March ~ 2002

PORTRAITS

~ This is another portrait taken of me when I was only 3 weeks old! This is one of mommy's favorites! ~

~ This is the very first portrait mommy had taken of me. I was only 3 weeks old in this picture and I am wearing my pretty Easter Dress my poppy bought for me! ~

FIRST BATH IN MY TUB - March 23, 2002

This is me getting my first bath in my little tub. My Aunt Jenny was still here and she washed me squeeky clean while mommy videotaped. That is my rubber ducky that my poppy bought for me before I was even born!! Rubber Ducky you're the ONE, you make bathtime SO much FUN!!

Me and Aunt Jenny

Me and My Nanny

MALL OF AMERICA

~ This is a carricature done of me and mommy when we went shopping at the Mall of America. I was asleep when the man drew me, mommy says I look like a little angel! ~

~ This picture was taken at the Mall of America. I got a beautiful Easter dress from my poppy ~

DOCTOR'S VISIT Mommy had to take me in and have me weighed since she was breastfeeding me. The doctor wanted to make sure I was getting enough food in me ... my nanny went with me and she got to meet the Nurse and she also got me to "coo" for the VERY FIRST TIME ... "Hey nan, I was telling you that you didn't have to go home quite yet!"

BELLY BUTTON

Well it's official, I now have a belly button because my umbilical cord fell off this morning, March 21, 2002. Mommy saved it so daddy can see it when he gets home. Now I am ready for a Big Girl bath ... Uh-Oh

FIRST BATH

~ This is me after my hair was washed by that scary thing ... I look so tired from crying SO much! ~

~ Getting my first bath ~

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This was the first time I got my hair washed. Since I was born with SO much hair that it actually got dirty so mommy decided to wash it using the faucet...boy oh boy I obviously wasn't thrilled about that at all ...

FAMILY VISIT FROM NY

~ This is mommy's mom and dad. They live in New York and they flew all the way here just to see ME! My nanny and poppy just didn't want to put me down the whole time they were here. They even babysat me while mommy and daddy got to go out and have dinner alone! ~

~ This is mommy's sister Jenny. She is my Aunt and she just adores me. She flew out here with Nanny and Poppy and my cousin Justyn. Here I am sleeping when I would sleep just about anywhere. It looks uncomfortable but I'm not complaining! ~

~ This is Justyn, he looks so happy to be holding me. I am not sure if he's happier just to hold me or because he isn't the "baby" anymore! ~

~ This is my Poppy ... he looks so proud doesn't he. Really what he's thinking is ... "Another one to SPOIL!" ~

~ snoozing .... here I am doing what I do best while my nanny soaks up the LOVE! ~

Mommy and Me

Grandma and Me

VISIT TO MOM'S WORK

Mommy took me to visit her friend's at work today. It was nice enough to take me outside and when we got there everyone loved me and said I am SO cute. Mom's co-worker Janet snapped this picture of me and mommy. Janet is having a baby too and is due in April!

DOCTOR'S VISIT Jaundice Checkup. The doctor took some more blood from my heel and had it re-checked to make sure my billi-rubin levels stayed down. Everything turned out great.

SWINGING My Aunt Niki bought me this swing and I am in heaven when I am in it. There are little animals floating above my head and they just spin around like they are flying. I just love relaxing in my swing!

SWEET LULLABY~ Jaden - 6 days old ~

Baby dear, mama's here, watching over your slumber. Dream, my child, until the dawn wakes the daisies on the lawn. Dream you float in a boat,under starry heavens; dreams of brooks and singing birds, scented breezes, tender words. Dream of all, great and small, things serene and lovely; fairies, lambs, and butterflies, sleepy clouds in summer skies. Sleep all night, in my sight, though you're off in dreamland; then, tomorrow, with the sun, back to Mama, little one!
For "MY JADEN" ... the sweetest thing that has ever touched my life ... I LOVE YOU BABY!

JAUNDICE!

