Akiva

I took Akiva to the pediatrician yesterday for his four month checkup. I was a little late but at least I got him in during the fourth month of his life. Jordan never got in with any frequency and is still behind on her shots. Akiva has mastered his developmental milestones. He is rolling when we put him down on his belly and has rolled from his back to his belly. The only problem is that he does not get tummy time very often because I am afraid his big sisters might mother him too much.
When the doctor walked in she asked me if I had any concerns about him. I replied "Yes, he is broken... do you think you can fix him, today? He started sleeping through the night at six weeks and stopped. Can you make him sleep again?" She had several suggestions and pin pointed one problem that we always suspected but are now treating with medication. He has acid reflux and it is really bothering him which may or may not be impacting his sleep. He is now taking Zantac twice a day to help prevent any damage. She also suggested starting him on rice cereal twice a day. The rice helps keep the food down and it will also add some weight on his frame.
His weight was another problem. He weighs thirteen pounds. Apparently he should weigh more because he is in the seventh percentile for weight. "He is falling off the charts." The words every mother wants to hear. I feel so terrible! She reassured me that he is fine and did gain two pounds from his last visit. I think he should have doubled his weight by now and has not. She decided that rather than start formula, which I do not want to do, that we would introduce cereal twice a day. I really do not want to start cereal either. I think he is too young and not ready. Because I do what I am told I will be starting Akiva on cereal soon. I am going to give him some time on the medicine to make sure he can tolerate it and then I will start the cereal.
He was twenty five and a quarter inches long which puts him in the fiftieth percentile for length. I can not get too caught up in these percentiles because when I look at him he just looks huge to me. He is growing and absolutely engaging. He has a sense of humor already. He watches his big sisters constantly and coos in absolute delight when they come close to him and talk to him. In the last month he has started using the Bumbo chair which allows him to sit up and look at the word. He has started sitting in the exercauser, when his sisters are not sitting in it, so he can stand and play with toys. He has discovered his feet and gets great pleasure from grabbing them and singing!