Announcing Broderick George Kaiser

Birth Story of Broderick George Kaiser

After my due date, Nov 25th, had come and gone and I had spent many days and nights in false labor we scheduled an induction.  We were to report to the hospital November 28th at 7:30 AM for the birth of our child.  The night before Dave and I went to our favorite sushi restaurant and came home and watched a movie.  I was unable to really watch the end of the movie because my contractions were becoming intense  and were picking up in frequency.  I was hopeful I would go into labor on my own that night, however I had done this many times before so I didn't get my hopes up.  Luckily I was able to get some sleep despite the contractions and we reported to the hospital that morning ready to get the show on the road.

When we arrived we went through the typical admit procedures, and my Pitocin drip was started.  Our first hiccup in the plan was my IV, which took 3 sticks to get, and then I endured 2 more sticks in efforts to move it because its location was so painful.  As a medical provider I felt so silly complaining about the IV but the IV infusion (not the stick) caused me so much more pain than any contractions I was feeling.  Unfortunately they were unable to get another IV, so I decided to just deal with it.

Around 1 PM my water broke on its own, which I later learned was rare for an induction.  I knew that once my water broke that the contractions would quickly pick up in intensity so even though I really was not that uncomfortable I asked for my epidural.  I received my epidural around 1:30 and was surprised that I was really uneasy about the numbness.  Don't get me wrong I was happy to not be uncomfortable anymore but did  not like feeling that I had no control of the lower half of my body.  Once my epidural was placed they checked me and I was 5 cm dilated.  I felt pretty accomplished getting all the way to 5 with not to much discomfort.  The nurses said I had a high pain tolerance.  I made sure Dave heard them say that. 

Shift change had come and gone and I was blessed beyond belief with the most wonderful labor nurse (Kristen) I could have ever asked for.  She was so attentive, thorough, kind, funny and so much more.  Kristen came in and turned me, fluffed my pillows and somehow knew exactly where I needed pillows placed.  With in 10min of her turning me I felt it would be a good idea for her to check me.  When she did she said our baby was right there, and we would be pushing just as soon as she got set up.  Hearing this immediately got me nervous.  The thought that Dave and I would soon be parents really freaked me out and instead of getting really excited I felt like running for the hills.

Once Kristen got everything ready and we sent my parents and Dave's mom to the waiting room I started pushing.  I was so nervous that I wouldn't know how or wouldn't be able to push effectively, however Kristin was a great coach and reassured me the whole time.  In between contractions Kristin, Dave and I were having such a great time.  We talked about so many different things and were laughing the whole time.  I even had a few contractions where my pushing was not optimal because I was laughing a lot.  Despite our good time, I began to get frustrated because although I continued to make progress it was taking such a long time.  Our baby decided to give me my first challenge by being in the wrong orientation (sunny side up).  Dave was right by my side the entire time, and periodically would text our parents for an update.  To my surprise I was never nasty to Dave and despite the pain that was in I never snapped at him.  He was perfect, he rubbed my head, held my hand, encouraged me when I needed it and  was quite when I needed him to be.  About 2.5 hours into pushing I could feel the numbness from the epidural starting to go away from the top down.  I unfortunatly knew that this meant the catheter had probably migrated out of my epidural space and that I was no longer getting medication where I needed to in order to stay numb.  This gave me extra incentive to push harder to get our baby out quick!!!  I pushed for another half and hour and finally our child was crowning.  At this point we had to wait for the midwife to finish another delivery before she could assist in delivering our baby.  For the next 20 min of contractions I was not allowed to push and the pain was getting intense.  With Dave and Kristen's help I stayed focused.  I knew if I lost control of my emotions it would be so much worse.  Once the midwife got there I was so scared to push because I knew how bad it was going to hurt.  At this point I still had some numbness but was feeling much more than I would have liked.  I pushed for another 10 min or so and finally heard Dave proclaim very loud, proud and happy that it was a BOY!!!!  All along I had thought we were having a girl, and despite not caring myself what gender our child was I secretly wanted a boy for Dave.  So needless to say we were both so happy!!!

