Picnic it the Park

wearing our baseball uniform to cheer on the Rangers!

The weather here was beautiful today so we decided to go to the park for a picnic. Gregg was off work and I didn't have to go in till 3pm today so it was the perfect opportunity! Aside from things blowing off the trees we had a really great time and Cade seemed to enjoy the change in scenery. Hopefully we can make this a routine occurrence over the next few weeks before it gets miserably hot!

Check out this big boy!

Cade is sitting up on his own now! He has been getting close for about a week but would teeter over pretty quick after we let him go but last night he stayed up right. I can't believe how quickly time is flying by and how big this little guy is getting!

UPDATE March 31, 2010:

He can even sit up and balance when wearing the band!

Cade got his DOC band today!

Today we went to Cranial Technologies to pick up Cade's DOC band! We met with an Occupational Therapist today who gave us all the "rules" for wearing the band and then Cade got to put it on for a test run.

First time in the band

Cade got to wear the band for about 30 minutes and then examined his head and made adjustments to the places where the band was rubbing. There were just a couple of places that they smooth out and then we were out the door.

The first couple of days we get to take the band off every couple of hours to examine Cade's head and make sure there aren't any red places. After that we will only take it off while we are doing his neck stretches and during bath time. There are very specific instructions for everything about the band to ensure that the treatment is effective.

My first priority for the band was to get it decorated so that it isn't such an eye sore! We are planning to have the band wrapped by 360 Wraps in mid April so until then we can add stickers to it for some extra personality! We bought some stickers last week and I went and bought more today. (I had a hard time finding boy stickers that aren't 3D so if you have any insight please share!) I ended up with dump truck and bull dozer stickers, jungle stickers, planes/ trains/ and truck stickers, robot stickers, and of course some fireman stickers so we'll be able to change things out along the way!

As soon as I got home I took Cade's band off and started with the stickers! First up are the robot stickers and I am really excited about how cute it looks now!

Our biggest challenge over the next few days is going to be getting Cade's body acclimated to having the band on his head and re-regulating his body temperature. Every time I take the band off his little head is just dripping with sweat! I found the coolest outfit to put him in this afternoon and have had the air conditioner and fan on all afternoon trying to keep this boy cool! I am just hoping now that he can sleep good tonight!!!

Busy Week!

We have had a a few extra things going on this Spring Break week which have kept us busy! My friend Ginny moved to Taiwan last July and came back to visit for the first time this week. I love reading Ginny's blog and keeping up with all her and her husbands fun travels and adventures but sure have missed my daily lunches and conversations with her. Cade and I went to meet Ginny for lunch on Wednesday at Cafe Express. It was so wonderful to see her again and it felt like nothing had changed even though my entire life has changed since she left! We had a great lunch together catching up on everything. I am hopeful that James and Ginny will return to Dallas in the fall and that Ginny and I can work together again!

I took my camera with me but of course forgot to take any pictures of Ginny and Cade so instead here is a picture of Ginny and I from several years ago at a Rangers Game. (Sure do wish I still looked like that!!!)



Our neice Bailey has also been in McKinney this week with her grandmother and cousins. We made arrangements to go pick her up for dinner on Wednesday night. We haven't seen B since Christmas so she was so excited to get to see Cade again and couldn't belive that he had grown so much! We had dinner at Genghis Grill and then went to Braum's for dessert (both choices of Bailey's)! We had a great time with Bailey and love any time that we get to have her with us!





Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day and so our house was full of green! I love holidays and getting to dress cade up!

Nobody can pinch this cutie!!!

We also had another appointment at Cranial Technologies yesterday for Cade to be fitted for his DOC band. During this 3rd appointment Cade got to wear a sock over his head and face and sit on a stand thing while they took pictures. They used their Digital Surface Imaging machine to create a 3D image of Cade that they will send to Arizona in order to create his band. After they had the image they were able to show it to us and show us where the band would apply pressure in order to correct the asymetry of Cade's head. (Really neat technology!) Cade's band will be here next Thursday and that is when the real fun will begin!

fun decorations in all the rooms

our little bank robber!

Cranial Technologies Consultation

We took Cade for his consultation at Cranial Technologies on Friday. The appointment started off with a photographer taking pictures and measurements of Cade's head. After that we met with a Physical Therapist that went over the results with us. The pictures showed that because of the flat spot on the left side of Cade's head, he has increased head height on the right side, a head tilt to the left and a sloped forehead. When they did the measurements he has a 5 cm difference in his ear to eye positioning and a 12 cm difference in the diagonal length of his head so there definitely is some facial asymmetry. A DOC band was recommended for Cade and the Physical Therapist said that we have an excellent chance for correction. Along with the recommendation for the band the PT also said that Cade favors turning his head to the right still and recommended that we continue the left neck stretches as well as some new stretches to increase his neck strength.

waiting to see the Physical Therapist

The results from our appointment were sent to our Pediatrician and the insurance person for Cranial Technologies will contact our Pedi for a letter of recommendation and then contact our insurance company about the treatment early next week. After she has all of the information from our insurance company she will call us to schedule our next appointment. Unfortunately, a lot of insurance companies won't pay for this therapy because they believe it is a cosmetic fix and not a medical fix. While there are some cosmetic components to the fix it is also a medical condition that can cause jaw problems, vision problems and migraines, as well as developmental delays. It can also cause a child to not be able to fit into a bicycle, baseball, or football helmet. (The cost of treatment is $3,800 so we are really hoping that our insurance will pay for at least part of it!) Hopefully we will hear something on Monday or Tuesday and can schedule our next appointment for the end of the week.


