Turn 168 of 233

Skip to Kimo's 5 month visit. He knows more words and his growth pattern holds. HE also walks very smoothly now

Dr. Parekh's clinic smells like antiseptic and the antiseptic is the thing Lena knows from every visit and the knowing is the thing that tells her where she is. Kimo is on the exam table and the exam table is the thing that holds 61 pounds and the 61 pounds is the number Dr. Parekh is looking at. The scale said 61 and the 61 is up from 44 three weeks ago and the three weeks is the thing that Dr. Parekh measures. The measuring tape says 38 inches and the 38 inches is up from 34 and the 34 is the number from last visit. Lena is standing beside the table and the standing is the standing of a mother who has been here before and the before is the thing that is the routine.

"Nineteen words," Lena says. The saying is the thing she does at every visit — she gives Dr. Parekh the list and the list is the thing she tracks.

"Big, up, more, hot, down, go, cold, won, walk, run, nail, wall, done, good, hi, bye, mom, dad, sit. Nineteen. All single syllables. All directed at the right thing. He said nail at the site last week when Marco was on the gun. He said wall when I finished framing. He said run when Sina showed up at the trailhead."

Dr. Parekh is writing and the writing is the thing she does with the pen and the pen is the thing that moves across the chart. The chart is the chart that doesn't fit any curve and the not fitting is the thing Dr. Parekh has been navigating for five months. She looks up and the looking is the looking of a doctor who is seeing a five-month-old who weighs 61 pounds and is 38 inches tall and has 19 words and the seeing is the thing that requires a new scale.

"Let's see him walk," Dr. Parekh says. The saying is the saying of a doctor who wants to see the thing the chart says is impossible and the impossible is the thing she documents.

Lena sets Kimo on the floor and the floor is the linoleum and the linoleum is cold and the cold is the thing Kimo's feet feel. He looks down and the looking down is the thing that comes before the word.

"Cold," Kimo says. The saying is the word and the word is at the floor and the floor is cold and the cold is right. Dr. Parekh's pen stops and the stopping is the thing that says the word landed.

Kimo walks. The walking is not the walking of a four-month-old and the not is the thing that is clear. His stride is smooth — no wobble, no stagger, no fall. His feet are flat and the flat is the thing that says the ankles are strong and the strong is the thing that shouldn't be there at five months. He walks from the exam table to the door and the distance is twelve feet and the twelve feet is crossed in eight steps and the eight steps are even. He turns. The turning is the thing that is new and the new is the thing that says the balance is there and the balance is the thing that comes with walking and the walking is the thing that has been building since four months.

He walks back to Lena and the walking back is eight steps and the eight steps are the same even rhythm. He doesn't fall. He doesn't wobble. He walks the way a child walks at fourteen months and the fourteen months is the number Dr. Parekh is writing and the writing is the thing that says the chart doesn't fit and the not fitting is the thing that is the pattern.

"Smooth independent ambulation with turns," Dr. Parekh says. The saying is the saying of a doctor who is documenting and the documenting is precise because precision is the thing she can hold.

"He's been walking on the construction site pad. Concrete. He does fifteen steps regularly. He turned for the first time on Monday on the balcony."

Dr. Parekh looks at Kimo and Kimo is standing at Lena's knee and the standing is the standing of a boy who has walked across a room and back and is now standing and the standing is his. His feet are bare and the bare is the only thing he knows and the knowing is in the soles. He is humming and the humming is the drone and the drone is the thing between words and the between is the place where the twentieth word is building.

"The growth pattern is holding," Dr. Parekh says.

"Sixty-one pounds, 38 inches, 19 words, smooth ambulation with turns. Every metric is tracking at roughly two and a half times his chronological age. The acceleration isn't slowing. If anything, the word acquisition is outpacing the physical growth."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I don't know when it levels off. And I don't know where it levels off. I want to see him again in two months instead of one. Not because I'm concerned. Because the curve is unpredictable and I want to give it room to show me what it is."

Lena picks Kimo up and the picking is 61 pounds and the 61 is more than 44 and the more is the thing she feels in her arms and the feeling is the thing that says he is growing and the growing is the thing that is the pattern and the pattern holds. Kimo is against her chest and the chest is tattooed and the tattooed is the skin he knows and the knowing is the thing that is home.

"Two months," Lena says.

"Two months. Call me if anything changes before then. Anything."

Lena nods and the nod is the nod of a mother who hears the word anything and the anything is the thing she will watch for and the watching is the thing she does every day. She carries Kimo out of the exam room and the carrying is 61 pounds on a body that presses 535 and the 535 is the thing that makes 61 nothing and the nothing is the weight of a boy who is five months old and growing and the growing is the thing that doesn't stop.