Specialists, here we come

We had our first ever not-so-great "wellness" checkup this morning. Poor little Elliott has slid off the growth charts:

Height: 25 inches (<5%)

Weight: 14lb 2oz (<5%)

H.C.: 16.5 inches (WAHOO 10th Percentile! Still on the charts with this one!)

It is possible, of course, that he is just a small kid - one of his parents, not to mention any names, tends toward the smaller side of things. But it is also possible that he isn't getting enough calories because he spits up all the time. And I don't mean all the time the way other parents who have spitters say "all the time" - I mean ALL THE TIME. I would guess that he spits up about half of what he eats. He is currently on a medication for reflux, and although it seems to help him not be in pain, is does nothing to stop the amount of spitting.

So, we've been told to go see a pediatric GI specialist. And here's where it gets interesting - typically you have to wait several weeks to a month to get an appointment, but they had a last minute cancellation so I am taking him in tomorrow. Wowsers. I am extremely thankful that we live where we do, close to Seattle which is full of pediatric specialists. If this had happened in Santa Barbara, would I be driving to Los Angeles to see a specialist?

Part of me is freaking out that there is something seriously wrong with my sweet little baby, but the other part of me is so grateful that we get to actually do something about it, soon, and with relatively little inconvenience.

The good news is that he is still meeting all of his developmental milestones - he sits, he babbles, he rolls, he laughs, he eats his toes (which I've heard are lacking nutritional value), he sleeps. I find it hard to imagine that there is anything seriously wrong with him when he looks and acts so healthy.

So say a prayer for little baby Elliott. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.