Celebrating Everyday Moments: TBT- my pregnancy with Lucas

Oh how I love Throwback Thursday. It gives me an excuse to spend too much time looking through old photos.

Today I stumbled across pictures from my pregnancy with Lucas. So here is my story and some fun random facts :)

Between finishing my last semester of nursing school, graduating, studying and then finally taking the NCLEX... I am so thankful for my friend Alyssa, who reminded me of the importance to take a few moments each week to stop and take a picture of my growing belly. She promised me one day I would love to look back on those photos... and man was she right!

With Lucas, my pregnancy followed my mom's pregnancies very closely. Thankfully, I never had morning sickness... allowing me to finish nursing school and spend the summer preparing for my upcoming NCLEX, which I took at 38 weeks pregnant. Not ideal... but I passed! Wahoo!

At the beginning of my pregnancy I craved waffles... and at the end it was Taco Bell. Thankfully, I think this was the first and last time I have eaten Taco Bell. Throughout my entire pregnancy I despised the smell of grilled chicken... strange, as that is usually a staple in my diet. I gained a total of 20 pounds, exactly like my mom.

Considering my pregnancy had gone very similarly to my moms, I expected the delivery would as well. My mom delivered all three of us around 37 weeks. So when 37 weeks came, bags were packed and I was ready. 37 weeks came and went... and then came 38... then 39... then 40... and then 41. I had finally came to the realization that I was doomed to being pregnant forever. At my 41 week doctors appointment, I nearly jumped for joy when Rhonda, my midwife, told me they would induce me the following Tuesday, which would be 41 weeks and 3 days. That Tuesday, October 4th, also happened to be my younger brother's birthday. On my way home from that appointment, I called KJ to make sure he wouldn't mind sharing a birthday, and he told me he would be honored to share a birthday with Lucas. And the induction date was set, October 4th, 2011.

Still determined to go into labor on my own, I tried every trick in the book. I walked endless laps around the mall, drank raspberry tea, ate a whole pineapple (I don't recommend trying that), my mom cooked me spicy buffalo chicken, and I even tried a bumpy hayride. I watched the clock waiting for contractions... nothing. Not even a false alarm! Oh well. Thank God for Pitocin and the ability to induce labor or I would still be pregnant to this day!

Monday, October 3rd I didn't sleep a wink. I tossed and turned all night imagining what it would be like to meet Lucas the next day. I had spent months wondering what that sweet little face would look like and it was finally time to lay my eyes on that sweet baby boy.

Steve and I arrived at the hospital at 6:30am and got the process started. Knowing it was going to be a long day, we decided to have our families wait at home until the delivery got closer. I think our moms have finally forgiven us for this decision :) Around 7:30pm, they told me I was fully dilated. Our families came to the hospital, wished us luck and headed to the waiting room. At 8:39pm Lucas was born, weighing 9lbs 4.5oz. His face was even sweeter than I ever imagined.

Steve called our family in the waiting room and told them of Lucas arrival and we could both hear the cheers erupt. Shortly after, everyone came in to visit. Since a few of our siblings were too far away to make it to the hospital, they joined us in the hospital room on Skype.

Two days later, we packed our sweet Lucas into the car and headed home to began the adventure of parenthood... and ohh what an adventure it has been. One that I wouldn't change for the world.