Photo by Rachel and Noah Ray
So sorry I have been absent for the past couple of weeks…BUT we have been super busy with our precious little prince. On August 14th, our lives changed forever! Ryan and I welcomed our SON (yes, it’s a BOY) Asher into the world. Never in a million years could I have imagined that I would be capable of loving 2 people SO much. So, why 2 weeks early? And did I have c-section or deliver naturally? SO many questions, I know. Asher’s original due date was YESTERDAY (August 26th), and his 2 week birthday is tomorrow, so it’s perfect timing for my FINAL BUMPDATE. So, here is the story behind ASHER HAYES LUTZ, the coolest kid around. He even has his own Instagram (make sure to follow him for an overload of cuteness and baby fashion…such the trendsetter)!
How far along: Today, I would be 40 weeks and 1 day. BUT we got to meet our little almost 2 weeks early. SO SO happy about this! I honestly can’t imagine the past 2 weeks without him!
Cravings: NONE, but I am STARVING! Breastfeeding consumes a LOT of calories, so I am making sure I am munching on lot’s of protein, veggies, and healthy fats. Gotta make sure I am feeding Asher with nutrient-rich foods.
Aversions: None! SCORE.
Diet: As I mention above, I am REALLY focusing on eating healthy. LOT’S of lean proteins, veggies, potatoes, and healthy fats, such as nuts, almond butter, pecan butter, dark chocolate, etc.
Weight gain: Or should we say weight LOSS! Whoo hoo, baby weight BE GONE!!! So, that last week of pregnancy (and one of the reasons I delivered early), I gained 10-15 lbs of water weight in a matter of a few days. It was both CRAZY and SCARY and most likely was caused by pregnancy-induced high blood pressure (more on this later). It was such a weird feeling. Gosh, after looking back at my last BUMPDATE post, it is so clear that I literally blew up that last week. No wonder, now I know it was because my blood pressure was so high! I am sure people wonder why I posted those pictures, but you guys know I want to keep it real. And that is a REAL part of pregnancy. That rapid weight gain also made me ask the doctor what was going on…and if I hadn’t brought that up to her, we probably would not have gotten to spend the last 2 weeks with Asher-man! But fast forward. I have lost the majority of that water weight and then some! My old body is starting to appear again, and I feel MUCH lighter and less puffy. I am losing weight literally everyday, so it’s important that I keep my caloric intake up. As of today, I only have about 3 lbs left to lose to return to my pre-pregnancy weight. THANK YOU IRON TRIBE!! I honestly attribute this to my healthy diet and workout regimen DURING pregnancy, which has also helped with my recovery.
Bump watch: My bump is pretty much gone. While it is SO nice to be able to lay on my tummy, I do kinda miss those kicks. It’s an odd feeling. You watch this bump grow for 9 months, then all of a sudden it shrinks once you have the baby. However, it takes time to go away completely, preggos. Your uterus has to decrease in size, so don’t expect to walk out of the hospital with a completely flat tummy.
Mood: I have never felt so complete in my entire life. This little guy literally rocked my world as soon as he was born. His beautiful face, jet black hair, and huge eyes instantly put me in a good mood, no matter what. Gosh, I am literally tearing up as I write this! So, that brings me to the next point. Postpartum hormones are NO JOKE! I will literally start crying at the drop of hat, but MOST OF THE TIME, they are happy tears…rarely are there sad tears.
How do I feel? So, I ended up having to have an emergency (sort of) c-section. All things considered, I am feeling great! The hubs gets aggravated that I don’t ask for help, but I really feel better when I am up moving around. The only pain I am having is this weird burning sensation about 3-4 inches above my scar. Has anyone else experienced this? I would love to know what it is. I assume it’s nerve pain of some sort. But that’s really it! After my c-section, I continued to battle high blood pressure. When I went in for my 2 week check up, my blood pressure was back to normal, and now my swelling is completely gone. Postpartum high blood pressure can be very risky, so if you are experiencing this, make sure you talk to your doctor. I am hoping I will have another good blood pressure/swelling day tomorrow! Fingers crossed!
Body changes: HOLY MOLY, I feel like a new person! I have lost most of pregnancy weight, and my energy levels are very high. Luckily, my milk came in on day 3, so I have been able to breastfeed with no problems, pain, or discomfort (praise the LORD). I will tell you…delivering a baby really does rock your body! I won’t go through the gory details (preggos feel free to email me, and I will tell you ANYTHING you want to know…I promise), but good LAWD!!!
Workout regimen: Well, let’s see. The hubs and I took a stroll in our new Stokke Xplory (um so cute) around the cul-de-sac and back. 😉 It did feel great to get out of the house! Luckily, I was able to get an awesome workout in Thursday before I delivered. 6 weeks off minimum, and then I’ll be back in action…and better than ever of course. 😉 Watch out hubs, I am coming for ya.
Girl or Boy Prediction: IT’S A BOY!!!! So, looking back, I must have subconsciously thought Asher was a boy. I made a complete revamp of the nursery a couple weeks before I delivered. And if you walk in there, it is VERY masculine. Also, a lot of the clothes I ordered days before I gave birth are totes boy clothes. I guess I didn’t even realize it! Right before they pulled the baby out, they asked us for our FINAL prediction. I said BOY and Ryan said GIRL. He has thought (and hoped) it would be a boy from day 1, so I think he was just hoping to jinx it if Asher was a girl.
Nursery Updates: Y’all, I have no words for the nursery. It is very HIP, but also so calming and peaceful. I can’t wait to show you pictures. It has a very “monochrome baby” vibe with a lot of black and white and natural wood. The Scandinavian influence is very obvious, with a few pops of color to give it some character. It really is my favorite place in the house! There is a fluffy white rug that is perfect for tummy time, and like I said before, the crib is to. die. for. We had our newborn pictures on Tuesday, so be on the look out. Here is a sneak peek! And that crib, though…SWOON.
