The month started off as usual with doctor appointments for me, the Coaches Radio Show at Kelly's Brew Pub in ABQ, breastfeeding class, maternity pictures photo shoot, the first UNM Lobo football game, a date day with the Hubs, Labor Day, buying our "baby mobile" a 2012 Ford Explorer XLT, more doctor appointments, the UNM Fall Coaches' Luncheon at the Marriott, picking up my new car, lunch with the Hubs before he left to go out of town for the UNM vs. Arkansas football game. Lee had a blast on his trip and I was glad that I didn't go into labor while he was gone.
The next week changed our lives forever, literally! The week started off like any normal week. I had a lazy day at the house on Monday and then on Tuesday, I had my 4th and final Baby Shower in Albuquerque at the St. James Tea Room with lots of ladies from the Athletics Department. It was a great shower and a great turnout. I am one blessed girl and Landon is already one loved little boy!
On Wednesday morning, September 14th, I woke up at 1:00 a.m. to my water breaking....not just a leak but a huge gush that kept coming. I immediately woke Lee up and called my mom. Then my contractions started at 1:15 a.m. Wow, they came fast and furious and were at 6 minutes apart right away. I proceeded to take a shower and dry my hair, stopping to breathe through contractions while Lee put the car seat in the car, packed a hospital bag, took a shower, checked the mail, washed our sheets, and cleaned up my water breaking mess. I proceed to start throwing up and had no idea why since I never got sick during my pregnancy. That scared me and we finally decide to leave for the hospital at 3:00 a.m. We arrive at Presbyterian Hospital at 3:15 a.m. and I get sick all in the parking lot, then we walk to the front door, while I stop and hug a few trees to breathe through more contractions. We make it and get to triage where I have my first pelvic exam to find that I'm already dilated to 8 cm....holy moly! No time to change into a hospital gown and I get wheeled into my Labor & Delivery Room. By this point it is 3:45 a.m. and I am fully dilated to 10 cm and asking for an epidural since I have such bad back labor. I was told it was too late and that the anathielogist (sp?) was in a c-section. I try to push at 4:30 a.m. but couldn't lay on my back so I waited until 6:15 a.m. to get an epidural. I got the epidural and then rested until 7:45 a.m. Around 7:00 a.m. my mom makes it to the hosptial from Dallas and I get to see her before I start pushing. Then I pushed until 10:30 a.m. with no progress. Landon's head kept slipping back up into the birth canal and wouldn't come down fully. By the point, we get another doctor in the room and she does an ultrasound to make sure Landon was in the correct positon and he was. Then she decides that he has been in the birth canal too long and that she needs to use the vacuum on him. We go for it and the vacuum slipped off his head twice before she finally gets him to crown while I am pushing. His head gets stuck in the crowning position for 30 minutes, of which I can feel all kinds of burning and pressure and myself tearing....truly awful feeling. At this point about 15 other doctor and nurses start coming into the room and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team comes in. Landon was finally born at 11:14 a.m. and he was NOT breathing. (Keep in mind that I still don't have a hospital gown on, so in true Southern Texas style, I delivered my son in pearl earrings and a Texas A&M football t-shirt....whoop!) The NICU team takes Landon right away while the doctor spends 45 minutes sewing me up. No one says a word until Landon starts breathing and then I was told what was going on. All the while, my epidural came out of my back and I could the doc sewing me up so she had to use a needle to deaden the area locally....talk about pain...OUCH! All worth it in the end though! Lee was a trooper and held me hand through it all. I truly don't think I could have made it without him. Finally, an hour after Landon was born, I was able to hold him for the first time. He weighed 5lbs 15oz and was 18.5 inches long. Such a sweet and healthy baby boy!
Lee's family came into town on Thursday and stayed through Sunday. We got discharged on Thursday and headed to the house. Then on Friday, we had our first pediatrician's appointment and all went well except for a little jaundice but thankfully we didn't have to go back to the hospital.
The following week was very low key and filled with more lab visits and pediatrician's appointments for jaundice, mom and I got pedicures, went to the photography place to pick out maternity pics (haha!), my 27th birthday was filled with lunch with Lee, mom, and Landon at Fudrucker's, shopping for Lobo clothes, roses from Lee, take out dinner from Rudy's, massage therapist came to the house to give Mom and me an hour long massage....best present ever!....and finally on Saturday we all went to the UNM homecoming football game. Landon was 10 days old and did great and I was wearing my regular pre-pregnancy jeans, which felt awesome! Mom left on Sunday morning and it was a sad day for us all.
Finally, the last week of September was filled with a lazy day with Landon all by myself on Monday and Tuesday and then Lee took off Wednesday - Friday to spend time with us. It was wonderful having Lee around for 5 days to help and let me get out to run a few errands. Lee had a few work functions to attend while he was off and we had Landon's two week pediatrician's appointment. He now weighs 6 pounds 12 ounces and is 19.5 inches long and a growing little boy. However, he does have acid reflux pretty badly though so he is on meds for that. Hopefully, it starts working soon. Over all, he is a happy, healthy two week old and we are praising God for our miracle every day!
