Wednesday, August 8, 2007

bug checkup

weighing in at 15.5 pounds and measuring 24.5 inches, she is the picture of health.

there's only one small hiccup: the range of motion in her neck is not complete. she's a little stiff turning to the right. kisu and i noticed this a long time ago, and recently i developed internet-induced panic when i read about torticollis. however, the doc was not terribly concerned about the stiffness, only suggested that if we were concerned we could consult a physical therapist who could show us some stretching exercises to increase her flexibility.

i believe there a few factors that are interrelated pertaining to this issue: 1) nursing predominantly on one side 2)her sloping skull and 3)the neck stiffness. i don't know whether the stiffness is a cause of the sloping skull or an effect. when she's lying on her back, her head very easily rolls to the left and not so much to the right. is this because her skull slopes that way? or does the slope make it hard for her to turn her head to the right? she exhibits a strong preference to nurse on my right, which stretches the left side of her neck muscles, while compressing the muscles on her right. granted, i have little milk to offer her on the other side, but she rarely consents to even comfort nurse on that side. is it difficult for her to position her head properly to do it? or is she just disdainful of that breast?

i pity bug when i see her sloped skull, but the doctor is not worried about that, either. i know that it often happens to babies before they are strong enough to sit up, but it's just so weird. pooka's head was not that bad....i make it a point to keep her in an upright position as much as possible to keep the pressure off her skull.

also, she got shots today, poor thing. oh, the indignity.