Perfectly Perfect Tailor Made "Suit"

Landon is here!  After starting contractions at 3am yesterday morning that continued until my doctors appointment at 9am, where we found out I was dilated 2cm and 80% effaces, my doctor decided to strip my membranes (meaning, thin out the little "cork" that was keeping my water from breaking, and thus helping my labor progress a little easier/quicker).  Well, it helped my labor get more painful and some other nasty stuff but when I went back to the hospital around 1pm, I was only 2 cm still.  I was put on the monitors and just when I thought the nurses were going to tell me to go home and tough out the pain I had been enduring since 3am, Landon decided to look '"sleepy" (inactive) enough that they admitted me and broke my water! woo hoo!.... well, I was still only at 3 cm and 90% effaced at that point, but my contractions definitely got more painful once the water was broke.  So much so that it wasn't long before I was sending Jason to find the nurse and get the epidural.  People talk about how painful getting an epidural can be and quite honestly, I was so numb from the pain of the contractions that I didn't even feel them putting something straight into my spine.  I still wasn't progressing past 3cm and of course the epidural probably wasn't helping, so doc decided to start pitocin at 8:15pm.  I warned them that I thought I'd go pretty fast once the pitocin was started... they might have doubted me but by 9 I was up to 5cm and by 10:15 when the on call doctor came in to introduce himself and check me, I was fully dilated and ready to push.  With numb legs and no pain, it took a few contractions, handful of hard pushes, and about 30 minutes later, at 10:51pm 05/18/10, Landon James Gouin arrived.

Also, just wanted to fill everyone in on Landon's hip/knee issue. When he was born his umbilical cord was wrapped around his left leg pinning it up and to the side of his body, his cord was also pretty short so he didn't have a whole lot of wiggle room with it either. It caused his knee to be hyperextended and also for his hip to be a little displaced. After talking to the orthopedic specialist today, neither issue (knee or hip) look like they will cause Landon any permanent issue. He did have a cast put on today to help the knee. In a week he will have that removed and then will be using what's called a Pavlik brace for a couple months to fix his hip. Doc said he is like a really really good suit with a little wrinkle. So we're just going to iron out the little wrinkle. Everything looks like it's there and it's not a malformation- it's most likely just from the position he was in for so long. Jason and I spent most of our first night as parents learning what it's like to worry about your child but were relieved once we spoke with the specialist today. Only downside to the brace is that he might not be able to wear some of the cute clothes everyone sent him (at first anyway) but small price to pay to have the most perfect "really really good suit" baby in the world (in my opinion of course). We are so blessed and completely in love! 

Can't wait for everyone to meet our bundle in person!