Christian Lee Lucero

Christian Lee Lucero was born on Friday, November 2, 2007 at 4:08pm via delayed C-section. He was 19 inches long and weighed 8 pounds 4 ounces. We just returned home from the hospital a few hours ago and are all going to bed (whew, we are TIRED). Please check back soon for additional info and photos.

Jennifer and Jonathan

Tomorrow, tomorrow ... I love ya tomorrow ... You're only a day away ...

And so tomorrow at 12:30pm is the big day. Baby Lucero will make his way into this world without the trauma of contractions pushing him down the birth canal. And his mommy won't have the trauma of squeezing out a 10+ baby. Ah, I love modern medicine!

Liz is on her way in from Phoenix as I type this post, and Jonathan and I are both trying to work (he at his office, me at home), but are finding the pending events tomorrow are incredibly distracting.

As I sit here by myself in a calm and quiet house, its hard to believe this day will be the last one like it ... for years!

It will obviously be a few days before I can get online and post an update.

The next time you hear from us, we'll be "Mommy and Daddy" ... WOW!

Jennifer

The Internet Addicted Baby

The baby tends to be very active when I sit at my computer. My stomach is usually slightly up against the desk as I type away and so its very obvious when he starts to move because he pushes his way into the desk ... right where my keyboard is.

Jennifer

The Big Day: Friday, November 2

The full moon has come and gone ... and there was no sign of labor. So much for the "full moon theory."

However, on Friday, we learned that it was a good thing.

Friday's ultrasound showed a big baby: he's currently at 10 pounds. A few weeks ago, it was suggested that at his current rate of growth, he'd be 10 pounds at 40 weeks. However, he's 10 pounds at 38 weeks. There is a big ol' fancy term for him ... he's officially a "macrosomic baby."

Here's a nice medical explanation:

"Macrosomic babies may not pass easily through the birth canal, causing difficult deliveries, complications such as shoulder damage during delivery (shoulder dystocia), nerve damage, or even a fractured bone. If your health provider suspects you are going to have a macrosomic baby, she will probably recommend you have a cesarean section."

And so ... drum roll please ...

I am scheduled for a C-section on Friday, November 2 at 12:30 p.m.

C-sections are common procedures these days ... but, its still considred "major surgery." And, well, that's pretty scary. Its nothing compared to the only other "surgery" I've ever had: getting my wisdom teeth pulled.

I do feel better, however, knowing that my niece just had her second baby by C-section ... and her first was vaginally. She tells us she preferred the C-section method.

And ... since my procedure is planned, as opposed to an emergency C-section, it won't be all rushed and crazy (like what we sometimes see on TV).

The Dr. seems to think its unlikely I'll go into labor prior to the C-section. He's not "engaged" in my pelvis and she thinks he's too big to get engaged. I do get "contractions," though not the painful kind. So she told me to take it easy and not walk around too much.

Should anything happen between now and Friday, we'll try to post updates.

Jennifer

The Full Moon is Fast Approaching ... Within HOURS

As previously discussed on our blog, it seems to be a fact that more babies are born on a full moon than non-full-moon times. It has just occured to us that the full moon hits tonight just before 11:00pm (after doing some research and time conversions).

Now, who knows what the odds are that I'll actually go into labor. Frankly, I'd rather not think about it.

Bottom line: Baby Lucero might be ready to come out, but I'd like him to stay in a bit longer.

Furthermore, the labor and delivery unit at our hospital in Santa Fe is rather small. I don't want to be one of 23 women in labor. And that also keeps the beloved epidural man busy. Perhaps too busy to administer an epidural when I need one the most.

If you're the praying kind (and we all should be), then please join us in prayer that tonight is not the night.

In the meantime, I've got a house to finish cleaning!!! :)

Jennifer

The Baby at 38 Weeks

Week 38: Approaching the Runway

Only two more weeks (or plus two more, max) before your baby makes his or her appearance. And what an adorable appearance that will be! Your little one isn't so little anymore — weighing in at close to seven pounds and hitting the height charts at the 21-inch mark (or less).

