PBJennissen Blog

Bedtime Prayers

2010-02-04T20:26:00.001-08:00

Every night after reading some books, I say a bedtime prayer to Maizie. Lately, after starting the prayer she responds, "No mommy." So I thought I would try a new spin on bedtime prayer. I told her why we pray and that we should thank God for people and things we are grateful for. I asked her what she wanted to thank God for and she responded, "Pau." Translation: Her Godfather Paul. How cute is that?! The next night we thanked God for each immediate and extended family member. I then asked her what else she was thankful for. Her response was "cake!" I asked her if there was anything else and she said, "cookies!" I thought it was cute and classic two-year-old answers.

Livia's Baptism

2010-01-29T06:46:00.000-08:00

Livia was baptized on 12.27.09. Below are some pictures from her celebration into the church community.

Me and Patrick with Livia's godparents Ryan & Beth.

Grandpa & Grandma Jennissen with our family.

Grandma & Grandpa Felling with our family.

Another "First" Christmas

2010-01-22T10:52:00.001-08:00

Christmas 2008 was Maizlyn's first Christmas and Christmas 2009 brought another first Christmas for Livia and her cousin Graham. What a wonderful year and awesome Thanksgiving & Christmas we were blessed with. 2008 and 2009 were two of my favorite years. I love my life journey and look forward to growing older with my wonderful husband and beautiful daughters! Liv slept much of her first Christmas. Nothing is more peaceful than watching a sleeping baby...especially when it is your own. We are so blessed.

Opening gifts at Jennissen family Christmas.

Maizie & Papa Jennissen getting ready to go outside and play.

Grandma Felling relaxing on Christmas Day with her second grandchild.

Papa Felling & Maizie reading books.

Family Picture on Christmas Day. Needless to say, Maizie wasn't up for posing for this picture. Come to think of it, I don't think Patrick was too excited either. Oh well, he'll enjoy looking back at how much hair he had that day. ;-)

Apparently, she'd rather pose by herself!

Graham & Livia chilling together on their first Christmas Eve.

Maizie opening up her toy kitchen set from Santa Christmas morning.

Patrick & Maizie went sledding on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve as a child/teen, my family would go skiing, sledding or do something fun together and Pat's family would play cards & do generic gifts. We hope to do a combination of our traditions.

Maizlyn and I made Christmas cookie cut-outs together. We had fun and I hope it becomes another tradition!

Proud Big Sister

2010-01-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

Maizlyn has been a good big sister. She doesn't mess with Livie too much. She'll often go over to her (unprompted) and give her a kiss on the lips or forehead. It's so sweet! She's also a good helper -- getting me a diaper or rattle for Liv. Yesterday she put a bunch of small stuffed animals and rattles in Liv's crib. I had to laugh & take a picture, which I posted below. I also posted a couple snapsots of their first days and weeks together.

11.26.2009 - Maizie had just finished taking a bath and we couldn't help but take a picture of the two side-by-side. It was pretty sweet as they just studied each other for awhile.

12.12.2009 - Miss M giving Liv a kiss...this one was prompted. ;-)

12.12.2009 - Checking each other out on a Saturday morning.

11.28.2009 - The first of many sister pictures.

Happy Birthday Livia Kathleen!

2009-11-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

Yes the day has arrived

Our 2nd baby girl Livia Kathleen came into the world at 7:39 this morning.
She weighed 6lbs 11oz, and was 18" long, just a little smaller than her older sister was (7lbs3oz, 19")
Below are some pics and a video(daddy was ready this time)

Thank you to all of our friends and family for the well wishes, thoughts and prayers the past couple of weeks.

Love Pat, Brenda, Maizie, and Livia

Halloween 2009

2009-11-18T08:33:00.000-08:00

Maizie trying on her Halloween costume prior to the big day. Doesn't she make a cute duck?

I love the back of the costume.

Here is a clip of Maizie leaving for her first trick-or-treating experience at the neighbor's. It doesn't show much; it's just cute watching her walk in her duck costume.

Jessica & Zach's Wedding

2009-11-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

My cousin Jessica got married Saturday. We had a great time but unfortunately did not dance much as I spent most of my time chasing after Maizie who had a blast running all over the joint. ;-) Here are a few family pictures from the day.

Kissing cousins in-utero! ;-) For the record, Bonnie is wearing taller heels than me! And yes, I realize I still have no butt. ha!

6 days to go!

The Felling family minus Michael who lives out-of-state and couldn't make it home for the wedding.

My mom with her two full-term pregnant daughters.

Miscellaneous...

2009-10-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

Maizie playing the piano. Let's hope she is this eager to play in a couple more years! ;-)

Mommy-in-training. Godmother Bonnie reading to Maizie.

The Vikings tired this little girl out the Sunday before Pat left for China. So sweet.

Maizie is a "typical" girl in that she enjoys talking on the phone. Here are a couple clips of her "talking" on the phone at the hotel.

Happy Wedding Day, Jolaine & Dan!

2009-10-25T14:39:00.000-07:00

Jolaine & Dan got married Saturday, 10.24.09. We had a great time at their wedding! Maizie was their flower girl but didn't quite make it down the aisle with Nick & Cooper. Oh well. She sure looked cute! The happy couple's first dance.

Maizie loved dancing with "Papa"Jennissen!

Maizie waiting to get back out on the dance floor.

Daddy & Maizlyn gettin' down on the dance floor.

Jen & Cooper dancing away.

Happy Family.

My two favorite people in the world - how blessed am I?!

Weekend in Red Wing

2009-10-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

We decided to celebrate our anniversary as a family in Red Wing. It was a nice weekend away. We stayed at a Bed & Breakfast that had a couple horses, sheep and chickens. The owner of the B&B even dressed the part in "turn of the century" attire. Maizie loved the large whirlpool tub in our bathroom, we went out for dinner, checked out a large toy store, hiked up Barn Bluff and drove along both the MN and WI riversides to check out the foliage. It was a great weekend!

Daily Happenings

2009-09-24T18:53:00.000-07:00

Maizie points out where her little sister is. I am 28.6 weeks pregnant in this picture. The 'lil one has hit a growth spurt. I have been feeling my stomach stretching over the last 36 hours. As Maizie says, "owwie.." She is really strong too! I am pretty sure I have internal bruising from her moves. She is definitely giving Maizlyn a run for her money as to who was/is stronger in utero. ;-) At my 28 week appointment I was measuring small so we did an ultrasound at 29 weeks just to make sure baby was developing normally. Happy to report that all is well! Baby weighed approximately 3 lbs at that ultrasound (two weeks ago). 8 weeks from today we will be holding our newborn baby!!

