Torticollis and Plagiocephaly

We knew that Claire had a slight case of Torticollis from about this moment...

What is Torticollis? it literally means " Twisted Neck" the sternocleidomastoid muscle that runs down the sides of the neck close to the ears becomes tightened somehow. No one really knows why that happens to some babies and not others but sometimes abnormal uterine positioning can be resposible. That old uterus of mine (may it RIP) wasn't very elastic. The pediatrician that examined Claire in the hospital noticed that even as a brand new baby, only a few hours old, she favored her right side. We were given advice to follow up with her regular pediatrician.

Fast forward a few months and the pediatrician here has sent us to Physical Therapy to help both stretch and strengthen the sternocleidomastoid muscle. Meanwhile, we have also been evaluated by a specialist for the shape of Claire's head.

Some of the questions they asked:

Good baby? Yes

Sleeps uninterurpted? Yes! 10+ hours!

Premature? Yes

Restrictive intrauterine positioning? Yes

Trauma at birth? Yes

Torticollis? Yes.

Multiple? No

The odds are not in her favor. 

Did No you know 85% of infants that have Torticollis are also diagnosed with Plagiocephaly? 

Now what is Plagiocephaly you ask? a common condition characterized by an asymmetrical distortion (flattening of one side) of the skull. Since Claire usually prefers to sleep on the same side, that side is getting flattened. (Drew was a stomach sleeper and never had this problem) Although SIDS has decreased since babies were put to bed on their backs, alternatley Plagiocephaly has increased. SIDS is a little more detrimental than a flat head though...

How do you correct Plagiocephaly? Cranial Remolding Orthosis (Baby Helmet) With the helmet in place and continuing the physical therapy for Torticollis, in a few months we'll have a brand spankin' new shaped head. Symmetrical, round and bulbous-- I didn't think she could get any more perfect!

we're getting closer

This was taken three weeks ago...

 This was from Sunday...

Give it a few more weeks and we'll have a perfectly posed picture with two smiling babes.

Photography by Drew

Last Christmas we lost our camera... so without much delay we got a new one.
6 months later we found the old camera that we bought as newly weds. However, since then it has become "Drew's Camera." He walks around telling people to "say cheese!"
So the following photos are just a few of the 100's we have on that camera.

 Of course there were dozens of selfportraits. either face shots (showing everything in his nose) or the bottom half were shown.

 This is only half of the pictures on his camera that featured photos of things he has watched.

 Many of his toys were staged and proved to be exciting subjects.

Perhaps my favorite picture of the 400 he took... the babes feet.

His services are very affordable if you're in need of a photographer...

Solid Food

At 5 1/2 months Claire's two bottom teeth are breaking through and we have started her on solid foods.

She doesn't like either.
The teeth have kept her up the last few nights
and the food has not been able to stay in her mouth...

Dimples

this girls got 'em...

Spencer turns 27

Claire gets close to fire.

And we eat an entire Tres Leches cake.

The Biggest Little City

At the end of October we traveled to beautiful Reno, Nevada to see these two love birds get married.

Luckily we stopped in Utah before we headed to Nevada 

This way I could get my fill of Cafe Rio, Chickfila, and El Gallo Giro.

 Taylor and Alisa got engaged the same day of the last Orton wedding 

(why everyone is choosing to get married while I'm huge is beyond me... those that get married once I lose weight will be getting some amazing wedding gifts)

 The morning of the wedding we went on THE ULTIMATE RUSH.

We didn't want Taylor and Alisa to be the only ones experience an ultimate rush that day. 

Basically you are hoisted 180ft in the air and then dropped down. It was amazing. We went twice.

While pictures were being taken outside the temple 

Drew kept busy with his uncle Bryce playing in the plants

 

 Laura's wedding on the left.

Taylor's wedding on the right.

I'd say Claire wins for most changed in the last 3 months

 

Halloween 2012

Our little miss went as a lady bug. 

 Claire spit up on her costume the very second after this picture was taken.

Drew went as a Tiger (Tigger to him)

He saw a Lightening McQueen costume that he loved more than his own.

He didn't really get the concept of Trick or Treating. 

At some houses he would give candy from his bag instead of taking it from them... maybe next year.

Fall Break 2012

I have to say, I will be really sad when Spencer has to have a real job and make real money. It's fun to live off fake student loan money and have these week long breaks throughout the year (or even six weeks at Christmas!)

We love exploring the East coast, so we spent most of fall break this year in Philadelphia.

