Landon's Birthday!!

Landon was born 4.14.12 at 5:01 PM.  Here is the story of his birthday!

I woke up at 7 AM on Saturday and was bummed because I thought it might be the last Saturday of my life to sleep in and here I am, up at 7..UGH.  I got up and went to the bathroom, laid in bed and had a contraction.  I hadn't had any contractions up to this point so assumed it was a braxton-hicks.  Matt went into work to try to get a little overtime and I tried to go back to sleep.  I had another contraction at 7:15 and then another at 7:30...thinking that 15 minutes was a little regular I went to get out of bed and it happened.  My water broke.  I will admit, I wasn't quite sure, but really hoped I didn't just wet my pants b/c that is just embarrassing!!  I went to the bathroom and decided that my water did break.  I called Mercy nurse and they told me to come in, they would check me and if it did break, I had 24 hours to have a baby.  I tried calling and texting Matt, but got no answer.  So, I decided to take a quick shower, shave my legs :o) and throw everything into the hospital bag.  It was about 8:40 and I still hadn't heard from Matt.  I was starting to have more regular contractions so I decided I better go to his work and get him. 

I showed up to Matt's work and started asking random people where I might be able to find him.  I am pretty sure all the guys looking at me were a little worried a baby might make an appearance right there in the warehouse!!  Matt finally came walking around the corner (thinking I came to get him because Sophie got out) and I had to tell him my water broke and we have to move!!  That got him moving a little faster!!  He showered finished his packing for the hospital and we were on our way.  We had big plans for the weekend including finishing hospital packing and putting the car seat into the car.  So we threw the bag in the car along with the car seat (still in the plastic) and were on our way.

We got to the hospital at 9:40 AM.  By this time my contractions were approximately 4 minutes apart  They took a swab and determined that my water had in fact broke and I was officially admitted.  They got me all hooked up and we were on our way.  The nurse called the Dr. about starting pitosin and that was denied, he wanted to see how I progressed on my own first.  Well I sure did that!!  At 10 I was checked and was 4 cm.  The nurse asked if I wanted my epidural and I thought I would be tough and not get it right away.  Well by 11 I wanted the epidural...contractions were coming much closer together and really started to hurt.  I tried walking and that did not help at all, so I sat on a yoga ball and Matt rubbed my back.  I had to get into bed for the anesthesiologist to come and that was when it hit the wall.  From 11-11:45 I had contractions that felt like one solid contraction with little down time or relief.  This is when stuff got real and I pretty much shut down.  Matt thought I blacked out b/c I just laid still and tried to breath...wanting to scream, but knowing that wasn't going to do any good.  I got IV medication, that did not help much at all, then the miracle happened.  The Dr came in and got me started on the epidural.  I know some people want all natural, but if they make the drug why not use it...it was amazing!!  I got checked again and in the past hour and a half I had gone from a 4 to a 7 and was progressing quickly. 

For the next 2.5 hours Matt and I just hung out and watched TV.  I got my temp checked around 1 and had a slight fever.  The Dr. decided that as a precautionary I needed to be on IV antibiotics and Landon would need to go to the NICU to make sure he was also monitored closely and didn't get an infection either.  They thought that my fever may have meant an infection in the amniotic fluid.  So we started to prepare ourselves that shortly after birth Landon would need to take a trip upstairs instead of staying with us in our room.  At 3 the nurse came in and I was at a 9.5 nearing a 10.  She decided she would let my body continue to push and we would start at 3:30. 

She came in at 3:30 and we started pushing.  This really was nothing like you see on TV...push for 30 seconds and then would have 3-4 minutes of down time...at 4:40 she called in the Dr.  I pushed one more time while he got dressed.  I only pushed about 5 more times and Landon made his appearance.  5:01 PM after exactly 10 hours of labor.  I really couldn't have asked for anything better...as my friend Heather said...just a day at work. 

Landon was taken to the NICU shortly after he was born and Matt went with him while I stayed in the labor/delivery room to recover. I was finally able to go up and see him around 8 PM. We stayed there until approx. 10. Then we went back up every 4 hours to try to feed and get started on NICU Care which included changing the diaper, taking his temperature (which he hated), and making sure his pulsox monitor was switched from foot to foot.  It was hard to see our little guy attached to so many machines, but you have to do what you have to do.

We were known as the people with the "big baby" around the NICU.  It seems like all who came in or talked to us and said, Oh your the couple with the big baby...yep all 7lbs. 10 oz. of him!!

The next day we had lots of family visitors and that night Landon finally got a bath.  He hated it, but daddy and our favorite nurse, Danielle, did a great job.  It was nice to finally get his hair washed and give him that awesome "baby" smell.

Day 3 mommy was discharged, but luckily the nurses let us stay in the room until 11:00 PM and then we packed up the car and Matt went home, while I stayed in Landon's room.   Probably the most uncomfortable night ever.  really no where to sleep and alarms went off all night.  But, Matt came back bright and early to try to relieve me.

The neonatologist came in around 8 and said she would let us go home 2 hours after his circumcision. So at 1:30 PM on Tuesday 4.17.12 we graduated the NICU and made our way home. The nurses in mother/baby and especially the NICU were fantastic. However it is GREAT to be home!!

As I am writing this we had our first blow out...somehow Landon managed to miss his diaper while sleeping on his side next to me on the couch and pee all over my leg, down his PJ's and the couch...oh the joys!!  I wouldn't have it any other way!!