As you prepare (best you can) for baby's ETA, he or she is also getting ready, big time. Vernix and lanugo continue to shed from your baby's body into the amniotic fluid. Your baby swallows that amniotic fluid (yum yum?) and some of it winds up in his or her intestines where it — along with other shed cells, bile, and other waste products (triple yum) — will turn into your baby's first bowel movement (meconium) and perhaps your first diaper change.

Your baby's lungs continue to mature as more and more surfactant is secreted (remember — it helps prevent the lungs from sticking to each other when your baby begins to breathe…definitely a good thing). All systems, almost go!

18 Days til D-Day

We technically have 18 days til our due date. However, only 4-5% of babies are actually born ON their due date. So really ... the due date is any day now.

Traditionally, maternity wards get very busy during a full mooon with expectant mothers going into labor. Sounds hokey, I know ... but I've looked into it and it appears to be true.

When is the next full mooon, you may ask? THIS FRIDAY!

I'm still waiting for that famouse "nesting instinct" to kick in. I've read some amazing stories about the kinds of nesting women do (i.e. fertalizing their lawn on a steep hill in the middle of the night, removing all doorknobs in the house to clean behind them, etc.).

So I either don't have a really intense nesting instinct, or labor is still too far off for it to kick in with any rigor.

Although, I do get antsy if too much laundry has built up ... or there are too many dishes in the sink. I know we'll be having visitors after the baby is born and I won't have time to clean the house after he comes. So, I'd better get a move on. I can't have visitors in a less than spotless house.

We have another ultrasound on Friday, so we hope to get some good pictures of the baby. I keep thinking, "I hope he doesn't come before we get the ultrasound done." And then I laugh at myself and and realize that if he does come before then, I'll get to look at the baby himself and not just some fuzzy ultrasound photo. :)

Jennifer

Week 37: Light at the End of the Tunnel

With just three more weeks to go and at about six and a half pounds (though weight and height vary from fetus to fetus), your baby is doing just fine. You can expect weight gain to be about half an ounce per day. (Boys, though, are likely to be heavier at birth than girls. And here's a bit of boy baby trivia to back that one up: Moms carrying boys tend to eat more than moms carrying girls — a foreshadowing of teenage refrigerator raids to come.) Since your little one is considered full-term now, if your baby was to leave the wet nest this week, he or she would likely thrive. That's because Mother Nature and you have done such a fine job.

So what's keeping your little one busy while waiting it out until D-day? Practice, practice, practice. Your baby is simulating breathing by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, sucking on his or her thumb, blinking, and pivoting from side to side (one day you feel the tushy on the left side, another day it has swung around to the right side). All these are skills needed for his or her next gig — starring as newborn.

Here's an interesting fact: Your baby's head (which, by the way, is still growing) will, at birth, be the same size circumference as his or her hips, abdomen, and shoulders. And guess what's making an impression (literally) these days on those shoulders and hips: fat — causing little dimples in those cute elbows and knees, shoulders and hip, and creases and folds in the neck and wrists.

The Baby's Current Position

We finally have an image we can refer to and its pretty accurate for our baby. We can externally feel his butt under my ribcage and now know its his feet doing all that kicking towards the top.

I'm glad to know its his butt we've been pushing on and not his head / face. :)

Jennifer

The Baby at Week 36

Week 36: Skulls and Bones

Your baby's skull isn't the only soft structure in his or her little body. Most of your baby's bones and cartilage are quite soft as well (they'll harden over the first few years of life) — allowing for an easier journey as your baby squeezes through the birth canal at delivery (and less prodding and poking for Mom along the way). The skull bones are also not fused together yet so that the head can easily (well, relatively easily) maneuver through the birth canal.

So your little bruiser (who you've now learned won't be bruising you all that much with those soft bones) is now about six pounds in weight and measures slightly more than 20 inches in length. Growth will experience a slowdown now, both so your baby will be able to fit the narrow passageway to the outside and also so he or she can store up all the energy needed for delivery.

