Mason praying - December 2009

Video treasure from August 09

So I was saving some videos to the hard drive and discovered this video that I took with my camera while we were camping in Monterey. Mason is dancing in Grandma and Grandpa's trailer.

Christmas Time is here!

Aghhhhh, December! Christmas time is one of my favorite parts of the year. We are extremely blessed this Christmas season with a happy, healthy little family. Makenna has made her mark on our lives and has enhanced our family beyond what words can describe .... what better Christmas present could we ask for?!

The last couple of weeks have been pretty low-key for us. Tim has officially started wrestling season so I have started my "single mommy" status. We have spent the majority of our days at home or in the company of family or close friends. As the days pass, I become more brave in managing both kiddos. My goal each day is to 1) get a shower, 2) get out of our PJ's, and 3) get out of the house in some fashion (weather permitting). Most days, I am successful; however, a lot of times my success rate depends on Mason's mood.

Makenna has turned out to be a pretty easy-going baby (so far). I am praying that she continues with the tempermant she has and that she doesn't develop colic. She is a good sleeper.

The first days we brought her home from the hospital were a little rough until we figured out that she prefers to sleep at a slight incline. We have her set up in a snuggle nest (an in-bed co-sleeper) that rests inside a rocking bassinet next to my side of the bed. Within her snuggle nest, I have laid a wedge pillow that props her up about 3 inches. With this set-up, she tends to sleep in 4-7 hour stretches.

Mason is doing great with his little sister! He has continued to give her kisses and has still displayed no jealousy towards her. He leaves her alone when she is sleeping and understands that he needs to be gentle when he is around her. He has proved to be a fabulous big brother!

Mason is such a funny kid ..... He is such a parrot and will repeat everything that is said around him; he often times repeats the same phrases over and over AND OVER again which, can prove to be very annoying! He loves his family and thinks his Uncles and Aunties are the best. Mason has started to say his prayers before bedtime and it melts my heart to hear his little voice say "Dear God" and "Amen" ....

We think Mason is getting closer to understanding who Santa Clause is. Besides the fact that he is terrified of him, he likes to sing "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" ... he thinks it is hillarious that Santa says, "Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas" and tries to mimic the saying ... only it comes out like "How How How ..Maaayy Kisss-mas!" We are very excited to see what his reaction will be to opening his presents under the tree.

I have posted pictures taken so far this month at the following link if you are interested:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2T6Q

I hope this finds you doing well and enjoying the spirit and blessings of the holiday season!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Tim, Jenn, Mason and Makenna

Welcome Makenna May!

We are finally home and all settled in after bringing home our big, little Makenna May! We welcomed Makenna May Brown to our world on November 14, 2009 at 10:02pm. She weighed 10 pounds, 4 ounces (no, that is not a typo) and was 20 3/4" long.....

It all started on Saturday morning at 4:30am when I woke up with painful contractions. After one failed attempt to check-in to the hospital (with early-stage labor pains) on Wednesday, I was weary about getting too "excited" about the contractions I was experiencing. Finally, at 7:30am, the contractions started to get stronger and came in regular, ten minute intervals. By the time noon rolled around, the contractions ranged from four to six minutes a part. I called Kaiser and they told me to come in. As we were driving in the car, the pains were getting much closer together and I was substantially more uncomfortable.

Once I was in labor and delivery triage, it was determined that I was 4-5 centimeters dilated and that I should be admitted. I was able to walk to my room (despite feeling like I had a bowling ball in between my legs) and get situated. I asked for my epidural right away and thus the process began ....

In order to get an epidural, I had to have blood drawn (to check my platelet count) and get an IV. Sounds like a simple process, right? WRONG! The first nurse took two turns at the IV with no luck. The second nurse, the same. They finally had to call in the anesthesiologist, who on his second attempt, got the hit. Apparently, I was dehydrated which made it extremely difficult for them to draw blood and find a vein that would work (thanks to this, I look like a drug addict today with bruises all over both forearms). This process involved my only tears - not because of the repeated sticks from the large needle, but because I knew the longer it took, the longer I would have to wait for the "juice" (i.e. my epidural). Unfortunately, the nurses were insisting that I chug water which, with the gurglie belly, painful contractions and multiple needle sticks, caused me to toss my cookies a couple of times ....

