The Hodge Family

Stationery card

2011-12-07T08:50:00.001-06:00

Merry Modern Collage Christmas Card

Send Christmas cards personalized with your favorite photos.

View the entire collection of cards.

Katelyn's 2 Month Checkup

2011-10-01T13:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday at 10 weeks old Katelyn had her 2 month checkup and she did very well! She had been sick since September 10th with Bronchitis (nasal and chest congestion as well as an ear infection). She had her first antibiotic at 8 weeks. I hope that is it for a long while. She has slowly been getting better. The doctor said her ear has cleared up and the congestion is gone in her lungs! No more breathing treatments. So now we are just dealing with a little nasal congestion and the drainage that makes her cough.

Dr. Thomas was impressed by Katelyn's head control and physical strength. When she layed Katelyn on her tummy she lifted up her head and chest and then proceeded to almost roll off the table. She can roll over (front to back and back to side), but it seems almost by chance. She will probably have the technique down before she is 3 months old. She can scooch herself across her play mat and off of her boppy by pushing with her feet and lifting her butt up.

Here are her stats:

Height: 23.75 inches (83 percentile)

Weight: 13.6 pounds (92 percentile)

Head Circumference: 15.25 inches (32 percentile) -smaller just like Addi

Katelyn also had her first set of vaccines. Besides the hepatitis B shot she received the day she was born, she had 3 shots and 1 oral vaccine for: Hepatitis B, DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, & Pertussis), Hib, PCV (Polio and Pneumococcal Disease), and lastly Rotavirus. She was a quite fussy yesterday, but seems to be back to her normal self today.

Grandma Debbie and Aunt Cindy are visiting us this weekend. We are enjoying there company and the delicious dinners. :) Here are some pictures from the last month. Enjoy.

Katelyn's 1 Month Birthday!

2011-08-22T14:03:00.010-05:00

It's Katelyn's 1 Month Birthday!!

Katelyn @ 1 Month

Addison @ 1 Month

Katelyn is doing really well. She weighs approximately 11.5 pounds on our home scale. She really loves being held although we have been trying to increase her tummy and bouncy seat time as she is starting to spend more time awake. Hear are a few pictures from the last couple of weeks...

I thought this one was funny. Addi must have been rethinking her request to hold Katelyn. She always asks even when Katelyn is upset.

Katelyn and Daddy relaxing

Addi was cooking us a nice dinner of potato and cranberry soup.

Addi and Katelyn

Katelyn looking really full and intently starring at something

Getting ready for bed; Addi making faces

Katelyn

I couldn't get them to both look at me at the same time

Tummy Time

Katelyn's 2 Week Checkup

2011-08-13T12:36:00.000-05:00

We had Katelyn's 2 week checkup back on Monday (@ 17 days old). She is doing really well. Her eyes are still a deep blue and Tim swears that her hair is getting longer everytime he sees her. Here are her measurements:

Height: 21 inches (73 percentile)

Weight: 9 pounds 15 ounces (92 percentile)

Head Circumference: 14 inches (38 percentile)

Katelyn is feeding and sleeping well. She just had her 3 week birthday yesterday. I am surprised by how strong she is. She pushes and positions her head and holds her head up for long periods. She also has pretty controlled movements with her arms and legs already. She lost her umbilical cord this morning, finally. She is pretty good at letting us know what she wants. Addi still loves to hold her sister and helps mommy out a lot.

Addi's T-ball Team

2011-08-05T12:06:00.000-05:00

Addi's 8th and final T-ball game was last night. She had the team 'end of season' party Wednesday at Double Dave's Pizzeria. I was able to go with her, which I really enjoyed. Thanks Tim. They had trophies awarded too. Addi did very well for her first season with T-ball and her first team sport. She really got involved. However, keeping her glove on while playing the field and keeping her hat from falling over her eyes, while she ran the bases, was a little challenging. :)

Pictured:

Top row: Coach Corey, Brooks, Gracie, Ethan, Caroline, Team Mom Katie

Bottom row: Preston, Lauren, Addison, Brendan, Jules

Not pictured: Millie, Ava, Mia, Alek

Addison Grace Summer 2011

Addi with her friends Ava and Mia at the team party

5 Days Old!

2011-07-27T15:27:00.004-05:00

Katelyn had her first visit to the doctor's office today. She is doing really well. When we left the hospital on Monday she weighed in at 8 lbs 6.4 ounces. This morning she weighed in at 9 pounds 1 ounces, surpassing her birth weight! We are moving out of the newborn clothes and diapers fast. She is very well tempered and loves to sleep. In fact, we have been waking her up if it has been over 4 hours since she ate last. Breastfeeding is going well. Her eyes are still a deep blue and her hair a reddish/blonde. She hardly cries unless we are taking to long to change her diaper or get ready to feed her. She has starting sighing while she is sleeping and even when she is eating. It is so cute. Look at those thunder thighs! You can count the wrinkles. Remind you of anyone?

Welcome Katelyn Mae Hodge!

2011-07-26T09:44:00.016-05:00

Katelyn Mae Hodge

Friday July 22, 2011 at 12:12 PM

8 pounds 12.4 ounces, 20 inches long

Deep Blue Eyes

Reddish/Blonde Hair

Addi's first time seeing and holding Katelyn

She has really tiny feet!

Addi helped the baby nurse check Katelyn's heart rate.

Check out the reddish hair!

Getting ready to go home.

Just before the triple sneeze

All strapped in and ready to go.

Made it home safely....................................right into Addi's arms.

Getting ready for bed our first night home.

Daddy catching up on some zzz's.

38 Weeks!

2011-07-16T19:03:00.004-05:00

Hello All,
We had our 38 week appointment this past Friday. All is well. The baby is head down and I am already 1 cm dilated. Overall I have been feeling okay. I've just been feeling extra tired and having some trouble walking with the lower back pain. Addi is very excited for her little sister to come. She asks questions about her every day. Here are some ultrasound pictures from this pregnancy.

July 1st, 36 Weeks and 0 Days ~ 8 lbs 8 ounces

May 18th, 29 Weeks and 5 Days ~ 4 lbs 6 ounces
Profile with the top of her head on the right side and one forearm and hand across the top.

Feb 23rd, 17 Weeks and 5 Days - It's a Girl
Profile of head and chest with the baby's head on the left looking up.

Jan 12th, 11 Weeks and 5 Days - First Ultrasound
Profile of the whole body with the baby's head on the left looking up.

Exciting News to Share!

2011-01-13T19:41:00.002-06:00

We are very excited. Baby number 2 is due July 29, 2011.

12 Weeks

2011-01-12T18:00:00.007-06:00

We had an ultrasound at 12 weeks. Everything is looking good. The baby is about 3 inches long. Below are 3 short movie clips of the baby moving.

In this first clip the baby's back is towards you with the head on the right side. The baby then turns to the side and is looking down. Right at the end you can see the legs kicking at the far left.

In this second clip you are looking down at the top of the baby's head (left side of picture). You can see the hands and arms waving around next to the head. On the right you can see legs kicking.

