One Month Ago ...

One month ago today, we were blessed to receive little Christian into the world and into our lives. We just love our little guy!

So here's my one month summary:

The c-section has been far easier to recover from than I expected. I still feel some discomfort at the incision and walk a bit funny because of that discomfort. But overall, I'm back to normal.

Christian only gets up twice a night to be changed and fed and then he's back asleep. It works out nicely for all of us.

Overall, we've been adjusting really well. For me, its a bit challenging to have a newborn at home during the day and still try to get my job done. So I get as much done as I can when he's sleeping (ha! They say to "sleep when the baby sleeps" ... not in this house!). Fortunately, Jonathan works from home two days a week now. We try not to bother him during his work day at home, as I know he's busy. But just when I'm really needing another pair of hands, Jonathan appears. WHEW!

One of the biggest things I've experienced in the past month is the vast amount, and variety, of advice out there. Baby book authors have their differing opinions, my own Dr. and his nurse have differing opinions and parents I talk to all have differeing opinions about feedings, pacifiers, how long to let a baby fuss / cry for, etc.

I was talking to my Grandpa the other day who warned me not to spoil the baby. I said, "Oh, the current thought is that you can't spoil a baby." His reply, "OH YES YOU CAN!" I told him that perhaps each generation has their own views on child rearing. Its currently thought that the first three months of a child's life is considered the "fourth trimester" and that you can't hold, cuddle or otherwise tend to a baby too much in the first three months of life.

Speaking of which, Christian is now fussing. I've let him do so for a bit and now its time to step in and reassure him that Mommy is here for him.

Jennifer

25 Years Ago ...

I heard on the news today that its the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's infamous "Thriller" video. Wow!

There are a few key ingredients to making a person feel old: 1) When your little sister turns 31, 2) When you are on the verge of turning 35 and 3) When your realize its been 25 years since Thriller came out.

I was obsessed with Michael Jackson as a kiddo. I used to claim I could tell when a Michael Jackson song was playing on the radio. I'd turn the radio on and sure enough, there was a Michael Jackson song on. Of course, back then, there was always a Michael Jackson song on the radio somewhere.

I'd cut out his pictures from magazines and put them on the wall in my bedroom. I'd put my tape recorder to the TV speaker or radio when a MJ video or song played. I even had silver socks (ahh, I miss those cool socks!).

25 years later, Michael Jackson has pretty much become a freak ... physically, in personality and lifestyle.

Who would have ever guessed? Certainly not me ... his biggest fan back in the day. When Christian gets old enough, he'll surely laugh that at one time, his mommy thought Michael Jackson was the coolest guy ever.

Jennifer

Bella and Christian

One question we get asked a lot is, "How's Bella adjusting to the baby?"

We are thrilled to report that Bella seems to be doing great!!!

She was very hyper with her curiosity when we first brought Christian home over three weeks ago. When we'd carry him around, she'd jump up on us to see what all the fuss was about.

After a couple of days, she calmed down but was still very curious. And she was hanging close to us - especially on the bed at night - as if to show us she's still here and still deserving of our attention.

If Bella is in another part of the house and Christian starts crying, she often comes running to see him. Its very cute!

Overall, she seems to have simply accepted Christian as part of the pack. She has never shown an ounce of hostility towards him. And for that, we are very grateful!

Jennifer

Daddy Buff and His Baby Buff

Christian experienced his inaugural college football game this weekend. Colorado played their biggest rival, Nebraska, and WON!

Ah, my men are so cute! :)

Jennifer

Our First Thanksgiving

Check out Christian!

Here he is! Live and in person!

A Weekend of Firsts

We had several "firsts" this weekend:

• Christian's umbilical cord finally fell off, revealing his belly button for the first time (and to be tasteful, we've masked his "bits and pieces").

• He got his first bath at home since getting one on his birthday. Poor kid ... he was none-too-happy. In an attempt to make sure the water wasn't too hot, I think I made the water a bit too cold for him. I'd be unhappy, too ...

We also went to Albuquerque for the first time as a new family and braved a shopping excursion at Wal*Mart. Thankfully, he slept through the entire time we spent at Wal*Mart!

Jennifer

Gaining Weight!