When I was 3 days old an in-home nurse came to check on me and mommy. Well they took a blood sample from my heel because I wasn't eating and was very lethargic (I slept thru the night the first night home). When the blood test came back it showed that my billi-rubin level was DANGEROUSLY high and that I should be admitted to Children's Hospital for light therapy to bring the level down. Well mommy got hysterical and was crying so hard. She felt much better after she took this picture of me and seen that I was just on a vacation!! *those goggles are to protect my tiny eyes from the bright lights...I even had a tanning booth tan when the goggles came off, it was too funny.

~ This is what my tanning booth tan looked like when you took off my goggles. Mommy thought that I looked cute with my first "tan"! ~

~ At least I had a nice view of the Minneapolis Skyline while I was in the hospital! ~

COUSINS

~ This is my cousin Zachary ... he thinks I am pretty "cool!" ~

~ Here is Amanda holding me the day I came home. My Aunt Niki bought me the hat I am wearing, it is a little baray (sp.) with a pink flower on it!! OUI OUI ~

WELCOME HOME JADEN

~ Here is the Welcome Home sign that my cousins Amanda and Zachary made for me! ~

My mom had me posing already at 2 days old. Actually my daddy went to work that day and he called asking for a picture of me so he could brag about me to all his friends at work and this is what mommy took for him...

FOR MY DAY OLD CHILD My day-old child lay in my arms,
with my lips against her ear.
I whispered strongly,
"How I wish - I wish that you could hear,
I've a hundred wonderful things to say.
Hurry, hurry, hurry and grow so I can tell you about God.
"My day-old baby's mouth was still, and my words only tickled her ear.
But a kind of light passed through her eyes, and I saw this thought appear;
"How I wish I had a voice and words, I've a hundred things to say.
Before I forget to tell you about God - I left Him yesterday."
For Jaden, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

HOSPITAL PHOTO

This is my very first portrait that I had taken at the hospital. I am wearing a purple outfit that says ... "I LOVE MOMMY!", I had two pictures taken of me and in the other one I am wearing a green outfit that says "I LOVE DADDY!"

FIRST FAMILY PHOTO This is the very 1st picture taken of me and my mommy and daddy. Mommy looks SO tired in this picture ... and the day wasn't over because next mommy had to take a shower and I had to have a bath ... THEN they transferred mommy to another room ... it wasn't until 5:30AM that mommy finally got to go to sleep, daddy stayed with her on the TINY pull out couch ... Poor mommy and daddy!!

~ Baby Jaden ~

Well after 9 months and 1 week of waiting you decided to come out and see everyone. You hesitated about 25 hours at the end but BOY OH BOY was it SO worth waiting for you. I NEVER dreamed that I could LOVE someone SO instananeously as I do for you, Jaden you are the most amazing thing that has EVER happened to me, I can not wait to watch you grow and learn new things and I especially can't wait until I can hug you and kiss you and tell you OVER and OVER again how wonderful and amazing you are to me. You are my life and you mean everything to me! Baby Girl!

ABOUT YOUR BIRTHDAY!

Well Mommy "officially" started labor at 12:32 am on March 04, 2002. She woke Daddy up at 1:30 am and told him she felt a little "crampy" and that she was going to take a shower because I was making her back her a lot. Well Daddy decided that they should head to Methodist Hospital (that's where it ALL happened) so he woke up Aunt Niki who drove from NY just in time for my arrival. Well once they got to the hospital Mommy was evaluated and then she walked for a while and then re-checked. Well because I didn't help Mommy "progress" they sent us all home. Then at about 10:00 am Mommy woke up again in a lot more pain so she told Daddy to call Dr. Davis. Dr. Davis told Daddy to take Mommy back to the hospital for some pain medication so that is what he did. Then the good news came, I helped Mommy "progress" a little so Dr. Davis ordered Mommy to be admitted. Then all the action started. Mommy was put in a birthing room and was given an epidural to make the pain easier to handle (and boy did it work! We BOTH felt HAPPY) Then around 1:00 pm Dr. Mosher (the residant that helped Dr. Davis pull me out) broke Mommy's water. Then eveyone arrived to wait it all out. Aunt Niki came with Uncle Harry and Uncle Scott and of course my cousins Amanda and Zachary; then my Grandma came with Aunt Adrienne (can you believe all these people came to see ME?) Well they had to wait a while because about 12 hours after Mommy's water was broke I decided to come on out and see the World and the room filled with cheers, tears and laughter. Mommy says all the pain was well worth it and I agree!