Paul and Patrick made a make-shift playhouse for Maizlyn out of a couple boxes we had. Maizie loves playing in them and brought daddy in to read to her.

Miss M often takes a bowl of grapes or a couple of mini oreos and runs to her favorite spot to eat them - on the granite slab in front of the fireplace. We find it humorous.

Somebody enjoys ice cream just like her mama. As I was making dinner a couple weeks ago, Maizie decided to grab a spoon and help herself to some ice cream from the freezer!

Below is a clip of Maizie showing off one of the onesies we received from our couple's baby shower a couple years ago. Too funny!

Oktoberfest 2009

2009-09-24T17:15:00.000-07:00

Having some fun with the new sign. Harold & Jean, did anybody capture your picture?!

Cooper and Maizlyn playing together at Oktoberfest.

The two finalists taste testing German beer while blindfolded...

Congratulations to Ryan - the 2009 Jennissen Oktoberfest Beer Champ! Pictured with Patrick, the outgoing 2008 Beer Champ and Jason, 2009 runner-up and only 2-time beer champ!

Summer Fun

2009-08-27T13:24:00.001-07:00

Grandpa Felling and Maizlyn dancing to grandpa's favorite music.

Walking to the jet skis for a ride. Maizie loves our jet skis!

Cuddling with her favorite Sesame Street character...Elmo. Thanks Luke & Steph for this - she loves it!

Miss M doing her funny face and head tilt in her cute outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Jennissen. They got it in "China" at Epcot in Disneyworld.

We traveled to Madison to celebrate Ryan's 35th birthday a couple weekends ago. Here Jacob is guiding Maizie back to mom and dad. Maizie loves her cousins!

Relaxing on the front porch before the birthday party.

Pat & I took Maizlyn to her first Twins game Aug. 2nd. Unfortunately, they lost. At least she can say she was at the dome.

Our smiley girl in pigtails!

In early July Jen, Nick, Cooper, Courtney & CJ (Court's boyfriend) visited us. Maizie loved running in the boat between mom/Jen/Cooper and Nick and Courtney in front.

Maizie, Cooper & Jen. So sweet.

Ultrasound

2009-07-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been awhile since I've updated. I've been pretty busy with school, family, work and life in general. We had our ultrasound July 20th. Baby is developing quite nicely. Baby measured in at 21 weeks, 3 days - exactly where I was at that day. According to measurements, baby weighs approximately 1 lb. and the ultrasound showed baby is breech. Maizlyn was frank breech (feet by head) and lil' one is either complete breech (sitting cross-legged) or footling breech (feet first). Apparently, my uterus is friendly to the breech presentation. ;-) We'll see if baby stays that way... Unfortunately, I was not able to save the pictures as jpgs so I cannot post any pictures of #2. Sorry! Pictured above I am 26.4 weeks pregnant. Tomorrow (8.28) marks 27 weeks and the start of my third trimester. Baby weighs ~2 lbs and is ~15 inches long. My next Dr. appt is next Thursday, 9.3.

Happy Birthday, America!

2009-07-07T19:12:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful weekend at the cabin!! Patrick and I both had Friday off so we enjoyed a long weekend with family and friends. We went swimming, boating, jet-skiing and running. Saturday night we enjoyed the array of fireworks across the lake over a bonfire with a couple friends and family. Sunday we did our annual Felling get-together. It was hard to go back to work Monday...

I'm feeling really well. My belly is pretty hard to miss and the baby is kicking and moving a lot...especially at night. We have our ultrasound in two weeks. Tomorrow marks the halfway point for me. Yay!! I'm getting very excited to meet this little person growing inside of me. November will be here before I know it!

Maizlyn received her first jet ski ride of the year this weekend.

Maizlyn enjoying one of her floats.

When we went down to the lakeshore, Maizie immediately walked to the water, sat down and started playing with her bucket and shovel.

A video of Maizlyn practicing her boat driving skills and blowing a kiss to mommy.

Video of a giggling little girl having fun with her mama!

Time at the Lake

2009-06-28T07:04:00.000-07:00

While daddy enjoyed a guy's weekend, mommy and Maizie went to the lake. Maizlyn had fun with her buckets and shovels in the sand. And...she said "puppy" a few times this weekend! Usually she says "bah-bah" whenever she sees an animal. She is also responding "yeah" to most of my questions. "Maizie, do you want to go down the slide?" "Yeah." "Maizie, do you want something to eat?" "Yeah." "Mommy needs to change your diaper." "No!" Rather than ask about the diaper, I tell her as I quickly realized her response is always "no" and no is not an option in that department. Ha!

Bonnie & Paul's nephews Hugo & Walter were at the cabin this weekend too. Hugo especially liked keeping Maizie company.

I should have put my swim suit on...Maizie loved sitting in her water float. She easily kept herself entertained in it for a half hour. Most of the time, she just chilled with her hands in the water and lightly splashed. So much fun!

Summer Weekend

2009-06-14T18:24:00.001-07:00

Godmother and Godchild chilling at the lake. How sweet! We are pretty excited for Maizlyn Reese. Not only is she going to be a SIBLING, she is also going to be a COUSIN late this fall!! We are thrilled, as we only have a niece and nephews on Pat's side of the family.

Maizie's Godfather teaching her how to drive the boat and honk the horn. Today was the perfect day at the lake!

My college roommate's son celebrates his 1st birthday this week. To celebrate the miracle that he is (he had a heart condition--SVT and became very ill at just a few days old and fought hard to become a very healthy boy - www.caringbridge.org/wilkenmiller), Jean & Jon threw him a birthday party Saturday. Above, Maizie had fun driving Jean's daughter's car.

How did Wil enjoy his birthday cake? This picture says it all!

Much to Grandma Felling & Grandma Jennissen's delight, we can finally put "ponytails" in Maizie's hair!

Life is Good

2009-05-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

Once again, nearly two months have gone by without an update. It just means life is good at the Jennissen household. Here are some pictures from the past couple months.

Me and my little girl in the conservatory.

We went to Como Zoo last weekend with Jen, Nick, Cooper, Jolaine & Dan. It was really windy but fun!

I went to the Dancin' Off Broadway spring show with Melanie & Michelle a couple weeks ago. Patrick stayed home with Maizie and Ezra, her 2nd cousin once removed. Maizie was a bit jealous of the attention Ezra received from Pat and is checking things out before she leaves.

Playing with my ray of sunshine.

April and early May

2009-05-22T12:49:00.000-07:00

Maizie had no fear of climbing up onto the "tractor" and "driving" a couple weeks ago. John Deere...Grandpa Kinzer would be so proud!

