Nathan Graduates from his Band!

So, Nathan's 15 month doctor's appointment was on Wednesday. While there, I asked the doctor about his soft spot...if the fontanels had closed yet because our orthotist, Kristen, at Hanger had asked me to check with the our pediatrician. Kristen couldn't feel it anymore, and 3 weeks ago when we went to see her, there was no progress. Sure enough, they were closed! I knew what this would probably mean but waited until our appointment with Kristen 2 days later, on Friday.

She took his measurements, and again, no progress. So I told her what the doctor said and it made sense! So...we are done with the helmet/cranial band! We are so thrilled that his progress went from 17 mm off to just 4 mm. He is now down to "very mild" and we are happy about that. Especially since he started SO late and we only had until 15 months...actually it was probably before 14 months that it closed. Kristen was watching for his soft spot to close because most babies do after 12 months. Some however, don't close until 18 months or even up to 2 years. So I have just been telling myself all along it wouldn't be until 18 months so I wouldn't get anxious to have it off sooner.

Thankfully, I took my camera, and got a shot of him with Kristen (holding him) and a few of the other office staff that have just fallen in love with him over these last 5 months!


In fact, when we got there, they had a little match box car gift that they had set back just for him. They tell me he is their favorite and brightens their day. He is just such a ham with adults. He loves the attention and gives them what they want. I would think too that most babies there are much younger, so they don't get the interaction from them like they do a 15 month old. They were all really sad when we came out from our appointment and told him he had graduated! They will miss him teasing them with his smile every 3 weeks! I am so grateful for the staff there. I have truly been impressed and blessed by them all. And Kristen has just been a wonderful orthotist. She has my email and is going to send me a recipe that she makes for her girls. Bella is Nathan's age. And I've loved getting to know Kristen and her family through our chats.

Nathan LOVED this Elmo chair in the treatment room we were usually in.




We made an appointment for one year from now, just to see the progress. They haven't done this before, but Kristen was up for it and I was definitely in. "They" always say that in time it does continue to improve more even after the band is off because it is now growing in the right direction. So we want to see it that happens, and if so, by how much. So they will do a scan then as well just for fun :) It will be interesting to see even though by then, I bet this will all be such a distant memory to us!

I told Matt later and he was sad! He feels like Nathan looks so much older with the band off. It accentuates his chubby cheeks and he looks more like a baby with it on. It's sort of like getting a big boy haircut. (Which I took him for later that day...maybe too much at once?) ha ha. I said that it is much better for us to be sad that he isn't wearing it anymore than for this whole time for us to be dying to be done with it! I do understand what he means though. It is definitely a different look. Although I don't think I will miss cleaning it every day and having to give him a bath every day to wash his hair and head! I'm proud of him. He did great with it. And I am just so grateful to God that we discovered treatment when we did and were able to get right on it shortly after discovering what plagiocephaly actually was! And I'm sure we will be used to the new "normal" very soon!