Growing (not exactly) Like a Bean Pole
May 3, 2008 by mrschili
I’m sorry, you guys! I promised to update you on Beanie’s progress after her endocrinologist’s follow-up, and I never did.
Here’s the thing; for most things, I am a details woman. I love to know the facts - what’s going on, what’s expected, what can be lived with if benchmarks aren’t exactly met? Take travel, for example: when are we leaving? When are we expected to arrive? What stops get made in the interim and what kinds of activities/amenities are available there? What happens if we’re delayed in any way; will that affect our car or lodging reservations? That sort of thing.
In the case of my daughter’s growth issues, though, I’m making a conscious effort to be a “ballpark” kind of gal. I don’t want to get all wrapped up in the minutiae because I don’t want this to be the primary concern in my baby’s life. I don’t want her to become obsessed with how she looks - how tall she is or is not - because I really could not care less about such things.
I’ve said it before and I’m still saying it - Bean is perfect. She’s healthy and strong, she’s energetic, she’s smarter than I am, and she’s beautiful (ask anyone - this isn’t just the assessment of a proud mommy). So she’s small - so what?! There are no dire consequences for being short - the worst outcomes are likely that she’ll never play on a basketball team and she may have a limit on her choice of cars to the ones which have vastly adjustable seats and pedals. She may have to keep a step stool in her kitchen so she can reach the top shelves of her cabinets but you know what? *I* have to keep a step stool in my kitchen so I can reach the top shelves of my cabinets, and I’m 5′2″. What I’m sayin’ here is that I refuse to get all worked up about this - once we discovered that there were no dangerous underlying pathologies for this lack of height, it immediately became a non-issue to me.
Now, before you get all “the lady doth protest too much, methinks,” let me say this; Bean made enough progress in the past quarter that her doctor is satisfied to leave her be for another three months. She told us that there was growth and that she doesn’t feel the need to recommend any tests or medications right now; she’s content to wait and see what the summer brings and to continue to assess until something changes that throws Bean off her current course.
How MUCH did she grow? I have no freaking idea, and I really don’t care. I can tell you that she’s had to pass on a few pairs of jeans to the Wayfarer children because too much ankle was showing, but I’ve got no numbers to pass on. Her doctor is happy. Bean continues to be healthy and bubbly and active. That’s more than good enough for me.
A cool thing about this is that she is learning to be mindful of what she eats. I should be more mindful of what I eat! She cracked me up yesterday!
A-How much protein was in your sandwich?
B- A good bit!
A- How much protein was in your snack?
B- NONE!
What a perfect way to handle it. Especially considering handling it this way may not exactly be your first instinct, but clearly, it is the best instinct.
That’s great, for you and her. Last week I was thinking about how lucky I have been with my kids’ health, and hoping I would be able to take this sort of perspective in a less-than-perfect situation. The spectrum can be narrow or broad, all depending on one’s reaction.
It does take all shapes and sizes… and she sounds very healthy & wonderful!
Glad to hear everything’s ok with the “little one.”
If she ever needs advice on how to live with being short, I’m sure Cookliemaker can give her plenty!
Is there a poem that reminds you of her?
good news then eh?
I think your way of looking at this makes a lot of sense. It sounds like good news.
She has a great mom with great instincts.
Fabulous! Another one of those life-lessons, eh?…”You will receive a body…” and it sounds like the body is responding beautifully. GO BEANIE!
I’ve got some pants for her…
Your secision to not focus on this sounds just right to me.
Maybe some day she will graduate from “bean” to “stalk” before your very eyes. At least she’s more than a “sprout”
You go girls!
Since there are no apparent health issues I can only, in my usual direct manner say: Don’t people come in different sizes? Haven’t they always?
Oddly enough, I just ran into someone I knew from high school who had (this past week) started her daughter on treatments to help her grow. The six year old girl was about the same size as her three year old brother… but she was beautiful. She had this mass of wonderful curly blonde hair and I thought she looked like what I’ve always imagined fairies to look like. I don’t know how my friend was able to make the decision. If I see my friend again, and I probably will from time to time, I’ll let you know what she says about the process just in case you have to review this option again later.
In the meantime, I agree that a parents instincts are often the best. I had a pediatric cardiologist tell me that once, too…