Mason's First Christmas

Ho Ho Ho! Well Mason's first Christmas has come and gone and it was a blast!! We enjoyed the company of family and friends and reveled in the music, card playing, and food consumption associated with the season. Mason made out like a bandit and is going to be the most stylin' little stud ever with the cute little clothes he scored! We went up to Chico the weekend before Christmas and spent some time with Mason's great grandparents, aunts and uncles. He was quite the little center of attention as he is the youngest little one on that side of the family. He was such a good little baby and did quite well although in a foreign house with game trophy heads mounted on all the walls! (The party was at Mason's great Uncle Jim's house - Great Uncle Jim is an avid hunter and recently mounted the head of a Cape Buffalo in his living room.)

The newest issue in our little family is my return to work. I attempted to obtain a temporary part-time schedule with my bank (with the intention of returning to full time work in March) but they were unable to make the accommodation I was looking for. They offered me a somewhat reduced schedule (per my request). However, the management position I hold with them is really a full time position and will never be able to accommodate part time hours. Tim and I sat down and had a heart-to-heart to talk about what type of work situation I wanted ... and we decided that it was dooable for me to work part time and I , therefore, gave my notice to the bank. We figured this would be a perfect time for me to transition into the paralegal field. I will, however, be working for them three days a week until they find my replacement or until I find other employment. I didn't want to leave them in a lurch so I offered to help them out ... I believe it is a good arrangement for both parties ... they have help until they find someone else, and I have income until I find something else! Its a win win situation!

Anyhow, I have included a link to some pictures (you may need to copy and paste into your browser) : http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.cdnjqt88&x=0&y=-w4zcd4 and
http://mystudio.kiddiekandids.com/viewshare.asp?c=602005074NUA7YW4R

Mason is starting to giggle more frequently and is smiling all the time. Our favorite is when he smiles while he has his pacifier in his mouth ... you can see the smile in his eyes. He is over 15 lbs and has a doctor's appointment in the coming weeks to receive his next round of shots. He currently has a little cold that is making him a little fussy and is preventing him from sleeping as well at night. Other than that, he is peachy keen!!

Anyhow, I hope this finds you all doing well!

Jenn

muffin top ....

Today was a major milestone ... I fit into my pre-pregnancy fat pants! Yes, I have a muffin top that would make any baker proud, but I fit into the pants darn-it!! Although I would never normally condone wearing pants where my belly pours over the waistband, I am going to wear these jeans for the rest of the day .... even if they make my eyeballs pop out a little!

Yesterday I chopped my hair off! It is short short short and it is taking a little getting used to! For those of you who have known me for a long time, I used to have this cut in my early college years. I am happy to be rid of the constant ponytail! It is very quick and easy to style!

Mason is doing great! He is already in size 3 diapers! He loves to splash in the bath and he is beginning to giggle and laugh more ....he is just getting so BIG! Har har, I just heard him fart from the other room ... Tim would be so proud!

Anyhow, I hope this finds each of you having a wonderful Holiday season!

Hugs,

Jenn

8 hours!

Life is back to normal and we are back home. Mason was an absolute prince for the rest of our Virginia trip and was a COMPLETE trooper on the flight home! We had a wonderful time on our trip but are very happy to return to home base (Nahla is happy we are back, too!).

Mason is growing like a weed .... he outgrew clothes that I packed for his trip while we were in Virginia! Mason is almost 11 weeks and is already in 3-6 month clothing! We recently have tried a new schedule with him that is working quite well! Instead of him "snacking" all day long - and then falling asleep after his snack, we have been feeding him every 3 hours or so and then keeping him awake after feeding. The wonderful result of this schedule is that Mason is sleeping longer periods through the night! The new schedule allowed him to go 5 hours or so at first, and then last night he slept 8 hours! HALLELUJAH! - HOLY S%#$ (to quote Clark Griswold in the wonderful Christmas movie classic, Christmas Vacation)!!

I am very much enjoying my time at home with my little man and am saddened the (dreaded) return to work is fast approaching. Mason and I have so much fun together during the day! He is so interactive now - - he coos and smiles, kicks, farts and has even laughed a couple of times! He's a HOOT to be around and it is only going to get better! If only I had a secret money tree in the back yard from which I could harvest cash ..... then I could stay home with Mason! Hummmm ........

The other weekend we packed up our little family and went to cut a Christmas tree. Grandma Marge bought Mason a cute little hat that kept his cranium warm during our tree hunt adventure. This year was probably the only year that we would get away with dressing him like that because he physically couldn't yank the hat off his head! His ensemble was too cute!

