She's too tiny to be...!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that exclamation about Sweetsa, especially since she started walking. Anyway, about ten days ago Sweetsa had her one-year-old well-check with the pediatrician. In our visits with him during the past six months he has expressed some concern about her declining percentages. She started out at a rather average weight of 6# 15oz with a length of 18.5 inches. At one year she is 16# (~2%) and 26 inches tall(~2%). Because she didn't start out so tiny, the doctor is concerned that there might be something wrong, metabolically. So we spent some time in the lab at the hospital last week (read 3 hours!). Oh, joy of joys!

I remembered the horror of getting Mimi and Buddy's blood drawn last year during the lead ordeal, and certainly did not look forward to taking little Sweetsa in for a whole barrage of tests. As it turned out, it was time to get them all tested for lead again (to see if their levels have decreased, as hoped). So I enlisted D's help and we spent a horrible time getting the kids poked. Mimi was by far the worst, but Buddy and Sweetsa had their share of tears and screaming. Besides being tested for lead, Sweetsa also had some blood drawn for a CBC, a metabolic panel and had to get a specimen collected for a UA (that's a urinalysis, which meant we had to wait for a pediatric nurse who could do a catheter on a young child).

Tonight we finally got the results. It turns out that the lead results for Mimi and Buddy are fantastic: their blood lead levels have dropped dramatically! WOOHOO! Sweetsa's unfortunately has increased. But her first test was done the day she was born...she has eaten some dirt since then! Although her level is higher, it is still within "normal limits". But because it is higher than the first test, she will be tested again probably in a few months (Yeah, another trip to the lab.)

The other results...she's apparently been fighting a UTI. She's been put on antibiotics and will see the pedi again in three weeks (that was her next appointment for a weight check). They'll do a repeat UA to make sure the antibiotics do their job. The pediatrician is surmising that she has had recurrent UTI's and that is why she is so little...her body is using the energy to fight the infections, instead of growing. I guess we'll see. She has had several fevers without other symptoms (apparently that is one clue for a UTI in a child). Anyway, hopefully this all leads to getting some meat on her bones and height on her frame in the coming months...then she can move out of the 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers! Here's hopin'!