Braydon's 2nd week

This last week Braydon was 2 weeks old. He had his first bath and had MANY visitors. He's a very deeply loved little boy. He also recognized his Mom and Dad's voice for the first time, sucked his thumb and found himself in the mirror. His head and neck are REALLY strong, he holds his head up a lot. He's also gained a pound in one week. The boy loves to eat! He's so good and barely cries except when he gets his diaper changed or is really hungry. We've been blessed so far with a mellow, adorable little man.

It's a Boy!

Braydon Charles Schwarz has entered our lives and we couldn't feel more blessed. On December 21, 2009 we went to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla to get induced. My blood pressure was high and I started to develop pre eclampsia so my doctor thought this would be the safest move. We got to the hospital at 7am and were induced at 8am. Craig and I were anxious with anticipation and couldn't wait to meet our baby. I was feeling pretty good, watching TV and reading magazines and felt the love from all our friends and family that were texting and calling to see how I was doing.

At 2:45pm the doctor came in and saw that there was hardly any progress which she wasn't happy about after 61/2 hours of the Pitocin. I was 90 percent effaced and 3 cm dilated and the babies head had dropped a bit. She broke my water which she said should speed up labor. At about 7pm I decided I would stand up and walk around to get Baby S to speed things up. It worked because my contractions started to get REALLY strong and frequent. I held out for about 4 hours and then decided to get the epidural because I was tensing with the contractions so much and wanted to relax. The epidural was like having a warm cocktail, I got cozy and was able to fall asleep. I wanted to save my energy for the pushing. At this time I was starting to get a high fever so they gave me antibiotics. They just didn't want the infection to spread to the baby. I guess when your water breaks bacteria can spread after a while.

At 1am the doctor came in again and checked me and still no progress. After 17 hours of trying to get the baby out and my fever not going down the doctor insisted I get a C section. Craig and I were pretty bummed out and felt like we probably shouldn't have gotten induced but then I tell myself, God has a plan and this is part of it so I should just go with it. She said the fact the baby isn't progressing could be a large number of reasons and it's hard for them to tell which combination is ours. She said it seems my pelvis in large enough and the baby isn't too big so she wasn't sure what the problem was. I called my Mom and Dad and they rushed to the hospital.

At 1:45am they wheeled me into the Operating Room where Craig was allowed to be with me. They numbed my whole body so I couldn't feel anything. At 1:54am the anesthesiologist told me I'd feel a hard push and a tug which was a weird sensation and then I heard the works "Happy Birthday little Boy!" Craig looked SO excited and yelled "REALLY?! It's a boy?!" And they lifted him up so we could see him over the curtain and he was wailing. My eyes welled with tears and I can't even explain the feeling I felt. It's like the whole world stopped and all there was was Braydon, Craig and I.

He scored an 8 APGAR and is as healthy as can be. He was 20 inches long and 6 pounds 9 oz. It was actually a blessing that we went the C section route because as it turned out the cord was wrapped twice around his neck so the umbilical cord would have cut off his oxygen if he progressed down the birth canal. After he was cleaned and tested they brought him to me and he immediately began breast feeding. They moved the three of us to our room where we would stay for the next 4 days. Daddy and I were the happiest and proudest parents. We love him so much!

A BIG week

So this week has been a big one! We closed escrow on our house on Monday and between picking out paints and flooring and packing, I've been going to doctors appointments. My blood pressure has been creeping up and I have a mild case of pre eclampsia so I've been monitored pretty closely. I'm 37 weeks this week. When I went into the doctor's office on Monday she noticed that I was having contractions that were pretty regular and 5 minutes apart. I barely felt them but it seems the baby is getting ready. I was 1 cm dilated and 50% effaced. On Tuesday I lost my mucous plug. And today, which is Thursday I had another appointment and the contractions are still there and pretty regular. I can actually sort of feel them. It feels like a bit of cramping but nothing too intense. The doctor said the baby has dropped too which is exciting! She said she was concerned about my blood pressure and wants to induce the baby by Monday or Tuesday of next week. I'll be at 38 weeks. Since the baby already seems to be making it's way out I'm not as concerned about having to be induced, I've had this gut feeling the baby was going to come two weeks early anyhow. So we'll see what the weekend brings, the baby could decide to not wait.

