Two Month Check-up

Every mom knows the drill when it comes to the monthly check-ups with your infant. Most are met with anticipation: How much have they grown?  Where are they on the percentiles? Is my baby a genius because he can already roll over?  Owen's two month check-up was the turning point for me.  I left the office knowing that my child might have something seriously wrong with him; never in my wildest dreams could I predict what the following days would tell us.

As I undressed Owen for his big two month weigh-in, the nurse ran through the checklist of questions they ask about the milestones he should be achieving.  Yes, yes, yes, I answered distractedly until she asked, "Is he cooing? Smiling?" My hands paused on his diaper and my mind raced.  Should he be?  All he does is cry and sleep.  How had I not realized that he should be smiling at me?  With Ellie, I read the What To Expect the First Year book like an instruction manual for my baby.  I knew everything she should be accomplishing and obsessed over it day and night.  "No, I haven't seen him coo or smile." And on we moved.

Later in the appointment, Liz, Owen's nurse practitioner, mentioned that his head was small.  Really?  His head looked completely normal to me. When I looked at the growth chart on her computer screen he wasn't even on the chart! He was sitting below the one percentile! Odd, but not that concerning because I knew Ellie also had a small head when she was his age.  Liz also mentioned that Owen wasn't tracking with his eyes.  How is it possible I hadn't noticed that either?  I reminded Liz that all Owen does is sleep and cry. The acid reflux was terribly painful for him.  I wouldn't feel like cooing or smiling either if I was suffering through it.  Once he outgrew the reflux I was confident Owen would have plenty to coo and smile about.

At the end of the appointment Liz conferred with one of the pediatricians in the practice and they suggested I take Owen into Boston to see a neurologist.  Nothing to worry about they assured me, but since he had a handful of odd symptoms better to have him checked so it could be ruled out.  The appointment was set up for five days later. I spent every ounce of my spare time before his neurology appointment trying to get Owen to smile, coo, and track.  They were right- he did not do any of them.

At the neurology appointment, Pete held Owen and tried to settle him down since he was out of his mind screaming while I tried to answer the questions Dr. T, the neurologist, was asking about him.  After about five minutes, Dr T asked me to hold Owen while he examined him.  There was some poking and prodding and then his mini flashlight came out.  If our life was followed by a soundtrack this is where the music would shift and the dramatic drum beats would start.  Dr. T's demeanor completely changed as he looked into Owen's eyes.  Both Pete and I noticed this and we asked if there was something wrong.  His answer was distracted and he just mentioned wanting to do an MRI on Owen's brain.  The next few minutes were a bit of a blur, but his total appointment lasted less than ten minutes and the end result was admitting Owen to Children's Floating Hospital so a series of tests could be run.  Those included numerous blood draws, a MRI of his brain, a lumbar puncture, and a EEG.  Two days later was November 3rd.