~* Brayden Robert Heiser *~

He is finally here! We have been busy getting settled in at home but wanted to complete his baby blog with his birth story. Brayden Robert Heiser arrived 9 days early - March 29 at 8:16 pm. His weight was 8 pounds 4 ounces and length 21 inches long. Here is his story:


Wednesday night, March 28, I started having contractions on the way home from work. They were a continuous 10 minutes apart until we got home, then they went away. So we did laundry, I did dishes, and vacuumed, hoping they would start again in the night. After a great night sleep, I went to work (making sure our bags were packed) and at about 9:30 am I started having contractions again 10 minutes apart. The feeling was there that it was time! I put a call in to the nurse to tell her that my contractions were consistent and she said to wait until they were 5 minutes apart to go to the hospital. Around lunch time, they were still close to 10 minutes, so I went to Katch-a-Kup with a couple of my co-workers. The short walk and eating must have helped them along because they were 4-5 minutes apart while we were there. I must have had a concerned look on my face, because Jenn said 'Let's just take you up there!' So, they drove me to St. Luke's and I put a call in to the secretary at Lewis and Clark school to give Robby the message to come to the hospital because I had someone to drive me there. He called a few minutes later and said 'Are you sure this is it?? You don't sound like you are in labor!' I laughed and said I wasn't having a contraction at the time, but what am I supposed to sound like!? :) 
Once I got settled in a room, the nurse checked my cervix and said I was still only dilated to a 2. I couldn't help but be a bit disappointed because I hoped the contractions were progressing things along. After another hour she checked again, no progress, and then again at 3:00 she checked. She was doubtful that I would be admitted but called Dr. Hamburger to ask him. Robby also thought we would just be going home to labor more. My contractions were getting stronger and stronger and I couldn't bear the thought of leaving without having our baby! Dr. Hamburger said he wouldn't be able to sleep that night if he sent me home knowing that I might not make it back to the hospital to deliver later on, so he left the clinic to come break my water. We were going to have our baby!! I was so relieved and so was Robby.
Admitting called me from my observation room and got me all set and I began the walk to the labor and delivery room. It was finally sinking in that soon I would be holding Brayden in my arms for the first time instead of feeling him kicking me from my belly. Once they got me into bed, the nurse came in and gave me my ID bracelet, got my IV hooked up, and got the external monitors hooked up to check on the baby's heartbeat and my contractions. It was fun watching the contractions go across the monitor but it took a lot of concentration and breathing to get through them. Around 4:00 Dr. Hamburger showed up to break my water. I expected it to be painful but after he was finished I remember saying to him "That was it?" Things started moving right along after that and by 5:45 I was already dilated to a 6. The pain was becoming unbearable and waiting an hour for the anesthesiologist to administer the epidural was very hard! Robby helped me through the contractions and it seemed easiest to close my eyes and just breathe until they passed. The hardest part of the whole process was having to sit still in bed while the doctor administered the epidural because I was having a contraction. After the next 2 contractions passed, I barely felt them and could actually smile and talk to Robby. The nurse was so nice and helpful but her shift was ending soon. I was sad to hear that she wouldn't be helping me through pushing but was going to be back the next day. 
At 7:00 I was fully dilated but still had a small part of my cervix over the baby's head so they waited about half an hour before letting me push. The contractions were definitely giving me more pressure and I felt like I should be pushing. I only pushed for about 20-30 minutes and Brayden was out! Robby gave me oxygen between pushes and was right by my side the whole time. Brayden let out a good cry right away, and they immediately set him on my chest and started cleaning him off. It was the most amazing feeling to finally touch him. He knew our voices and looked over at us. I was so relieved when the nurses said his Apgar score was a 9, no jaundice, and he was healthy. God had answered our prayers for a smooth pregnancy, delivery, and healthy baby boy. 

Since Brayden was born he has been the center of attention which he loves. They released us from the hospital on Saturday and Robby 'carefully' drove us home with my Mom following us. She was able to stay until Monday to help us get settled in. Visitors keep coming and going showing their love and support for Brayden. Although our apartment is cramped and not the best living situation, I am thankful for the big rooms and hope one day to move him into a home where he will be able to run, cry, laugh and live without the worry of our neighbors being annoyed with the noise. Things will fall into place for our little family and we are blessed to have such a precious new life to join our family. Welcome Brayden Robert Heiser!

