Slow and Not So Steady

Because of Jaden's extremely low birth weight (600 grams) he meets the requirements for the Synagis shot.  It is a once-a-month shot that is extremely expensive (good thing our insurance covers it 100%) and helps to protect him against RSV.  In normal immunizations, you are given a strain of a virus which is usually dead so your body can produce the immunity cells for them.  There isn't an immunization for RSV, so when children get it, it can be extremely dangerous, especially for those like Jaden who have chronic lung disease.  So what the amazingly smart people figured out is that they can take the blood of someone who had already battled RSV and created their own immunity cells for it, extract those immunity cells, and give them to the kids who are most at risk.  It is an extremely difficult process, hence the high price tag, and since the body didn't create the immunity cells itself, it sort of discards them after awhile, which is why he gets it monthly. 
Once you qualify for it, it is given in doses based on your current weight, so we get a weight check for Jaden once a month.  I was so sure that this month he would finally be over 15 pounds, so I was SHOCKED when the scale said 14 pounds 12 ounces.  What!?!?!  He's been eating solids like crazy, and he drinks fortified breast milk, and he sleeps all the time!!!  And yet he only gained 200 grams in a month? 
And then I remembered - he's a mover now.  He can roll over, get up on hands and knees (but not crawl), and move to sitting.  In fact, try to stop him from doing that every time you put him down!  So he is burning a lot more calories.  After I thought about that, I guess it made more sense.  But still - I know 3 month old babies who weigh more than my kid who is almost 11 months (almost 8 months adjusted). 
It's a good thing he is so darn cute!

On a different note - here is a slightly funny story of our crazy kid:

Jaden doesn't really like pacifiers anymore.  The only thing he likes them for is to chew on them (no sign of teeth yet) and especially on the little nub that sticks out from the green ones you get at the hospital.  So yesterday he was so gung-ho on chewing it that he somehow got his thumb stuck inside of the pacifier, but he didn't mind because it meant that he couldn't drop it.  In fact, he got a little mad when I finally took it off because it looked like it was hurting him.  What a funny boy!

*that's his thumb stuck inside of the pacifier.  I'm sure you'll agree it looks painful*