Change in Helmet Plans

Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who left me comments about the helmet.    Today I was researching casting and found pictures.  One of them was this:

Yikes.....!!      I called Cranial Tech to confirm that this is how casting works.   Yes indeedy it is.  Well of course babies are going to be ticked off!!!    This looks truly awful and from what I have read from comments a nightmare.   SO....I have canceled the casting and we are instead driving to Skokie for the DSI Scan. Its about a 2 hour drive for us.  This will be next Thursday and it doesn't delay the helmet fitting in any way.   I feel so much better now, I have been stressing out about the casting.   Thank you so much to those of you who left comments and advice to me!!!

We still go to Cranial Tech next Wednesday for pictures, and Thursday the hubby is taking off all day and we are taking Mandy for the scan, grab some lunch, hang out with one child....make the day of it, make it fun.

My Readers who left comments......and first therapy session

I "replyed" to one of the comments but not sure if you would see it and I'm very interested in your story.   Yes, we are going to Cranial Tech in Mequon....small world!!  Please let me know your experience!

And to the other comment, Mandys flat spot is on her side.  Its pretty flat.   I'm sure her hair will cover alot once it really grows in but we were thinking about if she goes swimming, its very evident when her hair is wet.  We just went to her first Physical Therapy today for torticollis and it went well.  We are going twice a week for at least a month, after that I'm sure we will be re-evaulated again.

Mandy did well with the therapists, she was all smiles and let them massage and stretch her while she played with the new toys.   She did get cranky near the end but was a really good sport.   She has a pretty good tilt because of the torticollis but I never really noticed it until the therapist pointed it out.  

After Mandys appointment I ran to the gorcery store with Mandy.  Today was her first time in a grocery store!!    All I could think of was "Wow, one baby is so EASY!!!"    I can't even compare it to  Cassie because she had so many medical issues as a baby that she was NOT easy either.   But one healthy happy baby......easy.   No stress.   World of difference. 

8 months old & Helmet Decision

These sisters are 8 Months old!!

Mandy

This girl is going to crawl at any time!   I'm waiting!

She is eating her finger foods really well.  Here was one of her meals:

She has now eaten pancake, shredded cheese, diced turkey, crackers, muffin, banana bread.....you  name it she will eat it.

She is such a big girl!   I weighed her yesterday and she was 18 lbs 12 ounces

She will be getting a helmet in a few weeks....more on that below.

She is attached to me at the hip!    Some days its hard to do anything because she wants me to hold her all the time.   This is difficult when there are 2 babies.....luckly Emily isn't wanting me to hold her 24/7 otherwise I don't know what I would do.  

She goes to bed between 5:30/6:00.  I can't seem to make the bedtime later because she is beat by then.   She is up at 5:00/5:30 am.  Blech.   BLECH!!!!!!!!!!!!
I refuse to get her up until 5:30.   It sucks but I am more of a morning person than a night person so its not totally horrible, its just 6:00 would be so much better, just 30 more min!!!!!!   Its just even SOUNDS better!!!!

We weaned her from her last middle of the night feeding.    If she wakes up she gets water only.    I do think she is having separation anxiety from me at night....she wants me to hold her and little girl that is not happening so we have had to cry it out a few times.  

Emily

She weighs in at 14 lbs; 1 ounce

No interest in finger foods.   Not much appetite for her purees either, she eats a few spoonfuls and then she is done. 

Does not try to crawl or get on her knees...content to just sit but she does get frustrated if a toy is out of reach and she lets me know it.

The past few days she has started to be more vocal.  Her whole body gets rigid, she straightens her arms and schreeces....its pretty darn funny.

I am still letting her have a middle of the night feeding because of her size.   Not sure when I will try to wean her, I'll talk to my pedi about it. She goes to bed between 6:00/6:30 and wakes up with the birds also.   5:30!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cassie

Little girl.....just because your sisters get up at 5:30 doesn't mean you have too.   BUT she does.   She used to sleep till 7:00 but now she wants to get up with her sisters.   Sigh.....some day I will sleep in.  