~* 38 Weeks *~

 Well it was a pretty eventful checkup at the doctor's office Thursday. I met with Dr. Hamburger this time and found out I was 2 cm dilated and 75% effaced already. He made it sound like I could have the baby this week! It could still be a while though, so we're just playing the waiting game. Whenever Baby Heiser decides to arrive, is fine with me, I just hope it's sooner than later! Robby was able to go with me to this appointment, and it took a lot longer than normal. When I first went in, they checked my blood pressure which was 141/88. Since it was high, they took me into the room and laid me on left side and then checked it again 10 minutes later and it was fine. He also checked my feet, which were very swollen, so ordered a blood test to see if I had preeclampsia. My regular doctor called me that night and said all of the tests came back normal though so that was very good news! She told me to keep my feet elevated as much as I can and just relax. Robby and I enjoyed the day off Friday and went golfing in Wayne. He finally got on the course and I tore around in the golf cart :-) Today we headed to Columbus for his Praxis II test for school and he passed, so that is out of the way, then ate at one of our favorite BBQ joints, Skeeter Barnes with Jacki! Now we're relaxing in Beemer for a bit. Maybe by the next blog I will be attaching a picture of the baby instead of a bigger belly picture! :-) 

~* 36/37 Weeks *~

A Piggybank (his first dollar) from Tyson

37 Weeks

=22 days and counting! Since I missed getting last week's post up here, there have been a lot of updates. Last Friday was the 36 week checkup with Dr. LaFavor. She did an exam and said I was not dilated at all but starting to thin. The Group B Strep test was negative so that was good news as well! Baby has dropped a bit but I haven't noticed a drastic change in how I feel except for a lot more trips to the bathroom. It still feels like he is kicking me in the ribs but doesn't bother me much at all...and he reminds me everyday of how strong he is going to be! 

Today I had another checkup with Dr. LaFavor but she didn't check me because there were no changes. She reminded me I would know when the contractions started though! His heartbeat was very strong at 150 and she thinks he is around 7 pounds already and will be a nice sized baby. :-) Next week my checkup is Thursday with Dr. Hamburger. Robby is off of school again Friday so I am going to take a day of vacation that day too so we can relax and go out for dinner. He has completed 11 days of his 20 consecutive full-days of teaching. The students always ask him "Mr. Heiser, what you singing?" since he usually has a new song for them everyday. After correcting their grammar, of course, he keeps singing :P I'm sure it's never a dull moment in the classroom. He was evaluated again today and received good marks. Graduation is coming up May 5 and he's not sure if he is walking or not but I'm trying to convince him he should. When he's not busy doing lesson plans at night he is helping me get laundry done and keep me off of my feet. Going against his wishes, I bowled for Kasey Wednesday night. 2 games would have been plenty....by the 3rd game I was pretty miserable! Also Wednesday they threw a shower for Mara and I at Tyson. The pictures are of a few of the gifts the baby received! Diapers/onesies/piggybank/bouncer/diaper bag/more clothes/scrapbook/bath accessories were just some! I do have to mention too that Baby Heiser got the 3 children's books about "Quickie" that Donald Driver (for those of you that don't know he is a wide receiver for the Packers) wrote. 

I was especially excited about that! The diaper bag and bouncer were two things that we also were very happy to get. More gifts arrived from Wisconsin as well (a cute outfit from Rhonda's family and a baby Packer figurine). We have yet to put the carseat and bags in the car but that is on the list for this weekend as well as get the baby swing out of the box that 

Rita and Ricky gave us! I can't thank everyone enough for helping us out as much as you do with all of this. Happy St. Patty's Day tomorrow! Austin helped me make green Staab punch last week and we got it thawed tonight to drink. He thought it was a pretty good treat after playing in the park tonight and we're listening to him snore right now. ;-) And on one last note, we hope to get some of the maternity photos ordered soon!

