Infant Growth Spurts

When will they end?!

Once Monster turned 4 months we headed out to the Public Health until to celebrate by him receiving his 4 month shots. During each visit it is protocol to weigh and measure your infant to monitor his growth. We did so, as usual and found that his 3 month growth spurt was equivalent to 3lbs 4oz, and 2 inches in length.

Yes, my Monster, is just that, a Monster!

That's fine and great, I thought the growing might slow down for a little while and didn't expect much change until about 6 months. I was definitely wrong. Today, Monster is almost 4 months, 3 weeks (will be tomorrow) and it is very clear to me he is enduring yet another infant growth spurt.

All day my little boy either ate or slept. Even after sleeping 11 hours over night, he insisted on napping every two hours for at least an hour. This is completely out of the norm for him these days. It's been a struggle to get him to nap longer then two 45 minute periods per day because he's sleeping so well at night.

I decided to humor myself and pull out my tape measure to measure his length. He has gained another full inch in 3 weeks. I consulted Kellymom.com about growth spurts and found out that it isn't uncommon for infants to have another one in the 4th month. Sheesh! I am happy I have a healthy growing boy, but we are flying through clothes! I'm finding it hard to keep up!

The next growth spurts are at due for 6 months and 9 months, so we'll see how long his fall/winter wardrobe lasts.

Healthy Eating is Learned - Part Two

When does being in the 97th percentile in both height and weight become a bad thing for a child?

Whenever I tell someone how well my Monster is maintaining his status of Monster-ism they always say something along the lines of "Oh, he's doing so well!" or "Wow, you must be doing something right!", but when does it become cause for concern?

One of my biggest fears is my Monster learning bad eating habits, or inheriting my love of all things sweet and becoming the "Fat kid" in class. When I was growing up my mom took me to a specialist to make sure nothing was wrong, because until I was about 13 I grew at a much faster rate then kids around me. I wasn't a round, Christmas bulb type child, but I was tall and sturdy. I reached my current height of 5'8" by the seventh grade. Just for a visual.

The specialist ran all the appropriate tests, and had no answers. I was a perfectly healthy and normal kid and the only suggestion he had for my concerned mother was to lay off the diary because of the hormones in our cows. Thankfully, like I said, I leveled out (I was a normal height and weight... The weight thing now, is my own damn fault *grumble*).

While cruising Dr.Google, I found that they don't start considering children's Body Mass Index until the age of two, at which time anything above the 95th percentile is considered obese. In the mean time, how does a mother know whether feeding her hungry child is healthy or a hindrance?

Please, do not be alarmed. I do not plan on putting my 4 month old infant on a diet, however, I do plan on looking into every resource available to determine how to avoid hearing those words "Ma'am, your child is obese". I know plain and simple, what goes in, must be burnt off (by the body in it's normal functions, and the general activities a child participates in) so starting early by teaching your child the right things to eat, and how to maintain an active lifestyle is key.

Now, how to teach him the importance of imagination and outside fun vs. the video games his daddy so dearly loves.