Oh No! Torticollis????

Oh No!! Torticollis??? 

That was basically my reaction when I diagnosed my son based on his symptoms....

This is my story.

My Aunt called me and suggested that I do range of motion excercises with my brand new baby because she said he appeared to "favor his left side". I had no clue what that meant so I went straight to Google to see what it meant for a baby to favor one side over another.  

I clicked on one website after another getting more and more overwhelmed by the second. My baby was perfect. He was a newborn so I assumed all newborns had wobbly necks so I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. One website said babies can develop Torticollis by abnormal positioning in the womb. That's when it hit me, my baby twisted himself around at 38 weeks in the Transverse position. Transverse lie is when the baby is lying across your tummy We tried everything to get him to turn head down but nothing worked. My doctor suggested that we do an emergency C-Section because he was begininng to show signs of distress.

Fast forward to month 1... My baby hated tummy time. He'd cry after a minute of being on his tummy so I wouldn't do it as often as I should have because he hated it. I didn't really understand how important it was for strengthing the neck muscles at the time.

One of the rare occasions when he wouldn't cry during tummy time.

As he got older it became more obvious that he did have a mild case of torticollis.

 During his doctor visit I explained to his pediatritian that I was concerned. she insisted that he was okay and  tried to persuade me to just continue tummy time and everything would be fine. As soon as I got home I called her office and pretty much demanded that she write a "script" referral over to a physical therapist for my son.

After the initial assessment it was concluded that my baby indeed had a mild form of Torticollis. 

Signs & Symptoms

Babies with torticollis will act like most other babies except when it comes to activities that involve turning. A baby with torticollis might:

• tilt the head in one direction (this can be difficult to see in very young infants)
• prefer looking at you over one shoulder instead of turning to follow you with his or her eyes
• if breastfed, have difficulty breastfeeding on one side (or prefers one breast only)
• work hard to turn toward you and get frustrated when unable turn his or her head completely

Source

How is it treated?

Your child's doctor may refer you to a physical therapist or an orthopedic surgeon (bone and joint doctor).

Congenital muscular torticollis is typically treated with stretching and positioning. You'll need to perform these exercises on your baby several times a day. The moves aren't complicated, but make sure you understand them and are comfortable doing them before you leave the doctor's or physical therapist's office.

If your baby has muscular torticollis, you'll want to provide as many opportunities as possible for her to turn her head to the side that she normally doesn't turn to. If she has trouble turning her head to the right, for example, you could lay her on the changing table so you're standing at her right side. And position her in the crib so she has to look to her right to see anyone approaching her.

It's also important to give your baby plenty of time on her tummy when she's awake, to help develop the muscles in her neck.

Source

My baby had the best Physical Therapists ever. They specialized in children so they had toys and balls to distract the children. They taught my husband techniques to use at home. I am so grateful he had a mild case that only required one month of treatment twice a week.

They fell in love with my baby and even used a few pictures of him on their website. He made a 100% full recovery. It was a good thing he was treated early while his bones were still "soft".

My little guy is 17 months and thriving. He's walking, running, climbing and getting into everything! lol! I felt the need to share my story because I believe we go through things in order to help someone else in the future. I pray that this post is a Blessing to someone else going through the same thing. 

My sweetie pie!!! 

He's the III so we call him "Third"

This video has great tips and info!

I Did the Big Chop and Now My Hair is Growing Like Crazy!! 5 Tips to Help with the Awkward Stage.

The Big Chop was the most liberating exciting part of going natural for me. I felt empowered and excited about my new journey to returning to my natural texture. My hair was curly, coily and obeyed my every command. UNTIL....It started GROWING!!!

 Suddenly, this new hair texture that was growing out of my head was becoming a nuisance. I had no idea what to do with it and it was becoming more of a challenge every day.

These 5 Tips Helped Me Tremendously!!

1.) Stop comparing your hair to the natural hair pictures floating around social media.

These pictures are usually of people who have been natural for sometime and they have had the trail and error of finding what works for them. In most cases your hair will look nothing like your hair crush! Just face it, you are a newbie so you have alot to learn about how to care for YOUR hair.

2.) Except your texture for what it is.

