Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Wedding~September 12th, 2009

21st Birthday & Denver Dr. Appointment Monday

My 21st birthday is this Saturday, January 2nd. It seems hard to believe a year has passed so quickly.


I have been wishing to freeze or slow down time so I know that Isabella Jeannette will stay safe and sound, dancing in my tummy. Every time she kicks or hiccups it makes my heart swell, and I love her that much more.



We leave on Sunday to head down to Denver for another appointment with Dr. Becker on Monday. I always get so nervous before these appointments, even though I shouldn't. Every time we have an ultra sound done everything looks great.


I love the memories I am making with my precious baby, but can't help dread the coming year. I worry that I won't have her this time next year. This worries me to no end......

(Dang hormones making me emotional again.) :(

Christmas 2009 & Isabella's 2nd 3D/4D Ultrasound

Christmas this year was wonderful. Everyone was able to be together, and Tyler made it home earlier than expected! :) We spend Thursday, Friday, and Saturday with my mom at her house. I loved everything I recieved. My mom got me the most beatuiful angel necklace, and my aunt & uncle got us a camcorder, which will be wonderful when our little angel makes her appearance. :)
The day after Christmas, we went to Isabella's 2nd 3D/4D ultrasound, despite the snow. I love seeing her smiling and moving. She showed us her gorgeous smile, pouty face, and her Elvis smirk. I cannot wait to see her do all of this when she comes!! It is so neat feeling her move and actually watching her kick me at the same time. It's surreal.

I love my Isabella Jeannette!

Isabella Jeannette's Birth Plan


Christine Hannah Dice
D.O.B. 01/02/1989
2029 Sioux Trail
Bar Nunn, WYO 82601
1-307-277-6663
Last Revised: November 9th, 2009

Pregnancy/Labor/Birth Plan for the delivery of Isabella Jeannette Dice

There will no more mentioning terminate my pregnancy. My family and I have made the decision that this will not be an option.
Continued monitoring of Isabella through out the remainder of my pregnancy, including frequent ultrasounds to check her growth, fluid level in her head (if any), and levels of my amniotic fluid.
Scheduled C-Section at least 1-2 weeks before my due date, to ensure that I do not go into labor in Wyoming, and to also reduce stress on Isabella. (February 8th)
During labor and the delivery, there will be fetal monitors on Isabella.
Cephalocentesis will not be preformed on Isabella.
Also during labor, I want the neonatologists present so they may assess her immediately and aid her if she needs it.
There will not be a Do Not Resuscitate form signed for her, please do not present us with them.
If she needs assistance during the labor, delivery or after it is to be administered, no hesitation.
If she is breathing on her own, I want her handed directly to my husband and I so we can see her. After that the specialists may take her to assess her, and see if she needs any further assistance.
If she is in need of assistance breathing, it is to be administered no hesitation.
If a shunt is needed, then it is to be put in when the neonatologists feels she can handle it.
If a naso-gastric feeding tube or any other feeding device is needed, it is also to be put in no hesitation.

More of Isabella's Story...

When Dr. Becker called with her MRI results, it felt like my world crashed down. The results confirmed what she had suspected, Holoprosencephaly, (Alobar or Severe Semi-Lobar). I had no clue what that was, and she was pushing for me to terminate since I was coming up on the 24 week cut off. I told her termination was not something I could do and I would carry her to full term with all the care that was available. She then proceeded to tell me there would be no extra monitoring, no fetal monitor during labor and no resuscitation if Isabella were to need it. Hearing this tore me apart. This was not what I wanted to hear from my doctor. I wanted everything possible for Isabella done.
I was not going to stand for her dictating that I was to let my daughter die without any help from doctors. This was a guilt I was not going to live with.
When I called her back, I 'layed down the law', and explained exactly what was going to happen with my Isabella Jeannette.
I also made an appointment with a neonatologist at the Children's Hospital in Denver.
My last appointment, November 30th with Dr. Becker was a complete 180. Her attitude was completely different, more supportive. This put me more at ease.
When I met with the neonatologist, he made me feel completely relaxed and confident. He said there was no reason she wouldn't be going home with us a week after I had her, and that he wasn't even going to take the fetal mri into account, since it was like 'looking through frosted glass'. He had my birth plan, and had no reservations about any of it.

I really needed to feel like the doctors were behind me and now I think they are.

Family Story & Isabella's Story <3

Welcome to our blog about my precious angel Isabella Jeannette, due to bless us with her presence on February 8th via c-section.

My husband and I were married on September 12th, 2009 in Casper, WY. It was a wonderful day for us and our families.

We had found out we were expecting in June 2009, and very excited about becoming first time parents.

I went with my mom (Tyler was out of town for work- got to love the oil field) for my 20 week ultrasound on September 29th. That was when everything changed.
The technician said that they needed to review her scans and the she would be back in 10 minutes. More than that time had passed, and we were busy telling everyone the good news that we were expecting a beautiful baby girl. The radiologist came back in and told us we needed to go to my OB doctors office immediately.
We rushed over there, and that's when I found out there was something abnormal about her brain. They scheduled me for an appointment in Denver, CO (about 4 hours from where I live) with a perinatologist on Friday, Oct. 2nd.
The next few days went by in a blur, I was numb from shock. I didn't want anyone around me, or anyone to really know.
We (my mom, husband and auntie) headed down to Denver the night before. We are very fortunate to have family in Littleton that we can stay with.
At the appointment, I met Dr. Tara Becker for the first time. They did level II ultrasounds on me and also a 3D ultrasound. We all got to see our precious angel moving and smiling.
They knew something was wrong, and wanted to do an amniocentesis to make sure there were no chromosomal defects as well. (That hurt!!! And Isabella Jeannette kept trying to reach for the needle. Ahh my curious girl.)
I was also sent to get a fetal MRI done, this took over an hour, because Isabella was having no part of laying still for them to get a clear picture.
They did a rapid test of the amino and everything came back negative for Trisomy 13 & 18.
When we got the complete report, everything else was perfect. She also showed no defects of any other body part or organ.