January 21, 2010
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Yup, They’re Growing
I took both kids to the pediatrician yesterday, for Jack’s 2.5-year appointment and Derek’s six-month appointment. It’s very convenient to have them spaced exactly two years apart; I can get appointments done in one fell swoop!
The kids are growing fast, especially Derek. His six-month stats are:
Length: 28 inches (90th percentile)
Weight: 17 pounds, 12 ounces (60th percentile)As always, he’s longer than Jack was at the same age, but less heavy. (Jack was 18 pounds, 6 ounces at six months, but he was half an inch shorter.)
Jack’s 2.5-year stats are:
Height: 36.5 inches (40th percentile)
Weight: Almost 30 pounds (40th percentile)It was so bittersweet for me to see my little boy standing to get weighed and measured! It wasn’t so long ago that he was laying down to be measured and weighed, just like Derek. Jack’s growth has slowed down, which is normal for kids this age. The pediatrician said that his genetics are starting to show through — since neither Johnny nor I are especially big or tall, I guess we couldn’t expect him to keep at 75th percentile for height and 50th percentile for weight until adulthood! Sigh, I was really hoping for a 6′ or 6’2″ son. I think that range is the perfect height for men. It’s a very handsome height, but much taller and you start to look unbalanced and freakish. I entered Jack’s stats into a height prediction calculator online (I know, oh-so-reliable!), and it said that at this rate, Jack will end up being 5’10″ … the same height as Johnny. BUT, my father-in-law is taller than six feet, so maybe those genetics will suddenly leap into play when Jack enters puberty! Or, there’s Derek — I will place my tall son hopes on him.
Anyway, the kids are both doing really well. The pediatrician was impressed with Jack’s speech and phonics skills, his eating habits, and his potty training success. I think Jack lags a little in some gross motor skills — he’s active and loves to run around, but he doesn’t quite have the hang of jumping with both feet, and he’s anxious about climbing play structures. He also gets down on his butt and scoots down even the smallest set of stairs or steps, saying, “careful, careful” to himself the whole time. It’s quite a contradiction — he’s a typical toddler whirling dervish, but he’s cautious at the same time. He’s good on his fine motor skills (utensil use, manipulation of toys, etc.). The pediatrician said that was fine, and that kids (like adults) excel in certain areas and not so much in others. I had to chuckle, because I am a huge klutz but have great verbal skills. Johnny’s not klutzy, but I wouldn’t say he’s got any exceptional hand-eye coordination skills or gross motor skills, either. Neither of us can dance to save our lives, and I have never been able to successfully play a sport involving a ball. It’s a wonder I can pull it together enough to drive! So … I am not surprised! I was kind of hoping that Jack and Derek could be a hot dancing duo and go on to win So You Think You Can Dance, season 25, but alas! Maybe Derek will inherit June’s dancing skills and win the competition himself. But, in all seriousness, I’m happy that Jack is doing so well verbally, and that’s something we’ll continue to encourage and foster as he grows up. I think good verbal skills can take you pretty far; the physical stuff is nice, but not as essential. (That being said, we’ll still sign him up for soccer, swim lessons and whatever sports he wants to do. He is a boy, after all, and guys should be at least knowledgeable about sports, even if they’re not big fans! Oh, I am so sexist sometimes.)
As for Derek, he’s been sitting up for a while now, though he’s not quite that steady. Here are a couple pics I took yesterday, in our newly reconfigured den. (My mom’s moved into her new house nearby, so we moved Derek into the third bedroom, and converted the den into an awesome, huge playroom that also has my home office setup in one corner.)
Moments after this was taken, Derek toppled back and cried! Happiness is fleeting when you have an infant, ha.
Jack playing with Derek and telling him that this was a “zebwa.”
Here are some pics of the new playroom/office. We’ll eventually get a guest bed, too, that can function as a couch when there are no guests.
Here’s a really cute picture of my parents with the boys!
Thanks for reading!
Comments (12)
Haha, I know what you mean with the tall. I hope my kids get the tall genes from their dad. I don’t want Mya to be a super tall girl, but if she could buy regular sized pants (unlike her mother), that’d be nice.
Mya was very much the same as Jack. It’s only in the last nine months or so that she’s really started jumping with both feet (whereas Fraser’s been doing it for the last three or four already) and she’s wary about climbing on jungle gyms. She’s gotten better with stairs, but if you try to get her to hurry up she freaks out. Her language skills on the other hand were really awesome by 18-months. Fraser’s almost 20-months now and *maybe* uses 2 or 3 words. “Mama” for sure, but that’s about it. He has no problems getting his wants/needs/messages across with hand gestures and grunts (my little caveman), but it’ll be nice when actually starts to talk.
I love reading the about dates about your guys and you and Johnny even though I don’t comment much (I know you know how time is limited), The boys are so cute and whenever I’m checking out your photos I often wish we lived a little closer!
Cutie patooties! What a fantastic last photo – love it. I thought Jack’s verbal and phonics skills were really impressive too. It’s so interesting when they pick up some areas so quickly and then others are not up at the same level. It will be even more fascinating to see how Derek learns in reaction to and influence from his brother. My boys were all so different, some differences I think inherent and some because of their close proximity in age. So very cool. Glad your two are both happy and healthy!
