So Big, So Little!

Caleb and I like to work on signing with Elliott during lunch. Caleb remembers most of the signs we taught him as a baby and likes to carefully show Elliott how to do them. Sometimes when we're working on one Elliott will start banging his hand on the high chair tray and while I sternly tell him "No." Caleb instead will say, "Elliott, that's not more (or whatever sign we're doing) that's patty-cake!" When we were showing Elliott "so big" with arms above your head Caleb kept insisting, "Elliott is not so big. Elliott is so wittle." Though E-man has been doing this "so big" thing for quite a while, Caleb almost always still comments that Elliott is not big but is, in fact, little. There is some truth to that....

Saturday Doctor's Appointment Stats (like promised):
9 Months
16 lbs 12 oz (around 5th percentile)
27.5 inches (around 25th percentile)

There is some concern because our little guy hasn't gained any weight in at least 6 weeks and has dropped down in percentiles. The doctor, though, is not concerned because this has occurred at the same time as Elliott became mobile. He's using more energy during the day without a big increase in food intake. She is insisting that he is perfectly healthy and that children until they are 2 jump all over the percentile scale until they settle into their genetic disposition. Of course we are not being wise or fair to compare Elliott's size to Caleb's, they are literally opposite ends of the size spectrum, but it's hard not to.

At this point we've been instructed to put aside the food guide pyramid for little Elliott and give him whatever it is that he'll eat, even if that means he only eats 2-3 oz of vegetables and then has 10 crackers, rice chex, and part of a muffin. We're hoping to introduce some milk products back into my diet soon and see if he is bothered. We may even just try a little yogurt for him so that we'll know for sure if his tummy can handle them. If he does well digesting them, Lord please make that happen, we will definitely start giving him more fatty things like yogurt and cottage cheese.

We are praying that Elliott will continue to grow, that he will continue to thrive (he's doing awesome at meeting the milestones so far), and that we will have wisdom in how best to feed him. This little boy is so sweet, so cute, and so loveable. The Lord was definitely sovereign over having us choose his name, Elliott Paul--remember that Paul means small? Like Caleb says, "Elliott is not so big. Elliott is so wittle." But we love every little bit of him!