In the third clip you are looking at a profile picture of the head and chest. The fluttering you see on the right is the heart beating. The baby's left hand starts near the mouth (maybe sucking thumb) and the right arm/hand is resting up next to the head.

Enjoy!

22 months!

2010-03-11T07:55:00.008-06:00

Jacquie and Dad started there road trip yesterday. They expect to arrive at our place Friday night. The weather is finally starting to warm-up here. It should be really nice while they are visiting.

Addison is doing great! She is really starting to get excited about her potty training. She did her first #2 on the toilet the other day. We were all very excited. Her babies are learning as well. Addi still surprises us everyday. She is now able to read most of her books to us, mainly because she has them memorized. Her vocabulary is excellent and she loves to talk and sing and tell us what to do. We go on walks around the neighborhood and she races us and shows us how fast she can run and how high she can jump. She asks us to take her to the playground every day because she loves going on the slides. Addison would have us push her on the playground swings all day if we could. Her phrases of the week are…”I love this Mommy” and “Oh God”. I don’t know where she learns this stuff. 

Hope all is well,

Addison 1 1/2 Years Old!

2009-10-24T07:56:00.020-05:00

At 18 months old Addison weighs in at just over 25 pounds and is 31.5 inches tall. She has a total of 12 teeth with 2 more working there way in on the bottom. She still enjoys taking care of her stuffed animals and babies. She rocks them, puts them to bed, feeds them, cleans there hands and face, changes there diapers, takes them on stroller rides, and reads and sings to them every night. She is so amazing and Tim and I love her so much!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-22T08:02:00.002-05:00

1 Year!!!

2009-04-25T12:21:00.003-05:00

Hello Everyone,

We had some professional pictures taken for Addison's first birthday back on Good Friday! Below are some of our favorites. I hope to add some pictures from her 1st Birthday party as well. Addison is now walking everywhere. She is walking more then crawling now, although she still a little unsteady. We walked all the way to the mailbox this morning. We only had to stop twice and point out the neighbors cat.

11 Months Old!

2009-03-20T07:57:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe Addison is almost a year old. Time is flying by fast. Addison has been showing us something new pretty much every day. She sings and rocks her stuffed animals to bed. She has a name for every single one of them. She really likes her doctor sues doll that she calls Mop. She understands simple commands like: shut the door, turn off the light, no, can I have that, put it in here, lets go, time to eat, hi, bye, kiss, etc. She blows kisses and gives hugs. She waves and says hi and bye. She points out airplanes and birds in the sky. When we go on walks or get the mail she waves enthusiastically to every car and person that passes bye. The neighbors love her welcoming them home from work. One thing Tim and I really love watching is her dancing. She shakes her hips from side to side and wiggles her shoulders to anything and everything. She moves to her toys that make music, mommy and daddy singing or humming, and even little spurts from commercials on TV.

Addison is learning how to feed herself with a spoon. Here she is with her green beans.

She is on the verge of walking all by herself. She cruises along the furniture and loves to push her stroller and the kitchen chairs around. Here she is a few weeks back pushing a chair while daddy and I got get her stuff ready for school.

Here is Addison a couple of nights ago rowing the boat and taking in some fresh air before bed.

Here are few more cute pictures from the last month or so...
Addison watching Grandma and Grandpa play tennis...

Grandma and Addison at the playground...

Grandpa and Aunt Michelle in Galveston...

Addison waving bye-bye to us in Galveston...

Addison talking up a storm at Landry's in Kemah...

I think she looks a lot like Tim in this picture...

Even with all the green bean you can get a good look at her teeth coming in...

Some bath time fun...

Watching daddy work on one of his Golf carts...

Hope all is well. We will keep you posted of when we are coming back into town.
Love,

9 Months

2009-01-28T08:17:00.011-06:00

Hello Everyone,
Addison is doing great. She has mastered crawling the correct way; man is she fast! No more scooting. Her new skill is pulling herself up and then trying to get back down safely.

We took Addison to the subdivision play area for her first swing ride.

Addison has graduated to the next classroom at school. She is moving to the "older" infant room with all the other kids who are crazy climbers, racing crawlers, and beginning walkers. Addison took her teeth out to relax on her giant puppy pillow after an exhausting day at school.

Here are a couple pictures of Addison hiding from us under the bar stools.

We are looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa Babst and Aunt Michelle coming to visit in 2.5 weeks.

Love,

Christmas 2008

2009-01-04T21:19:00.006-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Tim, Addison, and I enjoyed seeing everyone over the holiday. I know Addison was excited to meet her whole family. She did well on the plane ride home considering she had a double ear infection. She slept the first 45 minutes and then played for the next two hours with the woman seated behind us. Addison was pretty antsy towards the end. Well, all three of us were pretty antsy towards the end. We came back to Houston to record high temperatures. It was a steamy 83 degrees! Tim and I were pretty exhausted from the trip so we let Addison drive home.

Click here to see all the pictures we took while visiting. I had to delete quite a few because they were really fuzzy. Have a Happy New Year!

Love,
Tim, Jenny, and Addison

8 Months Old!

2008-12-21T11:11:00.002-06:00

Wow! Addison is 8 Months Old.

Her two bottom teeth can now be easily seen. She scoots and pulls her self all around the room. Her new thing is hiding underneath and in things. She has found her way into one of the cubbyholes in her bookcase and she loves to sit under the desk in the office by our feet.

School Pictures - Christmas Themed

2008-12-12T17:32:00.004-06:00

Addison's school had Christmas pictures taken. They dressed all the girls up in Christmas gowns and the little boys in Christmas pajamas. Isn't she cute! We will bring a few home for the family.

Space Shuttle Flyby

2008-12-12T13:55:00.005-06:00

Space Shuttle Endeavour flew over our house yesterday, while mounted on a modified Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft! After landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California on Nov. 30, Endeavour was on its cross-country journey back to the Kennedy Space Center. Changing weather conditions altered the shuttle carrier aircraft's flight path and it had to land in Louisianna, but finnaly arrived at KSC this afternoon.

First School Pictures!

2008-11-22T09:47:00.010-06:00

Addison's first school pictures finally came in. These were taken back on October 16th (at 6 months). They only sold them in this collage fashion. So we bought one and scanned it. I can't believe how outrageously priced they were...25 dollars a sheet (8x10)! We will bring it electronically when we come to visit for Christmas. You should be able to double click on the picture, save it as a .jpeg, and have it be of print quality.

Addison had to go to the doctors last week to have them look at some really dry skin patches on her back that we have been treating for a couple weeks. It turns out Addison has eczema and we were given some extremely strong creams to spot treat her back. It doesn't seem to bother her, but it has to be uncomfortable. We went on her 7 month birthday and they weighed her. She is now 17 pounds 5 ounces. She cut her second bottom tooth that same day. Here are a couple pictures from the last week or so and another movie of her jumping around in her exersaucer. I also uploaded a short clip of Addison playing peek-a-boo; one of her favorite things. We we were finally able to get a good shot of Addison's new tooth. See the last picture. Good catch Daddy!

Love,

7 Months Old!

2008-11-18T16:42:00.003-06:00

Addison will be 7 months old tomorrow. She is growing so fast. Addison is exploring like crazy and testing everything. Guess what she has learned to do in the last week with her exer-saucer? It is really funny to watch when she gets going.

