Jude was 8 weeks post-op as of Wednesday!
One of the hardest things I've been through in my life happened 8 weeks ago. It sometimes seems longer ago than that, probably because we jumped right back into normal life almost immediately. I'm so relieved it's all behind us. He looks like an entirely different person than he did 8-9 weeks ago. Hell, he looks completely different than he did when he was born, but we'll save that progression for his Birthday on Monday.
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| Top-view, pre-op. |
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| 8 weeks ago, the morning of his surgery. |
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| Fresh out of surgery. |
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| Top-view, 2 days post-op. |
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| 1 week post-op. |
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| 2 weeks post-op. |
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| Top view, 2 weeks. |
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| 3 weeks. |
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| 4 weeks. |
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| 6 weeks. |
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| 8 weeks! |
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| Top-view, 8 weeks. |
It has been a long, tough journey, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't the hardest thing in my life thus far. I'd also be lying if I told you I didn't cry while gathering the pictures and writing this post. Sometimes I miss his little pointy noggin, butbI'm glad it's over with. I'm glad everything has returned to mostly normal. His scar is so normal to me that I almost forget it's there when we're out in public until someone (usually a small child) looks at him odd, and sometimes people ask. I like when people ask because then I can inform them of craniosynostosis. More times than one would expect with it being so rare and unheard of until diagnosis I run into someone who says "Oh, yeah, so and so's child had that." It's good to know we're not alone.
There's a
5k run/walk for craniosynostosis on Halloween this year. It's in New York, but my mum and I are going to make the road trip to run. We're also going to do some fundraising. It's benefiting two of the larger craniosynostosis foundations;
the Jorge Posada Foundation and
CAPPS. We'll work something awesome out for fundraising. I think our goal will be $500, that's the minimum for t-shirt sponsorship to get Jude's name on the shirts and that we're running for him.
I feared that his personality would change after the surgery from the stress of it all and all the strangers in the hospital, but it hasn't. He's one of the friendliest, most out-going babies I have ever seen. Whenever we go out anywhere he sits there and waves at anyone he sees. He starts conversations with them. He flirts with the ladies. Strangers think he's a complete doll. I'm thankful for that.
Now that that journey is over with, I'm excited to see what other journeys come our way. I hope they aren't nearly as challenging and stressful as this one has been though.
