. She took them seriously and watched Elliott move around the entire office area for quite some time. Almost an hour, in fact. She examined all of his limbs and watched all the things he can do. She determined that there is nothing physically wrong with Elliott. In fact, he's extremely muscular and strong. She believes it is a confidence issue. He's just not brave enough to take that first step ... literally.

She was amazed with everything he does and said he's pretty much advanced in every area, except walking. He's not delayed yet, not technically until he's 18 months. However, she did say that if he is not walking by the time he turns 16 months she will send a state funded physical therapist to my house to see if he needs some extra, medical help.

So for now it continues to be a wait and see situation. What really made me feel better was when she told me that her own son didn't walk until he was 17 months old. What a huge sigh of relief that was. It is starting to wear on me though. Babies much younger than him are walking confidently around a room. Other moms start to look at you funny when you tell them that your 15 month old still isn't walking. It's hard when friends are posting status updates that their kids are walking when they only started crawling a short time ago. Elliott's been on the move in one way or another since like 5 months old. He pulled up at 8 months old. I really thought he'd be running around like a pro at this point. 

I know most of you are reading this and doing exactly what the nurse did. You all think I'm being ridiculous but no matter how silly it is, it hurts when people don't validate another persons feelings. If I learned anything after I lost Quinne, I learned that what a person feels can't be wrong. If you're angry or sad or frustrated or happy or anxious about a situation that that's your right. It's okay to feel that way and no one should tell you that you shouldn't feel that way.

The doctor took my feelings seriously and really took the time to show me what's going on and tell me that although it's okay to feel the way I feel, that there are some things you just can't control. Elliott will walk. It could be tomorrow, it could be in 6 months. Who knows? Elliott will do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. And that's okay too. 

Elliott's Stats:

Birth: 5lbs 15oz / 18.5"

Six Months: 15lbs 8oz / 25"

One Year: 19lbs 6 oz / 30.2"

Fifteen Months: 20lbs 8oz / 32"

He gained almost a pound in three months and a little less than 2 inches.