I will try and post some more pictures soon. I hope all is going well.

Love,

6 1/2 months old!

2008-11-08T08:50:00.012-06:00

Hello everyone,

In just six and a half weeks we will be coming to visit our family and friends in Michigan. I can't wait for them to meet Addison. We are doing pretty well. I am getting ready for the next space shuttle launch coming up on Friday. Tim has been really busy at work and is currently working on sprucing up the lightning.

Addison is on the verge of officially crawling. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth teasing us. I am trying to catch a good video of this to load to the site. It seems as soon as we get the camera out she stops, but here was our latest attempt.

She does get around buy swiveling around on her hands and sliding herself backwards and forwards when on her stomach. She has been sitting up now by herself for about a month. She slowly leans forward, backward, or to the side to get herself from a sitting position down to a lying position. A couple of times she has been able to get to a sitting position by herself, but most of the time she still needs us to give her a little nudge.

The big news is... this past Monday, Addison cut her first tooth! It is not showing enough for a good picture yet, but stay tuned. Last night Addison tried sweet potatoes for the first time. She seemed to like it. Now her diet consist of breast milk, rice cereal, green beans, and sweet potatoes. Every 5 days we are going to add a new food. So by the time we come to visit at Christmas she should be able to eat a wide variety of foods.

Here are some pictures of Addison earlier in the week watching mommy and daddy finish getting ready for work in the morning.

Here is one of Addison and Grandma Debbie when she came to visit just before Halloween.

Here is one of Addison and Tim at the Wings Over Houston Airshow.

Just a few more pictures I thought were cute.

I hope all is well. Love,

6 Months Old!

2008-10-22T12:12:00.000-05:00

Addison had her 6month well baby check up this past Monday.

Addison is feeling a lot better. We had to take her to the doctors last week. She was diagnosed with a double ear infections and bronchitis. She was very congested and had a hard time eating so I think her weight dropped a little from what is was a couple weeks ago. Here are the statistics:

Height: 26.50 inches, 67^th percentile
Weight: 16.32 pounds, 47^th percentile
Head: 16.25 inches, 12^th percentile

5 1/2 Months: Introducing Solids

2008-10-05T18:52:00.006-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Things are going well here in Houston. The weather is finally cooling down with lower humidity and highs at about 85 and lows at about 60. It makes for an enjoyable evening stroller ride. This weekend Addison had her first taste of rice cereal. She did a really good job of swallowing most of it. She was so excited to get to sit in her high chair and eat.

She cleaned up pretty well!

Addison can now sit on her own unsupported. Sometimes she reaches for things that are a little to far and she falls, but she is learning how to lay down and then reach for it. She turns herself around and spins on her stomach. It is really fun to watch her go after her toys. We are starting to think about moving some of the entertainment equipment to the game room. Here are a couple shots of Addison before school, waiting for us to gather up all our stuff to head out the door.

Hope all is well,

Love,

5 Months Old!

2008-09-19T12:06:00.005-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Today is Addison's 5 Month old Birthday!
Here are some pictures of Addison helping to clean her room while we were vacuuming her floor.

Here she is cooling off against the leather couch while the power was out from Hurricane Ike.
Here Addison is playing with her toys while we made dinner.

Addison Says Hi!

2008-09-05T07:59:00.004-05:00

Here is a short clip of Addison telling us about her day just after we gave her a bath last night.

4 Months Old!

2008-08-26T15:30:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Wow! Time is flying by so fast. Addison had her 4 month well baby visit this afternoon. It was delayed a week because the doctor had to have emergency surgery. Addison is doing really well. Here are the statistics:

Height: 24.75 inches, 55^th percentile
Weight: 15.00 pounds, 68^th percentile
Head: 15.75 inches, 14^th percentile

Addison has doubled her birth weight which is really good. The Doc said they usually hope to see babies double their birth weight by six months. Her head is an inch larger in diameter and she is 1 1/2 inches taller than at 2 months old. She now eats only four times a day (breast milk only) and sleeps about 8-10 hours in her own room at night.

In the last few weeks Addison has started to really laugh. The simplest things give her the giggles. She can now reach her feet and holds them often when we are changing her, in the car seat, and playing on the play mat. She is about half an inch from getting them in her mouth. I bet in the next week or so she will be sucking on her toes! Addison also has a unique way of moving around. She lifts her feet and throws them and then turns on her side and curls or stretches to reach things. It is quite amusing to watch. The other morning I went to get her out of bed and she was lying horizontally (short end to short end) across the crib. She has squirmed about 5 feet across her bedroom floor, before yelling in frustration for us to help her. She can roll pretty well from her back to her tummy, but has not mastered the tummy to back roll yet. We are working on that with plenty of tummy time. She still loves to be in the sitting up position so she can see what is going on around her.

Addison has mastered the art of cause and effect. She knows that if she shakes certain rattles they will make noise and if she pulls or pushes on a toy a certain way it will play music or vibrate. We have been putting her in her exer-saucer and she loves it. She can watch me and Daddy and play with her toys at the same time. The mosquitoes are really bad this time of year, but we still try to get in a short stroller ride in the evenings. Before bed every night we read stories together in her room. She actually seems to be listening and tries to help turn the page even if I haven’t quite finished.

Addison is looking forward to meeting Grandpa Bill for the first time. He is flying in on Thursday and staying for a long holiday weekend.

I hope all is going well. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.

Love,

3 1/2 Months Old!

2008-08-05T15:12:00.010-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Below are short videos of Addison taking a swim with her Dad after preparing the backyard for tropical storm Edouard. The Hodge Family's first Tropical Storm. This is also the first time we have used the video feature on the camera.

Here are some additional pictures of Addison.

Mom giving her a bath to wash the daycare teachers perfume off.

Daddy holding her while mom grabs the towel.

Getting ready to go to school.She is always so happy and ready to talk in the mornings.

Hope all is well,

Love,

3 Months Old!

2008-07-25T09:56:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Addison had her first day of school at Primrose last Friday. Here she is all ready to go; relaxing on the couch in her new outfit.

I thought she looked a little nervous in this one or maybe she was just trying to make the same face I was.
Addison has been doing well in daycare. Her daily reports say she is happy and friendly. One of the new things she has started doing is gurgling when she is talking to us. She puts everything in her mouth (creating a lot of extra saliva). I think she tried to talk to us with that extra drool and liked the sound that came out, so she gurgles all the time now. She also rolls to her side and pushes against things to go after specific toys. She still likes to be in a supported sitting up position.
Addison really loves sucking her thumbs when she can (yes both, even at the same time). We have tried to take her thumbs out when we are playing, reading, or talking to her. Sometimes, when she is falling asleep, we replace her thumb with a pacifier and here is what happens. I thought it was so funny. Her thumb was turning purple it was stuck so tight.

We took her to the park to take some 3 month birthday photos. I think a few of them turned out all right. We took the pictures at sunset (cutting it close to her bedtime) because it was so hot earlier that day. The mosquitoes were starting to come out so we were rushing a bit.
Hope all is well.

