Big Brained Boys!

After learning early on that Sean had a big head (97th percentile at one point), I was not really alarmed or surprised. His older brothers both had giant heads and I wrote here about it when Z was just 9 months old. Because of that trend, I hardly thought that they would tell us something could be wrong with our youngest son.

At his 18 month check up (and Z's 4 year old check up which took AN HOUR AND A HALF), I learned that Sean's head percentile actually went DOWN- from 97th to 90th, so was very surprised when the doctor felt his head and told me she thought we should have an ultrasound of his brain (his percentiles in both weight and height were 25-50th). I questioned why they were doing this now (and not earlier) and suggested that this was just a genetic thing because it has been the case with all of my boys. She said it may be nothing, but it could be something and if we didn't do it now (when they could do an ultrasound through his soft-spot while it was still slightly open) they would have to do a CAT scan later which would be much worse.
At that appointment they also asked me questions that they had never asked me with my other three, and because I am a teacher I knew by the questions that they were looking to see if my son had any indicators that he may be on the autistic spectrum. When I asked about this, they said it was because of his head size and even took blood out of a vein in his arm to test his thyroid. His poor little hand was purple at the end and of course those test results came back normal.

In private, I questioned if all these tests were being ordered because (at the moment at least) we have good health insurance. I hesitated with the brain ultrasound- but in the end did it because I knew if I didn't and something was indeed wrong, I would not forgive myself. So Jeff and I made the familiar trip to the hospital with our 18th month old- cautiously optimistic that this trip would have the same results we had on that last trip we took (with another big headed boy of ours).

In the end, it appears (from first glance anyway) that Sean is indeed (like his brothers) just a kid with a big brain. The test was harder than with Z (because Sean is 9 months older than Z was at the time) but Jeff held Sean's feet while I held his head. I distracted him by wiggling my tongue and making him laugh. My mommy trick worked and other than two times when he cried (he realized a bit that something was different) he was a perfectly happy little camper and the whole procedure didn't take too long. They too questioned why our pediatrician would order this test now and I felt my initial feelings had been validated, but I'm still glad that I will know for sure that my boy is "OK". We had lots of prayers for us and our boy and we felt every one. One of my friends wrote, "in my house we say big heads just equal big brains. I am sure he is just a great thinker....thank God you had c-sections ♥" I had to smile at that because for a long time I was angry about having to have c-sections... now I think that anger has disappeared. Finding a reason for everything! Thanks for your prayers everyone!