My (Healthy) Little Peanuts

With fall birthdays for my children, we get through the annual wellness visit, one of the semi-annual dentist visits and flu vaccinations in one fell swoop.  The kids started with dentist appointments, which went better than expected considering that both kids actually sat in the chair and more or less complied with instructions (Oliver more so than Soren).  When the hygienist told Oliver he must be doing a good job brushing because his teeth and gums looked so healthy, I couldn’t help but tell her that meant I was doing a good job brushing. She was quite happy to hear that I actually brush the kids’ teeth, which she instructs all parents to do.  Yes! Scored a “good mom” point there.  But then the dentist came in and announced that Oliver has a cavity.  I guess my brushing isn’t quite as stellar as I had thought.  

I’m often questioned why I bring my kids to the dentist when they’re so young.  Trying to convince people there’s a purpose in taking care of and treating teeth that are going to eventually fall out must be a constant battle dentists face.  Even I have questioned why, but it turns out Oliver's cavity is a good example of why it's important I keep bringing them in.  The cavity is in one of his molars, which he’s going to have until he’s 10 or 11 years old.  The dentist explained that cavities can spread slowly through the enamel, but once they penetrate the softer part of the tooth, the decay of the entire tooth can happen pretty quickly - in less than a year.  The thought of a tooth decaying in my otherwise healthy five-year-old's mouth was enough to book the appointment to have it filled without giving the decision much more thought.  

At their wellness check-ups, the boys came away with a glowing report of good health.  They're still tiny little guys, but healthy!  

Soren

• 28.8 pounds (17th percentile)
• 35.5 inches (10th percentile)

Oliver

• 37.4 pounds (22th percentile)
• 41 inches (13th percentile)  

When the doctor came in, he asked Oliver a ton of questions.  Thankfully Oliver had the right answers.  He insisted he loves broccoli and emphasized that he eats fruit at lunch every day.  (Okay the second part is at least true.)  He never mentioned the fruit snacks Dad lets him buy when they go grocery shopping together or the cookies he talks me into giving him.  Oliver loved showing off how high he could count and how he could balance on one foot.  He had all sorts of things to tell the doctor, which meant, unfortunately, that Soren never really got a chance to talk.  So that the doctor wouldn't think he was mute, I finally had to interrupt Oliver to tell him to let his brother answer first.