What's Up, Doc?

My boys are officially toddlers now.  They had their 18 month appointment yesterday.  (I learned that it becomes official at 18 months from my cousin Kristi at ...and Baby Makes Three!)

When it comes to doctor's appointments where they have to get shots, I call in the reinforcements, aka, Aunt L. This is what she was doing with one boy while I sat with the other and the doctor discussing developmental milestones and health issues:

That's my boot and N's leg on the left as I talk to the doctor.  He squirmed out of my arms and under the chair to retrieve a bulldozer.  Aunt L. was zooming the trucks into the opposite wall (see the red and yellow trucks behind him?) to keep M occupied.  They were happy as clams all naked and crawling on the tile with their trucks while we waited for her to show up - but don't worry, grandmas, I think the heat was set at 80 degrees - Aunt L and I were sweating by the end of this!

N weighed in at 25 lbs, 4oz, putting him in the 42nd percentile while my featherweight M made it up to 22 lbs, 12 oz, in the 12th percentile.  Watching his figure, I guess.  Doc says it's okay, though.  Whew!  They are a little on the short side right now: both are 31 inches, in the 15th percentile.  I think they'll sprout, though.  You won't be short forever, guys.

Best Buds

After receiving a clean bill of health, aside from run-of-the-mill colds, the fellas were ready for their shots.  Okay, they weren't all that ready, even though I did warn them they would be getting them on the drive there, reassuring them that, while it would hurt, it wouldn't hurt long, and they'd get treats for being good.

They were good as gold!  Okay, M didn't cooperate with the physical exam and needed to be bribed with a pre-shot treat, but it paid off because N saw that his brother got one afterward and he complied with ease to get a dum-dum  He's no dum-dum.  He'll do anything for a treat!

Did you say treat?

But then I had to follow through with the shot treats, so Aunt L pulled a second stash out of her monster purse. And guess what? N was so good, that HE DIDN'T EVEN CRY!  Even though he got poked TWICE! What a good boy! 

M did cry, but just for a minute because Aunt L's fruity juice gummy treats magically appeared and suddenly all was forgiven.  The fellas were so good (and we had time to spare before dinner) that we rewarded them with a trip to the library.  See, even though I bribe them with candy, I do provide healthy rewards: the library!  Do I seriously have the best kids in the world or what?  What kids think the library is a reward?  Mine, I'll tell you.  Mine.  Because there they have.....

CARTS!

Which sounds just like "cars" to M, his favorite thing in the world!  This suckers are the best invention ever, just ask my boys:

We should do ads for the library or something.  Guess what book M picked out?  Thomas the Train!  I actually think he loves trains more than cars right now.

Choo-choo!

All of that took place after we got up at 5am EST, flew from MI to MN, drove all over the Metro return E to her home and getting us home by 9am CST.  Whew!  And we still had to do dinner and baths afterward.  Just a day in the life of our little twin engines.

Going to the Doctor

Yesterday was the boys' six month well-baby appointment.  I can't believe they are already six months old!  First things, first, the weigh in.  Drumroll, please...

Matthew now weighs 15 lbs, 1 oz and is 25.5 inches long!

Nathan is 15 lbs, 4 oz, and is 24.5 inches long!

You read that right!  Nathan outweighs Matthew now - look at that belly! They are already turning into the little baseball players that Great Grandpa S. has been praying for; Matthew pitching with his long limbs and Nathan catching with his low center of gravity!

After the weigh-in, measurements, and the once-over came the shots.  Of course we don't have any photos because Daddy and I had our hands full of two very unhappy babies.  They really wailed this time, which may have prompted the nurse to give us Tylenol samples on our way out!  I took the freebies, but I swear I DID give them Tylenol before the shots.

They were real troopers and seemed to get over the shock quickly with a little snack.  Gosh, I'm already bribing them with food.  Guess I need to keep it up because even though I think they're enormous, they are hardly on the weight charts at 15% for 6 month olds.

Both boys had the last word, though.  We had to drop a vehicle off at our mechanic's afterward.  While I was waiting in the van for hubby, I smelled a stink and changed Nathan's poopy diaper in the back row - another day I'm glad for the minivan.  Got all packed up, ready to go home...wait, it's still stinky in here.  You guessed it, Matthew had a present for us, too!