Ever since my younger son (YS) was a baby he has been a snorty kid. I remember asking about it at the hospital and being told that c-section babies often were like that. Except that my older son (OS) was also born via c-section, and I didn't remember him sounding like that. As YS moved from infant to young child, I was told that sometimes kids just sounded funny. It was written down in his records at both the pediatrician's and ENT's office that I was concerned.

Since June, YS has had to go in to the pediatrician for periodic weight and height checks because he appears to have a super metabolism. He eats large quantities of food yet is only in the third percentile for weight and the twentieth percentile for height. When questioned by the doctor about what YS ate for breakfast, I described: two pieces of whole wheat toast slathered with butter, a Danimal, a cup of whole milk and two pieces of American cheese, not to mention a piece of Advent candy. Sometimes he will also eat some fruit. He'll only be 2.5 at the end of the month. The pediatrician asked me whether or not he snored. Um...yeah...It sounds like there is a symphony in his room every night.

Apparently sometimes kids with enlarged adenoids burn extra calories because they have to work harder to breathe. Since YS had enlarged tonsils, she thought he might also have enlarged adenoids. X-rays were ordered, and sure enough YS has very large adenoids. We have an appointment in a couple weeks with his ENT to see if he needs surgery. While I am very concerned about YS and the surgery, I do have one really important question to ask the ENT: can his enlarged adenoids be transferred to me, because I would love to burn extra calories sleeping at night instead of getting up at the crack of dawn to workout!

A. Elliot's Lesson Learned: There are upsides and downsides to enlarged adenoids.