Under Construction

Seth was born with Torticollis, a twisted neck in which the head is tipped to one side, while the chin is turned to the other. The muscle on the right side of his neck was tightened into a knot forming a lump the size of a ping-pong-ball. Because of it, he could not turn his head to the right. At 1 month old, Seth started going to physical therapy once a week and doing stretches at home. He has made great progress and can now turn his head to 100 on the right side (full range of motion is 110). Although the muscle is becoming stretched out and he is doing so well, he still prefers his left side. We have had him sleeping on his right side during the day so that his left gets a break but 12 hours straight every night has taken its toll.

Because of all this, he developed Plagiocephaly meaning that he has a flat spot on one side of his head. To correct his head shape, a helmet was made just for him which he has to wear 23 hours a day.

The cause of his flat head

His left side is flat, his left cheek is also bigger because of the pressure.

uneven head....

His side profile is I quote the clinition "Gorgeous" but if you compare the two pictures you can really tell that his cheek and ears are different sizes/at different levels.

See how his ear is lower?

And you can tell his head is misshapen from the top of his head also.

Helmet Head!!!

Seth was irritable the first day he wore the helmet and extremely sweaty but 4 days later and its as if he doesn't even know he is wearing it.

This experience has been interesting. When we first went in to have Seth's head measured they said he was in the moderate to severe range and assured us several times that this isn't our fault, there was nothing we could have done, it does not reflect our parenting... well, I never thought it was my fault! haha I thought it was strange that every time I went in, they made sure I knew this. Then another mom started talking to me in the waiting room just after Seth got his helmet and she was telling me how her daughter has been wearing hers for a week and that she, the mother, has cried several times. She said that people keep staring at her baby. I found this interesting because yes I have noticed people looking at Seth, but no more than they did before. People LOVE babies. Its second nature to look at a baby whether he is wearing a helmet or not. Everyone we have seen has treated him just like any other kid. Maybe its because I figure this is just his first of many helmets, if he's anything like his dad and uncles he will be riding bikes, roller blades, skateboards, snowboards, and motorbikes the rest of his life. The only thing about the helmet that makes me sad, is that it makes it hard for me to kiss his head!

Brandon and I had a fun Saturday morning, the longest we have spent away from Seth is just over an hour (except to go to the Temple which was more like 2 hours). We left the house before he even woke up at 6:30am and didn't get back until 1pm. We had fun and apparently so did Seth. He got to go to the park, read stories, play in the bath and just be loved unconditionally by his grandparents. He didn't seem to care that I wasn't around but boy was he excited when I got home! Brandon and I spent our morning alone running, for our second time, in the Camp Pendleton mud run. Cory came with us as our photographer.

We ran with Brandon's work, DealerSocket again this year.

May and Seth's laugh!

May has been a great month so far. 24 years ago, I was born on Mother's day so we got to celebrate my birthday and Mother's day together this year. I LOVED being a mom on mother's day! I also loved getting a short break to read by the pool.

Reading is one of my FAVORITE past  times, Reading by the pool just makes it even better!

I love my little Sethy pants!!

First Mother's day as a grandma

Look who's 4 months old

First bite of food!!

It took him a while to get used to!

Seth is 26" (80th percentile) and 18lbs (94%) He still has a tiny head coming in at the 13th percentile!

Seth has recently been mesmerized by his hands. He will sit there happily for a long time just looking at/eating them.

First time in his Jonny Jumper. He didn't know what to do!

Seth has become really good at eating in only 1 week and today he got to try homemade applesauce and LOVED it!! I got a Vitamix for my birthday so I can throw a fresh apple in it and have pure, no added anything applesauce! He is so friendly and curious, people stop me everywhere to tell me what a smiley baby he is. He has also been laughing a TON lately which is so fun for us. Here are some videos of our Sunday afternoon fun!

26 Reasons I Love You

My friend's husband did something similar to this for her birthday, I decided to copy him with my own twist. I'm not usually mushy, gushy and Brandon and I are not into PDA but I do love him, so for his 26th birthday I have decided to write down 26 reasons why he is my perfect match.

#1 Brandon makes me stronger. He makes me do things I don't want to so that I learn how or can later feel the accomplishment. He knows my limits better than I do and he pushes me to them in the most loving way.

#2 Brandon is smart. That's all... call me shallow but I like a smart guy!

#3 Brandon loves to learn. What's smarts without knowledge? You can constantly find him on the computer researching things. From the "7 days war" to programming.

#4 Brandon is a nerd. Brandon has read the entire Lord or the Rings trilogy multiple times. He knows all the nerdy references from star wars and star trek and constantly impresses me with tidbits of information and random facts.

#5 Brandon is HOT! Tall, lean, tan, bright blue eyes... no wonder my son is so cute!

#6 Brandon indulges me when I really need it. Brandon watched Phineas and Ferb with me almost every night of my pregnancy! He bought me licorice at 10:30pm because I was crying for it. He then checked on me in the middle of the night while I was cleaning the house and eating said licorice. (confessions from the first trimester).

