18-month appt. and other stuff

(Wow. Most boring title EVER.)

Ari had her 18-month appointment this morning, and it went really well. When we walked into the waiting room, she immediately spotted a baby doll and was thrilled. She even carried it back into the examining room with her, where she chewed on its plastic head.

First things first--weight and height. She is 24 lbs. 2 1/2 oz., which puts her right around the 50th percentile. And she is 35" tall, which puts her well above the 100th percentile. (Dude--my kid is almost 3 feet tall!) Both the nurse and the doctor commented on her height, making jokes about how she could play basketball, be a supermodel, etc.

Ari kept herself entertained on the examining table while we waited for the doctor by playing with the scale attached to the table. It was one of those old-fashioned ones where you have to slide the weights around--she kept moving the weights and then flinching at the clanging sound they made. She also kept herself busy by completely mangling the paper on the table. And once that got old, she even stood up on the table. That's her new thing--standing on tables, etc., and then grinning at me like she's just scaled Mt. Everest.

The first thing the doctor asked about was her eating habits, so at least we got the negative stuff out of the way first. Actually, the doctor didn't seem at all concerned about the way Ari eats and how little she eats. She gave me the same advice as last time--keep providing nutritious food and let her decide how much to eat. She also said to give her no more than 4-6 ounces of juice per day and to offer her milk at the end of a meal rather than at the beginning or during, which all makes sense. Even though I know in my head that Ari's picky eating habits are totally normal, I still can't help but worry sometimes--I wouldn't be a typical mom if I didn't, right? But it's still nice to have someone reassure me that she is behaving like a normal, ordinary, stubborn toddler.

I braced myself for a fight during the exam, since at her last appointment, Ari acted like we were all trying to kill her. She pushed away the stethoscope when the doctor listened to her heart and lungs (and didn't appreciate it when I held her hands back), but after that, she was fine. She squirmed a little, as though she wanted to make it clear to us that she did not like being poked and prodded, but really, she was so good. And no shots this time, either.

The doctor asked several questions about her development, and I was pleased to be able to answer them all positively. She even commented on the collection of small bruises on Ari's shins, declaring them "toddler legs" and saying that's what she likes to see. Overall, the doctor told me she was "thrilled" with Ari's progress, and I couldn't help but beam. Again, I wouldn't be a typical mom if I wasn't bursting with pride at the fact that my child--my very own offspring--has mastered the art of holding a fork.

This concludes the Ariana portion of this entry. And this begins the total randomness.

I am wearing my hair in a ponytail because it got rained on this morning and turned into a giant puffball. I hate wearing my hair in a ponytail--I feel like it makes my entire body look fatter. I know this makes no sense. I am such a girl.

The headline on AOL's home page right now reads (in reference to Hillary Clinton), "She choked up, then beat Obama." Somehow, the first time I read this, I read it as, "She choked then beat Obama." Which I'm sure would be a much more entertaining story.

I watched Sex and the City last night, and the storyline about one of the character's struggles with infertility made me cry. More than once. Whatever that's supposed to mean.

No, it does not mean I'm thinking about getting pregnant again, so just stop it.

It was so warm yesterday that a couple co-workers and I took a walk in the afternoon. It was perfect walking weather--the air was cool and refeshing on our faces. I think we'll go again today, too. Or I'll go by myself.

There is a small pile of dog poop sitting on the pavement of the parking lot at home, right past the curb, in a parking spot that I generally walk through to get from my car to my door. It used to be sitting on snow until this warm weather melted it, which means it has been there at least since Saturday. How hard is it to pick up after your dog, people? Especially when you don't have to dig it out of the grass. This little pile annoys me to no end. But apparently, it doesn't annoy me enough to make me pick it up myself.

You know what else annoys me? When people pass you on the right on the highway, and then slow down once they're in front of you. Or the people who ride your tail until you get over, then take their sweet old time passing you.

OK, I'm going to end this before it turns into a big list of Things That Annoy Me. So, to end on a positive note...

Here's another picture that I stole from my sister's blog--me and my Mommy. Can you tell we're related?