More Hospital Pictures

Sleep?? We don't need any sleep!

2 Weeks Old

Two weeks have gone by in a blur! So far, we have had 2 baths, lots of diaper changes, lots and lots of eating and crying! Mike and I are trying to grab naps whenever possible! Landon is changing so much every day. My mom thinks he looks just like his daddy and I must say I have to agree! I can't write much because my little one is trying to have a crying fit and daddy is holding down the fort. We'll try to post more pictures more frequently than once every 2 weeks. The doctor says the first 2 weeks are the hardest....we'll have to see about that!

My Labor Story

I wanted to put my "labor story" on paper before I forgot it. I woke up Tuesday morning very early (1 or 2 am) with false labor which kept me awake for most of the night. The contractions subsided sometime around 5:30 or 6 am. I was too stubborn to stay home from work. After a full day of work doing physical therapy with my home health patients, I was exhausted but had a great since of accomplishment--and frustration that all that moving around did not re-start the contractions. I did get lots of encouraging words from my patients! Most of them reassuringly said- "Don't worry, we won't see you Thursday!" Tuesday night around 10 pm the contractions started up again. Mike and I decided to try to "sleep" downstairs just in case we needed to get going quickly. It's really hard to sleep when you have gut wrenching pain every 7-10 minutes. Around 3 am Wednesday morning, the contractions stopped and Mike and I went to bed. Just two hours later, the contractions started again, but I could tell these were different. These contractions meant business. Several of them had me hanging onto the bathroom sink. I felt sick after almost every one. I refused to wake Mike up until I was completely sure these were the real thing. I figured this was the last good night's sleep he would get for about 18 years. At 8:00 am I called my mom in Kentucky and told her to pack her suitcase and get ready to leave at a moment's notice. My contractions were still not very regular and I didn't want a bunch of people sitting around my house staring at me. So, I tracked the contractions starting around 10 am, but they would fluctuate between 6 and 15 minutes apart, some really strong and some I could barely feel. All of the books said to wait until they were consistently 5 minutes apart before you went to the hospital. We only live 8 minutes from the hospital, so I knew we'd make it in time. My biggest fear was being sent home. Around 1:00 I called my OB, Dr. Saujani and they told me to come into the office at 2:00 to get checked. I made Mike pack the car before we left (just in case) with our suitcases and labor stuff ( I-pod and a little blue horse for the baby). We got there and WAITED AN HOUR!!!!! Can you believe that??? Anyway, when she checked me I was already dilated to 6 centimeters. I just about jumped for joy that I could finally go to the hospital and see my baby!!!! On the drive across the parking lot to the hospital, I called my parents and told them to come on down. We checked in to the Northeast GA Medical Center around 4pm and by the 6:00 news I was resting comfortably with my epidural. They administered some pitocin around 8 and broke by water around 9pm. Meanwhile, my parents were taking multiple detours to get to the hospital in time. I called them sometime after midnight and told them our boy would arrive on his due date and they could relax and take their time. It was around that same time that it started to storm. I took it as a sign from God that everything was going to be okay--we hadn't had any rain in weeks. The lightning and thunder were peaceful to me. I tried to nap off and on as much as possible, but was just too excited. Since I checked into the hospital, I hadn't been in very much pain and was pretty relaxed considering the situation. Mike tried to rest in this uncomfortable looking hospital recliner. My parents got there around 2:30am on Thursday. I was stuck at 7 cm. I sent them to our home to rest and said we'd call if anything happened. The nurse said it would probably be another 3-4 hours. Just a couple of minutes after they left, I asked the nurse if I could roll over onto my side for comfort. Doing that changed Landon's position somehow and I went from 7 cm to 10 cm and ready to push in a matter of minutes. I was holding onto the bed rail for dear life. My epidural was no longer working and I was in misery!! Poor Mike was trying his best to help, but I was starting to lose my mind. I thought there is no way I can do this another 3-4 hours. Something had changed and this kid was ready to come out. I felt like I needed to push. About that time, the nurse came in, checked me, said I was at 10 cm, and said I could start pushing. I thought--THANK YOU GOD!! To me, it felt like I pushed about 15 minutes. Mike said it was longer than that. I lost track of time when the epidural wore off. Mike was a great labor coach. He really helped me settle down and breathe between contractions and get the most out of my pushes. He was really coaching me up. The nurses were impressed with us as a team- I guess most husbands aren't helpful and most wives don't want to hear it! At 4:07 am, my life changed forever when Landon Gerald Riddle was born. At first, I didn't hear any crying and panicked a little, but Mike said..."he pooped on me as he came out!" That's my boy!! Then I heard the best sound ever, my baby's first cry! When they handed him to me, his eyes were open, his hair was thick, dark, and wet, and his little face was perfect. He had no blemishes or red marks--absolutely perfect! He was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen!!! I instantly fell in love with my baby boy. Mike and I feel truly blessed to be Landon's parents. That's my story!!

