Luke's BIRTHday

We went in to the hospital on Sunday, January 31 around 830 pm.

 Around 10pm the nurse started my first dose of cytotec. This medicine softens the cervix and can cause contractions. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be getting any sleep that night but luckily for me the contractions were very mild and I slept right through them. I got my second dose at 2am and went back to sleep until 6am when they started the pitocin. I slept again until almost 8 when I got up to brush my teeth, put in contacts and freshen up. At 830am Dr Williams came in to break my water. I was still only dilated 1cm. Within five minutes of my water breaking I dilated to 4.5 cms. Mike and I just hung out and watched episodes of "Suits" while we waited for the real fun to begin. By lunchtime I was dilated to 6cm and I was pretty relaxed. 

Mike offered up hand massages and applied pressure to my pressure points each time I had a contraction and I even worked in a few cat naps. Around 1230 the contractions rapidly got closer and more intense and for the first time in three labor experiences I had back labor. Oh. My. Wow!!!!  That was some crazy stuff. Luke was sunny side up so at 1pm the nurse put me in a position called "the pretzel". And that's exactly what I looked like. A big, fat, fluffy pregnant pretzel!  The first pretzel session on my right side lasted 30 minutes. Then I rolled to my left side and made it through 20 minutes before stuff got REAL!  I called for the nurse at 1:50 and told her it was go time. She had just checked me at 1 and I was only 7-8 centimeters so she wasn't sure but I was!  I wasn't allowed to push until my doctor got there because Isabella came out so fast. At 2pm my doctor came In and I pushed through the first contraction. Head out!  Second contraction came and so did the rest of Luke!  He was born at 2:11pm on February 1, 2016 weighing 9 lbs 2oz. 

We moved up to our mommy baby room about two hours later and the IJ's got to come meet their new brother. Isaiah was so excited and couldn't wait to hold him. Isabella wasn't sure what to think. 

I will be honest, I didn't want to share him too much. Soaking up all the sweet baby snuggles I can get. 

After all our visitors left around 9 that night he got his bath. 

Then we snuggled in for the night. 

Welcome to our family, Luke Michael!  I love you more than you know and can't wait to see how God works in your life

Four Weeks

Day 22

Yup, he spit up as soon as I clicked the pic. 

Day 23

Snuggle day!

Day 24

This boy loves bath time. He doesn't make a peep and either looks around or passes out. 

All three kiddos have worn this shirt. Isaiah (L) Isabella (M) Luke (R)

Day 25

Soaking up these blue eyes while they last. 

Day 26

Day 27

You love your mommy and your moby wrap. I swear you can smell when I leave a room. Almost immediately you start whimpering for me. This wrap helps me get lots more done. Ps...I love it as much as you do!  

Day 28

First trip to the zoo!  We tried the stroller.....

But ended up right back here. 

Three weeks

Little buddy, you still aren't gaining any weight so your pediatrician asked that we go to straight formula or strictly pump and bottle feed so we know how much you are getting. I went with the pumping! Hopefully we hit your birth weight soon and can go back to breast feeding. My supply has dropped some on the pump. You are really a pleasant baby though. You only cry when you poop or when we have to change your diaper. You love a good warm bath, the sound of running water and you seem to enjoy snuggles with the IJ's in the mornings.  You are the perfect addition to our family. 

Day 15

Day 16

Day 17

Day 18

Day 19

Day 20 

Day 21

Two Weeks

We have been doing weight checks with your pediatrician and you dropped down to 8 lbs. I thought the breastfeeding was going well, but apparently not. We started supplementing with formula but you still prefer my milk. You are showing signs of the same milk allergy your sister had so we are supplementing with soy now. You gained 8 oz in four days and we will go back to all breast milk when you get back to your birth weight. You are such a good baby. You really only cry when you poop and we have to change you , but who could blame you with that nasty diaper rash?

Day 8

You were pretty restless at your newborn session but our awesome photographer still managed to capture some precious moments. Your umbilical cord fell off today, too. 

Day 9

First trip to the grocery and you snoozed like a champ in your moby wrap. Thanks for making it such a pleasant experience. 

Day 10

Day 11

Warming up after your first real bath. 

Day 12

Day 13 

My sweet new Valentine!  We hung out at home and got lots of sweet snuggles. Daddy made me a yummy dinner and you came along in your wrap. 

Day 14

One Week Young

Luke, I can't believe we have already spent an entire week with you in our family. We are all so happy you are here and healthy. You have been pretty laid back, only crying when we change you, you are hungry or have gas. At your newborn check up your weight dropped down to 8lbs 9oz. My milk came in on day 4 and you have been a breastfeeding champion. I love you little dude and I am trying to soak in all this sweetness and all these snuggles. 

Day 1 

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

Day 7

Third Trimester

I won't lie, this has been my toughest pregnancy. As I welcomed the third trimester nausea set back in and I was back to needing naps most days. Luckily for me Isabella is a great snuggler so we took lots of naps together while Isaiah played video games, watched movies and played with friends. 

In January the bottom fell out. Isabella got sick twice (stomach virus, upper respiratory infection, ear infection and double pink eye).

Once we recovered from that I got a sinus infection and my right ear completely stopped up. My OB prescribed a z pack and that afternoon the pressure was so bad in my head I couldn't lay down. To top it off I started having sharp pains in my upper right side and back. The pain was so bad it made me throw up. A lot. I got dehydrated and ended up at the hospital for fluids and testing. Luke was transverse so we couldn't get clear images of my kidneys but what they could see looked ok. I left the next day and actually got a good nights sleep. The next morning I woke up with a stabbing pain in my upper right molars. I called my dentist and got a work in where we discovered the sinus infection had spread to the roots of a vulnerable tooth and I needed a root canal. 

Finished that up by the end of the week and the pain in my right side was getting worse and worse. Two days later I was back at the hospital dehydrated and doubled over in pain. This time they found blood in my urine and a high white cell count. I stayed for three days and was treated for a kidney infection and kidney stones.

 Luckily the new antibiotics cleared up the infection and I passed the stone the day before Luke was born. 

36 weeks....those cheeks

39 weeks

Cravings: nothing. I'm at the point where food is not appealing at all. 

Exercise: I continued walking through November but December kept us super busy and my routine was tossed out the door. 

Weight gain: kept off the ten pounds I lost in the first trimester. 

Baby weight: ultrasound tech is guessing he will be born weighing in the low 8's. I keep telling my dr he feels way bigger than that to me. This is the most uncomfortable I have ever been but I know, in the end, it's all worth it!