Update on our lives

Landon with his friend Carson

Sleepy Baby

We have made it past the two month mark! Landon is such a good baby! He has his moments but don't we all. For the most part he is sleeping at least 6 hours a night. That is a whole lot better than him waking up every 2-3 hours. He has started smiling and laughing at us. It is so much fun to have him around. He is getting a little chubby and it is so cute! He loves being held and he has plenty of people to hold him. He has started to become quite opinionated and he will let us know if things are not to his standard.

Smiley Boy

Last Monday we had his two month appointment. He is now 24.5 inches and 12 pounds 8 ounces. He is in the 96 percentile for height, no surprise there. He got his shots and he was not a very happy baby but he was super cuddly and just wanted to be held and be next to mom and dad. I felt bad for him but it was nice to have him so cuddly. He was overall healthy and the doctor said there was nothing to worry about with him. We were a little worried about his heart since Keith and I both have had heart issues but the doctor said he still sounds great.

We saw the new doctor at the family clinic we go to. He is good but he just doesn't understand me yet. He is very conservative about things and very reserved about doing anything. He just finished residency and I feel that is where his reservation comes from Landon has been having a hard time having a bowel movements regularly and the doctor said he did not want to do anything about it right now. I listened to what he said but as Landon's mother I'm going to do what I feel is best. Right now that is giving him a few ounces of apple/prune juice once a day. I fully believe in the doctor's abilities I just am with Landon everyday and I know how uncomfortable he can get. So far what I've been doing has helped.

Landon before his blessing

We were able to have Landon's baby blessing on the 18th of November. Keith's parents were able to come out to the blessing and the week of Thanksgiving. We were able to spend time with Keith's family and Landon was able to meet his other Grandparents and his uncle Mark. It was fun to be able to spend time with them during the holiday.

My heart procedure went well. The doctor did everything he could and there he could not get my heart to go into SVT so he did not need to do an ablation. I was able to go home a few hours after waking up from the procedure. When I went to see the Surgeon this week he said everything looks great and that unless something else happens he doesn't need me to come back and it would be just fine if I got pregnant again, not that that will happen anytime soon.

Thanksgiving Baby

A little bit before Thanksgiving we found out that Keith got a promotion and a pay raise. It was very good because our insurance went up since we added Landon. Keith is also happy that he is getting more responsibility at work.

During the week of Thanksgiving we found out that since we asked for an extension someone came and bought the condo we were waiting for. We were not very happy but we just decided that there had to be a reason and that we needed to look somewhere else. There are a few places out there and we hope we can find a place sometime soon.

Before his Two Month Appointment

On the 5th I go in for a surgery to get the hardware removed from my foot. Hopefully this is the last surgery for awhile. It is a very simple surgery and shouldn't take more than 30 min start to finish. I'm hoping that they can just numb the nerve instead of putting me under general anesthesia so I can still feed Landon when I get home. If not I have a good stock saved up for him.

This month should be very busy and exciting. We are so happy and thankful to have Landon with us. We love him so much and could not be happier to be parents. He is the best thing that has ever happened to us. We will do our best on keeping everyone updated on Landon's first Christmas season.

First Month of Being a Parent

This one is my favorite picture so far

We have now had our precious boy for over a month now. It has been interesting how natural things have become. It isn't always easy but overall Landon is a very good baby. He is always got his tongue out. I've been told that is what I used to do when I was a baby. My friend Leslie Smith took some newborn pictures for us as a gift. They are so good! It is so nice to have some photographic memories of how little he was. He was very good during the pictures and we have some great shots of him.

When we took Landon to the doctor for his two week check up everything was just where it should be. He was a little small in weight but he was already 21 1/2 inches long. At the appointment he was circumcised because they didn't do it in the hospital. He had something that made it more difficult so the pediatrician in the hospital did not want to do it.  I watched them do it and he did not like it one bit. Luckily he will not remember what happened. Since the appointment he has grown and started filling out so I'm sure he weighs quite a bit more now.

This is Landon's Halloween costume

There are times when I worried that I many not be able to handle everything that comes with being a mom but it has been better than I expected. However, it seems that it takes quite a bit longer to get out of the house to do something. 

I was very worried that I would not be able to handle the lack of sleep that comes with having a newborn. For the most part Landon is a pretty good sleeper. He usually eats at 11, 2 and 5ish. It really isn't all that bad to get up with him to feed him. There have been a few times when I just have to give Landon to Keith because I just am to tired or I need a nap and he happily takes him and will let me sleep. There have been a few bad nights where Landon thinks it is better to be awake than asleep but for the most part he is a good sleeper.

