Family of Four

On Monday, December 1st 2014 at 11:10 a.m. our son, Luke Edward Wheeler, was born!

It has been a wonderful week and I want to share all the details before I forget them.  My parents came to town last weekend to help us with any last minute preparations, Christmas decorating, and babysitting Kate so that I was able to get a break and rest up before Monday.  Matt and I went out to dinner together Saturday night and I took a very long nap on Sunday afternoon.  On Monday morning Matt and I kissed our only child goodbye and headed off to the hospital to meet our new baby.  It was all very surreal, and maybe because we'd been through it all before or maybe just because the pregnancy flew by, we were both very calm and ready as we went to the hospital.

Monday morning before we left- our last picture as a family of three

We had to be there a few hours before the surgery, and then there was a bit of a delay that meant we had to wait an extra hour, but the whole experience from the moment it started was so much better than Kate's birthing adventure.  Little things, like the long shower I took at home before we left and the nice pre-op nurse with all the time in the world to properly insert my IV in a much less awkward spot, made us optimistic that everything about Luke's birth would go smoother than our last time.

Waiting our turn

When it was finally time to go to the operating room, I walked in and they even had me climb up onto the operating table by myself.  Everyone was chatting and calm, there was 90's music playing on the radio and friendly staff explaining every step of the process to me.  I wasn't even nervous as the spinal was administered, I was just ready to go.  Once I was numb Matt was allowed to join us and within minutes they were holding a scrunchy, crying little baby over the curtain for us to see!

Luke weighed in at 7 pounds, 14.8 ounces (3.594 kilograms) and was 20 inches (50.8 centimeters) long.  They cleaned him off and Matt left the operating room with his son while they finished up my surgery.  Everything went fine, I had some reactions to the morphine like excessive sweating and nausea, but nothing terrible.  It was all a blur and suddenly we were in the recovery room with our son.  The nausea and vomiting meant that they continued to administer anti-nausea drugs through my IV the remainder of the day which had the added side effect of extreme drowsiness.  I could barely keep my eyes open and don't really remember much of Monday.

Meanwhile, the rest of our family was waiting on news of Luke's arrival.  In addition to my parents, Matt's parents also were in town by lunch giving Kate the rare treat of having the attention of all of her grandparents at one time.  It was a beautiful day, 73 degrees and not a cloud in the sky, so we have beautiful pictures like this one of their time together while Luke was being born that I know Kate will treasure someday ( and I already do).

Kate and the two women she is lucky enough to have as her grandmothers

Once Kate woke up from her afternoon nap, the grandparents brought her to meet her baby brother for the first time.  I wasn't really aware of much during the visit, but from the looks on every one's faces I'd say the whole gang was smitten from the first time they laid eyes on him.

Aunt Claudia created this adorable birth announcement for us to post on social media

My children meeting for the first time!

She was sweet and gentle with the baby, she will be a great big sister

His hair is much lighter than Kate's

Proud Oma and Opa

Proud Grammie and Granddaddy

Besides his Mama of course, the next two most important women in his life

Monday night ended with Luke and I exhausted after our busy day and the grandparents sharing a celebratory pizza before calling it an early night as well.  Matt went home to sleep and so that Kate would wake up to a familiar face and routine and we couldn't believe how blessed we were to have a safe, healthy delivery and all of our parents already meet him on his birthday.

How Luke and I spent most of Monday through Wednesday

On Tuesday morning my parents were going back to Kentucky, but not before a quick visit to the hospital to bring me some breakfast and get in a few more baby snuggles.  I was feeling much better, especially considering it had not even been 24 hours since my surgery, and it was fun to have visitors unlike last time around when I didn't feel up to it at all.

First smile?

John and Peggy came that afternoon without Kate to bring me lunch and get a chance to really visit with me and hold Luke without a toddler running around the hospital room.  The minister from our church stopped by too while they were there and it was really nice to have him pray for our family.  I can't get over how blessed we are heading into this special time of year to have a whole new person to love in our family.

My new snuggle buddy

Bonding with the baby

Grammie and her grandson

By Wednesday the soreness from the surgery had set in and I was unhooked from all monitors, IV's, etc. and encouraged to continue to get up and get moving more and more.  I had already done some of this on Tuesday, but I feel like Wednesday there were no more excuses and it was a tough day to push myself a bit but it did get easier with each distance I walked around the hospital.  Kate came to visit again, and I was really excited to see her since it had been over a day.  She was curious and sweet with her brother, and it was really emotional to see them together more.

Early Thursday morning we were discharged!  The staff and total experience the second time around was really wonderful and it could not have gone better.  I was almost sad to leave the comfort of the hospital where you could push a button for a nurse to come take your child, but at the same time I was very ready to be back at home.  Thankfully, we had a plan in place for John and Peggy to take Kate away for a night or two so that we could get settled in without our energetic toddler running around.  I forgot how exhausting being up off and on all night with a newborn is, so we were extremely grateful for one less person to worry about in the chaos.

Let's go home!

First car ride

Kate welcomes Luke home before she goes off on an adventure with Grammie and Grandddaddy

Based on this sweet picture Peggy sent me yesterday, I think she's having a fun, special weekend with her grandparents while we settle in with Luke at home

Finally at home, I eat a celebratory piece of chocolate cake, just like I did when I came home from the hospital with Kate

Our first night home was hard, but not awful.  This morning we had a pediatrician's appointment and have been resting, feeding, and changing diapers nonstop since.  I can't believe this new, perfect little person is ours and he's here and part of our family.  Thank you for all your prayers, concern, and well wishes for our little family.  It means so much to me that so many people all over care about us and already love Luke long before you have a chance to meet him.

First official family photo of the Four Wheelers