Layla's 18-month appointment was today. Or at least I thought it was today. After an hour in the waiting room and seeing 2 families that arrived after us get called in before us, I went to the check-in and asked how much longer we had. That's when I was informed that her appointment was actually yesterday! I honestly don't know how I got mixed up because I vividly remember putting the date into my phone calendar while standing at the desk 2 months ago when scheduling the appointment. Regardless, the lady apologized for missing that bit of info (HELLO, we checked in the moment we arrived!) and we finally saw the doctor 1.5 hours after arrival.
Jeremy and I were hoping for a minimum of 21 pounds with 22 pounds being the actual goal. Unfortunately, the scale read a mere 20.5 pounds. She has grown about an inch and a half, and her head has grown a centimeter. So it's not all frowns. Just a quick side note on the height growth...I'm pretty sure the last time they measured they were off, or the Dr. in Indy was off, because she showed a shrinkage between those two visits (if memory serves me correctly). So the 1.5 inches might not be exactly accurate, but I do feel she is taller regardless.
The doctor was extremely impressed with Layla's vocabulary!! She kept saying how she is way ahead of what is expected of an 18-month old in this area. Yay, Layla!! She was also thoroughly impressed with Layla's knowledge of all her body parts (right down to her neck, chin and difference between her hands and fingers)! She asked us if we were teaching her all this and our only response was that she truly just picks up on these things very quickly. I just happened to ask her a couple of days ago where her back was (never having mentioned it to her or pointed it out to her before) and much to my surprise she pointed it out immediately...and mom's and dad's which she has to do for everything.
The doctor also couldn't believe how active Layla was during the appointment. She was constantly going from one part of the room to the next, playing around with us and the doctor. I should add here that I was very happy with how well Layla stayed entertained and well-behaved during our extremely long wait in the lobby. *Knock on wood*
But the title of this post is "The Saga Continues" and we wouldn't be talking about Layla if yet another health issue didn't arise.
While the doctor was listening with her stethoscope (which Layla did EXCEPTIONAL with this time...remaining oh so still with her cute little ankles crossed at the foot of the bed) she turned and asked me if we had ever had a "2-D echo." My initial reaction was, "a what?" which I think answered the doctor's question for her. :-) She then went back to listening. And then question actually registered in my head...she was asking if we'd ever had any issues with her heart. As she continued to listen my head started reeling.
I attempted to pause any unnecessary thoughts by assuming she was actually hearing wheezing (Layla has had quite a cough for a week or so). However, this assumption was thwarted when she stopped her listening and turned to say "her chest sounds very clear."
You know how thoughts can pass through your mind in the split of a second and all at the exact moment? That's what happened at this point in time.
Are you sure it's clear? She's had such a cough lately. I hear & feel her chest rattling when I have my hands around her core. If you're saying the chest is clear, then you truly were listening to her heart. What's wrong? What did you hear? Why were you taking such a long time listening to her chest...you've never done that before...
She turns and states that she believes she hears a slight murmur with Layla's heart. Outside I remain rather calm, inside I'm...well I don't even know what I was inside - but there was a definite difference between the two parts of me - as if I could have been two separate people standing there.
She then goes on to tell us not to worry. She didn't hear any sort of blaring murmur that screamed of any type of immediate attention. Just something ever so slight that she wants to get checked out with an ultrasound.
I'm pretty sure she spat out several names for murmurs, or several types. Either I wasn't able to listen because my head was still trying to grasp this bit of news or she stopped and didn't really elaborate any more because I don't recall her telling us what she feels it might be. I do know she began saying that "it could be something that you or I..." and then she stopped. In my head I finished the sentence for her "could have once had and outgrew." I'm not sure why she stopped...I think it's because Layla was beginning to get very antsy/fussy and was tossing around the tissue paper they use to cover the beds with which was quite loud and distracting.
She just stated again for us not to worry.
And that's where we currently stand. We're waiting to get a call to see when our scheduled "2-D echo" is...it will be sometime this week or next.
A part of me still hopes that she was just hearing something with Layla's lungs - I went in expecting to hear this...I'm used to lung issues and can handle them. But she's a doctor...she listens to many lungs and hearts every day. I'm sure she knows the difference between lung gunk and heart murmurs.