Someone looks really sleepy...one last book before bedtime. How cute is this picture?! I love how she's resting her arm on Patrick's head!

My mom and Maizlyn having fun at the park. Maizlyn loves the park. What toddler doesn't, right? She is pretty brave too. She climbs up the stairs to the slide and goes right down. One night this week she got a bit of air and then landed flat on her butt in the sand. She just giggled!

Maizie loves to "read" books and have us read to her. It is common for me or Pat to sit and read 15 books at a time with her. She just gets up after we finish one, goes to her basket and brings us another. Here she is relaxing while enjoying one of her favorites.

Reading & Dancing Video Clip

2009-03-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip of Maizie paging through her books and then deciding it is time to dance.

She started walking a couple steps at a time early this month and is now walking with confidence. It has opened a whole new world for her. Yesterday she pulled out a deck of cards from an end table in the family room, walked through the room and into our bedroom. She returned moments later without the cards. She proceeded to take another deck out of the drawer, again made her way to our bedroom and returned empty handed. She grabbed a third deck and after entering our bedroom, I decided to follow her to see where she thought these cards should be. I spotted her in our bathroom placing the third deck next to the other two on top of the toilet seat. She started giggling when she realized she was "busted."

Earlier that day, she brought me a pair of my warm novelty socks as I sat at the kitchen table. I thanked her and she smiled with pride that she made mommy happy. She turned around and a minute later returned with another pair. Within five minutes, I had four pair of my fuzzy socks at the kitchen table. Such a good-natured girl!

Words she likes to say: Uh-oh, mama, dada, mom, Stacy (her beloved daycare provider), ba-ba (i.e., puppy), Elmo, kna-kna (i.e., knock-knock). She has said "gandpa" too but we're still working on grandma.

March Update

2009-03-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Maizie had her first tooth poke through on 12.11 followed by a second on 1.1. She now has 5 teeth with a 6th coming in.

I captured Maizie dancing to her reggae music. Check out that releve. Perhaps a future dancer?

I have more video to post, but it is not uploading properly so I'll try again sometime this week. Take care of you!

February Pictures

2009-03-29T17:40:00.001-07:00

Maizie and I were rolling the basketball and soccer ball back and forth to each other last month. I took this picture for daddy...the sport nut loves it!

Click the clip above if you want to hear a little girl laughing. We can really get her going before bedtime.

It is hard to believe she used to take up just a small portion of her crib space one year ago. We're planning on moving her to a bedroom downstairs early this fall. It will be a hard transition for me. We've started to bring her into her future room to play so that she is somewhat used to it. It should be interesting.

In February, Maizie discovered that she can crawl onto the middle of our whicker table in the sunroom. It has become a fun activity for her to crawl through it again and again. Cheap entertainment!

I still absolutely love watching our angel sleep. Life is so precious; Maizlyn is proof of that.

Happy Birthday, Maizie Reese!

2009-01-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Maizie dug right into her birthday cake. However, her first couple of bites were nothing but frosting so we cut into it a little bit. Princess crown is courtesy of her godmother.Poor girl was tired though and had had enough. After a few bites...it's her party and she'll cry if she wants to. ; ) She cut her 2nd tooth the day before her birthday; she cut her first tooth 12.11.

Here is the cake I made for Miss Maizie. It's a beehive surrounded by bees. I found the idea online and thought it was cute -- no other significance.

Baby's First Christmas

2009-01-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

Maizlyn trying her sled on for size with her moose.

Maizlyn & Cooper are only 4 months apart. Here Maizie is trying to sneak Cooper's drink away from him while we capture a photo.

Sweet baby in her Christmas dress checking out the presents around the tree.

3 of our 4 nephews: Jacob, Nicholas & John at Jennissen Family Christmas.

Our family on Christmas Eve.

Snow...Keep it Coming!

2008-12-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

We received several inches of snow early this morning. After breakfast, we went outside to play in the white stuff. Maizie has played in the snow at daycare, but today was our first opportunity to play in it with her. We all had fun and captured some snapshots for the scrapbook.

This afternoon Pat & I also went snowmobiling. It was my first time in two years, as I couldn't get out last year when pregnant and then recovering from my c-section. Our streets hadn't been plowed yet so we got to ride down the middle of them -- reminded me of our sophomore year, Kristi Jo!

Maizlyn Reese catching snowflakes on her tongue.

This picture should get an award for most adorable father/daughter snapshot with the best authentic winter background. Seriously, what a great captured moment!

Here is a clip of Maizie playing in the snow...and daddy throwing the white stuff on her. Enjoy!

Almost a Toddler

2008-12-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

I apologize for not updating in awhile. We have had a busy fall. Patrick & I celebrated our 5th Anniversary, Maizie is moving on her own (but we're still waiting for those teeth), and we celebrated Thanksgiving in Arizona with my brother and his fiancee. We truly have so much to be thankful for and neither of us take our lives for granted. We are incredibly grateful for each other, our family & friends, our daughter, our good health and our job status. We're also looking forward to sharing Maizlyn's First Christmas and celebrating her first birthday in a few weeks. We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and please, enjoy the Christmas & holiday season!

Maizie has been falling asleep "folded over" lately. It looks like an uncomfortable sleeping position but she seems to like it. ; )

I absolutely LOVE these two pictures of Pat & Maizie. It could not have been staged any better had we tried. I first captured the two of them being "serious" and then both of them smiling. I think I'm going to frame them together for my office space.

On the move...Maizlyn started crawling after we returned from our trip in October. I was very happy that I didn't miss it! Once she started crawling, she immediately found our movie "collection." She started pulling herself up onto the coffee table, couch, drawers, etc. at the end of last month. Only a matter of time before she's walking. Yikes!

Our smiley little munchkin.