 Dave went with Brody as they checked him out and I watched his O2 sats from afar climb from 77 to 99%.  Once I knew he was breathing alright, despite his + meconium, I went back to focusing on the pain I was feeling.  The pain I must say was pretty severe and despite 8mg of Morphine I still hurt bad and now also felt nauseated.  Dave took Brody to the NICU for a short observation stay and while the nurses were preparing me to go to the postpartum floor he took our parents to see him.  Once they all layed eyes on our new little man they came to see me. We all finished packing up our labor room and the nurse took Dave and I to Brody.  It was great to finally see him and check him out but the memory of that moment is a little foggy.  I remember that at that moment I did start to feel attached to him.  Immediately after his birth I think I was in so much pain that all I could focus on was the pain, although I distinctively remember watching his O2 sats climb so I know I was concerned for him.  Once we left the NICU Dave and I went to our new room on the postpartum floor, we said goodbye to our parents for the night and ate a little something while we waited for the nurses to bring Brody to our room.

Brody got to our room at around 4AM and both sat there and admired him.  We both agreed he was the cutest baby ever and despite how tired we were we just couldn't stop staring at him.  We both finally layed him in his bassinet beside us and got a few hours of sleep.

In the morning Dave left to go take care of Roxie and I layed in bed just snuggling with Brody.  By this time I had fallen so in love with him.  That day and the next day in the hospital we spent time just the three of us.  It was so nice to have this time alone to be a family of three.  We were discharged from the hospital on Friday morning and we couldn't wait to get out of there.  We were both looking forward to having Brody home with us surrounded by our things, and just settling in.

Preterm Labor

I have been meaning to post about my night on October 26th but have been so tired and busy that I am just now getting around to it.  The day started like any other Thursday, I went to work and went about my day with slight contractions that really were not painful but were frequent.  I casually mentioned it to one of the girls I work with and she must have been concerned and mentioned it to another CRNA who came and told me that she thought I should go to doctor and just have it checked out.  I really didn't think it was any big deal but decided to call the OB on my way home from work.  They said they wanted me to go home and take it  easy until my next appointment, which wasn't till Monday but I was able to move it up to the next day (Friday) so that I wouldn't have to miss two days of work. 

Friday morning came and I went on in and they hooked me up to the monitor and to my surprise I was contracting more than I even knew.  My contractions were every 2 min or so and lasted 30-45 seconds.  They did many test and really couldn't find a reason for my contractions.  While I was there they did an ultrasound and checked my fluid level.  My fluid level was great and we also learned that the baby was approx 6lbs 10oz, with a head of hair.  The ultrasound lady was so nice and took some 3D pictures for me.  The APRN at the office then checked me and said I was 1cm dilated and that I was to go on strict bed rest until my appointment on Monday.  She also instructed that if I experienced any more big contractions over the weekend that I needed to come to L&D immediately and they would have to give me Brethine to stop them. They did not want me delivering early and said I at least needed to make it till Monday when I would be 36 weeks.  This seamed strange to me because I was under the impression that I would be 35 weeks Saturday and definitely not 36 weeks Monday.  Apparently they had changed my due date back at 22 weeks and due to some communication errors I had no idea.

Baby Kaiser with his/her foot up by his/her face

I went home and took it easy and about 4 hours after Dave got home from work we decided I needed to go to the hospital.  I was having rhythmic contractions for a few hours and they were getting worse.  When I told Dave we needed to go ahead and go in I also told him he needed to pack a bag because we may end up staying the night.  His response to me was that he had to take a shower first.  Luckily the contractions were not painful, so I didn't really mind but it was kinda funny.  When we got to the hospital they put me on on the monitor and were concerned about my contractions but since I was not dilating with them I was told I could go home, as long as I stayed on bed rest. 

On Monday I went for my scheduled appointment and I was 2 cm but I told the OB that my contractions were actually worse while laying around and better if I stayed moving.  She went ahead and gave me the go ahead to go back to work as long as I took it easy.  I was so thankful to hear this news because I hated being on bed rest.  It felt so wrong to call into work when I wasn't feeling bad, plus as good as laying around all day sounds it really isn't all that great.