Craig and I are very excited! We can't wait to meet the little cutie pie! We are just hoping to get our room and the baby's room moved before the baby gets here. What a crazy time in our lives! Moving into our first home together and having a baby all with the same 4 days!

36 week update

So I'm at 36 weeks and we couldn't be more anxious and excited! It's a bit of a crazy time for us because we are also closing escrow on a beautiful house on Monday so we are having to make a pretty big move in the next week or two. We're hoping the baby will hold on for a bit longer so we can get into the other house first.

I had a doctors appointment on Wednesday and I'm 50% effaced and the baby is in the head down position. And I've gained 40 pounds. My blood pressure was high so the doctor saw me again the next day to do an ultrasound and run stress tests. The baby is VERY healthy, sizing in the 79th percentile with chubby little cheeks :) It's heart is strong and it seems very happy. As for me, I'm feeling pretty good minus the blood pressure situation which of course worries me a bit. I'm going to be put on a special test schedule where I'll be getting an ultrasound next week and a stress test as well. The doctor said if I were at 38 weeks she would probably recommend taking the baby now but since I'm 36 weeks she'd like to just monitor me and the baby and wait as long as possible.

I can't wait to meet the little one, seeing it's adorable face in the ultrasound got me even more excited! I'll post the ultrasound photo soon!

Sneak Peek at our Maternity Shoot

Our great friends and old neighbors, soon to be neighbors again (we are both in escrow in homes just 2 miles apart), Rich and Shelby of 927 photography took our Maternity Photos last weekend. It was such a fun shoot! We went to Rancho Penasquitos Reserve and took photos in the field, on haystacks and at the Ranch House. Then we did a wardrobe change and took more photos at the old Del Mar Train Station. Rich and Shelby are so great at what they do. They made us feel so comfortable and take such great, artistic photos! I can't wait until they take Baby S's first photos :) To see their website where more pictures will soon be posted go to www.927photography.com.

Birth Classes have begun

Craig and I went to our first Birth Preparation class on Wednesday. It's all becoming so real! We only have 8 weeks left to go! The class was held at Scripps where we'll be delivering the little one. It was really informative. We learned all about labor and what to prepare for. It seems like such an amazing task. I'm hoping my body will be strong throughout the whole process and all will turn out okay. I can't wait for Baby S to come :) The H1N1 virus has made a huge impact on the hospital's processes. Apparently you're only allowed 2 visitors per day and each has to be screened at the door. And normally we get a tour of the hospital but couldn't. And no one under the age of 14 is allowed in at all. It's so crazy! I'm going in tomorrow morning to get my h1n1 vaccine because a few people at Craig's work have gotten it and I want to protect the Baby and I.

28 Week Ultrsound

Craig and I got to see the baby again! Baby S has grown so much! And the technician said we have a healthy baby so far which is always great news :) In the photo above you can see the baby's face and forearm. Apparently our baby has a BIG head! It's head is in the 80th percentile, yikes! And it's little feet are two inches long already. As far as overall size Baby S is in the 56th percentile which is good. It likes to move around a lot and was in a big ball with it's feet by it's head. We got to see it's little lips which I can't wait to kiss! After the ultrasound I had an appointment with the doc and all looks good so far. My gestational diabetes test came out negative, my blood pressure is still low and my weight gain is on track. Just under 3 months left! Hopefully all continues to go smoothly.

Northern California Baby Shower

My dear friends Amy, Olivia and my Mom's best friend Christie threw me such a fun Baby Shower! It was at Christie's house in Sebastopol and they went all out! The place was decorated beautifully and there were such great details like Baby S wood letters, a basket to put words of advice for us and the baby and a candy bar! All my best girlfriends form childhood and on were there, my wonderful Aunties and good family friends. It was so great to see everyone since it's hard to connect with me living so far away now. I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and couldn't be happier to bring Baby S into such a great support group. Olivia asked Craig and I questions about parenthood and read the answers to everyone, I got teary eyed but learned a lot about Craig's hopes and fears about parenthood. Apparently he's scared of changing diapers :) We also played the who knows Kelly best game. We had such a good time and thanks to everyone who came!!