Love,

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-09T10:01:00.009-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Addison enjoyed her first Fourth of July. She had an early morning swim with Grandma and Grandpa Babst in her red polka-dot bikini from Great Aunt Cindy. Click here to see more pictures of the swim.

She tried to stay up to see the fireworks, but fell asleep just before they began. Click here to see more picture of her hanging out with the family in her forth of July outfit from Grandma Debbie.
Addison took her first trip down to Galveston Island with her Grandma and Grandpa Babst, Aunt Michelle, and Mommy. We enjoyed a seafood lunch at Willie G's on the harbor side of the Island and then stopped to dip our toes in the Gulf of Mexico. Addison loved to squeeze her toes down into the wet sand. Click here to see more pictures.The night before the family was heading back to Michigan, Addison took one last after dinner swim with her Aunt Michelle and Daddy. Click here to see more pictures.

We really enjoyed having the family visit. I know Addison loved having more than just Mom and Dad to play with. Click here to see more pictures of Addison hanging out with her Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle.
Addison will be starting daycare next Friday July 18th and I will be returning to work full time. We are spending the next week preparing ourselves for the schedule of daycare/work. I hope everyone is doing well. I will post again after Addison's first day of Day Care / my first day of work /Addison's 3 Month Birthday!

Love,

2 Month Birthday!

2008-06-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Today is Addison’s 2 month Birthday!

We celebrated by taking a trip to the pediatricians office and getting her 2 month vaccinations. Addison did really well for the two shots and an oral medication. She swallowed all of the oral vaccination for Rotavirus. She cried like she has never cried before when they poked her once in each thigh for the DTaP (Diptheria, Tentanus, & Pertussis), Hepatitis B, Polio, and Pneumococcal disease, but as soon as I picked her up she was fine. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even look at the needles and watch the poking…that was Tim’s job. I just held Addison’s upper body and tried not to cry too hard myself. The Hib vaccination was on back order so we have to come back next week and get another shot :(

Addison’s measurements at 2 months are:

Height: 23.25 inches, 66^th percentile
Weight: 12.75 pounds, 80^th percentile
Head: 14.75 inches, 7^th percentile
(I guess one of us parents has a small head!)

At her last checkup at 2 weeks she was:

Height: 20.5 inches, 56^th percentile
Weight: 8.1 pounds, 40^th percentile
Head: 14.0 inches, 38^th percentile

So you can see, in the last 6 weeks, she has grown a lot. The doctor said she looks good. I pulled her out of her car seat when we got home and she passed out in my lap before I could even stand up.

Aunt Jacquie and Aunt Lauren are visiting this week. Addison is having fun telling them about her first two months of life in the big world.

She is wearing her new hippy dress from bonnaroo where the auntie's were before coming to visit. Hope all is well.

Love,

Baby Photos - Tim's Family

2008-05-23T12:44:00.007-05:00

Here are baby photos of Tim's family.

Who do you think Addison looks like?

Grandpa Bill: December 21, 1948
(not sure how old)

Grandma Debbie: March 11, 1952
(not sure how old)

Tim: September 18, 1980
(not sure how old)

Uncle Kelly: August 14, 1983
(not sure how old)

Baby Photos - Jenny's Family

2008-05-21T11:53:00.013-05:00

Here are baby photos of Jenny's Family.
Who do you think Addison looks like?

Grandpa Babst (Gary): March 6th, 1955
I need one still...help family?

Grandma Babst (Susan): April 17th, 1956
(youngest I could find, not sure how old?)

Me: December 11th, 1980 picture is @ 2.5 months old
(youngest I could find)

Aunt Jacquie: November 15th, 1982, Picture is @ 1.5 years old
(youngest I could find)
Uncle Michael: May 27, 1986, 9 pounds 8 ounces

Aunt Lauren: March 24, 1990, 10 pounds 5.5 ounces

Aunt Michelle: October 28, 1996, 10 pounds 1 ounce
Babst family if you have any younger pictures of me, Jacquie, Mom, or Dad please send. Thanks,

1 Month Birthday!

2008-05-19T16:17:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Today is Addison’s 1 month Birthday! Wow, time is flying by.

Addison is growing so quickly. She is now approximately 10.5 pounds and almost 21 inches. She recognizes my voice as well as Tim’s and turns to look at us when we are talking. She can follow objects with her eyes and loves to look at the ceiling fans. Thank goodness we have one in practically every room. She makes really soft cooing and sighing sounds when you are rocking, bouncing on the exercise ball, or playing with her. She also grunts and has these small high pitched shrieks when she wants to do something else or if I’m not moving fast enough to get her positioned for breast feeding. In the last week she developed some mild baby acne on her cheeks, but it seems to be going away. I was reading that it usually shows up between 2 and 4 weeks (b/c of hormone changes) and goes away in about 1-2 weeks. Addison loves to kick. When you are holding her, it seems like she is trying to climb out of your arms and go some place. During tummy time on the play mat she can scoot her self right of the mat. She also does not want to be covered or bundled up. She will kick and squirm and grunt until she is completely uncovered then fall asleep. It is entertaining to watch her.

The temperature has been really creeping up the last few days here in Houston. Today it reached a high of 96 degrees and humid. Our friend's Lindsay and Bryan are expecting their first child in December and Tim's cousin Hilary and Shawn are also expecting their first child November 15th. (Same as my sister Jacquie's birthday). We are so happy for them and can't wait for them to expierience the same overwhelming love we have for Addison. We hope everyone is doing well. Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.

Love,

Jenny, Tim, and Addison

3 Week Birthday!

2008-05-10T09:26:00.004-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Addison is celebrating her 3 week old birthday today! Everything is going well. Addison has been growing, changing, and learning so quickly. Her first trip to the pediatrician’s office was on April 24th. She had gained back her original birth weight plus 4 ounces weighing in at 7 lbs 8 ounces. At her two week visit last week, May 2nd, she weighed in at 8 lbs 2 ounces. Last night we weighed her on our scale at home by holding her and we approximate her weight to be between 9.5 to 10 pounds. She has pretty good control with her arms and she is already trying to go places. Her whole body is filling out nicely. Her personality is showing already. She is pretty good at letting us know what she wants. She is generally a pretty content baby. She has been sleeping a 4.5 hour stretch and a 3 hour stretch at night. So I only have to get up once to feed her. Just the other night she slept for a 6 hour stretch. Addison's “half outty” belly button was revealed this past Tuesday.

Grandma Babst came to visit us for a couple weeks. She helped us out since Tim had to go back to work April 28th. She showed us how to give baby Addison massages, baths, baby exercises, and some soothing positions to hold her. Not to mention she helped make dinner! Thanks mom.

Hear are some pictures from the last couple of weeks…

It's a Girl!

2008-04-22T17:38:00.007-05:00

Hi Everyone,

Addison Grace Hodge was born Saturday, April 19th, at 7:10am. She weighs 7lbs 4.6 ounces and measures 20 inches in length. If you look closely you can see she has Tim's dimpled chin!

Addison was born 10 days early to our surprise! Just the day before we were taking pictures to post for the 39 week post.

