Well, I have been inspired by Stephanie's post to write a Reiberg retrospective of 2006. Eric and I decided that it was time for babies in March of 2006, right around the anniversary of our engagement. We were very fortunate in that we were pregnant by August of the same year. I was very sick with Lucas, so much so that everyone around me convinced me that I must be having a girl because they are supposed to make you more ill...I knew all along that it was a boy! I waited until October to spread the news at work and start planning for my maternity leave. Eric was working at Product Action at this time and we were both looking for a babysitter near DCHS so that I could take the baby down to the southside with me and keep him/her close during the work day.
As my pregnancy progressed I began to feel a little better. Eric and I were excited and anxious, ready to meet baby but not ready for what unknown changes were to come. As I got bigger and bigger I got meaner and meaner. My poor students! It wasn't 't until I went back to teaching when I wasn't pregnant that I realized how awful I had truly been. Throughout this time we were taking a childbirth class at Wishard. We met Michele and Mark Countryman through this class, that is how Ellie and Luc became friends. As the due date of May 20th loomed near I became a complete wreak. I was SO miserable and uncomfortable. My friends were keeping me sane and of course my mom and Eric's family as well, but I cried a lot! Finally I made the decision that it was time. We went in on the 17th of may for induction, which was not at all what we had planned. Everything went very smoothly. Aunt Julia and Eric were there when Lucas was born and it was all completely amazing and life altering. The minute I saw him I looked to Eric and said, "Oh, well that is baby Lucas!" His name just fit, we knew it would. We had several names picked out and were waiting to meet the babe before we choose one, on sight we knew it was Lucas.
The next few days are a blur. Lots of visitors at the hospital came and went. I took the phone off the hook and put a sign on the door of our room on day 2 so that the only people we saw were my mother and Eric's family. Aunt Julia had to go work 4 nights in a row at Riley after 24hours of labor with me! Eric and I kept Lucas in the room with us most of the time, the one 4 hour stretch that he was in the nursery I woke up in a complete panic and E had to go get him. The night nurse that evening helped Lucas learn to nurse at 3 in the morning. She was a saint. She knew that I was freaking out and a mess and helped me get him successfully latched and eating before the end of her shift...and I FINALLY calmed down.
We got home and life was a roller coaster of no sleep and lots of nursing. But now, he is a champ sleeper. Don't get me wrong, he didn't become one until all 6 of his teeth finally broke through. Yes, I said 6, he is 7 months old and has 6 teeth. Mama returned to work and Daddy took the home shift. No more Product Action for Eric, just lots of poopie diapers and bottles. Lucas is the luckiest little boy in the world to have his Daddy home with him. You should see his face light up when Eric enters the room. He will always adore the Mama, but for a little boy to get to spend the early months with his Daddy is something that I am thankful for every single day.
We will probably have to look back over the early days of this blog soon so as not to forget the difficulties of the first few months, but all in all he is the BEST little man ever.
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