BIG BUDDA BELLY

I knew I was getting big, but I've grown so much in one month! Just so you can see the difference, here is my picture from 25 weeks.And here we are at 29 weeks. I look completely different. I even have dark hair and glasses.I had a friend tell me that I need to take pictures every week now so we can see just how big I get before I go into labor. I told Bleu that I wanted to try and make it to Memorial Day weekend because he might be able to come home. He just laughed. That would be 37 weeks, and I haven't really found anyone that thinks I will make it that far.

Has anyone else noticed that I always have exactly the same clothes on in every single picture?? It's not on purpose either! I think I have one with a different pair of pants. But I wear those sweats ALL the time. they are so comfortable. The only time I'm not wearing them is when they're in the wash, or when I'm at work. Now that I'm done working, I will forever be in those sweat pants. I'm not complaining one bit.

Photo Tag from Heidi

1. Go to your picture folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.

2. Go to your 6th folder and then choose the 6th picture.

3. Post it on your blog and then tell the story that goes with the picture.

4. Tag 6 other lucky people to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog telling them about it.
Um.. I'm not in this picture at all, but it was the 6th one. I'm just playin' by the rules here, okay? This was our Dixon Family Reunion '08 in Idaho Falls on the Fourth of July. We spent the day at Freeman Park and had a few canopies set up, and there was a big field that we played all sorts of games on. This was a trust-building activity. We were divided up into teams because we have so many people. But the idea of this particular activity was that the team members would make two lines facing eachother and be able to "bounce" someone who was laying on thier back in everyone's arms. They start on one end, and you all bounce them and slowly move them to the end of the line. There were a few falls, but we had fun.

Now I am tagging.... Stacy, Sharon, Jennifer Carlson, Jennifer Anderson, Danna, and Raelynn.

Another Ultrasound

I had an appointment with Dr. Luikenaar on Monday and everything went pretty standard. I asked her if I could get a temporary Handicapped Parking Permit for when I need to go somewhere and I don't have someone to drop me off at the door. She said that was a good idea and she would sign the papers...she just didn't know what papers need to be signed. :) So I did some research the next day and found the form for her to fill out, and dropped it off for her this morning. The office is going to fax it to the DMV for me, and that's that! Easy!

So we also heard the heartbeat again, which was normal, and measured my belly. Two weeks ago I was 26 weeks and measuring 30 cm. This week I am 28 weeks and measuring 32 cm. So I'm still 4 cm too big, but at least it's been steady. After all of the fun stuff, I got two different nurses -- one gave me a shot in the butt, and the other poked me in the arm to draw blood. :( But the good news is that my Glucose test was fine, and my Iron level is fine.

This morning, I had another ultrasound. We did the standard stuff, measuring the head, and legs, and heart rate. I wanted the stenographer to tell me which bump is what body part, because I can't figure it out. His head is down in my pelvis, his bum is above my belly button, and his feet are kicking me in the right ribcage.

Dr. Byrne came in and we took an AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) which was still a 32. Then of course, Dr. Byrne poked, and shook and jabbed the poor kid for a few minutes, and still no movement. We got a great view of his tongue, and it did move, which is good, but still no swallowing. His belly is still empty. Here is the little clip of his tongue moving.


The Nurse got the cutest view of his little lips and nose, but didn't snap a picture. It was just plain adorable. I teared up a little bit. We could see his lips, and his chubby chin, and his nostrils. I wish I had a picture to show you. But here are some that she did save.

This is his face. You can see his eyelids and his lips. I love those chubby little cheeks!!
This is a video of the same shot. The little circle on the left side is a cross section of his arm. At the very end of the clip you can see it move just a little... That's movement at his shoulders that the doctor looks for. His shoulders move pretty well. I've seen his arms in all different kinds of positions. He's usually in a boxing pose, though. My little fighter.

Here's another profile looking at the side of his face, focusing on the tongue.

And.... yes. It's a boy.