To be honest I thought that since my hair was a nice grade when it was permed I assumed it would be well behaved and manageable in its natural state. WRONG!!! My hair does not curl and wave up with water only. Actually it puffs up like a marshmallow and looks dry even when its not. My hair needs to be moisturized DAILY and thrives when coated with butters and creams immediately after its wet. That is how my hair grows. Oil/water combo is my best friend. I didn't learn that over night.

3.) ACCESSORIZE!

Headbands, bows, flowers, barrettes, banana clips etc. can help spruce up your dull hairstyle. I hid behind my hair for so long that I felt naked without it. Sometimes I felt like I looked like a little boy with my TWA so a cute little headband or flower on the side made me look and feel more feminine.

This was my hardest stage.. That hair in the back drove me crazy!! It was two short to put in a ponytail and too long to brush it down flat. I almost cut off the back and sides for a more tapered look but I'm glad I didn't because its down my back now!! WOO HOO!

4.) Hoop it Up!

Hoop earrings have always been a staple for me. Whether my hair was relaxed or natural big hoops helped liven up any look... Even if you aren't into big earrings a simple pair of stud/button earrings can add pizazz to your hair and outfit.

5.) Have fun!

The way our hair looks is important but it's really not that serious. YOU ARE NOT YOUR HAIR!  At the end of the day its just hair. If you plan on rocking the TWA (Teeny Weeny Afro) for a while or if you're trying to grow out your hair, JUST HAVE FUN! My husband is a Master Barber on the side so he would shape up my fro when it looked lopsided. My friend said Super Cuts shaped up her fro for $8 bucks!! Twist it, coil it, braid it, weave it up or whatever. Just have fun and enjoy this journey. The hair gurus we crush and salivate over took time to develop their hair also. It doesn't happen over night. Don't give up. Hang in there. *wink* :-)

What if my man doesn't like my Natural Hair???

Every once in a while someone will ask me the question, "What if my man doesn't like my Natural Hair?" 

Every situation is different, I can't speak on every relationship...but in my case HE LOVES MY NATURAL HAIR...now.

When I made the Big Chop it was in the wee hours of the morn and everyone was nestled quietly in their beds...lol...I wrestled with the idea for YEARS. Every time I decided to go natural I lost my nerve and talked myself out of it. This particular morning I couldn't sleep. I stood in the bathroom mirror staring at my long bone straight tresses and nappy roots. My new growth was screaming for me to pick sides. I was either going to perm my new growth or cut all my hair off. I grabbed the scissors and went to chopping.

After I came down from my rush reality set in, the alarm was going to go off in a couple hours and I had to be at work in a few. 

I put on a scarf and called my husband in the bathroom. I snatched off the scarf and his jaw hit the floor. It seemed like he couldn't stop blinking...he didn't have any words!! LOL!

Even though I told myself that it didn't matter what he thought of my hair. I loved it and that was all that mattered!!! HMPH!

(In reality, I stood there sheepish awaiting his approval. lmbo)

He was like, "What in the world?" He turned me around trying to figure out if he liked it or not. Then he said, "I like it...I think." He shaped up my TWA and I threw on  a wig and went to work.

Basically, he was shocked to see the head of hair I had been growing for the decade we were married all over the floor. Honestly I don't think he really cares either way. I could tell it took a little adjusting because he would stare at my head sometimes when he didn't think I knew he was looking. Five years later my hair has hardly ever been the topic up for discussion. He just kinda sees only ME and not my hair. I am very fortunate because I am always doing something to my hair.

MY TWO CENTS::

As long as your hair is clean and kept I don't think ANYONE should be shunned for wearing their hair in its natural state. Its hard to believe it when sistas tell me their boo was turned off and left them because they went natural. It says alot about the person and how they view their significant other. 

I would have probably done the BC anyway even if I knew he wouldn't have liked it because it was something I wanted to do. You have to compromise in relationships but not for the sake of your self worth. If it makes you feel good, do it!! 

Color Jam Huckleberry Blue Natural Hair ..a Manic Panic Situation!