By now, many of your baby's systems are pretty mature, at least in baby terms — and just about ready for life on the outside. Blood circulation, for instance, has been perfected and your baby's immune system has matured enough to protect him or her from infections outside the womb. Other systems, however, still need a few finishing touches. Once such notable example: digestion — which actually won't be fully mature until sometime after birth. Why's that? Inside his or her little gestational cocoon, your baby has relied on the umbilical cord for nutrition, meaning that the digestive system — though developed — hasn't been operational. So your baby will take the first year or two to bring that system up to speed.

One Month and Counting ...

Today marks one month until our due date of November 9th. We've been told that technically speaking, the two weeks preceeding and after the due date are what is considered "term" and the baby can come at any point during that four week period.

And then there are the two or three woman who recetnly told me their baby came three weeks before its due date.

Bottom line: the baby will come when he's good and ready.

As for the Lucero household, we're ready with all the gear. Thanks to our baby shower, we have lots of clothing, blankets, and other misc. baby goodies ... including the co-sleeper basinett. And this weekend we bought the travel system (car seat/stroller combo), a "pack and play" (think portable crib with a changing table) for the downstairs, a baby monitor and some other good stuff.

The baby's room has been painted and most of the wallpaper border is up. The blinds arrived yesterday and will be installed soon. I plan to wash all his clothes today.

There are a couple of odds and ends that need tending to, but for the most part, the house is ready.

But are we?

People who have children have warned us what we're in for: sleepless nights, exhausted days, endless laundry, etc. So we try to envision what our lives will be like and while we think we have a pretty good idea (remember, we did foster care for little kids last year ...), we know the changes will come as a total shock to us.

Stay tuned.

Jennifer

The Baby Shower

Not long ago, it seemed like our baby shower was far off into the future. But it has now come and gone and we're one step closer to the big day.

We had a fabulous baby shower and wish to thank all who attended! The food and company were fabulous!

Most of all, we'd like to thank Valerie and Jon, Carrie and Madison and Debby and Amy. Valerie and Jon hosted the event at their home, and Carrie, Madison, Debby and Amy came early to help get everything set up. We are truly blessed to have such great friends!

We'd also like to thank Elisabeth for making the cakes ... and for so much more. She stayed with us for a few days and we were so happy to have her here. Thanks for the hamburger stroganoff, Liz!

Jennifer and Jonathan

The Baby at 35 Weeks

(Ha! I wish out little guy was only 5.5 pounds ...)

Week 35: Soft in the Head

At about 20 inches and five and a half pounds (but with about five more weeks to grow), most of your baby's growth over the next month or so before you meet will be in weight (with a gain of anywhere from one pound to several), not height (baby's pretty much reached the in utero limit in that department). Accordingly, fat continues to accumulate at a rapid pace these days (on baby, not just on your hips). Back in the middle of your pregnancy, your baby's weight was made up of only two percent fat; now that percentage has soared to closer to 15 percent (and will increase to 30 percent at term). Which means your baby's once skinny arms and legs are now quite plump…and irresistibly, squeezably soft.

Also continuing to grow at an amazing pace is your baby's brain power. Luckily, the part that surrounds that amazing brain — the skull — remains soft. And for good reason: A soft skull will allow your baby to squeeze more easily through the birth canal. (Mother Nature was really thinking this one through — imagine trying to push out a rock-hard head…ouch!)

And talking about that head, your baby has probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. It also makes it easier during childbirth if your baby comes out head first. Fewer than five percent of babies prefer the bottom-down (or breech) position by full-term. Don't worry if your baby hasn't assumed the head-down position yet. There's still a good chance he or she will flip head-side-down before birth — even in the tight confines of your uterus.

Go Buffs!

College football is a big deal in our house. And by that, I mean college football is a big deal to Jonathan ... huge! I would be remiss if I neglected to post a blog about it after this weekend's game.