Dr. Byrne asked if I had talked to Dr. Luikenaar about delivering at the University Hospital, and we all agree that would be the best option. She asked if Bleu would be able to come home for the delivery, and I told her that we aren't sure. But I did ask her if I were able to carry to a certain number of weeks and be able to schedule a C Section; there may be a possibility for Bleu to be here. You know, if we could plan ahead if I carried far enough. I asked how far do I need to carry for everything to be okay. She said that she would be comfortable with anything after 34 weeks and 36 would be better. It was kindof like "let's try and make it that far" I really don't think my body will be able to hold till 38 or 40 weeks..and I'm beginning to feel like Dr. Byrne shares that prediction. So 36 weeks is the goal 34 would be okay.

One of the things that Dr. Byrne said that I should be watching for is leaking fluid. I have heard that some women aren't sure when thier water breaks. So we talked about that, too. She said that there are a few differences between leaking fluid/water breaking and loosing control of your bladder. Coughing, sneezing, laughing, or sudden movements can cause you to wet your pants a bit. She says that usually is very short, and quits. Fluid continues. Activity level is a good clue too, because if I'm laying down watching a movie, reading, and start feeling wet, that would most likely be fluid. Also she said if I wake up in a puddle, that's fluid. She said that because the reason for my water to break would be from the pressure, and that would cause the fluid to gush more than leak and that I should head to the U when that happens, and go straight to Delivery, not Emergency. If it's an unlikely false alarm, I'm there, and we can check everything out to make sure I'm okay to go home.

Dr. Byrne asked if Dr. Luikenaar had checked my cervix at the last appointment. I said no, and she said that we might do that next time. Probably to see if it's closed, or if there's any dialation.

Because he's not swallowing, I asked if he will have a sucking reflex and if he will have to stay in the hospital until that is resolved. She said that will be one thing that we will have to wait to see; sometimes babies aren't born with the reflex, but develop it, and he does need to stay in the hospital until we find out if he has it, if he will develop it, or if he will be able to eat at all. So I asked if he isn't able to suck or swallow, will we put a feeding tube in? She said that there is that possibility. A feeding tube can be put through his nose into his stomach, but those are only temporary (about 2 weeks) and if the development takes longer than that, they will probably put a tube straight through his tummy to his stomach. I've had experience with these, and that's not a problem. I even know which model and accessories I want! :) If the tongue thing is neurological, there is a chance that eating orally may be learned later in life. But again...we'll have to wait and see. But it's good to be prepared. Whatever the case may be, I feel very strongly about having him just on my milk and not the feeding stuff they give them in the hospital. So I might be feeling like a cow, but he's getting the nutrition he needs. :) MOO.

So there ya go. Not really a whole mess of new discoveries, but no news is good news. I feel better this week mostly because I'm learning to chill and sit down. I think that the bed rest is going to be good for the both of us. I will need the extra energy after the surgery. I have an appointment with Dr. Luikenaar on April 7th and another ultrasound on the 15th.

We are so excited to see him!! Love you all

I got tagged!

4 Jobs I've Had:

1. The Learning Center working with disabled children--Best Job EVER! I miss it so much!
2. Waitress at Red Lobster
3. ArtTix Ticket seller--phone jobs suck.
4. Night Janitor at Family History Library. Great Location, Crappy hours, Smelly work.
5. Print Room at WesTech Engineering. Gopher work--I love it.

4 Movies I've watched more than once:

1. Lonestar State of Mind--hilarious
2. Iron Man--Bleu LOVES it
3. Italian Job--we both love it
4. Borne Trilogy--awesome
   

4 Places I've been:

1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Disneyland, California
3. Waikiki, Hawaii
4. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

4 Places I've lived:

1. Shelley, Idaho
2. Bakersfield, California
3. Pocatello, Idaho
4. Salt Lake City, Utah

4 People who email me regularly:

1. My Mommy
2. Sharon Lawley
3. Katie
4. Carol Williams

4 Favorite Foods:

1. Orange Juice
2. Chicken Taco Salad
3. Steak n' Potatoes
4. Nachos

4 Things I'm looking forward to this year:

1. Having my husband home
2. being a mommy
3. buying a house
4. building a family

4 TV shows I watch:

1. Seinfeld
2. King of Queens
3. Scrubs
4. House

4 People I tag:

1. Danna Pettit
2. Sharon Lawley
3. Torrie Nicholas
4. Katie Purser

Now go to a picture folder and upload the 4th picture:

This is Christmas Break before Bleu and I got married. We spent three weeks making my dress, planning the wedding, and I was BEAT! Whenever I took a nap, or slept at night, all three dogs (mine, mom's and trina's) were always sleeping with me.