Anyhow, you can check out pictures from Virginia and the following days at the following link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.ak2creps&x=0&y=swlvgi

I have also uploaded some video taken recently. Enjoy!

With Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

DC Honeymoon

Tim and I just returned back to my brother's house from a wonderful "lightning trip" to Washington DC. Since we were in Virginia, we thought it would be foolish to not take advantage of the proximity of our Nation's capitol! Washington DC is 3.5hours (as the crow flies) from Norfolk.

I was very excited as I booked a hotel online that was right across the street from the White House. When we arrived at our hotel, Tim and I were impressed by the fancy lobby. However, when we got to our room, we came to the realization that we were staying in "the chateaux de la dump" ..... the plumbing in the shower was exposed out of the wall and we had a wonderful view of an industrial vent and a bird shit-covered roof! Although disclosed on the website, we did not have a refrigerator or an expansive view! We were disappointed in the room, however, we did not let that hinder our spirits as we knew we wouldn't be spending the majority of our time there anyway!

We arrived around 1pm on Sunday and began our stay with a walk of the memorials. The Capitol p

ark was about 1.5 miles from the hotel - we crossed in front of the White House on our way to the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Washington Monument, and then we finished our day tour with the World War II Memorial. Each memorial had an ambiance during the day that is difficult to describe. Tim and I were fortunate enough to ride to the top of the Washington Monument (500 feet). The views were breathtaking .... however, we had to cut our sightseeing short as someone dropped a stink bomb fart that started to burn the hair out of our noses ...that experience was breathtaking as well, but not in the same respect!

After our day walk, Tim and I returned to the hotel to get ready for dinner. We started to drink and ready our selves for our honeymoon night on the town! We ate at a wonderful (reasonably priced) restaurant and had an opportunity to enjoy each other's company, uninterrupted, once again. After we finished dinner, we decided to walk the memorials once more at night. Each memorial has impressive light set-ups that create a unique

ambiance. Since we were "warm" from the alcohol, the chilly temperatures of nocturnal DC did not hinder our adventure. We returned back to the hotel around 11pm. We were surprised that each of the memorials touted small crowds late in to the evening.

The next day Tim and I cruised the Smithsonian Natural History

museum, strolled in front of the Capitol and enjoyed the Capitol's botanical gardens. We also (quite unexpectedly) saw Ford Theatre (where Lincoln was shot) and the house in which Lincoln died. We went on a hunt for a waffle restaurant - when we found one, we looked out the window and saw the theatre! It was a pleasant surprise! We figured that we walked on average of 10 miles each day for a total of 20 miles for the whole trip. By three o'clock on Monday, I (and my boobs) were ready to return back to my brother's house as it had been too long since we had been parted from our wee baby! It took us 4 1/2 hours to drive back to Norfolk from DC.

We recovered from our DC trip today by watching C2's and hornet jets land at the FCPL field again. I thought C2's were a blast to watch ... the hornet jets were LITERALLY a blast to watch - I could feel the pass in my chest as the jet touched down and powered back up to take off again.

We then jetted (get it? har har ... I know, bad pun) over to the base and took a tour of the George Washington aircraft carrier. It was amazing to see how many people and resources go into operating the floating city. It was fascinating to see the aspects of my brother's job. The whole process of organizing and coordinating operations on a deployed carrier is quite complicated and involved (and we only saw the flight operations part)! It was mind-boggling to see what goes into the operation of that military machine!

Anyhow, tomorrow we will be taking a trip to historical Jamestown and will be readying our bellies for the massive feast on Thursday!

We hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

P.S. In the coming days, I will have a plethora of video and pictures to share from our Virginia trip. I had to save everything to my brother's computer and I just can't quite figure out how to get my pictures off his computer and to a CD to take home!!

ouch!

This past week has been a big week for Mason! On Monday, he went to the doctor for his two month check-up and received shots! OUCH! I have never seen a human face turn purple before! Poor little guy, he was not happy AT ALL! It felt good to scoop him up and comfort him after he was stuck with three needles ....

This was also a big week for Mason as he had his first plane ride! On Wednesday, Mason and I headed out to Virginia (where I currently am). We flew Southwest and Mason was an absolute prince the whole time! He even waited to poop his pants until we arrived at our destination (my brother's house)! What a good boy .....

