Big news of the week!
Dylan is sitting up. Yep, sitting up. (Almost) all by himself. This is a huge step for any baby, but it feels really big for Dylan because 10 days ago we were considering possibility of muscle disorders, etc. I should have listened to my husband because he was right (can't believe I'm saying this!). He says - Dylan is on his own timeline, the plagio and torticollis will cause him to develop a little more slowly than other babies and I should just relax.
Well, he's right.
And I'm relaxed.
as you can see he's already fixated with the remote control...
Part Deux
We head to Miami on Monday, the 28th, to get fitted for Dylan's second helmet. He's made tremendous progress so far but is just about to outgrow his helmet and there is still some work to be done. We figure this is our one and only shot to get this right. Selfishly, I was hoping we'd be able to squeak by with just one helmet.
However, we've got the travel thing down now. We're actually pretty good at it if I do say so myself. And I've finally gotten my work under control so I can be gone for a day or so per week and not have to make up for it in the evenings. So it's just a few more months of trips to Miami and then we should be done.
This is Rachel - our therapist. She's wonderful and Dylan absolutely adores her. I know I've gone on and on about the great care we've received at Cranial Technologies, but it's true. They have made this experience much more manageable for us.
An apple a day
We have been rather quiet over the last few weeks because we've been working through some issues with Dylan's pediatrician and physical therapist. Dr. Cooper (our pediatrician) is concerned about 2 things - Dylan's weight and Dylan's muscle tone. Here's the Reader's Digest version:
His height is continuing on the expected curve, but his weight has plateaued. This started about6 weeks ago so we've been monitoring it for a while and he's been eating like a machine, but he’s not gaining weight at the expected rate. Dr. Cooper is concerned, but not alarmed therefore we're not going to subject Dylan to any tests at this point. So we’ll wait. And keep feeding him.
Dylan seems very normal and active to us - honestly, I couldn't imagine him being any
more active. However, our physical therapist is concerned about his muscle tone. It's very common for babies with torticollis and plagiocephaly to be a bit behind developmentally (i.e. they usually sit up and crawl a few weeks to months behind other kids) so I haven't been concerned about how he's tracking on that front. However, since he's so active she thought he’d have more muscle tone and be a little stronger at this point. She wanted Dr. Cooper to examine him and rule out any sort of muscular disorders. My heart sank; however, I was very patient until we went to see the peditatrician. Dr. Cooper is, again, concerned but not alarmed so we're not going to subject Dylan to any testing at this point. We'll continue to monitor his development over the next few weeks and go back in mid September for another exam. We're going to carry on as normal. Go to PT every week. Continue doing our exercises at home.
Bryan is convinced that Dylan is perfect and we shouldn't listen to the doctors anymore. And I agree, but also think I’m suffering from a bit of doctor burnout! We've been seeing at least one doctor per week since the beginning of May. I wish that 'apple a day' saying was true!
Lucky number 7
Dylan is 7 months old today. I try to think about where the time has gone and I can't quite figure it out. Part of me feels like it was just yesterday when we we brought him home from the hospital and the other part of me can't remember or imagine my life without him in it.
I do know where a little bit of the time has gone. Traveling. So far he has traveled 9,640 air miles. Pretty significant for 7 months old. He's taken 3 flights to visit family and all of the other miles have been racked up by our trips to Miami. Unlike his mother, Dylan has been amazing with all the travel - dealing with layovers and delays with ease, taking naps in his carseat with no complaints. No meltdowns. In fact, he does it all with a smile. A big smile. Gives all of us adults a reason to relax and smile, too. If a 7 month old, with a dirty diaper, can handle a rough landing then so can we.
I can't wait to see what the next 7 months will bring.
Flavor of the week!
Here's my favorite picture of Dylan this week. We take full advantage of our hour each day when he can have his helmet off. He loved baths and the water before, but I think there's a new appreciation now!
