I have changed my blog address because the email that I use to log in and add to this one is ultra out-dated. I haven't used it for years because it gets too much spam. So my new blog is made from my primary email address, which doesn't effect you, I understand, but it will make blogging much easier for me.
My new blog address: http://wilcoxwanderings.blogspot.com/
Justin is 2 months old now! He's had a hard couple weeks. He got an eye infection right after the baby blessing and it made him feel awful. He is starting to feel better now and is smiling a lot more and sleeping a lot better.
AJ and his Dad, Steve, started the major project of landscaping our yard on Saturday, 9/12. They trenched the yard to get ready for sprinkler pipe. The trencher is a beast of a machine. It makes Jason's chainsaw look like a Playskool toy. They had me drive it for a minute and it was a bit scary. I couldn't believe some of the maneuvers I saw them pull!
Justin had a hernia consultation appointment Sept 17th . Dr. Matlak found that he has the one hernia on the left side of the groin that we already knew of and two hydroceles, which is a condition where there is fluid that has leaked down from the abdomin through the hernia opening. This is noteworthy for two reasons: 1) there isn't supposed to be that much fluid there, 2) it means there is a sort of "pre-hernia" on the right side as well. The Dr explained that if he operated on only the left side it would put too much pressure on the right side and Justin would inevitably develop a hernia there too. So, he is going to take care of both sides and drain the fuid in both testicles. Also, the Dr said that even though it appears that Justin's umbilical cord hernia is getting bigger it isn't the size that matters, the hole itself is small and the wall of the hole is thick and firm which gives the Dr confidence that it will mend itself. He said they do 90% of the time. So no surgery on the belly button.Justin is set for surgery on October 8th. It is a "same-day surgery" which means he doesn't have to spend the night (unless there are complications). The operation itself will take about 1 hr 30 min. The hospital will call the night before to let me know what time the surgery appointment is and give me more instructions. The appointment is 3 weeks out because the Dr wanted to wait until his eye infection cleared to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to the healing portion of his body. Since the hernia is loose there isn't much risk of the intestines getting caught in the hole and losing circulation.
Here is a picture of his umbilical hernia.
Ok, have you ever had the unfortunate experience of missing the Enrichment where they do the cool vinyl lettering on tile or wood and then you feel like you will never get your family name in vinyl on a board? Well this is how I felt until I learned my cousin, Denise, started her own business in vinyl! So, we had a girls night last September and we all went down to Denise's and made our own Vinyl plaques! My mom posted some pictures of our work on her blog. Here is the link: more vinyl examples. (You have to scroll down to the end of the post.)
Anyway, Denise recently created a website! So if you missed your Enrichement vinyl night and want to order something of your own, it just got easier! Click here to see her website Vinyl Me This and create your own custom vinyl letters.
My old college roommates April and Julie came to visit on Aug 4th. Julie went into the MTC on the 5th so she was in town and April and I wanted to capitalize on this. She is serving a mission in Guatemala. We had a fun visit chatting about what we're doing now and "the good old days" when we were at BYU-I together. I love my roomies!
Justin is one month old! I can't believe a month has gone by since we were in the hospital. Time has blurred by.
Here of some of Justin's milestones:
- Weight 6lbs 13oz
- Length 19 inches (as of 2wk appt, he's got to be 20" now)
- Eats only once or twice a night now
- Focuses his eyes more on objects
- Holds his head up momentarily
- Does mini push ups when on his tummy
- He can switch back and forth between bottle and nursing
- We went for a walk in our stroller for the first time today
Likes:
- Looking at the blinds and the ceiling fans
- Sleeping belly down with legs all tucked up into his little body on my belly (reminds me of being pregnant)
- Eating his fist or an occasional finger or thumb
- His little bear mobile which plays "Rock-a-Bye Baby"
- Listening to us play Rock Band (Seriously, he falls asleep every time)
- Listening to his Jewel Lullaby CD
- Being tightly swaddled
- To cuddle
- To hold hands
My favorite things about him:
- Holding his hand, well, his hand holding my finger
- His soft, silky hair
- His sweet smell
- Seeing his little eyes meet mine
- Kissing his chubby cheeks
- Hearing all his funny little sounds
- Watching him sleep and seeing his changing facial expressions
We had a fun double shower for my cousin Ashleigh who is pregnant and my cousin Jodi who is getting married. I was able to go because AJ and his parents watched Justin. When AJ came to pick me up I got to show Justin off to all my awesome family which was fun. His head was pronounced as having a good shape, his ears were found to be nicely against his head, and other such triumphant remarks were made. 
We love our GREAT Grandmas. Here are a couple pictures with our Grandmas.
Justin with his Great Grandma Zenna.
Justin with his Great Granny Ella.
