Another reminder

That living so secluded in Humboldt is frustrating when you have a child who has a health issue. Blair went in for her 15month checkup with our favorite doctor, who bursted throught he door and said "great everything is going good on her hips?". Um no, not really was my response. She had looked at the x-rays and not the findings and really didn't know much as usual. The only case she's seen was one in which the girl wasn't diagnosed until she was 2. Although she did answer questions on development it was a reminder that I really wish we lived closer to Oakland. 5 months and counting until our appointment. On happier notes Blair is doing so many new things like walking backwards, taking jackets and vests off, almost saying Josh, giving kisses and hugs and waving to everyone!

Finally

Blair has her own room. We cleaned out our closets and moved all her furniture in! It was a weird adjustment but we are loving it. Some how we managed to get it all to fit, including the vanity that has been handed down for three generations, although our rocking glider is now in the hallway. I love it. The walls aren't painted but I figure if we move what's the point in painting? Most of Blair's decorations are up and I got some really cute frames to put pictures in. In case you are wondering why this didn't happen before she was born, the story is that this house was going to be shared by my brother and I. All of this came about after the inspection on the house we were going to buy turned out disasterous and there was no way we could afford the house and the improvements. So we turned my childhood home into a duplex. Crazy, yes. A bedroom upstairs was converted into a really nice kitchen, a portion of the garage turned into a room. We were set, but thankfully my brother bought his own house and got the keys the week Blair was born. So we were all settled into the top portion of the house, later we moved downstairs into the living room and kitchen and Blair has an amazing playroom. But upstairs we left alone for so long becuase Blair and I are still co-sleeping, what was the point? But now that she's almost 16months old she needs her own four walls with 2 doors. I am also hoping that someday she'll sleep on her own.

Here's some Stats for you all...

Hip Dysplasia occurs in 3-4 per 1,000 births, or 1% of the USA. The factors for HD are: Girl (although boys can also have it), first born, low amniotic fluid, family history, breech (mainly frank breech-bottom down with legs folded in half), native american heritage. It appears most often in the left hip, and 5-9 times more likely in a girl.

There are two tests they do when the baby is first born: Barlow's Maveuver, or Ortolni's Maveuver. Before the bones harden ultrasound is used, afterwards x-rays are used.

This is the hard one for us...The Pavlick harness is successful in approximately 90-95%...we're part of the 5-10% that it doesn't work for.

THIS IS WHY WE FEEL TOTALLY ALONE IN THIS ALL. HD consumes my thoughts all day long, and all I can seem to do is worry, get mad/sad, and research. 6 more months until we find out if Blair is going to have surgery.

Now that I am a mother, a lot of things have changed

So many things change after you become a mother, some though you might not think...

Before I became pregnant I wore low rise jeans, now I wear the mid-high rise? Never thought I'd say that one out loud. Not only has my bust, and waistline changed but I now am a size 8 shoe, when before I could squeeze into a 7.5, which is a bummer because my mom has some really cute shoes!

When I got married I thought the whole home maker thing would kick in, but it waited until Blair arrived. My mother had been praying for the day that I would start sewing, and it has finally happened! I am an official sewing, baking, cleaning Mama.

I now think about what I look like, how I dress, and how I talk along wtih my general attitude. I'm trying not to cuss as much, dress more modestly(maybe that's because of the bigger waistline), do my hair, and be happy (even when my world is falling apart).

Before Blair the internet was used for myspace and homework, now I tend to do a lot of research and printing of articles about Hip Dysplasia. I think about it all day and most of the night. Going along with HD I have become stronger, a real traveler, money and coupon saver, insurance knower, hospital attending MOTHER. I constantly worry, talk, write, discuss Blair's HD. 6 months until we find out if surgery is necessary...it's going to be a long wait. I love being a mother, there is nothing else better in the world!

A whole lot of growing and playing around here

Blair has been playing nonstop all day long lately. She is learning so many new things. We finally got to play in the yard before the rain came again. We planted veggies and a few flowers in a pot. Blair recently learned how to pick grass and flowers so first thing she did was pick the biggest flower out of the bunch, I laughed Darren gasped. Really funny. She is now putting her doll into her little play stroller and pushing her around everywhere, and she drags her dirty clothes basket and then makes different piles in every room. We've been having a hard time at night though, she tosses and turns and cries. I don't know if it's her teeth, hips or growing pains(which I remember very vividly). As I write she is running around with her toothpaste gigggling.

With bad news...

With the bad news I wrote about I figured I should write some good things that are going on. Blair is growing up so fast, she is saying "up", trying to say "shoes", mama, mom, etc. She is playing with Josh all day long, she loves to take his toys and have him chase her around. She's walking outside in her pedi peds that finally fit! Blair is still so loving and sweet, she gives rasberries and kisses and lots of hugs. She loves going to see grandpa and the horses, another word she is trying to say. She is so cute socializing with other kids, she likes to observe and quietly hang around them. She prefers being with older kids, babies aren't that interesting to her. I'm hoping we'll be done teething for awhile, the 5am screaming wake up call is getting to me lately. I'm not sure when we'll be even considering having another baby or moving so for right now we're having a great time being a little family.

What is the future going to hold??

As I assumed I knew this appt wouldn't be the best. NO PROGRESS, no progress for the last 3 appts. This time I was prepaired with questions: what degree are the hips at? What does this mean? When do we have to make the operation decision? Her hips are at 32degrees which in comparison she started out at 39 and 37....and the big number to get to is 25degrees by her 25th month, if not then surgery. I'm not sure how we're going to get down 10degrees when we have only gone down 4degrees with bracing. Dr. Hoffinger was particularly talkative and very understanding. Hip Dysplasia is filled with ups and downs he told us, and it's a prediction game, as in WILL HER HIPS BE AT THE POINT I WANT THEM TO BE BY THIS TIME and if not then we'll go in and fix it.
The trip was fun though otherwise, Blair was extremely social this time around. At the carter outlet she played with a little girl and waved to every kid we saw and every nurse. She walked around and really enjoyed going out in the stroller at night. She fell asleep earlier than I expected but did not want to wake up early. Blair had her first bite of hamburger from in and out and I got her so many cute clothes and pjs. We needed new pjs because she's no longer in the brace. There is something about 14months where the baby stops standing it or learns to take it off. Majic month 14.
As for our future I'm not sure what is going to happen. We go back in November and most likely will find out if surgery is going to happen or not. The cap off age is 4, but how can you put a freedom loving four year old into a full body cast from the chest down for 6 weeks?? How am i going to handle having a baby in a cast? Not to mention if anything goes wrong we're 5 hours away? I pray for no surgery because I know an experience like that will change our lives forever. I'm a planner and I hate not knowing what's going to happen, I NEED A PLAN! For now HD hangs over our heads until we go back and see the results.