Photo by Rachel and Noah Ray
DAD: As you guys know, Ryan was extremely supportive throughout my entire pregnancy. Oh my gosh, having Asher-man has taken our love to a completely different level. He was SO helpful while we were in the hospital, waiting on me hand and foot, changing diapers, and proving to be the ultimate swaddler. He had to teach me how to swaddle and change a diaper when we got home! He really is the best dad ever. He went back to work this week, and I honestly was a mess when he left Monday morning (shocker). Seeing him love on and dote on Asher has made me fall in love with him all over again. I am beyond lucky to have these 2 precious boys in my life. Ok, cue the tears, because they are flowing.
Birth Story: So, how in the WORLD did all this happen? Ok, back up to my 38th week of pregnancy. Although I did not feel terrible, I was swelling up a LOT. I was still exercising, and that would give me some relief. However, within a couple hours of Iron Tribe, I would swell back up. Usually workouts bought me AT LEAST 24 hours of no swelling, so I knew something was up. I had my 38 week doctor’s appointment scheduled for Friday. Friday morning I woke up and something just felt different. Nesting Nancy went into full effect. I knocked out some crucial emails, made some what would be last minute phone calls, and picked up the house a little. We also had the contractor coming by the finish up some items in the nursery. One of those items was putting up some stickers on the accent wall. I had promised the contractor I would have a few rows done before he got there. He wasn’t coming until 1, and my appointment was at 10. So, I thought, I will have plenty of time to handle this over lunch. Well, something told me to go ahead and get those stickers done. And after that, something told me to get my shit together. So, I made sure I had EVERYTHING I needed for the hospital laid out and organized, just in case. Also, the night before, Ryan randomly decided to pack his bags for the hospital. So, I get to the doctor and check in. I felt good, but my swelling was pretty bad. I stepped on the scale and in a matter of a couple of days I had gained around 15 lbs. The nurse ASSURED me this was water weight, but that made me worry even more. They checked my blood pressure, and it was high for me. I think it was 140/80, which is still within the “ok” range. However, my blood pressure was normally 105/65 and had been around 120/70 the last few months of pregnancy. So, then I started getting a little worried/excited/anxious/you name it. I spoke to the doc, and she recommended I go down to Labor and Delivery for some “additional tests”. She said I would be there around 4 hours, and she just wanted to confirm that I did not have preclampsia. I walked down to Labor and Delivery and asked them if I could run home to grab my computer. They looked at me like I was crazy. “Sweetie, you are here for the long haul.” Hmmm not sure what that meant at the time, I sent the hubs home to grab my computer, so I could work. They admitted me and set me up to the blood pressure monitor. They also started monitoring #babylutz aka ASHER! As I watched the blood pressure machine spit out high numbers, I started to come to the realization that we might become parents soon. I call Ryan back and tell him to cancel his 1:45 meeting and get the car packed. He got the contractor squared away and all of our stuff together. For what seemed like an eternity, I knocked out emails as quickly as possible, trying to tie up loose ends. I am sure my sales reps thought I was crazy. At about 2:30 the doctor came in. “Well, I want to run a couple more blood pressure readings, but you may be having this baby today. Are you ready?” I did not end up having preclampsia, but a combination of the pregnancy induced hypertension, protein in my urine, and the swelling was enough to justify delivering the baby. She scheduled me for a c-section 2 hours later. So, I made the call to Ryan. “Are you ready to be a daddy?” A few minutes later he walked into the room. 2 of my best friends sat there with me as reminisced and talked about the future. Funny story, I asked for my hair straightener and makeup, and one of the nurses was not too pleased with that. ” I don’t think so!” As I walked into to the OR (yes, walked into the OR), I was kinda scared but mostly excited and filled with love. Today was the day we were going to meet our baby..our precious little creation. I was eerily calm, conversing with the nurses, the docs, and Ryan. About 10-15 minutes later, they asked for our FINAL boy or girl prediction. Then, I heard cries and the nurses saying “oh my gosh, that hair! And those lips! Oh, the baby looks just like dad!” They dropped the blue curtain (St. Vincent’s has the cool clear curtain, so you can see the baby immediately being born. Ryan and I looked up and saw the most beautiful baby we had ever laid eyes on. We both said, “it’s Junior” (Ryan’s nickname for him throughout the pregnancy), and I started crying my eyes out. It was truly the happiest moment of our lives! We were officially Lutzi Party of 3. The nurses were so excited, they grabbed our phones and cameras and started snapping away! They got some of the BEST pictures that we will treasure forever. As they cleaned Asher and stitched me up, Ryan and I held hands, kissed, and laughed and cried with joy. I was so happy to have him there in that moment. Our pediatrician even came to the OR to see the little guy and bless the birth. Once they were done, they laid Asher on my chest for the ride back to the birthing suite. I will never forget that commute holding my precious little Asher. The nurses at St.Vincent’s were AMAZING!!! The service and care was top notch from the moment I was admitted until we were discharged. Don’t worry, full review coming soon! Huge shout out to Amy, Michelle, Cindy, and Jessica. You ladies were so loving with Asher, and made me feel so comfy…you truly took care of us as a family. THANK YOU!!!!
Stay tuned for more pregnancy and birth tips and LOT’S of fashion, nursery decorating, and ASHER-man updates. Thank you for taking this journey with me!!! Don’t forget to follow ASHER on Instagram HERE and Life Lutzurious on Instagram HERE for all the details!
Photography by Rachel and Noah Ray