Brother: 4 months post operation update

today was Brother’s 4 month post-operation checkup with the neurosurgeon.

the doctor was impressed with his head shape,
his easy disposition,
and the fact that he crawls and pulls up already.
he said everything is going well and that we just have to come back in 6 months. 
we won’t completely feel at ease until he is 24 months old–
which is when the soft spot is fully closed and we will know that there will be no more surgeries.
as of now…all is well….
thank you, Jesus!

if you are new around here and don’t know what i’m talking about….check out the “our cranio journey” page to get filled in. 

the scar is really light in color and very flat.
with a little more hair, i don’t think you’ll be able to see it at all.
 

 the “groove” toward the front of the top of his head was a little worrisome,
but the doctor said it should be fine as he head continues to grow and as he gets more hair.
(truth be told:  i’m still a tad worried about it….)

all in all, though…we couldn’t ask for a happier, easier, baby
and love him so so much!

lil’ Brother: 6 months old–2 months post op

it’s cliche’
and always made my eyes roll
that is, until i had kids of my own.

“they grow up too fast!”

i honestly CANNOT believe that my littlest punkin’ is 1/2 a year old already.
i feel like it was just yesterday that i was lying in that operation room.
before he was born, i wasn’t sure i believed how parents say they love every child as much as the first,
but let me tell you…
it’s all true!

this guy has been through a bunch of stuff already in his short 6 months,
but he’s tough
and none the worse for any of it.

he’s rolling (“rollin’ like a river”—sorry) all over the house and
pushing up like he wants to crawl any day.
he’s sleeping through the night 6:30ish-6:30!
and is just the best addition to our little family.

we love you, Roggie!

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lil’ Brother: 6 months old–2 months post op

it’s cliche’
and always made my eyes roll
that is, until i had kids of my own.

“they grow up too fast!”

i honestly CANNOT believe that my littlest punkin’ is 1/2 a year old already.
i feel like it was just yesterday that i was lying in that operation room.
before he was born, i wasn’t sure i believed how parents say they love every child as much as the first,
but let me tell you…
it’s all true!

this guy has been through a bunch of stuff already in his short 6 months,
but he’s tough
and none the worse for any of it.

he’s rolling (“rollin’ like a river”—sorry) all over the house and
pushing up like he wants to crawl any day.
he’s sleeping through the night 6:30ish-6:30!
and is just the best addition to our little family.

we love you, Roggie!

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Brother: 4 weeks post operation

so you might be wondering how lil’ Brother is doing these days after his surgery for craniosynostosis.

it was four weeks post op last tuesday.

he had the follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon on wednesday and the doctor was super happy with his progress.  he said he looks like a totally different kid and i would have to agree.

the stitches are all completely gone and it is nice to not really have to worry about infection anymore.

R is happy, healthy, smiley, and active.

we couldn’t be happier with the results–thank you, Jesus!

i just like to oooh and ahhhh over the amazing way the scar has healed up and how great it looks even with so little hair to cover it up.

love you, Brother!

Brother: 4 weeks post operation

so you might be wondering how lil’ Brother is doing these days after his surgery for craniosynostosis.

it was four weeks post op last tuesday.

he had the follow-up appointment with the neurosurgeon on wednesday and the doctor was super happy with his progress.  he said he looks like a totally different kid and i would have to agree.

the stitches are all completely gone and it is nice to not really have to worry about infection anymore.

R is happy, healthy, smiley, and active.

we couldn’t be happier with the results–thank you, Jesus!

i just like to oooh and ahhhh over the amazing way the scar has healed up and how great it looks even with so little hair to cover it up.

love you, Brother!

papa’s here: day 5 post op

so “papa” (my dad) arrived late last night to see rogan and to drive my mom home tomorrow.

we’ve been having a great day and enjoying the gorgeous weather yet again.

i promise i won’t do this every day from now until he’s 18, but i just can’t believe the improvement we see each day.  the incision, itself, is looking less pink and less swollen.  all of his face-swelling is gone and he hasn’t had any medicine since 10:00 pm last night.  

j

papa’s here: day 5 post op

so “papa” (my dad) arrived late last night to see rogan and to drive my mom home tomorrow.

we’ve been having a great day and enjoying the gorgeous weather yet again.

i promise i won’t do this every day from now until he’s 18, but i just can’t believe the improvement we see each day.  the incision, itself, is looking less pink and less swollen.  all of his face-swelling is gone and he hasn’t had any medicine since 10:00 pm last night.  

j

home from the hospital (and loving it)

wow, this week has been such a blur.  i’m glad i blogged about it all, or i would totally  be forgetting any of the details.  that may have something to do with lack of sleep—
from sleeping on this

or
from all the stress and heart aching that went on while in the hospital. 

