Stats

I took Lucy and Levi to the doctor for their 2-year and 6-month checkups. Lucy weighs 24 pounds 14 ounces, which is 20th percentile. She is 35.5 inches tall, which is 80th percentile. She is continuing her "tall and thin" trend. Levi weighs 15 pounds 13 ounces and is 26 inches tall; those are both 25th percentile. This is great for Levi, who was 3rd percentile in his first few weeks!

When we last met with Nate's DAN! doctor in Virginia, we asked what things we can look out for with Levi, since Levi is at much higher risk of having autism (because he is a boy and because he has an affected sibling). We've implemented the things Dr. Mumper suggested (like probiotics) and have been watching Levi's head circumference. (Many children with autism, including Nate, have larger-than-average head size.) Levi's head circumference has been consistent, and this last appointment it was 9th percentile.

I spoke to the doctor about our suspicion that Lucy has a food intolerance. I tried getting rid of all dairy for her a few months back, but after two weeks, she showed no improvement. Dr. Chu suggested trying a gluten-free diet. (This would be pretty easy for us to do!) If it made a difference for Lucy, then they would run the test for celiac disease. (Dr. Chu said celiac is underdiagnosed; it affects 1 in 100 children!) Today is day four of Lucy being gluten-free, and by golly, she has had normal dirty diapers for two days! This doesn't mean anything conclusive yet, but I am excited about the possibility of finding the answer to this year-long problem. If gluten is indeed the culprit, I don't think it necessarily means she has celiac, but it of course would mean she had a gluten intolerance. Celiac has no cure, but the treatment that works for every single case is a life-long gluten-free diet. We'll see!