8 Weeks Post-Op

On Tuesday Emersyn had her 8 week post-op appointment at Duke. Driving to the hospital, pulling into the parking garage and the walk to the 3rd floor, brought back so many emotions. In one aspect it feels like just yesterday she had surgery, on the other hand I can't believe it's been 8 weeks. Walking into the hospital was a different feeling, a feeling of relief. We are on the other side now, the healing portion of our journey.

The appointment went well. I always have a million questions, but that's my way of educating myself on her progress and what to expect in the next few months. Dr. Grant said her head shape and incision are looking great. At this point, all of the stitches are out and the incision area is pink like any healing scar. Her head shape has changed in the last 8 weeks and will continue to change as she grows and the skull moves. The end outcome will be a round 'typical' baby head. We already see a huge difference. I added a top view and side view of her head so that you can see the difference. We are very pleased with her progress.


The first 2 photos are the side profile.

I took this photo over labor day weekend. The stitches were just starting to fall out. In this photo, the back side of her head is definitely more round and the overall head shape isn't oblong anymore.

This was before surgery. Her skull was more oblong and her forehead was slightly bossing which means it was starting to protrude or stick out more than normal.

This was the topview prior to surgery. While the head has an oblong shape, it also is more narrow in the back due to the suture closing.



I took this photo a few days ago. I wanted the most current picture. A few things are going on in this photo. I'm proud to say her hair is growing!! This is very exciting to me. Her scar is pinkish, this is normal for this type of surgery but also is normal for bigger scars. It's part of the healing process. Eventually it will turn white and you won't be able to see it. Also to refresh your memory, the incision is a wavy line so that when her hair gets wet or parted the scar wont show. Her head shape is opposite of what it was prior to surgery. The back part of her head should be wider than the front. Eventually it will round out even more. When the piece of skull was taken out to create the saggital suture, her brain immediately went where it was supposed to go. Now as she grows and her brain grows, the head will continue to take the shape it was meant to be. Explaining all of this verbally is much easier for me than typing it. So I apologize.

In the last 8 weeks, we have noticed her face has changed as well. She has always been beautiful to us, but she is really filling out now. As her head takes the correct shape, she becomes cuter and cuter. We are very blessed to have beautiful children.


I added this picture so you could see what Emersyn looked like from the front. I was looking for one that would show her forehead and temple area. If you look at her temples, it looks tight or pressed in slightly. This is caused by the closing of the suture. It more or less pulls on that area because the head is growing back (oblong) instead of out to the sides like the 'typical' head. I hate using 'normal' or 'typical' but that's what it is I guess. What is normal anyway? I certainly am not normal! HA! (sorry, I had to add some humor in there)

Again, I was looking for a close up that would showcase the progress of her skull. Apparently I use dark backgrounds because I had a hard time finding one I liked. Her forehead is more round and the temples are not being pulled in. Everyones temples go slightly in from the eyebrow bone, so what you see here is what it should be. Gotta love that expression and those chubby arms!

The next appointment is in January. We are happy to put the surgery behind us and look forward to the future. As I've stated before, Emersyn is my hero and she continues to be everyday. She has been through a lot in 4 months and I admire her strength.

We are so proud of our little ladybug!

Crock Pot Girls

If you know me, than you know I hate to cook. I can cook but I just don't like it. I would rather bake any day. I actually love to bake by myself and with Dylan. I find it relaxing and fun.

Planning dinners for the week is a challenge. We are sick of the same things week in and week out, so I've been looking for new ideas. I noticed on Facebook that a few friends were using the Crock Pot Girls website so I checked it out. I love it!!! We have a crock pot but don't really use it. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try something new. So for the last three weeks I have tried a couple of the recipes and we've loved them. Using a crock pot is nice for us because I can do all of the preparation, which is very easy and the crock pot does the rest.

The website is crockpotgirls. com

There are recipes for dips, appetizers, deserts, pork, beef, chicken, vegan and much much more. So check it out! I highly recommend it.

So far we have tried:

- Chicken Cordon Bleu: good but our least favorite so far

- Salsa Chicken: very tasty, Zack loved this one and we put it over rice

- Cheesy Chicken: Awesome! Can be served with veggies or rice.

Yes we eat A LOT of chicken in this house. So this week we are trying a roast called To Die For Roast. It's something different and sounds tasty. We are attempting to do one crock pot meal a week. There are so many yummy things to make.

Check it out! If you try one and love it, let me know.

