Q: What do you get when a mom whose son recently had cranial reconstructive surgery just happens to be a graphic designer? A: Cute Cranio shirts!

Necessity breeds invention (in this case, design). I decided that what was available on the market for Cranio Kids wasn’t expansive enough. My 4 month old son had a CVR (Cranial Vault Reconstruction) last week, and I wanted to be able to lighten up this serious situation with some funny and witty clothes for him post-op.  Micah is bald now and has an 8 inch incision from ear to ear and steri-strips covering it (for now), and I want to be able to take him out and for people realize that we are approachable.  They can ask what happened and we won’t get upset. These designs ought to do the trick! Here’s my cutie:

Micah’s sagittal suture was fused. This photo is him one week after his CVR: Wow!

I’m working with partnering with some well-known cranio support sites to sell these, but for now you can indicate your interest using my contact form (or comment) and I’ll keep your info and point you in the right direction when that’s all settled. I’ll also post links to the sites whenever they are available.

My First Cranio Designs (Some work for Plagiocephaly as well)

Check out the mockups of the designs I currently have.  Note: these are mockups only.

Looks great on most dark colored material.

Looks great on any dark colored material.

Looks great on any dark colored material.

Looks great on any dark colored material.

Looks great on any light colored material.

Looks great on any dark colored material.

Color and Size Options

Onesies are available in sizes: Newborn, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months, and are available in the following colors. (Ink color you see previewed will remain the same.)

T-Shirts (with lap shoulders for easy dressing) are available in sizes: Newborn, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months and 24 months, and are available in the following colors. (Ink color you see previewed will remain the same.)

If you want to read Micah’s story from the beginning, check out my previous post. On my last update, we had been encouraged by Dr. Kelly, Micah’s surgeon, that Micah may not need surgery based on the fact that his head shape had improved dramatically with the chiropractic treatments that he has received since birth for his craniosynostosis. We went ahead with the scheduled CT scan on January 3rd and met with Dr. Kelly again on the following Monday to go over the results.

There Is Fusion

We discovered that about 2/3 of Micah’s sagittal suture is indeed fused, which means that surgery is necessary to correct it.  The reason we’ve seen great results with the chiropractic is that there was a portion of it that hadn’t fused completely yet (though it seemed to be trying to).  The adjustments from Dr. Roger Bailey allowed his little head to be able to increase in width and give his brain a little more space to grow. We are so thankful for this, and we’ll continue with frequent treatments to give him the best head shape he can possibly have going into surgery. Here’s a nerdy little diagram that will explain sort of what’s going on for those of you who haven’t spent hours of your life researching craniosynostosis:

When I first saw his CT scan, I cried. Thankfully, we had looked at the images at home before our appointment, so I was able to come to grips with the surgery again instead of getting emotional in the surgeon’s office. I held him and grieved. I know that he’s going to be okay, but I looked down at his sweet little head and didn’t want to think about it being cut open. He seems so tiny and perfect to me. He’s my son… can’t I go through this for him??  Of course, I know that I can’t. All of this has somehow made me love him even more… if that’s even possible. I’m dedicated to this little guy and we’re all going to get through the few months together.

So, How Are You Doing?

People frequently ask me how I’m doing. I usually say “good,” and some days that is the truth. But, in an effort to be real and transparent, some days I may respond with something less cheery.  The truth is that the last few days, I’ve really been sad… and I’m not prone to sadness. It’s a weird, dark place for me that I don’t like. Right after we scheduled the surgery, I felt huge relief that finally there was a date to work towards… and therefore a date we could say the hardest part will be over.  I still feel that relief.  But with it has come some finality to his situation and the reality that in 6 weeks, a surgeon will be cutting into his innocent, pure skin and making his permanent mark on it. Bones will be removed, shaped, and put back in along with foreign metal screws, wires, and possibly plates. I don’t want this. I want Micah to be whole and well and not need anything to be done to him.

These are days that most parents spend dealing with spit up, nap times, and feeding schedules… not deciding who in your life you trust enough to donate blood for your son’s transfusions, meeting with neurosurgeons, deciding what shape scar you’d like your son to have for the rest of his life, and trying to figure out how the heck to be away from your sweet mommy-loving daughter for a week while you tend to your son.

I’m just sad. And overwhelmed. And thinking that surely there is someone more capable of making the huge decisions that we have been faced with the last few weeks. But, it’s us. This is our responsibility and our lives are filled with such things right now. We are grateful for competent doctors, supportive family, and above all: a God who cares about Micah so much more deeply than we ever could. Fear isn’t the issue: we know he’s going to be okay.

