INFECTED: Helmut fail. Jesus win!

So! We made it through the five days of slowing acclimating Judah to wearing the helmet for 23 hours per day. He did so well! No fussing! And it didn't even keep him from doing the same ol' 6 month type things like rolling, sitting, assisted standing, etc. Proud mama!

(Addendum: I'm tired of calling it "the helmet" or "the Starband". I christen it HELMUT, pronounced "Hel-moot" which is a popular German name meaning "spirited helmet." Fitting. Also, Judah looks a bit like a German soldier in the helmet. Thus, Helmut it is!)

Tuesday was the first 23 hour day. I didn't think it would be absolutely necessary to bathe Judah's head EVERY SINGLE DAY (he has a dry scalp, after all), but after Helmut has been on for 23 hours, WOOOO-EEEE, does his head SMELL! His hair gets all slimy and curly and reminds me of what he looked like à la fresh from my womb-io. Cute on a newborn. Kind of nasty on a 6 month old.

Anyway, so Tuesday went well! We noticed a couple of red patches when we took Helmut off, but they faded pretty quickly back to his normal skin pigmentation. The orthotist warned us that this would be a natural response to the pressure caused by Helmut. However, he did caution us to keep him informed if he broke out in a rash, if the skin was broken in any way, or if there was any redness that didn't subside after Helmut had been off for an hour. But because Judah had no indication of irritation, we popped Helmut back on and put him to bed.

When he woke up Wednesday morning his head REEKED. I don't mean old-sweaty-hockey-pads kind of stench... I mean... something smelled like it was rotting. Even though we weren't close to the 23 hour mark yet, I knew I had to take that baby off! I had ladies coming that morning for a prayer gathering and I was pretty sure they would be able to smell Hawk's head from across the room..! So I bathed him, bathed Helmut, let them both air dry and popped it back on. During that "naked time" I noticed that those same two red patches from the day before were present, and a bit more angry looking. There was also a bit of matted hair, which seemed a bit "oozy", but it washed out and he didn't seem bothered when I touched it. Within half and hour, the marks faded, so back on Helmut went.

The ladies came around 9:00 to pray while Judah napped (*sidenote: Yes, he's up early enough that he needs a nap by 8:30 or 9 am. That is why it's nearly impossible to get a hold of me after 9 pm. A girl has got to sleep!*). He roused at about 10:00 and right away I could smell his head again. It was a strangely familiar smell...

When my little brother, Paul, was a toddler he was prone to ear infections. I remember the smell of the fluid that would seep out of his ears when he was battling an infection. THAT was the EXACT smell of Judah's head.

So off Helmut came, and this time I could tell that it wasn't going back on any time soon. His left side of his head was red and he had an abrasion above his ear that was oozing this smelly stuff... and he was burning up.

I got my friend to hold him while I took pictures of the redness and rubbed skin so that I could email them to the orthotist. At this point I wasn't sure if the fever was due to him coming down with a virus or actually related to Helmut. It happened SO fast that I couldn't see how Helmut and the symptoms of infection were connected. But within about an hour he went from a low grade fever to being completely red-faced, swollen, having a temperature of 103, and discharge that continually leaked from his abrasion. He was so tired and lethargic that he actually passed out on my shoulder twice - something that he's never done before.

So off to the clinic we went! When we walked in the receptionist looked up, took one look at Judah's extremely red head and immediately asked, "How high is his temperature?" He was clearly burning up!

He sat very quietly for 45 minutes while we waited to see the doctor. No fussing, no squirming, no problems. I let him pet a fuzzy book and then he watched the ceiling fan for a while. Ah, the joys of being a baby :).

The doctor checked Judah's throat, ears, lungs and declared them all to be clear. He concluded that Helmut must have aggravated his head enough to cause broken skin, bacteria sprinted in, and infection settled in for a long winter's nap. Poor little Hawk!!

So it's ten days of strong antibiotics - so strong, in fact, that the pharmacist was reluctant to fill my prescription before checking references and making a few calls... that always sets a mother's mind at ease. He needs them 4 times at day, which means waking him twice at night. Boo! Just as he's on a happy nappy sleepy time schedule I am charged to wake him to squirt sugar juice down his throat? Let's just say that he did NOT like the procedure last night... and in the morning he had a good dollop of bubblegum coloured sticky liquid next to his head..!

Also, I sent the pictures to the orthotist who called and told me to keep Helmut off for two weeks. He will see us again once the antibiotics are finished and hopefully he can adjust it so that this doesn't happen again!

I'm certainly disappointed in the setback... two weeks seems like forever.

I have a love-hate relationship with Helmut. I love that it is helping Judah's head be symmetrical. I hate that it is causing my son infections! And other griefs. And that Judah even needs to wear it in the first place.

I dislike that this could mean that Helmut sticks around into the Fall. The FALL.

I almost titled this post "Expect Delays". But then I realized how defeatist that sounded!

Expect delays? Expect delays?? EXPECT bad, negative things to transpire? 

No. Way. 

That's not what I believe! That's not the kind of God I serve! Where's the faith in that?!

Just because Helmut is being uncooperative, that doesn't mean squat. In fact, this just leaves more opportunity for the Lord to swoop in and astound us! If God cares about the sparrows how much more does he care about my little Hawk? So much more! 

So will you join me?

Join me as I brush off the disappointment that has settled like dust.

Join me as I turn to praise the Father for his great love for my son.

Join me as I confess my lack of faith... 

Join me as I recall the words of Jesus: "Everything is possible for one who believes."

Join me as I declare, like the father whose son needed healing, "I do believe; help me with my unbelief!" (Mark 9:23&24)

Join me as I ask him for the impossible - a completely, miraculously healed head for Judah Hawk!

Join me as I pray that Judah and Helmut would part ways by his birthday (August 16th) - earlier than we've been told to expect.

The Lord has been teaching me a lot about prayer. He's been encouraging me to pray continuously and fervently and passionately. And we in turn have been utterly blessed by the prayers coming our way! If you are not yet convinced of the power of prayer, then I am convinced that you are not praying! Our Father delights in hearing our prayers and giving us good gifts! So let us be a generation that seeks His face! May prayer reign in our lives, our homes, our workplaces. 

We will be praying for you. THANK YOU for praying for us! 

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

 "Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" (Psalm 103:1)