The last couple of days have entailed happy chaos! Between Mason and my brother's two children, Rudy (6 weeks old) and Ella (21 months) we have had screaming banjos in the car, toddler meltdown in the portrait studio, and "mommy, mommy, MOMMY" yelled at the top of the decipal chart! Having a house full of young children has been trying, but truly a joy at the same time. My brother's little 

girl, Ella, is the cutest thing since Christmas ... she is truly a delight and has the ability to put a smile on the sourest of faces. She referrs to Santa Clause as "Ho" ... we have to be careful where and to whom she exclaims that expression!

Mason and I have had the opportunity to partake in some pretty cool activities since we have been out in Virginia. My brother (as many people know) flys C2's for the Navy. The day before yesterday, Mason and I headed out to an air field in the middle of nowhere to watch "Field Carrier Practice Landings" or more commonly referred to as FCPL's ... basically, I was able to stand right next to the runway while a 500,000 lb turbo prop plane did touch-n-go's ... it was pretty damn cool! I have more pictures and video of the experience, but have had trouble uploading it since I am using my brother's Mac.  For some reason, the Kodak gallery is operating really slow on his computer as well!

Anyhow, our babysitters have woken up and Tim and I are on our way to Washington DC (without Mason) for an over night escape ... we are staying in a hotel right next to the White House! I am sure we will have some great pictures to share in my next post.

Until then, I hope this finds you all doing well!

Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

Pumpkin

Mason celebrated his first Halloween last night. He was a ridiculiously cute pumpkin! Tim and I ate his share of candy, pie and carmel apples. In the coming years, he will enjoy his own goodies so we thought we would get our fill while we could!

Anyhow, not much is new since my last post. I did include some recent videos taken. Each of them are relatively short ..... You can also see more pictures at: http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.azvx3ohk&x=0&y=66d0nc

Anhow, we hope this finds all of ou doing well!

Love,

Jenn, Tim, Mason, Nahla, Fez, and Bella ....

Our little weed ....

Mason is almost 6 weeks old and I can't believe how fast he is growing! He has started to smile and definitely has taken on a personality of his own (is the middle finger attitude?). Each day, Mason continues to amaze me. It is really awesome how much his presence has changed our life. Yes, I can say that having a child has been one of the biggest challenges I have faced. Competitive and collegiate soccer is a cake-walk compared to the physical demands of raising an infant. Although Mason has been my greatest challenge, he is also my greatest accomplishment. I look at him every day and think, "geeze, he belongs to me (and Tim, of course)!"

Just tonight, Tim was holding Mason on the couch and Mason was studying Tim's face intently. I peeked over Tim's shoulder and said, "Hi Mason!" and he gave us both a HUGE smile! I honestly think it was the first time he recognized both Tim and I as being ourselves. I think he primarily smiles at me because he thinks, "ogh, good ... here comes my snack!"

Both Tim and I are doing well. Although Mason is not sleeping more than 2 1/2 - 3 hours at a time during the night, we have adjusted a little better to our reduced hours of sleep. During the week, I get up with Mason at night to feed and change his diaper. I have to be up to feed him anyway and it just doesn't make sense for us both to have our sleep interrupted! However, on the weekend, interrupted sleep is fair game and Tim tag-teams by changing his diaper so I don't have to get out of bed. Gooo team, yeah!

Many of you know that Tim is the head wrestling coach at Union Mine High School. We are fast approaching wrestling season which means that I will soon be a "wrestling widow" and a single parent! Our transition to wrestling season will be manageable for me but will become increasingly difficult when I go back to work in January. Luckily, Tim and I have a tremendous amount of support in family and friends who will help us get through the difficult months ahead ....

I am slowly getting back into shape. I have begun playing soccer regularly on Wednesday nights. Although I still "jog and dog" during the game, I have noticed a significant improvement since my first game. I try and get my kiester to the gym as much as I can, but am unable to attend regularly as the gym daycare will not take Mason until he is 3 months old. I went shopping today in my mom's closet and was able to score some new clothes. My mom has been on Weight Watchers and prides herself in being a smaller size than I ... however, this works great for me as I was able to reap the benefit of her now-too-large clothes as I transition from maternity back to my (hopefully) pre-pregnancy size!

Tim and I continue to take Mason on outings, but we are careful to not expose him to too much as he will not receive his inoculations until next Month. Mason had his first visit to the pumpkin patch last weekend with Trish and Tegan (Jarv's fiance' and daughter). Both Trish and Tegan were visiting all the way from Australia! We will also be taking him to two Halloween parties this Wednesday ... we have to show-off his little pumpkin costume. I have to dress him up as a pumpkin because he IS my pumpkin!!

