9-month well visit

30 inches tall, 23 1/2 pounds, and a head that's 19 inches around. That puts Chicken in the 90-95th growth percentiles.

The bumps we were worried could be chickenpox are not; instead, they are coxsackievirus. Cayden doesn't seem bothered by them, and we don't see any in his mouth, so Doc Baker advised we just wait them out, airing the bumps out as much as possible and taking giving Cayden a couple of bleach baths a week (two caps of bleach in the baby tub), to dry them more. Like father like son: I'd never heard of this virus, but Dad had it as a kid.

We also got the greenlight to add some fish into Chicken's diet, although he can't have shellfish until he's two years old. So tonight we'll make some tuna salad with ricotta for dinner. Mmmm!

(Sidebar.) It's funny to me, remembering how nervous Brian was about introducing new foods into Cayden's diet at first -- for choking and allergy fears. Well, he was always hesitant about the fresh, homemade foods I offered, although he was totally comfortable with jarred baby food, even though the jars combined new ingredients Chicken hadn't yet tried. Anyway, this Daddy who was so nervous about overfeeding and offering too many things is now insistent on regular doses of meat. If Brian had it his way, Cayden would have meat at lunch and dinner, every day. In reality, we make meats happen for dinner at least every other day. (End sidebar.)

A few other questions the Doc answered:

Fat baby feet are normal, even at nine months old. Normal, but challenging for shoe fitting.

But we learned Chicken only needs shoes for fashion and protection (i.e., from hot pavements, snowy streets, pebble-y paths). Dr. Baker says the societies with the least foot problems are barefoot societies, so he's not concerned about structured, supportive shoes for early walkers. Not that we expect walking anytime soon. I just like to be prepared.

Although I'm hoping we've settled into a new, comfortable, lower-output pumping routine (I just had to get used to the fact that 10 - 13 oz. is plenty for his daytime bottles, so long as I nurse him in the morning and night as much as he wants), I did ask about supplementing with formula to make sure Cayden is getting enough milk nutrition. Doc says to keep doing what we're doing (90+ percentile tells him it's working) and not to worry about supplementing with formula if we make it close, but not all the way to the end with breastmilk. He said that if we run low on milk getting toward 11 months old (I think my freezer stash could last to then), to go straight to cow's milk, rather than try formula. Again, I'm probably overthinking things and the boobs will continue to provide just fine through the finish line, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared with a backup plan.

Doc Baker is a proponent of whole milk after a year, rather than 2 percent. But two days of 2 percent a week at daycare is "splitting hairs" and not worth my effort to stock the daycare fridge with Cayden's own personal supply of whole milk beginning in August. Notice a theme so far? I'm so planned and prepared, I should have been a boy scout.

Chicken's eye boogers (big and green, still daily) aren't quite yet reason for concern, but if they're still as gross and frequent in three months, we'll get an opthalmologist in the mix to talk about tear duct opening.

And finally, when Dr. Baker heard Cayden's one-year check up is the day before his First Birthday Bash (this is absolutely our most exciting holiday this year, and since all holidays are capitalized, the First Birthday Bash shall be from here on out, as well), the good doctor suggested scheduling a nurse-only visit for his booster shots the next week, rather than potentially ruin the First Birthday Bash for him.

OK, so I just realized most of my questions for the doctor could have been answered at or just before his one-year check up. Mental note: be sure not to sacrifice today's joy and beauty in an effort to plan for tomorrow.