Videos of Lukas

Law Updates for the Month of May

Greetings!

As many of you already know, Lukas Mykle Law was born on Monday May 9th at 8:45am, five weeks before his due date! He was 18 inches long and weighed 5 lbs 4.5 oz. The Saturday before he came was my younger sister's wedding day, so Mykle and I were out in Massachusetts for a few days. We flew home Sunday morning and my water broke that night. I feel very blessed of the Lord that I made it back to Utah in time to deliver; Lukas' lungs were underdeveloped when he was born and he had to spend three weeks in the NICU at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. If he had come in MA, I would have had to stay with him while Mykle went back to UT for school. Also, my insurance wouldn't have covered anything.

Not only was it a tender mercy from the Lord to make it home in time, but not once during the entire trip (both flights, baby shower, bridal shower, wedding, reception, etc.) did I experience any pain or signs of labor. My visit went smoothly and I was able to fully enjoy all the festivities (well, as fully as you can when you're 8 months pregnant with what feels like an anvil resting on top of your bladder) (TMI?). 

While I was there, my mom commented to me, "What if he's born on your birthday?" (July 4th) I rolled my eyes and said "What if he's born on YOUR birthday?" (June 5th). It turned out that Lukas was born even before Mykle's birthday (May 13th)! We think he was aiming for Mother's Day but just barely missed the deadline.

After three weeks in the NICU, we were able to take Lukas home!! He's still on oxygen, so he has a nasal cannula that connects to a huge tank in our living room, and there are two sensors attached under his arms that measure his heartbeat and the inflation of his lungs. The wires from those plug into a monitor, and whenever his stats get too low/high the box beeps. (It is REALLY loud!) It hardly ever beeps for this reason, though; usually when it goes off it is because Lukas pulls his leads off. 

When we first brought him home, he was on 1/4 flow of oxygen. Now he's on 1/16, and I am hopeful that we can get rid of this blasted monitor by the end of the week. It will feel like a luxury to be able to carry him from room to room without trailing 50 feet of tubing behind. However, having the oxygen tank in the house isn't so bad. I am just so relieved and happy to have him home with us. It wasn't fun having him in the hospital. It was such a hassle to drive down and see him, and I would always feel guilty that I resented the inconvenience of seeing my baby. 

Mykle is doing well. He's taking a few classes this summer and he's working a couple hours a day in the writing center at UVU. The thing he's most excited about right now (other than being a new father!) is biking. He bikes pretty much everywhere, and he is a member of the Provo City Bike Club where he meets and talks with other cyclists in the area. Mykle has volunteered to help encourage other Utah citizens to bike by passing out pamphlets designed to inform and excite you about it. He's also currently constructing a bike of his own, which he's thrilled about.

As for me, I'm on maternity leave at my job, but I still go in occasionally for a few hours at a time if they need me. It is easier for me to do a half shift than a whole one, what with baby to take care of and having to pump every few hours. I definitely have some cabin fever, but I'm sure things will improve once Lukas is off oxygen and I can take him for walks outside. (He has a small, portable tank in addition to the big one that can be used when traveling, but we like to conserve it for doctor's visits and trips to visit Grandma Law.) I haven't had any post-partum depression (knock on wood!) and I started feeling better than I had in months almost the moment that Lukas was born! Here is a picture of us:

And here's a video:

Thank you so much for all your love and support!