Daddy's Groupies

It's been awhile since I have posted. The past week hasn't been busy, but then again I have two little ones that keep me on my toes. I wanted to post some pictures of the jam sessions Zack has had with the kids. Music has always been a large part of Zack's life and it's important that he pass that on to Dylan and Emersyn. As most of you know, Dylan loves music and loves to dance. So naturally he gravitates to the guitar when Zack plays. Sometimes he will just sit and watch or his usual is to sing and dance around the room. I have found that Emersyn likes music just as much as Dylan did when he was an infant. The moment music is playing her attention is redirected. She is very serious when listening, but that is just her trying to figure it all out.




Zack has always loved playing guitar but this gives new meaning to his jam sessions. I L.O.V.E watching from afar. It melts my heart to see the kids enjoying time with their Daddy. Oh, did I mention that I have no musical talent! I can't sing and I can't play any musical instruments. So we are hoping that the kids inherit some musical talent from Zack. Don't get me wrong, I sing ALL day about everything. I even make up my own lyrics to already existing songs but that is for my children's ears only. I have a horrible voice that would probably make you cringe. But for now Dylan and Emersyn don't complain!

In the picture above Zack started to play for Emersyn to promote tummy time. We are really encouraging her to push up and crawl. Dylan hated his belly and never really crawled. He had low muscle tone in his upper body which caused a delay in gross motor. We are trying not to go down that road with Emersyn.

Dylan couldn't resist. He wanted to be next to his sister and listen to Daddy play. They are Daddy's little groupies. I think its adorable to watch. When I'm not taking pictures I join in. It's great family time that I wouldn't trade for the world.

Chili Cook Off

Today was the 2nd Annual Holly Springs Chili Cook Off. Last year our friends won, so we went out this year to support them again. The cook off is held in downtown Holly Springs at the farmers market. Local business' and individuals could enter the contest. Zack debated whether he wanted to enter but decided against it this year. So while he walked around tasting the different chili's, I stood watching Dylan and his girlfriend entertain a crowd. There was a local musician playing guitar. Dylan loves to dance and loves music, so naturally he wanted to watch. Watching turned into a toddler dance off. Reagan is in Dylan's daycare class and they are the best of friends. Her parents are the ones who won the Chili Cook Off last year and were back to claim their title. (They came in 3rd with the judges and won the People's Choice award)

I took some pictures to capture the moments.

Once Dylan and Reagan got warmed up, they drew a crowd. People were taking pictures, smiling and our local newspaper even took a few shots and a video. Maybe they will make the paper. The man playing guitar had a hard time singing and smiling. He had 2 year old groupies!!!

Below is a video of them dancing. They were just getting started here, so the moves are quite there yet...HA. I'm hoping the video works. If not, then I don't know how to add video to the blog yet.

Emersyn is 4 months

On Saturday (9-10-11) Emersyn turned 4 months. I'm late posting because I was waiting for her doctors appointment to get the weight and height stats. In the meantime we did take the monthly photo shoot. Unlike Dylan, Emersyn doesn't like the camera. She will be full of smiles and the moment a camera or video camera comes out she becomes very serious. Just a reminder, we take pictures with her bear to chart her growth. We did the same thing with Dylan. Our newest monthly marker would be the onesie stickers. This month I struggled to place it on her. She wiggles so much and the drool is non-stop, so I decided to put it behind her.

4 Month Stats:

Weight: 15lbs 8oz

Height: 25 1/4

Milestones & Ladybug Facts:

- Started to laugh

- Coo's and makes noises regularly

-Rolls over from back to belly (does this in a split second)

- Can roll from belly to back but struggles slightly

-Puts weight on legs with support

- Continues the attempt to sit up

- When on belly, lifts head and puts weight on forearms...trying to push up but not quite there yet

-drools NON -STOP (she goes through 3 bibs a day)

-Grabs at clothing, fingers, hair or whatever is put in her hand

-Smiles frequently

-Loves laughing at Dylan and watching him move about

- Loves when we sing to her, especially her Daddy

-Still loves to be held but enjoys tummy time, the swing and baby bjorn

- Fussiness is pretty much gone!!! YIPEEE

-Still eats every 2-3 hours

-Night time: still suffers from post surgery sleep stress. :-(

No smiles, but loving those hands! Oh and yes, she is in her Bills gear. We took these on Sunday.

Ha! This is funny to me. She refused to sit. Rolling over is the name of her game.

9-10-11 Looking pretty while laughing at her brother

* I tried to upload a picture of her chubby legs because I LOVE them. But my computer isn't cooperating. BOOOO

Pretty in Pearls

Go Bills!