But this sucks. There, I said it.

So if you ask me one day how I’m doing, I may either smile sincerely and really be okay that day, or I might burst into tears. If that’s too big of a risk for you, ask me about Juliet instead.

Ignorance Is Bliss!

Micah, on the other hand, is anything but sad!  He’s become quite the smiler and giggler these days and we just can’t get enough of him. Here’s a couple of my latest favorite pictures of him:

Milk for dinner?! YUM!

Sometimes we put his paci on his head.

Today was a big day for us… We had an appointment with Micah’s surgeon, Dr. Kelly at Vanderbilt. We weren’t supposed to meet with him again until after Micah’s CT scan on January 3rd, but since we’ve seen such a huge improvement in Micah’s head shape over the past 8 weeks, we felt it was wise to meet with Dr. Kelly again before proceeding with the scan and surgery. If you want to read Micah’s story from the beginning, check out my previous post. A little background so you that those reading this will understand the gravity of the great news we heard today: Sagittal Craniosynostosis ALWAYS requires surgery to correct… at least what you’ll read on any reputable website telling about the condition. It’s just the standard, accepted method of making sure that a child with it will grow normally and without complication.

Chiropractic for Craniosynostosis? Really?

Enter my in-laws. They are dedicated and immensely knowledgeable chiropractors who just happen to love Micah very much. As soon as they learned of his condition, they began researching to see if there was anything they could do to help our little guy, and they found two rather obscure case studies on children with Craniosynostosis who had been helped with chiropractic (buried beneath all of the negative things people have to say about the alternative methods chiropractors use, mind you). Now, I tend to lean toward the natural more than the average person, and I’ve seen a chiropractor since I was 13 months old (when my colic was cured by one), but when Nate’s parents approached us about trying to avoid surgery by doing gentle maneuvers on Micah’s skull, I reacted internally like a mama bear. My thoughts were that we are NOT going against the grain on this! If he needs surgery to correct his skull, he’s going to get it! He’s my son! I realize now that this reaction was hormonally driven. I’d just gone through nearly a day of being in labor and then faced with this news that Micah needed medical attention, and I wasn’t in a good place to receive it. When I found out that the maneuvers were gentle and couldn’t possibly hurt him, I thought, well… at least it may be able to give his little brain a little more space to move around in the interim before surgery. So, with that, they began treating him three times a week for 10-30 minutes per session. We saw measurable results after the FIRST treatment.

Micah’s Progress

Tomorrow, Micah will be 2 months old. His head has rounded out and grown in width and overall circumference, but hasn’t increased in length from front to back, though that’s the direction sagittal kids grow because it’s the only way they can! His temple area has widened and his forehead, which was quite bulbous early on, has diminished significantly, and the back occipital region looks remarkably better! Also, the visible ridge of “fusion” went from 13 cm down to 7 cm in length, while diminishing in height as well.

Meeting with Micah’s Surgeon

All of these changes were quite noticeable among those who have seen him since Day 1. Still, I didn’t expect Micah’s surgeon to be as encouraged. After all, he does surgeries for a living: 4 or 5 a week just for cranio kids, and he stands to make thousands if not tens of thousands on each case he takes. The medical community as a whole is typically at odds, or at least very skeptical, of chiropractors. I figured that Dr. Kelly would have a hard time assessing this out of the ordinary situation without bias, but he didn’t. We went in and respectfully asked for his take on Micah’s progress and wanted to know what it could mean for his prognosis and treatment. He shocked us when he said that his head was showing a widening that would not be possible should his whole sagittal suture be fused, as he had previously predicted with 99% certainty when Micah was 2 weeks old. He used the words “optimistic” and “encouraged” that surgery may be able to be avoided! The only way to know exactly what’s happening with Micah’s little head is to get the CT scan that’s scheduled for this Thursday. We are excited to get some certainty one way or another. If there is indeed fusion – partial or full – the only question remaining is when we schedule his surgery (between now and 4 months from now). If there is no fusion, and the bones are simply overlapping or butting up against each other, then we’ll continue with chiropractic and surgery is completely off the table! A LOT of friends and family have been praying for Micah since the beginning and we have no doubt that God’s hand is on our son.

I’ll continue updating my blog on Micah’s progress. It will be Monday, January 7th before we have anything to report on the CT scan results, but for now, if you’re praying, please pray that I can get Micah to sleep with nursing and rocking for his scan rather than them having to use a sedative. This is very easy at home, so I’m not concerned that it will be a problem on Thursday. If they have to sedate him, they may also want to keep him overnight for observation.

