Braedyn's Doc Band Imaging

Braedyn's Thought for the Weekend:

Helmet Website

Many of you have had a lot of questions about Braedyn's helmet and treatment, so I wanted to post this website:

http://cranialtech.com

You can go read as much as you would like about the process, see pictures of other kids wearing similar helmets to what Braedyn will receive, and find medical research behind head reshaping. Braedyn has an appointment Monday for the 3-D imaging and should be receiving his helmet about 10 days from that appointment. We will keep you all in the loop as we know more.

Braedyn's Noggin: The Latest

The short story is that we went to the doctor this afternoon and she said that Braedyn needs a helmet. If you look at the pictures above you can see a bit better as to why. The upper left picture shows you how his left ear is a bit further back than his right, and how that is causing the right side of his head above the ear to swell out. In the upper right picture you can see how his right ear is drooping lower than the left. The bottom two picture give you a bit of an idea as to the flatness on the back of his head, but since it isn't flat directly in the back it is hard to see; his flatness is more to one side.

In the pictures above you can see the asymmetry of his head. The first one shoes how the right side is rounder and a bit more filled out than the left. And in the second picture you can really see how much lower his left ear (right if you are looking at is) is much lower than his right ear.

The doctor thinks he will have to wear the helmet for approximately 8-10 weeks; the earlier we get it on him the better because babies' heads are growing at such a rapid rate. The helmet works by creating resistance in the areas we don't want to grow and no resistance in the areas we want to fill in. It isn't painful for the babies; the doctor said it is much more traumatic for the parents. The research done says that this can be caused inutero, from lack of space (which we know Braedyn experienced) and from delivery (he was squeezed quite a bit and had to wait in the birth canal why Dr. Gee drove to the hospital). It can also be caused from laying in a swing or car seat too long, but I don't think that he has been left either place for that extended of a period time. We will keep you updated as we know more. I should hear from the doctor soon and we will schedule his next appointment to have pictures taken so his helmet can be made. Allen's first words were, "At least it is during football season, so we can make him a Razorback football helmet." I am glad Braedyn could accomodate him!

Hungry Little Razorback

We were all chowing down on Whataburger this weekend when I caught Braedyn moving his mouth like he was chewing. Allen was holding him while I managed Brookelyn, so I could see his little eyes watching us, which made me feel that much more like I was depriving my poor starving son. So, tonight I pumped some milk and mixed it with rice cereal. He did great; just gobbled it down like a pro. Looks like babyfood making will be added to my ever-growing list of to dos!

Prima Ballerina..,Almost

Here is a video of Brookelyn at ballet today. This morning when I went to get her I told her that we had something really fun to do today, and I asked her if she remembered where she got to go. She thought for a second, and then smiled really big and said, "TARGET!" Ballet wasn't quite as fun as Target perhaps, but she does love going!

Channeling Cinderella...

Brookelyn is our little princess!

Our Baby Bs

Here is a video of the babies this afternoon. Brookelyn got her hair cut (only her second) and styled, and Braedyn got a new seat. I am hoping this seat will help take the pressure off his little noggin and help that flat spot to round out without having to put a helmet on him. Or, we could always try Sashi's solution: Let him pal around with Brookelyn for a day and bonk his head so many times that the swollen lumps will fill any flat spots he might have!

WONDERFUL NEWS!

The doctor called today and after looking at Braedyn's x-rays, there doesn't seem to be any fusion of the skull! So, we have to go back for a follow up in a month, but we think that lump should take care of itself as his head grows and pulls those plates apart. I will keep you all updated after our visit to the other cranial doctor next week as far as his flat spot, but at least that won't require surgery if we do have to intervene and fix it! Braedyn was so happy!

Braedyn's Noggin

Braedyn had his 4 month check up today, and all is well except for his poor little (yes Kelly and mom, he is in the 25-50 percentile for his head so it is considered little) noggin. We went for x-rays to make sure that the sutures in his skull on his left side have not fused together. The doctor should get back with us in the next two weeks to let us know the results. He also has a plagiocephaly. or flat spot on the toward the back/side of his head. So, next Wednesday we have an appointment with a doctor who specializes in cranio-something. He will take measurements and pictures of Braedyn's head to see if we can just work with him to remold his head or if he will have to wear a helmet to reshape it. We are hoping that both issues will work themselves out, and that no interventions will be necessary--lord knows it is Brookelyn who needs a helmet, not Braedyn!

HAMMER TIME!

When you have a million and one things to do, a house that looks like it has been ransacked by looters, and haven't slept for more than four hours in a row the past month, what should you do? Waste time! Here is Braedyn's latest dance video...

The Morning After...

Brookelyn is doing much better this morning, with no lasting effects other than the nice beauty mark on her forehead!

Can Life Get Any Crazier...

So I was making dinner tonight about 5:30, expecting Allen home in the next thirty minutes, and I asked Brookelyn to put away my bathing suit that she had put on earlier. She walked into our bedroom (which is a wreck because we have moved everything around for the painters) and tripped on the rug, falling into the wooden bedrail (the same bedrail she tore her lip on just a few weeks ago). I heard the crack from the kitchen. I went running in there, scared to death to pull her hand away from her head, and saw a huge lump protruding about three inches from her forehead. Scooping her up, I ran to my new neighbor's house, who just happens to be a nurse (thank you God), leaving Braedyn on the kitchen counter in his bouncer, but her son told me she was in Jamaica. Plan B: I remembered Mom pointing out the emergency care clinic down the road and saying how she was always superstitious about finding the nearest clinic whenever she moved. I put both babies in the car, grabbed our new insurance cards that we had only received the day before, and called Allen en route. I ran into the med clinic only for the nurse to tell me they stopped taking patients 30 minutes before, but she would definitely suggest I take Brookelyn to the hospital--thanks for the help!! So, I load everyone back in the car and call Allen again, who has asked some random lady on the DART where the nearest hospital was. Taking her directions I start driving toward where we think the hospital is and it comes a torrential downpour. I can barely see where I am going and am driving 20 mph. I find the street I am supposed to turn on and continue to drive into NOWHERE! I am driving through water that is easily three feet deep and coming to farms and pasture. So, I call Allen hysterical and say words that I won't repeat, explaining that we need to be at the hospital NOW. He told me to stop at a gas station and ask--not exactly what I wanted to hear. I drive back toward civilization, call 411 and finally get connected to the nearest hospital. The nice lady on the other end explains she just got off the phone with Allen and gave me directions. Needless to say, 2 hours after the accident we were seen by the doctor. Brookelyn should be fine (the picture really makes it look much better than it truly is) and is just supposed to stay way from the playground, or any "high risk" situations as the doctor put it--doesn't he realize walking in a straight line is hazardous for Brookelyn?!

Here is a picture of our new home!

We are Here

Well, I thought we should create this site since we are now busier than ever and I don't have as much time to email out pictures. This way, I can post them once and everyone can come take a peek at what we are up to. The latest is of course that we are now here in Dallas and are "digging out". Actually, I felt fairly accomplished until we had to undo all we did last night as we prepared for the painters. Yep, all the pictures hung, drapes installed, and furniture tacked to the wall was not only undone, but hid away in closets and piled in hallways. This is actually the reason I actually have a spare moment to begin this blog--why clean or organize when the house is such a disaster?!