Well, the date on here says Monday but it is actually early Wednesday morning because I couldn't finish the post and had to find a free moment another day to complete it. It turns out Justin is sleeping great tonight but I cannot for the life of me fall asleep, so here is my free moment! I'm not even drowsy and every tiny thing is distracting me from being able to settle down. It is ultra frustrating because this is the only time I can sleep. Justin doesn't really take it well when I ask him to feed or entertain himself while I nap.
Anyway, back to my original purpose in posting: helping visits. Karma came down and helped me my first week out of the hospital with Justin. She probably got a little more than she bargained for, I was a little psycho.
I was so worried about Justin being in the NICU while we were in the hospital that I didn't have time to think about bringing him home. We fully expected to be discharged on Sunday and then have to come back and get him. We didn't imagine he would get to come home with us the same day we left. We had never spent the night with him and that first night home was extremely overwhelming. I realized I had no idea what I was doing!
Justin LOVES to be held and would not hear of being set down. Then our first Monday home Justin was tested for Jaundice and had to be under the bili lights 24/7 except for feedings. This, plus the enormous lack of sleep, equalled several regular breakdowns for me. But we got through it.
The next Sunday my Mom, Erika, and Livvy came to help. I was a little more steady by this time and Justin was off the bili lights. Needless to say it was still an adventure.
Also, I can't forget about help from siblings that live close by. Thanks guys. It's been a blessing to have so many offers to help.
The classic, in-a-hat picture taken especially for my Dad.
Looking a lot less yellow. Look at those cute rosy cheeks.
Tag Team 1
Tag Team 2, Part A
Tag Team 2, Part B
So I guess I thought we would just one day go in and take the bili level test and the numbers would be low enough that Justin would be deemed Jaundice-free. It wasn't quite like that. I didn't know there were all these "off the lights" trial periods.
On Thursday I took him to the hospital lab for another test and he was down from 14.5 to 12.5. So he was temporarily off the lights. On both Friday and Saturday his test results were 14.5 so on Saturday the Dr said he could still be off the lights but needed to be on formula (yuck!) for 48 hours and retested on Monday. I took him in again for his test on Monday and his numbers went down to 10.6! So it wasn't quite as black and white as I thought it would be but at least he is doing better. He is now free of the lights for good...as long as he doesn't decide to be a carrot again.
When we left the hospital, the Dr told us we could take Justin with us (miracle) but he also said we needed to return the next morning to do a bilirubin test. It turns out he has Jaundice and the Dr ordered lights. This was hard for me to accept because our first night with him was so difficult. He was awake all night and did not want to be set down and he wasn't taking food very easily. I had hardly any sleep for the last several nights and when the Dr told me he needed to be kept in a suitcase 24 hrs a day accept for feedings I knew he would have a hard time being in there and my heart broke again for him.
We got the lights and started feeding him more often and tried to get him to eat more to pass the bilirubin quicker. He had an adjustment period but he has done so well! He loves to be touched and held so sometimes feedings are a little longer to accommodate for cuddle time. The latest test showed his bili levels have gone down slightly and we go in for another test this morning. He is looking less like a carrot and more like a little boy so I am hoping his bili levels show much more improvement.
I would like to also add that he is eating SO much better now. I am so impressed with him. Each time he has struggled with something we work together and he gets right down to business. He is a fast learner and even though there is an asjustment period he plows through and improves what he needs to quickly. I am so thankful he is able to do that.
Here are a few random pictures and pictures of the lights he is under.
At just 37 weeks and 2 days, Justin James Wilcox was born at 1:09pm on July 17th, 2009. He was 5lbs 8oz and 18 inches long.
I was given Cervidil to soften my cervix at 9pm on July 16th and was induced at 6am on July 17th. Labor progressed quickly and I was given an epidural later that morning. A little after noon I started feeling it was time to push and we began to at 12:22pm. Then, our little boy made his way into the world at 1:09pm. AJ was amazing. He held one leg as a nurse held the other through each contraction. I was able to cut the umbilical cord. I also had the Dr show me the placenta and I touched the inside to see if it really was silky like is rumored. It is.
I don't know what his initial APGAR score was but they noticed he had trouble breathing, he would make little grunting noises. They quickly gave the baby to AJ and told him to, "bring him to Mom". He headed toward Karma, my mother-in-law, and all I could shout was, "No, Mom, Mom, Mom..." until he realized they meant me and turned around.
I got to hold Justin for a minute or two and then because of his breathing difficulty they took him to the NICU. AJ went with him. I couldn't go because my legs were still numb. It was all I could do to not just roll onto the floor and drag myself to the NICU. But after about 2 1/2 hours I was feeling enough again that my wonderful nurse wheeled me in to see him. My heart broke when I saw him on the pressured oxygen. I felt so helpless.
