Wordless Saturday

Little Bank Robber

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BB had her DOC band fitting this week. She had to wear this stocking over her head to capture a 3D image. Then they put her on this stool and had her look at a computer monitor with cool videos to try and capture her attention to take a photograph. Very sophisticated! She just smiled the entire time. Such a sweet, good baby girl.

We go in next Thursday to pick it up.  The more I am involved, the less freaked out I am.  I actually bought scrap book stickers to decorate. Flowers and butterflies and dragonflies. We have to make it look pretty for her! I feel better about putting her in the band. When looking at the 3D image of the top of her head, I could really see how misshapen it is. How did we miss that all this time?  I wouldn't hesitate to put braces on her teeth if they are crooked. Why would I not fix her head?  I'll post photos as soon as we get her in it. Hopefully she'll only have to wear it for 6 weeks.

On a different note, AB is sooo excited about his adoption. We are going to visit his foster mom and some old friends that day. It's hard to believe it's already here. I had class last night, and hubby gets him ready for school, so I didn't see him all day. I really did not like that one bit. So, I got up this morning and we talked for a while and I walked him to the bus stop. Such a sweet boy. I'm so very blessed!

My friends did a photo shoot of BB and I just had to share a couple of amazing photos! These are the proofs....they are doing touch ups on a bunch! Can't wait to see how amazing those turn out!

She LOVED this fabric...it was soft and fuzzy and she wiggled and laughed the entire time she was on it!

P.S. I just saw that this is my 200th post! Wow...who knew I had so much to say?!

Gotcha Day!

We will officially welcome AB into our family on February 17! We couldn't be more excited! He is just the sweetest boy and I can't wait until I can officially share him with you here. Last night I was browsing the internet about doc bands and he could tell I was sad. He came up to me, put his arm around me, kissed me on the head and said, "Mom, don't be sad. It's gonna be ok..."  Seriously? I could squeeze him til his head pops off! But I won't. =)   I can't even believe how quickly the past 6 months have passed. He has grown and matured so much and we have bonded and fallen in love with him. He is my son..and I love him more than anything. And he loves his baby sister...and I love her more than anything. Wow...just wow.

Plagiocephaly

This is an email that I sent to family...it was easier just to copy and paste it.

"As you know, we have been concerned with BB's right cheek being bigger than her left. Her pediatrician noticed it at her 4 month check up and we have been trying to figure out what's going on since. We saw a physical therapist who said that she seemed to be fine, no muscular issues, and to just do neck stretches during the day. The pediatrician wanted us to see a craniofacial plastic surgeon but we couldn't get an appointment until February 26. I wasn't satisfied with that so I started researching what could be going on. There is a condition called plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) and it causes facial assymetry, specifically one cheek being larger than the other. I found a website that all but confirmed what I had been suspecting.

http://www.cranialtech.com/

We scheduled an evaluation and they saw us 2 days later. They were amazing. They took photos of BB from all angles and took detailed measurements of her head. From front to back, top to bottom, ear to eye, diagonal, etc. The average assymetry of a normal head is between 2-4 mm. BB's is 16 mm. The notes state this: "BB is a 5 month old female referred for treatment of her plagiocephaly. She presents with right occipital flattening, left frontal flattening and associate facial asymmetry. She has an ear shift with the right ear anterior to the left. Right parietal occipital flattening, left frontal flattening, right eye and cheek anterior to the left."

So, why is this happening? Well, since we put babies on their backs to sleep, there is lots of pressure on the back of the head. Since the skull is soft, it flattens out. BB has always preferred to look to her right as well as sleep with the right side of her head down. We noticed that she had this preference but every one said that babies just do that. So, when the doctor said something we really started to notice it. We can wait it out and see what happens. Or we can have her wear a DOC band for about 2 months to even out the shape of her head. The physical therapist we saw says that the surgeon we are scheduled to go see often plays the waiting game. But the longer we wait to treat it, the longer it will take to fix it. It goes from 2 months of treatment up to 5-6 months. You can check out that website for more details about the DOC band.  She will have to wear it 23 hours a day.