Surprise Anniversary Trip

2008-12-09T20:28:00.000-08:00

Patrick & I celebrated our 5th Anniversary 10.18.08. What an incredible 5 years! To celebrate, we decided to go on vacation. Pat took the reins and said the trip was a complete surprise for me (he also did this for our honeymoon -- what a catch!). I only knew that we were flying somewhere. Then Maizlyn was born and I knew it was going to be hard to be away from her and I really just wanted to know a few details. Pat initially told me we would be gone for 5 days. I told him that would be perfect. Enough time to get away, relax & enjoy each other and then return to our sweetheart. Pat realized how much he was going to miss Maizie and his mother told him he had better let me in on part of the truth (thanks Jean!). He admitted that our vacation was not going to be 5 days but 10. He had planned on contacting my boss to get my vacation approved, was going to have my sister pack for me and then whisk me away to destination unknown. Pre-Maizie, that would have been so much fun! Post-Maizie...Thank God he let me in on this "little" bit of information, for I needed to mentally prepare myself to be away from her...my first extended period of time away. The anticipation of being away was worse than actually being gone and we had a wonderful time!
I had figured out we were going to visit our friends Jeremiah & Karla in Washington D.C. and Pat informed me there was a second destination. Once in D.C., I figured out that our friends were coming with us to destination still unknown to me but Pat denied it. We had a 3:30 AM wake-up call to catch a cab for our flight to 2nd destination. When J & Karla didn't join us in the cab, I told Pat they were obviously taking a later flight. He again denied it. Skip to us eating breakfast at the gate and J & Karla came up behind us saying, "Who's ready for a surprise anniversary trip?!" I knew it! But I still didn't know where we were going (which by-the-way, makes it very difficult to pack). We had a connecting flight in Atlanta and after hearing which gate we had to be at next, I stood in front of the monitors and figured it out...we were going to Nassau, Bahamas!! There are so many other details I'm leaving out, but this story is getting too long. It was a great trip and we had so much fun. Thanks again for being part of the surprise, Jeremiah & Karla. We truly had a great time vacationing with you two again!!
While in D.C., we biked from Jeremiah & Karla's to Mount Vernon and back (about 23 miles total). It was a lot of fun -- beautiful scenery, exercise and a history lesson all in 1 day! Above, me and Jeremiah are roasting apples. We then dipped them in honey. It was really good!
Pictured in front of Mount Vernon (George Washington's house) is Jeremiah, Patrick & Mat, another college friend who works in D.C. We also toured Arlington National Cemetery, two of the Smithsonian Museums & the Washington Monument. We walked by the White House and ate at some really great restaurants too.

Me and Karla enjoying some wine in the Bahamas.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Halloween Fun

2008-12-09T20:10:00.001-08:00

Our pumpkin at home.

We had some extra special trick-or-treaters on Halloween. My friend Kristi's kids Addison & Will stopped by to visit and grab a treat and I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

Will is only 3 weeks older than Maizie -- can you say yearbook photo someday?!

Our pumpkin had a busy day and fell asleep in my arms after greeting all of our trick-or-treaters.

Happy Birthday, Great Grandpa Felling!

2008-12-09T19:55:00.000-08:00

My grandpa Felling turned 87 September 18 and we celebrated with dinner at my parents' house. I just love these pictures of my grandpa with Maizie. She was quite content with him and I love how she studied him.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T22:04:00.001-07:00

The local photograpy studio offered a free Halloween picture in exchange for a food shelf donation; we took advantage of the promotion. This picture will be great for Maizlyn's scrapbook!

Twin Cities Races

2008-10-05T20:41:00.000-07:00

Our family had quite the weekend...

Here is Patrick posing with his "babies" before running his first 10-Mile race Sunday morning. Check out Pat's sexy shorts. ; )

Here is Ryan with Beth, Jacob & John before running his FIRST MARATHON! CONGRATULATIONS RYAN! We are sooo proud of and happy for you!!

Harold, Jolaine & Brenda ran the TC 5K Saturday morning. However, we failed to get a picture of the three of us. That was unintelligent. Props to us all for completing the race and CONGRATS Jo on your first 5K!!

September Snapshots

2008-09-17T15:57:00.002-07:00

Look at those baby blues...

Playing on the floor while mommy gets ready for work.

Sleeping Beauty. Look at those lips! I wonder if she'll get the nickname "big lips" like I did in elementary school from one kid. At the time I hated it, now I wouldn't mind. ; )

Pretty in Fuschia!

Special Request from Jacob & John

2008-09-17T15:57:00.001-07:00

Jacob & John requested more video clips of Miss Maizie. Here you go, boys!

A Visit from Grandpa

2008-09-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Jennissen stopped by for a visit on his way home from a meeting a couple weeks ago. Maizie was excited to see him and will spend her first Oktoberfest at his & grandma's house this weekend.

Auditioning for a Commercial

2008-09-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Felling holding his granddaughter.

Check out her bib. One of Pat's vendors gave this to us after Maizie was born.

Bath Time Fun

2008-09-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

Pat & I gave Maizlyn a bath Monday night. It was the first time she tried to eat/drink the bubbles. Pat managed to catch a short clip of it -- just click on the play button. Enjoy!

Little Blue Eyes

2008-08-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Content after bath time. Pat has become quite the photographer and captured this smile she had for me while lying on our bed. Look at her blonde hair finally coming in. Very exciting! We went to Madison for a long weekend and she was very good for both the drive there and back. Pat & I took in a Dave Matthews Band concert Saturday so Ryan, Beth, Jacob & John watched Maizie for us -- thanks again you guys! Maizlyn is so lucky to have such great cousins. She loved playing with the boys & Jacob slept next to Maizie's pack-n-play to make sure she would be alright until Pat & I returned. We are so happy she has such caring older male cousins who will look out for our little girl!

Maizlyn has been able to sit up all on her own for a couple of weeks now. Here she is sitting on my stomach while playing together a few weeks ago.

Maizie fell asleep while I went for a run last month. I love this stroller! It was my first "baby" purchase after we found out we were pregnant. I can connect my ipod to it and it plays through a couple of small speakers.

Patrick & I took Maizie on her first ride on the swing in the park behind our house. She absolutely loved it! This is the only picture we got -- good thing as the camera batteries died immediately after Pat took it.

Summer Filled of Firsts

2008-07-16T17:09:00.000-07:00

Our 6-month blue-eyed girl.

Maizlyn's first time chilling underneath a shade tree at the cabin. She loved watching the leaves move in the breeze. While at daycare last month, she bugged out after noticing the clouds. I must say it's really fun rediscovering the world with Maizie!

Maizlyn having fun playing with her future aunt Kathy on the Fourth of July!

Maizlyn's first boat ride. She was really calm, acted like she had done it before and fell asleep shortly into our cruise.

Last month Maizie took a sudden interest in everything I was eating and/or drinking. She skipped over sippy cups and went straight to "lapping" water out of my glass. I love this picture!

Here I am eating my first vegetable -- sweet potatoes. 2 1/2 weeks later, I am much better at getting the food in my mouth rather than all over my face! I love all of the food mommy & daddy feed me. So far, I've also had pears, peaches, bananas, green peas & green beans. Tomorrow I get to try applesauce!

5 Months & Counting

2008-06-11T18:43:00.000-07:00

Sleeping baby. Look at that cute little buddha belly! We love her to pieces!!

Such a happy baby!

We introduced Maizie to the lake over Memorial weekend. Unfortunately, it was too cold to dip her feet in it.

No question about it -- Maizlyn was frank breech (she was like this in my womb thus requiring a c-section). She constantly puts her feet in her mouth.

