Chores

Keely has been such a little helper around the house lately. She loves to be doing whatever Brent or I are doing. I'm trying to take this behavior and help teach her how to do certain "chores" around the house. Some of her favorite chores are putting dishes away and setting the table. Only one problem though...

Making sure she watches where she is going :)

Keely and Daddy

Man, how this girl just LOVES her Daddy. It is so interesting to see how partial she is to him at such a young age. Yes, she loves her Mommy but there is just something about that relationship between Father and Daughter that is so unique and special. It just melts my heart to watch them together. Lately Keely wants to be doing whatever Dad is doing, which means some homework time too. Since she wanted to help Brent out I set her up with her own homework. She also loves watching Brent juggle and he even gave a go of trying to teach her how to juggle too. What I just love the most about these two together are the sweet, sweet giggles that come out of our little munchkin!

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4 Month Check Up

4 Months Old

Taking a break from the helmet...look at that hair!

Our little chunky monkey :)

Brayden turned 4 months old this week, I truly can't believe it. Especially when I think about everything that has happened in these short 4 months. Here's the stats from his appointment:

Weight: 15 lbs 11 oz

Height: 26.46 in

Head circumference: 42.6

Thankfully we left the appointment without any alarming news this time. This was the first time our pediatrician had seen Brayden since he noticed the bulge on his head at the 2 month check up. He was shocked at the difference in his head already and how quickly everything happened. We have a healthy, happy little boy growing like a weed!

Yesterday we had our first check up since they gave us the helmet. We're still working out the kinks trying to get a good fit. The helmet keeps sliding down over his eyes. Once we get that "perfect" fit I know Brayden will be relieved. Two nights ago was the first night he wore the helmet. We've been easing him into the helmet wearing it a little longer each day. He was sleeping great during his naps with it but when it came to the night time sleep that was a little bit of a struggle. The first night I had to take the helmet off because he was so hot he couldn't go to sleep. The next night we were up every 2 hours shifting the helmet off his eyes and eventually giving him an extra blanket. Last night went MUCH better. After the adjustments yesterday and finally getting the room temperature right, I think we're well on our way to good sleep (again)!

Brayden really is such a trooper. He's so patient and really has a "go with the flow" attitude. It makes all of this so much easier. I had some moments where I broke down and it really seems I'm having a harder time than he is. I'm much better now, it was just those first few days realizing this is our reality now. He will wear this helmet for about a year and that's just life these days. You don't realize how much you caress and kiss there little heads throughout the day until you have a huge piece of plastic as a barrier to their sweet head. Those first days were also hard to have Brayden do tummy time. Adjusting to the new head weight just makes his neck all the more stronger and again preps him for the NFL, ha ha! But we're adjusting and remembering not to dwell on those moments. He's doing so good and he has such a good spirit which helps keep myself in check. Brent and I are so proud of our little guy and know that this time will pass in just a blink of an eye. So although we can't wait to move past this time, we also want to delay time and freeze these precious moments.

Strollin

Whoa, that's a new view of sister!

Hey Mom, we're ready for Disney World :)

Got my new stroller! Finally went and had to get the double stroller. Thinking of our vacation this summer, trips to the park or zoo, even doctor appointments..there was just no way around it I needed the double stroller. A way to get around and have BOTH kids contained. Keely thought it was so neat to have Brayden next to her as I rolled around the house trying out the new wheels. Can't wait for the weather to warm up to take long walks with these two!

The B.R.A.T. Diet

Ahh...things are looking much better in the Duncan household. Thanks to my good buddy I was enlightened with the B.R.A.T. diet for when your child has the...well you know.

Bananas

Rice

Apples

Toast

Since last Friday I have done laundry about everyday including a middle of the day bath for the lovely explosion that Keely leaves each day. Not that it's her fault, I feel for her and wish I could just make her feel better. But thankfully after I was enlightened today was MUCH better. Last night Keely had some french bread and apples and it's nice to see her wanting to eat again. I just can't wait to see her back to herself. The flu is NO fun for anyone but when it's your kids it just makes it all that much worse. I'm sure that many of you already knew the magic foods that can help in this situation but since I didn't know I thought I'd share in case someone else were in my shoes. Thanks again for the helpful advise Sar!

New Head Gear!

So here it is, the new gear that will be part of Brayden for the next 9 months or so. Pretty much just shows us how handsome he'll look when he's a football player! He'll have to wear the helmet for 23 hours a day. Right now he'll ease into it throughout the next week starting at an hour at a time and at the end of the week he will be in it the 23 hours. Easing it into his life should make the transition easier for the little guy.

Last week Brayden got his staples removed and that is when they fitted him for the helmet. Thankfully the day they removed the staples was the same night that Brayden slept through the night again, woo hoo! So glad to say that the routine is back on track and that all in the Duncan household are getting good nights sleep (with the exception of the stomach flu that struck over the weekend. Poor Keely got it on Friday and then it hit Brent and I on Monday. Thankfully everyone is doing MUCH better.)

Keely also got a helmet from her Nana and Pop Pop so she could have one of her own. Nana and Pop Pop thought it would help Keely with the transition of her brother's helmet by letting her have her own so when she asks about his she can wear one too, thank you Nana and Pop Pop!

Future NY Giant's QB!

Keely strutting head gear too!

Happy Boy!

