27 years old!

Well, to start off my birthday, I woke up with Braxton at about 4 a.m. to feed him. Jackson surprisingly got up with me at that time as well. Jackson usually sleeps during the night while I'm up with Braxton. I didn't think too much of it though just because he did have the day off from work. While I was upstairs feeding Braxton, Jackson said he'd be using the bathroom (so he says). After feeding Braxton, we both go back to bed and the lights were off so I didn't see anything that was in our room. I started to lay down and put my glasses and elastics for my hair on my nightstand and I felt this flat wrapped object where I usually put my glasses. Of course once I started to lay down and take my glasses off Jackson instantly turned on the flashlight on his phone and pointed it over in my direction hoping I'd see what was on my nightstand. He didn't know that I already felt something there. So I opened the two presents with the assistance of Jackson's light that he was holding. He told me which one to open first. The first present I opened was the "Les Miserables" movie.

Jackson and I went to see it in theater and then my mom and I watched it a few weeks back on video. I really like the movie and think it was a well produced/made movie. So I told Jackson a couple weeks beforehand that I wouldn't mind owning that movie someday. Lucky for me, he remembered me telling him that I wanted it. Than the next box was a bit bigger than a movie box; I opened it and found that Jackson had bought me an Ipad mini! :)

I was so excited and couldn't believe it! So here we sit about 5 in the morning turning on the Ipad and setting it up. It was a great surprise! Thank you Jackson for my birthday gifts!

After going back to bed later after opening my presents, I woke up to a sweet message written by my mom that was posted to facebook with some pictures attached to it.. I really liked the post my mom shared with others about me just because it made me smile big just hearing her love for me and how proud she is of me. It was also nice to have this sweet message to share a little glimpse of what my life has been like along with everything I've done.

"(TEF) Tracheoesophageal fistula is an abnormal connection (fistula) between the esophagus and the trachea. Twenty-seven years ago Frank and I found out just exactly what TEF meant when our third child was born. Rachel has been a fighter since day one and with the help of a loving Heavenly Father, a wonderful pediatrician and some amazing surgeons she has overcome many obstacles related to her TEF. We have often referred to her as our miracle baby. How humbling it is to now see her with a child of her own. Happy Birthday sweet Rachel … we love you and are so proud of you!" (Below are the pictures she posted)

"April 1986"

 

"Mommy got to hold her before her big surgery to repair the fistula. (We found out after her surgery that the doctor was not really sure she would survive the surgery.)"

 
"First three months after surgery all was looking good."

 
"More complications arose and more surgeries were in store for this little fighter ... but fight on she did!"

 
"Rachel went back to visit her pediatrician in California years later just to give him a hug and say thanks!"

 "Every now and then Rachel still requires dilation of her esophagus!"

 "Because of her many, many stays in the hospital, Rachel grew to love and appreciate her wonderful nurses. She is now herself a nurse and we couldn't be more proud of her!"

 "27 years later!! This picture warms my heart and makes me so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father for allowing me to be entrusted with four amazing children and six even more amazing grandchildren!"

This post my mom made about me on facebook made me cry. Just because I honestly know that I wouldn't be who I am or where I am today if it wasn't for their loving care and guidance they gave me along the way. Not only that, but to now have a child of my very own and to see how much work it really is to take care of just one wee little baby; I can only imagine how hard it must of been for my parents to take care of me on top of having two other children at home, just because I was so sick. And I thank them profusely for it. Thank you mom and dad for taking such good care of me all these years and to just be there for me when I needed it. I couldn't have survived this life without you!

My birthday was mostly spent traveling and then celebrating Vern's retirement in Twin Falls Idaho, so we didn't actually have my birthday cake until the next day. So April 17th, Jackson made me a birthday cake and sang to me. He put the candles in ... so square-like and perfectly even don't you think ;) Thanx Jacks.

Can't believe I'm 27. Being 26 wasn't so bad, but 27, that's one step closer to 30. So I blew out my candles and made my birthday wish.

In previous birthdays I use to always wish that we'd have a baby, we of course haven't been trying since we got married but I have always wanted to be a mom and have kids, so that was just always what my wish was that someday I'd have a baby. As I'm holding Braxton in my arms while I blow out these 27 candles, I honestly didn't know what to wish for now. All I ever wanted was a baby and there I was holding my very own. So as my cake is starting to get covered with wax from the candles burning away, I finally made my wish and blew out the candles.

