how many fingers am i holding up?

I am always on the lookout for anything and everything that would save us time or money, that Grayson would enjoy, that would give him a higher quality of life, etc. By running across them and doing a lot of research, I’ve found so many coupons, found out about so many special offers, learned about free or inexpensive programs for little ones, etc. My most recent find is a program called InfantSEE. This public health program encourages parents of six to twelve months to have their baby’s eyes examined. Like most, I assumed going to our pediatrician regularly (every few months) was enough. After all, our pediatrician is good, and he does look into Grayson’s eyes with a flashlight. That is NOT enough. Come to find out, taking your baby to an optometrist as part of their well-baby check-ups will ensure better eye health. An exam at this age can actually reduce and/or eliminate problems in the future! This website (click on link above) is simple yet extremely informative. The best part about this program is that NOTHING (besides your laziness) can keep you from getting your baby’s eyes examined. It is FREE. As you know, very little in life is free…but this exam is. On the InfantSee website (home page), click on Find an InfantSEE doctor to find an participating optometrist near you.

Grayson went for his exam this morning. He did great! I had to get out of the chair a few times while the doctor was making notes in his chart because Gray got antsy. He’s such an active little boy! He did very good on his eye tests. He followed objects with both eyes. He grabbed at objects with no problem whatsoever (we are very familiar with how well Grayson can do that!). He got aggravated when the doctor tried to cover one eye while looking at the other. The doctor said that is good because he wants to use both of his eyes. Some kids prefer using one eye over another. I thought Gray would like the lights being dimmed, and I was so right! After the doctor flipped the switch, G looked all around (side to side and his favorite direction, BACKWARDS). The doctor talked to him as he shined the light in his eyes. For some reason, he thought that was funny! So, he laughed as the doctor examined his eyes. And because he was laughing, I started laughing. Together, we laughed through the exam. But once the lights turned back on, Grayson wasn’t amused. He was SICK AND TIRED of sitting still. In one ear, I heard the doctor giving me the results of the eye exam. In the other ear, I heard almost continual "MMMMM” (Gray’s way of saying he is unhappy/uncomfortable/bored). Therefore, I decided to stand up. Grayson was happy! He squealed with delight while I got the rest of the report. :)

I had no idea how much your eyesight is determined by hereditary. Unfortunately, Ray and I both wore glasses (I have since had Lasik). The doctor said to bring my last eyeglass prescription and Ray’s current one the next time we come in. That will tell him more about Gray’s future vision. The doctor told me that almost all babies are far sighted. Grayson his no exception. However, he is less far sighted than most babies. That’s a good thing. He also has a slight astigmatism (1.5 diopters). I asked the doctor if astigmatism ever goes away or at least gets better. He said it doesn’t go away, and that it very rarely gets better. However, there are NO concerns right now. He just said that if Grayson is an early reader (we won‘t know for several years from now), we might want to consider corrective lenses (glasses) at that time. Reading, specifically, often makes a little one with slight far-sightedness become near-sighted pretty quickly. Wearing glasses at an early age could lessen or prevent this problem.

The doctor also talked to me about sunglasses. He asked me if Grayson wears any. I kinda laughed, and said, “No, he’d never keep them on”. He put a pair of BabyBanz on Gray. They looked adorable and seemed to fit comfortably. He said the key is to walk outside in the bright sunlight, let Gray see how bright it is, and then put the sunglasses on him. Once he realizes how well he can see (without squinting) with the BabyBanz on, he won’t try to pull them off. I thought that was a simple but clever idea. But he added that once we’re out of the bright sunlight, we will have to take the sunglasses off right away or Grayson will! ;) Oh so let me tell you why sunglasses are important - the doctor said many people don’t realize that the eye tissue you have as a baby is the same eye tissue you will have FOREVER. Translation: you must take care of your eyes! Radiation (from the sun) damages eye tissue. And that is what causes things like cataracts, something that so many old people deal with (several of my family members had them).

Again, the doctor has NO concerns regarding Grayson’s vision. His eyes are healthy and are not hindering his development in any way. It just looks like Gray might be getting a pair of BabyBanz for his 1st Thanksgiving (because Santa won’t be here soon enough)! :)