We took Christian in for another weight check today. On Monday, after having gained five ounces, he was at 7 pounds 13 ounces. Today, just three days later, he was at 8 pounds 7 ounces.

YAY!!

The nurse who wasn't satisfied with Christian's weight gain wasn't in today. So, it was "that guy Tiffany" who weighed him.

And we now know he's considered a "she."

I told the receptionist we were there to get Christian weighed, and she said, "We only have one nurse today, and I'll let her know there is a baby that needs weighing."

She called out, "Danielle ... you have a baby to weigh ..." And from around the corner, "Tiffany" appeared.

So Tiffany is Danielle. I think we'll still call him / her Tiffany. :)

But back to the point: Christian is gaining lots of weight and we're just delighted!

Jennifer

"That Guy Tiffany"

Santa Fe proudly calls itself "The City Different." An afternoon spent walking around Santa Fe's historic downtown Plaza shows many reasons why the city has that nickname.

Or ... a visit to our pediatrician's office.

I first saw "Tiffany" within moments of arriving at our first Dr. appt. I was with the receptionist when Tiffany walked by. I smiled at Tiffany and thought, "Whoa ..." I returned to Jonathan and quietly told him, "There is somebody back there that will freak you out! It's a woman that's a man!"

Within minutes, Tiffany appeared from behind the door and called us back. He/she weighed Christian, took his other measurements, etc.

I just wasn't sure if Tiffany was a man or woman for a few minutes. He/she has 80's hair with the high bangs (to be fair, I had the same hair 20 years ago ...), a full face of nicely-done makeup and a voice that is only slightly feminine. But it was when Tiffany took Christian from me that I noticed his hands. Yep, definitely a man.

So I turned to Jonathan and mouthed, "Its a MAN!" Jonathan silently mouthed "Shhhh!" to me.

I mean really ... who does Tiffany think he's fooling? Certainly not us.

No, his name isn't Tiffany (or is it ... ?). We don't know what his name is ... but we call him Tiffany because after the appointment, Jonathan and I were discussing what had happened and Jonathan casually said, "------- that guy Tiffany ..." And we busted up laughing long and hard.

"That guy Tiffany ..."

I guess you had to be there.

Jennifer

A Quick Update

Despite the fact that Christian is a very easy baby so far, I'm finding it difficult to find time to post new entries on our blog and to get new pictures up. If I sit down at the computer, its pretty much just to check e-mail and to do a fast thing here and there for work.

I promise that any day now, we'll have new pictures up for all to see.

Christian is doing great! We've now got the breastfeeding thing down, which is a huge relief. We took him to the Dr. last Thursday and he was wanting Christian to gain more weight. He was hoping for three ounces by today and he had gained FIVE ounces. However, the nurse we saw wasn't satisfied with the FIVE ounces and wants more (huh??), so we've been instructed to feed Christian every two hours now. So we're confused ... the Dr. told us to feed on demand so that Christian was extra hungry when he woke up.

My c-section recovery is going far better than I could have ever hoped for. I'm even walking somewhat normally now. And I'm actually wearing a pre-pregnancy outfit today (okay, to be fair, I was able to wear this outfit up until about the seventh month ...). And since Christian was born, I've lost 20 pounds (well, including Christian and all his "stuff" that came out with him) ... YAY! Having a baby is the best diet ever - ha ha!

As for Jonathan ... sadly, he must return to work tomorrow. He's not ready to leave the baby and me (and frankly, we're not ready for him to go, either ... we love having him home with us) and actually planned to take tomorrow as a vacation day.

However, I can't drive for three weeks after the surgery and Christian needs to be weighed again on Thursday. So ... I need Jonathan home on Thursday.

Jonathan is just the cutest dad EVER! He's so caring and delicate with the baby ... its a sight to behold. He talks to him and sings songs to him. He and Christian like to nap together ... with Christian on his Daddy's chest.

I know Jonathan and I each want Christian to ourselves all the time, but we've been very good about sharing the snuggle time. I keep in mind that I get the one-on-one breastfeeding time with Christian and so Jonathan needs his time, too.

This is one very loved baby!!!!

Look for pictures very soon!

Jennifer

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