Anyhow, I have included a link to some more pictures. Now that Mason is awake for longer periods of the day, it will be more likely that I capture pictures of him doing more than sleeping! There are also a few videos at the end of this post.

I hope this finds each of you doing GREAT!

Hugs,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.4qrvu8x4&x=0&y=rm2vjs

One Month!!

Yesterday marked the first month of Mason's life with us! Time has flown by!

This past weekend hosted a number of visitors from Tim's side
of the family. We had several little ones running around.
It was pretty cute to see how fascinated all the little ones were with our little Mason! All the little ones were kissing him on the forehead and wanted to "give him lovies."

Mason was also able to meet his other great grandparent, Granny Suzie, his great aunt and uncle Jane and Rich, his cousins Gretchen, Graham, Jason, Erin and all the little ones: Emma, Jamie, Braiden and Kellon. He also attended his first wedding! Karan (Tim's cousin) was married here in Sacramento on Saturday. He did very well at the wedding and hardly made a peep until we started our ride home .... he really let us have it on the way home but eventually calmed down once we were settled in to our little abode.

Well, there is not much more to report for now!! I just thought I would post some pictures! I hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

stupid? .... you be the judge

Cooking and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
But babies grow up, we've learned to our sorrow.
So go away, cobwebs and dust, go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, for babies don't keep. - Erina Parks

Although the dust jackalopes are invading our hallways and the toilets remained uncleaned, our little household is as happy as can be! Can you believe it?? Mason is already three weeks old!! Our little man has changed so much! He has already moved into the next size diapers and he is growing out of his little clothes faster than I would like to admit!

I have included some pictures here on the blog as well as some video .... Mason is SOOO much like his daddy: he already has man cleavage, and he sleeps in the same position! He is very mouthy and likes to stick his tongue out and make silly faces (daddy trait??).

We took a trip up to Chico this past Sunday for Mason to meet his great grandparents and extended family. My Grandpa Jim and Grandma Rita were ecstatic to meet their first great grandson (sorry, Rudy James is two weeks behind the eight ball on that one!). Mason also was able to meet his great uncles, Jim and Mike, great aunt Dorothy, and cousins Kim and Jamie! It was a very nice trip and it reminded us how fortunate we are to have a wonderful family.

So what was the whole stupid title about you may ask?

Tim plays on a Wednesday night co-ed indoor soccer team. The manager of the team put me on the roster so I could play once I was ready to return.

Well last night, I got a burr up my butt and decided that I really, really wanted to play soccer .... so I did! Three weeks postpartum and there I was out on the field! I felt like I had led weights in my shoes! I thought I was going to trip and "sniper out" on every step that I took! I couldn't pass the ball worth a darn, but it sure felt good to get out there! Surprisingly, I don't feel like a lump on the log today! So, was that a stupid move on my part to return to soccer so early after giving birth to Mason? I dunno, you be the judge!

We hope you all are doing well! Mason's next appointment isn't until November, but we will be sure to post updated pictures as they trickle in! Check out the videos below if you have time! They are approximately one minute each!

Hugs,

Jenn

The other pea - no longer in the pod!!

What did I say about when it rains, it pours?? As many of you know, my brother flies C2's for the Navy and is expected back from Bahrain this Friday afternoon. Both Jon and Emily were hoping he would be back in time for the birth of their first son, Rudy James Kalbach.

Well, God had different plans .... Rudy James was born this morning! Emily welcomed Rudy into the world around 9:30am eastern time ... although Jon wasn't at the hospital for the birth, he was able to be on the phone while she pushed.

Emily's labor went very well. She labored for 4 hours and pushed for approximately 15 minutes. She was already 7 centimeters dilated when she arrived at the hospital and they were still able to administer an epidural. Rudy is 8 pounds, 6 ounces and is 19 3/4 inches long - - he also has a good set of pipes on him as he was "sayin' it proud" during his bath when I spoke to Emily on the phone!!

The icing on the cake?? Emily and Jon welcomed Rudy in to our world on the 8th anniversary of Emily's mother's passing from cancer. The Lord works in very mysterious ways, indeed!

I am sure some of you (family) will have a personal account of the details in the coming days from Emily .... however, since I am such a proud Auntie, I had to spill my guts and tell the story NOW! (Hopefully, I didn't steal Emily's thunder!) I know that it can be difficult reaching out and telling everyone after just having a baby .... but Emily has the extra element of a MIA husband... so I am going out on a limb and guessing it is OK to tell the story in my blog!!

