medical update

Kate has been to the doctor twice since we last posted. The poor little girl just can't be left alone by anyone with a stethoscope! On Thursday she had her two week appointment with the pediatrician. The doc was very impressed by the size of her belly. Apparently Mamacita and baby Kate make a very good breastfeeding duo. Kate has already surpassed her birth weight (all babies lose weight after birth); she's up to 6lbs 7oz after being 5 lbs 13oz the week before and 6lbs 2oz at birth. The other news from the trip is that her umbilical cord has fallen off, and the belly button is healing nicely. So far, she has a clean bill of health.

This morning we got up EARLY (after an almost sleepless night) to visit the pediatric orthopedist. Kate is at a high risk for hip dysplasia due to her being a first born girl and being in a breech position in the womb. Mamacita is no stranger to hip dysplasia, having worn a brace when she was an infant to keep her hips extended so that her joint could strengthen in the right position. The doctor ordered up a sonogram to verify that everything was constructed soundly, and we had the nearly impossible task of holding our squirmy little baby still enough to get a sharp picture. It took two people holding her down and a soothing finger to suck on, but after about 20 minutes of poking and prodding with the sonogram machine they had a picture clear enough to determine that her hips were not in too bad of shape. Her left hip is slighly out of place, but they want to give it a month to see if it settles correctly. So, no brace for now, but we'll have to repeat the sonogram in a few weeks.

That's all the medical info I have to share with you. Kate enjoyed getting to meet her aunt Carolyn this past weekend. She liked Carolyn so much that she allowed Mamacita and I to get away for a lunch out together on Sunday. Our first date since she was born! Here's a picture of the two spending some quality time together.