Delivery and 2 Weeks Beyond

We are so pleased to announce the birth of our second son Lucas Joseph.  Lucas was born April 11, 2013 at 8:31am at 7lbs 8oz and 20 inches long.  He was born via repeat C-section and is a beautiful, calm happy baby boy. 
Going into the last few days of pregnancy and all the anticipation leading up to the delivery was one of those times where I tried to stay busy.  I worked remotely the first few days I was home and then tried to prepare all of the little things that needed to be done.  My dad came in the Sunday before and my mom arrived the night before Lucas was born.  We had our traditional Lawry's dinner the night before and tried to get as much sleep as one could possibly get prior to the next day.  I was to check into the hospital at 6am for my 8am surgery time.  Everything went smooth and the outcome is priceless.
While in post-op, my doctor came in to talk with us and make sure all was going well when he informed us they had found my uterus was very thin (see-through thin) from my previous incision and eluded it was a good thing I never went into labor as there's no saying what could have happened during the labor process and if my uterus would have been able to withstand the pressures of labor.  Following this statement, he concluded with "that's why I don't do v-bacs".  If I was 99.9% sure we were done having kids after Lucas, this news assured me I was 100% sure.  Just the thought of what could have happened scares the hell out of me and I feel very blessed to have 2 beautiful children after 2 very good pregnancies.  The Acker Baby Bakery is now closed.
Leo has been absolutely wonderful with Lucas.  He always wants to kiss him and hug him.  We have to remind him to be gentle but he's been outstanding and we think he loves being a big brother.  I tell Leo all the time how cool Lucas thinks he is.
I've had the luxury of having my family here since delivery.  They've been so great with cooking dinners, cleaning the house and taking care of us.  I'm very much going to miss them when they leave and am looking forward to heading back to Colorado this summer to be with them.

37 Weeks - Nostalgic

It's crazy how quickly this pregnancy has gone compared my pregnancy with Leo.  I'm guessing it's because I've been chasing a 2 year old around during my "free time".  As this time comes to end, we are busy preparing the house for arrival of baby boy #2!  Laundry is done, toys are ready and hospital  bags are packed.  We had a great family weekend with Easter egg hunts and Easter brunch.  As we were enjoying brunch, there were a set of newborns near us and I couldn't believe how little they were and how little our new little man is going to be!  My family starts to arrive next week and it will be 'go time' before you know it.  We are obviously very appreciative of Maggie (Steve's sister) and our all of our friends out here as they have become our Chicago Family.  All of the support from them has been so wonderful and we certainly love each and every one of them!

35 weeks - Gender Differences

You don't realize how big of a difference there is between toddler boys and toddler girls. Leo obviously knows he's going to be a big brother but doens't inquire (or care) about some of the details compared to his "girlfriends". Friends of ours who are also expecting but who's oldest children are girls are so involved in the preparation and planning for their new baby brother (or sister). They're learning how to swaddle, they want to buy the baby sheets and bottles. The only thing Leo has really mentioned about the baby is how him and baby brother will go to the park. I guess boys just aren't that into those kinds of details (I should've picked up the hint from my Steve).
It's crazy to think it's only a month away and every single weekend we have something going on and the baby's arrival is in sight.  My hospital bag is packed (or getting there) and all of Leo's old baby clothes will be ready to go in the next week.

34 Weeks - Sh(& My Husband Says

There was a sitcom based on a book called "Sh)& My Dad Says" which was a diary of all the crazy things their father had said.  For those of you who actually know Steve, these particular comments and expressions shouldn't surprise anyone but for those of you who don't, please don't judge him by this blog post.
We're at my 34 week appointment this last week when my OB asked if I have experienced any contractions to which I responded I had.  They lasted about 30 minutes and so far, that's the only time I've had them.  To which Steve responds with "Contractions?! Contractions?! You didn't say you were having contractions, you just said you were in pain!!!"  Obvious exchange of looks between myself and the OB (I think she was secretly praying for me).  My interpretation: contractions are painless to men or in this case, Steve.
Driving home this morning, I had mentioned to Steve the plan if I went into labor prior to the surgery date.  His response "Oh wow, you already have an action plan for this?"  I guess all the chatter between his sister and myself about her having her ringer on high "just in case" didn't quite register at the time.   And of course, it's ME, I have an action plan for EVERYTHING.
Again, these are just the most recent one's I can recall.  I'm sure there have been much more in the last 34 weeks that I've forgotten.  Unfortunately, I don't think NBC will be calling me to do a show about the sh(& my husband says.

32 Weeks - Has Anxiety Set In?

I think each of us deal with anxiety in different ways.  Leo understands he's going to be a big brother but I don't think fully realizes how his life is going to change (for the better of course).  Steve throws himself into his work and focuses so much on work that he tends to forget there's other things also going on.  I try to prepare in advance and try to plan for the expected and the unexpected.  That being said, the addition of a new family member has now created a sense of anxiety and excitement for the next coming month.

I am down to the last 2 week appointment and have all the weekly appointments scheduled until D-Day (delivery day).  It's CRAZY.  My doctor reminded me that I need to register at the hospital and mentioned traveling is out of the cards.  I keep going back to when I was pregnant with Leo thinking "things seem to be happening so much faster this time around".  I felt it took forever to get to this point in the pregnancy and now, it's here.  We're 99.9999% sure this is the last pregnancy, so I'm trying to enjoy this last 6 weeks.  Not to mention the excuse to eat anything I want.

27 Weeks - Overjoyed

As I complete the 2nd trimester of this pregnancy and look forward to the 3rd, I want to remember how I feel today.  I feel great.  I'm fortunate to have had such a great pregnancy so far and am one of those women who can actually say they love being pregnant.  Sure, there are things that aren't great, but for the most part, it's been wonderful.  At this point, I can still put on my shoes comfortably, I can still shave my legs, I can still bend down and give Leo a kiss as he walks into his classroom.  I want to remember all of these things now since I'll continue to get bigger and more uncomfortable as the weeks go on.  I think about how I have 12 weeks left and think back to what I was doing 12 weeks ago and can't believe how fast this has gone.

Leo has officially moved up to his "big boy bed" and has been doing really well with it.  We decked it out in train sheets and blankets.  If you see Pottery Barn Kids stock all the sudden increase, you can thank me!

25 Weeks - New Year, New Nesting

The holidays have come and gone as quickly as ever. The entire family was in Chicago for Christmas and we all enjoyed the new traditions we've created out here. Even my sister's fiance took part in all the family activities. But once everyone left and New Years Day came around, it brought on a whole new wave of OMG we're having a baby THIS YEAR. I started looking at new duvet covers for our bed, new "big boy" bedding for Leo and started putting all of Leo's old clothes into Space Saver bags which you can vacuum the air right out of! They are the best things on earth. Steve even looked at me and went "oh god, have you started nesting already!?" I even downloaded a "To-do" app and went through every room indicating what needs to be done. I figured if I try to check one thing off the list every weekend, I **should** be ready for baby time in April. I also figured we could be done in half the time if I started assigning chores for Steve to do as well - I guess we'll see!