Jude's Progress

Hello there everybody. Jude is still fighting jaundice but is gaining weight.

The great news is that he can roll over on his own now. October 2, 2010 (sometime in the morning) he was lying in his playpen on his tummy and decided that he would give it a try. Jeremy and I heard some tears and came to see how he was. I was completely surprised to find him on his back crying because he spit up a little and desired his pacifier.

It was a really great feeling to know how strong he is getting regardless of all the jaundice and lack of weight gain.

God Bless and Love You All. Becky

Great News

Just wanted you all to know that the blood work for Jude came back normal so we are going to assume for now that the problem is my breast milk. The solution is a few days of formula and then we can go back to breast milk again. Thanks for your prayers. Love, Beck

One Month Old

We just wanted everyone to know how Jude was getting along.

Jude is now 5 weeks old and still very small. Sometimes I wonder if I am doing ok as a mom and sometimes I think I am doing great. I am sure almost everything we have experienced together is normal however my mind often wonders.

I see so many other babies that are his age and think wow they are so much bigger than he is but I am sure he is just getting a slow start.

Ok, so health wise we are going to the doctor this afternoon for a check up because his jaundice has been going up and we have to run some tests on him.

However there is some interesting news about his weight gain. It turns out thanks to the pictures we took that he wasn't 7 lb. and 9 oz. at birth, he was 6 lb. and 15 oz. so he is gaining. He is just gaining slower than we would like him too. Please pray for him that God will continue to help him grow big and strong and that my breast milk is not the culprit, and also that his liver is in perfect health as well.

His weight is: 7 lb. and 5 oz.

Here are a few pictures that we had taken over the last month by our neighbor Heather (Heather Beatty Photography). She gives us free photos for helping her. We hope you like them.

2 Weeks and Counting

Dear Family and Friends,

Jude turned two weeks old this past sunday. And yesterday he had his two week check up with the doctor. He is still more than a pound under his birth weight and is still dealing with jaundice, however we have a follow up appointment on Thursday to see if there are any changes based on a new feeding routine. Please keep him and me in your prayers that we will come together on breastfeeding and eating. I don't want to have to supplement him with formula.

He is spending most of the next two days in the sunlight next to the back door resting in his swing. Hopefully we will see a vast improvement by the next visit with the doctor.

He has changed so much already, and it is truly amazing to watch him learn and grow. It is 5:00am my time and he is wide awake. I hope he will not take too much longer to go to sleep, I would really enjoy another two hours of sleep, maybe more. In the mean time, it is nice to have him awake and play with him a bit.

I have lost almost 30 lb. since the delivery and hope to lose the other 10 or so very soon. In the mean time I still can't wear my pre-preggy clothes. 10 lb. goes a long way on a persons body, especially when you are as short as I am.

He really is looking a lot like Elijah right now too. We recently had some family shots taken and some pictures of him by himself. I hope to show them off soon. Well, this was a bit of everything going through my head when I should be sleeping, so I hope it makes sense. Love You All, Becky

Jude's Birth Video

If you click on the title of this blog it will take you to the video. We hope you enjoy it. It is the highlights of the birth and the last few days with Jude. Love, Becky

Baby Jude Alexander Is Here

August 14th 2010 I went into the hospital diagnosed with Pre-Clampsia and was induced into active labor. I had been contracting for 4 days at this point and was excited about the possibility of having Jude within the next day or so. I was also scared about what could happen if my blood pressure continued to rise.

So swollen, scared, and  surprised at the situation I found myself in I settled in for the long hall. I labored for 14 hours total before they performed the C-Section. It was confirmed that Jude was just to large for me to give birth to naturally.

The scary parts had to do with the epidural for me. I just didn't want to feel completely numb all over me and of course I cried a lot but I got through it with Jeremy's support and love. He did a great job keeping me calm and taking care of the baby while I was in recovery.

Well to tell you all the stats: Jude Alexander Grennan was born in the Rota Naval Base Hospital at 8:19am on August 15th, 2010. He weighted 7lb.-9oz. and was 20.5 inches long. He cried right away which gave us a lot of peace. It was about an hour later that I got to see and hold him for the first time and I have to say it was simply amazing!