Umm...I just had the baby, but I still look pregnant! Tim thought this was funny how I was holding myself.

Well, time to go feed the baby, again! I will try to post some more pictures after our first visit with the pediatrician on Thursday morning. We are all doing well, but in need of some good rest.

Love,

Tim, Jenny, and Addison

38 Weeks

2008-04-15T17:03:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Our internet and digital home phone have been down for the last week or so…Comcast sucks! We are looking for another provider. I am writing this after hours at work really quickly were I don’t have any pictures to upload.

I had my weekly visit with the doctor yesterday. Everything is good. My blood pressure is normal, despite my full body swelling, so there is no concern for pre-eclampsia. The baby’s heartbeat is even and clear. The doctor did a quick ultrasound to verify that the baby is in the head down position. I am not dilated yet, but the doctor said I could still go into labor anytime.

I turned in my Chevy Monte Carlo back on April 4th and purchased a black Saturn VUE XR; definitely a more baby friendly vehicle. It is taking a little to get used to, but I like it. Hopefully, I can put some pictures up soon. Tim decided to sell our Troy-Built lawn mower this week and purchased an upgraded Honda. I was hesitant at first, but it does seem to handle easier and does a nicer job cutting the grass. We also finally found a swivel-rocker-recliner for the babies room at Macy’s this past weekend. It is brown leather, on the smaller side, but quite comfortable. We will pick it up from the warehouse after work on Thursday.

Last night I sorted all the babies clothes, blankets, bedding, and all washable toy parts into 8 loads of laundry! Tonight I plan to finish the rest of the loads and put it all away in the baby’s room and our room. When the rocker chair arrives on Thursday we will finalize the furniture placement and hang stuff on the walls. I will take some pictures of the baby’s room then and post them.

Tim and I are getting anxious for the baby to arrive. It is kind of nerve raking knowing it could happen at any time! I plan on locking the baby pool this Friday so make sure you get your last guesses in.

Hope all is going well.

Love,

35 Weeks

2008-03-27T12:10:00.005-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I can’t believe we are already at 35 ½ weeks! Only one month to go. Sorry it has been so long since our last entry, but I have been very busy over the last month or so. The Space Shuttle finally landed safely last night after a 16 day mission to the International Space Station. My team and I had to put in a lot of hours over the last couple of weeks and the holiday weekend. Things are actually slowing down a bit now.

Since our last blog entry, we have had one doctor’s appointment on March 17th. I listened to the baby’s heart beat and we both seem to be doing well. Our next appointment is this Monday, March 31st. The doctor will check the baby’s position as well as check to see how effaced and dilated the cervix is. From now on we will have weekly appointments with the doctor to check to see how the baby and I are progressing.

I have created an online baby pool here. Please visit the site and enter your guess for when the baby will be born and how big she will be. Enter as many guesses as you like. You can also click on the link in the left column bar.

We ended up painting the nursery “Pale Sunshine” and the ceiling "Ruffled Clam". It took a little getting used to because it is the brightest room in the house. Our crib and dresser/changing table arrived this past week. They came mostly assembled so that was really nice. As soon as we have the room organized and I pick out some curtains, I will post a picture. We are still on the hunt for a good rocking/swivel/recliner for the baby’s room.

Tim’s Dad came to visit us for a long weekend March 13th. We went down to Moody Gardens in Galveston and saw a 3-D show on the Grand Canyon. It was really neat. I hadn’t been to a 3D show since 1994 at Disney World. We also toured the rainforest pyramid. I had never seen a sloth before. They really are ugly creatures. The weekend before that we had my friend Christine from High School come visit. We went and had dinner on the Kemah boardwalk and took some time to pet the sting rays, check out the aquariums, and watch the huge pelicans dive for fish off the pier.

I hope all is well. Love,

29 Weeks

2008-02-14T11:35:00.005-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Happy Valentine's Day!

Tim and I had an awesome time in Michigan. We made it back safely late Monday night. The flight home was actually really smooth. It was so nice to see everyone and share our happy thoughts and excitement about the baby coming. Tim and I had an excellent time at the shower and are so thankful for everyone’s generous gifts. We have a few pictures. I want to post them on an on-line site in the next couple of days. I will let you know as soon as I get them up. We were able to pack almost everything in our suitcases, except for 3 larger items which Kelly is going to help us ship home. At home, by the way, it was 80 and sunny while we enjoyed the record cold, below zero, temperatures in snow covered Michigan. I, at least, thought it was quite refreshing if only for a few days.

We had a doctor’s appointment and an ultrasound yesterday. The baby and I are doing just fine. The test results from the glucose screening test came back normal. The baby weighs an astonishing 3 pounds 6 ounces. The average weight at 29 weeks is 2 pounds 8 ounces. We are still on target for an April 29th birth. Below is a video showing her heart beating and a really quick yawn. You should be able to double click on the movie to make it larger.

She is big enough now that it is hard to get more than one body part in the picture at a time. Here is a picture of her face looking at us…

Here is a picture of a foot…

I really feel like we are in the homestretch now. I am going to order the baby furniture this weekend and hopefully decide on a paint color. All we know is that it is not going to be pink or purple, but maybe a more neutral color like extremely light yellow or green.

Have a great day!

Love,

28 Weeks

2008-02-05T12:27:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,

We have made it to the third trimester! Roughly 12 weeks to go! Tim and I are doing great. We had a doctor’s appointment this past Friday. I had the glucose screening test done. It wasn’t that bad. The sugary drink tasted like melted orange Popsicle. I haven’t gotten the results in yet. We listened to the babies heart beat and measured my belly. She is doing fine. The doctor scheduled an ultrasound for next week Wednesday to take measurements of the baby and amniotic fluid levels. I can’t wait to see her again. I will post a couple pictures after the appointment. Since we are in the third trimester, the doctor is seeing us every 2 weeks now, instead of every 4. In the last month, April, I will start going once a week.

According to the charts the baby should weigh about 2 and a quarter pounds and measure about 14.8 inches from head to heal. She is putting on layers of fat to survive in the outside world and is sporting eyelashes.

Tim and I took care of a co-worker’s dogs this past weekend. They have three beagles, a mom and two puppies. Tim fell in love with the boy puppy, Yager. He has an awesome personality, very friendly. Tim wanted to take him home so bad, but a dog is something we can’t have right now. Maybe when the kids are grown up enough to take care of an animal, I will think about it. We really don’t have the yard or time to care for a pet…especially with the baby coming.

I hope everyone is doing well. Have a great week. We will see some of you soon.

Love,

27 Weeks

2008-01-30T12:17:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Only 13 more weeks to go! It seems like a long way away, but also way too short…I still have so much to do. We are excited to come home for the shower next week and are looking forward to visiting with everyone. I was just looking at the temperature in Troy today…with the wind chill it feels like -1 degrees F…burr. I need to make sure I have a winter jacket that still fits! The temperature here has been averaging highs in the mid/upper 60’s and lows in low 50’s and upper 40’s. Tim and I haven’t seen snow since Christmas of 2004!

The baby weighs about 2 pounds and is close to 15 inches from head to toe. She can now open and close her eyes, and sleeps at regular intervals. I am still trying to figure out when those are. I feel her movements, especially when we are getting ready for bed in the evenings.

