Torticollis

Hello all, hope everyone is enjoying their Valentine's Day! We have had a mellow evening preparing for Andrea's bridal shower tomorrow! I just wanted to take a moment and explain what is going on with Mateo. Many people may already know that he has a condition called tortocollis, which means that he has a stiff neck and only turns to one side comfortably. This is from being wedged so tightly in the womb. We have been stretching him and taking him to physical therapy every other week to help him get range on his other side. His range has improved, but he doesn't like to use it much. There can be some long term effects if he does not start to use the other side of his neck, which can effect his fine motor skills such as grasping objects or even crawling! Our hope is that the condition was caught so early that we can help him before it gets too severe. However he has been sleeping on only one side of his head, which has made one side of his head flatter than the other. It is not super noticeable, but does need to be corrected. Our hope is that he will start to use his other side and balance out the shape of his head naturally, but the doctor thinks we may need to take preventive action in the form of a head shaping helmet. He will be reassessed in April to make the final determination whether or not he will need the helmet. If he does get it, he will wear it for 23 hours a day, for approximately 4-6 months. It should make for an interesting summer when the weather can reach over 100 degrees!

Besides the stiff neck, both boys are doing so well. They continue to laugh, coo, and are so interactive. They are working hard at tummy time and holding up their neck. It is a lot of fun to watch them grow and change!

We will be in Redwood City next weekend, February 21, to introduce the boys to the family! We are super excited for everyone to meet them. It will be the longest car ride they have done, so we are hoping for no traffic!!!