Finally, the next hour brought the epidural and after two more failed attempts, the anesthesiologist was able to get the stick he wanted in between the vertebrae in my spine. A few minutes later, I started to feel human again. Once I was numb, the midwife checked me and determined that I was eight centimeters dilated. She said that if she broke my water we'd have our baby! Very tired from my laboring thus far, I asked to rest for a bit before she got things started. I was able to rest and hang out with family and friends and was very glad to have the reprieve.

So finally, the hour came where I had my rest and I was ready to "get er' done" ....everyone put their weight and length guess on the white board and stepped out of the room so they could break my water. The midwife, Lynette (who was TERRIFIC and knew Marge), guessed 9 pounds - everyone thought she was mean for guessing such a large weight - who knew she would be the closest?! An hour after they broke my water, I was ready to push.

Tim and Lynette (the midwife) were great in helping me focus my pushes. After fifteen minutes of straining every muscle in my torso, things got a little scary. Although it didn't hit me what was occurring (at first), just as Makenna's head came out, Lynette got up on to the table and started pulling at her. The other nurse jumped on top of me and started pushing on my stomach from the top (squeezing me like a tube of toothpaste - as Tim's brother imagined). Apparently, Makenna's shoulder was stuck and the medical staff were concerned as a number of things could go wrong at this point. Time was of the essence and they had to perform any means necessary to get her out of the chute. Thankfully, the toothpaste method worked and Makenna was born! I didn't realize anything was truly wrong until the midwife told Tim that she needed to cut the cord and they whisked Makenna away to the warming table.

In the background, I heard them call for a NICU nurse; it was at this point that my panic started to set in as I hadn't heard Makenna cry yet. Seconds turned into an eternity. Lynette (midwife) was able to get my attention and calmly explain what had happened and what was going on. Thankfully, Makenna started to cry and I was able to see that she was (now) a nice shade of pink. Apparently, in this type of situation, big babies can get stuck in the canal and they are at risk for cord injuries and other complications. Lynette explained to me the NICU nurse was giving her an exam to see if she had any broken bones as it is common for baby's clavicle to break in these types of situations.

Makenna received a clean bill of health and was weighed (since she was already on the table). Everyone in the room was amazed when the scale revealed her "hefty" and healthy weight. Finally, my big little Makenna May was brought to me and I was able to oogle and bond. Tim and I were able to share time alone together with Makenna. Unfortunately, due to the H1N1 virus, Mason (and all children) was not allowed to visit the hospital. After our family moment, we called in the cavalry to meet our newest addition.

We stayed in the hospital for two days. It was discovered in Makenna's subsequent exam by the pediatrician (the day after she was born) that she DID have a broken clavicle. They were able to X-ray her shoulder in our recovery room. The injury is very common and actually heals in one to two weeks. We have been keeping her in a swaddle to help immobilize her shoulder to facilitate the healing process.

On Monday afternoon (the 16th), Tim, Makenna and I walked through our front door and Mason and Makenna were able to meet for the first time. Mason, as we slightly suspected, acknowledged his sister, but was more excited to see daddy. He pointed at her car seat and said "sisser" and then ran to Tim. Since we have been home, Mason has been very sweet to his sister. He will say "iss O.K." when she cries during the diaper changing process. He also likes to gently touch her head and will give her kisses, when asked! His new name for her is "bay-is-ta" ... it is "baby sister" ran together. He is quite cute and has displayed little to no jealousy of his new "sisser."

