Well I know this post is late, but I couldn’t bring myself to write.
Bittersweet.
Sounds silly, but I am sure some moms out there who have gone through this may understand. Her band was shaved down as far as it could be and started leaving a red mark across her forehead which is one of the first signs of it being too small. It was quite a disappointment, yet not a surprise. We knew she was outgrowing the band at a very fast rate. Lola’s first DOC Band did not fit properly and she started the second one on 9-21-09, making start to finish with the properly fitting band one day shy of 9 weeks. She would still benefit from a second (actually, 3rd) DOC Band. I think that’s why I have had a hard time. If money wasn’t an option, she would have another band, but at this time, we are not moving forward. I am still waiting to hear from the insurance companies on the appeal. If I see any regression I know that I will push for a 3rd band.
Since I am writing this post late, she has been out of the band for a week now and I have to surprisingly admit that I feel like I keep seeing improvements. Actually a lot. And not surprisingly, she hasn’t cared a bit if it’s on or off, or over for that matter. Every day I am getting more comfortable with the idea that we are done and aren’t pursuing another band.
On to the before and after pictures…
The profile pictures are pretty amazing!
The first column down was taken on 8-24-09.
The second column down was taken on 11-24-09.
This is 9 weeks of treatment with a DOC Band.
From the back I think her head looks better even though this is a hard shot to compare. She is leaning in opposite directions in both pictures and the picture is slightly off on the right. She also has fluid that has built up right above her ears which increases the width. CT said it would take 3-4 weeks to go back to normal, yet after a week I feel it has gone down tremendously.
I feel like in the front shots her head looks a lot better. Her face is more proportioned to her head and I am glad her ears are not sticking out (maybe a tad) which is typical of brachy babies. The fluid build up I think makes the ears stick out more than normal. But her front view doesn’t bother me! I think her face looks even more proportioned in person to her head.
Okay, here are the big difference pictures. I think the left side is her better side. I wonder what my better side is? More time in the band would have definitely given her a better shelf in the back, but not for sure what else it would do.
Again, a pretty big difference. For anyone who says “she looks the same”- YOU ARE WRONG. And I’ll shut my mouth at that simple factual point.
I am including each shot because some parents who have had these CT shots may want to see each one. At this angle it’s hard to see a difference, but look at the scan of this view. The scan is done at the beginning and end and they can’t give us these images so I took pictures of the screen it was on.
Do you get what you are looking at? I had to change the contrast quite a bit so you could see the shape of her head. The red is around it to make it stand out.
I have taken some pictures on my own I will share as well.
Her head looks good in these pictures! Yayaya!!
I could probably go on about all of this, but I have a lot of catching up to do! But a big thanks to CT and Julie from CT. We will miss you guys every week! Can’t believe it is all over.
Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving was a great day! Packed full of fun, food, and love. Clay ran the 8 miles that morning and did a great job! Me and Lola stayed home. :( We just talked about it and since I was left with no running buddy, we thought it might be best to try and not battle the cold and crowd since it would just be me, Lola, and the stroller. She was and still is battling a cold she can’t seem to kick all the way, so I think we made a good decision. We got ready for the day and she was in a fabulous mood all day long. We had lunch at Gram and Popper’s and dinner and Baw and Nonna’s. Of course everyone loved on her all day. We all slept like a baby that night!
He looked so cute! I was so excited and proud of him for running Thanksgiving morning 8 miles!
Nutcracker Ballet:
Sibling Date Night
So Friday night was declared sibling night by Nick and we all went on a sibling date. Nick, Kebby, Clay, and myself. We met at Nick’s place and ate at Avanti then headed over to the new Winspear Opera House to see the Nutcracker. It was beautiful- the building and ballet. I think some of the “siblings” thought it was a little boring, but I really loved it. It was a great night and we all had fun hanging out! Thanks Nick for the suggestion, tickets, and fun night out.
Clay and I got a cute picture together, but I better save that so no one prints it out. Never know what Santa is up to!
Lola Updates
That girl has so many teeth now! Here is an updated picture:
Here 6th tooth is about to break through if it hasn’t a little already.
And Happy 7 Months Lola!
- I love that you are any second away from crawling! A few scoots here and there, but you are soon about to realize what awaits you once you enter the crawling world.
- I love they way you love your dad and when you bonk your head you reach for him. He adores you just the same.
- I love that you shock everyone’s socks off when they find out you are only 7 months. You have a lot of 12 month olds beat. :)
- I love that your head is pretty and round.
- I love your curiosity in people, things, and faces. You always seem interested in your daddy’s face.
- I love that you still sleep with me, but I love that you are going to start sleeping in your crib… I HOPE.
- I love that you don’t have to wear a bib 24/7 now. Yayaya for you, me, and my washing machine!
- I love that you can reach for people, starting to eat new foods, and have preferences on television shows.
- I love that you love Target and you like to spread out in their oversized buggies. Sometimes you get kind of stuck though and I am terrible mom because I stop and take a picture before I help you!
- I love that you can make circles walking in your crib and you always stop to celebrate each lap you made.
- I love your pretty blue eyes and long curled eyelashes.
- And as always I could go on and on, but lastly I love that you and I can pick out wrapping paper and ornaments together at Hobby Lobby. I think you have pretty good taste!
So excited to celebrate the holidays with you here this year!
This may have been a really long post, but I had the DOC Band Exit, Thanksgiving, 7 months, and catch up journaling… hope it was enjoyable despite the length!
4 comments:
The pics are just great!! She has made huge improvements in the shape of her head. We are proud of her and you and Clay for going through with it. I can't believe how much she has grown! Goodness!
Congratulations! Lola's exit pictures look fantastic. Way to go Swartz family!!!
Wow that is AMAZING!! Here little head is perfect!!
Love these pictures and am so grateful for the invention of the band even though she was beautiful before the band!!! Great job Nat in all your research!
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