Day 1

Today was our first day wearing the helmets. They wore them for an hour and then took them off for an hour. No naps in the helmets just yet…. We did wear them home from Grandpa and Grammies and they did great in their car seats. I am thankful we started this fashion statement in the fall as the helmets make their little heads really sweaty, which is common as they get use to wearing them. I have to say that this experience has got to be harder on us then them. We are not very good (yet) at getting the helmets on and off and would advise anyone who might be walking this journey one day after us to practice before you leave the office. They advise you to watch for any red marks (that don’t disappear after a half hour) after you take the helmet off. If this is happening, we need to get in for an adjustment and after today I did notice that there are some marks where Vaughn wears his glasses. Our next follow up appointment is on Monday so we are only going to wear the glasses and the helmet while he is eating. Here are a couple pictures of the boys’ heads so you can see why we are wearing the helmets!

 When the rehab doctor was measuring the boys’ heads to see if they would be candidates for helmets, she said that 10 is a low need, 15 is borderline and what most insurance companies want to see if they are going to approve the cost. 20 is severe. Vaughn was measured at a 22 and Asher a 14. We are extremely blessed to say that our insurance has approved the cost for both helmets for the boys. After the boys had their initial scans we did find out that they were not as bad as originally documented. Vaughn was measuring at a 17 and Asher a 10. Jerad and I decided to still move forward with a helmet for Asher so later in life, there wouldn’t be any safety concerns.

In addition our Vaughn also has torticollis. Torticollis is described as a twisted neck in which the head is tipped to one side. We think that the shape of his head is the reason his left eye is smaller and his left ear grows back instead of up. The doctors can’t guarantee that the helmet will correct this but we are all hopeful. There are a couple of reasons a baby can get torticollis and it is typical in twins as on occasion because it is crowed in the womb, one twin’s neck is pushed to the side. Because Vaughn and Asher were so small this is most likely not the case and because when Vaughn was born, we didn’t see a size discrepancy in his eyes or the obvious neck tilt. Another theory is that when a baby has severe acid reflux they tend to angle their head up and to the side to help try to keep the reflux from coming up. Both boys had horrible acid reflux and our assumption is this is what caused the torticollis. Asher did show signs of torticollis but managed to grow out of it. We believe it was because the boys were (are) getting regular adjustments from our chiropractor, Dr. Ryan that Asher was able to move midline. So our adventure continues on as we seek the ever desired round head.  

Take the helmet of salvation…….

Ephesians 6:17 tells us about the armor of God, specifically the helmet of salvation and as Jerad and I begin the process of acclimating the boys to helmets, I have never taken this scripture more literately. We picked up the boys helmets yesterday and had them fitted and it wasn’t an enjoyable experience as the orthotics team would put them on them and make marks as to where they needed to shave some here and there. Vaughn’s helmet was more challenging as we are trying to fit his helmet to also wear glasses. The boys wore the helmet for an hour last night. There is a learning curve to getting the helmets on and off so I am praying that we will learn how to maneuver the helmets quickly. I am staring at these camo looking hats as I type thinking I will not let these pieces of armor intimidate me. The boys do not like them and the only way they wore them yesterday for a short time was because we let them watch baby Einstein. Me being me, we gave them baths before we put them in them for the first time so they could be clean and so I just put them in their pajamas for the night. That was a little too much heat for the first wear! Asher was so hot and his little cheeks were bright red. So we are already learning….we were given a schedule as how long to wear the helmets each day to get them into wearing them for 23 hours a day. Today is officially day 1 and yet, I think it will really start tomorrow as the boys are going to Grandma and Grandpa’s tonight. We have to move slowly with our boys but we can’t take too long getting into them as we are approaching their corrected first year and that is when the head doesn’t allow as much shaping.

I am nervous to begin this journey as it is going to be tough on everyone. They have to learn to eat, sleep, and do everything in these helmets. In my prayers asking for God’s favor as we do what we know is best for the twins, He reminded me of His armor. The boys already are not good eaters and to add another element to feeding time is scary. The one thing the boys are good at is sleeping and it hurts my heart knowing we have to ask them to sleep in the helmets. As parents one of my ongoing prayers is to pray the armor over them, and so I am going to use the helmets as a reminder to pray for Vaughn and Asher‘s salvation. What an honor it is to pray over their minds and speak scripture to them, these helmets will be a constant visual of the authority He has given us! Would you pray alongside us that this transition would be smooth and that the helmets would re-shape their heads quickly?!

Ephesians 6:10-18

“Finally be strong in the Lord and in his might power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground and after you have done everything to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this take up the shield of faith, which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the world of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the saints.”

Road Trip

I received a call from Children’s today saying the x-ray’s that we had done on the boys are normal! Yippee and Woo Hoo! Our rehab doctor wanted their hips checked out and there was some concern that Vaughn might have early signs of scoliosis but once again God has been faithful and all looks well!

Asher and Vaughn are going on their 1^st road trip this weekend and we are very excited! We are going to Wray and Holyoke to visit some friends and family. When we found out that the boys were small at our 20 week ultra sound and I started sending out weekly updates, my friend Mandy started sending them along to her mother in law. She then shared our story with her church and they prayed faithfully for our family through the pregnancy and while the boys were in the NICU. Well it is our pleasure to attend this church this weekend and personally thank our extended family for their prayers, love and support. We are then off to see the Phipps and have a sleep over with Sawyer! I am not sure what to expect being away from home for 2 nights in a row but we are ready for another new adventure! Turning one has been awesome!!