Daddy holding his little girl while she feeds herself her bottle at a restaurant with friends. She's such a big girl; she holds it on her own!

Heather holding Miss Maizie. Again, congratulations on your engagement John & Heather!!

Maizlyn's First 5K

2008-05-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

We participated in our first 5K as a family today! The Old Glory Run in Cold Spring honored our military and proceeds will benefit disabled vets. We really enjoyed the race and its purpose and plan to do it again next year. We were also pretty happy with our finish of around 27 minutes. The last time I ran, it was two miles two months ago. The last time Pat ran was last fall when I was pregnant. The weather is finally cooperating again! Pictured is Pat and Maizie right before the start of the race.

Pat & Maizie crossing the finish line. Yes, I get bragging rights for finishing before my husband. ; ) I am excited to use our jogging stroller with Maizie during our next race but we have to wait until she can sit unassisted.Bren & Maizie chilling after the race.

A family photo after completing the race. Maizlyn was busy looking at all of the people.

Four Months Old!

2008-05-17T20:22:00.000-07:00

Maizlyn took her 2nd trip to Fargo, ND last month. It was her first stay in a hotel and she did wonderful both nights! I captured a picture of her on the bed before we left. She enjoyed meeting many of mommy and daddy's friends and was so cute in her pink dress at the wedding. I would post a picture of the 3 of us but someone forgot the camera in the car because they "had to make 3 trips from the car to the reception" and mommy was enjoying champagne in a hummer limo with her friends. Trust me though -- she was adorable...even though someone forgot to put on her tights. ; )

Maizlyn had her 4-Month check-up on 5.8.08. She is in the 95th percentile for height (24") and 75th percentile for weight (14.5 lbs). She loves to talk, babble, smile and put her hands in her mouth.

Maizie loves to kick her legs and feet. Above, she discovered that she can kick the bee and dragonfly that hang above her swing. She can thank her mama for those feet. ; )

One Year Ago...

2008-05-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

It was one year ago today that we found out I was pregnant with our little girl. I remember that day so vividly. It was Thursday, May 10, 2007. One of the best days of our lives! Enjoy this picture of our smiley little girl. More will be posted soon.

3 Months Old!!

2008-04-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

Maternity leave bliss has come to an end. I returned to work Monday, 3.31.08. My welcome back to the road was a snow storm! My boss allowed me an admin day to catch up on some e-mail and other tasks. I'm nowhere near caught up but it definitely helped! Tomorrow & Friday I have a meeting in MPLS so it's going to be a couple of long days. I am so thankful for the 12.5 weeks at home with Maizlyn. I enjoyed and savored every moment. It was absolutely fantastic and I will always cherish that time and all of my time with my little girl. Above, Maizie and I cuddled on my last Saturday before work. As you can see, I chopped my hair. 12+ inches!! I donated it to Locks of Love. One more thing I can check off my "bucket list." ; )

Today our Maizlyn Reese is 3 months old. Unbelievable! She is growing so fast. Here is a big smile for mommy.

Our little girl continues to get stronger. Here she is showing off on her "surfboard." She is sooo close to rolling over. She rolls from her tummy to her back to her side and can't quite get over her arm. She is also rolling from her back to her tummy and has figured out how to move on her back by pushing off on her heels. It's so much fun watching her move!

Maizlyn did great on her first roadtrip to Madison, WI last month to visit her aunt, uncle & cousins. Godson Jacob (a self-proclaimed baby expert) brought Maizie his baby blanket, stuffed animal and rattle to use for the day. He's such a great cousin!

Here she is with daddy and John. Johnny loves to say "hi baby Maizie" and give her lots of love!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-21T13:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Baby Girl

2008-03-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

I am really thankful b/c I have not suffered terribly from sleep deprivation. At night, Maizlyn sleeps for 5-6 hours, eats & then sleeps for another 2-3 hours. No complaints!

Maizlyn is doing so well! She had her "2-month" appointment today. She weighs 12 lbs. 14 oz. and is 24" inches long. She also received an oral vaccine and 5 shots. I have never heard her scream like I did today. I felt so bad but kept telling her it was only to prevent her from getting really sick.

Maizie is smiling & interacting with us more and more. We talk to her and she ooh's, ahh's and coo's. We love it! This weekend I was away from her for the first time overnight. My good friend Penny is getting married in April and I celebrated with her and other girlfriends at a cabin in Park Rapids. It was hard to leave Maizie Friday afternoon but I believe it is healthy. Friendships are extremely important to me & Patrick and I knew she was in good hands. Daddy had her all weekend and she was an angel!

Maizlyn has also discovered her hands. We noticed that often when making a fist, she holds her thumb between her index and middle finger. You can see what I mean in the above picture (left hand).

Daddy is training her how to hold the remote & watch his favorite channel. Silly daddy...

Daddy's Little Bear Cub

2008-02-18T08:20:00.001-08:00

Look at those cheeks and lips!!

Maizlyn chillin' with her godmother.

Maizie has changed her tune with regards to bathtime. She now enjoys her baths and is so darn cute in her birthday suit!

As I mentioned earlier, I love the expressions Maizlyn makes during REM sleep. Pictured here, I managed to capture one of her priceless smiles while she slept in my lap on 2.1.08. So cute!

Maizlyn's Baptism

2008-02-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

Maizlyn was baptized after Mass Saturday, 2.9.08. She did so well -- didn't even cry when Father poured the Holy Water over her head with a seashell. She wore the baptismal gown that her mom wore when she was baptized one month shy of 28 years ago, and the last one to wear it was her Godmother on her baptism.

Maizie Reese with her Godparents Bonnie & Paul Radjenovich; Grandma & Grandpa Felling; & Grandma & Grandpa Jennissen.

Here is a Fourth Generation picture. Great-grandpa Felling, Grandpa Felling, mommy and Maizlyn.

Mommy & Daddy's Princess

2008-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Look at my long fingers! Daddy says they will be good for setting volleyballs and mommy hopes I'll play piano with them.

Here I am doing some "tummy time." I'm getting stronger and stronger. At my 2 week appointment I weighed 8 lb 3 oz and measured 21.25 inches...I think they had my measurement wrong when I was born! Do you think I could grow 2.25 inches in 2 weeks?

Here I am napping in my crib. Can you guess my favorite color? Daddy says sometimes I sound like a bear cub when I'm waking up from my naps and mommy likes the expressions I make when I'm napping.

Family of Three

2008-01-14T17:41:00.001-08:00

We are having so much fun with our newborn girl! Saturday night we captured her foot and hand prints for her baby book via a method that did not require putting her feet & hands in the ink itself. Her footprints turned out pretty well but she was not as cooperative with her hands. We had more fun than she did! Above, she is hanging out with daddy.