Tim and I cleared all the stuff out of the front bedroom to make it into the baby’s room. We made the usual multiple trips to Home Depot to make and install extra shelves in the baby’s closet. They turned out really nice. We hope to put fresh/higher quality paint on the walls the weekend after the shower.

Tim and I went to a Chamber music concert this past weekend held downtown at Rice University. It was really nice, and something different than TV or the movies. Our fourth and last Childbirth Preparation/Lamaze class is this Thursday night. Overall I think the both of us have gotten a lot out of it. I signed us up for a child care and breastfeeding class in March. My next doctor’s appointment is Friday. I will be taking a routine glucose screening test to test for pregnancy diabetes. Overall things are going well. See you soon.

Love,

25 Weeks

2008-01-15T07:45:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Tim and I have been really busy over the last 2 weeks. We have slowly, but surely been working on baby registries at Babies R Us and Target. We have been reading consumer reports, talking to neighbors and friends about what they use and what they don't, and then trying to agree on the colors. Tim seems to have a thing against the colors purple and pink. He doesn't want to buy anything too girlie I think. Not me though... at least she should have girlie clothes.

We had our first baby class (Prepared Childbirth/Lamaze) last Thursday. It is a four week, one night a week course for just over 2 hours and includes a hospital tour. I am not really sure how I feel about the instructor yet, but I am leaning towards an exhausted, weird, but experienced woman. So far, Tim and I have learned about what happens during a normal/average labor and delivery and that sitting on the floor for two hours with only one worn out pad and a pillow can really make your butt and for that matter your entire body sore the next day. My homework assignment is to find a focal point (an item to concentrate on while in labor) and ask two women to describe what they remember the most about their labor/delivery from my generation and another generation.

Other exciting news... Tim bought his first brand new car! The gas mileage in his Ford Lightning truck was killing him and the truck is not the easiest and safest vehicle to be hauling a baby around in. Tim picked a white 2008 Chevy Malibu 2LT with Titanium interior. He really likes the car and I think he looks good in it.

The baby is doing fine and is really practicing those soccer kicks. Sometimes concentrating, for what seems like an eternity, on the same spot. I bet she'll be a good striker with that aim. She is about a pound and a half and just over a foot long. She is starting to fill her loose skin with baby fat and the color and texture of her hair are defined. I wonder if she will be a blonde or a brunette. I am doing okay, besides the sore spots from the baby power kicks and punches and the occasional heart burn, I just feel like a fat me. Tim and I are looking forward to coming to Michigan the weekend of February 9th for the baby shower. Hope all is well.

Love,

23 Weeks

2008-01-04T12:39:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,

We had our first doctor’s appointment and ultrasound of the New Year this morning. The baby is still a girl! Thank God…I had a dream the other night that they made a mistake and I wasn’t having a precious little girl anymore. She has plenty of surrounding fluid to perform her numerous acrobatic feats and is now a whopping 1 pound 5 ounces. That is more than 2 ½ times larger from the last ultrasound, less than 6 weeks ago. Her weight is charted right on the average line. She is moving all the time. I can’t seem to calculate when her naps are. It really makes it hard to sit still at work. Tim has now felt the baby movements…for a while there I didn’t think he believed me when I told him the baby was kicking.

It seems however, that my weight gain has been extraordinary as well. At 23 ½ weeks I have gained a whopping 20 pounds; 8 pounds in 4 weeks! It could have something to do with all the Holiday snacking and treats. I need to get back into my routine. I read this is the time when most women gain the most weight and that it starts to slow down in the 8th month and you really don’t gain much at all in the 9th month. Hopefully that is true or I will have to be rolled into the Hospital in April.

Here are some snap shots during the ultrasound. It’s a little hard to see exactly what you are looking at, but give it a try. She was positioned with her back against my back, facing towards my belly button, an laying across my abdomen. She was moving around a lot and seemed to be ticklish.

This is a head shot (upper right). She is looking at us and has her right arm next to her face.

Here is a profile shot. Her mouth is open.
This is a butt shot. Her legs are across the top and bottom/middle of the picture. The 3 white lines means it is still a girl. You might have to double click on the picutre to see it.

Okay, here is one more that I think I can describe... Here is a picutre of her hand in front of her face. The technician thought she was sying no more picutres please. We probably will not have anymore pictures of the baby until she is born. We hope you all had a great Christmas and wish you a Happy New Year.
Love,

20 Weeks

2007-12-13T07:07:00.000-06:00

Good Morning Everyone,
We are half way through the pregnancy now and doing great. As I mentioned last week, my belly is starting to round out and it is getting more difficult to do some things like put my shoes on and tie them! The baby is about 10 to 12 inches from head to heel and is moving like crazy. The baby’s movements should be big enough for Tim to feel from the outside in the next week or so.

We have been really busy lately. Tim's mom flew into town last Wednesday.

Tim bought himself an early Christmas Present, a Nintendo Wii. We had fun bowling, playing tennis, and golfing with our new toy. We were all actually a little sore after playing for the first few times. While Debbie was here we worked on preparing a lot of cute stuff for the Baby Shower she is hosting on February 9th in Michigan. It should be really fun. Tim and I are looking forward to visiting with everyone. Tim's work held their Christmas Party last week at the Omni Hotel downtown. The three of us went and had a really nice time. I had a fit of, “oh my gosh, I have nothing to wear” that night and Debbie let me wear a really nice shirt she brought with her to Texas.

Well I hope everyone is doing well. Enjoy the Holiday Season. I know I am. Love,

19 Weeks

2007-12-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone,

Sorry for the delayed post. Tim and I have been really busy this last week. I will make this entry short, but hope to have a nice lengthly entry for the 20th week. We had a Doctor's appointment last week, Friday. Tim's mom was in town and she was able to come to the appointment with me and hear the heartbeat. The baby and I are doing fine. My belly is really starting to round out. I hope all is well. I should have the 20 week entry available Wednesday evening.

Love,

18 Weeks

2007-11-27T18:19:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone,

I know you all have been dieing to know...

It's a Girl! Yeah! Girls rock!

Tim and I had our anatomy ultrasound yesterday morning. Our baby girl is about 6 inches from head to rump and weighs 8 ounces; half a foot & half a pound. The heart was beating evenly at 139 beats per minute, which is normal. They took snap shots of all the babies organs to send to radiology for review. While the nurse was pushing on the uterus trying to get a good picture the baby was fighting back by pushing back with her hands a feet.

17 weeks

2007-11-24T11:58:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

Happy Thanksgiving! Sorry about the late post again. I was really busy at work trying to get a few things completed before the Holiday. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our friends Lindsay and Bryan and her family in the Woodlands (1 hour North of our house). As an early Christmas present to Lindsay and Bryan, Bryan's parent bought them a Nintendo Wii. They brought it to share with everyone. It was really fun and easy to play. I like how you can create your own person and really make it look like you.

