Our Heart Hero's Half Birthday

Well, today is officially one half year with our ladybug, Maia! We weren't sure when she was diagnosed in utero last August if we would get to have this celebration, but here it is! She is 6 months old today! Hooray!

It is 6 months and NOT a year yet,...cupcakes and cake in general were out of the question. Anyone for sweet potatoes and oatmeal birthday surprise??? Hmmm???

We have had a mild rollercoaster ride compared to so many who have received the diagnosis of Hypoplastic Right Heart Syndrome for their child, but nonetheless it has been a rollercoaster year.

Helen, her sitter, and Maia celebrating today

6 months ago we heard the loud cries of our daughter in the labor and delivery room at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She had some major lung capacity going on and we were so very thankful. We had been praying for months to be able to hear that cry on the day she was born. It was so beautiful.

Now we hear that cry and we are still so very thankful. It might get a bit wearisome at 2 a.m. in the morning, but please Lord, please never allow us to become callous to that wonderful and beautiful cry!

Maia, today, wearing Daddy's Baseball cap OR is it balancing on her? Hee hee

The day after her birth she received her valvuloplasty, massaging her pulmonary valve open with a tiny balloon threaded from her femoral artery, the balloon, smaller than the width of a hair! Amazing! She had two transfusions that day, but that beautiful chest remained scar-free, hopefully we can keep it that way, but however the Lord sees fit. We will praise Him.

5 1/2 months ago Maia was discharged from the hospital and we made our way back to our home in New Jersey. We never expected to leave so early. We thought for sure that we would be in Philly for a good 4 to 6 weeks. That is what they had prepared us for. That was being realistically optmistic. But God's reality prevailed!

For the first month we saw the pediatric cardiologist each week. Then the next month, every two weeks. Then the next month we waited four weeks. Now we are waiting 8 weeks.

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The next procedure should be in about 6 to 18 months depending on the growth of her heart and the blood flow. Another valvuloplasty will be in order.

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Milestones she has completed since her six months on Earth...

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Laughing at and being totally mesmerized by her big brother

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Reaching for toes to suck on and chew

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Eating sweet potatoes, berries and bananas, peas, applesauce, and oatmeal

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Finding her voice. She rarely cries, instead she yells at us to get our attention. Okay, Maia!

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Sitting up, almost by herself.

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Turning over and scooting on her belly forward and backward (not really crawling right now)

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Friends and family have rallied around Maia and our family from the time of Maia's diagnosis, birth, homecoming, and the Love keeps going on! Thank you so much! I know Maia would tell you if she could!

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We have truly enjoyed our Little Ladybug these past 6 months. Thank you, Father, for this time with her. She is a little dynamo of strength and energy. Thank you how You designed her so perfectly!

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Maia, is truly our Heart Hero!

Cradle Cap Tips and Baby Acne Help

Okay, when my daughter, Maia, was 2 months old she developed an awful case of cradle cap which in turn caused her to have a really terrible case of baby acne as well. I tried many tips I found on the internet and I wanted to share what worked for me and what did not.

I tried the baby oil. Everyone recommended the baby oil. It got off a bit of the cradle cap, but Maia's cap was very thick and as soon as I had gotten it off it would literally grow back within 12 to 24 hours. It was crazy! I swear I could see the skin cells developing as I looked at her skull. It was so very frustrating.

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I tried the over the counter cradle cap formula, i.e. the picture below. Now for those with mild cases of cradle cap this would probably work, but I would put this product on her head ritualistically every night and the next day. Voila! Cradle "crap" again. Pardon the word, but it was! I also felt bad for my daughter because her head was bright red and raw each night. Not a nice thing for a mommy to see. Especially since I was the one doing "it" to my precious little one!

I had heard that I should try Selsun Blue or Head and Shoulders. Hmmm. I was very cautious about this since it was so chemically based and I really didn't want to go that route. Well into month 3 1/2 I was desperate and asked the pediatrician about these products and my sweet pediatrician agreed that I should apply Selsun on her head nightly for two weeks and that should cure her. Hmmm. Okay here it goes.
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Well, I tried it and while the cradle cap came off very easily with the Selsun she was still having it come back with a vengeance about every other day until the day of revelation came. Dum, Dum, Dum!!!! (I had to add the dramatic affect, it really was a very spectacular moment for a frustrated momma!) I combined the baby oil and the Selsun blue together! It has been a wonderful time since this discovery.

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Here is what I did....

1. I like to work on my daughter on her changing table or the cushy ottoman in my family room.

I place a folded towel under her head so the ottoman doesn't get wet.

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2. I get a warm bowl of water, wash cloth, the Selsun, baby oil, comb and soft baby brush.

3. I wet my daughters head with the warm wet wash cloth and then squirt a small dab of Selsun onto her scalp.

4. I massage the Selsun with a warm wet wash cloth till it gets nice and sudsy on the scalp.

5. Now here comes the "Voila" moment. I add baby oil all over the scalp with the Selsun suds still on the head.

6. Now I usually use my soft baby brush at this moment and scrub the head very well with it.

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7. Then I take either a baby comb or a fine tooth comb and start at the cradle cap. Now I know my daughter doesn't look like she needs it, but she was just a little scaly and I thought she needed a treatment. When it was really bad, the dead skin crud would come off so easily and her scalp would be completely clear.

8. After I have done the picking of the cradle cap. I rinse her head with warm water and dry with a clean towel.

9. Then you have a clean and clear baby head. What a wonderful sight! This clear scalp would last much longer than the other treatments did. I could go about a week. And each treatment it would last a little longer. She is now 5 1/2 months old and has just a little dry skin on top that I treat occasionally. What a relief to see my sweet daughter without the ugly cradle cap!

Oh! I want to mention what I did for her baby acne. I saw this online and it really does work very well! I just would use some warm water, about two cups and then about two or three tablespoons of baking soda mixed in. Then I took a clean wash cloth and dipped it into the solution and lightly cleansed my daughters face and neck. Usually, the next morning, (if applied the night before), she was clear. Once the cradle cap was taken care of, I didn't need to worry about the baby acne.

Well, I hope this helps any parent out there that is struggling with this frustrating condition. I wish I had found this technique sooner. Hopefully you found this sooner than later!