Cranio Schmanio: D's Sagittal Synostosis Repair

The big guy 4 months after his surgery!

Quick update: I've created a page on Sweet Leigh Mama dedicated to D's craniosynostosis journey. I've talked (aka emailed) with a lot of families going through a similar circumstance, and I wanted to make sure it was easy for you all to find my posts on the topic. I made sure to include links to all my craniosynostosis posts (in chronological order), as well as before and after the sagittal synostosis repair surgery pictures and info on Deacon's fabulous doctors - Dr. Barun Brahma and Dr. Fernando Burstein.

http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/p/our-journey-into-craniosynostosis.html

If you'd like more details on the experience, feel free to email me at sweetleighmama@gmail.com

xoxo,
Erica (Deacon's proud mama and biggest fan)

Mama Bear Moment: Too Smart For Strangers with Winnie the Pooh

You've heard of a "wolf in sheep's clothing"? Well I'm a rabid wilderbeast/ mama bear / vigilante bounty hunter in a "normal mama's" clothing. By day I am the happy, smiley mama everyone knows and loves... but if provoked, this mama bear will not hesitate to go buck wild on your booty. And just like any mama bear, the one thing that will make me lose my mind in .2 seconds is if my children - or any child for that matter - is threatened or in danger. Remember these gems?

"Can you turn your back for a second so I can take your child?" http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/04/ill-snatch-your-kid.html

Anxiety-inducing Law and Order: SVU episodes and other movies/TV shows involving hurt children (including the missing baby panda on Wonder Pets) http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-just-may-be-turning-into-helicopter.html

Protecting our precious babies in a scary scary world http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2010/03/mama-bear-moment.html

So every once in a while something happens that makes me so scared, so panicked, so bat-poop crazy that it sticks with me forever and I feel nauseous every time I think at what could have happened. The other day Miss Paige made a jail-break from nana and papa's apartment. Six adults wrangling the four kids, and Miss Paige still managed to walk over to the front door, unlock the deadbolt, and walk into the breezeway - without any of us realizing it for a few seconds! At the time it was kind of funny that she did that. But after a few hours, it hit me how serious that could have been. How quickly things can go bad. How if the wrong person had been walking through that breezeway... I can't even go there... Those "what if's" can drive me nuts... but they are good reminders of the need to remain vigilant in keeping those precious kiddos in my sight at all times.

Growing up my sister and I were obsessed with watching Winnie the Pooh: Too Smart for Strangers. The VHS tapes seems to have disappeared, and according to Amazon the DVD of it costs close to $70 (it is considered vintage... REALLY?!). But lucky for all our cutie patooties, I was able to find the full movie of Winnie the Pooh: Too Smart for Strangers of YouTube. Yay for modern technology... and possible piracy? Hope it's legal : ) Sorry in advance if it's not...

So now.. for the viewing pleasure of all you mama bears and your precious cubs... I present Winnie the Pooh: Too Smart for Stranger (split into three parts). Dated? Yes. But we've got to start educating our children about staying safe at some point... and I think this is a good place to start. Enjoy!