Our Birth Story: Part One

Well, he's here!! Matthew William Hess II was born on May 5th at 6:18 pm, weighing 8lbs 10oz! And this is the story of his birth, starting a few days before and ending a few days after he was born.

April 30th was my due date. It was also my last day of work. I was kinda hoping Will would be born no later than his due date as I was incredibly uncomfortable and was so ready to finally meet him! However, that was not to be. We went to the Dr. on Tuesday May 1st for a full-term appointment. They did a sonogram to make sure he was breathing normally, and that I had enough fluids for him to stay in there a few more days. Then they did a non-stress test, so I was on a monitor that recorded his heartbeat and any contractions I may have been having. It was awesome to hear his heartbeat for so long, and see it too! He was pretty active at the appointment and kept kicking that the monitors on my belly ha ha! The monitor picked up some uterine contraction which I could not feel at all. But at least we knew something was starting, even though they weren't real contractions. Then the midwife checked my cervix, and it was still completely closed with no sign of thinning. We were a bit disappointed, but knew that God would have Will come whenever he was ready.

The midwife talked with us about a possible induction if he was not born a week after my due date. We were very hesitant to agree to being induced, and I told her I would want to wait longer to see what happened. So we left the appointment just kinda waiting to see what would happen. That next day I started experiencing the Braxston Hicks Contractions. They were not painful at all, and sometimes I would miss them. The only thing I felt was a tightening of my uterus, and at first I had to actually feel my belly and see if it was hard to know that they were happening. On Friday, May 4th, I went back for another appointment. William was incredibly active that day, and during the non-stress test they could not get a baseline heartbeat (meaning what his heart beat would normally be without the times that it speeds up). The midwife was a bit concerned about his heart rate being so high and going up and down without a regular reading for 2 minutes. She checked my cervix and it was still completely closed, she thought maybe slightly thinner, but really nothing had changed that would indicate labor any time soon. Due to her concern about his heart beat, she sent me to the hospital for longer monitoring, so Matt came to the office after work, picked me up, and we drove to the hospital. Poor Matthew, I didn't explain well on the phone that Will was okay, they just wanted more monitoring. So he was thinking that something was wrong, that our baby didn't have a heartbeat, and he was so worried. He said that must be a part of being a parent; being terrified of something happening to your child, and not being able to do anything about it! I felt so bad, but reassured him that things were okay. Honestly, I think he was so hyper because I had eaten a Peppermint Patty before the appointment, and he was just reacting to all the sugar ha ha!

Well, at the hospital I was back on the monitor, and by this time his heartbeat was regular and they could have a baseline for him, however, he must have worn himself out, because now he wasn't have the variables (increases in heart rate) that should be there. So the nurse wanted to start me on an IV and give him more fluids to get moving. I gave her a look that indicated my disgust at that ha ha. So she asked me if I would try drinking fruit punch to see if that would get him moving. I very enthusiastically agreed, and that did the trick!!  We were in the hospital for about 2 hours on the monitor. They did a sonogram and everything looked great! So we went home that night not expecting anything to happen. I was convinced that the following week I would have to be induced, so I was prepared not to have a baby for several more days. I think Matt was thinking the same thing. But, we had people praying, and we were praying that labor would start naturally and we wouldn't have to go through an induction and all that goes along with one. We went to bed that night, never thinking that we would be parents that next day! We were in for a shock for sure! To be continued....

Pregnancy

Here we are at the end of pregnancy! I'm 39 weeks, and we're just waiting for William to make his entrance! The last few months have been enjoyable, with barely any sickness at all! I'm not going into too much detail about these last months, mostly because things have blurred together, and I don't remember what happened when ha ha. Some highlights are when we found out that we are having a boy, and finishing the nursery so it's all ready for him! As of now, I have one more Dr. appointment, at which they will do a non-stress test, a sonogram, and see if he is making any progress towards labor! We are so exciting to be getting so close to Will being born! Will post again after we have our little baby with us :)

First Trimester

Well, now that I'm in my third trimester, I'm finally getting around to writing about the first two ha ha! Because I waited so long I'm sure there are things I've forgotten, but here is most of it!