Well as you can see little Brayden is doing just fine. He is pretty much back to his old self. He is rolling over, kicking about, cooing, and cracking us up with his hysterical laugh. One area still needing some improvement is sleep. The one area that is still not quite back to the way it was before surgery. He was sleeping through the night and life was so sweet, but now he's back to waking up once or twice needing his pacifier and then up at 5. I know this is just a minor setback and we're barely at a week post surgery so I'm very hopeful that we'll be back in the old routine in no time. But I really can't complain because when I see that sweet, happy face and know what he went through just last week it's really hard to believe how good he is doing. I was told how surprised you'd be that at this young how quick they bounce back and recover but until you see it you really don't believe it. His swelling is all gone and there is definitely a difference in the shape of his head. I just can't imagine what it will look like once he starts to wear his helmet!

Side view.

That smile is worth a million bucks!

The Incision

Here is a slideshow with some pictures of Brayden before the surgery and pics of the incision on his head. I put these in the slideshow because the photos of the incision may be hard for some people to see. So I wanted to give a warning in case some of you don't want to see it. As mentioned I also put some before pictures from the night before. It's not as easy to see in photos as it was in person, but you may notice that his forehead was starting to bulge forward and looking a little bigger.

Brayden has 29 staples in his head. Last night he slept well after a nice bath to freshen up after being in the hospital for several days. Today we're back on our normal routine. He seems to be feeling much better and the puffiness is continuing to go down.

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We're Home!

Oh how good it feels to be home! This morning the Nurse Practitioner came in to remove Brayden's dressings and inform us that we would be discharged today. It was a bit more shocking to see him with his dressings off his head. His head is pretty swollen and the incision is rather large. Just breaks our hearts to see him in pain and discomfort.

We finally left the hospital today about 11:30. The car ride wasn't the most fun, but I think Brayden was so relieved when we got home. After eating and walking around a bit I put him down in his bed for a little nap. He is sleeping so comfortably!

Keely is staying with my parents for at least one more night so we can settle in at home with Brayden and try to get some rest after the hospital stay. I hope that through the night the swelling continues to go down and Brayden's spirits continue to get better.

We'll go back next week for the post-op appointment. There they will remove Brayden's staples from his head and meet with the doc who will fit him for his helmet.

We will be so relieved when this hump is over. I imagine this upcoming week will be a little tough, but Brayden is strong and tough and I know he'll come through. Seeing him go through all of this is hard for Brent and I, questioning whether or not we made the right decision or not. I know we just have to trust that this is best for him and that he'll come out better than ever. Again, thank you for all the support and thoughts. It helps so much knowing so many are thinking about Brayden and pulling for him. Thanks again!

Vitals, Vitals, Vitals!

Brayden sleeping after surgery.

Today hanging out with Daddy.

Ugh! So I know that it's necessary to check on patients and ensure everything is going well and for that reason I'm not complaining, just making a statement. Checking vitals every 2 hours means no rest for anyone. But I'm so thankful that Brayden is getting thorough care and that he is doing EXCELLENT! Last night they gave him another dose of morphine since he seemed uncomfortable. He ate at 6 and 9 then slept through the night (with the exception of the vital checks) until I woke him at 6 to eat again. Today he's been doing great. He is more alert and even showed a glimpse of his little personality giving us some smiles and even a little laugh. We're told what a strong little guy we have. Being so alert and opening his eyes is a big step. Several nurses have stated that most cranio kids have their eyes swollen shut for the first day or two. This just reminds us what a strong and healthy boy Brayden is. We moved from the PICU to the Pediatric Specialty Care Unit which is a great sign on our way to recovery! We're hopeful to be discharged tomorrow if all continues to go well. Tomorrow is when they'll remove his dressings and when we get a first look at his incision. Until then, hoping for another good night and continued thoughts with him for his recovery! Thank you again everyone for your thoughts with our little guy!

Update

Whew! What a LONG day. First off, Brayden's surgery went great. Everything went smoothly and pretty much perfect. The doctor was very pleased with how well Brayden did and how smooth surgery was.

Last night was a long night for me. I'm pretty sure I got all of about 2 hours of sleep. I woke Brayden up at 1:30am for his final feed before surgery. Then at 5:15am we woke him up and put him straight in the car seat. He woke up but was (surprisingly) content for the drive to the hospital. We arrived at UNMH at 6am to check-in. We were called back around 6:30 where we were briefed on the surgery and met with the team that would be with Brayden during surgery. All throughout this time Brayden was in cheerful spirits. He was laughing, smiling, kicking, and playing. This was a huge help to relieve some stress that Brent and I were feeling. In between he did fall asleep in our arms for brief periods of time. He only became fussy when they had to draw blood, but I would too if I woke up to being poked by a needle! Finally at 8:00am they came to take Brayden from us. We gave him sweet little kisses, told him how much we loved him and off he went. I think it was at that moment that I broke down into Brent's arms.

Around 10am we were called to wait outside the Pediatric ICU where we would be able to see our little guy. He looked really good, much better than I anticipated or pictured. He was a little fussy but a small dose of morphine helped ease his pain.

Since then we've just been hanging out and letting him rest. He's hooked up to all sorts of machines with IV's and monitors ect... It seems the IV is causing him the most discomfort. He's still waking up from the anesthesia so he hasn't really been eating. A short while ago the Doctor came in to check on him and stated he expected him to be really waking up here around 6pm or so and that I would probably be in for another long night where he'll be catching up on meals.

He's a big, strong guy and expected to have a quick recovery. We're expecting to be here at least till Wednesday. I'll be staying the night with him tonight and Brent will go home since only one parent can stay the night.

When we have more news we will continue to update on his recovery process. Thank you everyone for all your thoughts and prayers! We are so thankful for everyone who has been there for support. We love you all!