Caleb's First Doctor Visit

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates over the past few days. We have been busy enjoying our baby boy and settling into a routine at home.

So far Caleb is doing really well! He has been sleeping quite a bit at night, most of the time for a total of 8+ hours with a continuous 6 hour stretch in there. He also takes a morning and afternoon nap, and we often have to go wake him after 2+ hours! He's a great sleeper and we're so glad that he likes his crib. We're working on introducing a "lovey" or comfort item to him. We noticed he often likes to hold on to the burp rags or other fabric so the little lovey in the picture to the right seems like a perfect choice.

He is also doing well on the soy formula, and we are in the process of switching him from the Russian soy formula over to Enfamil Soy. So far we are up to 1/3 Russian, 2/3 Enfamil. He is tolerating the change ok although we can tell he has had some tummy upset and therefore less appetite. Hopefully we will be able to finish the transition by week end and get even more food in him!

Today was Caleb's first doctor's visit. We gave him a bath this morning (something he deems pure torture). He couldn't understand why going to the doctor with a dirty baby body isn't an option! He cried throughout, although not at maximum lung capacity. We are hoping that as this becomes part of his daily routine he will learn to like it. We have heard of many other internationally adopted babies who do not enjoy their baths at first. We are not really sure how he was bathed at the orphanage but feel confident he will learn to love his baths in his new home.

After the bath we got him all dressed in his big boy outfit - some little blue overalls plus matching blue shoes! We thought he looked so cute!!

Here is Caleb in his car seat, ready to go. Getting strapped in the car seat is getting less traumatic for him each time. We have found he doesn't mind sitting in it or riding around, he just hates being strapped into anything whether it be the car seat or his swing (aka the miracle worker).


Caleb was pretty happy at the doctor's office even though it was nearing nap time. First he was weighed and measured - 11 lbs 5 ounces and 25 inches long. This means he has only gained around 5 or 6 ounces since we were in Almaty at the SOS Clinic. At this point, his weight is not even on the growth chart because it is so low for his age, but his height is definitely on the charts! He's such a long and skinny little baby!

When our pediatrician came in he was all smiles! We had met with her before Trip 2 so she would be familiar with Caleb and know as much as possible about his early life. He was quite the show off for the doctor! He was smiling at her, cooing and talking and showing off his leg strength and head control. He was a great sport when she examined him and even rolled over several times and pushed up on his arms when she placed him on his tummy! Our pedatrician said she expected him to be very delayed given his small size, so she was very impressed with his development. We were so pleased to hear her assessment and to also see how well he interacted with yet another new person in a new setting.

After the pediatrician's exam, it was time for the crummy part of the visit: vaccines & bloodwork. Caleb got 3 shots and was so brave. He did cry but really handled it well and settled down quickly after it was all over. I was so thankful Bryan was there as he helped the nurse hold Caleb. The picture below is a VERY toned down version of how he felt about the vaccines.

After the vaccines we went to the lab to have his blood drawn and heel stick done. God bless the nurses who did this yucky stuff! They were great at finding the vein in his arm on the first try and also worked quickly on the heel stick too. Again, Bryan held him while I barely managed to watch. I'm not afraid of needles - just afraid of seeing my baby boy hurting and crying! When they finished, Caleb settled down quickly into his car seat. We are so proud of how well he did considering everything he went through today.

Caleb is now taking a much deserved nap. We are hopeful that he won't feel too crummy after getting all those shots. I'm thankful that all 3 of us survived the first doctor visit!