Here our munchkin is posing for yet another picture for daddy. She's sleeping really well at night; giving mommy 3 & 4-hour stretches. Whoo-hoo!

Maizie does not like her sponge baths! Pictured above, she is traumatized by the experience.

Happy Birthday Maizlyn Reese Jennissen

2008-01-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well here we are....

Maizlyn (Maizie) Reese Jennissen was born on Jan. 2nd - 9:52am at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Specs:

7lb 3oz (Mommy had it pegged perfectly)

19 in long

Long Skinny fingers (just like Mommy) - perfect for setting and blocking volleyballs

Bright blue eyes

blond hair

She is really strong already, moving her head quite a bit

Brenda and baby are doing very well.

Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and prayers!

Love, Pat & Brenda

We Know our Baby's Birthdate

2007-12-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Well it was an early morning. I woke up around 4:15 and could not fall back asleep. I finally got out of bed at 5:00, had breakfast & got ready for the hospital. Pat and I arrived at admissions at 7:00 AM. The lady said, "so you're here for your induction, right?" I was like huh?! No, that would be a version. She changed the error in the computer and we proceeded to the Birthing Floor. I got into the wonderful hospital gown, got weighed and hooked up to the baby heart rate monitor and contraction monitor (version can trigger them). My ob/gyn did the ultrasound to confirm her position. We were hopeful baby turned on her own but that she did not. Poor little girl has her head up by her feet yet. Doc said she's in a good position for the version but that there isn't much amniotic fluid left -- just pockets of it. He said typically the odds of a version being successful are 50/50. However, given the small amount of fluid and that this is my first pregnancy he said my odds of it working were 1 in 3. Thus, we decided not to proceed with the version and do a scheduled c-section.
Last week my doc told me via phone we would wait with the c-section if necessary until closer to the due date. This morning he said, "How does early next week sound? Would you like a New Year's baby?" He had his nurse check the schedule/staffing and called me late morning with the date. The schedule is full for 12.31.07 (I wonder why...) and they do not allow anything to be scheduled on New Year's Day due to staffing. Our baby's birthdate will be 01.02.08 unless God decides otherwise. If I go into labor before the scheduled time, my ob will be called and we'll do the c-section then. If baby flips on her own by the morning of scheduled c-section, I will be induced rather than proceeding with a c-section. I would rather have a c-section than be induced so I'm hopeful that all goes well!
We're really excited to meet her!!

Version is Scheduled but...

2007-12-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

My doctor's office has scheduled a version for next Thursday, 12.27.07 at the hospital. I've been told the procedure is very uncomfortable for moms and it does not always work. They basically smear a bunch of goo on my belly and try to get baby to get turned around. They only proceed if baby's knees are not crossed and the cord is not around its head. The success rate is about 50% and is higher for non first-time pregnancies b/c the uterus is more apt to be manipulated, etc. There really are not any risks to the baby but there is a risk to injuring the placenta. Thus, they monitor mom afterwards for 1/2 hour to make sure all is well regardless of whether or not the version was successful. If we choose not to try the version, we are looking at a scheduled c-section just prior to my due date (1.11). I have never been "set" on having to have our baby vaginally or via c-section. I have nothing to prove. Our baby's health is of utmost importance; how she arrives into this world is trivial. Patrick & I have been discussing our options. I'm nervous that the version could injure the placenta & thus put our baby in harm's way; I'm nervous about complications & recovery with a c-section. If you have ever been in the same situation, please e-mail or call with any advice tonight. Patrick & I are to discuss it tonight and make a decision tomorrow. Please pray that we make the right decision and all goes well.

Baby is Flexible Like Mommy!

2007-12-19T15:01:00.000-08:00

I love my midwife! Last week she asked me when my next appointment was. I told her Dec. 31st and she requested that I come in today, as it is good to be monitored weekly this close to the end of your pregnancy. My weight & bp is good and I'm measuring about the same I was last week. She's estimating baby to be 5 1/2 - 6 lbs and figures that she'll be around 7 lbs at birth but that's obviously a rough estimate -- I was over 9 lbs at birth! Last week we "placed" the feet, butt, back & head. This week she wasn't convinced that the head was down anymore so she did a pelvic exam. I am not dilating yet and she couldn't feel the head/skull in my lower abdomen. Thus, she ordered and came with me to an ultrasound to verify. The u/s showed what she suspected...baby is frank breech! Her feet are up over her head and she's facing my back. I guess we got our wish that baby inherits mommy's flexibility. : ) That would also explain why it feels like her feet are going to poke out of my right side constantly. My midwife is going to consult with my ob to see if he recommends a version (outside manipulation to get the baby turned around), scheduled C-section or wait and see. Baby could possibly turn on her own and life would be good. If not, we may need to do a scheduled c-section. I am just very grateful that we know she's in this position in case I do go into labor before a decision is made. I will keep you all posted...
Other updates -- Tomorrow night we have our last birthing class. Our crib finally came in Dec. 8th and we're still waiting for the changing table.
We're very excited for Christmas. We'll be celebrating with Patrick's family this weekend and my family on Christmas Eve & Day. Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the spirit of Christmas!

No Complaints at Nearly 36 Weeks!

2007-12-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

I had an appointment with my Nurse Midwife today. My bp and weight are good and I am measuring a bit small but there is no concern. Baby is continuing to do well. Her heart beat was in the 140s and we determined where her feet, butt, back & head were positioned...such fun! She's facing my spine which is good -- should prevent back labor if she stays in that position. My midwife also said that there is no reason why I have to take my belly button ring out. I am sure many of you are cringing, but I love my ring and I've had it for 10 years! My belly button hasn't "popped" and it doesn't bother me so she said there was no reason that I had to take it out. I'm sure I just jinxed myself... I have another appointment with my midwife next Wed. and then I see my OB again on Dec. 31st. I will be 36 weeks Friday; one more week until it's "safe" for baby to arrive.
Congratulations to Kristi Jo & Nick on the healthy arrival of their son William -- I saw him tonight and he is absolutely adorable. Congratulations to Lisa & Dan on the healthy arrival of their daughter Gretchen -- a future dancer, right Lis?!

