Doc Band Babies Unite!

Almost every time we go out I have a parent approach me telling me that their son/daughter had a Doc Band! They always say how they just feel like they need to come up and tell me and tell me how wonderful it was and how great their child's head looks now. It's really nice...it confirms that the families going through this journey are apart of a community. I know for a fact that once Isabela is done I will approach other parents with children wearing one. I know how it makes me feel positive about it, and I would love to share that feeling with others.

I rarely saw any children with bands before Isabela got hers. I have not seen one with a band now that she has it. I was commenting on this the other day to my family....and today I met another family whose little girl had a band on! I was out to lunch with my dad and a woman tapped me on the shoulder and told me her daughter has a band and its been five weeks. We spoke for a few minutes, exchanging remarks on how amazing it is. I walked over and saw their beautiful baby girl and I think she and Isabela had a moment ;)

The funny part is that she and I are both members of the Doc Band Facebook page...and she has seen a post I made about my blog and has looked at it, and I have seen and "liked" a picture of her baby she posted!!! Small world huh?! It was really nice to see another baby out with a Doc Band. I will probably never see them again, or maybe we'll run into each other at Cranial Tech one day. Perhaps we'll comment on one another's pictures again on Facebook. Maybe that sweet baby girls mom is reading this right now ;)

Speaking of sweet baby girl...look at the smile!

Could it be...only five more weeks?!

Yesterday, 9/25, was Isabela's 7 weeks in her DocBand. Today was our appointment and as usual, Teresa was thrilled with her progress :) She said the average time for her age is 12 weeks, so we're looking at 5 more!

 

I cannot wait until her helmet is off, just to see her beautiful head (and put headbands on again of course)! However, I am definitely going to miss it. It's weird...I had so much stress and anxiety over it before we started and now it's such a part of her, I know it's going to be an adjustment once we're done.

 

Here are some pictures for the week...

 

 

 

Teresa asked us how we feel she is doing. I got a little teary eyed (but I think I hid it well) when we told her how amazed we are!! There's some more rounding (is that even a word?!) that needs to happen in the back, but man look at the round head!! She again told us that her head isn't as high and pointy on the top and definitely not as wide through the front.

 

Playing with daddy at our checkup today!

 

 

6 Weeks Already??

The title says it all...can't believe it's been 6 weeks already! One of my fears before we got Isabela's band was that time was going to go so slowly. I thought it would seem like she was in the band forever and we'd never see her cute little head again. Man, I was wrong! I don't know where the last 6 weeks have gone!

 

What I do know is that her stickers have stayed on since I had to change them week 2. This makes mama happy!! :) The sticker we're using is sold out at Michael's and it's not a pain to apply the sticker, rhinestones and ModgePodge, but it keeps her out of her helmet for a few hours and I don't want to waste that time. So I'm hoping I won't have to reapply for the rest of her treatment.

 

Now for the goods...here are her 6 week pics! Now don't be fooled by her hair. I know it makes her head look a little rounded, but she truly is making this great progress!!

 

 

 

 Here is another "before" shot. This was taken 8/1, 6 days before we started her treatment. Definitely shows the difference, and it's not just her hair appearing so...wow, if I may say so myself!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Weeks and Counting

Time is flying by!! We can't believe Isabela has had her Doc Band for 5 weeks already!! We had our appointment today with Teresa (love her!) and she once again said she is very happy with her progress.

I asked her why she appears to look flat towards the top of her head, rounded in the middle and then flat on the bottom (in the back). She said that the flatness towards the top is normal and we all have a flat spot. Of course, we all felt our heads to confirm haha! The flatness on the bottom of her head is what they are focusing on now. She has rounded through the middle and she was happy about that and told us that's usually the more difficult spot to mold, and Isabela conquered that first! What a showoff we have!!

 
I remembered to take a picture of her head mold (headsicle) that they use to compare her head before she started to now...

I feel like the picture doesn't do the shape justice. In person, you can really tell how flat the back of her head was. Also you can see from a birds eye view, how it is wide across the top and flat in back. However, you can see how she isn't round on the bottom, we're fixing that!

 

They use the stocking to push her hair down to get a good look at her head. She looks like a bandit up to no good!!

 

There is progress to be made, but we are so thrilled with how she is doing. I keep saying week after week, but it's amazing how this works and she has taken to it so well! Teresa said that we're probably looking at 2 1/2-3 months, so we're halfway done! We couldn't be happier :-D

 

4 weeks!

I've been meaning to post this since Tuesday...bad mommy!! It has been 4 weeks, already! It's amazing how time flies!!  Here are some side by side pics of her before and at 4 weeks.

 

The sides aren't as wide from the front now. Her forehead is becoming more defined as a forehead, and not such as slope into the top of her head. That might not make sense, but thats what they said and when you see her treatment pics from the clinic, you can see.

                                                View from the left, looking so round :) She's also filled in on the bottom a little bit.

 

This might be hard to see also, but she isn't as wide. Pressure is being applied constantly to move her bones in and round out versus staying wide on the sides. Look how long her hair is :)

View from the right. She looks great!

 

 

Just have to say...

Another bonus to Isabela having a Doc Band, is that she is permanently baby proofed! Now that she's crawling, pulling herself up, rolling, sitting (fun but potentially hurtful milestones), I'm not as worried that she's going to crack her head open! Of course I watch her like a hawk, but she has some good protection! She was crawling under our coffee table the other day and bonked her head...didn't even flinch! She hit herself in the head with a big plastic toy, didn't even notice!

I'm concerned that once her helmet comes off she's going to think she is invincible! That's going to be tough, I'm sure we'll be seeing some bumps until she learns otherwise!!