Jonathan's beloved unranked Colorado Buffs shocked the world of college football by beating third ranked and undefeated Oklahoma 27-24 in the last minute of Saturday's game.

As usual, I did my own thing while the game was on. In the last four minutes, I realized it was getting exciting (how could I not with Jonathan yelling things at the TV?). So I made my way downstairs watch the final minutes of the game (note: Jonathan and all the noise were upstairs). He came rushing down to tell me about the game, only to discover I was actually watching, too. I find myself always rooting for the underdog ... and Colorado was definitely the underdog this weekend.

A co-worker of mine is a HUGE Oklahoma fan and took the loss really hard. I expressed confusion to Jonathan about the guy's devastation. After all, its just a game. But, football is never "just a game" for die hard fans. Never.

So what does all this have to do with a blog about Baby Lucero? Well ... everything! The baby is a "Baby Buff" in the making and at his anticipated size at birth, Jonathan is hoping a ready-made football player will pop out. Well, if nothing else, Jonathan will have his very own college football buddy for years to come. (And sorry, Honey ... we're not naming the baby after CU's quarterback, Cody Hawkins. Its just not going to happen ...)

Go Buffs!

Jennifer

The Latest Dr. Appointment and Ultrasound Photos

We got some interesting news about Baby Lucero on Friday: He's already 6 pounds 10 ounces (according to the ultrasound computer ... which is just an estimate). If the conception date was unknown, the computer would estimate a due date of October 19.

But we know the conception date and the large size of the baby doesn't change it from November 9th. The Dr. is a bit concerned about the large size of the baby (heck, I was only six something when I was born a week early!), so I had to take a blood test this weekend to detect whether or not I have gestational diabetes. Its a common condition in pregnancy ... I just hope I don't have it.

If he keeps growing at this rate, and I go to term, its possible he'll be just about a 10 pound baby. YIKES!!!

So here are the latest ultrasound photos (for more, scroll down the page a bit). They aren't very good and he looks like an alien with a big ol' mouth. But, he's our little alien. :)

We're in week 35 now. Wow, time sure does go quickly when one is pregnant!

Jennifer

The Baby at 34 Weeks

Rising Doughboy (or Girl)

Your baby could be as tall as 20 inches right now and about five pounds. Need a visual? Hold a five-pound bag of flour in your arms and imagine it's your soon-to-be-born baby (cradle it, and you'll only get strange looks in the baking aisle). Then stack three such bags one on top of the other (and get ready for some more strange looks, maybe from the same clerks who saw you grinning and holding that one-pound box of sugar a few weeks ago). That's how tall your baby is now. (Now go bake some oatmeal raisin cookies with all that flour!)

If your little doughboy is, well, a boy, then you'll be pleased to know that this week his testicles are making their way down from his abdomen to his scrotum. (Some baby boys — three to four percent — are born with undescended testicles, but they usually make the trip down sometime before the first birthday.)

Your baby's fingernails now reach the end of the fingertips and may even curl over the tip, making a manicure one of the first things you'll need to do for your little bundle.

A Very Close Call ... and the Grace of God

This weekend Liz and I were en route to Albuquerque and highway traffic was zipping along at 75 mph (or more). Traffic then came to an immedate stop and most of us drivers were caught completely off-guard. Tires were screeching and smoking and cars were veering off the road in an attempt to maintain control.

As if all that wasn't scary enough, I looked into my rearview mirror only to see a mini-van coming up behind me ... FAST ... and he wasn't slowing down.

I recall my immediate thought was, "I'm pregnant, my sister is in the car, and Bella is home alone." I quickly moved my car onto the highway shoulder to get us out of the way. The van went barreling past me on my left, and then had to swerve to avoid hitting the car that was in front of me. Had I not moved to the right, we'd have been hit behind with full-force, and been thrown into the car in front of us.

Now that was scary!

God definitely had his hands on us: What if I hadn't looked into the rear view mirror at that exact moment to see that van? What if the van had swerved to the right at the same time I did ... or what if there was already a car on the shoulder (I didn't have time to look before moving over).