Tim had to work yesterday(Friday) and today (Saturday). I have been busy straightening up the house and starting to put up the Christmas decorations. I finished the inside stuff yesterday, but I still have a box full of outside lights to hang. The weather has been really bad the last couple of days. The temperature dropped over 30 degrees Wednesday night and Thanksgiving through Sunday it is only supposed to be a high of 50. Then by next Wednesday, we will be back into the mid 70's. This time of year the weather changes drastically from week to week depending on what fronts are moving through. Today it has been thunder storming all morning and it is supposed to continue all day today and tomorrow. Tomorrow night we are planning on going downtown to a Kelly Clarkson concert. It is at a relatively nice place with no smoking. It should be a good date night.
I have been feeling generally pretty well. The baby is now about 5 to 5 1/2 inches from head to rump. I can feel the baby moving more and more every day. On Monday we go in for an ultrasound. Hopefully we will get a good look at whether it is a boy or a girl. Tim's mom, Debbie, is planning to throw us a baby shower in Michigan either Saturday Feb 2nd or 9th. We should have the date narrowed down next week. Hope all is well. Love,

16 Weeks

2007-11-13T18:58:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

Tim and I had a fairly productive weekend. We decided to go through our closet and get rid of all clothes we really don't wear or don't fit into anymore. We had 3 large garbage bags of clothes and 1 large garbage bag of shoes! I was quite sad to see a few things go...like my prom dress and other dresses I had worn for special occasions. We donated everything to a local charity so hopefully someone will get good use out of them. We (Tim) also JB welded the mailbox back together. Someone hit it pretty hard and broke off the side into a couple pieces. I think it was the mailman. She gets easily distracted trying to pullout the next batch of mail and drive at record speed from mailbox to mailbox. We also ran some errands and picked up a new throw and few pillows for the living area.

I am feeling fine. The baby is about 4 1/2 to 5 inches long. I am starting to show enough now that it looks like I am pregnant. We tried to take some pictures this weekend, but the digital camera has been acting up. I hope it is just that the batteries are getting worn out. I can actually see my belly change shape as the baby moves; usually first thing in the morning. Our next appointment is the Monday after Thanksgiving.

15 weeks

2007-11-09T21:13:00.000-06:00

Hi Everyone,

Sorry about the late post. I have been really busy this week. The Space Shuttle landed safely on Wednesday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I had a doctor's appointment this morning. It was the shortest doctor's appointment I have ever had. I was in and out in less than 20 minutes. I was able to hear the babies heart beat at this visit. It took the Doctor a minute or so to find it. It seemed like forever! The heart beat was normal and I seem to be progressing along just fine. The doctor said I should be able to start feeling the baby move anytime now. I called Tim on my way home from work last night because I believe I was actually feeling the butterfly movements of the baby for the first time. It lasted for over five minutes. I described it to the Doctor and he said it probably was the baby moving. I can't wait to find out the sex of the baby in 17 days, Monday the 26th. Hope everyone is doing well.

Love,

14 Weeks

2007-10-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween,

It is the start of the 2nd Trimester this week. This is when all the books say I am supposed to feel like a new energized women. Well have to see... So far I have gained 5 pounds and 2 inches at the fattest part of my abdomen. I am supposed to continue gaining approximately 1 pound a week until the last few weeks of the pregnancy when I really shouldn't be gaining anything. I have been generally feeling fine. My schedule has been a little out of whack because of the Space Shuttle Mission I have been supporting for work. Some mornings I have to be at work by 6am and some days I have to stay pretty late. I can't wait to get myself back on a normal schedule. The mission was extended one day so far and will be landing on November 7th. Astronauts were extending a solar array on the space station when it got tangled/caught and took a fairly large tear. Discussions are still being made on how the Orbiter can help get the station into a better configuration.

The baby is about 31/2 to 4 inches long. The basic structures of the body have been formed. You can read more details about the baby here. I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween. We are expecting quite a few trick-or-treaters at the house this year. We bought the candy a little too early; I hope we have enough left for the kids!

Love,

13 Weeks

2007-10-22T19:34:00.001-05:00

Hello everybody,

Jenny is making me write the blog this week. We have finally tackled some of the stuff off of the never ending to do list. The garage was fixed this past weekend, the one the neighbor crashed into with her car. That only took 3 months for the insurance to o.k. the repair and a day to fix the garage. At least its fixed. We had a home phone connected this week, and the installer is coming back to wire cable t.v. into the bedrooms as a side job.

We watched a lot of football this weekend since we both had the weekend off. Sunday night I went down town to the Meridian to see Gregg Allman and his band. They were really good. My guitar teacher went too. I really like the no smoking in clubs where alcohol/food is sold. They have to go outside for that. Being able to breath and not smell like an ashtray when you leave is really nice.

Jenny has been really busy getting ready for the launch tomorrow. She doesn't have to work the night shift but she will still be home at midnight. She has been feeling o.k. but still has waves of nausea. The baby is growing like crazy. It looks like a little person in there. Its about 3 inches long and has formed it's fingerprints now. Our next appointment is the big one, we get to find out if it's a boy or girl, were pretty excited to find out the sex.

Love,

12 Weeks

2007-10-16T12:38:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

We had our 2nd Doctor's appointment this past Friday. It was so awesome. We had an ultrasound to measure the babies spine. She said the baby was 53mm about 2 and 1/8 inches from butt to head and its developement was measuring for a slightly older baby...meaning its possible I could have a bigger baby. What are the chances of that! I mean, Jacquie, Michael, Lauren, and Michelle were only 9 and 10 lbs babies. :) From part 1 of the 3 step process they used to determine whether the baby is healthy, we are measuring healthly. We have the second part of the process, a blood test on the 9th of November and the 3rd part, the next ultrasound on Monday November, 26th. We should be able to tell the sex of the baby at that scan. The baby cooperated very nicely for its pictures. Below is a small clip we took of the babies movements. It was waving its right hand like crazy and streching out. You can even see it push off with its little feet.

Some other pictures we snapped are below.

Here the baby has turned to look at us...you can see the eye sockets...scary! Until next week...

11 Weeks

2007-10-08T22:15:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

We are still doing good. It is getting harder to get up in the morning for work because it is so dark outside so much later and I feel like I could sleep for ages. The baby now measures a little more than 1 and 1/2 inches long and weighs about quarter of an ounce. (1/2 of a large paper clip). Some of its bones are beginning to harden, and tiny tooth buds are starting to appear under its gums. The baby's fingers and toes have separated, and it may soon be able to open and close its fists. The baby's already busy kicking and stretching. Because it is still so small, I can't feel any of its workouts. The books say I probably won't be able to feel the baby's movements for another month or so. We are looking forward to our doctors appointment on Friday. They will measure the spine and we will get to hear the baby’s heart beat. Hopefully we will have some new ultrasound pictures to post next week.

Love,

10 Weeks

2007-10-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

Hi all,

Well nothing too exciting happened this past week except for the fact that I still feel pretty good. I forgot to mention, that when I was back in Michigan the other week, I chopped a little more than 10 inches of my hair off. Yes, I did actually take a ruler and measure it :) It feels really good to have it out of the way. Friday I went to a Halo 3 party with some friends from work. I think they invited me because "everybody likes a lamb for the slaughter, except for maybe the lamb, but who cares about the lamb." At least thats what they told me after I came in last place every time. They were sorry though when we played teams and I actually was killing people, too bad they were my own team mates :) Tim didn't share in my fun though. He went to see Alice in Chains and Velvet Revolver with some guys from work on the other side of Houston.

