7 month quickie update

I need to start keeping up a little better with this blog. I was supposed to take Aaron to a physical therapy appointment on the 6th but I got a phone call a few days before saying that the physical therapist broke her ankle and they had to find someone else to work with us. Luckily they called because I was so sick anyway. They rescheduled for the 20th. **Happy birthday to me!** This was the monthly evaluation. She said that he has improved a lot. I get his score today when I take him in. I'm not sure when or if we get to see the other physical therapist. I like the new one but I felt like I clicked a little better with the other one. I hope she heals fast! Anyway... Physical therapy today. Last week we didn't have to take Aaron up the road to Cranial Technologies because the week before he didn't grow any. They said that they expect for him to hit a plateau around 7 months. So we skipped a week and I take him back this Friday. I know he has grown this time because his helmet isn't as loose. It's not tight either, which is a good thing because they said if it gets too tight I have to take him in sooner.

2 weeks after band

Aaron is doing very well with the band. We have to go weekly for check ups to check the growth of his head and so far there is noticeable progress. They made a model of his head before the band to show up every time we take him to the appointment to compare to his head now. The office is an hour and a half from our house (without traffic) so it becomes an all day event to take him to the doctors. It's a little frustrating but knowing that his head will be perfect in the end makes it all better.

When we took him to the first check up he had a red spot in the back of his head from heat rash. It wasn't there the night before so we have to be careful with that during these HOT summer months. We had to keep that band off until the red spot went away. It went away by the end of the next day. I can tell that sometimes the band bothers him because he scratches at it. When that happens I take the helmet off, wipe his head and the helmet with a towel and rub his head for him to relieve him. He loves it. He does love his band though. When I go to put his helmet back on him, he gets very excited.

Aaron gets the Doc Band

This morning we made the drive to Cranial Technologies where Aaron received his Doc Band. When we got there the dr had him try it on to see how it fit. She had to trim a little around the ears but it fit very well other than that. She has him wear it for 15 minutes to see how him and his skin reacted to it. He was a little red from where his head was sticking out but it went back to his normal color very shortly.

For the first two days he wears it for 3-4 hours and then we check for redness. After the redness goes away, we put it back on for another 3-4 hours. If it takes more than an hour for the redness to go away, we do not let him sleep with it. After the first two days (if the redness goes away before the hour is up) he wears it for 23 hours. So far he is doing awesome. It doesn't phase him one bit.

Me and my husband went to Walmart and picked out a bunch of stickers. This time we decorated it with Disney Cars.

Identical or Fraternal??

When I was pregnant with the boys, the hospital told me that they were identical. But, shortly before they were born they said fraternal. Then I was told that I'd have to wait until they were born.

A couple of weeks after they were born I called the doctors office and they told me they were fraternal. I was kinda bummed because I was hoping they were identical.

It took me 2 months to be able to tell them apart without having nail polish on Aaron's pinky. I usually put Aiden on the left and Aaron on the right (oldest to youngest), I did that with their bottles too since they are on different formula.. Aaron is on sensitive for his acid reflux. Aiden has about two pounds on Aaron.

I am a part of a twins group and there were a lot of moms on there that said they were told their twins were fraternal but did a DNA test and found out that they were identical. So I decided to do a DNA test also and I got the results today... IDENTICAL!!!

My husband called the company because he was curious to how the hospital could be wrong. When the hospital does the test work, they test the placentas. There's no guarantee that they are getting all the DNA on the boys. They got some of mine which messed up the results. So if you in doubt, do the test! We used Genesys. It was 79.99 and they were pretty quick at sending the results.

Physical Therapy

It's been a little while since I updated my blog....

I was told at Aaron's consultation for his Doc Band that he should go to physical therapy for his torticollis. Aaron's muscles on one side of his neck are tight which results in him turning his head to one side. It also has affects his plagiocephaly because when he is in his crib at night he has his head turned to one side which is causing the flat spot on the back of his head. With him getting older, its getting better because he can pick his head up and he plays in his jumperoo a lot. Before we started physical therapy I moved his toys on his car seat to the other side, switched sides when feeding him so he would want to focus on the tv and move his head and do a lot of tummy time. We started his PT session on Monday and the therapist was just grading him that day on how he reacts to things and does with rolling over, picking his head up, grasping things etc. Today I went back and she said that he did really good on all of that and he is where he needs to be. She showed me some stretches for me to do with him every diaper change. He didn't seem to mind one bit. I'll take him once a week until he is doing better.

He gets fitted for his band this Friday and then he'll receive it in two weeks.

Approved!!!

I received the phone call I've been waiting for from the insurance coordinator for the Doc Band and he said that insurance is going to cover 100%. No money needed at all! I can't believe it. I was for sure that we weren't going to get it covered. I did a lot of research online and it didn't look hopeful at all. I guess most people don't go online and post that they were covered, they just say that they were denied trying to find answers. I was planning on appealing it already, but now I'm excited. All we have to do now is wait for the pediatrician to send their recommendation to the place that he is getting the Doc Band and have them get a hold of the insurance company. They said that it could take up to 14 days but that's ok. So hopefully there will be no bumps in the road during this process.

On a side note, I attempted to give Aiden and Aaron solids today. It went very interesting. I made oatmeal mixed with formula and I had pears also. Aiden loved both but Aaron was not a fan. He'd rather sit there with his pacifier. He'll get there. (Aiden is on left and Aaron on the right)

I had to take Ashlynn to the pediatrician this morning. Sunday she had a rash that she was scratching on her face and arms. I was thinking she could be allergic to the sunscreen I used on her the day before but it wouldn't go away after a bath. She had an off and on runny nose and she wasn't running a fever so I just waited until I made an appointment for her. Monday I gave her an oatmeal bath and put hydrocortizone cream on her. It helped a little but she was back to scratching soon after. So today I scheduled the appointment. The nurse practitioner said she thinks it is called Fifth Disease. This is the information I got on it:
"Fifth disease is caused by human parvovirus B19. It often affects preschoolers or school-age children during the spring. The disease is spread by contact with respiratory secretions and usually return for 5 days. However, the rash associated with fifth disease may return for several weeks. Return of the rash may be brought on by sunlight, heat, exercise, fever, or emotional stress.
The first sign of the disease is usually bright red cheeks, which look as though the child has been recently slapped on both sides of the face. Following this, a rash appears on the arms and legs and middle of the body. The rash fades from the center outwards, giving it a lacy appearance. Over a period of 1 to 2 weeks, the rash completely goes away."

Doc band vs. Health insurance

My poor little Aaron was diagnosed with Plagiocephaly*. He was recommended to a specialist to get a consultation for a Doc band. Yesterday we took him to the specialist and they want him to do physical therapy and get the Doc band. We will find out Monday or Tuesday if insurance will cover the $3800 bill. It's insane how much it is. Once we figure out billing, we will take him in for the fitting and then go in 7-10 days after that for the band. He will be seen once a week, which will be no fun considering its an hour and a half away.

You can see his forehead in the photo below really good and how it's misshaped.

*Plagiocephaly is flattening on one side of the back of his head and it can cause a bulge to part of his forehead and also cause his face to not line up properly. His ears are crooked. One cheek appears to be more puffy and one of his eyes are slightly crooked. All of this can be fixed with a Doc Band (a helmet) 

Below is a picture of a kid wearing a Doc Band.