Happy New Year (and Merry Christmas)

Happy New Year to all of my blogger followers!  And while I'm at it, Merry BELATED Christmas.  This holiday season just came and went like a flash this year.  But it was a great holiday nonetheless.  Jake was so excited for Santa this year and really into Christmas and New Years.  And of course, it was a first for Austin with both, so it was extra special.

As for Austin, he's doing great.  He's sitting all by himself, making great progress with physical therapy and gross motor skills, eating "Puffs" and textured foods and growing like a weed (he's up to 20 pounds).  We made a tough decision this past week...Austin will be getting a cranial helmet for the shaping of his head.  With Austin's Torticollis, he tends to favor one side of his head, especially with sleeping.  This has unfortunately caused a flat spot on the back left of his head.  Its nothing major, but its enough that its started to become noticeable and had caused his ears to be slightly off center.  Getting a helmet in and of itself certainly isn't a huge deal, but when you add a cranial helmet into the mix of a child with a shunt, it can get a little tricky.  I'm still super nervous about it, but they have assured me that there will be a cut out so that the helmet doesn't apply direct pressure on the shunt.  Austin has a very mild case of plagiocephaly (flat head), but because he is almost 9 months old already, he is most likely going to be in the helmet about 4 months.  He is expected to get it in about 2 weeks.  Please keep him in your prayers for a smooth transition and only positive effects.

Now before the montage of pictures, I leave you with a funny video.  Jake is singing his "Sleigh bells" song, which he knows every single word to, however because Austin is distracting him, he is like a broken record and just keeps singing the same lines over and over.  I think I even caught a yawn in there.  All the while, happy head lil Austin is just doing his thing....fun stuff!!!  No words for how awesome their interaction together is.

Jake's new Spiderman Bike

New Years Eve!