Helmet

After our visit at Children's Hospital we had decided to wait and see with Mandy for a helmet.  Well, we decided it wasn't getting better so we would helmet her.  We went last week to Cranial Tech, I had heard great things about the women there.   I DID NOT like her.   Maybe she was just having a bad day but I totally felt attacked by her.   She was on my case saying we are late in the game with a helmet and Mandy has torticollis that should have been taken care of at 2 months.   I TOOK HER TO HER PEDI AT THAT AGE AND HE SAID SHE DID NOT HAVE TORICOLLIS!!!!

After her tearing into me I asked her if she was saying doing a helmet right now would yield no results and she said "No, you will see visible results".  Then lady.....take a chill pill!!!!!!! What the heck.  I went on to their website afterwards and it says they treat kids up to 18 months old and I read stories from other parents who treated at even a later age than Mandy and had great results.  

I was just not happy with how she went about things.  I was ready to cry at one point and that is so not like me.  She made me feel like I was a bad Mom.   After all I went thru with Cassie's medical issues,  for this lady to make me feel like I was a horrible Mom because of a flat spot on the head that will be corrected and a tight neck muscle really ticked me off.   I know she is passionate about her work but that was uncalled for.  

We go next Wednesday for the casting and a week later she gets fitted with it.  I already orded her decals for the helmet today.   I'm not worried about her adjusting to the helmet....from everything I have read babies don't mind them at all and Mandy is pretty easy going. 

Valentines Day Party

Yesterday we had our Valentine Day Party.   13 kids total.   Thats alot of kids.   Now that the kids are older they are loud, running around, Moms have to break up squabbles......its not as laid back as when they were younger and we could all hang out and talk while babies played in the same room.  It was really nice for me to have everyone over because.....I plain don't get out of the house these days.  Too much work.



The newest generation of our playdates - the siblings

My friend Traci holding Emily

Mandy and Julia

Taken before the chaos began (hide and seek, tag, etc...)

The youngest of the group

future bff's?

Preparing to exchange Valentines





Valentine Day Party 2012

Valentine Day Party 2013 ( with 5 new babies added to the group - everyone has siblings now!)

 

Teeth!!

Got a pic of Mandys 2 new pearly whites!!  

Thankgoodness today was a good day for all of us.   Matt fed the girls last night (they both got up once at midnight) and I got a full 7 hours of sleep.  What a difference that makes!    I woke up with way more patience and was not ready to burst into tears at any time.   Yes....I did cry a couple times from pure exhaustion and having duo babies cry.   It truly can be mentally exhausting.  

But because I had sleep, Mandy's teeth were not bothering her and Emily finally pooped everyone was happy today!!  ( we had a few days of constipation with Emily)

A Rough Week

This past week was kinda crazy.  

Wednesday morning Mandy started to "freak out".  She just cried and cried.  Reaching for me, hand in mouth, swatting away her bottle.   I couldn't figure out what was wrong and then the light bulb flipped on.   I ran my finger along her lower gum and felt it....dun dun dun dun!!!   Her first tooth!!   It had popped thru the gum.  I had no clue she was even ready to pop teeth since she never let on until it actually happened.   Then the next day....same thing happened.   I looked, lo and behold was her second tooth.   2 teeth in 2 days!!   Cassie didn't get her first tooth till 9 months.

Sleep - Emily went from getting up once a night to twice a night.   Matt was also getting into the office at 2 am because of having to make phone calls to London.   This left me getting up at least 3 times in the middle of the night.   (once with Mandy and twice with Emily)  TIRED.  I was only getting 3 hours of sleep at a stretch.  This sleep went on for 5 days and I did feel like I was ready to loose it.   Sleep deprivation....uck.   (Thankfully last night she only woke up once)

It wouldn't be so bad if it was one baby and I had to get up twice, its just adding that second baby into the mix.   They are both really good babies its just having 2 that makes it tough.   Naps have been not so good either.   30 mins....whats that??!!    Leaves no break for Mommy. 

 Its during those times when there is teething, no sleep etc...that's its easy to loose perspective.   How blessed I am.   That there are women out there who want this...would give anything to have what I have.  I was once one of those women.   Just sometimes no sleep makes you forget that this is what its all about.   Being  Mommy means, getting up for your sweet little babies and comforting them.  That they are crying because they need me....they want me.    That's the best feeling in the world.   There will come a day when my little babies won't need me to hold and cuddle them.  Won't need me to comfort them like I do now.  

I will have all the sleep I need someday, these days won't last forever and yes....someday I will want these days back.