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