OK, proud auntie is signing off for now!
I hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,
Jenn

P.S. Mason is doing just fine and is grunting and stretching in his bassinet as I type!

two weeks today!

Today marks my first day flying solo with the wee baby ... Tim returned to work and I have to admit, I was a little emotional about his leaving the nest! The last two weeks have been glorious as we have had time to bond as a little family! We have had many opportunities to spend time with family and friends which, has been very nice for us.

Mason had his two week check-up yesterday. Our little man is in great shape! The jaundice is all but gone and he has gained a pound and grown an inch in two weeks! He now weighs 9lbs, 1oz. and is 21 1/2 inches long. The nurse practitioner said his growth spurt was because of his "liquid butter diet" .... hopefully, I am passing on some of the weight gain to him while taking it off my self!! I still have what I refer to as "the Santa belly" ... it likes to jiggle when I laugh! Slowly but surely the weight will come off ... I am not in a race to loose my paunch....and although it is attached to me, I am not particularly attached to it!!

The doctor said I could start lifting light weights in 9 days after I am done with a course of antibiotics I am taking ... I came down with a case of mastitis that landed me in the ER on Saturday in the wee hours of the morning. My brother-in-law, Scott, took me to the hospital while he was working (he is a deputy Sheriff for Sacramento County)... I felt pretty cool having a police escort to the hospital!! I was released after a blood draw and two shots in the butt. Joy!

Anyhow, Mason has been an angel since my last post .... I keep waiting for the big bang when he all of a sudden turns to Mr. Hyde and gets colicky or changes his temperament.... we will see what life throws our way in the coming months! For now, I am just taking each day as it comes and I am trying to relish each moment with Mason. I am off of work until January so I will have plenty of time to spend with my little man. These past two weeks have gone so fast that I better not blink as it will be January before I know it!!

Anyhow, I hope this finds all of you doing well! I have attached a link with a few more pictures.....Until the next update!

Love,
Jenn, Tim and Mason

Grandma checking the back

of her eyelids with Mason!!

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.56qk3j68&x=0&y=-ntvvnh

Little squirt

Well, well, well .... our little squirt is FINALLY here! Life has definitely been a ride for this past week! Tim and I finally feel like we are hitting our "stride" with Mason. He has truly transformed our lives in the BEST way! We have a new meaning of love since Mason has arrived.

It all started one week ago .......

My water broke at about 3am on September 19th. Luckily, I was able to make it to the bathroom and avoided making a huge mess! We called Kaiser and they gave us instructions to proceed to the hospital. I did not actually start contracting until we were on our way to the hospital ... even now, I don't really like to call the pains I was feeling "contractions" because they were so mild. After being examined in triage, I was admitted into Kaiser's South Sacramento hospital. I felt very fortunate to "get a spot" because about 20 minutes after arriving, the labor and delivery unit became full!!

At this point, I was still feeling pretty good .. I told Tim that I should have brought my Billy Joel CD so I could get dancin' and start the process as the "contractions" I was experiencing were not strong. Around 7:30am the nurses came in and said it was time to check to see how dilated I was. I had to be 2 centimeters dilated before the anesthesiologist could administer the epidural. Well, I thought that process was uncomfortable before - - let me tell you, I would have rather broken my leg again than experience the pain I did when the nurse checked me. My cervix was pointed the wrong direction so the nurse had to stick her whole hand in to determine my dilation. Tim said that if the nurse was wearing a watch that my va-jay-jay would have known what time it was. It truly was the most pain I experienced throughout the entire process. The nurse determined that I was two centimeters (yeah!). The "catch" at this time was that I had not really progressed as fast as I needed to be progressing .... the "P" word was discussed (petocin / a.k.a. labor-inducing drug from hell) and it was determined that I would be checked again in another two hours to see how dilated I was - the idea was that my contractions would come stronger and allow me to dilate further and avoid petocin.

Well, what ever rootin' around the nurse did completely kick-started my labor. It was at this time that my contractions TRULY began. I tried walking around the ward, but barely made it full circle back to my room. My contractions started coming two minutes apart and were lasting one minute each. My contractions were mostly felt in my back (commonly referred to as back-labor) and were very unpleasant. The part that really sucked was that I was third in line for the epidural and one of the anesthesiologists was in an emergency C-section - I was informed that it would be an hour and a half before I could get the juice. In order to help relieve some of the pain, I got into the shower and labored for about 45 minutes under the steaming, sauna conditions. The shower was nice because it helped relax my contorting back muscles. Tim was in the bathroom with me and was awesome in helping me through the contractions. His coaching skills truly were an asset through the entire process. I had wonderful support from all who were with me through my labor.

