Ryker's NAM

We've been going to visit Ryker's orthodontist Dr. Yamashiro at Primary Children's, every other Tuesday since July 8th. Dr. Yamashiro made a small retainer called a NAM for Ryker and since he doesn't really have anything in his mouth for it to hook to, there are two small posts that come out of his mouth that we tape to his cheeks to hold it in place. Over the last month and a half adjustments have been made that have caused his cleft to come closer together. It's an amazing process, at first his cleft was large enough to stick the bottle nipple into and now I can barely slide a Q-tip in it to clean it out! The latest adjustment was a paper clip size wire that goes from the retainer into his nostril, at the end is a pink ball that pushes out on his nose, this is stretching his nostril so that it isn't so collapsed. Ryker is such a tough little man, he hasn't been bothered by any of it, except when the nose piece was first put on, the wire was rubbing on his gumline. I didn't know it except that he was really fussy. After a few days, I pulled it out to clean it and it started bleeding really bad. We were able to go back and have it adjusted around his gumline and almost immediately, he was back to his usual happy self. I can't believe how much such a small little appliance can make such a huge difference!! His whole face is changing before my eyes. We only have 2 more weeks until he's changed forever, Dr. Siddiqi is our plastic surgeon at Primary's and we'll be in for surgery on the 10th of September. His lip will be permanently repaired, his soft palate will be temporarily stitched and he will get a more permanent prosthesis screwed in over his hard palate, at this time, Dr. Grimmer, our ENT will also place tubes in his ears. It sounds overwhelming but we are lucky they can do so much at once and he will only have to be in the hospital for two days. It's scary to think our little guy will be changed for the rest of his life, it's a change that we have to make, but we've grown so used to how he was sent to us that it'll be really hard to let him be taken into surgery knowing that he'll come back completely different. He's so brave.

This Is How We Roll....

I am so excited! For my birthday this year my mom and dad bought me a new bicycle and a baby carrier for Ryker. He absolutely loves it! Every night, we get all loaded up and take off. We usually go for about a half an hour, through the block to my mom and dads, over to the park, around the holding pond.. It is so much fun for me and it helps Ryker wind down for bed.

Sometimes, if we are gone too long and he knows it's 9:00 (bed time) he starts crying which just makes me pedal faster. The last few nights though, i've started taping his pacifier in his mouth.. is that bad? It keeps him happy but I'm probably giving him a complex. He's probably the only 2 month old that is already embarrassed to be seen with his mom...

FINALLY!!

I've finally got this page put together! It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. This will be fun. I"m going to try to keep it updated so everyone knows what is going on with us. Most of you know the scoop with Ryker and his procedures and all things like that so I won't put it all up here again.