So many other ways that situation could have played out. But we were safe and so were others who were in the immediate vicinity.

Praise God! (how could we not??)

Jennifer

Labor, Delivery, Epidurals, Spinal Blocks and All That Jazz

This week's prenatal class focused on all the things that freak out an anxious mommy-to-be: labor, delivery, epidurals, spinal blocks, etc. We even watched a video on C-sections (which wasn't nearly as gorey as what I've seen on Discovery Health).

And here is what I have to say: knock me out and wake me up when there is a baby.

Last night, I watched the newest show on The Duggars (you know, that family who just had their 17th child? They named the baby Jennifer, by the way). So she's done this labor and delivery thing several times ... and keeps coming back for more. Women throughout history have been having babies and certainly in less desirable locations and conditions that I'll be in. So I'm trying to get a grip on the whole thing. But man, several hours of the most intense pain I've ever felt in my life is just a scary thought.

When I was a kid, I proclaimed I would never have children because it would hurt too much. Somewhere along the way, I forgot about that little fear ... until recently.

But, this is what I signed up for. And in the end, we get a baby. And that is all that matters.

Jennifer

The Baby at 33 Weeks

Week 33: Water Weight

This week your baby may be anywhere between 17 to 19 inches in length and weigh more than four and a half pounds. Your baby could grow a full inch more this week alone — especially if he or she has been on the shorter side. Weight gain can range from a third more growth to a full doubling before the big debut.

The level of amniotic fluid in your uterus has reached its maximum, making it likely that you have more baby than fluid now. That's one reason why you're probably feeling lots of nudges and pushes — there's less liquid to cushion the blows. (Of course that means you're even closer to your baby now!)

If your uterine walls had eyes, here's what you'd see: your fetus acting more and more like a baby, with his or her eyes closing during sleep and opening while awake. And because those uterine walls are becoming thinner, more light penetrates the womb, helping your baby differentiate between day and night (now if only baby can remember that difference on the outside!).

And good news! Your baby has reached an important milestone about now: The development of his or her own immune system that (along with antibodies from you) will be able to provide protection from mild infections.

Save the Drama for .... THIS Mama ...

I had an interesting, and unexpected evening last night ...

First let's start off with what happened earlier in the day. Yesterday morning, while walking Bella, she and a mean dog behind a gate and a bit of a tiff. As I struggled to pull my 50 pound dog away from the gate, I tripped over her and crashed onto the sidewalk. The photograph is "Exhibit A." :)

The baby seemed okay and was moving like crazy all day long. So I didn't think the fall was a big deal (aside from scraping my leg up pretty badly).

By coincidence, I had a Dr. appt. yesterday afternoon. I told her of my fall that morning and she was very concerned about the baby and told me I needed to go to the hospital for EIGHT hours of observation. EIGHT! And, I was told if the baby was in distress, I'd end up getting an emergency C-section.

Well, you can imagine that with Jonathan in D.C. and a dog to take care of, I was in a bit of a panic.

So long story short ...

I drove to the hospital ... crying all the way. The nurse was very nice and after hearing my fall had taken place 12 hours earlier, she told me it was unlikely they'd keep me there the entire eight hours. She said if the baby was moving as usual, I was not leaking any fluid and had no blood, etc. then likely all was fine.

I was on the monitor for four hours last night. And one point, the nurse came in with a huge pitcher of water and told me to drink up, because I was having CONTRACTIONS! I was shocked, as I wasn't feeling a thing. But she assured me her monitor was detecting contractions and that hopefully, I was only a bit dehydrated and the water would take care of it.

So I chugged the water and later on, she returned to tell me the contractions had stopped. Lesson learned: DRINK A LOT ... ALL DAY, and ALL NIGHT.

All had been quiet on the maternity floor until about 10:00 p.m. That was when a woman in early labor arrived and was placed next to me ... with just a curtain separating us. I heard all her agony with every contraction and it was starting to freak me out ... big time.