Southern California Baby Shower

My wonderful sisters threw me the most amazing Baby Shower on October 3 at Mrs. Burton's Tea House in Old Town San Diego. It was such a cute venue! The Tea House was built in the 1800's and was an Old Victorian home. When everyone arrived they put on fun hats and boas, it was like playing dress up as a kid. Everyone was served tea and crumpets and we played fun games like Baby Bingo and everyone wrote some words of advice to us and the baby. Wendy and Kim made these adorable baby bottles filled with gummy bears for favors and had delicious cupcakes for everyone. There was also a raffle for everyone that brought me diapers for the baby. Grandma Irene won the drawing :) So many great friends and family showed up, it was such a great day! I loved seeing everyone and feel so blessed to have such a great network of friends and family!! We got so many great gifts, Baby S is spoiled already :)

Craig felt the baby kick!

A few nights ago I got woken up at around 2:30am by the baby kicking and Craig was up as well. I told him the baby was kicking me pretty hard and he put his hand on my stomach to see if he could feel and he did! I am so excited he is now able to share in the amazing experience of our baby moving around. It's such a miracle.

Future Boxer?

Our baby takes after it's Dad when it comes to the amount of energy it has. For the last few days I've been feeling constant movement. Baby S is really restless! I'm not sure if it's running circles in my belly or using me as a punching bag but I can feel it moving every few seconds. Maybe we have a future boxer on our hands? Or the next Ironman or woman?

I definitely felt the baby move!

There is no doubt now that Baby S is an active one. As I've been sitting at work I can feel the baby fluttering around in my stomach. It's hard to describe the feeling but it's nothing I've ever felt before and I love it!

I think I felt the baby move!

Craig and I drove to the Grand Canyon and Sedona this last weekend to celebrate our 1 Year Wedding Anniversary. We were in the car a lot and I think the baby must have gotten restless because a few times I felt something. It felt like a turning over in my stomach :) It was pretty amazing. We're in trouble though if the baby already doesn't like long car rides cause Mommy and Daddy like to travel!

20 Week Ultrasound

We went to our 20 week Ultrasound and it was pretty amazing. I was so excited to see the baby and how much it's grown in the last 6 weeks! The Ultrasound was a full anatomy check to make sure the baby was developing well so the technician showed every little detail. We saw the baby's little ribs and the ventricles in it's beating heart, we got to see the spine and brain as well as it's cute little feet and arms. It's developed a face with cute little eyes and ears and a nose, that I can't wait to kiss. I've already fallen so in love with this baby it's crazy! It's gotten a lot bigger now and so has my stomach. The technician asked if we were finding out the sex and hard as it was to say, we said no. So she said to not look because she was going to see what we were having and document it. She turned the monitor and Craig and I both turned our heads the other way. It was really hard to do but I think it will be worth it. When we were leaving the room Craig said he thought we were having a girl. When I asked why he said because he heard 4 clicks on her keyboard for G-I-R-L. I said that could also be B-O-Y enter key or M-A-L-E. It's fun to guess, I'll be happy either way.

Our baby has ears!

I am a little over 41/2 months pregnant now and just read that our baby can hear us now! Craig and I have started to talking to the little one and I'm going to attempt to sing to it too :)

July 22, 2009 - 16 weeks

I’m sick. I got a horrible cold which is no fun when pregnant. And today was my AFP screening test. It’s a blood test that screens any abnormalities such as spina bifida, down syndrome, cleft lip, etc. The nurse let me hear the baby’s heartbeat which was pretty amazing. It was beating at 150 bpm. My blood pressure was a bit high but we think it was because I’ve been sick. My belly is getting bigger :)

July 7, 2009

I got a call from the doctor and the Nuchal Transparency test came back negative which is great news! A load of worry was lifted off our shoulders.

