I'll never forget the thrill I felt at my firstborn's two-week checkup. "He's gained one pound, six ounces," I announced to everyone within earshot. I figured I must be doing something right.
Nine years and a second child later, I still feel the same excitement and anticipation at each of my children's checkups, but I've learned that how much they grow has a lot more to do with their genetic makeup than with my mothering skills. One of my sons has been steadily in the 65th percentile of height and weight, and the other has hovered around the 10th, even though they eat generally the same foods each day. The doctor assures me that both are developing normally, just differently. Children's growth patterns, while predictable in some ways, are as individual -- and sometimes as quirky -- as their personalities.
To help you navigate the sometimes confusing path of childhood growth, here's how pediatricians answer parents' most pressing concerns.