When I am not catching up on my Z's, I have been reading the pregnancy books Danelle and Renee have so graciously let me borrow. I have made it halfway through my stack. Tim on the other hand hasn't bent a page... at least that I can tell. He promises me he will get the reading done...whats the hurry he says... you're reading it and you can tell me. We will see... I've started to look into all the kinds of pregnancy/birthing/and baby care classes that the hospital offers. Depending on the times, I hope to sign Tim and me up for as many as possible. I hope all is going well. Love,

9 Weeks

2007-09-25T21:03:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

I had a really nice time in Michigan this last weekend. It felt so good to share the news with our family and friends. I was really feeling bad last week, I think it was the worst yet. I was nauseous from the moment my bladder woke me up in the morning until I managed to get my uncomfortable body to sleep at night. I was really worried about making it through the flight to Michigan on Friday, but then a miracle happened. I woke up and actually felt pretty good, still a little nervous/excited about seeing everyone, but generally feeling 'normal'.

I am so glad I was able to make plans to come last minute and see everyone. I had a nice lunch in Royal Oak with Jacquie...sorry I couldn't taste the wine :) I went to see both Lauren and Michelle play soccer, (they both won). I surprised Tim's family that I was in town and went with them to our friends Jay and Heather's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. On Sunday, my Dad took Mom, me, and Michelle sailing at Kensington. It was quite relaxing except for the musical seats we played to turn the boat around :) All in all it was a great trip. It was nice to see the leaves changing and feel the cooler fall air. When I returned home to Houston the heat index was pushing 100 and the only leaves turning color(brown) were the dead ones from lack of water.

Love,

8 Weeks

2007-09-17T19:16:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

We had an exciting first prenatal doctors appointment on Friday. We didn't know we were going to have an ultrasound, but they said they wanted to see if we were having multiple babies. Only one baby...whew. It was really neat to see the heart beating so fast. At first it just looked like a wiggling blob, but then the doctor pointed out the heart. Tim said he thought it looked like a gigantic tooth! On Friday the baby was 13mm from the rump to the head and by the time we come back for our next appointment in 4 weeks, he said the baby will be the size of an apple. The doctor said we are right on track. Giving 5 large test tubes of blood was really painful for me, since I really, really don't like needles, but I guess they need it to run all kind of tests to monitor mine and the baby's health. We will have another ultra sound in October to measure the spinal cord and possible determine the sex of the baby.

I am now fully enjoying the full on slot of pregnancy symptoms. It has been really hard this past week; especially at work. I thought I was going to be lucky and not experience the nausea/stomach ache part. Tim already has had to pick up some of my slack at home. I could only cut half the yard on Saturday before needing a lengthly(rest of the weekend) rest. I plan to fly home this weekend and spend some time with the family, especially Lauren, and let them in on our little secret. I can't wait to share the news. The baby is due April 29th, 2008.

Love,

7 Weeks

2007-09-11T21:19:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

All is well. Tim and I have been picking up around the house and taking care of those "piles to do later." We had a contractor come out to the house to give us an estimate to fix our garage. A few weeks back the neighbors across the street lost control of their vehicle and it rolled across the street, up our steep driveway and rammed the third car garage, breaking bricks and a piece of the foundation off. We weren't really expecting to have to deal with something like this.

We are looking forward to our first doctors appointment on Friday. Right now the baby is the size of a bulging raspberry at about a half an inch long. Both hemispheres of the brain are developing and it is moving its webbed fingers and toes to wiggle around.

With Love,

6 Weeks

2007-09-03T20:54:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Tim and I both had today off work for Labor Day. It was nice to take the day and just relax together. It has been raining here the last few days, almost non-stop. The new bright white sections of the driveway have been poured; they covered it with a tarp leaving an interesting design in the new pavement.

Tim and I are doing well. We filled out the genetic history questionnaire from our doctor today. It was really hard to talk to the family about it without letting them know we were pregnant already…so exciting. We started researching baby cribs online this past week and made a trip to Target and Babies R Us to take a look at at few models.

The baby is now the size of a lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters) and its tiny heart is now beating. It is starting to build muscle fibers and by the end of the week will likely start moving its tiny limbs. We are counting down the days to our first prenatal doctors appointment next week.

Love,

5 Weeks

2007-08-27T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hi Everybody,

Tim and I are doing great. We just had two sections of the driveway removed by the home builder today. They were in really bad shape; cracked all the way across and oozing rusty liquid. The builders should be returning in the near future to pour new cement.

This week the baby is about the size of a sesame seed! Really tiny, but the brain is beginning to grow. I am still feeling fine, just a little more tired than usual. It is really hard to keep this a secret.

Love,

4 Weeks

2007-08-20T19:05:00.000-05:00

Great News! This week Tim and I found out we are pregnant!!!!

This was definitely planned…our first try. We are thrilled that it happened so quickly. We are waiting to tell the family until after our first prenatal doctors appointment on Friday, September 14^th(at almost 8 weeks). We can’t wait to share this exciting news with everyone.

Right now I am feeling fine. I am just a little more tired than usual and I am having to empty my bladder what seems like every hour or so; even in the middle of the night! Tim and I are thinking of switching sides in the bed so I don't have to walk around the room in the dark.

We are going to try to post weekly to keep everyone up-to-date on how the family is doing.

Love,

Wedding Photos!

2007-08-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

Our wedding photos have just been loaded on-line at www.pictage.com. To view our pictures type in our names, Jennifer and Tim or the event # 348994. I think their are some really great ones. We have a DVD of all the images so let us know if you want us to burn you a copy. We still have to develop pictures from the honeymoon. We will try to post those on-line too.

Love,

We're Married!

2007-07-31T19:31:00.000-05:00

Well, Tim and I finally got married on Friday July 6, 2007. We really enjoyed having our friends and family in town for the wedding. The activities started Saturday night with a guy’s night out at the Firehouse downtown to see Stoney Larue. On the fourth of July we caravanned over to watch three sets of firework shows from the Boeing building on Clearlake. Thursday the guys had an early morning out in Galveston Bay fishing for anything they could catch! The girls relaxed at the house and tried on their dresses and practiced their hairstyles. That evening was the dress rehearsal at Bay Oaks Country Club followed by the Rehearsal Dinner at Babin's Seafood on the Kemah Boardwalk. Friday was a 'Survivor Man' marathon for the guys over at the hotel while all the girls went and had manicures, pedicures, and their hair done. Thank you so much to Trina and Daena for all their help in getting me and the girls beautified for the occasion. The wedding ceremony and reception went by so quickly that evening. The best man and maid of honor speeches brought tears to our eyes. We love you two! Saturday we had our friends a family over for barbeque and swim at the house. Thank goodness it stopped raining for a while. Tim and I are so happy to have shared this special moment in our lives with our close family and friends. Pictures from the wedding should be available on-line within the next week.