During the next appointment they will obtain a 3D image of Cade's head using a machine they have called the DSi (Digital Surface Imaging). This machine has 15 high resolution digital cameras that are strategically placed to capture a complete 360 degree image of the infant's head shape. This information will then be sent to Arizona where they manufacture the bands and a band will be created for Cade and sent to us in a week.


Once we receive the band, Cade will be required to wear it 23 hours each day. We will take the band off with each diaper change to clean Cade's head and the helmet and perform his neck stretches and then put it back on. The only other time it will come off is during bath time. We will take Cade back to Cranial Technologies once a week throughout the treatment for them to evaluate the band and make adjustments. Hopefully Cade will just need to wear the band for 6-8 weeks in order to achieve the desired results.


We are anxious to hear what our insurance company says and to get the treatment started in hopes that we can have everything done and Cade out of the band before it gets brutally hot out this summer!

4 month doctors appointment and a new journey

We took Cade in for his 4 month well baby appointment and shots on Monday. He is a growing boy and progressing developmentally right on track.

He weighs 13 pounds 10 ounces (25%)
He is 25 inches long (50%)
His head is 17 inches around (75%!!!)

Cade got 3 shots again this time along with an oral vaccine. The shots are definitely the worst part of the appointment and it was so hard for me to leave Cade after the appointment to go into work. I am so thankful for our situation and that Gregg was home all day to love on and cuddle with our sad boy!

Cade has had torticolis since he was born. This basically means that he was cramped in the womb and when he was born his muscles were tight and he didn't have good head and neck motion. Gregg and I both noticed this and that he had a flat spot on the back of his head very early on (which we also think started developing in utero). We worked hard to reposition him constantly and encourage him to turn his head in all directions in order to prevent additional problems. We took him to see our pediatrician about the problem when he was about 6 weeks old and started doing neck stretches with him multiple times a day. His neck stiffness has dramatically improved and we don't have any problems with that any more. He does still have the flat spot on the back of his head which our pediatrician has been monitoring very closely. Along with the flat spot he has some facial asymmetry- one of his cheeks is bigger than the other and one of his ears is higher than the other and set more forward than the other- all problems associated with and caused by the flat spot. The physical therapy and neck stretches that we have done have helped to make sure that the problems haven't gotten any worse but they haven't improved either. Our doctor told us Monday that Cade has a mild case of plagiocephaly and recommended that we take him for a consultation at Cranial Technologies in order to be fitted for a DOC (Dynamic Orthodic Cranioplasty) band (helmet.) The DOC band works by applying mild holding pressure on the babies head. It directs growth to the flat regions and discourages it from the prominent areas. Our pediatrician has said that she doesn't think the defect is so severe that we have to treat so that decision is up to Gregg and I. We have done a lot of praying, reading and research over the last few days and we have decided that we want to move forward with the treatment and that Cade will be getting a DOC band. We have our first appointment this Friday morning and should know more then. We ask for lots of prayers for all 3 of us as we begin this journey and will keep everyone posted on what we learn Friday.

4 Months Old

This growing boy turned 4 months old last Saturday!!! I can't even believe that it has already been 4 months since he was born. My how time flies when you are having fun... and we are having so much fun with this precious boy!!!

Here are a few things about Cade from this month:

- He smiles all the time and has started laughing out loud which is just the most adorable sound ever!!!

- He is constantly blowing bubbles and drooling all over everything!

- He enjoys playing with his rattles and any toy he can wrap his little fingers around but his favorite toy is his little camo crinkle grabbee!

- He loves to sit up and to stand up also. He likes being able to see everything that is going on around him.

- He is such a busy body already and is constantly moving his arms and legs all around like he is trying to go somewhere!

- He is actually starting to like tummy time (especially when he can stare at himself in a mirror) and does so good at raising his chest off the ground at looking all around.

- He can roll from his tummy to his back without any problems and has even rolled from his back to his tummy a couple of times!

- He still eats every 4 hours during the day and every 7-9 hours at night. We are still feeding exclusively breastmilk and don't plan on starting baby foods till he is 6 months old.

- He still loves to be swaddled at night and won't sleep any other way.

- He is wearing size 1 diapers during the day, size 1-2 diapers at night and size 3 month in clothes.

- He loves his wubbanub pacifiers and prefers to have his giraffe at night and his colorful monkey during the day.

- He still has such a sweet disposition and although he recognizes Gregg and I and prefers us when he is tired he enjoys being held by anyone and doesn't meet a stranger!

We love you more and more everyday precious boy and cannot wait to watch you grow and change during this next month!

Happy 4 Month Birthday to our little bubble blower!!!