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...

Don't Ask...

If you do I might bite your head off (just ask my mom ;). Yes, the baby is still inside. No, I haven't really had any meaningful contractions...no more than usual...nothing worth timing. I must make one good incubator--first Alix won't come out and now Lou-lu. Here is an eviction notice to little Lou-lu...

Dear Baby Lou-lu,

I am issuing 2 day notice for EVICTION. You will have 2 days in which to gather your belongings and promptly vacate the premises. After which, you will be physically removed from the property.

You are being evicted due to breech of contract and destruction of property. Expansions only to the FRONT of the house, within reasonable limits, were discussed. Not only have these limits been exceeded, but additions to the back of the house were also made!

Remodeling and gutting of the home was never approved, nor was changing the initial layout and base structure. And due to property damage, there are now leaks in both the upper AND lower levels of the home. On top of which, the landlord has received numerous complaints about nightly disturbances.

You are also exceeding your rental agreement and are thereby creating double occupancy in a single unit rental dwelling. This is not allowed.

After 2 days, if you do not comply with the notice, it will result in immediate and forceful removal at my discretion. Please gather your placenta and leave!!!

Sincerely,
Your landlord and mother

See you on July 2nd...with my baby!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

almost 40 week update

I had my last appt. at the doctor today!! I got to hang out with my favorite nurse, Sue, and she let me know that I was almost 2cm dilated and about 50% effaced. She said she could feel little Lou-lu's head so it was down nice and low...no doubt about that as Lou-lu has been head-butting my cervix (and painfully so) for the past couple of days. We are all set for induction next Wednesday morning... unless Lou-lu decides to grace us with his/her presence sometime before then (I'm not holding my breath on that though since I haven't had many contractions at all.) I will eat some spicy chinese food tonight nonetheless...it can't hurt, right?! Other than that I think it's just chillin' at home as Steve, Alix and I enjoy our last weekend without a baby in the house. It's hard to imagine that in no more than 4 short days our lives will change forever...after 10 long months of waiting, it sure seems surreal to think that there will be an end, and a baby here in the house, so soon...YIKES!!

Crafty Girls...Ha!

Here are the much awaited (I'm sure ;) glove animals that Alix and I made. We learned a thing or two along the way and no doubt if there were ever to be a "next time" (which there will not be) then they'd turn out much better ;) Oh well...they were made with love! Alix has named hers Finn and mine will lovingly be called Lou-lu, so when we call the baby an actual name the nickname will live on.

So today...

Lou-lu is still inside...damn him/her! I think I'll really freak out if s/he comes before the Second of JUly. I just don't feel like anything is going on that would give me an inkling that labor is anywhere in my future...although I did bake Chocolate Chunk cookies yesterday--from scratch! That has to be some sort of nesting thing, right?! Alix actually laughed when she came home and I told her. She couldn't believe that I would do such a thing...hmmm, I guess I don't bake much ;)

Today to keep busy...Alix and I went to Lake Nokomis this morning. She rollerbladed (ummm...I don't know what's gotten into her either...usually I have to beg her to do anything active with me) and and Dino and I walked along. It is a gorgeous summer day here and we were all happy as could be just laying under a tree after the fun. We also finally got to our glove animals started (Alix ditched me for a friend yesterday). We have completed the bottom half...they are proving that we are definitely NOT crafty, but it is keeping us busy ;)

7 more days until induction (well, if you don't count today or the induction day...which of course I don't ;)

Celebrating One Glorious Year! (and Lou-lu update)

Who knew that a year could fly by so fast and be so wonderful?! Steve and I celebrated our one year anniversary this past weekend!! We had a wonderful dinner outside under the trees at WA Frost and enjoyed one last evening to ourselves before our life gets even busier with the arrival of little Lou-lu. Honestly, this has been the best year of my life...and I owe it all to the wonderful new family Alix,Steve, Lou-lu and I have created together. I feel so truly blessed and I don't think any words I could write could accurately portray my emotions as I think back over the past year and look forward to the next one...two...three...hundred!! Thank you Steve for being my best friend, my partner, my lover, my confidant... my everything!

Lou-lu update: Not much to update...week 39 is upon us and I have made a list of things to do everyday to keep myself busy. Today I've walked 3 miles, am going to the grocery store, and Alix and I are making glove animals that we saw on Martha Stewart. I'll have to post our crafty results...should be quite a sight since Alix and I are not at all crafty!! Lou-lu shows no signs of wanting to come out early...and although it was nice of her/him to wait and let Steve and I celebrate our first anniversary together (and alone)...and I guess I'll live through 8 more days (at most)...it sure would be nice if s/he decided to surprise me and prove me wrong--if s/he has any Bellus in her/him then a challenge may be all it takes to get some action ;)

Apparently my baby wants to come out as...

an adult! Almost 39week appointment today, and I got the dreaded, "no progress" from the doc (still 1cm). Can't say I'm surprised...why wouldn't Lou-lu want to hang out with me as long as possible ;) Anyway, it seems as if my uterus is pretty darned comfy b/c Alix was late and this one isn't looking to come out anytime soon. At least induction is scheduled so that there is still an end in sight. And so the waiting game continues...only 12 days left until the little one shows up, whether s/he's ready or not!