 

~* 35 Weeks *~

  

35 weeks



Baby Heiser has reached 35 weeks and should be reaching 18" long and 5 1/4 lbs already! One month from tomorrow and my due date will be here! I know I say this every week, but now, I really CAN'T believe it's almost time for him to arrive! Most days I am excited, but I also wouldn't mind staying pregnant for a bit longer at this point. Robby mentioned to me this morning on our way to work that he wants to get the car seat installed this weekend so I think it is hitting him too that delivery is near! Friday is my 35/36 week appointment with Dr. LaFavor and she will check my cervix and test for Group B strep (which is a bacteria that could cause me to take antibiotics during labor). I have a lot of questions to ask her! Yesterday I filled out the FMLA paperwork for my leave and am still planning on taking the 6 weeks off from work.





Diaper stacker, genie, and
stock of diapers/wipes

 

After an awesome baby shower in Arcadia this weekend, our apartment is filling up with baby stuff! Here are some pictures to prove it :) Thanks to Jodi/Jenny and everyone for a great time. Baby Heiser is blessed to have so many people that already love him and can't wait to hold him and spoil him! Words can't express my gratitude as well for all the support we have gotten thus far with the pregnancy. I especially need to thank my husband who continues to put on my socks every morning and help me do things that aren't so easy for me anymore. We had fun going through all of the cute clothes and gifts that the baby received and trying to find places to put them. Right now we are in the process of washing clothes and putting them away. There is still one more shower at work next week! Below are just a few of the gifts...




Baby bibs... sporty and nerdy... gotta have both!
Underneath is the quilt my Mom made!



Easter outfit

Robby only has 2 days of school this week and then he is on Spring break. So he will get to enjoy the nice weather it sounds like we are going to have! He says March/April are hot times for schools to be posting jobs. Yesterday he had meetings at the college and found out he has to take 1 more test before graduation and also apply for certification. This will be the busiest time for him. Thursday I meet with the pediatrician here in Sioux City. I found out I have 2 more days of vacation I have to use up before I go on maternity leave, so more than likely I will save them up and use them for the first week of April. April 18 marks my 1 year anniversary at Tyson! (and FYI, the college JUST NOW hired 2 programmers since Jenn and I left there!) For now, Robby and I will pretty much stay put every weekend until the baby arrives and just relax. Visitors are always welcome! ;) 



 

Ready for Cubs baseball :)

the layout of the bedroom







~* 34 Weeks *~

34 weeks

This week I have a video to share! While I was lounging in the chair this morning the baby got hiccups. He was moving around so much anyway that I decided to get my phone to see how clear it would be! We had a pretty relaxing weekend in Wayne. Friday night we hung out with some friends for their birthday and went to JoDean's in Yankton to eat the seafood buffet. It was sooo goooood. Saturday Robby and I cleaned house and did laundry and then headed to Beemer to see Rita. Today was spent making cheeseburger soup, lounging around watching HGTV home shows, working, and proofreading Robby's resume for upcoming teaching applications. Hopefully something opens up in the NE Nebraska area soon. Almost 2 months and he will be graduating! This week he starts 20 consecutive days of teaching the kids in every subject. Once he has 20 days completed, he will teach only half of the subjects but still be helping in the classroom for the other half of the day. 


View in full screen


6 more weeks of work for me. We are trying to make a March 16 deadline for field analysis and it looks like it will come down to the due date for me to get done. Hopefully I can remain stress free but that will be a challenge! They are planning a joint baby shower for my co-worker and me March 14 so that will be fun. She had her baby February 16 and we went to visit him last Thursday. He is so adorable and tiny! Mara and Nick are proud parents to Jack Nicholas Jorgensen. This is their second and last boy/child. Robby's cousin Danny also welcomed his first child into the world! I can't wait to meet him once we can visit Wisconsin again. 