He is way cuter than I could have imagined, and thankfully he is healthy. We have had some problems with jaundice and weight loss because I had a c-section but he is on his way to a nice plump, rosy color. Jeremy and I are enjoying every moment, even the sleepless nights. We are learning how to form a good schedule and hoping he will sleep a bit longer at night soon. We can't quite make out his personality yet but we are discovering him the same way he is discovering us, one moment at a time. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Love, Becky and Jeremy

Sweet Things about my Pregnancy

I have really great friends and I wanted to brag on them a bit.

    Mirinda made Jude a baby blanket and it really is stunning. She did such a beautiful job that it was suggested she place the blanket into the fair. Well she did and it won second place in her devision and second place over all. Mirinda was so sweet about it she even gave me the ribbon to but into Jude's baby book. I can't believe how nice it is. Mirinda thank you so much!

    Also Brianna gave me a great pedicure. I love pedicures and the farther a long I get into the pregnancy the harder it is to give myself one. You should see the positions I have to attempt just to try, and I say try because I am not always successful. However Brianna did a great job, she even made me flowers on my big toes. Check out the shots, plus don't hesitate to comment on the fact that my ankles are really large now. The baby is cutting off my circulation at times and so my legs, ankles, and feet have been swelling. I measured my ankles at 9.5'' the other day, more than double their normal size. Strange and Humorous!

      Lastly I have time to cook if I am not too tired. I made a fruit salad the other day and Jeremy said it was so pretty I had to take a picture. So I hope you all think it is pretty too.

A Little Bit More About the Baby

Dear Family and Friends,

I just wanted to give you an update on the latest news. Since I made the last post but didn't have the time to post it a lot has happened. News travels fast so I am sure most of you know by now about me going into labor at 34 weeks. However the Dr. gave me some very strong muscle relaxers and after 2 1/2 days I was able to go home on a modified bed-rest. Jude is fine and I am fine. I was in a lot of pain but nothing I couldn't handle.

As of today though I believe we have made it to the 37 week mark and Jude can now be considered full term. I don't know how much longer he will take to be born but I know that God is good and we hope to give you all the good news soon of a healthy baby boy and an easy delivery.

Jeremy will do his best to get the information out as soon as possible to everyone but don't be shocked if the Spanish Internet fails us.

Oh, and sorry Jude missed your birthday Paul Paul! We will just have to aim for a day of his own now. Course Momma, Gabriel, and Jason I think would all like him to be born on their birthday too. Deddy may be the only one who gets anything out of this though, since Jude is sort of named after him. I just don't think I can tell him when he is to pop out, my timeline has come and gone. I thought I would go into labor June 30th, Jeremy thinks August 5th. I guess only the Lord knows and that is how it should be.

I can say that the experience was really good for Jeremy and I so far. I have been blessed with good health this whole pregnancy (even though I had a few challenges) and Jude has maintained good health as well. The early labor was helpful too. Jeremy and I learned that parenting starts at conception and it gave us a chance to get the house in order and to get the car and bags ready to go to the hospital. We are confident of two things. We are ready to have this baby, and we have no idea what we are going to do when he pops out! We are your typical first time parents and are looking for as much advice as you all can give. Don't overwhelm us but just take note that we don't mind the advice. We may or may not accept it into our family but any advice is welcome so long as it comes in love. We have read a few books and taken a few classes but now it is really up to God, us, and all of you who God has given us for support.

By the way, thank you all for your love and support over the course of this past year. We are so blessed to have family and friends that have kept in touch with us from over 6,000 miles away and we can see the positive affects your love and prayers have had on us as individuals and as a couple. God bless you all and know that I will be thinking of you all in the next few weeks of our lives. Love, Becky

The Baby Shower Plus

I know it has been some time since I have updated the blog. I am so sorry for that, I hope to cover all the missing links in the last 2 1/2 months. Ok so several things happened, Jeremy and I flew to Florida (Space A), we visited with Mirinda and Jon, we visited my family and my sisters threw me a great baby shower, we visited Bonnie, we visited Bethann/Erik/Jada/Wayne up in Virginia, we took maternity shots and birthing classes.  There have been other things but those are the things that have been most interesting.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPEiu9JvsqA 

The baby shower was just wonderful. And if you want to check it out just watch this video by clicking the link above. I am also going to post a video from our visit with friends and family too. I know I have taken a while on this but sadly I am busy and tired. I am still working but I think as long as I don't over do it, it might be a good thing for me. I keep feeling that if I don't continue working I will become bored and or overwhelmed with everything that is to come.