I am very sad that she has to go through this, but I am grateful that it is nothing serious. I dare anyone to say something unkind about her. From what I've been told, the parents have a much harder time that the babies do. I hope that's the case. She is just such a happy girl and I don't want to give her reason not to be.

This is actually more than a cosmetic thing too. If we don't fix it, her eye socket and forehead will continue to protrude and could possibly lead to issues with her vision as well as a misaligned jaw."

So...I am freaking out and I can't quite figure out why. It just makes me soo very sad that BB has to go through this. I KNOW it could be so much worse and this is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. But it breaks my heart. I have just cried and cried and felt so bad for her. I KNOW 8 weeks is really no time at all...especially considering how quickly the last 5 months have passed. I don't want to have to deal with stupid people saying stupid things. I will not be nice if anyone says something mean or hateful. People are always coming up to me saying how pretty she is and what beautiful eyes she has. Today in Target a lady told me "she's' perfect!". I imagine that people will not say nice things about her with the band on. And that just infuriates me! Hopefully I'm wrong and am getting worked up for no reason. At least she is too young to know what people are saying and she won't remember this.  I just HATE it! I will do it for her...but I HATE it!

Anybody had to deal with something like this? I need some love!

Oh, and did I mention that it costs $4000. And that insurance will not cover it? Yeah...nice, huh?

I thought I would include a photo that they took of her. Not the best pic of my girl, they slicked her hair down with water...but she's still a cutie.
They took several photos but I'll just share this one.

In this photo, you can clearly see that the top of her head is uneven and the left side (right side on photo) protrudes out towards the back. Her ears are also uneven.  She has a Hemangioma over her left ear...she was born with it...in case you were wondering.
 

Dripping with Sweetness...

She was sooo sleepy...

p.s. Isn't that ruffle on her butt the cutest thing ever?!

Thanks!!

My bloggy friend Amy is awesome! Her mom makes her daughter the most adorable hats! Well, guess what?!

She sent me one! Thanks Amy!! I LOVE it!

Oh, and I finally found a bow that will stay in her hair. It actually has a little piece of the stuff you put under rugs to keep them from sliding around attached to it. Too cute! She's only worn it in photos, but I will take her out on the town with it soon! As long as she's not wearing her awesome hat!

This baby girl loooovvvves her daddy!

P.S. Watching Super Nanny. Ever watch that show? I can't even believe how some of the kids and parents act! Geez!

Sleep

It's finally getting better! Whew! I've been one exhausted mama! Last night she woke for a bottle at 10:30 and not again until 4:00 am. Then she went back to sleep until 7:15! So basically, I only had to wake up once to feed her! I couldn't believe it! I'm very excited about it. I just hope that I haven't just jinxed myself by blogging about it.

I can't believe that she is almost 5 months old! I met a lady a few days ago that had a 2 week old baby boy. He was so tiny! And he weight almost 9 pounds at birth! Then I thought back to how teeny tiny BB was and it just blows my mind how quickly she has grown! I want to enjoy every moment...because (as Cindy says), babies don't keep.

A woman's work is NEVER done

I actually thought that I would go to bed around 9 pm tonight. BWAAAAHAHAHAHA! What was I thinking?

I ran errands (bank, post office, Target), stabbed myself in the palm of my left hand with a little pocket knife. The gross out factor was much worse that the actual stab. Was supposed to go by the school to buy my book for this sememster and forgot. Go me! Got home and fed BB. Helped AB with a science project (by the way..if you mix corn starch/flour with water it turns into the strangest quicksand stuff...something about velocity and a non-newtonian something or other. If you try this, don't pour it down the sink. It's like cement...sort of. It made a HUGE mess...that I of course had to clean up, but it was waaay cool), made dinner, fed BB her baby food, ate dinner, got BB to sleep. I heard hubby cleaning the kitchen and was like YES! Yeah....well....I appreciate what he did but there were still pots and pans to clean, bottles to wash, counters to wipe down, dishwasher to start, laundry to be done, paperwork for AB that HAS to be turned in, dogs to feed and water...and the list goes on and on. So, I thought, why not just blog instead of getting it all done and getting to bed?

