In between Landon and Callahan, we had a miscarriage. It was a fluke that I even took a test and knew I was pregnant at all. It happened very early on. We hadn't been trying, but not long after that, we were. I never felt like I was missing a baby, just that Callahan had been delayed.
I was with my same doctor, Dr. Hull, over at the OB offices at Jordan Valley. Grayson had been unhappy with his work (K&B) and decided to walk away and look for work elsewhere. It was a little scary, especially being pregnant and all, but we had a little money set aside and it wasn't long before he found a new job (Hamlet Homes). During this time, Gray also started exercising and eating better and lost quite a bit of weight ... right as I was getting bigger! During this time, I was tending a little girl (Landon's age) and sewing/crafting for a booth at The Quilted Bear boutique.
One memorable moment of the pregnancy was when I passed out at church, during the sacrament. I could feel it coming on and knew I needed to lay down, but thought I could last until the sacrament was over. I guess I couldn't. We were sitting in the very back, so having several men carry me out of the chapel wasn't even noticed by everyone. I started to come to as my feet were hitting the chapel doors, and I felt a little like it was a scene from ER, but then I wasn't sure what Brother Adams was doing there! The paramedics were called, but after a quick check, we just decided to have me go home and rest. I had a few more issues feeling faint during the pregnancy, but was always able to lay down before passing out again.
I got the date correct for the ultrasound this time (goofing up the date is in Landon's birth story), and this time I wanted to find out the sex of the baby. We weren't surprised when it was another boy, and he wasn't shy about showing off. Everything progressed pretty smoothly with the pregnancy. The hardest part is the glucose test for gestational diabetes. I just can't drink the stuff. I'd actually gone into this test having taken some steps to improve the experience (recommendations from a nurse friend). I chilled the drink, I got a lemon-lime instead of the orange, I took the lid off early to let the carbonation escape ... I actually went into it fairly optimistic, and then gagged and threw up in the kitchen sink with a worried little Landon looking on. I remember him asking "are you okay mommy?"
We jokingly called our bump "Biff".
It was still two weeks before the due date. Pammy had wanted to take little Landon for a sleep-over for the weekend, but I wanted to spend this last one-on-one time with him before the new baby came. Landon was a little sick, and I was having some cramps ... I think Grayson bailed and went to sleep in Landon's bed (as Landon was in with us). It was a Sunday morning, I remember I called my mom just to chat and mentioned the stomach pains, and she asked "could they be contractions?" and honestly I hadn't even considered that. Thinking about them, they WERE coming at fairly regular intervals. I still wondered if it was just Braxton Hicks, but then I heard a pop and felt a warm gush. My water had broken! Okay then! My mom happened to call to check in (they had gone to church, and she called from the phone there, pre-cellphone era) and I let her know what was happening. They were able to come out, and my dad stayed with Landon while we headed to the hospital.
At this point the contractions were coming harder. We got checked in and were waiting for fluid to pool to make sure it was amniotic fluid, and not something else (I think I could tell the difference, not just "an accident") After waiting for a bit, it was getting pretty painful. My mom told Grayson "you go find a nurse or someone to at least CHECK her!" and he did, and I was at an 8 or 9 and the birth was pretty imminent and everyone started scrambling! Surprisingly, I was still able to get an epidural (it seems like with my sister Wendy they said "sorry, it's too late!" with more than one of her deliveries) My doctor wasn't able to make it, so we got the on call doctor. Pammy and the girls hadn't quite made it either. They were rushing in, asking which room we were in and the nurse said "do you hear that baby crying? That's the room." They got there just after delivery as they were cleaning him up.
Even though it was two weeks early, at 8 pounds 10 ounces, "premature" wasn't even mentioned! Callahan had good color and lungs, and there really wasn't any concern like there had been with Landon. He also nursed easily and was just a chunky angel baby. He nursed until he was 10 months old, and then he just quit. Cold turkey. I had no idea why, and then I had the though "what if I'm pregnant?" And I was ...
Here comes Keaton ...