8 Months Preggers!

2007-12-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

Here I am at 8 months pregnant! Patrick & I have attended two of five nights of our birthing classes thus far. We were pleasantly surprised to find a familiar face in the class: Shannon Essler Petty and her husband Richard. Shannon's brother Derek and I were classmates and Shannon used to date one of Patrick's good friends in high school. Our dads are pretty good sports -- having had to "endure" wearing a sling filled with 30 lbs of bean bags, learning how to ease our back labor if applicable, and other relaxation techniques for us moms. I must say Pat has been especially helpful lately. I must have outdid myself working in the house during yesterday's snow storm as my calves & lower back hurt. Patrick very willingly massaged my calves and promised a back massage this evening. Yea! He got to ride our snowmobile this afternoon and since I cannot venture out on it until after baby arrives, I don't feel guilty asking for and enjoying his pampering. According to my references, baby weighs ~5 lbs and is 18-19 inches long. I feel bad as I haven't regularly exercised for a month. It's hard to motivate myself when it's cold outside. I really should at least stretch to make recovery easier on myself. Hope everyone is enjoying the snow as much as I am!!

Baby Has Been to MN, SD, NE, CO, UT & AZ in 4 Days

2007-11-19T20:43:00.000-08:00

Patrick and I have been on a road trip with my sister and brother-in-law that began Friday night. We were lucky enough to visit our friends Kelly & Sarah in Dillon, CO Saturday. It was fun to visit and talk pregnancy with them, as they are expecting their first child May 9th! Thanks again for the hospitality & great time, K & S!!

Today we visited Zion National Park, Lees Ferry & Grand Canyon. Tomorrow we are going to explore Sedona and then meet up with my parents, brother Merle & his girlfriend Kathy in Phoenix. Baby must be growing b/c my stomach hurts really bad from stretching so much the last few days. Less than 8 weeks to go...very excited. Enjoy a few pictures from our trip thus far!

Thank you oh dear little baby Jesus by Patrick

2007-11-06T20:36:00.000-08:00

I want to take this moment to thank society for not forcing me to take part in the formal annointing of the womb known as "baby showers"......That being said I regretfully would like to announce my official resignation from "manhood". Apparently at some point in the recent past I agreed to attending a "couples shower" . I can only assume that I was asked during the middle of aVikings game or an important episode of Family Guy or Seinfeld. I do not tell you this as an excuse but as a warning to the complete male population. We have always known that "they" like to "strike" during these most vulnerable times and for that reason I should have been more cautious. I only have myself to blame and I make a promise to the rest of the male race that I will do my best to assure that an attrocity like this will never happen again.

In case you have not been able to grasp the magnitude of this enormous collapse in concentration & judgement on my part please note the following activities that I am apparently in store for this weekend.
- design a "onesie"??
- guess how many diapers are located in a basket?????
- guess how "round" my wife is by cutting a string?????????????????
- Gossip about [Insert name of some woman that works with one of my wife's friends]....ex:"can you believe what a bitch[Insert same name] is?"!!!!

Consider yourselves warned!!!

One more thing...I would like to point out that Brenda spends a lot of time working on this site(I personally witnessed her try to get the pics below in the right order for about 10 minutes and heard no less than 6 "curse" words, most of which seemed to be directed at me which didn't seem to be very nice, so make sure you post comments on the site so I know that my tears and dejected soul aren't all for not).

A Human is Growing Inside of Me

2007-11-06T20:03:00.000-08:00

Our little girl is continuously exploring her surroundings. I often find myself laughing at her acrobatic moves. It still amazes me that there is a human growing inside of me! Lately I've been finding myself staring at my stomach and trying to guess what body part I see push out and move across my stomach. It's such an incredible feeling and I know I'll miss it once she arrives. I am becoming more and more excited to meet our daughter and see what traits she has. Will she have the same mole me, my mom and sister all have? Will she be a blondie or brunette? Will she have her daddy's nose or mommy's? Will she have her daddy's natural ability to tease, her mommy's organizational skills...so much to look forward to.

My sister and sister-in-law Jen (pictured above) gave me a baby shower this past weekend. Thanks again sisters for throwing me such a wonderful baby shower and thank you to everyone for coming! I had a wonderful time seeing everyone and sharing my excitement with you! Here is a picture of a blanket soon-to-be grandma Felling made for her granddaughter. It is so soft and I am excited to snuggle in it with baby!

Here I am at 7 months pregnant with the excited grandmothers-to-be.

Third Trimester!!

2007-10-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

I am now in my third trimester! 12 weeks until my due date comes and goes. : ) Yesterday I had my glucose screening for gestational diabetes and a check-up with the NP. My lab results were in by the afternoon and both my hemoglobin & glucose are normal. I am 28 weeks tomorrow and I was measuring at 27 so I'm right on track. Baby's heartbeat was a strong 143 and she continues to bring a smile to my face with every kick, turn & move. Last week Patrick and I were lying in bed watching tv. Something from Seinfeld cracked me up and I could not stop laughing. Pat then pointed out how funny my stomach looks when I laugh, which contributed to another laugh attack. I'm sure baby was wondering what the heck was going on as she was moving like crazy. Today is our Fourth Anniversary! We had a dual celebration with Pat's parents over dinner, as it is Harold's 57th birthday as well!

Baby Shower with Friends

2007-10-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my friends threw me a baby shower. It means so much to me that they were able to celebrate this very special time in my life with me. I am extremely blessed to have such wonderful friends! I had so much fun seeing everyone and am sharing a few photos from that day. Thanks again Stacy, Penny, Kristi & Toots for hosting!

Weekend Getaway

2007-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy First Anniversary Paul & Bonnie!! To celebrate my sister and brother-in-law's anniversary, Pat & I along with Paul's best friend and his wife went to Duluth for the weekend. We stayed at a great place on the shores of Lake Superior and despite the occasional downpours enjoyed our weekend away. I had another ob appt last Monday. Baby's heartbeat was 153 and the midwife said I am progressing well. Baby is moving like crazy. It's fun to watch her move around as my stomach pokes in every direction. She's definitely a night owl like me! Less than 15 weeks to our due date and I'm getting anxious to decorate the nursery. Hopefully our crib comes in soon!

Expanding Buddha-Belly

2007-09-18T16:56:00.000-07:00

The "BUDDHA-BELLY" is growing. It has really popped a presence the last couple weeks. Here are two pictures of said exhibit. Exhibit A (bottom) was taken 9.6.07 (21.6 weeks) and Exhibit B (top) was taken 9.18.07 (23.4 weeks). Can you notice the difference from my last buddha-belly posting?! As you can see, my favorite sweats still fit comfortably -- yea!
Baby is moving, kicking and turning quite a bit. I love feeling her move! I'm pretty sure I felt her hiccupping for the first time Saturday night, 9.15.07 -- that was pretty cool. This Friday I will be 24 weeks pregnant! 16 weeks to go...cross my fingers not much more than that. : )

It's a Girl!!