Finally, the moment came for the epidural. I had to sit still through two contractions while they inserted the "pointy straw" into my back. The nurses were actually more concerned about Tim because of the look on his face when he saw the needle. His forehead started to get all blotchy and he looked like he was going to pass out. Tim hates needles with the fury of a thousand suns (yet he still manages to donate platelets and plasma on a regular basis - ironic). Anyhow, after a few minutes, the juice kicked in and I once again, felt like a human being. I seem to recall telling the nurses and the anesthesiologist that "I loved them" like I was a drunk college student!

After the epidural, my contractions were a fleeting memory. I would have to ask others in the room if I was even having one! There was a computer monitoring my contractions and the baby's heart beat. Everyone was pretty relaxed at this point - Tim, Scott, Crystal, and Marge were all playing cards, Liz was reading a magazine and my momma was massaging my feet. It seemed like a peechy-keen Sunday to me!

Around 2pm the nurses came back in and said it was time to check my dilation. I did not bat an eyelash at this point as my lower body was delightfully numb from the juice. Everyone was kicked out of the room and I once again, lost my dignity on the birthing table. It was determined that I was 9 1/2 centimeters dilated and that it was getting close to pushin'-time. One of the doctors commented to the nurse that she needed to have my petocin turned down as my contractions were coming too fast. The nurse found it quite humorous to inform the doctor that I was not, in fact, on petocin and that my contractions were of my own making!

I started pushing around 3pm. Tim, my mom, and Marge were in the room with me. Again, Tim was the best coach one could ask for. It was quite funny because as he would count, his voice would strain like he was doing the pushing with me! As he counted up, the strain in his voice augmented. The midwife had to ask him to slow down his counting at one point because he started to get excited and count too fast! We welcomed our little Mason Brown into the world at 4:21pm.

The nurse put Mason on my chest and it was the most magical experience. Mason had his head turned toward me ... he opened his eyes, looked at me, and smiled! Yes, the smile could have very well been his first gas fart ... but he really did smile. We discovered at that moment that he has a little dimple on his right cheek. I was instantly overcome with emotion and started to cry. It was the happiest moment I have yet to experience in my life. I told Tim that marrying him came a close second - he thanked me for "throwing him a bone." It is true what they say, one does not know how deeply they can love until they have a child.

As I was being sewed up (I had a 2nd degree tear), Tim went out and announced to everyone in the waiting room that our little Mason had arrived! It was his proud-papa moment :o)

Tim, Mason and I stayed at the hospital until about 3pm the next afternoon. Mason passed all his tests with flying colors (our little over achiever). He ended up being 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 20 1/2 inches long. We have had a little bout with jaundice since he has been home; however, the doctor is monitoring it and he is on his way back to normal levels.

We are adapting to a new life at home with our little one. The first couple days were trying, but we made it through. Last night was our first night were Mason slept pretty soundly in the bassinet. He woke up every two to three hours for feeding, but did well overall.

Anyhow, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone for their support through my pregnancy and post-partum days. Tim and I feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful support group in all our family, friends and co-workers.

I will try to post little progress reports in the coming weeks. Mason has already started to change and I just can't believe how fast time flies by! I have included a link to the Kodak gallery site. You are all welcome to view pictures (and I believe you can order prints from the site as well). There are many pictures, so you may need a few minutes!! You can visit the site by clicking on the following link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.3f1xze7k&x=0&y=-xjopje

Well, Mason is sleeping soundly (for now) in his bassinet, but he has a wet diaper that I need to change!

Hugs to all!

Jenn, Tim and Mason

Welcome, Mason David Brown!!

Hello from non-preger land!

"Current Conditions:" 8lbs 3oz, and 20 1/2" long

we welcomed our little bundle on Wednesday, September 19th at 4:21pm -I labored for 12 hours

Mason, Tim and I are doing well .... we will follow-up in the coming day or so with the details and more pictures .... most of the pics are on other cameras and have yet to make it in to our household .....

You can check out the few photos we have on our camera at the following link:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=60cie9o.aaanw98g&x=0&y=ig3sic

We hope this finds you all well!

Love - Tim, Jenn and Mason

contractions

Hello there -
Well, it is Tuesday and I am still pregnant. Last night, I was having regular contractions that were five minutes apart and about one minute in duration. Although the contractions were regular, they were painless! I had to touch my stomach to even know that I was having a contraction. Basically, my stomach becomes rock-hard on the outside and does not soften or have any "give" to the skin until the contraction is complete (now, only if I could have abs like that!) ....

