Yesterday I took Wes in for his 18-month checkup. He hates sitting on the doctor’s scale, but eventually we found out he weighs 18 lbs 4 oz. And he’s 29 inches long. He’s come quite a way from 3 lbs 15 oz and 16 inches!

Even so, he doesn’t show up on the regular growth chart. Well, technically, he’s there…just at the very bottom. He’s in the .05 percentile for weight and .36 percentile for height. Translate these figures to the Down syndrome chart, and he looks slightly better–closer to 15% for weight and 25% for height. We have a skinny midget on our hands.

I asked the doctor about potential medicine to help Wesley’s reflux, but since his spitting up isn’t acidic and doesn’t hurt him or prevent him from eating, it doesn’t seem like it would do much good. It wouldn’t decrease the quantity of spit up, anyway.

Just as we were wrapping up the visit I mentioned to the doctor that Wes still doesn’t have teeth, and what should we do? He was sort of flummoxed by that, since the latest he’s ever seen a baby get teeth was 16 months. But I know of at least two other kids with DS whose teeth came in later (17 and 19 months). We’ll give it one more month, and if still no pearly whites, then we’ll take him to a pediatric dentist for X rays.

I also need to take Wes to the hospital lab for a blood draw to test his thyroid again. Thyroid problems are common for people with Down syndrome. We tested it at 12 months, and one figure came back borderline high, so we need to see how it looks now.

Wesley is walking like a champ. And he gives you big, slobbery kisses on your cheek (or nose, if you’ll let him) when you least expect it. (Kiss from Wesley = open-mouth slobber glued to your face.) He is a slobbery skinny midget.