#7 Brandon can sing. I mean really sing. Sometimes, when I beg enough, he will sing the Hobbit song to me. Sends chills down my spine!

#8 Brandon is financially savvy. What could make a girl more secure than knowing her husband understands finance, saves for the future, and takes care of his family.

#9 Brandon wants to work and wants me to stay home with our children. I couldn't be more grateful for this. Although I would go back to work if needed, I love that Brandon wants me to be able to stay home.

#10 Brandon is a great dad. He makes sure Seth has what he needs, plays with him, and sends me a text EVERY Wednesday afternoon to ask how Seth's physical therapy went. Melts my heart!

#11 Brandon will debate with me no matter how strange the topic. One example would be the likelihood of a shark pulling off my scuba mask!

#12 Brandon doesn't need to understand my feelings to believe that they are there. No matter how irrational or silly, he validates what I feel.

#13 Brandon is a righteous priesthood holder and temple worthy man. Enough said.

#14 Brandon is a biblical scholar. You have a question about the Bible, he has the answer.

Elder Hatch in Connecticut

#15 Brandon has a GREAT memory. One of his friends joined the navy to work as a submarine engineer and Brandon had an hour long, two sided conversation with him about all the different submarines. When we left I asked him how he knew so much about them and he said "Oh, I read a submarine encyclopedia I found in my dad's study when I was 9."

#16 Brandon is the most service oriented man I know. Brandon will help out anyone, anytime without question. Last Christmas, we drove to Montana. The night before our 6:00am drive there was a ward Christmas party. We planned to make an appearance and then leave but Brandon got busy helping with something. Before we knew it we were one of the last people there. Instead of leaving at this point, Brandon stayed to the bitter end helping take down lights, vacuum, and pack decorations.


#17 Brandon is responsible. He never shirks his duties and makes sure that I don't either.

#18 Brandon is a hard worker. He does his best and he keeps going until its done.

#19 Brandon enjoys the outdoors. I grew up camping and hiking so I'm glad to have someone who is always up to doing those things with me.

#20 Brandon takes care of himself. Brandon enjoys mountain biking and goes on runs when he isn't able to get a ride in. With all the health problems going around these days, exercise and healthy eating can make a huge difference.

#21 Brandon's happy little grin. When Brandon is really excited about something or is having fun doing something he thinks is somewhat silly, he has this cute smile he will flash! The first time I saw it was after our first date when he couldn't even wait until the next day to ask me out again. I knew then that I was in trouble because the crush had started! The next time I saw it (its kind of rare) was 5 months later when he flashed it to me in the middle of singing along hard core to one of his favorite songs on the car radio. I knew right then and there, I was in love!

#22 Brandon loves his mom. There is no denying the love he has for his mom when you have been around the two of them or heard him talking about her.

#23 Brandon respects his dad. He values his dad's opinion and although he is not likely to seek out advice, when his dad gives it he takes it very seriously. He does the same with my dad which is another great thing about him.

#24 Brandon knows me. He knows my flaws, my concerns and what makes me happy. He knows when I need to be alone or when I need some attention. He knows that I am always right!

#25 Brandon is patient. I can't number the times I have kept him waiting, been late, or made the same mistake over and over again but he never gets mad. Irritated, maybe. But never angry.

#26 Brandon loves me. He loves me for me. He loves my corks, and my weirdness. He makes me want to be a better person and I love him for it.

There are too many reason why I love this man to write them all down. He has a good heart and I couldn't be more blessed that he decided to give it to me. Happy 26th Birthday!!

I love you Doon!

April

April is my favorite month. For some reason I always thought that I was supposed to be born in April and was always SO mad that I was 2 weeks late and born in May instead. It turns out, I was actually 2 weeks early... BUT April remains my favorite month. There are several reasons. I love the way the earth starts to comes alive. I love the grass poking through the melted snow, I LOVE the blossoms on the trees, I love to dance in the rain, I love to hear from the Prophet and other leaders of the church. and my favorite holiday is Easter. (yes, I know sometimes its in March). Every year I get SO excited for April. For what it represents, what it brings, and how it makes me feel.

This year was extra fun because I got to enjoy it with my baby boy. We got to take him swimming for his first time and we have been enjoying every sunny day by going outside.

I tried doing monkey bars for the first time post pregnancy... I need to lift some weights!!

Lets link arms and be best friends forever!! (They did this on their own!)

April also brought Seth's smile. He has smiled once before, and had been giving us "looks of pleasure" for a while but April is when he really started smiling!

April also brought Nikki! I was so excited for her to be able to meet Seth and to just hang out with her again. We went from being together everyday in college, to getting married, moving around, and now only seeing each other a few times a year :(.

Easter Photos

 AND speaking of new beginnings, April brought the engagement of my sister Brittney to Trevor Schauerhamer. We are all SO excited for their Wedding in July.

Its been an incredible month and its only half way through! Ah I LOVE April.