Wow...

Wow is all that can sum up the past 12 days of my life. I would like to introduce our new baby boy Lucas!

He is only 11 days old but has brought so much joy to his momma and me. I could hold him and watch him for hours. He has become a major reason for me to want to do all of this training. I want to get healthier and stay that way so I can watch him grow up and start his own family. I want to be able to show him that anything is possible…that dedication and hard work yield great rewards…and any other cliché that’s applicable

He started his first journey around the sun on Sept 3rd. He was healthy as could be and momma was doing great. Word was that we were going to be discharged Saturday afternoon (which worked out perfectly for watching my Auburn Tigers play WAR EAGLE!). Then Saturday morning, we had a little scare. His breathing rate was elevated which is a sign of a respiratory infection or fluid in the lungs (which could lead to an infection). After keeping a close eye on his breathing all day Saturday, it was decided that it would be best for him to get checked into the NICU for closer observation and blood work. Having to let our little boy go after just having him for a couple of days was by far the hardest thing I have ever endured. They kept reassuring us that it is very common for this to happen, especially with c-section babies. Nothing they could say made it any easier for us. They ended up putting in a feeding tube. The first time we got to see him was heartbreaking. There was our little man with wires attached and a tube coming out of him. The beeps of the monitors became as normal a noise as the clicking of a keyboard at work. We would go see him as often as we could. Each day his breathing would become more and more consistently normal. We were so proud of him! On Monday we received word that he would be moved to a regular crib and if things kept going well, we would get to stay with him in an overnight room and get to take him home on Wednesday. We were so happy and excited! Wednesday couldn’t get here quick enough.

Wednesday finally arrived and we got to take him home! It was so nice having my family all home! MH is a trooper and has now become my hero! She is wonderful. Here are a few pics of our little man ranging from his “birthday” through his time in the NICU, and finally at home. You can check out our family blog for more pics and stuff at http://ericheatheroneal.blogspot.com/

Here he is about 5 mins old

"Fearless and True" in the NICU with his AU Blanket

Chillin before we go to the Dr for a follow up visit

He liked his first day in a "onesy" and not a sleeper

Training
Well, I’m getting back down to business today. Only 89 days until my first full marathon; 244 days until HIM Florida; and 419 days until IM Florida. Time has started to fly by. For September, I’m going to focus on running, biking, and strength training. Once October rolls around, I’ll get back into my Masters Swim Group and work on everything. My first marathon in December will mostly consist of me running and walking. Hopefully a 5min run/ 1min walk rotation, but we will see. More training updates to come!

Eric’s Quote of the Day: “No train...Dadgummit!”~my 3yr old nephew anytime he sees railroad tracks and no train