WAITING - March 4, 2002 ~ This is my cousin Amanda. She is my only "girl" cousin and is 12 years old. She is very special to my mommy! In fact my mommy was 12 when she was born and Amanda is 12 when I was born!! Amanda got to stay in the delivery room to see me greet the world. It scared her a little bit but she was excited to see me first!! ~

~ This is my cousin Zachary ... he is sitting next to mommy and counting how strong the contractions are. Good thing mommy didn't feel them because he said some of them peaked at 187!! OUCH, sorry mommy! ~

~ Here is my mommy sleeping while she waits for me to come out. That epidural REALLY worked!! ~

~ This is my Aunt Adrienne. She drove all the way up to the hospital with my Grandma just to see me ... I was taking a while to come and see them but eventually I got here! ~

February ~ 2002

~ Me pregnant with Jaden ~

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This is mommy on the day you were "supposed" to be here (February 27, 2002) but you are deciding to wait a little while longer! It must be warm in there! That is your kitty kitty Pita!

December ~ 2001

This is the invitation for my Baby Shower

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Today, December 29, 2001, Nanny, Poppy, Aunt Niki, Aunt Jenny and Uncle Harry threw mommy and daddy a baby shower. We got to NY on December 20th to celebrate Christmas with mommy's family and they surprised mommy with a party ... the shower was VERY fun. A lot of mommy's Aunt's came and so did Alyssa and her mom Debbie. Alyssa brought her baby Ryan (he was born July 19, 2001) HE IS SO CUTE ... mommy's "Adopted" Aunt Kathy was there too. We had bagel sandwiches for lunch and YUMMY cake. Mommy got a whole lot of PINK and some really beautiful clothes, she won't have to go shopping for a long time, and since her and daddy flew to NY she also got a lot of gift certificates ... THANK YOU EVERYONE!

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Mommy went to her "Breastfeeding" class tonight, December 12, 2001 ... she had to take a stuffed bear to pretend it was a baby and she learned all the different "holds" and how to help a baby latch on and feed ... she can't wait until you are born ...

November ~ 2001

Daddy and I started our "Pediatric Life Support" class tonight, November 8, 2001 ... it is a 2 week class and it is very interesting to learn how to help babies in case of an emergency ... mommy and daddy hope they NEVER have to use what they learned tonight!

~ Baby Jaden @ 23 Weeks ~

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Boy Oh Boy are mommy and daddy lucky to be able to see you 3 times while still in mommy's belly ... this time we got to go back and find out if you are a girl or a boy ... Looks like mommy has the go ahead to buy .... PINK! We had your 23 week Ultrasound on November 7, 2001

October ~ 2001

We started our childbirth class tonight, October 1, 2001 ... it is called "Preparing for Childbirth" ... we are starting it early so mommy won't be too uncomfortable like some of the expecting mommies in the class ...

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~ Baby Jaden @ 19 weeks along ~

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We got to see you for the 2nd time today ... we were "supposed" to find out if you were a little girl or a little boy but we were SO excited to see you that we forgot to ask ... (daddy says we don't even need to check because he knows 100% that you are his little girl) ... should we take bets on this? The Doctor says that you are right on schedule for growth EXCEPT that your legs are 2 weeks ahead ... hopefully you'll have legs like your daddy!

August ~ 2001

~ Baby Jaden's 1st Ultrasound - AMAZING ~

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Today was the first time mommy and daddy got to see what you look like in there ... you are SO small, it is amazing that something as tiny as you will be in my arms in less than a year's time ... We can't wait to meet you!