Makenna is a little chow-hound. We had to supplement a couple of times before the "liquid gold" made its appearance to keep her satisfied. Tim asked me on Tuesday if my milk had come in ... I said, "well, I have cleavage for the second time in my life, what does that tell you?!" Since Makenna is a little jaundice, I have been feeding-on-demand which, has also made me a human pacifier and her, in a constant state of needing a diaper change.

As the days have passed, we have fallen into a wonderful little routine. I have been primarily responsible for Makenna's care while Tim has been keeping Mason entertained. I have been healing very well and have bounced back a lot faster than I did with Mason. Although I have a second degree tear (among other discomforts "downstairs"), I have found that my Motrin 800 keeps me fairly comfortable as long as I remember to take it every eight hours. I am optimistic that my Santa belly will soon disappear and that I will be able to squeeze myself into my pre-pregnancy jeans sooner, rather than later.

I have attached a link to the countless pictures we have (edited, of course) of Makenna's birthday (thank you Auntie Crystal) and subsequent five days at home:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2T0o

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2T2g

We want to thank each and every one of our well-wishers, friends, and family who have supported us through this pregnancy and the days since Makenna's birth.

I will continue to post as often as I can in the coming days, weeks and months! We hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Love,

Jenn, Tim, Mason and Makenna

October

I love the month of October! The light shines in a way that reflects a golden hue and the air has a slight hint of smoke and spice. The crisp evenings have made my pregnancy hot flashes much more tolerable, as well. I am sad to see October go as it is one of my favorite months; however, the end of October also signifies November and the realization that Makenna's due date is drawing nearer.

This month hosted many activities for us. Tim and I took in a Rascal Flats concert (which was AWESOME) and took a quick day trip over to Novato to meet our newest nephew, Jacob John Lilledahl! JJ was born on October 25th at 1:31 pm; he was 7 pounds, 11 ounces and 21" long! He was due to arrive later in the week; I was very excited that he came early as it allowed me to make the trip over to meet him! We were very happy to see that both he and Kara were doing well after her labor (she pushed for 2 1/2 hours)! He is the cutest little cuss and I can't wait to spend more time with him at Thanksgiving!

Mason and I did several activities together this month. We had a play date at the zoo (in costume, of course), went to the pumpkin patch, decorated pumpkins at Auntie Crystal's house and went trick-or-treating with daddy (to name a few).

Mason wasn't too hot into trick-or-treating this year as he wasn't a fan of his bee costume. He seemed to tolerate it as long as the hood wasn't over his head. He did make it to one house before we surrendered and took him to Auntie Crystal's to have some dinner. Tim and I stayed pretty close to home this year as Makenna has officially dropped into the chute and we didn't want to stray too far from home.

Tim and I have been busy getting ourselves ready for the arrival of Makenna May. We have been doing many "housekeeping" type chores ranging from getting the cars smogged and registered, to fixing leaky toilets, faucets and gutters. We are pretty much ready for her arrival, save for Tim completing a few more lesson plans for school.

Mason started sleeping in his "big boy bed" this month and is now fully transitioned into his new room. He loves the giant leaf over his bed and feels like he is sleeping in the jungle. We're making progress on Makenna's room, slowly but surely. My mom finished painting the walls last week and I have washed and put away all the clothes. The last bit of work needed consists of hanging pictures and putting the final decorative touches into the space. All-in-all, we would be good to go if our little bundle came tomorrow.

I have posted pictures from October that can be viewed at the following link:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2Tw4

Hopefully, the next post will have pictures and details regarding the birth of our little Makenna May! Wish us luck!

Much Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

September 2009

October is here and the crisp, fall air has arrived. Last month we celebrated Mason's 2nd birthday! He is our little man child and is definitely changing quickly. 

I am happy to say that we have made some progress on Mason's eating habits as Tim and I were becoming short-order cooks (in having to prepare several meals each sitting just to get him to eat something). I have now been sneaking fruit and vegetable purees into his meals and it has been working splendidly! I was so excited when he gobbled down his first bowl of Mac n' Cheese with a huge helping of butternut squash! I finally feel like I am doing my part to feed him well again ... he has started to branch out and try new foods, which makes us very happy.

