The bump on Hudson's head

When Hudson was born, we counted every finger and toe. We looked him up and down as we took in the sweet smell of new baby. And we cried in relief that everything was as it should be.

Just like his big brothers, Hudson had pink stork bites across the back of his neck and head. He also had a small little pink birthmark on his forehead in that perfect little spot that every person loves to kiss on a baby. I just knew it was where the angels smooched him before he was born.

When we got his newborn pictures taken the photographer asked if I wanted to have that spot edited out. She wasn't sure whether it was a blemish or a birthmark. I told her no, that it was part of him and I wanted it to remain.

Just before Hudson turned 6 weeks old, I noticed that this light pink spot had started to change in color. The pigment was getting a little darker and looked as if it was spreading apart. He also had a rash on his cheeks and neck so I made an appointment with the pediatrician - mostly to check on the rash, but also to ask about the spot on his forehead.

She reassured me that the rash was normal (hey it's been 4.5 years since I had a newborn...so I forget what is normal and what isn't!) She also said she was not concerned at all with the birthmark.

A few days later, I noticed a change again. Underneath the skin where the pink (now more red) mark was, it began to develop a bluish lump. It looked like a bruise but with about a dime-size bump underneath.

I grew more concerned because of how rapidly it was changing. I didn't want to seem like an overly anxious new-mom so rather than make another appointment just a few days after visiting the pediatrician, I decided to trust my gut and call a dermatologist for a 2nd opinion. They couldn't see him for a few weeks though so I did what any parent would do...I googled it. Which of course only made me more worried.

So then, I sent a picture and a description of what was going on to a couple of friends on Facebook who are doctors. Both suggested that the bump was probably a hemangioma.

I wanted to know for sure, so as I was talking over things with Ricky, a light bulb went off in my head. This is kind of craniofacial, so why not contact Dr. Fearon - Aiden's amazing craniofacial doctor in Dallas. He was unavailable when we called, but his fellow got right on the phone with us, asked us to send him pictures and said he would take a look and call us right back.

A few minutes later, he called. Apparently the spot is one of two things: a kind of deep hemangioma or a vascular malformation. Basically if it is a hemangioma, it will most likely continue to grow and change in size and color, but should start to dissipate a few years down the road, shrinking down to almost nothing. If it is a vascular malformation - which is an abnormal cluster of blood vessels under the skin - it will probably grow significantly as he gets older. It won't dissipate so it would require surgery to remove.

Ugh.

While we know this is such a small thing in comparison to all of the issues we've dealt with with Aiden, it is still an "unknown" and something that will keep us worrying. And the thought of having to put another baby through surgery is heartbreaking. We do feel blessed that Dr. Fearon handles things of this nature in addition to the much more complex craniofacial conditions so we know that if Hudson does require surgery, he will have the best doctor for the job.

This may come across as harsh, but really, this just plain sucks. It's frustrating that this bump is in a place that has already garnered comments and questions: "Taryn, are your boys beating up on Hudson?" "What's that thing on his forehead?" I hate that it's one of the first things people notice when they see my beautiful baby boy. Aiden already deals with stares from strangers and now Hudson will deal with the same. Again, it's something small, I know.

But I find myself saying "Really, God, really?"

There really isn't anything to be done at the moment, regardless of which type of growth it is. Dr. Fearon's fellow recommended we bring Hudson to Aiden's next check-up next year and he will take a look. So until then, we will continue to watch it and hope that it doesn't grow extremely large or cause him any discomfort.