I have been feeling great except for my feet and hands are starting to swell. BabyCenter updates for this week say that the baby will move into position and drop further into my pelvis, and that he is about the size of a cantaloupe! I can tell because bending over is quite the challenge these days. Sleeping is easier for me these days even though I still wake up usually once in the night to visit the bathroom. And my appetite is steady. :-) Nerves are starting to set in once in a while because it is getting so close! Next weekend will be our last trip to Arcadia before the baby is born. Jen and Jodi are putting on a baby shower for the baby! I can't wait to see everyone. Only 40 days to go until baby Heiser arrives! I need to find a cute Easter outfit... :-)

~* 33 Weeks *~

33 Weeks

46 days to go! It has been a busy week/weekend for the Heiser's. Today was my 33 week checkup and I finally met Dr. Schneider. She is the last doctor I need to see in case my primary doctor is not available for the delivery, and even though it took so long to get in to see her, it was worth the wait because I loved her. She was enthusiastic about checking up on our little boy and getting to know me and my pregnancy thus far. My next checkup is Friday March 9 where they will do the Group B strep and then from here on out I will have weekly checkups. Next on the agenda is meeting with a pediatrician. They recommended Prairie Pediatrics out of Sioux City. 

This last weekend Kasey threw me a baby shower in Wayne! The baby got a lot of cute clothes, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream! :-) And of course we ate cake and ice cream. Austin was a great little helper and his friend Caitlyn and Karla joined in on the gift opening as well. It was fun and I'm grateful to Kasey for putting it on for me! We spent the afternoon going through the gifts with Ryan and Robby and finished off the night with some bowling. The baby is a good bowler ;-) Robby has been trying to get me to sit down and relax but I just can't sit still. So we got everything from the shower put away and the crib put together. He is preparing to take over the whole curriculum next week in his class, and trying not to get sick. The cold and flu is going around there now, but we both need to stay healthy for the baby! My co-worker Mara had her baby last Thursday and I am so excited for her! They had a baby boy named Jack and he is just precious. Hopefully this week we can go and visit him. That's all for now... Robby says I need to go to bed. 

~* 32 Weeks *~

This marks the 32nd week of my pregnancy. I had an appointment with Dr. Hamburger on Thursday and again it was another good report. His heartbeat was normal at 136 and he is measuring right on the mark. His weight could double before he is ready to leave my belly... it is hard to believe there is any more room in there for him to grow! As you can tell I'm expanding nicely, and we were both fed well this weekend by my family! We all can't wait for the little man to arrive. It will be another 3 weeks and I will make my last trek to Arcadia for the baby shower before my due date. Hopefully by then I am still feeling well! Robby and I have a new addition to our living room, a hand-me-down recliner from my parents! So it is re-arranged a little differently now too and I'm loving it so far... sitting here typing away with my feet up! (which are a bit swollen now) It will come in handy with company coming and being able to rock the baby. We also got the crib from my co-worker Judy this week! It is still in pieces because it's not quite fitting in the place we wanted it in the bedroom. We'll do some more figuring and hopefully get it up yet this week. Our 2nd base for the car seat came in the mail, we washed a bunch of sheets/quilts/etc. for the baby, and Mom and I had fun digging through old baby things at home to get ready and found my baby book. I was 7 lbs 5 oz compared to Robby's 9 lbs 7 oz and he was 22.5 inches long... I think I was 20.5? I'll have to look at the exact measurements again...of course I have already forgotten. Both of us were born naturally, my Mom was in labor longer with me than Rita was with Rob, but it was still under 6 hours. Another thing I found interesting was my Mom's due date for my sister was April 6, 1980, a day before Easter that year. My sister arrived 2 weeks early on March 24, though!!  :-) We got to help my brother celebrate his 35th birthday on Saturday with some great food, family, and of course a lot of laughs. It is always hard to say goodbye to them. Rob and I had our last childbirth prep class Thursday night too. They talked about medications/procedures used during labor/delivery and that we should think about creating our birth plan and going over our wishes with our doctor. I'm not against getting an epidural, but want to try real hard to go as long as I can without one. I know nothing else will matter once I hold my baby for the first time. Next I want to take a breastfeeding class but I won't drag Robby to that one. HA! The weatherman says snow tomorrow...hopefully he is wrong! The bed is calling my name! Goodnight!