The Shape of Things

Despite the fact that Theron and I have tried to be diligent about giving Sylvie plenty of tummy time and positioning her head to encourage it to round out, she has been diagnosed with plagiocephaly; specifically brachycephaly. Basically, those are both big, scary medical terms that mean her head is shaped funny. Our pediatrician referred us to a specialist who, after making sure there was no internal cause for the shape, (such as premature closing of the sutures of her skull), suggested that our best course of action is to have her fitted for a helmet or band which should reshape her head over the course of few months. I've been doing lots of research online and apparently, this is not an uncommon thing since the medical establishment encourages that babies be put on their backs to sleep and of course an oddly shaped head is vastly preferable to a heightened risk of SIDS. From what I've read, Sylvie is at the ideal age for this treatment and should only have to wear the device for 3-4 months. What stinks is that she'll have to wear it 23 hrs out of every day, removing it only for bathing. I'm somewhat comforted by the case studies I've found which all indicate that the child quickly becomes accustomed to wearing the helmet/band. I'm pretty sure she will be less than thrilled with the casting part though. We're scheduled to meet with the specialist again next month to go over details. I'll keep you posted.

Jibber Jabber

Yesterday, Theron called me at work just I could hear Sylvie jabbering away over the phone. The best way to describe her current vocalization is probably as a cross beteen a tiger cub yowling and a prolonged duck quack. This is her conversational, or "I'm just talking to hear myself talk" noise. As previously mentioned, car rides seem to be her favorite time to practise the fine art of wailing. Then there is the cooing, the sighing and the involuntary grunting when she's making stinky cheese in her pants (...and boy is it stinky, like fermented Velveeta). Her giggle will bubble up out of nowhere, a wry "huh, huh," and she's started peppering her jabber with a happy screech on occasion. I guess that means that the unhappy screeches can't be to far behind.

Official Stats: 4 months

4 months old and she's still no Big Enchilada. At yesterday's pediatric appointment we found out that Sylvie is now 10lbs 12oz and 23 1/4", meaning she's gained about one pound and one inch for each month she has been alive. Can you believe that she has yet to outgrow any of her newborn clothes?