So for now Dave and I have just been on baby watch.  The preterm labor was enough to kick our butts into gear and we quickly got the nursery ready, and purchased the car seat.  My mom had another shower for us which was wonderful.  We got some really great items, and now feel ready for the baby to come. 


Dave has been the most wonderfully supportive husband a pregnant girl could ask for.  He has driven home from a bridge inspection in Cinci each night so that I am not alone, he makes dinner, does the grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, you name he has done it.  I have felt so blessed to have him and his support.  I wish there was a way to repay him for all he has done but nothing I think of sounds good enough. 

My next appointment is Monday and I will be 38 weeks.  At my 37th week I was 3 cm dilated, and my OB felt I wouldn't make it till my next appointment but it is looking like I will.  I really had hoped that the baby would be born today since it is Dave's and the USMC birthday, however this does not seam to be the babies plan.  I am quickly realizing that all of this is out of our hands and I have no control over the timing of it.  I guess this is God's way of showing me that I can not control everything despite how bad I would like to. 

Highlights:
Gestation: 37 weeks and 6 days
Weight: 145  (down from 147- apparently weight loss is normal in the last few weeks)
Total weight gain: 33 lbs
Cravings: nothing really, I have a decreased appetite
Issues: FATIGUE, and nausea

I am still contracting all the time and have had many other pre labor symptoms so hopefully my next post will be about the birth of our little boy or girl.  Speaking of possible boy.... Broderick "Brody" George Kaiser is our final name choice.  I and Dave love it equally which I didn't' think would be possible so I am really happy about that. 

Picture of the Nursery,which is almost finished.  We still have some artwork that isn't up on the walls etc. but it is almost a finished product. 

33 Weeks

33 Weeks!

Ok, Ok I have really really really been slacking on posting and so much has happened between now and the last time I blogged so readers beware this is going to be a long post!! 

So much has happened that I can't even really remember so I plan to just go through my iphone pics and hope that I remember.  

For starters, my grandparents, who live in Florida, came up for a visit.  It seams that when ever they come up it is for healthcare reasons and they had their fair share of appointments this visit, but we also managed to get in some quality time together.  The biggest news they shared with us during their visit was that they were going to buy a condo in NKY so that they would have a place to stay up here when they came to visit family.  Somehow, or another, and I am still not sure how they have decided to not only buy a place to visit but move back to Kentucky from Florida.  For those of you that know my grandmother you must know that this is SHOCKING!!!!!  She hates the cold weather, so we were in disbelief that she was ready to start bearing through the winters with us again.  They have spent the last month searching, purchasing, and renovating their new place in Florence, Ky and we couldn't be happier.  Here  is a picture of us the night their offer was accepted.  Looking at this picture now makes me laugh; just look at our outfits.  I am burning up and in a tank top due to the warm weather and  because my mom keeps the house warmer when they are there.  My grandmother is in a shirt and sweater and would have still probably told you she was cold.  LOL!!

Apple Picking

While they were here we also took a trip to Evans Orchard in Paris Ky.  We had never been, but I had heard it was a great place to visit in the Fall.  It did not disappoint and the there was so many activities for kids that I can't wait to go back there with our little one starting next year.  Dave and I might even go back in a few weekends to pick out our pumpkins.

At some point in the last 6 weeks I attended Jared's soccer game.  This is his first year playing soccer and I think Emily and Barrett's first year coaching.  Watching these little kiddos play soccer was so cute and yet so frustrating all at the same time.  They go out of bounds, kick the ball the wrong way, and Jared even got excited when the other team scored just because the other team was cheering.  It was to cute. The video isn't' the most exciting thing to watch but I really tried to be respectful of the the other parents and tried not to tape their children. 

One of the winery's in Owenton, Elk Creek Vinyards, had an Oktoberfest this year and Dave and I attended with our friends Lauren and Perkins.  Dave works with Perkins and his fiance Lauren and I always have a great time together.  We spent the evening listening to music, talking about their upcoming wedding, and our little bun in the oven.  Lauren, Perkins and Dave got to sample some really good unique beers and I enjoyed all the good food, and sprite.   It was a great evening!!  