Welcome to football season!!! Yesterday was the season opener for the Buffalo Bills. As most of you know Zack is a die hard fan, so it's only natural to turn our kids into Bills fans as well. Dylan has been trained. He claps, cheers and yells "touch down" or "Go Bills" as he runs around the room with his mini football. Emersyn is new to the sport. We are conditioning her to be a cheerleader. So every Sunday, the Henry household will be cheering on the Buffalo Bills. (Hopefully winning!)

GO BILLS!!!!!!

A Day of Remembrance

September 11, 2001

How do I even begin to post about a monumental day the nation will never forget? So many thoughts, so many feelings, all brought to the surface as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of September 11th.

Everyone has a story and memory from that day. I was a Sophomore in college. On that Tuesday I didn't have class. I was working at an insurance company and it was my day to pick up the mail. ( I lived in a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y. for those of you that are not familiar with my childhood.) On my way to the office I heard on the radio that the World Trade Center was hit by a plane. I proceeded to go into work and convey the news to my co-workers. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy and misinforming them. From that moment on every office, cubicle and conference room had on either a t.v or radio. Phone calls were being made and emotions were heightened. I spent the next week or maybe more glued to the coverage on various news stations. Even if I didn't want to watch, I found myself sucked in. It was very surreal.

I wasn't sure what to expect today. Life for me has changed drastically in 10 years, so I know the same has happened for the families of 9-11. We taped a 2 hour special so that we could watch the Good Morning America live coverage. So while feeding the kids and playing with hot wheels, we watched like we did 10 years ago. It was very moving to watch names of the deceased being read, tributes to family members, and the images being replayed. It brought back many emotions and memories. I found myself glued to the T.V once again. The memorial is amazing and I hope that I have the opportunity to view it one day.

I did shed a few tears as I watched family members lay on the name of their deceased relative. It made me so sad. And all of those kids who never got to meet their Dads. I can't imagine. There was one point that I looked at Dylan and burst into tears. I am so grateful for my husband, my beautiful children, and the life we live. While I was being emotional, Dylan looked at me and walked in to the kitchen. He pushed his stool over to the counter and got me a tissue. He had no idea why I was sad, but he knew I needed a tissue. He said " here Mommy, wipe your tears". Now that boy melts my heart!!!!

It's crazy to think that this will be in History books by the time my kids are in middle school. Or maybe it already is!

10 years feels like yesterday! I'll never forget September 11th and I'm sure you wont either.

Sleep Deprivation

The statement 'I'm tired' is all relative to your life's current events. When I was in college I was tired because I partied to much. After a long day of work, a class full of Kindergarteners tired me out. Being a new Mom enduring countless nights of every 2 hour feedings would kicked my butt. Through all of those times I swore I was so tired. And that brings me to my latest and greatest saying of ' I'm exhausted!' Enter in the last month of Emersyn suffering from post surgery sleep stress. Plus, Dylan is beginning to have nightmares causing him to wake up crying. This combination can cause me to feel crazy. The kind of crazy exhaustion that coffee can't fix.

Dylan's nightmares are a random occurrence. We don't know what's suddenly causing them, but it's not fun. It happens once or twice a week and includes him waking up crying and not wanting to go back to sleep. Usually the parent not taking care of Emersyn helps Dylan get back to sleep. Sometimes this involves sleeping in his bed. Zack doesn't mind but I can't seem to get comfortable in his bed. Maybe it's the 10 stuffed animals he sleeps with! I've done some research on toddler dreaming and everything he is experiencing is normal. Unfortunately Dylan is a dreamer like me. I dream nightly and occasionally have nightmares. So I feel bad for him.

Now onto the little lady. Prior to surgery Emersyn was a great sleeper. She would go down at 9 and sleep until 4, when she would wake to feed. At most we'd get up once to pop her paci back in. I'd consider that sleeping through the night. Then she had surgery. We heard it was common for children to have sleep issues for 4-6 weeks after surgery. This is caused by many factors which I will get in to. But Emersyn is an extreme case. Aren't we lucky?!?! The first 2 nights home she slept well. We thought we were lucky. After that, the chaos began. On a good night Emersyn cries or screams out every 30-45 minutes. On a bad night, she cries out every 15 minutes. Those nights one of us sleeps on her floor because by the time we soothe her and climb back in bed, she's crying again. It saves us a trip. Now, she is crying with her eyes closed which is common for post surgery sleep stress. She has also lost the ability to self soothe so letting her cry it out doesn't work. She becomes louder and eventually goes into hysterics. We don't want her to wake up Dylan so we are cautious as to how long we let her cry. Emersyn has a set of lungs on her. Maybe she'll be a singer!!! Before I go on let me say that she does take naps without crying during the day. She takes cat naps anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. So the problem is only at night. This is actually much worse than a newborn. So after researching on a few Cranio websites, exchanging emails with a few moms whose child has gone through this, I finally resorted to contacting our neurosurgeon and pediatrician.