Misc. doodads

Steve's parents were kind enough to get us a wonderful baby swing. I put it together and set it out in the living room...only to walk out the next morning and find Honey curled up inside it...so cute!!



A new paver patio is on the way at the end of the month, but you know how once you add a new couch you decide that the paint doesn't really go, or you need a new chair to match the new couch? Well, I decided that a new patio is no good if you have to sit and look at your neighbors house/landscaping (which leaves a little to be desired). So...Steve and my dad went to work at the privacy screen that will not only hopefully look great, but also give both the neighbor and us a little privacy. We will have to wait to finish some of the work until the pavers are in, but I have my posts and it is fun to at least see how big it will be and imagine how it will look in the end! Yeah for progress!!

Tick Tock

Tick Tock...just shy of 38 week update...

Progress is progress, right?! I am now 1cm and the cervix has begun to soften up a bit more, not to mention the baby has dropped a bit lower. All good signs, since with Alix (who was 2weeks late) I never got any of that ;) I don't put too much stock in any of the internal info though, since people can walk around at 3cm for weeks and others go into labor with never having had any progress to speak of. Nonetheless, mentally, minimal progress is easier to hear than no progress. So, for now, I'll keep trying out each and every old wives tale and walk lots in hopes of getting little lou-lu to show up here a little earlier. I don't really have any other way to kill the time anyway. If Lou-lu doesn't arrive by the due date I will be induced on July 2nd. So, if nothing else there is a "for-sure" end in sight. I'm sure time will fly by between now and then...HA!

On a less happy note...I tested positive for Strep B. I know the majority of newborns are born healthy with the help of antibiotics (to me) during labor, but it is scarey to think about nonetheless (can result in meningitis, kidney problems, sepsis, etc in babies). My doctor told me not to wait too long before coming to the hospital so they can be sure to get at least one round of antibiotics in my system before lou-lu make his/her appearance (it takes 4 hours)...so I will now err on the side of caution when the time does arrive. Last time Alix came pretty fast once the contractions started and I don't want to take any chances!!

And so...time goes on...there is little excitement in our lives between now and baby's arrival, so I don't even have much to keep me busy. I guess I'll just take it easy and look forward to each morning I have to sleep in!

Booooooo!Yea!

Boo! to "softening up a bit" and "baby's head is down pretty low" but no real progress dilation-wise. I guess I didn't expect there to be much progress at my 37 week appt...but still a girl can dream, right?! At least Steve can go on his man trip up north without worrying about being called to dad duty. And at least I can be glad that I have a lot to still do before baby arrives (sterilize bottles, wash stuff, buy necessities like wipes, pack a hospital bag, etc) and that I have plenty of time to do it. And at least I have work next Monday/Tuesday to keep me busy until my next appt...after that it's all sitting around with all day to dwell on the fact that I have nothing to keep me busy while I await baby's arrival. I do NOT look forward to that!

How your baby's growing:
Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.

Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.


Did I mention...another Yea for the last day of school with kids!! Life is goooooood! Now 3 more teacher days and true freedom is mine!

Noteworthy News

*Alix has taken of "scrapblogging"...look for her newest creations here :)
*3, 3, 3, count 'em 3 DAYS LEFT OF SCHOOL!!!!
*Next doctor appt. is this week (Thursday afternoon). Not sure I even want to know if I've made any "progress", but with Steve going out of town this weekend (up north 4+ hours with a buddy), I guess I'd better hear the bad news ("no progress") so that he can go without concern that baby Lou-lu might unexpectedly show up and surprise us in his absence.

birhtday pics

alix's scrap blog

alix's scrap blog

Last Friday of the YEAR!!

Woohoo, tomorrow is my last Friday of work (with kids...still have to come next Friday, but work without kids is like...like...like...well, I can't think of the right anology, but it is G-O-O-D!!) Only 5 days left of school with kids...not that I'm counting down or anything :)

7 more days! 33 more days!!

Freedom will come to me in 7 more school days...they can not go by fast enough!!

33 days or so until baby Lou-lu arrives. My back hurts, I can't breathe, sleeping is a chore...ugh...I didn't have any of this with Alix. I guess that's what 11 years difference will do to a body...I am no spring chicken anymore :( If I can just hold on to get my classroom cleaned up and everything stored away then I look forward to having the rest of the time to lay wallowing in my self-misery ;) I so wish I felt at least good enough to go for a walk with the dog, or down to the coffee store. I feel like such a slug. Enough whining...oh, who I am kidding. There is more to come...