4 Year Old Check Up

Jack has his 4 year old check up yesterday. For the most part, it went well. He weights 31.4 lbs. (up from 31.2 just 2 weeks ago) and is now in the 25% for weight!!!!! He is 38" tall, which is in the 10%. His eyes were checked and proved to be 20/20. (This is great because at his last eye Dr. appointment there was a question if his eye sight was deteriorating from the intermittent extropia; but he was tired at that appointment., it was taking forever, he was tired and over getting tested, etc.)

However, he completely freaked out when the nurse -- and later the Dr. herself -- tried to take his blood pressure. Complete with screaming, tears, kicking, etc. We tried two times but then gave up because even if they took it, it would have be off because of how worked up he was. We also had an incident when she checked his ears. I had to hold him down and although he wasn't crying, he was making it very hard with his hands and pushing up his shoulders, but the Dr. did see in them and said they look great... as did the rest of his check up.

We obviously talked about his ears (she agrees with tubes if there is another ear infection in 6 months); his eyes and his weight (being followed by the GI). She even commented that his speech was great. So all that was good... until it was time for his vaccinations (MMR and chicken pox). That took both Scott and I holding him down for 1 shot in each arm... the screaming and kicking during...then the crying all the out of the doctors office.

According to the Dr. offices development check list for a 4 year old, Jack can do everything except 1 thing -- pours water from a pitcher into a cup. And the only reason why we didn't check it off, is because we've never had him try it. As Jack said himself, "I don't do that because I could spill."

Here is the development check list:
-jumps in place
-speech is clear to strangers (YIPPEE!!!)
-pedals bike or tricycle
-can identify 3 colors correctly (he can do way more than 3)
-play cooperatively at times
-uses pronouns like "me" and "you"
-washes and dries hands
-climbs a ladder
-counts to 5 (he can count up to 20)
-draws a person with 2 - 4 parts
-unbuttons clothes
-copies some letters (he can write his name)
-can trace a square, circle and cross
-understands concept of same and different
-can balance on one foot for 3 - 4 seconds (he can do at least 10 seconds)
-asks "when", "why", "how", etc. (and boy does he!)
-sings a song (many, esp. when he is suppose to be falling asleep!)
-dresses and undresses self
-engages in imaginative play with toys
-toilet trained day and night
-tells stories (and boy are they funny ones!)
-cuts and pastes
-plays simple board games
-brushes teeth with help
-draws a circle