I saw God today- Landon is Here!!!

(Written by Mike) There are no words to explain how much our life has changed and how much more complete it seems in these last 3 days. Landon Gerald Riddle joined us at 4:07 A.M. this past Thursday morning weighing 7 lbs. 4 oz. at 20" long. As he was born, I felt a closeness to my wife and to the Lord that I have never felt before. We are so blessed to have a healthy beautiful son and I know that our lives will never be the same. Love has definitely taken on a new meaning. Our feelings for our son are so great and so deep that any words that I would use to explain it would be inadequate. I have gotten more fulfillment from looking at his face, hearing his little baby grunts, and touching his soft skin that it is truly amazing to think that he has just been with us for three days. We can't tell everyone how much we appreciate your thoughts, support, and prayers as we have progressed from pregnancy to birth. The Lord has shown Himself to us and we are humbled that He has trusted us with such a precious little boy. Recognizing His love for us including His ultimate sacrifice has opened our eyes to a new level of appreciation and love for the Lord.

I also wanted to take this time to let everyone know what a tremendous mommy Brandee has become and what a great job she did throughout the pregnancy and the birth. While I thought that my love for her was at the highest level possible, it has dramatically escalated as we move into parenthood. Her physical, emotional, and spiritual strength was incredible. There is no doubt that I am blessed well beyond what I deserve to have such a wonderful and compassionate woman as my wife and the mother of our son.

Bailey Patiently Waits for his Baby Brother- Our 39 Week Appointment Update

Bailey has a bad habit of getting all of his toys out and spreading them all over the floor. He's getting ready to share all of them with his baby brother....as soon as he gets here. Bailey is getting pretty tired from all of this waiting, and so is mommy (38 weeks in this picture)! So, here's the latest from our 39 week OB appointment.....The baby has dropped some, but I am still not dilated any. Assuming that our little Landon doesn't decide to make his grand entrance into this world between now and next Thursday (June 12th- the date that's been etched in out hearts and minds as "due date" for the last 9 months in case anyone forgot!), we have a back up plan of induction.

Here is what it is: Next Thursday, we have an appointment at 2pm for an ultrasound biophysical profile, which basically means they are going to measure Landon's size and weight (which could be 1 lb. off less or more), assess his breathing, and check amniotic fluid levels. Based on his size estimates, one of two things will happen. If he's measuring a little small, they will most likely have us wait until the following week (week of June 16th) for induction. If he's normal or larger size, they will most likely admit me that night (June 12th) to begin the induction process. This process, as explained to us, is a 2 day process. I'd be admitted the night before for the placement of Cervadil, which is a medication that "ripens" the cervix and gets it ready for delivery. You have to be in the hospital for this because it can start actual contractions and the baby would need to be monitored. The following morning, the Cervadil would be removed, and Pitocin would be started. I've been told that Pitocin induced contractions feel like you're being hit by a mack truck- which I'm really not looking forward to! Unfortunately, the next day would be Friday the 13th. Not a very lucky date, but at this point, enough prayers have been prayed to protect both myself and this precious baby from any bad luck. Our doctor is scheduled to be at the hospital on Friday June 13th, but will not be there the following week, which also leads me to believe that she will be more inclined to induce the 12th so she can be there. If he is smaller for his gestational age, she will be forced to wait until next week and we'll just get who we get as the delivering doctor. I'm okay with that at this point. So that's pretty much where we are right now. I'm still trying to walk as much as possible. I'm also planning on working up to and on next Thursday because I have to have something to do or I'll go crazy! Everything else has been done and I can only watch so much television and read so many pregnancy/baby books. Mike is closely monitoring my caseload so I don't overdo it. I did tell work today that next Thursday will be my last day. I don't want any patients scheduled for Friday just in case I'm in the hospital! I'll update everyone if anything changes and will try to post an update after the appointment next Thursday.