Mason's "big boy" room is finally done! I am pleased with how the wall murals turned out. I am now working on getting Makenna's room put together. The first step has been to wash and put away all the clothes, towels, burp cloths, blankets and other pink baby  accouterments!! Tim took one look at the closet and said, "Whoa, that is a lot of pink" .... I couldn't be more ecstatic! I still have a mountain of new clothes with the tags still affixed that haven't made it to the wash!

After the gear is put away, we will then paint the walls and put all the girlie finishing touches into the room ... I have been waiting for my mom to get back from vacation to complete this last step. Mason is still in the crib and I must say that I have not been super diligent about transitioning him into his big bed. Hopefully all the pink will deter him from wanting to sleep in there much longer! I laid down with him one afternoon to take a nap in his big bed and he just wanted to play with the giant leaf canopy. We still have a little time as Makenna probably won't make it into her room until she is 2-3 months old; and after all, Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

Pregnancy is going OK ... I am in the home stretch and just had my 36 week appointment this past Tuesday. I have been a little uncomfortable as I have had increased cervical pain and crampiness .... my Doctor checked me due to these complaints and I was happy to hear that I wasn't dilated at all (since my folks are still out of town).... the Doc said I was probably experiencing the cervical pain because baby is growing and running out of room!

My hernia has its moments, but has generally felt better over the past two weeks. I have been trying to "take it easy" and not be on my feet as much (this can prove difficult with the strong nesting urges I have been experiencing). Overall, things are going well.

I have included a few pictures, but will post another blog in the coming week or so with additional pictures from Mason's birthday party.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2TtI

I hope this finds you all doing well!

Love,

Tim, Jenn and Mason

  

Blessings ....

In every challenge is a blessing ..... Tim and I have been given many blessings in disguise as challenges. At the end of each day, when I finally lay my head on my pillow, I thank God for the challenges that make us stronger and the blessings that keep life sweet and filled with joy.

August has retired and we are now in September ... it was just barely two years ago that we patiently waited for Mason's arrival. I am amazed how fast he has grown and I look back at pictures of him as a baby and feel sad that it went by so quickly! Alas, God has given us another opportunity to enjoy a baby. Having two children will definitely be a challenge, but will be the sweetest blessing we could ever receive!

As far as this pregnancy goes, it has been a challenge physically but a blessing in that baby is healthy and I am healthy (minus the hernia issue). I am frustrated by my physical limitations as I have been an active person my entire life and am not finding it easy to stay sedentary in my condition. I often push myself only to regret my actions the following day. I will definitely be happy once Makenna is here and I am able to resume normal activities (walking distances, completing chores, picking up objects, being able to paint my toe nails, etc.). I have a prenatal appointment next Tuesday (for 32 weeks) and suspect that my OB will take me off work early. 

Mason is doing well. He knows is ABC's (not from singing the song) and can count to 10 most days (he sometimes misses 6 and 7). He is a little parrot and repeats phrases we commonly say like "there you gooo,"  "yeah, buddy" and "allllright" ... We have learned that we need to start watching what we say and that sometimes, even harmless words can sound pretty bad (beach = "bitch" and ocean ="ogh-shit"). We have started to acquaint ourselves with tantrum triggers and attempt to avoid at all costs; however, he is 2 and he still has his moments. All in all, he is our little love bug and we couldn't be happier.

This past month was filled with activities for us. We started off by visiting the Folsom zoo on a whim. We forget that we have nice little perks practically in our back yard! We took two camping trips, one trip was to Lake Tahoe. Mason had fun playing on the beach and giggling with his cousin, Ian (both of them have infectious laughs and it was hysterical to see them just giggle back and forth). Mason was smitten with his other cousin, Michelle (or "Ie-shell") ... only she could keep him entertained at certain points. We had to explain to him that we don't live in West Virginia and cousins are strictly off limits! LOL!