It has been so much fun just to see all the new things that he does every day. He has grown so much in this past month. He has started growing out of some of the newborn clothes. It is hard to see him grow but it is exciting to think about the future with him and all the things he is going to be able to do. He has just started to mimic simple things that we are doing and it is so much fun to try and get him to stick out his tongue or smile.

One of the best things is that Landon is very good about taking a binky. It is a life saver sometimes. I know some people are against them but I really don't know what I would do without them. They can really calm him down when he is upset or just keep him happy so that I can get some things done.

The most  frustrating thing about breastfeeding him is that there are not many places that I can go to when I go out that I can feed him. It makes it hard to go out for longer than a few hours because he is still eating every 2 1/2-3 hours. Other than that it is not as bad as some people made it sound. Landon is really good at eating most of the time. There are times when it is easier to pump and he will take a bottle if that is what he needs to take. 

On another non-baby note, I am having heart surgery on Oct. 30th. It is the same surgery I had in 2009. It is for my SVT. I am not worried about the surgery. I am glad I'm going to have it sooner than later. Before my last surgery I would have an SVT episode and I would blackout and pass out at times. I just don't want that to happen with a baby so it is best that I have to surgery before it gets any worse. My mom said she would watch the baby when I am in surgery because he I don;t want him in the hospital around people who are sick, especially during RSV season. (Working in the hospital having seen those poor babies and kids who got pertussis has made me more protective of Landon.) 

Landon Tate McFarlin finally Arrived!!!

So when last I posted we were hoping that we would have Landon on the 20th. Well we went and got the Amniocentesis done to see how developed Landon's lungs were. They told us we would get the results by three in the afternoon my doctor said he was on call and he didn't see why they would come back and say his lungs were not developed. So of course it came back that his lungs were not developed enough. They didn't get back to us until later on Thursday so the doctor's nurse called and told me to come in Friday morning.

Friday morning we went into the office and the doctor explained that Landon's lungs were developed but not enough to be able to be induced at the hospital. He said we would tear my membranes and that would put me into labor for sure. He told me I was almost dilated to a 4 and that I was all the way thinned out and should start contracting anytime. He said as soon as I got contractions 5 min apart to go into the hospital and he would be over to deliver me. Well Friday continued with no contractions... 

On Saturday I woke up with still no contractions or even feeling like I was in labor. We decided to just have a day that had nothing to do with labor or the baby and just be us. We went mini golfing and out to eat and ran errands. We red-boxed the Katy Perry movie and after watching the movie I gained a greater appreciation for her. 

On Sunday I woke up not feeling very good and Landon was sitting very high up into my ribs. I could not be comfortable other than laying in bed so I just  stayed in bed most of the day. Finally about one he moved further down and I was able to sit and be somewhat social. We went to a family dinner and had really good food but I started feeling sick again and went home. We got home a little after seven and then all the sudden at 7:30 I started having contractions. They were very painful. I had three about 15 min apart. Then I thought it would be a good idea to shower and maybe they wouldn't hurt so bad. 

The contractions started coming about every two min. I knew I should wait for like an hour of having contractions two min apart but I was in a whole lot of pain so we decided to go to the hospital. We told my mom and she said she would get ready and meet us over there. I told Keith he was not allowed to speed he just had to get us there quickly. 

We got to the hospital and got to labor and delivery and they were just casually getting things together and asking questions for what seemed like an hour. I was still having really strong contractions every few min. Then the nurse was looking at contraction monitor and was like yeah it looks like you are in labor. She then decided to check where I was and I was at 9 cm. I was a little shocked and the nurse was like do you still want an epidural? I said yes! I was feeling pressure to push but I was going to hold the baby in until I got that epidural because I was not going to push without it.

Luckily they got the the epidural in and I was much happier with everything after that. The doctor on call came in and he said it was time to push. I started pushing and everything was going well and then the baby's heart rate started dropping so they got forceps out used them to help when I was pushing. They got caught and tore a little but that was probably the worst of the whole labor process. His cord was wrapped around him so it was good that he had some help. He came out at 11:57 on September 23, 2012. I was just in shock to be honest. Everything just went so fast and I didn't have time to process everything and I just didn't know what to do. It took awhile for me to really realize what just happened. 

Keith - We thought that I should add something now since the pregnancy part is over and I'm actually doing some of the work now. We had kinda given up hope of the day that Landon was going to come. But Sunday   night came around and after dinner, the contractions hit hard and came fast. From the time that Kylee started contractions at home to the time that Landon came into the world was about 5 hours. Amazing, right?! I have never heard of a first time labor going so quick. But I guess he was as ready to get here as we were to have him. It was the most indescribable experience to watch my son being born. I was holding one of Kylee's legs as she was pushing, so I got the whole widescreen view. A little dirty white spot kept moving closer and closer. I asked the doctor if that was his head because I wasn't sure ( I have never seen this before, ok). 

