Maguire's Melon

It's been a hard-knock life in some respects for our little Maguire. He had the tougher time of the two babies in the hospital, which is normal for a second-born twin, they tell us. He's only got one kidney (which is functioning perfectly, by the way), he was tongue-tied and had to get that clipped, and recently he had to be evaluated by a specialist for (get this!) having a big head. Yep, the little dude has got a big melon. However, when you combine the gene pool of the Eieslands (hello, giant and/or tall, narrow heads all around) and the Studers (hi, Daddy's big forehead) it's no surprise.

Our pediatrician wanted to rule out a condition called craniosynostosis, where the sutures in a baby's skull grow together before they should. This prevents the skull from growing wider and it only grows longer and narrower. And it's only correctable with surgery. Please don't be dumb enough to Google or WebMD this condition like I did -- it will only send you into an unnecessary panic about brain damage, seizures, and developmental delays. So, a few weeks ago Maguire and I went to have his head examined (hee hee).

The facility here in town is very state of the art, and they basically put the child into this contraption that looks like a box without a lid and a laser scans through their head to generate an image on the computer. I wish I had thought to bring my camera, because it was quite a process. Maguire was a complete angel for the whole thing, smiling and laughing, laid still when he needed to. The physical therapist who did the scan did let me take home the little cap they have the babies wear during the scan, so I could take a picture for posterity. Here is Maguire modeling his super-cool headwear -- basically a tiny skullcap that ties under the chin. Goofy, yet adorable, don't you think?

Well, the great news is that Maguire's head is considered to be within the "normal range" for his age. We followed up with our doctor's office and had an x-ray to confirm that there are no skull bone fusions, so praise God for that!Our boy may have a big old head, but at least we know now that he just comes by it naturally!

Here's a copy of the scans that they gave us -- it's like a mini-robot head of Maguire, complete with his little chubby cheeks and everything! And finally, a little video to showcase his infectious giggle. He may be the most good-natured baby ever!