Our second camping trip was to Monterrey for the Labor Day Weekend. We enjoyed 4 days of lounging and eating. Tim was able to dive and spear fish while we were there. We also took a trip to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium and were privaleged to see the Great White Shark they had on exhibit. It was amazing to see Mason's reaction to the sea life (that was when he was awake - he fell asleep for about 90 minutes). Tim had Mason propped in the Kelty pack so he could see the action over all the adults. The aquarium was very crowded; however, we were glad we could give Mason that experience given his extreme interest in fish ("ishies") and the other sea life on exhibit.

I have attached a link to pictures and have included some video below:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2TrQ

June / July

The past two months have both flown by, and dragged on. We have been experiencing our trials with Mason's behavior .... he went from our sweet, passive, peaceful little baby .... to a sweet, bi-polar little (almost) 2-year old. Much of my time has been occupied in trying to keep up with his moods and various activities. I have to say, it has been a little more difficult this time around in pregnancy because we now have the "Mason factor." 

He likes to test us when we are out in public; from screaming at restaurants and grocery stores, to refusing to walk when we go out of the house. Picking him up is becoming less desirable for me the larger I  become (and the more aggravated my hernia gets); however, I usually have no choice as he simply buckles his legs and starts screaming .... ogh, the joy of parenthood!

On the up side, Mason is developing my leaps and bounds! He is starting to say the alphabet and his vocabulary has expanded exponentially! He loves his time out on the boat and swimmingin the pool at the club .... he truly is our little water child (which is a good thing because we would have to sell him to the gypsies if he didn't like water)!

We finally took away Mason's pacifier last month. He only asked for it a couple times, which was good; however, the challenge came in trying to get him to sleep without it. The first couple of days he was without his "goo," he didn't nap and was up very late at night. We have now settled into more of a pattern in knowing that it takes a little longer for him to fall asleep - - he usually has to become bored and then eventually nods-off. I can say (with quite a bit of nostalgia) that I miss the days when we would put him in his crib, and he would simply roll over and fall asleep - - no tantrums, no tears. I can't help but wonder as all the terdie-2-year-old behavior coincided with the removal of the pacifier.... o-well, what's done is done!

Tim and I are doing well. Tim is enjoying  a few weeks of summer break by playing golf, fishing and playing soccer. I have been extremely busy at work and find myself in a constant state of exhaustion. I am very thankful to have Tuesdays and Thursdays off (even though I end up working from home most times) as it allows me a recuperation day! I am very, very lucky that Tim has taken a majority of the Mason duties while he has been off for the summer. I am secretly (and selfishly) hoping that Mason's temperament will improve by the time Tim goes back to school.

Anyhow, I have posted pictures from June:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2Tlo

and July:

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2Tng

We hope this finds you all doing well!

Love,

Tim, Jenn and Mason

Having Fun

It's a .........

I had my ultrasound appointment this past Thursday to determine the sex of our baby. I was very excited to have an earlier appointment as our original appointment was scheduled for June 23rd! We arrived at the Radiology department located at Kaiser in Folsom shortly before 2:30pm. I felt pretty calm given the news that would be shared with us very shortly. We were welcomed in by the ultrasound technician; she was warm and friendly. I shimmied myself onto the table and exposed my belly, waiting for the warm goo (lubricant) to be slathered over my exposed bump. Like a ketchup bottle almost out of salty goodness, the goo splattered on either side of my navel. I will never figure out why the doctor's office is always nearly out of goo when I am examined.

The technician started with her schpeal, "this is baby's first physical exam, etc." ... right off the bat, she asked if we wanted to know the sex. Hardly able to contain ourselves, we answered "yes!" in unison! The wand waived sweepingly over my belly and finally rested; we looked up to the screen in anticipation, not quite sure what we were looking for. After what seemed like minutes passing (probably closer to about 10 seconds), she announced that we are having a girl!! I simply couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth. I wanted to ask her, "are you sure?!?" ... She took the pointy arrow on the screen and showed us the absence of an apple stem ... Tears welled up in my eyes as I was sure we couldn't POSSIBLY be this lucky!! I am still in denial .... 