When he finally came through after 40 mins of pushing, it was just amazing. I cut the cord (was very proud of myself) and followed the nurses to clean him off. He wasn't crying very much, but it came little by little. He still does not cry too much. Its only been a few days and there have been lots of diapers, binkies, t v shows, up and down nights; but I have had the best time. He is just perfect and such a pretty baby. I love his long arms and legs (guess he will be tall). I love watching Kylee figure out what he really wants when he is crying; she is able to calm him every time. I can't wait to experience this phase of life get better and better. 

When things finally came together and I could wrap my head around what could happen I was just so happy. There were no serious complications and I was just so happy that everything went so well. It still was crazy how fast everything went. Everything happened within 5 hours.

Landon is such a good baby. He is so content and has been mostly good about breast feeding. There are some struggles but overall breast feeding hasn't been terrible. It is crazy how much you can love someone so quickly. I couldn't ask for anything more in life than being a mother. Maybe it is because I was told it was more than likely that I could not have a baby but there is just a feeling that I have that I can not explain to anyone. It is the best feeling in the world to be a mother and have a child. 

Keith is amazing father. It is such a good experience to go through as a couple. I love watching how gentle and wonderful Keith is with Landon. I can tell how much he loves him and it is so fun to watch them together. Keith has been so amazing to help with whatever I need. He is very attentive and I am very thankful that he has paternity leave and has built up PTO so that he can be with me for the next two weeks.

Baby and Heart Update

These last few days have been interesting... Last week at our appointment the doctor said that I was dilated more and even more thinned out than the week before. When we started talking about delivering he said that the ultrasounds that we have previously had different estimated due dates. The earliest one said that I was due October 5th and not September 30th. I was not very happy with that and I'm sticking with the 30th because it just sounds better and i've had more ultra sounds that said the 30th.

With my heart issue not getting any better and actually getting somewhat worse we decided to go forward with doing an amniocentesis and then inducing the baby. So in two days we are going in for the amniocentesis to see how developed the baby's lungs are. If they are developed enough the doctor will induce me. We are hoping everything goes well and that I can really be induced on the 20th!

It is so crazy to think that the baby could be here so soon! 

Today I went to the cardiologist. I just have to say he is one of the best doctors I have ever had! I know from working at the hospital he is one of the busiest doctors in the area but he always takes his time and makes sure I feel at ease about everything we discuss and decide to do. Today he decided that I needed to go on some medication to help with the irregular heart beat. It won't fix it but it will make it better for right now. 

After listening to my heart he told me that I wasn't crazy in feeling like the irregularity was getting worse because he could hear that it was worse. He also told me that he would meet with me again in four weeks and we would discuss surgery. He said in his opinion I should get the surgery done because the pills are never going to fix the issue but surgery can. I have very similar feeling. He said getting it done sooner than later would be best. We want to get the baby here and make sure feeding the baby is all figured out. Once all that happens we could go forward with surgery. So we are looking at having surgery sometime in late October or early November. 

How Far Along: 38 weeks and 2 days

Size of Baby: 19 to 22 in, about 7 lbs

Cravings: Nothing right now

Sleep: I haven't been able to sleep very well lately... I figure it is good practice for when the baby actually gets here

Sex of Baby: Boy

Weight Gain: I've gained about 22 pounds so far

Name: Landon but we still can't decide on the middle name...

Fetal Movement: His moving has decreased a lot. He is just running out of room

Best moment of the last few weeks: Setting the day of when this baby is going to get here.

Miss Anything: Not being uncomfortable when sitting...

Labor Signs: Still thinned out and dilated to a 3! All contractions have stopped since last week

Belly Button in or out: It really depends on where the baby decides to sit.

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm trying hard to just relax and not get stressed about things but i've been in a pretty good mood lately.

What you are looking forward to this week: Seeing this baby finally!

It's almost over! 36 weeks!

There hasn't been a whole lot going on these last few weeks. The foot surgery I was going to have didn't end up happening. When we went in I was 34 weeks, which is a little early to deliver. Since I wasn't far enough along there were hospital policies that stated that there needed to be be a OB in the hospital in case of an emergency and there was not an OB in the hospital that we were at. I think it was a little weird since it was mostly a Labor and Delivery hospital. My doctor was ok doing the surgery but the anesthesiologist refused to even try. Without him it couldn't happen. They said that I could come back when I was 37 weeks but I think I'm just going to wait until the baby is here.