For the first few weeks I felt great! Didn't even feel pregnant, so I took two more pregnancy tests (4 in total)! Ya know, a week later just to be certain :) At about 6 to 7 weeks I started to feel some morning sickness. It usually came in the morning because I hadn't eaten all night. But through the day I had to learn to eat more frequently (usually every hour or hour and a half) so that I would not feel sick. As long as my stomach had food in it, I felt pretty good! It would still hit now and then, though, even if I had eaten. I rarely felt nauseous though. If I was going to be sick, I had just a minute or so of warning. I'm thankful that I didn't have weeks of feeling nauseous! That is one of the worst feelings. I didn't have any cravings at this point, although I found out that I could not longer eat eggs, drink orange juice, or smell Alfredo sauce. Through about the first 3 months I was having horrible headaches...they would make me sick to my stomach. They came almost every day, and sometimes one would last for 2 or 3 days. The only relief I could get from them was to sleep. My midwife suggested a Magnesium supplement, however by the time I got around to asking about it, and thinking about getting them, the headaches were gone.

For a while I wasn't showing at all. Then slowly, maybe about 10 weeks or so, I could notice a difference, and my pants wouldn't close anymore! Other people still couldn't tell, Matt was kinda able to notice, but I certainly could ha ha! It was exciting to think about all the changes happening, and about this little baby growing in me!

At my first official OB appointment they did blood work, and lots of it! I remember being nervous about being stuck with a needle (even though I do it to people every day), and losing so much blood. But Matt was there with me, and held my hand! I had my snack there with me too, so I wouldn't be getting sick in the office. We were given lots of information this day, and lots of reading material. We met one of the midwives at this visit. We were informed that due to my bone structure I may have to have a C-section if the baby weighed more than 7 lbs. While we were not thrilled to hear this, we were both staying positive and not worrying about that possibility.

Everything looked good though at this appointment! Baby's heartbeat was strong and fast! It was so awesome to hear it beating! Letting us know there is a little life developing in me! What an amazing feeling to know that the Lord had blessed us with this child, and that it was in me...part of me!

For the most not a lot happened during the first trimester. We told all our family and friends, coworkers, and just enjoyed the excitement! I'm thankful that it was an uneventful time, though. A wonderful healthy baby on the way! We were excited to soon find out what we were going to be having! That comes with the second trimester...

We're Expecting!

That's right folks! Matthew and I are expecting our first child, sometime around April 30th 2012! We are so thrilled and happy and thankful for this blessing from the Lord! I thought in the blog I would write about each trimester and things I'm experiencing, feeling, and how our lives are changing.

Matthew and I decided that we were ready to start a family, and felt that the Lord had shown us it was time to have children; this was November 2010. 9 months later we found out we were pregnant. That 9 months was a trying time. The hardest part was hearing about and being told that so many of my friends, co-workers and acquaintances were pregnant. Although I was very happy and excited for them, there was a part of me that was sad, wondering when it would be my turn. It was a challenge in my faith; teaching me to truly trust God that His timing is perfect, and He will show His plan when the time is right. I am so thankful for God's peace and His perfect plan. I am also thankful for my one friend who was also struggling with the same issue. She was a great encouragement to me! And, looking back, I might possibly understand why God gave us this blessing at the time He did! It's amazing to look back and think, wow, God really is awesome and has everything planned out for what is best for us! If only I could remember this every day when I worry about things or 'forget' that His timing is perfect. And, now we are pregnant and so thankful for this new chapter in our lives!!

Right now I am 12 1/2 weeks...almost finished with my first trimester. It has been an interesting 3 months!

THE BEGINNING:

In August I started to notice that I was getting very irritable. I was cranky not only at home, but also at work! This was very unusual for me, especially to snap at a nurse at work! I had a suspicion that I was pregnant, but really didn't know for sure. On August 25th I took a pregnancy test in the morning. I had to take Matt's car to be inspected, as he was at work, so I continued with my morning activities. When I went back to the test, it said 'Pregnant.' I got so excited! I didn't know what to do...I wanted Matt to be the first person I told, yet he was at work! So I got myself together and took his car to be inspected. While there, I told Katie because she had been such an encouragement and had been praying for me! On the way home...4 hours later, I stopped and got another box of pregnancy tests ha ha. I wanted to be sure! I took another one, and yes, it was also positive!

