18 month checkup...

Friday was Alexandra's 18 month checkup with the pediatrician. Michele couldn't get out of her endless schedule of meetings and the doc was booked through Haley's Comet, so it was just she and I. During her one year appointment, at which she screamed like a banshee the entire time, the doctor told us that the 12 and 18 month checkups were the worst. "She'll hate me this time and next... then we'll be friends again." I recalled her saying, and so entered this visit with appropriate resignation.

And for good reason. The waiting room was fine... and she was the star of the show as always. Cute, playing, talking... polite and charming, especially as compared to the others little monsters. She was happy and inquisitive. Then we entered the exam room.

She started crying and oozing her little crocodile tears before the door even closed. My shirt was soaked with tears, saliva, and snot before I could even get her dress off. Took some measurements... tracking right on schedule, just under 25 pounds. 75-95th percentile in all categories. Healthy lungs to boot.

At one point the doctor left the room to take off her white coat in hopes that it would calm Alex down. No dice. She then went into the hallway and asked me questions about development with only her head stuck through the door. Scream, cry, scream. She finally gave up her attempts at appeasement and just finished the exam as quickly as possible. Everything looked good... healthy baby if not happy.

As soon as we left the exam room Alex was fine. She knew that there were animal crackers at this point and started signing please before they could even offer. She sniffled, wiped her tears and was ready to be cute again.

Hopefully the doctor is right and this is just a short term issue. Otherwise, I may have some meeting that I can't get out of in six months or so...