Luckily for me my brother is an AMAZING photographer and he took some maternity pictures for Dave and I, two weeks ago (31 weeks).  We all went to Carrolton for church where a new cross was placed on the alter at my grandparents church in memory of my grandfather and then we spent the rest of the day taking pictures and shooting guns at the family farm.  

 

Shooting my Grandpa's old pistol.  Every time I shot it I could feel the baby jump.

Last weekend was the first of my two baby showers.  Dave's aunt Leah hosted and it was so much fun.  Dave and I got lots of great stuff for the baby, but most of all it was wonderful to be surrounded by friends and family who I know will support us in starting our family.  Dave and I have been together for 14 years, and married for almost 7 so I know everyone, as well as us, have been patiently waiting for the next little Kaiser.  

How big is my belly???

Jish won!!!   We won't reveal her strategy though. ;)  Her string was blue so I guess that means the baby will be a boy!!! 

Afghan blanket made by Grandma Janet.  Isn't  beautiful!!!!!

Yesterday I had my second baby shower courtesy of my friend Bryan and it also was amazing.  It was so chill and casual which made me so happy.  She invited my parents, her parents, and a handful of some of my closest friends.  Anne and Theresa were able to make it which made the day perfect. They brought their kiddos, minus Olivia, and I think they also had a great time playing in the Sutherland play land.  Bryan had some yummy treats and we played baby scatagories.  I got lots of great gifts for the baby and all in all had a absolutely perfect day.   

Pregnancy Highlights over the last 6 weeks:

I kinda got in a rut wishing the time away so that I could feel more like myself and not a hostage of my own uterus and child, but have succeeded in stopping those feelings.  I realized that the best thing for the baby is to stay in there a little longer and ultimatly that is the most important thing.... the baby.  Sometimes it is hard though to not get frustrated by the complexity of the little tasks.  For instance putting on sox, or leaning forward to grab my glass of milk on the coffee table, etc.  I am taking it all in good stride though and really feel like I have had a pretty easy pregnancy, at least so far.  I have developed a few more symptoms over the last few weeks.  I know have carpel tunnel syndrome and arthritis fingers in the morning.  My hands work more like paws in the morning but as soon as I warm them up in the shower it improves.  My SI joints continue to bother me and I am starting to experience heartburn like I used to.  I at times have round ligament and sciatic pain but it is usually pretty short lived.  Just this passed week I had my first issue with contractions.  I was contracting every 1.5 min and they were lasting approx 20 seconds.  Because they were so rhythmic I really felt that they were more than braxton hicks.  I am sure you are thinking that I called the doctor, layed down, drank water etc.  Nope!!  I did drink some water but just kept working and just prayed they would go away.  I think I made everyone in the OR with me that morning a little nervous.  Once I chugged some water and finally started a longer case where I could sit down they did go away.  I think I need to work on being the patient and not my own health care provider sometimes.  Hopefuly I will do better in the future and I do plan on mentioning this to my doctor tomorrow at my scheduled appointment.  The baby is deffinitly getting bigger because its movements at times are much more painful, and my belly is growing so much so fast.  I am sure it hasn't helped that I have given up all hope of not getting fat.  I just have given in and don't really care to much about what the scale says anymore.  When I look in the mirror I always look swollen and my face looks fat so its a done deal now, I might as well go crazy and enjoy myself right?  The nursery is still a work in progress and I can't wait to post pictures once its completed.  

Weight: 138 (last time I checked, we will see what they say tomorrow) This is up 26 lbs from pre preggo weight.

Cravings: nothing really

Aversions: starting to hate the smell of clorahexadene prep again.

Overall mood: anxious about getting everything I want accomplished before the baby arrives.  I, as well as Dave, am starting to despise the continual name game we play for a boy.  Right now Dave really likes Brody.  I like Brody for a little boy but not for an adult so hopefully we will agree on something soon.