June ~ 2001

~ Jason and I in 2001 (I was pregnant here and had NO IDEA!) ~

WE ARE SO EXCITED TO HAVE YOU IN OUR LIVES .... Your daddy's name is Jason and he will be 29 when you are born, mommy's name is Rebekah and she will be 24 when you are born .... We BOTH LOVE you VERY much! Mommy and Daddy met on Sept. 21, 1997 using America Online. It sounds VERY corny to say we met on the internet BUT if we hadn't of met that way we wouldn't be waiting for you to come! I grew up in Upstate New York my entire life and your daddy grew up in Southern Minnesota. We both have sisters and/or brothers and you already have cousins waiting for your arrival. Mommy was in her 3rd year of college when she met daddy and in May of 1998 I moved to Minnesota to "grow-up". Daddy was already living in the Twin Cities area because he went to college there so I figured there must be plenty of jobs available. Daddy is a Mechanical Designer and mommy is a Civil Engineering Technician. We both enjoy our jobs VERY much. Daddy has 1 sister named Adrienne but no brothers. Your paternal grandmother's name is Carol. Mommy has 2 sisters; Nicole & Jennifer and 1 brother; Harry. They are all married to Scott, Dave and Amanda respectively. Aunt Niki has 2 children named Amanda & Zachary and Aunt Jenny has 1 child named Justyn (he's the baby until you are born!) Your maternal grandparent's are named Harry (Butch) and Rita .... everyone is anxiously awaiting your arrival! We BOTH LOVE YOU VERY MUCH and can't wait until we can finally hold you in our arms and dream about your future! ~ This is a copy of the card I made for Jason ~

Since my sister Jenny is on her way to Minnesota and I took yesterday off to help out Carol I decided to take today off to get the house ready for visitors. I also realized that I was "late" and that maybe for "fun" I should take a home pregnancy test. (I mean there IS NO WAY that I am pregnant!)Once I got home from running errands I took the test and waited for the results .... when I saw that the test was positive I started crying!! Because Jason was at work and there was nobody else to call who wasn't I sat at home waiting until 4:30 when Jason would be home ... I waited and waited and waited and then Jason came home ... earlier I put the test in a gift bag with a card that read "I am just as excited as I can be ... to announce that we'll soon be a family of three!" Well Jason got home and I had him sit down and gave him my Anniversary Gift and videotaped him opening it ... the videotape is priceless ... I'm gonna be a daddy is what he said ....
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We got some Sad News today, June 19th! Jason woke me up this morning before he left for work and he told me that Moe had passed away this morning. Moe is Jason's step-father and suffered from Lou Gehrig's Disease. Instead of going to work today Jason and I went to Albert Lea to help Carol out with all the funeral arrangements and to give some support ... OH and today is mine and Jason's 2nd Wedding Anniversary ... not a very happy day today :0(
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We got home from Jenny's wedding June 18th ... it is always GREAT to come back home and use YOUR shower and sleep in YOUR bed ... Jenny, Dave and Justyn are all on their way out to visit me and Jason right now ... they should get here on Thursday ... YIPPIE!
~ Me and my Best Friend Alyssa @ My Sister's Wedding - she was 8 mos pregnant here ~
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Jason and I were at my sister Jennifer's wedding today, we got to NY a few days ago since I am in Jenny's wedding. While we were at the reception all of my relatives kept asking "When are you and Jason going to have a baby?" I replied ... "I don't know yet, a few more years .." (Actually me and Jason had been trying for a few months and I was off the pill and had NO luck, right before Jenny's wedding I went to the Dr's to refill my pills and was waiting for my period to come to start them up again because I didn't want to be pregnant any later than August!)My BEST Friend Alyssa was there too and she was 8 months pregnant and I even remember saying to her ... "HAHAHA I am SO glad that that isn't me!" (I should have been careful about what I said huh?)