The pediatrician gave Emersyn a basic physical to make sure she was healthy. That she was. The neurosurgeon redirected me to the hospitals Child Life Team Specialist (CLTS). This persons job in the hospital is to assist the family in anything they need to help make the child comfortable

(radio, stuffed animals, etc) they also help ease worries of parents and assist families in understanding the basics about the hospital stay. While we didn't use this person much at the hospital, I thought she could help us now. We couldn't be the only family struggling right? So after a 45 minute chat with a CLTS things started make sense.

In general, people sleep different during the day than they do during the night. This explains why her sleep pattern is different at night. Next, many situations during her hospital visit have caused her stress or pain. Kids and adults can verbalized their fears but infants can't. During the hospital stay Emersyn was being poked and prodded frequently. Blood draws, IV bag changes, vital checks, incision checks, catheter adjustments, etc. And the sounds of every medical machine beeping. Most of this stuff was done to her when she couldn't see because of eye swelling. I don't know about you, but I would panic if I couldn't see what was going on and unfamiliar people were hurting me! In the PICU and in recovery the room was fairly dark. We kept it like this so she could sleep but also because her eyes were sensitive. Maybe that has something to do with it. So her night time crying out is part of the post sleep stress. Another factor is soothing. In the hospital she became paci dependent. Prior to surgery she could sleep without it. In the hospital we used it as a familiar item from home but also to soothe her during stressful times. Part of her cries at night are because her paci falls out. The moment we put it back into her mouth she settles.

The second soother was us. During the day we were both with her and at night we took turns. So for 5 days mommy and/or Daddy was with her 24 hours a day. I didn't realize how quickly a baby adjusts to human presence. Even though she couldn't see for a few days, she could hear us, feel us and smell us. She knew we were there even if we were sleeping. Call me crazy but it's true. If I sleep in her room, she cries significantly less! She senses me there I guess but I hate sleeping on the floor and I don't want to make a habit of that.

There are other factors but this post is getting long.

Our goal is to build her confidence and comfortability factor in sleeping alone at night. We are 5 1/2 weeks post op. We have bad nights and better nights. We are using suggestions from doctors, the child life specialist and other Cranio parents in working towards good or even great nights. At this point I have a strong feeling we are in for a long road and many more sleepless nights.

So Emersyn and Dylan are exhausting us a little :-) oh and I forgot.... The dogs! Sometimes they get confused with all the nightly hustle and bustle and decide they need to go outside to tinkle. Why not? More craziness added to the circus!

If you feel tired or exhausted just think of us. Or better yet, feel free to come over because we'll be awake. Bring some coffee... It can't hurt!

* it has taken me days to write this. I've been working on it during my sleepless moments. So if at any point it doesn't make sense, chalk it up to exhaustion!

I also shortened this post because I became tired of complaining. :-)

Emersyn's Eye

Emersyn has a capillary hemangioma on her left eye lid. She wasn't born with with it. It just appeared one day. It looks like a small reddish bump. It's actually a benign tumor. Kids that get these usually have them on their body somewhere vs. the face, but it can happen. The cause is unknown. The hemangioma can grow over time. Because Emersyn's is on her eye it becomes more serious. It can cause the eyelid to droop. If the eye lid droops past the pupil, the eye tells the brain it can't see causing possible blindness. Emersyn's did grow slightly from day 1, but hasn't grown any bigger in the last 6 weeks. We are happy about that. Also, it never causes her eye lid to droop past the pupil. Most of the time we can't tell it's there or maybe we look past it. It stands out after she cries or when she's tired.

If left untreated it will go away on it's own usually before the age of 7. But 7, really? Who wants one of these on them for that long? It's not hurting her but if we can safely get rid of it , we're on board.

Yesterday we went to the opthamologist for her eye exam. She had one prior to surgery, so this was the post visit to make sure her vision was the same. She passed! We weren't worried. Sometimes there can be a change in vision after surgery.

The doctor discussed our options for the capillary hemangioma.

