Health updates and stuff

Last week we had a visit with our pediatrician, and although we haven't done all the tests yet that the doctor ordered, things look good. The doctor was concerned about Claire's size but given that her head circumference is on the charts, she thought Claire should be okay. Her head circumference at birth was quite small (not on the charts) but there has been good growth since so the doctor thought Claire might have been a slightly early birth.

We had been feeding Claire her formula, rice cereal and various other things such as sweet potatoes, peas, prunes, pears, etc. The doctor said to not introduce those other foods yet (with the exception of prunes) and instead just focus on the formula and rice cereal as both are fortified with all the good stuff she needs. I had read that a baby Claire's age should have about 16 ounces of formula a day but our doctor said to go with 24. That, combined with a bit of cereal each day, are pretty much all little Claire can eat in a day! I must say though, that she is a good eater so I'm hopeful that she'll continue to gain weight. In China she weighed 12 pounds and she's gained several ounces since. At the doctor's office, they weighed her twice and got a different reading each time so I don't know exactly how much she weighs. It's either 12 lbs 7 oz. or 12 lbs 10 oz. Go figure!

We also visited an occupational therapist who assessed Claire's fine motor skills as average and her gross motor skills as below average due to her lack of locomotion. We got some great tips about how to entice Claire to crawl and scoot, so I'm confident we'll get her going in no time.

She's sleeping well and is a happy little peanut, with regular giggle fits when we interact with her in a silly way. She's very animated and engaged in what is going on around her, which I'm sure is aiding her development. She's quite the little mimic too, copying things we do.

Some of the funny / cute things she does include:
- blowing bubbles while making a croaking sound like a toad;
- engaging us in conversation with high pitched squeals;
- talking like a mobster (according to Paul) with a deep, scratchy voice;
- clapping and playing patty-cake with great enthusiasm;
- anticipating the "pop" in "Pop Goes the Weasel" by nodding her head vigorously;
- doing that same nod as if to say "yes, yes!" when we ask her a question such as "Do you want another Baby Mum-Mum cracker?"
- blowing kisses with her cheeks sucked in like a fish;
- rocking side to side to music; and
- sucking the front of her thumb or her palm (not putting her thumb actually in her mouth).

There are more but Claire needs me so I better stop here. I'll write more later!