Growing boy (more or less)

So Isaac was weighed and measured at his two-and-a-half-year check-up. He is 37 and 3/4 inches tall and weighs 27.7 pounds. In the past six months he has grown one and three-quarters inches and gained 0.7 pounds.

He's down to the 80th percentile for height, instead of his usual 95th percentile -- where he'd been since he was ten months old -- so perhaps he won't be a giant after all. And he's dropped to the 30th percentile for weight, instead of the 40th. I didn't think that was such a big drop, considering it is a 10-point change compared to the 15-point change in height, but the doctor did seem a little concerned about it. He even asked us if Isaac had had any gastrointestinal illness in the last few weeks, in case that might have contributed to recent weight loss.

The doctor also asked about Isaac's appetite. He relaxed when we assured him Isaac is not a picky eater, he eats the same things we eat, he feeds himself, and he eats decent amounts. The doctor then said something about genetics and having slender parents -- and I would be surprised, frankly, if a child of mine turned out to be plump.

Might this explain why the waistband of some of Isaac's pants seems to be growing larger? Or perhaps he is shrinking, because jeans he has been wearing for the last six months now seem to be slipping off his hips. (This is not the first time this has happened.)

I'm really not worried about his physical development, but it is a little strange that his formerly consistent percentiles are dropping. Is it really just genetics, or could it be his diet? He's not much of a snacker, unlike many of his toddler pals. He leaves food on his plate when he's full, even if it's food he likes. And he certainly doesn't drink 16 to 32 ounces of cows' milk daily, which the doctor recommended, but since he nurses twice a day, he's getting some milkfat that way too. Whatever, I'm not about to force food on him and give him an eating disorder, but I guess I can be sure he has the opportunity to eat whenever he's interested.