Here is a question for you? Do you just leave your kitchen dirty, chores undone and go to bed? Or are you a neat freak like me and can't rest easy until it's all done?

No news on an appointment for BB. The CFPS did get her records so I have to wait on them to call me back.

Oh, and I've called and emailed AB's social worker about his adoption and have not heard back from her. I also called the attorney we are using (in Dallas) and still haven't heard back from them either. Arrrggghhhh....

Oh, Oh...I found a book that AB has and he is supposed to fill in the blanks, etc. He put his nickname as: Litte Boy. The reason? I am a little boy to my mom. Awww...and yes, I do call him little boy!

It keeps getting scarier....

Since the physical therapist did not see any issues with BB's muscles, the pediatrician wants us to go see a cranio facial plastic surgeon (CFPS). I think I had a little bit of a heart attack when she said that.  She said that hopefully the surgeon will tell her that she's crazy and there is absolutely nothing wrong. But she wants to make absolutely certain. I can appreciate that about her. But it doesn't mean that I'm freaking out any less. I called the CFPS to make an appointment and asked when the soonest I could come in would be. He went on to tell me that they have certain clinics on certain days and that the nurse would have to see BB's clinical notes before they could schedule it. Then he threw words out like craniosynostosis and plagiocephaly. Lord have mercy! BB doesn't look like she has any of these issues. Her head is round, no flat spots. And we haven't seen any skull issues yet. LaLa, how did you do it? I don't know how you didn't crawl in a hole and never come out! So, all of that so say, we don't think anything is going on (recap: BB's left cheek is smaller than her right...just a little), most people's faces are not perfectly symmetrical, and we are just seeing this doctor as a precaution.  I am still terrified. Stress eating ( not good for my diet plan...), crying when I look at my baby girl and she smiles at me. I'm praying and praying that everything is ok. I am still waiting on the medical records to get faxed over so I can make an appointment. It will most likely be in February sometime.

On a different note, AB is doing well. He got in trouble at school this week and I had to go pick him up to avoid suspension! They are allowed on the computer at school and one of the teachers showed them how to make their own cartoons/animations on a website. They can access this site but there is a section where they can play games too. AB and his friend started playing a game that was rated R and was all shooting and blood and killing. I'm suprised that this site wasn't blocked. Even so, he KNEW better! He blamed everyone else for him getting in trouble, typical stuff. I told him that he has to take responsibility for his own actions and that no one forced him to do something. He makes his own decisions and if someone gets you in trouble, maybe you need to not hang around with them. He also got in trouble for running and playing in the bathrooms and not listening to the teacher. Geez...kids! =) It wasn't the worst thing in the world but we acted like it was. He cried and cried. I think because he doesn't like for anyone to be upset. Especially at him. He was grounded from video games, friends, skateboarding (although it's been too cold anyway) for a week. I think he won't be doing that again any time soon. We didn't get loud and scream. We calmly talked to him and laid it all out.

We are hoping to finalize his adoption some time next month. It all depends on social workers and how quickly they can get their stuff together.

Now, on to a totally different note. Something I'm really proud of! Who knew that I would be a homemade baby food making kind of mom!? Not me!

Avocado and applesauce babyfood!


It's actually pretty simple and I know for certain what BB is eating...no additives or preservatives. Plus you only need a few things to make it.

You start out with organic fruits and veggies. I started her on applesauce. Then moved on to avocados! Sweet potatoes will be next!

Then you peel, cut into chunks and steam. I use this rice cooker that has a steamer on top. Works well!

Once the food is nice and soft, I put it into this blender and add some cooking liquid to thin it out.  This thing sounds like an airplane taking off! It is awesome! I bet it would grind rocks if I put them in there!

Once the food is nicely pureed, I put it into BPA free ice cube trays and freeze!

This is actually pears...we'll try those next month. Once it is frozen, pop into freezer bags and thaw as needed.