Water Balloon

Water Balloons are so fun aren't they?

I remember making them when I was a kid and only filling them up a little so they would last longer. But it was also very fun to fill the really big ones until they were so tight we could barely tie it off.

Well, I think you know where I'm going with this. I guess you can just think of me as a giant water balloon---the kind that you fill up till it's too tight to tie.

I had my appointment today and I'm not terribly surprised, but definitely disappointed. I am being considered a "Very High-risk Pregnancy" and have been put on Modified Bed rest. Dr. Luikenaar changed the orders to allow me to work 4 hours at the most for the next two weeks so that I can train a replacement. After the two weeks, I will be staying home. I can't do any lifting over 20lbs, no bending, no walking (prolonged). It's okay for me to get up to fix meals, etc. and also said it's okay to go to the grocery store, but keeping in mind the walking part. She said that it's not as strict as staying in bed all day long, because of blood clots, but just to stay down, take it slow, and easy.

We went over the ultrasound results and she confirmed that a Vaginal Delivery would most likely not happen. She wants to see me every two weeks starting now, and also have an ultrasound every two weeks starting now to measure the fluid. We want to keep the baby inside as long as we can to make sure he develops as much as he needs to.

So kind of frustrated... I'm a pretty active person, so it's going to be hard for me to be on bed rest, but Sara was with me and she knows all of the rules, and will be the enforcer. I do have a sewing machine that I can learn some more on, and I think I'll have mom teach me to crochet some blankets for the little man, and maybe one for her, and whoever else. :) I love to read, and it's getting sunny, so maybe I can set up a chair out in the sun and bask with a book or two. (That was Bleu's idea.)

Speaking of the daddy.... He's taking it all like a champ. He even wanted me to talk to the landlord about moving to the ground level so I don't have to climb stairs. :) Sweet, but I really don't want to move. He asked to talk to Sara and made sure that she would take care of me and take me to the hospital. He said that he would be talking to his Drill Sergeants about when the next 4 day weekend is and whether or not he can take a few days off and fly home to see me. He's being very supportive and wishes he could be here. He's doing such a good job.

Well I think that's about it for now. Thanks again to everyone for reading, sending words of encouragement, your prayers, and everything. It means so much and our little family appreciates it SO much! We love you!

SMILE

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by
If you smile through your tears and sorrow,
Smile, and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
If you light up your face with gladness,
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying,
Smile, what's the use in crying?
You'll find that life is still worth while, if you just Smile.

Well, what else can I do?

I got a phone call a few days ago from a nurse at Dr. Luikenaar's office saying that it would be fine for me to fly.

THEN

I got a phone call this morning from a nurse. Dr. Luikenaar said that after thinking about what we found in the last ultrasound, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to fly in my condition. She said that I need to stay in areas that have the Hospitals that are capable of what we might need in case I deliver early.

Also, the nurse asked about FMLA and if I wanted to stop working right now. I said that I wanted to work as long as I can depending on how I feel and when the baby comes. The nurse said "well, Dr. Luikenaar may want to put you on moderate bedrest, meaning no trips, no long walks, strenuous activity....you would be able to get up for things like cooking and using the bathroom. She also wanted to see you before you planned on going anywhere."

I have an appointment scheduled for the 23rd, and told the nurse about it. She said yes, but Dr. Luikenaar would like to see me sooner than that. So we made an appointment for tomorrow at 4pm to discuss the ultrasound results and FMLA and the Bedrest subject.

I was able to talk to Bleu during his lunch break and told him the news. He was a little frustrated that it had changed from "ok" to "not ok" in two days, but understands that we need to do what's best for the baby. He said "well, you have a sewing machine, you could definately get a lot done." :) He took a big breath and said "Well, we'll just do what we can."

I'm really hoping that I will be able to go to our Girl's Weekend Out, but I will have to discuss it with the Doctor. I don't know how much driving I'll be allowed to do by myself.

SO! I will be going in to see her tomorrow, and I will be sure to let you know what happens.