So when, an hour later, the nurse returned and told me I could go home I thanked her for letting me go before the lady next door experienced any further pain.

I tell ya ... I can't wait for Jonathan to be home for good. Nothing makes you miss your husband more than an unexpected trip to the hospital.

Jennifer

And He's Off ... Again ...

Jonathan departed this morning for his final trip to D.C. He absolutely loves to travel, but isn't looking forward to this trip. He's had too many hangups at the Atlanta airport on recent trips and is concerned about what future delays are in his travel future.

He's also concerned about leaving his very pregnant wifey behind. I have assured him all will be well ... and we are just praying Baby Lucero loves his environment and will stay put until Daddy gets home. As we still have a few weeks left, we're confident he won't try to make his way into this world before Jonathan returns on September 27.

My sister, Liz, will be coming to stay with me for a few days, so that will be nice. And that leaves Jonathan fewer days to worry about me ... which is nice, too.

After this trip, Jonathan is home for good - yay!!

Jennifer

Pregnant Women are Supposed to Relax

(Be sure to check out today's "The Baby at 32 Weeks" ... just scroll down)

I frequently get told, by various people, that as a pregnant woman I need to "relax" and "pamper myself." And, hey! I agree! But ...

As you may have noticed, my blog writings have been pretty sporadic lately. This week was my company's annual conference (translation: annual nightmare). The weeks leading up to the conference were busy, the days leading up to the conference were even busier and this week itself was just plain CRAZY.

It wasn't until after the conference ended yesterday and I was simply carrying a stack of notebooks (one of the lightest loads I've carried in recent weeks, by the way) that people started saying, "Oh, let me do that for you. You're pregnant. Just sit down and relax."

But the way I look at all the physical work I've had to do lately is that doctors are always emphasizing that pregnant women need to exercise. So I believe I've met my exercise quota and plan to relax the next few weeks.

Most importantly, I want to thank Jonathan. I have been a tired (read: sleep deprived) and cranky wife this week. I think I did a fairly good job of not snapping at him, but he did get some raging hormones and frustration and tears directed his way a couple of times (the poor guy!). So here's a huge thanks to him for being patient with me, for helping me load the car and take all the conference material to the hotel ... and for just being a great husband. Thank you ... and I'm sorry for being so icky. I love you!

Jennifer

The Baby at 32 Weeks

Week 32: Squirming, Pushing, Growing

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long. And though that's a head-to-toe length, your baby is actually back to a curled-up position (you try standing up in those cramped quarters!). You're likely feeling tapping and squirming instead of your baby's signature rocking and rolling. That's because, while comfy, your baby is a bit tight for exercise space right now.

While your baby is still getting nourishment through the umbilical cord, it won't be long before you'll be bringing on the breast milk or formula (and soon after, the mashed carrots and peas). In anticipation of that momentous transition to mouth feeding, your baby's digestive system is all set and ready to go.

And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his or her skin is finally turning opaque (like yours), which means those see-through days are over. Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn.

And speaking of that big day, hope you're resting up for it — because your bambino certainly is. In preparation for that big first date with you, your baby is sleeping like a baby — with sleep cycles of 20 to 40 minutes long (which would also account for the decrease in movement you're likely feeling these days.

Welcome to New Mexico!

We'd like to welcome our fabulous friends, Valerie and Jon (aka "Bol and Mr. Ashe") to the Land of Enchantment!

Valerie has lived in the Bay Area for several years and returning to the Albuquerque area, and Mr. Ashe has lived in the Bay Area all his life. We applaud him for taking on the adventure of moving out to the desert Southwest! Quite a change from San Francisco life!

For those of you you know the Ashes, we invite you to check out their blog at http://rightturnatabq.blogspot.com.

We're just delighted to have them here and look forward to some good times and great company. Especially when they become Auntie Bol and Uncle Mr. Ashe in a couple of months!

We love you guys and welcome you with open arms!

Jennifer and Jonathan (aka Whenathan!)