Does Your Child Have Craniosynostosis?

I realize that some of you will have come across this post as you search for information for your own child with craniosynostosis. If you live in or near the Nashville, TN area and would like to talk to Roger, my father-in-law, about treatments for your child, you may visit his website or contact him by phone at 931.424-3331.

If you’d like to see more photos of Micah’s head from different angles, just email me and I’ll be happy to send them. There are too many to post. In the meantime, enjoy this one from last week at Christmas. I just love it!

We are now a family of four! Micah Carter Bailey came into the world on Thursday, November 1st at 2:56 am. He was 7 pounds, 12 ounces and 21 inches long. I was in labor about 21 hours, if you don’t count the 40+ hours of false or “pre labor” that my body thought it needed to tease us with before delivery day. Micah was comfy… What can I say? His delivery was natural and free of interventions: beautiful and redeeming after our labor experience with Juliet. Nate and I both got to pull him out into the world together and Nate cut the cord! If you’re interested in reading my whole birth story, just let me know and I’ll send it to you.

Photo by www.shehewe.com

We are so in love with this sweet, cuddly, good-natured little human being, and we are in awe of God’s perfect design. His fingerprints are all over this one… From the tiny forehead wrinkles to his adorable little belly button.

Part of the reason for this post is to simply introduce this tiny wonder to you. The other is to allow you to be part of the journey we are about to embark on with Micah. On his second day of life, our pediatrician diagnosed him with Sagittal Craniosynostosis. That’s a fancy way of saying that 2 of the bones in his skull (the parietal bones on top) fused in the womb prematurely. They are supposed to remain independent of each other until he’s about  two years old. Because of this fusion, his brain is being forced to grow in an unnatural way. So his little forehead and the back of his head protrude out more and his head is sort of elongated front to back.

Handling the news of Craniosynostosis

When we first got his diagnosis, I was so sad. My little boy was not even two full days old and we were being told that he would need a surgery to correct his skull. Every parent wants their children to be whole, healthy, and “normal.” Every parent wants to protect their children from pain and trouble.

The next few days, I struggled to even think about the upcoming procedure without crying. To talk about it ended in a total meltdown.  I just want to hold and protect sweet Micah from everything. But I can’t. This is a road we must travel. A few days after he was born, I found myself in Psalm 139, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible. I read, “You knit me together in mother’s womb. I praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made… My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body.”

It confirmed for me that Micah’s condition is no accident. The God of the universe knit him together in my womb and formed his body perfectly, and according to His will. Who am I to question why he isn’t “normal?” Since then, Nate and I have had unshakeable sense of peace about Micah’s future. God will go before us and uphold our family with His righteous right hand. (That’s from Isaiah. God gave me those verses in a dream before he was born.  I thought they were to take with me through the labor experience, but considering that I didn’t even think about them then, I think they were meant for this journey!)

Photo by www.shehewe.com

What does this mean for Micah?

I’ve done a ton of research on Craniosynostosis since Micah’s diagnosis. The condition occurs for unknown reasons, but occurs in about every 4,000 births, according to our surgeon. It is more common in boys. When it’s diagnosed at birth, the surgery generally takes place around the 3 month mark. The surgery is called a CVR (Cranial Vault Reconstruction). The surgeon will make an incision from ear to ear across his head, remove the fused portion of bone, then remove the remaining bones in his skull and reform them, put them back in, and secure them into place with thin plates and screws that will dissolve on their own within about a year and a half. It will require a few days of stay in the ICU and about a week total at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Obviously, we would like to wave a magic wand and take this away, or be the ones in his place instead. A three month old is so tiny… so fragile. But we know Someone really strong will be guiding the surgeon’s hands and will be with him as he recovers. We are resting in this!

We’ve also realized that there are a number of things we’re thankful for:

1. We have one of THE best surgeons in the nation right here just 20 minutes from our home. Dr. Kevin Kelly has been doing craniofacial procedures for more than 20 years, and performs 5 CVRs each week!
2. Our insurance is supposedly going to cover 100% of this. Though a plastic surgeon is operating (with a neurosurgeon present as well), CVR is not considered a cosmetic surgery because if Craniosynostosis is left untreated, it will cause issues in the future.
3. This is a treatable condition. You may know, we had a Down’s Syndrome scare around the 20 week mark during my pregnancy with Micah. I wrote about that here.  While we would have welcomed Micah with any condition, we are thankful that he only has an issue involving his skull. This condition will not affect his intellect or abilities after treatment. Yay!
4. Already, I’ve been connected with a great group of other moms whose kids have had Cranio surgeries with Dr. Kelly! They are so supportive and kind to answer questions that have come up in this process. I believe that some of them will likely be friends for life.
5. Micah’s condition has brought our already close knit family even closer. Nate and I are learning to trust in the Lord more and we are patient and kind to each other as we process the information we’re getting. Our extended family are all praying and loving on Micah. Nate’s parents are giving him excellent chiropractic care to balance his skull and give him relief and as much space as possible to grow in the interim. We are so grateful for them.