So I wrapped the 2 tests in a box to give to Matt. When he got home from work I told him he was getting a gift because I love him. He thought it was a watch that he has been waiting for, so he said (in his goofy voice), "Oh, is it about 'time' I get this gift?!" I said, "Yes, it is about time that you get this gift." ha ha We think it's funny...maybe just to us :) So he opens it, and at first just looks (he didn't quite understand for a couple seconds). Then he says "Really??" Starts jumping around, picks me up and keeps jumping ha ha. He was quite thrilled at this news! That night we talked about how happy we are, thanked the Lord for His gift to us, and took pictures of the tests. We were just so thrilled and happy!! I know, though, that I didn't quite comprehend that there was a life growing inside me. I knew the baby was there, but it just didn't seem real. I'm sure though soon enough it will feel real...enter first trimester...

An Update!

Praise the Lord! A lot has happened since my last update here. I am still working at Oswego Hospital as a Registered nurse...Registered. Yes, I passed my boards!! And, Matt is now employed at Rapid Response in the call center, and he is enjoying it!

We have some new steps ahead of us. Matt is starting his Master's degree next Monday. He will be getting a Master's in History. He has also applied to the Army through ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Core). He has been medically approved, and we are just waiting for paperwork to go through. If this is God's plan, he will start training next summer to be in the Army, and in 2 years, after his degree is complete, he will go to Officer Training School. Then, we will be stationed wherever they send us. We are hoping for somewhere pretty awesome like Hawaii, Alaska, or Germany, maybe even Japan. But, we'll see where God sends us.

Matt is extremely excited about this new step in our lives. He spent 5 years in the Marines and misses it. I, however, am still trying to get on board with this decision. Due to the lack of teaching jobs (which is what Matt's degree is), and the economic situation, we feel that the Lord was leading him back to the military. This is not the kind of life I had wanted, but I'm trusting the Lord to see us through and give us strength.

I think that's all the updates I have for now. I will try to update more often! God bless!

NEW JOB!!!

Well, I (anna) have a job! God opened the door at the small hospital in Oswego, NY. It's about a 45 minute drive from where we live. In the winter it will take a bit longer because it's a big snow region up there. The hospital is very small, which I really like! So far the people seem very nice that I'm working with.

This week was my first week! First three days were orientation, then the last two I spent on the floor where I will be working. I shadowed a nurse both days. Next week I have 3 more orientation days, then I'll be on the floor orienting to my new position as a Graduate Nurse! I am working in a Medical/Surgical unit, which means I see everything there! I will get a lot of experience. One section of this unit is pediatrics, and hopefully in a year I will get training to work there! My schedule is day shift, 8 hr days. I will be working every other weekend, and a few holidays per year. I will have to take several classes at the hospital, and pass tests for them, so that they know that my care for my patients will be safe. I still have to take my state boards. When I pass them, I will have my license as a RN! I am looking forward to that!! In the meantime, I'm studying thousands of questions in preparation for the big test!

We are so thankful for this job opportunity! It is an answer to prayer!

Matthew is trying to get into a school this fall to complete his Master's degree for teaching, so that he can have a teaching job. The jobs he applied for all wanted Master's degrees, so he needs one to be competitive. In the fall, he is also planning on substitute teaching whenever the districts give him a call.

We would appreciate prayers as we get our jobs/schooling scheduled, and get our finances in order. Things have been super tight lately, but we have seen God provide in different ways. It's interesting how we didn't appreciate what we had until we didn't have it anymore! Wondering how we will pay rent/bills or buy groceries became an everyday thing for us. We pray that as God provides for us financially, that we always remember it's all from Him, and give back to Him!

Thank you to those who have been praying for us! And, those of you who have helped us out, we say thank you! We are looking forward to the day when we can start helping others out who are in need!

Anna Hess

Fun Times

I don't think we were supposed to be over here, but when I saw this old train bridge I had to get some pictures!
Downtown Watkins Glen
One of the water falls

For my birthday this year, Matt took me to Watkins Glen State Park. We hiked down the gorges, and then back up. Coming up is not easy! ha ha Many steps to climb. It was a little rainy that day, but we had a good time. Then we drove towards Rochester to go to PF Changs. It's a fancy Chinese restaurant. The food there is very good! Matt went to this place when he was in California, and loves it. So, when he realized we were only about 50 or so miles from there, we had to go :)
Definitely worth it! We showed up, though, after hiking, in our shorts, sneakers, and t-shirts. We were the most dressed-down people there! We got quite a few funny looks, it was kinda funny! Here are a few pictures from that trip.