Valley Forge. Love Park. Philadelphia Museum of Art (the Rocky stairs). Liberty Bell. Independence Hall. Reading Terminal Market. Pat's vs. Geno's Philly Cheesesteaks. Hershey, PA's Chocolate World.

 

Cannons at Valley Forge

George Washington's Headquarters at Valley Forge

 

Pat's King of Steaks.
This was our first time.
There were two subsequent times before we went home.

Drew admiring the City of Brotherly LOVE

Just playing a game of Dominos downtown.

 

My favorite picture of the vacation.
The moment after Drew ran under the barrier to touch the Liberty Bell.
I was only a little embarrassed.

 

The boys inside Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed.

 

Drew checking out the "Monsters" (Lobsters) in Reading Terminal Market.

 

The top of the "Rocky Stairs" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

How Drew got to the top of the stairs...

...How the stroller did.

Here is where Claire was most of the trip.

 

Hershey, Pennsylvania World of Chocolate

5lb bar of chocolate for $40 bucks. We didn't get it...
If it was Cadbury World maybe we would have.

Drew and Spence on the World of Chocolate ride.

We got a great deal on a fancy hotel downtown on hotwire.com so we ended up just parking the car and walking everywhere.We really enjoyed Philadelphia. The drive was bearable and the babes slept most of the way there and back. We can't wait for Spencer's next school break!

The Big Apple

All of Spencer's crazy traveling and interviews are over. 

His long hours of studying as a first year law student have paid off...

Spencer has accepted an offer for his second year summer internship at 

Clifford Chance in their New York City office.

We're really excited. 

Our Blessed Babe

 On Sunday, September 23rd Claire was blessed.
She wore the very same dress I wore over 24 years ago.

She also cried the entire blessing.

Exhaustion

 I got a nice big package the other day... I guess I'm a HysterSister now-- (WHAT THE!?!)

Coming out of anesthesia the nurse told me a few things.
 1. you will be really tired.
 2. you won't feel like yourself for at least 6 months.
 3. you may gain 25lbs this year.

I would say those are all pretty accurate statements.

We're back in Ithaca.
Spencer is done with recruiting and his crazy travel schedule.
Drew is talking more and eating Oreos like its his job.
Claire is rolling, smiling and sleeping 10 hours a night.

and I'm really tired. It isn't a tired that can be quenched with sleep. It is a tired that looms over you no matter if you just woke up from a 12 hour sleep. I feel old, achy, and exhausted... all the time.

 I'm not the only tired one in this household though...

Drew sleeping in the bathtub

Claire and Spence passed out on the couch

We hope to be blogging more and to have extra energy soon. Until then, here's our CEO. 

Staying busy in the ATL

 The time has come for us to head back to Ithaca and real life. We've been living out of suitcases since May.  But over the last few weeks we've done a lot of fun things around Atlanta.

We drove to Panama City, Florida for a few days where we stayed in a nice beach house.

 We played a lot of fun games in the pool on the days when the ocean was too rough

Drew was obviously devastated to leave the beach...

When we got back Drew spent all of ten minutes at the park with grandpa.

 The planes we bought were limited use.

Drew kept busy watching a couple (hundred) youtube videos of Winnie the Pooh

He also spent a lot of time getting better acquainted with his cousins... and their trains.

Farewell Atlanta, we will be back soon... hopefully sometime in the winter when other creatures head south to escape the bitter cold of upstate New York.

2 months

I just can't believe what happened to the little wrinkly skinny baby we brought home 2 months ago...

 That formula sure sticks to the bones. Little Claire is not so little anymore-- she's pushing double digits as a 10 pounder. She pretty much is sleeping through the night and on occasion we catch a smile with two big dimples. I'm convinced she looks just like Drew, but Spencer thinks otherwise. I believe he is just trying to make me feel better about the fact that I don't have my own little clone like he does.

We have been hanging out in Atlanta for the last two weeks while Spencer travels between Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. Six of the seven flights have been delayed, and the one flight that wasn't delayed he missed. So all of his time spent away from us hasn't exactly been enjoyable. Knowing that really seems to help the situation when I know he is enjoying fancy dinners and king size beds not filled with kids.

We're excited to get back to Ithaca this week and to reunite with our Cornell family. I'm hoping for another exceptionally warm winter which will allow for Drew to run around outside to his hearts content as I somehow figure out how to manage two children. We're 1/3 of the way done with law school and time just seems to be flying by. I can't believe this time last year we were driving in to Ithaca (me 40lbs lighter might I remind you) and discovering what a gem this beautiful city is sandwiched between the Finger Lakes. This year we're bringing another Orton to Ithaca and couldn't be more excited to get back to school. Here's to another great year!