Photo by www.shehewe.com

What’s next:

In 6 weeks, Micah will have to be sedated (there is a chance he will not) and will get a CT scan which will give Dr. Kelly the full scope of the reconstruction that will need to be done. This may require a day’s stay at Vanderbilt if he has to be sedated. Then, we’ll schedule his surgery within a month of getting the CT scan results, when Micah is about three months old. In 98% of cases, the CVR surgery will be the only one a child ever needs, though occasionally a follow-up one is necessary if the soft spots don’t fully close up after 4 or 5 years.

After the surgery and Micah’s week long hospital stay, he should have a normal shaped head and no repercussions! He won’t need to wear a helmet, either, because the CVR (as opposed to the endoscopic surgery) reconstructs everything at once. How cool is that? Though I’m growing quite fond of his sweet little head shape, he’ll probably be rockin’ some awesome beanies and hats this winter if for no other reason than to not feel like we need to explain things to curious strangers.

How you can pray:

We know that God is the great Healer. He could choose to completely remove the need for surgery between now and his scheduled date. He will use this situation to His glory no matter what ends up being necessary for Micah. While we would love to have Micah healed, we desire first and foremost to be obedient and faithful in walking through this season trusting in God’s sovereignty and provision.

Please also pray for continued peace for our family as we approach his surgery date. I keep hearing, “This will be harder for you than it will be for him” and I believe it. Kids are so resilient and Micah will be a champ!

Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:6-7

Micah holds such a special place in our hearts and his sweet spirit is already evident. We look forward to seeing what God has in store for him! Thanks for allowing me to share the first part of his story with you.

This is a $200 value, and during September, it will be free! If you do not have a need for the letterhead and envelopes, you can opt instead to have me professionally print and ship 100 of your awesome new business cards to your front door.

See a few examples of branding packages here:

Your business may be just starting out, or it may need a facelift.  Either way, I’ve got you covered!  With your initial input, I use my expertise in both design and marketing to create something incredible for your business that will make you stand out among your competition and attract new clients or customers. See what a difference a professional logo can make!

If you’re on the fence as to whether you need a professional logo or not, please check out What To Know Before Hiring a Logo Designer. It will leave you with no questions, promise!

I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on the work I do for you, so if for some reason, I’m not able to “WOW” you with a design that you love, you aren’t under obligation to pay. In 11 years of serving clients, however, I’ve never had someone ask for a refund.

See some of my favorite logos that I’ve created for clients here:

Ready to see what I can do for you?

I have a handy Project Interview that you can download and fill out which will tell me what I need to know to provide a quote for your project. It doesn’t take long to fill out and there’s no obligation to move forward if you don’t LOVE your quote, so what are you waiting for? Download a Project Interview.

You may also visit my Design Portfolio to see some logo designs that I didn’t include in this post.

Graphic design clients: I love y’all, I really do. But sometimes a girl HAS to get her studio a little dirty with raw materials.

Now is the time to commission a stunning, love-it-for-a-lifetime charcoal portrait of your children, parents, or even your fluffier family members. Think Christmas gifts! No getting on a waiting list and no exceptions.

Included with your drawing:

• Free shipping within the U.S. 
• Two free prints to give to others! 
• Satisfaction guarantee (Your child shouldn’t look like a Brazilian jungle penguin)

Ready to save?

After reviewing my Pricing page and deciding what you might want to have done, contact me by phone or email and we’ll discuss the rest of your details and get you in on the savings! I look forward to working with you.

Want some FREE cash?

You may know someone else who would enjoy a half-off portrait. Please send them my way! I pay between $50-300 for every portrait referral through my Referral Love Rewards. I’d love for you to spread the word or share this post on your Facebook wall!

The Not-So-Fine Print:

You don’t have to have your reference photos ready right away, but a 30% deposit is due by August 31st in order to secure your half off pricing. You may get the photo(s) to me anytime in September. I will accept as many commissions as I can, and will create them in the order that they are received. All will be ready in time for Christmas!

Life can feel like a roller coaster sometimes, can’t it?