Some have cardiovascular side effects and another requires her going into the hospital to have a steroid injection in her eye lid. Myself and the doctor agreed those were not options. I'm not looking to create ANY problems for her. She's been through enough. So, we decided to do a 6 week trial of a topical antibiotic. If we see the hemangioma shrinking, then we'll continue it until it's gone. If nothing happens, we will discontinue the antibiotic and let her lid be.

It's easier if we take care of this now than when she's 4 and upset with her looks. ( sad but true)

A few people have inquired about her eye thinking it was a cyst. now that we have more info and a plan I'm happy to share.

Emersyn is allowing me to learn all sorts of medical knowledge.

( I'm smiling) BUT I'd appreciate it if she'd stop because then there would be nothing wrong.

That's the eye news.

10 Things I Should Be Doing Instead of Blogging

1. Cleaning

2. Dishes

3. Laundry

4. Cleaning out the fridge

5. Picking up toys

6. Updating Emersyn's baby book

7. Planning next weeks meals

8. Cleaning my closet

9. Organizing my school stuff that has been sitting in the garage

10. Napping because I don't get to sleep at night :-)

I saw someone else blog this exact topic. I laugh because every time I blog I should be doing something more productive.

Happy Birthday Zack!

Saturday was Zack's 29th birthday. I've been meaning to get this post up for a few days, but life has been busy. On September 3, 1982 the love of my life was born. He weighed 6lbs 13oz, the exact same weight as Dylan. How awesome is that?!?! The day was relaxing and fun. In the morning we sang to him. This was Dylan's favorite part. The Happy Birthday song never sounded better!! After breakfast Zack washed his car and headed to Cars & Coffee with some friends. This is basically what I classify as a 'man thing'. A bunch of guys bring their cars to a plaza parking lot. They line up their cars by the type of car it is (Corvette, Mustang, Viper, etc). They walk around and look at each others prized possession while talking 'car talk' to each other. I've been to many of these and they are fun for maybe a 1/2 hour. Otherwise I'll pass. Meanwhile I was home playing with the kids. Zack was home by lunch and to help out with nap time. After nap time we went to SnipIts to get Dylan's hair cut and then headed to dinner. After dinner we came home and had ice cream cake. Not a crazy birthday, but a relaxing day with friends and family.

Oh, I forgot to mention.....his gift. We bought Zack golf clubs, a golf towel, tee's, and golf balls. My mom bought him golf shoes and whatever extra money he received will probably be put towards his golfing adventures. My hope is that he will golf bi-weekly with friends.

Below are some of the moments of the day.

Daddy with his kiddos.

We did not pose Emersyn like this. I tried to be quick with the camera. She does the funniest things. LOVE IT!

Dylan loves the camera. Emersyn becomes very serious. She looks worried here but the moment I put the camera away she was all smiles.

Ice cream cake is the best. Dylan was a great helper. He was so excited to help Zack blow out the candles and Emersyn put one out with her drool. Just kidding!

Mmmmm Mmmm Good!

Is she to young for ice cream? We really didn't give her any, but check out that bib!

Happy birthday to a wonderful husband and the best Daddy in the world.

We love you!

Toddler Property Laws

If I like, it's mine.

If it's in my hand it's mine.

If I can take it from you, it's mine.

If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.

If it's mine, it must never apprear to be yours in anyway.

If I'm doing or building something, all the peices are mine.

If it looks just like mine, it's mine.

If I saw it first, it's mine.

If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.

If it's broken, it's yours.

I took this off of Dylan's class newsletter. I thought it was cute, appropriate and VERY VERY true for Dylan these days. I think on average I hear the word 'mine' 30 times a day. Sometimes I'm compelled to fire back with something sarcastic but realize I'm the adult and he is only 2 1/2. HA! Although sometimes Dylan understands my humor.

Lately we've been bringing out toys for Emersyn that Dylan once played with. He remembers that those things were once his. So he attempts to claim them. We can't wait until this 'mine' phase passes. Until then, we shall attempt to embrace it.

Cranio Awareness Month

September is Cranio Awareness month. The above banner was made by another Cranio parent and those are just a few of the children who have had the condition. Emersyn's photo can be found in the upper left hand corner. Most of you have never heard of Craniosynostosis prior to Emersyn, so we are excited to spread the word. We will be happy to answer questions and continue to share our journey. My goal for this month is to sign up as a mentor. We would love to help support other families in the area.

On a side note, last month the News & Observer featured an article on the front page. Yesterday WRAL News had another article about a little boy with Cranio. The word is slowly spreading and we are happy to help.