I believe Jeremy and I are learning and growing together as a couple but I can see that there are going to be lots of challenges ahead. Brianna (my friend here) has been a great support to me and I believe she will be in the first few weeks after the baby is born as well.

These are a few of my photos from the maternity shoot. I hope you like them, if you want one please just let me know and I will order one for you.

Jeremy and I have also been getting the baby's room ready, which I can say has been an adventure of its own. If you ever want to test your love for your spouse... try building furniture together. I am proud to say Jeremy and I have been successful and in more ways than one through the experience of putting together a nursery. It is really beautiful and as soon as it has curtains I will show you some pictures.

I know Jeremy is working on a surprise for Jude as well but it will be some time before that is finished.

Just wanted those without facebook to see.

These are a few pictures of me at 6 months pregnant.

It's A Big Deal!

These are the pictures taken from the latest ultra sound. We hope you all enjoy them. I realize it could be a mistake and we could be having a girl but that being said I think it highly likely that we are having a little boy. Based on the pictures he is very tall and loves to show off is manhood.

This next one is his profile. I think he has my nose. Cute right?

This last one is him laying on his side with both hands up to his mouth sleeping. He just curled up in a ball and fell a sleep. It was really cute I have to say.

Well that is it for now because I don't want to expose his man parts to everyone on the internet. Just know that he has them and he is proud of them. If you want the pictures for yourself let me know and I will email them to you. Love, Becky and Jeremy

Getting Bigger

I thought you all would like to see a picture of my tummy. I am 15 Weeks today and I have have a baby bump since 8 weeks. It hasn't gotten any bigger that I can tell but it is clear there is a baby in there. I would like to say thank you for all your support too, oh and Bonnie thank you so much for the clothes. I got them Friday and I am in heaven. I no longer have to worry about squeezing into my normal clothes. Everything looks like it will fit great, if it doesn't already fit.

 

 Also I thought that all of you would love to take this fun quiz that I took a a baby shower today. By the way, I won this game (surprisingly) I got 7 out of 10 right. Lets see if you can do better. I will give you all the answers next week.

Directions: Match the number of days it takes to complete a pregnancy for each animal. Leave your answers as a comment on this blog. 

(If you don't know how to leave a comment you much click on the button that says followers. From there you just create a user name to identify yourself in a safe way through the blog. Then you can sign in and start commenting.)

Animal                                                      Number of Days

1. Horse                                                          61

2.Whale                                                         220

3.Giraffe                                                        266

4.Cat                                                               21

5.Bear                                                            425

6.Human                                                        108

7.Lion                                                             360

8.Elephant                                                      63

9.Dog                                                             624

10.Mouse                                                       336

(Remember they are out of order and you must match them up.) I will announce the winner next Sunday. Love, Becky                                            

Baden Baden

Two days ago Jeremy and I drove with our friends to see a town called Baden Baden. Our goal was to see the Black Forest and Strasbourg France as well but it gets dark here pretty early right now so we didn't quite make it. It was a great little adventure though.

To get to Baden Baden I drove almost 3 hours on thin and windy country roads. The scenery was really beautiful. Small villages that seemed to appear out of no where and shepherds with their flocks were all we could see. The mountains are really a sight here too.  Apparently Southern Germany and Northern France are full of size-mic mountains. I am sure that some of them are volcanoes but I don't know which ones nor do I know which ones are still active. What I do know now is that Baden Baden and the Black Forest make a very interesting home.

The Black Forest was beautiful to drive through. They call it the Black Forest because the trees grow so close together it looks black. I think it is also that there is a lot of fog in these mountains. The fog comes from the mountains being so warm. Example: this part of Germany has seen about a foot or more of snow in the last week but much of the ground we saw was green grass do to heat rising out of the mountain's core. When we got really high on the mountains and it was snowing then we saw snow on the ground but I don't know for how long it would last. (We got nervous, not having snow tires, and went back down due to the fog and snow). Even though it was getting dark it was beautiful. The pictures are from the web because it was too dark for me to get pictures. This was our last stop of the day before we headed home.