The result?

A happy baby who loves avocado and applesauce mixed together! She finished the entire bowl. And barely spit any out.

Look what she can do!

My angel rolled over today! Three times in a row! And she giggled and laughed over and over today. She's been laughing some but she really got after it today!!

Oh, and this week is International Blog Delurking Week. Would you be oh so kind to leave a comment (name and location is fine!) just so I know who is out there?! I would really appreciate it!!

Updates and Sophie the Giraffe

BB went to see the physical therapist today. She is right on track developmentally and the PT sees no cause for concern.  I am feeling a bit better but still want to follow up with the pediatrician. The PT wants us to give her lots more tummy time and to do some neck stretches for her. She tends to favor looking to her right and we need to encourage her to look to her left as well.

Oh, by the way, dear internets. I always thought that when babies rolled over for the first time that it was from their back to their belly. The PT told me that they roll from their belly to their back! Who knew?! I'm sure you did...I'm just crazy.

So, BB had a blow out in her diaper...poop everywhere! I decided that since I needed a shower anyway that I would just take her in with me and bathe her in there. Do you have any idea what it's like bathing a baby in the shower? It's like trying to hold onto one of these...

Remember these toys? They slip through your hands and they are really hard to grasp?! Well, multiply that times 100 and that's what it's like to bathe a baby in the shower!!  Or it could be likened to holding a greased pig. Except more slippery.

I also decided that it was time to get BB a Sophie the Giraffe toy. I've heard great things about them. Babies love them, blah blah blah. They are really cute! But I kinda felt like I was giving her a really expensive French squeaky dog toy.

But now I have a problem. My dog?? Well, she seems to think it's a dog toy too.

She was actually having a staring contest with Sophie.

I've had a dog whining for Sophie since I brought her home. If Patches eats Sophie I will not be happy! Sophie is too expensive for a baby to chew on!Much less a dog!

Look who found her feet! Oh, to be that bendy! If you guessed that her socks are now always wet, you are correct!

4 month doctor visit

Let me start by saying that this past week was just about the busiest of my life.  My friends came to visit with their daughter. It was so much fun! They are awesome. Then my family came..and they are awesome too. But Holy Hell! My 4 year old niece (who is absolutely beautiful) is a tasmanian devil! Run, scream, run, break stuff, run, scream, break stuff, run, scream, get into everything in the entire house! It was just exhausting trying to keep her from tearing my house apart. And my sister? Barely seems to notice. Not to mention the stress it put on my husband. He was a beast too! I could go on and on but I won't. Let me just say that I am glad to have my house back and to have peace and quiet again.

I took BB to her 4 month appointment today. And the first thing the pediatrician said when she walked into ther room was, "have you noticed that her face is not symmetrical?" Ummm...no. I haven't. She said that her left cheek is smaller than her right. She sees no signs of any skull issues and the rest of her body is fine. She said it could be nothing or it could be something. I've looked and looked and can't see a difference. She wants us to go see a physcial therapist to make sure her muscles are working properly. If they don't see anything there, she wants us to see a neurologist. Can I say that I absolutely lost it? Tears just flowed. My sweet angel...who never complains or cries...who is the most precious baby that has ever lived....might have something wrong with her? Every horrible story that I've ever heard flew through my brain in an instant. Most likely it's nothing...but it could be something. I am terrified. I immediately called the physical therapist and made an appointment. I would have gone today if I could.  (BB is napping and lost her pacifier. I went to put it back in and she put both of her hands on mine and just held my hand. Sooooo sweet.) She also had her 2nd round of vaccinations. She was smiling and cooing...and WHAM! Tears and huge cries. She never cries and it just absolutely broke my heart. Plus I was already having a hard time...so the tears just flowed. AB was with me and he cried too! I've always heard that being a mom is like wearing your heart on the outside of your body. It's true... can you see why?

I

Who does she look like?

Me?

Or her dad?

P.S. It's pretty sad how few photos I have with me and BB! I'm always behind the camera...sigh.