When toying with names for Mason, Tim and I decided on our "girl" name (had Mason been a girl). We have decided to name our little girl, Makenna May Brown (spelling of middle name is yet to be determined, pending my grandma Rita checking her birth certificate!). Words can't possibly explain my excitement. Tim's response was, "I will need to know how to wipe her nether regions properly" ... yeah, that's my man.

My mom and I are already a tidder in how we are going to decorate. We have decided to keep the nursery the same for Makenna with the exception of the wall paint and a few accessories. We will paint the wall shades of purple (instead of the current shades of blue) and will probably accessorize the "dreaming" theme with fairies and butterflies and take the little bizarre stuffed monsters out of the room. For Mason's room, we are pretty much settled on a jungle theme. Mom and I envision a giraffe-print rug, and hints of the Serengeti .... who knows what our decorative imaginations will produce!

Besides our exciting news, everything else is prodding along normally. I plan to post at the end of June with pictures of this past month. Mason is doing fine and has no clue that a little sister is going to rock his world in about 5 months!

We hope you are all doing great!

Love,

Jenn, Tim, Mason and baby Makenna!

April / May 2009

A lot has happened since my last post. Our family has encountered miracle and tragedy..... 

Sadly, my Grandpa Jim passed on May 8th. He lived until he was 93 years old and passed one day before he and my grandmother's 67th wedding anniversary. We were blessed to have many good years with him. Mason and I went to see him in the hospital the day before he passed. I will forever remember him waving at Mason with his pinkie finger saying, "hey little guy!" We celebrated his life on May 22nd at the Masonic Center in Chico. He will be dearly missed.

On the miracle side, Tim's grandmother has made a great recovery from her stroke. She is back at home and has somewhat regained her independence. Although she won't be able to drive, she is happy to be in her own home and sleeping in her own bed.

May has been a busy month for us. Emily and the kids came out to California to visit while Jon is in Bahrain ... we enjoyed the company and had a blast watching the kids play together. Mason was slow to "warm-up" in playing with Rudy ... but they were pals by the end of the trip.

Mason is doing well. We have had our trials with him the past weeks as he has been teething (again) ... he cut two new teeth and both came through at the same time. His little obstinate personality has emerged and we have officially been welcomed to the "terrible two's." We have had to discipline him for throwing toys at the dog (and everything else) and hitting ... you know, the typical two-year-old stuff.  Even though we are met with our "challenges,"  we are reminded how BLESSED we are to have a healthy boy when we hear about the struggles of others. I thank God every day for His watching over our little family. 

I am starting to have a little more energy these days (thank goodness). I am now able to keep up with Mason, work, house and husband. I am very fortunate in that Tim has helped me with many of my first-trimester struggles. He has gotten up with Mason, helped me with the chores and has catered to my Cinnamon Toast Crunch cravings in late night trips to WinCo. 

I recently had a prenatal appointment where I inquired with the doctor about already feeling some of the same ailments from my last pregnancy (i.e. inguinal hernia and periodic sciatic nerve pain). Unfortunately, the Doctor informed me the hernia will probably return sooner and be worse than it was before ....joy! On the up-side, she (and my friend Kelly who is a physical therapist) have been able to suggest back strengthening exercises which should help with the periodic sciatica. We will be very excited to find out the sex of the baby on June 18th! 

Anyhow, I have included pictures for the past two months. I hope this finds you all doing well!

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AbMnDJi3ZN2Tjw

Love,

Jenn, Tim and Mason

It is early in the morning and it is a rainy cold day outside. I am nestled in the warm covers of my bed hoping that Mason decides to sleep in late this morning. As I lay here, typing away, I am grateful for the blessings of my life. Life has been a bit of a bumpy road in recent history; bumpy with beautiful scenery, however. It is truly amazing how one can be at the top of the highest mountain peak and then fall suddenly to a valley, only to return to the top of the rolling foothills! Ok, enough with the metaphors! .....