Anyhow, around midnight, I called the labor and delivery triage nurse to find out what I should be feeling before making the trek to the hospital. All the books say that you should go to the hospital if your contractions are less than 15 minutes apart and are 60-90 seconds in duration. However, since I want to labor as long as I can at home, I thought it best to call the experts. I described what my current condition was and the triage nurse informed me that I should wait until my contractions were painful. She said that I am definitely on track with the timing of my current contractions, but that I should stay at home until I have to physically begin breathing through each contraction. She said they should be painful enough that I am unable to carry on a conversation through the actual contraction.

I woke up around 5:00am to start timing my contractions again - to see if they were at all regular like the ones I had the previous evening. Much to my disappointment, the contractions were very irregular both in interval and in length. Soooo, I told Tim that he was probably safe to head off to work and then I went back to bed. The nurse recommended that I sleep as much as I can (if I am still able to get comfortable) as I will need every ounce of energy in my pending labor.

On a good note, I asked the nurse if the L&D unit at Kaiser South was full - she said they were empty at that time. Although the loads could change any time, it was encouraging to hear there was room at the hospital! She said that August and September tend to be their busiest times because people don't have much else to do during the Holidays! LOL! I should have obtained her name and asked her to be my nurse - she was funny :)

Anyhow, I am headed off to hang out at my parent's house today. I am going to plop myself on the couch and watch some of the Women's World Cup soccer games that my dad has been recording. My momma (a.k.a. my blankie) is there and I will be glad to have company and not be alone in the coming hours!

Well, wish me luck. Hopefully (like I have mentioned the past two times) this will be my last post and the next time I post I will have a little Peanut!

Hugs,
Jenn

like father, like son -or- like mother, like son

Well, here it is September 17th and I still have a baby inside of me!!! I had my 40 week appointment this morning with the doctor and the following accounts for the current "conditions" (sounds like I am talking about the weather!):

I am one centimeter dilated and my cervix is 30-40% effaced (cervix thinning). I have been having mild contractions which I thought were strong cramps; however, the doctor confirmed they were contractions as I was having one on the table while being examined! Everyone told me that I would definitely know the difference between the two, so I didn't even give it a second thought that my "cramps" were mild contractions. The doctor was able to strip my membranes -basically the doctor scrapes the inner lining of the cervix with the finger and separates the fetal membranes away from the cervix (once again, not such a pleasant experience). The doctor also said that I could walk as much as I could to my own comfort level (since the hernia only effects my comfort and not the baby's well being).

Sooo, after my appointment Tim and I took a trip to CostCo and went up and down every isle. We took Nahla to the dog park for some exercises and arrived back home not too long ago. We are now just doing random things around the house to keep ourselves busy (I paid some bills and Tim is killing some brain cells playing video games). I have had spotting and have had stronger contractions since arriving home; and although there is no way to truly know when things will progress, I think there is a pretty good chance that we will go to the hospital some time in the next 12 - 24 hours (lets keep our fingers crossed for that)!

The standing joke in our household is that if the baby comes on time (i.e. sometime today) then he is more like his father; however, if the baby comes after today then he is more like his mother (since I have a propensity to be late). I said that if he is truly like me, then he won't come until Wednesday!!! Lets hope he has some of his father's "timing" tendencies!

I will be sure to post any new/relevant information as it becomes available. However, once again you can probably expect to not hear from me until after our Peanut is here!

I hope this finds all of you doing well!!
Love,
Jenn

Houston, begin the countdown!

Well, I have been receiving a lot of calls and inquisitive e-mails the past few days and I regret to inform that I have yet to go into labor! Tim and I are literally taking each day as it comes and are as prepared as we can possibly be for the big moment... Tim's phone is charged and is on his person at all times (for those of you who know Tim, this is a huge accomplishment), the house is clean, the laundry is done, the bags are packed and the vehicles have gas!

As a reminder, my official due date is Monday, September 17th. I do have a prenatal appointment scheduled for that day, but hopefully I will begin labor before then!