The pressured oxygen kind of inflates the lungs for him. They used it for a while and then took him off to see if he would breath on his own. He still struggled. So they put him back on pressured oxygen until they could give him a chemical called surfactant to help his lungs. Just before they gave him the surfactant AJ and his Dad gave Justin a blessing. It was the most heart wrenching and beautiful blessing I have heard. Heavenly Father promised that he would be healthy and strong. This reassurance brought so much peace and comfort.
After he was given surfactant he did much better. He was able to breath all through the night on his own. All the while I had been pumping and after a night pump I went in to see him around 4am. I was able to hold him. Later that morning I was able to breastfeed him for the first time.
He has continually progressed. Last night he was taken off his IV. And now all that he has on are little sensors to monitor his blood oxygen level and heart rate. Some blood was drawn on his birthday to test for infection and that has preliminarily just come back as negative. This means he will not have to stay on antibiotics.
He now has nothing keeping him in the NICU. The Dr will assess his condition just before we will be discharged around 1pm today and he may get to come home with us today.
***NEWS UPDATE! THE DR JUST CAME IN AND CLEARED JUSTIN TO COME HOME WITH US TODAY!***
Yesterday we had some visitors. Kate, Steve, Monica, and Johnny came by to visit their nephew. AJ took them into the NICU one by one while I took a much needed nap. Grandma and Grandpa Wilcox came by and got to hold him.
Then we got to have a much awaited event: the first bath! AJ video taped this whole event and I was able to be there too since I could now walk . He woke up and looked around. He did a funny chicken dance with his arms, they were kind of folded in and then he would wiggle or shake them so it looked like he was making wings of his arms trying to take off.
The last few days have been life altering. I have seen a new side of AJ. He has been such a strength and a support for me and Justin. I have fallen in love with my child and feel like I would brave anything for him. I am so proud of him. He is patient and faithful, he keeps trying through frustration. I have felt the fear of losing him and the peace and comfort from Heavenly Father when he promised us that Justin would be healthy and strong.
It's been a little hard to walk down the hall to the NICU and pass by the other rooms with mothers in there with their babies. I wanted my baby to be in my room with me, but then I think of all the little miracles that have taken place over the last couple days and remember that he will be coming home with me soon and I am filled with overwhelming gratitude that I have that opportunity.
To family and friends that have kept us in your prayers:
Thank you isn't enough but there aren't stronger words. I know that Heavenly Father hears our prayers. Thank you so much for your faith, support, and love.
Here are some of my favorite pictures. Enjoy!
By the way: Does he have red hair? No, :( But it is a beautiful warm honey, light brown. Perhaps it will turn red down the line.
I had an AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index) ultrasound today that showed the AFI at 12.8cm which is an improvement, however the baby showed in the 6th percentile for size. The Dr feels since I've now had two ultrasounds that show the baby under the 10th percentile and I am full term that it will be best if he is delivered. The little size (they estimate he is about 5lbs 7oz) is a red flag that he may not be getting the nutrients he needs. He may just be little, or he may be needing nutrients and the Dr. feels it is better to take him while he is showing well on the NST (Non-stress Test, monitor's baby's heart beat) than have to do an emergency c-section if he becomes distressed between now and 40 weeks.
So that being the case, I will go into the hospital at 9pm tonight and get a medicine to soften my cervix. Then I will be induced with pitocin around 6am tomorrow. We don't know the condition of the baby right now other than he seems to be doing fine based on the NSTs and ultrasounds. He may need to go to the NICU or he may not. We will find out when he arrives.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers!
This Monday I went in for my regular Dr's appointment and my belly measured small (34.5cm), the same as last week. My Dr ordered an ultrasound and I came in later that day. The ultrasound showed the baby in the 1st percentile of size and my amniotic fluid at 6.1cm when it is supposed to be more like 8 or 9cm.
Because of these low numbers I was sent to the hospital to do a NST (Non-stress Test) so the baby's heart beat could be monitored. The NST showed the baby was fine. But when the DR learned the results of the ultrasound he had me admitted to the hospital over night. I was put on an IV to increase my fluids and was continuously on a NST.
Tuesday afternoon I was scheduled for another ultrasound, but at the hospital this time. This machine is a little more precise than the one at the Dr's office. Waiting for this ultrasound was a little unnerving because if my fluids didn't increased or the baby's size showed under the 10th percentile the Dr was going to induce me and deliver the baby today. Luckily things looked good. The read out showed my amniotic fluid increased to 10cm and the baby's size was actually in the 25th percentile.
Now I will go in twice a week to be monitored with an NST and AFI (Amniotic Fluid Index). I have a regular Dr's appointment and a more specialized ultrasound scheduled for next Monday. The Dr is thinking he'll induce me during the 39th week (I am 37 weeks today). Since the baby will be far enough along, it makes more sense to deliver him than keep monitoring.