Every since the skittle color hair trend hit the scene I have been excited to join in the fun. I bleached my hair (streaks) a while back for highlights with the intentions of adding a berry color. So I went to Sally's and saw all of these glorious colors and chickened out. I left with neon nail polishes instead. lol

On a random outing while passing time I stopped in Sally's to take the leap and this time instead of a pink, red berry color I changed my mind and went with a BLUE berry color. Manic Panic had a blue color that was called VooDoo Blue. I wasn't crazy about that name so I checked out Color Jam Huckleberry Blue. After standing in the aisle at Sally's doing a product review search on my phone Manic Panic had better reviews than Color Jam. I decided to choose Manic Panic only to realize that there was only one left and it was damaged. My only other option was to go with the Color Jam.

This picture was my hairspiration for choosing blue but I wanted a more subtle look, just a few blue highlights.

My son loves the movie Rio so much I couldn't help but notice how beautiful "BLUE's" feathers were so this was my inspiration also! LOL!

My hair was semi-damp with a olive oil/water mist from the night before. This was the before color. 

I sectioned off my hair and clipped the back. I applied the color directly to my hair.

I tucked the colored hair into a little ball for 20 minutes...

After 20 minutes I examined my hair to see if my hair color changed...I was so excited to see my blue hair...

My excitement quickly turned into disappointment after rinsing the color out. FAIL. The blue intensity went down the drain, literally. The color was very faint, hardly noticeable.

After a few washes my hair has this aqua, light turquoise sea creature, mermaid vibe/color to it. Even though I didn't get the results I wanted the color kinda grew on me. I like things that don't really make sense. LOL

After many weeks later its just a hint of the "blue" color left in my hair. Most people don't even notice. I am giving my hair a break from dyes and colors especially since school has started back. The color is in a place in my head where I can disguise it when I am in a professional setting. Knowing me I may wake up in the middle of the night and dye my whole head purple. You just never know!! Hahahaha! LOL

Conclusion: My streaks weren't really BLEACH BLONDE like it should have been for best results. The brighter the color the more damaging so I was hesitant to go brighter. 

Go Pro Curls!!! Celebrity Stylist Larry Sims Launches New Hair Product Line

Go Pro Curls with Larry Sims

For four years, Larry Sims has collaborated with Smooth n' Shine to create his very own hair care line called, GO Pro Curls with Larry Sims. This line will cater to us curly girls with wavy textured hair.

Larry Sims knows what he's doing, his celebrity client list is a mile long and he can be seen featured on Tamar & Vince's reality show. Tamar employs Larry Sims in her Glam Squad.

Larry said in an interview, “It’s not about being so perfect. It’s not about being so bone-straight. It’s not about not having any fly-aways. You know, texture is inviting. We’re all embracing it—across the board from everyday women to actresses to musicians to fashion”.

“We wanted to make sure we created a treat for you hair. It’s sweets for your hair, it’s desserts for your hair. You’re satisfying your hair’s sweet tooth with being able to use some of these products,” explains Sims. The gels “enhance” the natural curl and moisturize the hair. 

These products will be available in a drug store near you ranging in price not to exceed $13.

source: Instagram (.)

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!!!!! Shea Moisture Curl & Style Kit

Click Link to ENTER----------> a Rafflecopter giveaway

My All Natural Homemade Pomade HAIR GREASE

I made several different batches of an all natural pomade, hair grease (hence the different colors). I wanted to oil my scalp with an oil that wasn't so messy but I didn't want a store bought pomade that is full of petroleum.  I didn't measure anything I just melted coconut oil and mixed it with grape seed, castor, olive, and palm oil. I poured  the combined melted ingredients into empty rubber band containers (reuse, recycle...lol) and refrigerated over night. The coconut oil and palm oil solidified the mixture creating a pomade/hair grease consistency. The oils are virgin and unrefined so the scent is very mild, almost non-existent. Palm oil is giving the orange/red orange color seen in the pictures. 

Sorry no exact recipe, I am a "a little this, a little that" kinda gal. I rarely  measure anything. lol 

Excuse the dents, I had to check to make sure it was completely solid.

This batch turned out darker because I put more palm oil in it than the previous containers.

This concoction would work with pretty much any of your favorite oils, the coconut oil is what makes the whole recipe come together because the others are all liquid.