Failure to thrive

"Failure to thrive" - that's the "reason for visit" listed on the receipt I got at the pediatrician's office today. I guess that's the polite way of saying, "This kid ain't quite right."

The doctor isn't convinced that Liza's development is actually delayed - he says she's borderline, and he'd be much more worried if Liza didn't sit so steadily once she got upright. But since she is borderline and we're concerned, he's referring us to First Steps, an early intervention program that provides diagnosis and therapy for developmental disorders. He says that while there's a chance there is something physical wrong with Liza, it's unlikely (and I refrained from fainting when he said that it was "highly unlikely" that it was anything serious "like muscular dystrophy." How ironic would that be, if Jason got tapped to shill for Jerry's kids a few weeks before finding out that Liza is one of them? Let's just say WAY TOO IRONIC and move on to a more pleasant subject).

So for now we're waiting to hear back from the local branch of the First Steps program, who should send someone out to evaluate Her Royal Blobbiness. In the meantime, I'm donning earplugs and ramping up the amount of tummy time she gets, whether she likes it or not. Maybe if I piss her off enough, she'll make the connection and get moving. I'll let you know if she makes any progress toward being more "thrivey" than she is right now :)