Ryan's 9-Year Checkup

I took Ryan in for a 9-year checkup with his doctor yesterday. First they checked his vision, which was perfect. I hope our kids all inherit Adam's 20/20 vision and not my near-sightedness. Next we checked Ryan's growth, and here are his numbers and percentiles.

Weight: 60 lbs, 13 oz (41%)
Height: 4 ft 2 inches (17%)

Very similar to last year's percentiles, which were 40% and 14%. We discussed Ryan's poor eating habits, but the doctor wasn't concerned about him not getting enough good nutrients, since in his words, "he's certainly not thin". I think he's just perfect.....however I wish he had healthier eating habits! His doctor said not to turn food into a battle....but honestly how do you do that without giving your child free reign over the entire kitchen? It's so tough you guys!

Ryan's allergies have been terrible this year, even with Zyrtec and Flonase. He is now taking Singulair at night (just like Lucas, who takes it for asthma). It should start helping within the next week or so. At least I hope....allergies are just miserable!

Finally, we talked about Ryan's frequent headaches. They are random throughout the day, which the doctor said is reassuring. He said the number one cause of headaches in children is lack of sleep. Ryan has always been our worst sleeper, and lately he has been having a hard time settling down at bedtime. He will be wide awake until 10 or later, and then get up at 6:45 for school. We recently started giving him melatonin again, and it has helped tremendously. Just a tiny dose seems to make him drowsy enough to fall asleep at a more reasonable time of 8:30 (when we don't have late baseball games). Waking him up for school is still a challenge, but he hasn't complained of that many headaches lately, so maybe sleep was the answer.

Overall Ryan is growing and developing right on track, so it was a good visit!