@TinkersWhimsy - Aww, I wish we lived closer, too! I totally understand about not commenting — I don’t comment much these days, either, because there’s just no time! I just know our kids would play well together, though. I remember being really impressed with all the things that Mya said, from your entries from before she was two. So interesting how two siblings can develop so differently, huh?
I can’t believe Derek is already 6 months old! Wow how time flies. And i think if Jack ends up being 5’10″, that’s perfect! Both my parents are 5’10″ and i thought it wasn’t too tall, but tall enough. Too bad i got the short end of the stick only being 5’4″, but it’s a good thing because Ryan’s only 5’8″..haha. We have both tall and super short genes in our family and my only hope is that we don’t have a tall girl and a short boy! LOL. But i guess i have to have a boy first, which we might just get blessed with all girls.
Do you like having hardwood floors throughout your house? Ryan loves hardwoods because they’re easier to keep clean, but do you have more accidents/injuries with the kids with such a hard surface? I would worry about that in our next house. We have tile and carpet now, so it’s not a concern.
@ShamrockLover - I LOVE hardwood floor! I’m not sure that they’re easier to keep clean (Swiffering basically has to happen every day, what with Jack’s scattering of snacks and Atari’s terrible shedding … whereas in our apartment, I just had to run the vaccuum over the carpet, and even if I didn’t, no one could tell, LOL), but they are GREAT. I love the look. I don’t actually have more injuries or accidents, but we all do go barefoot in the house. If it’s really cold, I put non-skid socks on Jack, and he’s fine. I actually was more skeeved out by carpet in our apartment, because it was SO old, and Jack’s drooly toys (he was younger then) were always getting covered by carpet fuzz, yuck! To give Derek some room to crawl, I put down the 6′x6′ alphabet mat in the playroom, and we have a big 10×12 area rug in the living room. I found that the biggest source of accidents was not actually the flooring, but things like coffee tables and other hard surfaces. So we got rid of our coffee table and now have this big fabric ottoman that acts like our coffee table. Jack once cut the skin near his eye pretty bad when he banged into the edge of our cofee table — not the corner, which was padded, but the straight edge between corners. Yikes!
Wow Beverly! Both of your adorable boys are growing up so fast! Its ok if Jack will average size! Like you said its better than being freakishly tall. I’m glad he is healthy and Derek is too cute just sittin’ in that picture. Time sure does fly by.. I can’t believe he is already six months old! I love your house by the way..the den is so nice and I like your office space. I didn’t know your mom bought a new house-congrats! Loved looking at all the pictures.
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Great to hear how the boys are doing!
Hahaha, most parents aspire for their kids to be doctors or lawyers. You aspire them to be tall!! Hehe.
@geniusbarb - LOL. I don’t actually have any dream professions for my kids. Whatever they want to aspire to, as long as it’s legal, makes them happy and allows them to be financially independent, that’s fine with me.
Awwww…the boys are doing GREAT! Good job, Mommy
I, too, am amazed by Jack’s verbal skills!!! Hannah took forever to jump with both feet and she still doesn’t do it very high and she just started walking down stairs like 6 months ago (she still scoots if she’s in a big hurry or nervous).
That is so awesome that you were able to turn the den into a big playroom…looks like a lot of fun! I miss that…in our condo we had the den that we used as a playroom. We have the basement but we rarely go down there so all the toys are taking over the family room. If I would just clean out the study (a lot of stuff was just thrown in there when we moved in), I could put a lot of toys in there – Shaun won’t be using it as a home office for awhile.
The boys are adorable! I enjoyed the video of Jack talking about his girlfriend in the previous post, too
@shelly1196 - Oh, but Shelly, you guys’ family room is so huge that it can easily be living space AND a playroom! Jody and I were talking about how much we LOVE your new house (and how jealous we were
) when she was over here. It’s really nice to have that den as “extra” space now, though. I wish you guys could come out again! It would have been really fun to have Hannah and Aidan here with Noah and Jack — we could have lined them all up on the couch together. What a great picture that would have been. 
Anyway, I was saying to Jody that I felt bad b/c when you guys were here, I couldn’t DO anything or entertain you guys the way I wanted to … plus we didn’t have the playroom yet. Next time you guys come out, we’ll host you properly. Hey by then Derek and Aidan will both be running around, probably, and maybe there would even be another baby in the mix (hint, hint, nudge, nudge). So whenever you guys want to come out West, just let us know!
Ooo~ I haven’t checked your blog in a few weeks (maybe a month?) and there’s so much to catch up on! I love all the photos and am AMAZED at how much your boys have grown! I think it’s great how they’re so close in age…it’s really neat seeing pics and hearing stories about how Jack is such a doting brother =) Mommy must have taught (brainwashed…haha) him well!
We’ve recently purchased our first apartment and are going to start renovating soon…I have to admit I’ve been going back to your before & after renovation pics to get some inspiration. I love how cosy and warm your house looks! =)
Your mom moved to her own house? Is it strange not having her around all the time? I always get pangs of missing my mom whenever I leave Taiwan =P
Lots of Love!
Em