The highest mountain peak .....

As many of you have already heard, Tim and I are expecting our second child! We are excited about our pending new addition and are happy that Mason and baby will be so close in age. I am due November 11th. We will be able to find out the sex of the baby in about seven weeks (my big ultrasound appointment is June 23rd). I have been feeling relatively OK; I was queasy and consistently tired the first weeks. Thankfully, the queasiness has subsided but unfortunately, the exhaustion still remains. I am hopeful that in the coming week or two, I will hit my stride and ditch the "first trimester tiredness." When announcing the pregnancy to our immediate family, it was revealed that Tim's sister, Kara, is also pregnant!!! I nearly tackled her in excitement when we found out the great news. Kara is a week and a half in front of me (her due date being October 28th). We couldn't be more excited to have another cousin that will be so close in age to our coming addition (Mason is two weeks older than his cousin, Rudy - my brother's second child). So as you can probably understand, we were standing on Mt. Kilimanjaro there for a while ....

The valley ....

In the past two weeks, my Grandpa Jim has been in and out of the hospital with complications arising from congestive heart failure. My Grandpa is 93 years old (almost 94) and has lived beyond the years his myriad of doctors ever predicted. My family is very blessed to have had him in our lives all these wonderful years. He is the origin of the spark, orneriness, wit, stubbornness, humor and cunning nature that flows through my veins. It is hard to see 

him so altered and I am forced to remind myself after talking to him (or about him with Grandma) that no one is immortal and we need to be grateful for each and every day that God gives us!

 

Well, when it rains, it pours, and I am not talking about the  downpour that is occurring as I type. This past Thursday, Tim's (and my) beloved Grandma Susie (more commonly known as "GG" for "Great Grandma") suffered from an acute hemorragic stroke.  She is currently in the ICU receiving treatment; although she has been responding well to the treatment, she is heavily sedated which clouds any potential progress she may be achieving. It is hard to say how GG will recover from this episode as it is too soon to tell what lasting effects will remain after her release from the hospital. Tim and I are praying for the members in our family that are suffering from ailing health. 

Back to the foothills ......

So amidst all the emotional turmoil, we were excited to celebrate Connor's (our nephew) first birthday last night (although he does not officially turn one until Monday the 4th)! He had a Finding Nemo / beach theme party complete with bubbles (in the rain), chocolate fountains, trampoline jumping (during a break in the clouds), and face painting. All the kids were running around late into the night while still high on the mass quantities of sugar pumping through their veins. Mason had a great time, but hit his wall around 9pm.

We are also very excited to meet our newest 2nd cousin, Ainsley, this coming weekend. (Tim and I will be traveling down to Paso Robles to visit family and see GG.) Although Ainsley isn't scheduled to join our world until Wednesday the 6th (via C-section), we are eagerly anticipating her arrival and can't wait to meet her.

We are also very excited to see Emily, Ella and Rudy as they are heading to California this coming Wednesday for a visit. Mason and Rudy will have such a great time wrestling around and playing with each other. Mason always learns new things from Rudy as he tends to be a little ahead of Mason in learned skills (he is lucky enough to have a sister to emulate). We are very excited to spend some much-needed time with them.   

Even though we all have our struggles in life, it is important to recognize the blessings we have each and every day. Often times, it is tragedy and sadness that forces us to recognize how fortunate we really are! I challenge you to take a moment every day to be thankful for the family, friends and loved ones that care about you. Tell those people that you love and/or care about them, too; as you never know what curve-ball(s) life will launch your direction.

Another post will follow with the Mason update from April.

I hope this finds each of you blessed and grateful!

Love,

Jenn, Tim, Mason, and Baby "B"