Thursday, January 29, 2009

Monitor

When Sophie was born, we agreed to be part of a two year study through Johns Hopkins that tracked her growth. Up until now it has been fairly low effort on our part. All we have to do is come in a little early for her regular pediatric appointments and the researchers weigh and measure her. Then I answer a few questions about her dining habits and we're on our way with a $10 gift card to Target in hand. Which, as I was telling a friend, is like that free hit of crack. I get that gift card in my pocket and I start thinking that I should go and spend it. The next thing you know I'm walking out of Target with $100 worth of stuff I didn't need for the bargain price of $90.

This past Friday, Sophie had her 15 month well baby appointment. The good news: she now weighs 18 lbs and 11 oz and is back on the percentile chart, albeit the bottom end, but still. Even though Neil and I were sure that she had gained weight, I had steeled myself against the possibility that her weight gain was still too little. But for naught.

Usually, we have our study appointments before the doctor's visit, but for some reason they switched it up this time. Which meant that by the time we got in to see them, Sophie had just sat, naked, in a sterile room for an hour, followed by two shots. It is an understatement to say that we neither of us were in peak form. Which is why the usually easy measurements went very badly, in fact the research person was not able to get the one that involves attaching little electrodes to her feet and hands and I think measures body fat. I should probably know that for sure. Bad mommy. And then after much crying, wriggling, screaming and general unhappiness, the researcher tells me that Sophie has to wear this little monitor on her ankle for the next four days and that I have to track her activity, on an hourly basis, for that entire time.

I'm about four seconds from telling her what I think of her monitor, when she pulls out the gift card and all is forgiven. Damn you, Target, why can't I resist you?

So we left with my daughter tagged like a housebound felon. The researcher said that most kids forget about it as soon as you get them dressed and this was mostly true. Although she often played with it while I struggled to change her diaper, for the most part she ignored it. And as it turns out, filling out the forms to track her activity wasn't as much of a pain as I thought it would be either.

I took the monitor off today and sent it back to the research group. It wasn't so bad, but glad to be done with it. My girl has been paroled.

17 comments:

  1. Interesting how they are tracking growth...only 9 months left I assume

    This guy's burnin rubber

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  2. I'm glad you got your gift card!

    Could you take it off to give her a bath? I'm glad your little felon has been set free!

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  3. "damn you target", OMG, I laughed out loud... you're too funny. :)

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  4. I'd have a stern eye to eye with her about how that had BETTER be the only time you see something like that around her ankle.

    Please tell me for 4 days of tracking you got more than $10

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  5. I am so glad for the good report on her weight. Did you tell you what the point of the monitor was? Just curious?

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  6. when I first saw that photo I thought, 'Oh my God, what did she do?" LOL

    If you hear of a study like that here in L.A. WRITE ME!! I love Target. I try to not go b/c I never walk out of there with just the thing I came to buy, never

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  7. too funny I thought the same thing an ankle braclet!! what did she do. but oo the target cards!!! you are so right about that being crack and all for mom's!

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  8. She would totally fit in around these parts...'cause every other person is on house arrest, wearing their ankle bracelet, lamenting the day they sold oxycontin, made meth, or a combination of the two.

    Best picture, ever...love Sophie's little foot being "tagged."

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  9. Huh! I never heard of that. Something that will make her laugh when she's older, that picture and the story of the ankle bracelet!

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  10. Baby house arrest!!

    Interesting study. I guess they have to get the information somewhere, right?

    I love doing test studies. Not medical ones, though. I like testing new food for McDonald's. THAT rocks...

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  11. I do not think Summer would be able to hang with that! Wow! Way to go Sophie!!!

    Have fun in Target!

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  12. Sold your kid out because of Target! HAHA! I would do the same thing! Glad it wasn't too bad ... it is kind of funny to think of a little child as being under "house arrest" looking at the photo.

    I was just stopping by to thank you for visiting my blog yesterday via BATW! It was much appreciated!

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  13. But surely this gift card was worth more than $10 since the Bean had to be bound?

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  14. We're in a study with O. that was supposed to just be until he was 3, but they got a grant, so is now continued till he is 6 (just warning you!) My gift cards are for Kroger, so not as exciting, but just as necessary in my life. Our study is all about home safety and lead testing, so I have to record all injuries that leave a mark (and how they occurred and where I was when it happened). I'm always all like -- oh, no, please don't be a bruise! I'll have to write it down!

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  15. That's very interesting...is that to track movement?

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  16. can't go into target w/o spending more than 100 bucks. AND now EVERYTHING is on clearance. I've been stocking up on the toys that are 75% off and household items I don't need.

    Sophie looks like she's on house arrest. Too funny.

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  17. "Bad Boys, Bady Boys, Whatcha gonna do?!"...

    So glad to hear that she got time off for good behavior!

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Give me some sugar, baby!