Ding Dong - The Helmet's Gone!

It's been a BIG week in the Cole household! We've all been on Spring break since last Friday and done lots of fun things but the biggest is that Chloe finally graduated out of her helmet!!!! People keep telling me, "wow - that went so quick, it seems like she just got it." Funny, not to me and Chris! The first few months did seem to go quickly but man this last one has been LONG! I felt like when I had braces and at the end, every month they would tell me next time you'll probably get them off, then sure enough next month would finally roll around and there I was leaving the orthodontist's office with my big braces still intact. I think I actually cried so much the last time that he said, fine - just take them off! Not one of my proudest moments - but back to Chloe.
I might have reenacted that scene if our appointment hadn't gone well on Thursday! But, they scanned Chloe on the little head scanner machine one more time and our orthotist, Nancy, just announced - ,"yep, looks like we're done." She a very no nonsense kind of lady - I was honestly hoping for a little more drama - a ceremony, certificate, something! Well, we did get some cool printouts showing her new perfect head shape superimposed on her old lopsided one and all of the numbers to prove that she's done. She did ask me for pictures again because they are redoing their website - so hopefully soon, I can send the link to Chloe's photo on the Star Cranial website! I told her I took about 100/week so I would send her a lot of options :)
Oh, and we have the helmet to keep. I wrote her dates on it obituary style and put it up on her shelf in her room. I'm sure she'll love having it when she's 16 and feeling awkward - at least she'll have a perfect head! I'm actually sad that you can't donate the helmet to someone who can't afford it but since they are custom-fit, it's not possible.
We met a nice lady and her baby girl in the waiting area who was there getting fit for her helmet. It brought back a lot of memories seeing her sad face and talking to her. I assured her it was a lot harder on us then the babies and found myself saying those words everyone said to me - "it'll go faster then you think!" Although I was thinking, except for that last month! I passed along all of my tips and wished her best of luck and I was secretly SO glad that we were done. But, like I told her - we've seen tremendous improvement and I don't regret doing it one bit. AND it made me very thankful that we got the helmet off right before summer rather than at the beginning because like I said - it causes major sweaty head! andnjust in time for Easter so Chloe could wear a bow!