Erik and his wife are good friends of mine and Nate’s, and when we got a copy of his CD Love several months ago, our daughter fell in love with it and would calm down instantly in the car if we played it for her when she was cranky. So, we haven’t removed it since.  :)  Because of that, I’ve played it over and over, and I always start with Track 6.

The song is about how unless the Lord builds our house, it’s only a matter of time before it will fail. All of our efforts and striving is futile without the Lord’s hand of provision and protection over our families and activities. The bridge that truly spoke to me became special during the time between November 2011 and February 2012, while Nate and I were trying to get pregnant with a second child. These are the lyrics:

We sweat and we bleed
Time and again
To painfully care for the seed.

We do what we can
To water and plan
But it’s the Lord who makes it increase.

He can give to His beloved…. while we sleep.

Now, Nate and I only tried for 3 months before we got a positive pregnancy test, but to a self-proclaimed control freak, that was 2 months too long.  After all, Juliet was conceived quite “easily” and I expected to just get pregnant again whenever I was good and ready. Ha! I think that God used this waiting time (and the disappointment we experienced after the first 3″failed” attempts) to bring me closer to Him and to learn to trust in HIM, not in my detailed timing and symptom tracking. Each time I heard that bridge, I was reminded (and sometimes brought to tears) that God can and will bless us in our sleep in His time. He loves us so much! His blessings may come in forms other than what we asked for or imagined, but they are always perfect.

We are expecting our second child in late October. We are overjoyed!

But you know what?  This meaning of this song extends so much farther than how I initially took it. In fact, I don’t believe that Erik even had conception in mind when he wrote the bridge. The truth is, we sweat and bleed, water and plan, do what we can in so many areas of our lives: Work life, home life, debt reduction, relationship building, and more, but do we remember that the Lord must bless it in order for our efforts to not be in vain? Nate and I are feverishly trying to pay off our mortgage, with a goal of a little over 2 years until payoff. We go to bed tired most nights because we parent and work most of the day, and then after Juliet goes to bed, we continue with working our new side business, MiniPolaroids.com…All to become 100% debt free so that we can live and give the way God is calling us to. My heart is to continue working hard while remembering that God is increasing our efforts, and He could make a way for us to be debt-free tomorrow if He chose to.

Are there areas of your life that you’ve been striving and feeling like you’re in control of? I hope you’ll take a moment to remember Who is truly able to make you succeed.

You can hear the song (and his others) and purchase anything you’d like here or from iTunes.

The original painting by Andy Thomas

We thought he would flip out if he were painted INTO it, like he was just hanging out with the Presidents (and I happened to have sneaky access to some great head shots of him). So, I did a little research on the best way to do this and preserve the integrity of the giclee’ while matching the style of the painting. It turns out that me and acrylics still don’t get along, though they are recommended for painting on top of canvas prints. But, after a little more research and an intuition check, I decided to treat the area to be painted with clear gesso and then I painted on top with my beloved oils. Yay for finding a way!

The completed painting! Our friend likes to hang out with VIPs.

Below is a close-up of my portion of the painting. He was floored when he opened it for Christmas and it made all of the hours I spent making it perfect so worth it! I’m framing it for him this week.

Detail of my work

I’d love to know what you think about this project. Comment if you like it. Share it on Facebook if you love it. Thanks!

So, why do most people only make fresh starts on January 1st, or after a traumatic event such as a divorce or death?  If fresh starts are so wonderful, why don’t we decide to make them every month or even every 90 days?  For that matter, we could even revisit the same resolutions at regular intervals so that we can succeed this year.

Or, November 1st, March 27th, August 8th?

I’m writing this because I ate a ridiculous amount of sweets and other foods devoid of nutritional value this past week.  Anyone with me?  The truth is, my holiday gluttony was just the natural next step to my gradual shift from eating what I know to be good for me. A little sweet here, a little white flour there.  I used to be a health nut!  Now I’m more like an empty walnut shell with a brown sugar and cinnamon glaze.

So the day after Christmas, I decided I was done: I’m focusing on fruits and veggies for a solid week, and thinking through every food choice before I make it.  I’m not trying to conquer all of 2012 at one time.  Let’s be realistic, y’all.  But this week?  I’m going to WIN, and not like Charlie Sheen “wins.”  To wait until January 1st to make a decision that needs to be made now seems a little crazy.

So, do you have decisions you’re waiting to make for 5 more days?  Why not make them now?  Besides, if your goal is to get fit or lose weight, then you’ll get a few extra days of enjoying a deserted gym before the January 1 rolls around.