Till tomorrow--

Ultrasound Update

I had an ultrasound this morning. Bleu and I had discussed earlier about his opinion that I should stop having ultrasounds and wait till the baby is born to do anything. I told him that I agree with the Dr.'s and I also agree with him, and that I would be talking to Dr. Byrne about our concerns. If the ultrasounds are strictly precautionary, then I would ask not to have any more ultrasounds till the end of the pregnancy.


Dr. Byrne has given me the go ahead to say that this is Arthrogryposis. We were hoping that it was Dystal Arthrogryposis where the hands and feet are the only ones effected, but there is a "progression" or diminished fetal movement at the hips and knees. His hands are clenched, with overlapping fingers, and his wrists have started to cock backwards.



That's not really good or bad news, it's just new news. We measured the amount of amniotic fluid, and found an excess and after checking his face for swallowing movement and belly for fullnes, we are assuming that he is not swallowing the way he should. This could mean a symptom of Arthrogryposis, or could also be a Neurological disorder that can't be diagnosed at this time.


The risks of these factors are,
If the amniotic fluid is not measured, or kept track of, it could get to an unsafe volume and cause the membranes to rupture and start a pre-term labor, also leading to a chance of severe hemmorage. I should be watching for leaking fluid, or contracting of my stomach (more than 4-5 times in an hour.) If the amount becomes too excessive, we may have to drain some of the fluid by way of amniocentisis. AGAIN.

If the baby becomes fixed in a position, Example: his knees and hips don't move, A vaginal delivery will be difficult for mom and baby, if not impossible. In a normal delivery, the baby's head is the biggest, and most difficult to deliver. But if his hips and knees don't straighten out, that will be a different story. If we don't know the status of the baby before delivery, and we try natural, he could get stuck in the birth canal, which is unsafe for both mom and baby.

Dr. Byrne and I went over mine and Bleu's concerns and she said that it is both necessary and precautionary to be having routine ultrasounds basically because there isn't really another way to check the fluid levels other than by measurements from an ultrasound. She highly suggested that I deliver at the University Hospital so that specific types of Specialists can be there if we need them to see the baby directly after the birth. If his Arthrogryposis effects his knees, I may not have to do the casting for his club feet. Alot of kids learn to walk more successfully on thier knees. So we'll see how he does before making any decisions.

All in all, I am still overwhelmingly greatful that he's still with me. There are so many things that could have gone wrong that haven't. I thank Heavenly Father for that every day. He's my little angel and I'm so blessed to have him. I think he teaches me something new every day already. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and support. I can't tell you how much it means to me.

Bleu started class this morning, so I'm excited to say that there is an end in sight. Only 15 weeks to go. It's a coin toss whether or not he'll make it home in time for the delivery. I think it all depends on the wee one, and how long he wants to stay in my belly. I was planning on flying out to see Bleu for his birthday, but I've left messages with both of my doctors asking if after all of our findings, it will be safe. I'll be at 28 weeks. In a normal pregnancy it would probably be fine. But I'm always better safe than sorry.

I love you all, and thank you so much for everything. Keep those prayers comin'!

Hoaddy-Tow!

25 weeks! Wide Load comin' through! At Church one of the girls told me she was that big when she delivered. Thanks.

So there you go. I'm getting bigger every day. I went to see Dr. Luikenaar last week and weighed in at a whopping 152 lbs- the heaviest I've ever been in my whole life. Dr. L. said not to worry like most women do because I'm still on track. When we lifted my shirt to measure my belly, she looked at it and said, "oh, ya. that's ALL baby fat. NO mommy fat there. You'll have no trouble losing weight after the baby." :) That made me feel pretty good.

We measured my tummy, PERFECT! And listened to the heartbeat which was in the range that it should be. So everything was fine and dandy. I will go back to her in 3 weeks for a glucose tolerance test, and we'll check my iron levels again, and I get a shot for something I can't remember-I think it's for Rheubella? I'll be 28 weeks at that time, and then I'll be going in every 2 weeks. I can't believe it's come so fast!

So I also have an ultrasound appointment for tomorrow morning where I will be asking Dr. Byrne if all of this is really necessary. If there is no change, than I want to know if it really makes a difference or what exactly they are doing. Cause it's a little annoying going in so often.

So hopefully I will have some good news for everyone tomorrow.

Love you!