all that to say, it is now OVER!
we are officially home as of 2:00pm yesterday afternoon.

this morning we had a follow-up appointment with our pediatrician and they were so happy to see his  
improved head shape,
fabulously done stitches, and
happy smiles.

we saw the doctor who originally diagnosed his craniosynostosis and she could not have been happier with the results.  thank you so much, dr. deana, for finding it early!

i thought i should show you how much improvement there has been already in the shape of rogan’s head (dr. myseros said it will get even rounder as the days/weeks go on).

he still is a little swollen and the goop they used to disinfect his head for surgery is really hard to get off, so pardon the nasty hair (i have washed it twice already, believe it or not).  we will continue to update you as everything gets back to normal, but i thought it would be nice to show you how dramatically different it is already even just 4 days after the surgery.

so with no further adieu, i present to you “the transformation“:

before:

his forehead was starting to protrude

top view (note the coney-ness toward the back on the before picture)

 after:

the back view is much wider and less coney

less forehead protruding and shorter/rounder back

rogan’s waving and saying, “thanks everybody for all you have done for us during this process!”

today has been such a great day with my mom here, beautiful 75 degree weather, and just the comfort of being back in our own home with all of our family together again.

  we can’t stop praising and thanking the Lord for His amazing blessings and provision. 


“For I am the LORD your God
   who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
   I will help you.”  -Isiah 41:13

and because she cracks me up……a few crazy photos of the “not-to-be ignored,” hollis:

home from the hospital (and loving it)

wow, this week has been such a blur.  i’m glad i blogged about it all, or i would totally  be forgetting any of the details.  that may have something to do with lack of sleep—
from sleeping on this

or
from all the stress and heart aching that went on while in the hospital. 

all that to say, it is now OVER!
we are officially home as of 2:00pm yesterday afternoon.

this morning we had a follow-up appointment with our pediatrician and they were so happy to see his  
improved head shape,
fabulously done stitches, and
happy smiles.

we saw the doctor who originally diagnosed his craniosynostosis and she could not have been happier with the results.  thank you so much, dr. deana, for finding it early!

i thought i should show you how much improvement there has been already in the shape of rogan’s head (dr. myseros said it will get even rounder as the days/weeks go on).

he still is a little swollen and the goop they used to disinfect his head for surgery is really hard to get off, so pardon the nasty hair (i have washed it twice already, believe it or not).  we will continue to update you as everything gets back to normal, but i thought it would be nice to show you how dramatically different it is already even just 4 days after the surgery.

so with no further adieu, i present to you “the transformation“:

before:

his forehead was starting to protrude

top view (note the coney-ness toward the back on the before picture)

 after:

the back view is much wider and less coney

less forehead protruding and shorter/rounder back

rogan’s waving and saying, “thanks everybody for all you have done for us during this process!”

today has been such a great day with my mom here, beautiful 75 degree weather, and just the comfort of being back in our own home with all of our family together again.

  we can’t stop praising and thanking the Lord for His amazing blessings and provision. 


“For I am the LORD your God
   who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
   I will help you.”  -Isiah 41:13

and because she cracks me up……a few crazy photos of the “not-to-be ignored,” hollis:

surgery day 3

so last night there was this…….

 

and this morning there was this!

my goodness what a difference one night can do!

as of 7:00 this morning, rogan is 

peeing on his own (no catheter),

taking only oral medicines for pain as needed (tylenol with codeine),

opening both eyes (or as wide as his naturally squinty eyes can be open),

eating well,

moving around (and pulling off sensors),

cooing,

smiling,

and ready to go home!

i know it looks gross, but everyone is saying the incision looks “great.”  eww, i don’t know about “great.”

they are telling us that we will go home sometime today.  we are waiting on the final blood tests, but dr. myseros has cleared us to go home as long as the tests are good.  

he doesn’t seem to be in a lot of pain and generally just his happy self.  

the Lord has seen us through a rough couple of days, but we are so blessed and thankful for His continued provision and peace.  thank you to all of the people (and when i say ALL, i mean hundreds, from all over the country, and most of my home county) who were praying and calling and texting and emailing their kind words and thoughts this week.  you all made this so much easier to endure.  

it’s so great to be on the other side of the surgery and well on our way to a full recovery!

**update**  we are home as of 2:00pm today!  we have a prescription for tylenol with codeine and he is doing really well.  we gave him a little sponge bath (targeting his head).  man, it is coated and matted down with this nasty iodine-glue stuff that they use during the surgery to disinfect.  it may be days of scrubbing before that stuff comes off.  it was nice to clean him up a bit though and he is now sleeping like a baby!