2007-09-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

For those of you who endured Patrick's entry, don't you just love his sense of humor?!
Let me translate his jibberish. We're having a girl!! The ultrasound technician looked a couple different times and said she is fairly confident that we are having a girl. When she announced her findings, I felt tears of joy roll down the right side of my face (as my head was turned to face the monitor). Obviously, Pat and I would be thrilled with either a boy or a girl; it was just such a special moment that I will never forget.
Above right are two profile pictures of our little one steadily growing inside me. She is moving around quite a bit now and is especially active mid-afternoon and late evening.
At bottom right is a blown-up ultrasound picture of her foot. Her five tiny toes are so precious! I am really looking forward to being a mom and meeting our little girl. We have a name picked out but we are not sharing until the big day. We want to give everyone something more to look forward to!

This is where the baby lives.

2007-08-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

(This part of the blog was written by the paternal half of the couple-Pat)
I would like to start by saying I am writing this blog to fulfill my contractual obligations to my wife. When she wanted to do this blog thing she originally said that we could each write one. So of course I objected, I reasoned that the observations that I would be putting in here could only get me in major trouble (how much weight I have noticed she has gained, how moody she has been, etc) so after about an hour of protest we compromised to one entry.... so here you have it.
This is actually kind of cool because Brenda had an ultrasound yesterday, so I get to tell you all about the details (from my perspective).
Brenda and I have been debating for some time about whether we should find out the sex of our baby. I was on the side of science, technology, appropriate planning, and general common sense. Brenda on the other side was on the side of "old-fashioned" stubborness. I will spare you most of the details but I actually won this debate. We actually did decide to find out the sex. (For those of you who know me I usually let Brenda have her way because she is spoiled and it is just easier but not this time, so this is a big deal).
So we get to the hospital and Brenda has had about 4 gallons of water because they told her to do that. I asked the tecnician why they make them drink so much water and she says to me.."it's to help see the baby better"...well duhh, thanks for that info... I thought it was just so you could watch my wife writhe in agony. (I never really got a straight answer on that.)
So Brenda gets this jelly stuff smeared all over her belly (that's where the baby lives) and then the technician goes to work with her magic wand, periodically stopping to tell us that some blob on the screen is a leg, a lip, hand, head, etc. Seriously she could have told me anything it all looked like a plate of scrambled eggs to me. According to her though everything looked good.
Then came the moment we had been waiting for, and boy were we surprised......two heartbeats...just kidding. That would have been crazy though!
But thenvb fogr toj tllhe Girfhrl aqwdnd swwhe saifdgd thwenw Boy no for how doesrtue!
So needless to say we are both super excited! Hope you enjoyed my blog.

Dreams

2007-08-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

Two of my friends told me about some crazy dreams they had when they were pregnant. I can now relate but will not share those dreams on this site. I will however, share the two dreams I have had about our baby. The first dream I remember occurred last Monday night. I dreamt that I gave birth to twin daughters! They were absolutey beautiful and wrapped in pink blankets. Names were never mentioned in the dream and as much as Patrick wishes it were true, twins are not growing inside of me. The second dream I had was last Wednesday. I dreamt that we had a baby boy! As I was holding him, I turned to show Patrick our son (as if he wouldn't have seen him yet at that point) and I said so this is -- -- and said the exact name we have picked out for a boy. Is this a sign that we are continuing the Jennissen streak??!! We shall see...in 20.1 weeks!

Feeling Pregnant at 19.3 weeks!

2007-08-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

The book I am reading was correct...baby & uterus have popped out over the last 3 weeks! I am now feeling pregnant. :) Last Monday I experienced the most uncomfortable feeling of pregnancy thus far. I was driving to one of my clinics and suddenly had some pain in my upper abdomen. Once parked outside the clinic, it took me 10 minutes to get a grip and put on a face to do my call. Once back in my car, I called my ob's nurse just to make sure my inkling of what was going on was correct and that I had no need to worry (sorry Jen, I could have called you!). She confirmed that my ab muscles were stretching to make room for my growing uterus. Oww!!! It hurt really bad. I popped two Tylenol and the pain diminished then resurfaced 6 hours later. Call me a wuss, but I had tears in my eyes it hurt so bad. I told Pat that if it hurts that bad for my ab muscles to stretch how the heck am I gonna get through labor?! I'm pretty sure I'll be more than pleased to have an epidural. So long to my 2-pack and any chance of having a 4-pack ever again. : )

We have our ultrasound next Monday. We're both really excited to see how baby has progressed since the initial ultrasound at 6.6 weeks!

Baby's Moving!!

2007-08-08T19:54:00.000-07:00

Baby is strong enough to make me notice as I felt him or her move for the first time while lying in bed a couple weeks ago. It's a strange feeling as its not a definite "kick" or "nudge" you hear about later in pregnancy. It's more like a brushing on my insides between my belly and pubic bone. It's an incredible feeling! I'm starting to feel baby move more and more -- mostly while I'm lying in bed at night. However, baby said hello this morning while I was blowdrying my hair too! : )

Baby's Heartbeat

2007-07-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Friday, 7.27.07 Patrick came with me to my 16 week ob appointment. My bp and weight were checked, we passed on optional testing and then got to hear the baby's heartbeat. This was my third time hearing the baby's heartbeat and Patrick's first. It was so fun to hear baby's heart beating away. I got teary eyed hearing it and it was fun to see Patrick's reaction!! Such a miracle. Last month baby's heartbeat was 163 and this time it was in the 140s-150s -- that's good.
So far pregnancy is great! Everything is going well and I have no complaints. My lack of motivation in the evening has worn off and Pat's thankful for that as I can get more household chores accomplished again. I'm also able to exercise yet. Patrick is jogging with me but I won't go more than 2 miles. The 5K and 10Ks are going to have to wait until next year. My mom and I are also going to look into doing water aerobics at a local pool together. That would be great exercise for me as I progress and I would love the company cuz' I know Patrick wouldn't do that one with me. : )

Prego Brenda!!

2007-07-29T20:42:00.001-07:00

Above, Brenda at 16.2 weeks pregnant. The bump is growing... : ) Baby J is approximately 1/2 pound and 4 1/2 inches long. I am still able to fit into my regular clothes (thanks to the low-rise style). According to a weekly e-mail, Baby J will triple in size within the next three weeks. I best get that belly band my sister-in-law recommended -- my clothes probably won't fit so well in the next few weeks! FYI -- With a belly band, you are able to wear your regular clothes with the button/closure undone and sits low on your belly over your pants to hold your pants up. Sounds like a great invention!

Welcome to P-funk and The B's blogspot!!

2007-07-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

We created this blog to update family and friends on our journey to parenthood and the road that follows. We hope you enjoy!