Malakai is Here!!

(March 1st)

*Sigh*....Where to I begin?

What an experience it's been since Malakai's birthday. Early evening on Sunday Feb. 22nd, I was given my epidural. I chose this, not only to avoid a painful delivery, but because of the pain my fibroid might have also caused. I thought for sure I'd deliver on 2/22/09, but my contractions were not strong enough until around 10pm or 11pm. The Dr. wanted to use a uterine catheter to get better monitoring of my contractions, but as he began to do so, Malakai was on his way! I was supposed to deliver in an operating room near the NICU, but there was no time.

So at 12:52 A.M. on Monday February 23rd, Malakai was born into the world at 3 pounds 15 ounces, 16 inches long. We got to hear our son's first cry as soon as he was born, but as he stopped crying, Leon cut the umbilical cord and he was transferred to the baby table where he cried only once more before he stopped breathing on his own. The NICU team quickly gave him some oxygen, let me see him, and rolled him off to the NICU to get him all hooked up the necessary equipment. I spent about 4 hours in my Labor & Delivery room before I could go to my Mother/Baby Care room. Since I hadn't eaten Anything since breakfast, I was starving! The nurse gave me a sandwhich to munch on before the epidural wore off and by about 4:30 A.M. I was wheeled off w/ Leon to see my son in the NICU. What an emotional time it was. Since I couldn't sit up for a long time, I had to be rolled to my Mother/Baby Care room with Leon.

Although Leon spent all day with me during my first day of recovery, he had to leave that evening to go to work Tuesday morning. That's when I began to feel alone...No husband, no baby...just alone. That's when I cried out to the Lord. I had to release all that emotion that was built up in me. I needed the Lord's comfort more than ever, and of course He was there! Even though I could not help but cry, He was there!

Before Wednesday the 25th came along, I got to either roll over in the wheelchair by a nurse to see Malakai and eventually walk my way over. I adored being there with him, but then came Wednesday. Leon took 1/2 the day off to get me home, but after being in Albuquerque for a month....I felt just so weird, so awkward. It was an unnatural feeling...We were leaving a part of us behind. Although I was home that night, it was another weird feeling. I was broken...and so was my beloved Leon. We wanted our son with us but at the same time, we had to be thankful he was in good hands at Presbyterian NICU. The nursing care is amazing there and Malakai's doctors are so kind to inform us of every detail that goes on with him. We need to remember...God Is In Control. He knew this would happen, He knew exactly when Malakai would be born, and He knows when Malakai will come home with us.

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Please pray that God provides an extra measure of comfort as Malakai is absent from us.

Please pray that God guides us with how to get the appropriate lodging in Albuquerque to be near Malakai. (Ronald McDonald House is our first option)

~Thank You All