About 12pm into our day we are stopped at the boarder of France to get some directions and some french pastries. I thought they were pretty good, but the interesting part for me was walking into the bakery and thinking I needed to speak Germany and they spoke French. What was worse was when I started speaking Creole and they couldn't understand me. Even my English was no good, however numbers are the same, so I could point at what I wanted and pay with no problem. On our way through to Baden Baden we stopped at the guard shack and took our pictures infront of the boarder of France and Germany. It was a great little break from the road, plus the people were just precious. (If you look close, you can see the France sign behind Jeremy's head on the right, little blue square).

Arriving in Baden Baden we parked at the Casino and walked for a bit checking out the old part of the city.

We got to see the old roman baths under the city and the new roman baths that are alive and active. It is a big tradition for the people to go in completely naked (men and woman together, out in the open might I add) so needless to say the picture is from far away. I don't want to see naked people but it was so cool how the water was gushing out of the earth steaming at a perfect hot tub temperature. Steam was everywhere do to the fact that the water was rising at least15 feet high. (It is hard to see in the picture but if you look to the left of the church you can see the steam from the bath). The people just built tiled and glass structures around it. If they hadn't been naked and I could have worn a bathing suit, I totally would have gotten in for a few minutes.

That been said we did try the water from the small well. This little sink of water, just like all the other natural flowing hot spring pools here have been flowing for thousands of years. This little sink has been used as cooking, cleaning, bathing, shaving, and drinking water. It is considered good luck to drink from the water. (The people in the picture are Brianna, Bailey, and Milly. Our friends from Spain).

I also found it interesting that for hours we have been driving in these little German villages but as we drove into Baden Baden the scenery changed to an old roman look, and until we got out and walked around I had no idea that the Roman empire extended that far north.

Baden Baden was a roman city first and it was a treasure to see. One really interesting thing was that despite the temperatures being below freezing it looked like spring here.

The church is a constant 85 degrees inside because they built it on top of the hot spring. It was just really an interesting place.

Afterward we of course ate at a great little restaurant. It was expensive but it made the whole trip worth it for Jeremy. I should have taken a picture of the place it was so unique but we were all tired and I didn't want to bother. I hope you enjoy the pictures. Love, Becky

Schloss Heidelberg (Castle Heidelberg)

I am taking it one day at a time here in Germany so expect more than just one post. We are going to be here for 10 days and I am not sure just what all we are going to enjoy but we are very happy to be here. Germany is a beautiful place that is again a big change from the USA but really good experience.
I am sure you are all wondering, yes... I am driving here. However I have been really scared and I am learning to relax as best I can. Jeremy and I took our first adventure today and really had a great day.
He helped me by reading the GPS for me and learning how to help me understand him, as well as I learned to listen to him better. It was quite the sight. We yelled a lot at first but then by the end of the day we had it down. No yelling just listening and talking and responding to our new surroundings.

We made it to Heidelberg with just enough time to visit their castle and then eat dinner before heading back to the hotel for the night.

Jeremy and I climbed 314 steps to see the castle. I had to stop 3 times because I needed to take in more oxygen (I yawned the whole way), but yes the pregnant woman climbed that many stairs. I is a beautiful city as you can see, and the castle was so big.

I was hard to imagine that something so large was built in the medieval times and that all the damage was done by catapults and fire balls from the same time period. It really put some things in perspective. I is hard to tell from the pictures but the size of this place is really something to see in person.

This is a picture of Jeremy out in front of one of their giant beer barrels. It is not the biggest one but it shows the perspective better. The biggest one in the world was in an other room and was so large it was like 2 times as big as this one.

This is a picture of a tree that wrapped around the pillar. I is the entrance to the castle's well. I was really cool. I don't think I did it justice though. I still have a lot to learn as a photographer. It frustrates me that I notice a better shot later on, even from a picture I took. Oh well, I get better with practice, my only sadness is that I know I may never be back to these places.
You probably won't believe me but the hard part about our visit was going down the steps. It hurt my knees so bad. I think it is because of that hormone when you are pregnant that relaxes your ligaments because I have never felt pain in my knees before, I didn't like it at all.

Jeremy and I went to dinner at this little restaurant in the plaza. We ate Schnitzel which we both agree was absolutely wonderful. We also ate something called a Flame Cake, it was like a really thin pizza with sour cream, dill, onions, turkey, and cheese. It was very good as well. Well that is really it for today. We Love you and we will keep in touch. Beck  PS. There is more to come even from today, I just want to space it out.