The week after I took off work for the surgery. It was a little boring not working but I was able to find things to do. Last Saturday when I was getting ready I had a episode of my heart issue. It lasted longer than it has been and the baby wasn't moving like usual or when I tried to get him to move so we went to the hospital to make sure he was ok. Of course by the time we got there he was moving and everything was fine. The doctor on call was worried and made me go to the ER. Of course they couldn't find anything wrong and sent me home. I tried to tell them I already knew what the issue was but sometimes doctors want to figure things out on their own. I'm very used to that by now. 

We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and I went in with no expectations. The doctor checked and I was at 2 cm and mostly thinned out! With that news the doctor thinks that they were wrong with the due date and it is earlier. He said I should have this baby by the 15th at the latest! He said he could induce me now because of my heart issues but we would need to do an expensive test and since my body is naturally starting he recommended just waiting. The cardiologist said that it would be ok if we waited a few more days. I really want this baby here but I will wait if it saves some money and the baby is doing fine. 


How Far Along: 36 weeks and 5 days! (I'm just sticking to the original due date)

Size of Baby: 19 to 22 in, about 6.5 lbs

Cravings: Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Sleep: I haven't been able to sleep very well lately... I figure it is good practice for when the baby actually gets here

Sex of Baby: Boy

Weight Gain: I've gained about 20 pounds so far

Name: Landon but we still can't decide on the middle name...

Fetal Movement: He moves a lot but I can tell he is running out of space.

Stretch marks: None

Best moment of the last few weeks: We were able to spend time with Keith's family before his brother starts his mission today.

Miss Anything: Sleep and not running into things with my stomach.

Labor Signs: Some contractions since yesterday and the doctor said i was dilated and thinned out. We are getting close!

Belly Button in or out: It really depends on where the baby decides to sit.

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm trying hard to just relax and not get stressed about things but i've been in a pretty good mood lately.

What you are looking forward to this week: Getting things together so that we can be ready for this baby to come. We could have this baby at anytime!

Life during the past month

It has been awhile since we had an update but every time I thought about it there was just either not a lot going on or a lot going on. Since our last post we have celebrated our one year wedding anniversary, moved and gotten ready for the baby. It is crazy to think that it has been a year since we got married! We have had our good and bad times this last year but I am so glad that I have Keith with me forever! He is a very amazing man and I couldn't have wished for a better husband. I decided to include some of our bridal pictures because I love them so much! They were done by my friend from work and she is wonderful!

For our anniversary we weren't going to do anything since the doctor wants me to stay close to the hospital if something goes wrong but I really needed to get away so we decided to go to Las Vegas and hoped that nothing would happen. It was a really nice trip. We were able to go see the blue man group and enjoy some really good food. We brought our new camera but of course we didn't grab the charger and the camera was dead.  We got a few random pictures on our phone but we forgot most of the time. It was so nice to just get away for a few days and have a break from life. It was entertaining to see people's reactions when they noticed I was pregnant. 

We visited Coke World and tried all the flavors

This was my favorite! It was Watermelon :)

This was so delicious! It was a steak fajita platter. 

When we got back to real life we were busy working and getting thing together slowly for the baby. We try and get things when we find a good deal. We have a good stock of clothes, diapers and wipes so far. We are still waiting to have the final decisions on the condo. It is a short sale but unfortunately it is taking a lot longer than anyone expected. Things have started moving along more lately so that is good news. It is a really good deal so we are just continuing to wait because we really want it.

While we are waiting we moved in with my parents since my sister moved out. Poor Keith will have moved us four times since we got married by the time we move into our new place. The first time I was in a cast and couldn't walk and then the other three times I have been pregnant. He has been really good about it but I'm sure he will be excited  to stay in one place for awhile.

Next Friday I have surgery on my  foot to get the screws out for the fusion they did last year. I will be off my foot for a weeks so it won't be as bad as last time. I think it will be interesting to use crutches when I'm pregnant. The doctor just thinks it will be easier to stay off my foot when the baby isn't here yet and I agree. 

We went to the doctor today and everything seems to be going well. We now have to go more often because the closer we get the bigger the possibility for complications. Thankfully the baby seems to be doing just fine it is just my body that really hates being pregnant. It seems like issues I had before have just gotten worse since getting pregnant. The most annoying is the kidney stones that keep coming. I knew I would always have them but they have happened more often since getting pregnant. I am very thankful for being able to have a baby but I really don't enjoy being pregnant. I'm glad it will be over in a few weeks and I will be able to enjoy this baby and hopefully have my body back to somewhat normal...

I crave Hawaiian Shaved Ice all the time. The people at the place told me I couldn't finish this on my own but I did and it was delicious!