June 25th, 2009 - 12 week Ultrasound

We had our 12 week ultrasound and Nuchal Transparency test. I had to have a full bladder which was hard! I was told to drink 5 cups of water and hold it so I took it seriously. Needless to say, by the time we were seen, the ultrasound technician took one look and said my bladder was WAY too full. It filled the entire screen. I was so excited when she said I could go empty it. It was an amazing hour. Craig and I got to see the baby in it’s 12 week entirety. We saw the beating heart, the hands, legs, feet, profile, belly. It was adorable. At first she said the baby looked like it was treading water. It moved around a lot, flipping over and moving it’s arms up to it’s face. It was an incredible experience. The nurse measured the bridge of the nose and nuchal fold on the neck which apparently detects down syndrome. She said all looked great on the ultrasound, congratulated us and then we were sent to the nurse to do more tests. We saw the nurse and tried to hear a heartbeat but it was too early to hear. Then blood was taken for part 2 of the Nuchal test and the nurse said all my results so far have been great.

June 18th, 2009 – Announcing the news to the Wilder’s

We wanted to tell my family in person so we drove up to Tahoe for my Birthday and Father’s Day. The whole family was together and we couldn’t have thought of a better moment. We sat my Mom and Dad down to open Father’s Day and my Mom’s late Birthday presents. My Dad opened the same poem that we had Jerry open and he just stared at it for a while trying to figure it out. Kim and Wendy were sitting behind him and started jumping up and down and ran to hug Craig and I. Then everyone caught on and the family was elated with joy! My Mom opened a baby onesie that had a Grandma poem on it and my Dad opened a shirt that said “Grandpa to be again”.

June 13th - Breaking the news at my birthday party

Craig, being the wonderful husband he is, threw me a huge beach party at Dog Beach in Del Mar for my birthday. Most of our close friends and family gathered to celebrate and we thought, what better time to tell them all the great news than now? It was a sunny day and we had such a fun time playing games and socializing. When most of the guests were there Craig had everyone gather for a toast where he gave me a Happy Birthday cheers and broke the baby news. Everyone was so excited, it was a great day!

June 12th - Breaking the news to the Schwarz Family

Now that we’re nearly 12 weeks we’ve decided to start spreading the news.We had the Schwarz’s down to San Diego for a nice dinner at Ruth Chris Steakhouse and to celebrate Father’s Day and my birthday. We sat Jerry down with his Father’s day presents and had him open them. The first present was a shirt that said “Great Dad’s get promoted to Grandpa”. He didn’t catch on. He just said, well, one day and set it aside. Then he opened this framed poem:

"I do not have a face to see,

Or put inside a frame.

I do not have soft cheeks to kiss.I

don’t yet have a name.
You can’t yet hold my tiny hands,

Nor whisper in my ear.

It’s still too soon to sing a song,

Or cuddle me so near.
But all will change come January;

That’s when Mom say’s I’m due.

I am your new grandson or granddaughter;

And I can’t wait to meet you!
All I ask between now and then

Is your patience while I grow.

I promise I’ll be worth the wait;

Because of all the love we’ll know!
So what I have to give you now,

Is a wish to you from me.

I cannot wait to be a part

Of this wonderful family!"

And it hit him! He was so excited, as were Jan and Cristin. We celebrated at dinner after.

June 4, 2009 - Surprise!

We’ve decided we’re going to keep the sex of the baby a surprise. We figured it would be more fun that way. We already have the name picked out, we’ve had these names for years now. Sienna Schwarz if it’s a girl and Braydon Charles Schwarz if it’s a boy.

May 28, 2009 - 8 week Ultrasound

Craig and I had our first prenatal appointment. I had my very first ultrasound and it was surreal. We saw the babies little heart beating super fast. It looked like a little gummy bear. The doctor said it looked like everything was going well and the fact the heartbeat was so strong was a very positive sign. The reality to it all hit me hard and it was confirmed we were 8 weeks and 2 days pregnant. The baby is due January 5, 2010. We sat with the doctor and went over proper diet and the delivery process along with several questions we had. We left with the ultrasound pictures and an elated feeling of joy. We’re going to be parents!

May 11, 2009

I went to my doctor because even after 3 pregnancy tests told us I was pregnant we still didn’t believe it. ….Well, I guess it was meant to be. The doctor confirmed I’m 4 weeks pregnant. I text messaged Craig the Big News and he’s elated. We’re going to be parents!