Even though we didn't go anywhere huge or elaborate to celebrate my birthday, I'm just glad to have Jackson and Braxton in my life to celebrate it with. And thank you so much Jackson for my birthday gifts! It truly was a great surprise that birthday morning! I've already watched Les Miserable for a third and fourth time now and have put the Ipad mini to use multiple times. Love you Jackson, and thank you for all that you do for me and for giving me the best gift of all, an eternal marriage with our beautiful baby boy! :)

Happy Retirement!

Of course, not retirement for Jackson or me, but Happy Retirement to Vernon Plott (Jackson's dad). On April 15th, Vern retired from the Twin Falls Fire Department. He worked as a firefighter for 27 years in Twin Falls, Idaho. On April 16th, the fire department threw him a retirement party which Jackson and I were able to attend. It was great fun and we are glad that we were able to be there for his special day. Below are some of the pictures that were taken.

Vern's Retirement Cake

Jackson and Braxton

 So many came to say "Thanks!"

 

Fire Department Chief making a presentation to Vern

 

Grandma Plott

 

This is a cute picture that Aunt Luanne took of Braxton and Grandpa Plott 

Vern and Grandpa Plott

(He is also a retired fireman)

 

Four generation picture of the Plott men 

Aunt Luanne (Vern's sister) with baby Braxton 

Vern receiving his plaque from the chief. 

Grandma Plott (Jackson's mom) and Braxton 

After the party, Jackson's parents treated us to dinner.

The lighting there made some of the pictures turn out orange.

Yeah for a picture of Jackson and I, it's very rare for us to get a picture 

of just the two of us due to the requirement of 

someone else having to take the picture.

Happy Retirement Dad Plott! 

Glad we were able to make it and be apart of your special day!

Braxton's 6 week ultrasound

Braxton was breach the whole pregnancy, every ultrasound we had, it showed him in the breach position with his head and feet by my ribs. Babies that are born breach or in breach position during pregnancy can have hip dysplasia, meaning dislocation of the hip.

"Developmental dysplasia (dislocation) of the hip (DDH) is an abnormal formation of the hip joint in which the ball on top of the thighbone (femur) is not held firmly in the socket. In some instances, the ligaments of the hip joint may be loose and stretched.The degree of hip looseness, or instability, varies in DDH. In some children, the thighbone is simply loose in the socket at birth. In other children, the bone is completely out of the socket. In still other children, the looseness worsens as the child grows and becomes more active."

I thought that described hip displacement pretty well, although it is common sense and most people know what it means but just in case I found this info.

Anyway, the next day after he was born the peditrician checked his hips for (DDH) and one of the hips, (I wasn't told which one) but one of them made a popping sound when she put the hip in a certain position/direction which is a sign of DDH. But at his two week appointment that sound was gone, but she said that it's easier to treat as a baby so she still wanted an ultrasound done at Primary Children's just to be sure.

So I took some pictures of the tech taking Braxton's ultrasound. The doctor came in shortly after and said that the left hip looked good and was where it should be. He said that the right hip is 50% which is normal but they usually want to see it greater than 50%. He also said the pediatrician will either order another ultrasound in 4-6 weeks from the date of the last ultrasound or around 4-6 months of age they'll do an x-ray to check the hip. My pediatrician already called me and said that we'll just watch it and follow up with an x-ray later on at 4-6 months if needed. I did ask the doctor at primary children's if there was anything I could do to help make sure the hip continues to stay in socket and he said to not swaddle him/his legs. Let his legs be loose or move on there own and don't wrap him tight/swaddle in a blanket. Which works for us because lately, a few weeks back, Braxton seems to always get his arms out of the swaddling and doesn't seem to like it much anymore. I also asked what would be done to fix his hips if they needed to be fixed and they showed me a picture of a baby in a type of brace as shown below.

Which the tech said babies do okay in the brace, the moms just have issues with dressing the babies and not know what clothes to put them in, especially girls, which make sense. It'd be hard to put a baby girl dressed in a dress in that brace.

Anyhow, as I said earlier, Braxton's hip placements were both normal and will just need to watch the right one as he continues to grow. Braxton did great at his appointment, enjoy the pics! I think it's kind of neat to see pics of stuff like this just to show what happened at the appointment.