Every year, on the monkey’s birthdays, we make them stand, heels against the wall, and we mark their height on our measuring stick.
At first, it was a neat way for Real Man and I to remember how tiny Monkey Girl had once been (although, comparatively, she was never actually ‘tiny’) but once Monkey in the Middle was born, it became a way for us to compare their heights.
Once Baby Monkey was added to the mix, it was an out and out height competition.
Birth.
No question.
Monkey Girl beat them all.
Monkey Girl probably beat all of your babies, too.
She was long.
And big.
9 pounds, 15 ounces of Monkey Girl.
Her bassinette, in the hospital nursery, was next to a set of twins who were about 3 pounds each.
She looked like a seven month old.
It was pretty funny.
Monkey Girl’s measurements are on the right.
Monkey in the Middle is on the left (yes, it would have made more sense to put him in the middle, but we didn’t know he’d be a middle child when he was born…in fact, we had no idea he’d be a middle child until he was two!)
Baby Monkey is the middle measurement.
Age 1.
Monkey Girl retains her lead, but Monkey in the Middle starts to catch up.
Baby Monkey comes in third.
Age 2.
Monkey in the Middle catches up AND surpasses Monkey Girl.
Baby Monkey brings up the rear.
Age 3.
Monkey in the Middle takes a startling, huge lead, and Baby Monkey makes a play for second place!
The race is on.
Age 4.
Monkey in the Middle retains his massive lead, while Monkey Girl and Baby Monkey settle into their respective second and third places, happily.
Age 5.
Obviously, as Baby Monkey just turned 4, we have no data on his age 5 height…yet.
However, I find age 5 to be interesting, as it was in year 4-5 that Monkey in the Middle was in the height of his throwing up phase.
For a little over a year and a half, Monkey in the Middle threw up multiple times per day.
He wasn’t sick.
He just threw up.
It was all mucous, and we had a bajillion tests done.
The poor kid was poked and prodded more than any poor kid should be, but at the end, everything was inconclusive.
My theory is that, even though he had tubes in his ears, he still wasn’t draining properly, and it drained into his stomach which is just gross.
Anyway, he’s generally outgrown it now, unless he is in a runny nose stage, or if a smell really offends him.
Like a McDonald’s restaurant.
Or, if he’s really, really super excited about something.
Like his newest cousin’s christening.
Other than that, he’s fine.
However, as I was saying, I find it interesting that in the height of the vomit-itis, his growth abruptly stopped, and he fell behind in the height chart.
Age 6.
He’s making a comeback!
Ages 7 & 8.
No one to compare her to, but it does demonstrate why we either need a new stick next week, or it’s time to stop measuring Monkey Girl, because she’s clearly outgrown the stick this year, as she turns 9.
In the end, they are all going to tower over me.
I’m 5’5 1/2″.
At the rate they are going, I’m guessing Monkey Girl will hit a statueseque 5’8″, Monkey in the Middle will top out at a long and lanky 6’4″, and Baby Monkey may hit 6’1″. Baby Monkey is really more of a linebacker, but he is built like his dad, and Real Man is 6’1″.
I’m not a real sentimental chica, yet I do look forward to getting out the measuring stick each year. I think it’s neat to see, and I have such a hard time believing they were ever this small.