Wow, we have been quite the social butterflies lately. Last weekend we hung out with serveral friends and did fireworks. Friday and Saturday nights we were outside for a less than an hour and the next day I noticed I had become a holiday snack to the mesquitos. My feet get pretty swollen by night time lately and I suppose that is why the little suckers picked them for their meal. I have 5 bites on my left foot and 6 bites on my right foot. Thanks goodness for bug bite cream!
We have a bonus room upstairs that needed to be finished within 30 days of closing on our house (loan stipulation) and it's now done! Here are some pictures of it as the boys are working on it and then all done. 
My wonderful sister-in-law, Kate, and mom-in-law, Karma, volunteered to throw me a baby shower. It was super fun! We played the string game where people guess how big around you are and one friend guessed spot on! I was so impressed! Other highlights include refreshments that reflected my food cravings throughout the pregnancy, a diaper cake Karma made, a fruit bouquet Kate made, and a contest to see who could create the most accurate Baby Wilcox image from cutting up magazine pictures. It was super fun!
We had a busy weekend...
SHOWER
On Friday my aunts threw me a baby shower. It was fun to have so many family members together. I received many lovely gifts. Thank you family! This picture below shows the cute blankets given to Baby Wilcox. My sisters and I all wore teal on accident so we needed a shot.
REUNION
On Saturday we had a family reunion. It rained ALL day! But luckily the pool was heated. Here are some of the pictures of AJ, Monica, and Johnny playing with Olivia.
It was important we could still use the pool because we had some water contests to compete in. AJ won 3! He won the rubber ducky contest where you have to guide a duck with your nose to the other side of the pool, the cannon ball contest, and the swim with a ball between your knees contest. I was very proud of him. Here is a collage of some of his jumps off the diving board.
***Thanks Diane for your recommendation of using Picasa. It did the trick!***
After AJ got a full time job in mid-April I crunched the numbers hard core to see if we could afford a better living environment. Our apartment was terrific and has allowed us to save a lot of money over the last few years but it was limited on space especially with a baby on the way.
I searched everyday on ziprealty.com to find possible homes we could look at but so many were short sales or too pricey. We could not find anything in our price range that also had all the things that we wanted.
We were really discouraged one Sunday in mid-May. Then the following Monday, May 11th I had some extra time after a doctor's appointment and thought I would look again. I found a home with no picture listed but had many of the things we were looking for in a house.
I never looked at the listings without pictures because that usually means their ugly or I am just not enticed enough to look more. However, this time I looked. When I saw it was built in 2009 and was the square footage it was I thought for sure it was another short sale. I looked it up and it was a regular sale!
That night my sister Monica came over and she, AJ, and I drove by the house since it was near our apartment. It was a dream! So pretty! We peeked into the windows to see what it was like and I felt my jaw drop to the ground. I had to dust it off so I could tell AJ I wanted to make an offer ASAP.
I like the house so much I asked Monica if she would go back with me after dinner so I could take pictures of it (I hadn't taken pictures earlier). When we came back we found a flyer about the house with the builder's phone number on it. Since our real estate agent was out of town for the week I decided to call the builder to see if we could get in sometime soon. He told us he could show us the house that night and that it was funny I called when I did because just an hour before he got a message that the contract the house was in fell through.
When we arrived we found another couple and their agent at the house. They had been trying to get into the home for a while and happened to be passing by when they saw the lights on with the builder preparing to show the house.
AJ and I liked it so much we emailed our agent to make an offer first thing in the morning. We found out that couple that stopped in had made an offer that night and another couple people made offers as well. Yikes! We were up against some tough competition.
Luckily, our offer was the strongest and with a connection we had at Zions we knew we could close faster than usual which was important to the builder. We made an offer on Tuesday, May 12th and found out that night that our offer was accepted. We closed on Wednesday, June 3rd and moved in Thursday, June 4th.
There were many events that made this beautiful, beyond-our-reach home somehow within our reach. It is another display of Heavenly Father's blessings when He says "prove me now herewith...if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it." (Mal 3:10) There were also many friends and family members who help us ready loan papers, pack, clean, etc. THANK YOU!
BEFORE
AFTER
Setting up and trying out our new dining table.
One of AJ's life goals is to run a marathon. Well, check that one off the list! He ran the Utah Valley Marathon and came in at about 5 hours and 55 minutes exceeding his expectations. He ran for 16 miles straight. Here are some pictures.
(BTW: I haven't forgotten about posting about our new house but I am trying to figure out how to do a collage because I don't want to upload 50 pictures on here. If you have a collage program you use please pass on the web address in the comments. Thanks!)
And here is the most recent picture I have of my pregnant self. Outie belly button and all.
