Big things for Ollie at 11 months

June 17 my sweet, youngest boy turned 11 months old.
This day was a very big deal
This was the day he got his helmet off
This is probably one of the best days of my life (after getting married, having Rivers and having Oliver of course.)

Look at that perfectly round head!  I learned a lot during his whole helmet process.  I learn how much love I really have for my kids, I also learned how to handle this with Rivers as well.  For the first few months I would get sitters for Rivers, but I noticed his behavior towards Oliver wasn't pleasant during that time.  I don't think his little 3 year old brain understood what was going on.  After I started involving him, taking him, teaching him and having him help he understood that this wasn't a punishment for Oliver or himself, but that it was something we had to do with out choosing.  

Oliver celebrated with a cupcake from Sweet Tooth Fairy and he loved it!! 

11 month old Oliver was a hoot!  Crawling all over the house, making messes, stealing toys, eating crap off the floor.  He has been the greatest blessing.  

12 weeks in a helmet.... 12 more to go...

So back on February 18 we had our big helmet appointment with the helmet doctor and the pediatric plastic surgeon (PPS).  The surgeon is the one who makes the final decision about the helmet.  After the scan with the helmet doc we headed over to the PPS.  I love both of these doctors, they make everything feel so normal.  Dr. Siddiqi (PPS) is located in Primary Children's hospital.  We love going there!  All the nurses and doctors are so sweet, nice and caring.  I can not say enough about the care given there.  

Anyway, about Oliver's head.  It looked good, but not where the doctors want it.  I could show you the notes and scans and numbers, but really that's all boring unless you understand it, and I'm still not 100% in all that even after all these months.  With out his helmet I think he looks pretty good.  with his helmet I think he looks good too.  I'm bias.

Any who.  Here's a few photos

 3 weeks into helmet wear

 8 weeks into helmet.  Looks really good honestly.

11 weeks into helmet.  
The front is just a little small, but all the correct plates are open (not fused). If you notice in the top right photo of the last one here that small red sore above his ear is a pressure sore. He also got a pretty bad one on the very back of his head.  This was caused by his helmet being too small.  So Oliver got to go a whole 2 weeks helmet free while we waited (again) for insurance coverage, and making the new helmet.  It was pretty awesome.  The goal now is to enlarge the front, near the temples, and to keep his head from reverting back to the old Scaphocephaly shape.  Helmets work people, no matter how annoying they are.

I'm also getting used to the stares and pointing and rude questions from young children who's parents haven't taught them it's rude to point and stare.  I'm sorry I said I wasn't going to do that, but really it bothers me.  He is a baby and has no idea what's going on.  I'm just being sensitive.  I feel like his new helmet is HUGE on his tiny little head.  

Wither way he's cute and I love him and we're already a week into the new helmet and will be done in June.  12 weeks isn't really that long right?

Oliver at 6 months

I was shocked when I realized my little Oliver was 6 months old!  I'm so in love with him even if he does wake up at 6:00 every morning.

 He's pretty great!  I can't believe how many challenges I have had to over come with this little guy.  I swear we have doctors appointments every week.  I still wouldn't change a thing, even though we have to see a handful of doctors to just deal with his crazy head shape, which doesn't include his regular pediatrician and well kid visits, and the fact that he's had to have CT scans, ultra sounds, and cranial scans, he has also been really sick. But that all seems to be behind us now!  No more sickies!!  

But he looks so cute taking his breathing treatments! Watching your child suffer is the hardest thing ever.  I know there are other children out there with much worse conditions and problems than his, and I know that his set backs are only temporary.  I also just enjoy him so much.  He is the sweetest little boy and had just been a joy to have.  

Oliver is 5 Months Old!!

I feel like I have been terrible about posting month to month about my sweet little boy.  I also feel like this 5 months has gone by so fast! Oliver has such sweet spirit, and I can't imagine our lives before him and he is such a good fit in our family.  Here are some Ollie facts
At 5 months Oliver:
Hates tummy time
Is a terrible sleeper, seriously he wakes up every 3-4 hours a night if not more.
Has a stinky head from his helmet.
Has the best laugh and smile.
Loves his mommy.
Hates solids, well he's only had a taste of rice cereal once I'm not in any hurry to start solids.
Loves to play with toys.
Hates his car seat.
Can almost sit up on his own.
Has successfully rolled from tummy to back and really wants to roll from back to tummy.
Loves to play peek-a-boo.
Only has two more months with his helmet!

I sure love my little Oliver Eugene!

Ollie's Helmet

So, this post is four months in the making.

When Oliver was born, both Scott and I noticed that his head had an odd shape.  No one said anything to us about it while we were in the hospital, and the pediatrician on call didn't seem to show any concern, so when we brought him home we just figured it would be one of those things that would fix it's self.

At his 2 week appointment, Dr. Fox, Our pediatrician, was concerned about the shape of his head.  He asked us to follow up with him in 2 weeks, and again in 4 weeks to see if it was getting better.  It was, but not at the rate he would like to see.  So he sent us to a pediatric plastic surgeon.  The concern was that the plates (fontanels) in Oliver's head had fused closed early.  

Oliver never had a soft spot when he was born. After meeting with Dr. Siddiqi at Primary Children Hospital he ordered a CT Scan.  By now Oliver was 2 months old, and the scan revealed good news, that his skull was still open.  He asked us to come back in 2 months to see the shape and how it was growing.  

At that appointment Dr. Siddiqi decided Oliver would need a helmet, which is a relief, the other option was surgery where they would go in and break his skull and place it correctly.  

Next, we met with Dr. Beavers to get fitted for a helmet.  This also involved a scan, and teaching me the formal name for Oliver's condition, Scaphocephaly.

Then it became a waiting game to see if insurance was going to cover the cost of the helmet.  Once that came through the helmet was ordered and shaped and is now being worn by my sweet little boy, who hates it.

Here's some pictures.

 tummy time at just  few days old

 few weeks old

 CT scan, this was pretty scary for me. My little baby being strapped down and x-rayed through this huge machine.  Mommy didn't like this.

 this is to show the ridge along his forehead

 Bump in the back

 First night in the helmet, he hates it!

 the idea of the helmet is to control the growth so it grows out from the ears, instead of front to back, if that makes sense.  He still hates it.

  And it has put a huge damper on our snuggles.

This has defiantly been a learning and growing process for me.  

I know that there are other babies that have bigger and more serious problems than my little Oliver has, but it still hasn't been easy.  I've had to change the way I hold and snuggle and comfort my baby.  He's so mad at me.  I know that this is only for a short time, and he will get used to it and we will both go on our merry way, but for now, for this moment in time it really blows. He's been a real trooper really.  I'm just grateful that we can fix this with out surgery.  Nothing is more scary than having your doctor going over concerns and possible complications related to surgery at such a young age.  The information and facts and things gets so overwhelming.  Plus the constant meeting with doctors and going to clinics and hospitals, it's not fun one bit.  

Plus side we get to keep the helmet, so I'm going to find fun ways to decorate it.  I need to show off his personality which is pretty awesome!