2 year checkup

This morning Meredith saw the pediatrician for her 2 year check-up. She weighed in at 22lb 10 oz (4th percentile), was 31.7 inches long (6th percentile) and her head measured 42cm (not on the chart, but in line with her own growth curve). We updated her on Meredith's overall development: Meredith has shown improved eye contact and tracking, much more arm usage and reaching/grabbing, she seems more engaged and watches more of what's going on around her. She is still not rolling or sitting independently, but is getting stronger, kicking around a lot more and seems to be taking notice of her feet. She does not mimic any behavior yet, but we thought we might have seen a wave the other day. We've been working really hard on that one : ) And she's still working on self-feeding. If I wrap her hand around a small piece of food, she'll (sometimes) try to bring it to her mouth. She still really struggles with coordination, but seems to be making small gains there too. Dr. Gifford was mildly concerned about Meredith's weight. She is proportionate, but quite small. The past few months, her weight has gone up a little, then down a little, but she has only gained one pound in a year. Dr. Gifford thought that since she is moving around a bit more and she lacks a lot of muscle, this could explain it. She'd like us to come back in 8 weeks for a weight check and talk then about going to see a Nutritionist. She wants to make sure Meredith is getting all the nutrition she needs for development. We are not too concerned since she eats wonderfully and a wide range of nutritious foods. And she's far from scrawny! But I guess seeing a Nutritionist couldn't hurt. Dr. Gifford was also able to recommend a new Orthopedist for us. I have 2 names to check out and both are supposed to be great. We are looking for a doctor that will be able to offer us a bit more direction regarding equipment as well as keeping an eye on things like Meredith's spine.
Last week we saw the Developmental Pediatrician who thought we could be more aggressive with Speech Therapy. Currently she gets ST once a month. The ST looks at how she takes a bottle, how she moves food around her mouth, etc. because these are all the muscles eventually used in speech. She still makes mostly vowel vocalizations, but the Developmental Peditrician feels Meredith could benefit from learning some very basic sign language or other modes of communication. Tomorrow we talk to the Early Intervention team about the possibility of getting more Speech Therapy. She got 2 shots today and she really tried to hold back the tears. Huge pouts after shot number 1, but shot number 2 put her over the edge into full blown crying. She was a champ though and recovered quickly. Next Pedi appointment is not until age 3!