My body definitely feels different - I have started swelling a little and have finally acquired the marks of motherhood (stretch marks) on my lower abdomen. Lucky for me, my stretch marks are very light and I am crossing my fingers they don't get worse in the coming days. I am having more frequent cervix pain. Last night, while laying not-so-gracefully in bed, I swear the baby hauled-up and socked me right in the cervix - I had to go to the bathroom to ensure that wasn't the start of my labor right there! He is getting so big that just getting off the couch becomes an athletic event! I am pretty sure that yesterday was my last day of swimming. I feel so tired and I think it is important to take it easy and rest as much as I can in the coming minutes, hours, or days (since it can be at any time) to ensure I am ready for game time! I can continue with the little nagging aches and pains, but it is all irrelevant as they will be well worth the prize!

My mental state is a whole other ball game right now. Anxious, excited, apprehensive, and scared are all adjectives that can describe my state of mind at present. The "waiting game" has been weighing heavily on my mind. Knowing that I can't travel far or plan things in advance create an angst that can't be described. I am excited to have our little Peanut here, but become scared when I begin to think of things that still could go wrong. Overall, I try very hard to not consider the negative aspects of labor and delivery - and mostly, I try not to worry about the baby (will he have any disorders, will he have the cord wrapped around his neck, etc.). I can't even tell how many times I have woke up in the middle of the night and jostled my belly just to get the little guy to start moving around (movement = good / still = bad). It is amazing that feelings can run so deeply for someone I have yet to meet! I have had to put my faith in God that everything will turn out how it is meant to be and that our little baby will be the most exciting thing that has happened to Tim and I! We both know our little Peanut will be the start of our greatest adventure together; and that he will help us shape and define who we are and give meaning as to why we are both meant to walk this planet. Woah, that was deep!

On to lighter things ....so anyone care to guess what date the little bugger is going to come, how heavy and how long he is going to be? Post your guess as a comment and lets see who is closest! (I have made some modifications so you shouldn't have to register any information to post a comment ....)

It is a very real possibility this post may be the last for a while! I will be very excited to share the news of our little one's arrival; however, being a new parent will take a lot of time and effort and I am not sure how realistic it would be for me to post shortly after Peanut's arrival! I encourage any and all to give us a call, stop by for a visit or send food after Peanut is here (just kidding about the food part .... kind of :)!

As always, thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated in the coming days! I hope this finds each of you doing well!

Love,

Jenn and Tim

Braxton who?

T-minus two weeks and counting! I am at 38 weeks and could begin labor at any time. Tim and I are pretty excited .... well, Tim is very excited and I have moments of excitement, apprehension, fear, and joy. Honestly, is it the hormones or the pending life change that is causing my roller coaster? I couldn't tell you the answer to that question just yet!

Overall, I have been feeling OK. As many people know, the last weeks in pregnancy are notorious for being the "uncomfortable" times. My belly is bigger than ever - but it no more gets in the way now as it did before. Actually, it makes a very nice little shelf for holding my dinner plate, cereal bowl or in the case above, my drink! I do, however, require five pillows to get comfy in bed! I feel like a less graceful version of Cleopatra when surrounded by pillows on all sides! Tim complains that he has no room on our bed after his pregnant wife and all her pillows. I think that is a nice way of saying, "dang babe, you're getting big!!!"

Honestly, I have the same gripes as I did in my last post - nothing has really changed "comfort wise" - - mostly, my biggest gripe this week has been the heat. Last week, Tim's work held a baby shower for Tim and his co-worker, Sean. Sean's wife and son, Heather and Liam - and myself, all went up to Union Mine to attend the shower. It was so blazin' hot outside that you could have wrung the sweat out of my shirt ... I wanted to introduce myself saying: "Hi, my name is Jenn - I am Tim's sweaty wife!" ... The little Peanut inside of me is literally roasting and I feel like I could spontaneously catch fire at any moment! I am looking forward to this next week as the weather is supposed to cool slightly.

The biggest change from my last post is that I am now experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions. Braxton who, you might ask? Braxton Hicks contractions (named after an English doctor, John Braxton Hicks) can begin as early as the second trimester, however they are most common in the third trimester. The muscles of the uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. They are not painful; however, they leave me feeling poozy (poozy: meaning blah/schmeaa). Basically, Braxton Hicks are "practice contractions." One website claimed that Braxton Hicks could be brought on my an active baby .... that could possibly make sense as Peanut has been moving quite a bit as of late. It feels like my little Peanut has a mini-rolling pin inside my belly and is rolling it across my insides. Occasionally, I see parts of my belly protrude outward in a freakish-like motion. It is quite spectacular and I do believe it will be one part of pregnancy that I will miss!

I have included a few updated pictures of the nursery ... I believe it actually is complete! I have my 38 week appointment tomorrow and will post again if anything has changed!

I hope this finds you all doing well!

Love, Jenn