Quick Update

Well, this will have to be short and sweet because we are just minutes away from the Design Star and Food Network Star Season Finale...and if you know me, you know nothing stands in the way of my reality TV ;) So, here goes a quick update...

*Our friends Chad and Nicole held a wonderful shower for us this past Sunday. It was so kind of everyone to come and greet Ms. Anna, even though most had already seen her
at least once. Unfortunately, I don't have a single picture from the event...so you will have to take my word for how pretty/handsome everyone looked (especially me ;) and what a great time was had as we leisured on the McGuire deck on a perfect afternoon. We are truly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives!

*Anna is growing big and strong...she is mostly a wonderful, quiet, little girl...although last night was a different story. She is still sleeping A TON and I can't wait for her to be awake a little more often (I know, I know...I'll eat those words later) so we can gaze into those beautiful blue eyes.

*Our patio is done!! Woohooooooo!! Steve, his dad, and my dad all worked this weekend on putting up our privacy screen after our contractor finished our beautiful new patio. It looks AMAZING and I can't wait to sit out there and enjoy our beautiful backyard. It has come SO far from when we first moved in--I will post before and after pictures as soon as i can!

I will include a few more photos...my favorite is Anna wearing her "bad hair day" t-shirt...very fitting since she has uncontrollable wild-child hair. It truly is a riot!


Anna in her "bad hair day" onesie. I think they made that just for her!



Anna Chillin' in her sling. I kid you not, this thing is a lifesaver--if Anna is fussy all you have to do is put her in the sling and she falls asleep immediately! Make fun of it if you will, but I couldn't be happier with this purchase!



Tummy Time...I am SO strong!

more cute baby pics...

If I do say so myself ;)


Good buddies already


I don't care how cute mommy says I look, I do NOT like this bathrobe!


Naked and Happy!


Kisses all around

Life would be good if...

I could just NOT look pregnant anymore!! Ugh, I am not used to feeling this self-conscious about my body. Everyone says, "it took 9 months to gain the weight, so you shouldn't expect to lose it all right away"...I wish that helped me feel better, but it just doesn't ;) Poor baby Anna is not going to have any pictures with her mommy anytime soon! I guess for now I'll just keep doin' what I've been doin'...lots of walks and pretending I still love my maternity clothes enough that I just can't give them up yet ;)

Baby Crack Machine

Call it what you will (I call it the baby crack machine), but this is the best thing since wine with screw off tops (easy access to wine, what could be better?!) . Really it's name is the Homedics Sound Spa Lullaby. What is a sound spa lullaby you might ask...it's a white noise/lullaby machine that projects cute pictures onto the ceiling (unfortunately Lou-lu can only see 15 inches in front of her face, so this part of the machine is only enjoyed by mom right now...let me tell you though, those darned sheep floating on the ceiling are super cute ;) My happiness comes from the fact that the ocean setting puts my little one to sleep in a matter of seconds, then I set the timer and voila--instant nap time with no fuss!! The only issue so far.. not too soon after the timer goes off and the ocean waves cease to roar...she begins to stir in their place and soon she is roaring...naptime abruptly cut short. I guess our energy police (a.k.a Steve) may have to just look the other way as I play the thing all night...and all day. That is, unless he wants a cranky(er) wife around the house.

Well Traveled Baby

Anna is about 12 days old today and is probably about as well traveled as they come at this point in life. We have made a trip to a friend's cabin to celebrate the 4th of July weekend...the Mall of America...the dogpark...numerous stores (Barnes and Noble, Menards, and Target to name a few)...2 restaurants...more coffee shops than I should admit to...Grandma's house...an art fair...a ton of walks...to the hospital to meet our new friend Beckett after his birth...and the list goes on. It is good to get out and about, but I must admit I forgot how tiring it just getting ready to take an infant everywhere, not to mention carrying a little one around from place to place. You would think with all the technology these days they could find a way to make those car seat carriers lighter! Luckily Anna takes it all in stride... guess she figures, why should she care where she sleeps?! Here are just a few pix from our travels, as well as some of our other "firsts".




Anna got a chance to meet her first out of town relatives when Uncle Richie and Aunt Catherine (Anna's middle namesake) came into town from New Jersey



You might not be able to tell, but this is Anna in her baby bjorn during her first trip to the dog park...can you tell Mommy took this herself while wearing the carrier ? ;) I think the dog park bores Anna.


About a week after Anna was born she got to make a return trip to the hospital...this time to meet her new friend Beckett who was born to our good friends, the Newtons. It will be so fun to watch the two of them grow up together!


Here is Anna the day after leaving the hospital...she is chillin' at our friend's (the Zimmel-Lammer's) cabin on the fifth of July.


Here is dad with his first diaper change!



Anna's first bath! She wasn't thrilled with this whole bath thing. She has since gotten better...it's definitely more fun now that she can sit in the water!

Home from the Hospital

We made it home...yea! Everyone survived their first night and slept amazingly well, even the little one who slept all day. I think we were all just plain tuckered out after all the excitement the past couple of days.

Both sets of grandparents came over to have a little Happy 4th of July BBQ...but I guess we were too tired to think of taking any pictures...ooops! Above are a couple of pics from Anna's first day home. She is a little less red, perhaps a bit more yellow...I wonder what color tomorrow will bring ;)

Anna update

Daddy and Anna...we all think she looks like him

Nana (Kristin's grandma) and Anna-- about 95 year age difference!

Nassar and Anna sharing a hug (Nassar is my hippo and "focal point" that Alix brought me before I had anna...named after the spanish word meaning to be born...nacer)

Gampy Jim and Anna sharing some quiet time

Anna on mommy's belly...yes, it's still that big :(


The family has survived Anna's first full day and a half of existence...whew! Anna is beautiful and wonderful and sometimes very noisy...just like her big sister ;) We have had a wonderful day and a half meeting our relatives and friends. I feel so blessed to have had so many people come and meet our beauty...being surrounded by loved ones at times like this is a wonderful experience...and I would be SO bored sitting her alone!... so although we were busy here at the hospital, I wouldn't have had it any other way!!!

Anna is doing well, but is quite jaundice. We will chat with the doctor today about getting her back to normal, and since jaundice is quite normal I am not too concerned. Luckily she checks out well in all other aspects--including lung capacity (she has her mommy's voice level ;)

This mommy is ready to get back out into the world. I am not one for hanging out in one place for too long, so I look forward to getting out and doing just as soon as we leave the hospital. It looks like today might be a good one for getting out and enjoying some sun on a walk, which will only help that jaundice. I can't wait!

Right now Anna is hanging out in her sling (which appropriately has a firework design to celebrate the big day!) She LOVES it and it is the quietest she's been since last night...if only I had thought about using it earlier. It also frees up my hands, so I can quickly type this message. Win/win for both of us!

Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes our way these past few days...it means so much to us to know that so many people were thinking of us. We feel very blessed, not only to have Anna in our lives, but to have all of you in our lives as well!!

Announcing: Anna Catherine Bellus Penz

No time for blogging...
Anna Catherine Bellus Penz arrived last night 7-2-08 at 5:26. We were a little nervous during the birth (cord wrapped around neck and a low heart rate for a while) but in the end she finally got herself out and all is well (even scored a 9 on her Apgars!) She was 8lbs10oz and a little over 21 inches long. She has a TON of hair and is as beautiful as her big sister! More to come...