How Far Along: 33 weeks and 3 days

Size of Baby: about 18 inches head to foot and over 4 pounds. 

Cravings: Mostly watermelon and sweet things and Hawaiian Shaved Ice

Sleep: It really depends on the night but no matter how much I sleep I still fell tired all day

Sex of Baby: Boy

Weight Gain: I've gained about 15 pounds so far

Names: Landon is the name for now

Fetal Movement: Sometimes he moves a lot and sometimes he is pretty quiet. When he does move it is always a lot and he doesn't like to keep his movement small. It feels like he is trying to get out when he moves.

Stretch marks: None

Best moment of the last few weeks: Our trip to Vegas and getting things moving with the condo.

Miss Anything: Being able to fully reach my toes and legs

Labor Signs: Some braxton hicks contractions from time to time

Belly Button in or out: It is half in and half out

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm happy most of the time. 

What you are looking forward to this week: Even though I'm taking time off work because of the surgery it will be nice to not have to worry about work for a a few days. 

29 weeks/ medical updates

It seems crazy that we are almost to 30 weeks! It has been a long road so far so I hope these next weeks go well. Some days it seems like it has been forever since we found out that we were going to have a baby but other times it feels like it was just a few days ago. I'm just glad that we are closer to the end than the beginning. While I appreciate the fact that I was able to get pregnant, pregnancy is not my favorite thing... People tell me that I am going to miss being pregnant but I really will not. It has not been my favorite life experience.

The past few weeks have been busy. We are still waiting for third party whatever on the condo since it is a short sale but I'm trying not to worry about it since we can't do anything about it right now. Keith took off some days after the fourth and we were able to spend a few day together. We took my siblings to a water park and went to the outlets in park city and found some really cute things for the baby. It was just nice to have some time together and not have to worry about work.

So I will start off the updates on all the medical stuff going on. I went to see my orthopedic surgeon who fixed my ankle last summer (thus the fun cast for the wedding). He looked at my food and saw that the screws that he put in my ankle and foot to fuse things together were starting to back out and needed to be taken out. That really helped explain the pain that I have been getting after working or walking for a long time. He told me that since I would have to be off my foot for at least a week that it would be better to have the surgery to remove the screws before the baby was born. He said he has done it before and it is a lot easier to recover if I wasn't having to take care of a baby. So surgery is scheduled for August 24th.  

I went to the cardiologist yesterday and I just have to say he is one of the best doctors I ever had. He is very caring and kind and he is one of those doctors that you can tell really cares about his patients. He said that looking though the data from the heart monitor there is an arrhythmia next to the place that I have already had surgery on to fix an arrhythmia. He also said that he thinks that pregnancy is making the arrhythmia better. He thinks that it will not affect the pregnancy and that I should be able to go through the rest of this pregnancy without any heart related complication. He said the best thing for me would try and try to avoid stress as much as possible. He reassured me that he would be available during the delivery to assist if anything were to happen. 

While the whole thing is not ideal I'm glad that he is so willing to help and be around. He also said that there is a good chance of surgery in the future but we figured that. He said it we just need to focus on the baby right now and having a healthy baby.

Today we went to the OB for our monthly appointment. We told him what the cardiologist said and he said in order to be as stress free as possible during labor I will get an epidural pretty much when I get there. I am not going to object to that. I am all for taking advantage of modern medicine when possible. He also said I was measuring larger than normal but everything was fine and that I was doing well enough that he didn't need to see me for another month unless I needed something. He also told me some other things to try for the acid re-flux I have been having lately.

How Far Along: 29 weeks and three days

Size of Baby: about 17 inches head to foot and over 3 pounds. 

Cravings: Mexican but that doesn't mix well with the dang acid re-flux... 

Sleep: He is moving a lot at night which is making it hard to sleep as well as the acid re-flux.

Sex of Baby: Boy

Weight Gain: I've gained about 10 pounds so far

Names: Landon is the name for now

Fetal Movement: Sometimes he moves a lot and sometimes he is pretty quiet. When he does move it is getting more painful the stronger he gets.

Stretch marks: None

Best moment of the last few weeks: Getting things done and finding some really cute things for the baby. Also not having to be on the heart monitor anymore! 

Miss Anything: Sleeping uninterrupted.... I know it is just the beginning...

Labor Signs: Some braxton hicks contractions from time to time

Belly Button in or out: It is half in and half out still

Wedding rings on or off: On

Happy or Moody most of the time: I'm trying hard to just relax and not get stressed about things.

What you are looking forward to this week: Spending the weekend with my husband celebrating our first Anniversary!