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10 weeks  

Posted by: Jenna





The past few weeks have been rough! A lot has happened. I quit breastfeeding because Greenlee was having horrible stomach issues, plus she has reflux. So, we now have her on formula which is working wonders for her tummy. It was a tough and sad decision to stop giving her breast milk, but I feel like it was the right decision Ever since we put her on the formula she has been sleeping 10-11 hours at night which is awesome.


We've also had to have several appointments with the endocrinologist concerning Greenlee's thyroid condition. The last time they had to do an xray on her hand to check her bone age and make sure her growth wasn't behind. Everytime we go to the specialist we always have to get her blood drawn beforehand...which is an absolutely terrible experience. The last time we went they stuck her 3 times in 3 different veins, blew out one of her veins, and were still unable to get her blood drawn so we had to go back. I have never seen Greenlee cry that much. It was absolutely awful. The very next day I accidentally cut Greenlee's finger open while trying to clip her nails. It looked deep but didn't bleed very much so we didn't take her to the doctor. It was still traumatic for both of us, though!

It's also been a challenge trying to go back to work while still caring for Greenlee. The hardest part so far has been trying to get her into a routine. Once she started sleeping longer at night she was not wanting to nap very much during the day, which makes things difficult. Also, the doctor wanted us to move her from a 3 hour schedule to a 4 hour schedule once she went on formula. That has been an extreme challenge because she still seems hungry after 3 hours even though the formula is supposed to keep her full for longer. So, we still have not made the transition yet to a 4hr schedule.

On the bright side, we are just so happy Greenlee is sleeping through the night...that's probably the best thing that has happened in the past 10 weeks. Also, Josiah is finally done with his school semester so we can all breathe a big sigh of relief and enjoy the holidays together in Florida. Here are some pictures of Greenlee at 10 weeks. Sorry they are so small-- they are from my cell phone :) She is now 11 pounds, 11 ounces and 22.5 inches long.

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7 Weeks Old  

Posted by: Jenna

After church hanging in my bouncy seat
Her favorite sleep spot
Just after we bought her this bouncy seat-- she LOVES it!
After baby dedication at church
Just swinging with my owl


Greenlee is 7 weeks old today-- I can't believe it! Time sure flies when you're having fun-- or sleep deprived...either way. At her 1 month check-up Greenlee weighed 9lbs 1oz, and last Thursday at her appointment with the endocrinologist she weighed 10lbs 8oz...whoa chubba wubba!

She is doing great with Babywise and we have her on a pretty tight eat,wake,sleep schedule. Nights have progressively been getting better as well. She is averaging anywhere from 4.5 to 6 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night-- typically only waking once to eat. For example, she usually falls asleep around 9pm, then I wake her up at 10:30pm to feed her and she goes right back to sleep until 4 or 5am, then she eats, and goes back down until 8 or 8:30am when we start our day. This has been incredible for Josiah and I...it's nice to have some sleep again! We weren't really seeing any nighttime improvement until I started exclusively pumping all of my milk. We realized Greenlee wasn't sleeping like she should be because she wasn't getting enough milk through nursing...so now we know exactly how much milk she gets when we give her a bottle and she has done SO much better at night.

I started my job yesterday and Josiah is wrapping up his semester of school-- so things are a little hectic around our house. Only 1 more semester until Josiah graduates...yay! We're so excited!

Here are some recent pictures...Enjoy!


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Catching Up...  

Posted by: Jenna


Greenlee loves her cloth diapers :)




My first bath!
family trip to Huber's Farm



I know it's been a while since I've updated the blog, but I've been a little distracted to say the least. Greenlee has been requiring every last bit of my time and energy! She is now 4 weeks old and growing like a weed-- she weighs around 8 pounds now I think. I go back to work next week so we have really been cracking the whip on her-- trying to get a day/night routine down. The first few weeks were absolutely horrible as far as the nights went. But, last week we started strictly enforcing the principles of Babywise and we have seen a huge difference in Greenlee's nighttime sleep schedule. We also introduced the crib to her last week and it's been going awesome so far. Strangely enough, she does better sleeping in it at night so far. I've posted some pictures of Greenlee since birth...in no particular order. Enjoy!

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Our Sweet Pea is Finally Here!!  

Posted by: Jenna

Well, after 10 long months of waiting, our precious little girl has finally made her debut into the world! Let me just say that we are totally and utterly in love with her! She is just the sweetest little thing. Anyways, here is how it all went down:


On Tuesday morning we checked into the hospital at 6am to be induced. It took about an hour or so for them to get my medical history and set everything up. Around 7:30 or 8 they started the pitocin and I was 3cm dilated. At 9:30 the doctor came in and I was still 3cm, so she broke my water. About an hour later the contractions were getting pretty bad so I got the epidural. At that point I was 4cm. I still hadn't experienced much pain at this point-- the worst thing was actually getting the epidural during the contractions. But still, it wasn't that bad at all. Around 12:30 the nurse checked me again and I was 4.5cm dilated. Over all, they thought I should be progressing a little faster so two hours later the doctor came in to talk to us about possibly going off of the pitocin and laboring down a little on my own. Before she could give us the details, she checked me and was like "Umm, you will never believe this but there is a head down there, your baby is crowning, and you're like over 10cm dilated!" Josiah was on his laptop doing some things for work and was like "WHAT!?" Yes, it was time to start pushing...we were having this baby NOW!

So, everyone scrambled around the room to get things set up for the delivery...Josiah and I were laughing together because we couldn't believe it was all happening so fast. The nurse told me to stop laughing because the baby's head kept coming out every time...haha!

Twenty minutes later everything was set up, the doctor came in, and in 3 pushes she was born! From start to finish my labor was 7 hours-- I could not have asked for a better labor and delivery...and if every one of mine ends up being this spectacular I will probably have 10 kids! The recovery has also been awesome so far. I was a little sore the first and second day, but I feel great now.

We are so thankful to all of those who prayed for a safe delivery-- God heard those prayers and He was so faithful in answering. Here are a few pictures of our sweet pea-- we love her SOOO much!




Greenlee Reese: Born October 5th at 2:53pm. 7lbs 9oz and absolutely perfect!


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This Is It!  

Posted by: Jenna

Well, I thought I would do a final post before we go in to be induced tomorrow morning. It is so crazy that this is my last day being pregnant. We enjoyed our last weekend of "just us"-- mainly we just relaxed, did some cleaning, laundry, went out to eat, etc. It was nice. We also watched our favorite show together last night at my parent's house. After the episode Josiah said, "Do you think Greenlee will behave when we bring her here next weekend to watch our show?" It was such a surreal thought that next weekend our weekly tradition of watching this show at my parent's house would include bringing our baby with us!


I think knowing when your baby will be born has it's pros and cons. It's nice to be able to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally, but it can also cause a lot of anxiety. It's also nice to be able to prepare the house, get the laundry done, grocery shop, etc...but once again, waiting for the induction date to arrive can be nerve-wrecking. It gives your imagination too much time to run wild! Overall, we are happy with our decision to induce. It has helped us to appreciate our last moments together just the two of us and to make the most of our time together. It has also allowed us to plan and prepare as much as possible. Most of all, it will allow me to spend as much time with Greenlee at home as possible until I start my new job. That was my main reason for wanting to induce. I knew I had to start my job around the first week of November and I was worried if we waited for Greenlee to come on her own I may only get 2 or 3 weeks with her-- that just wasn't enough time.

Anyways, we are so ready to FINALLY meet our little girl tomorrow. It's crazy that in 24 hours our lives will be forever changed. I think we are ready, though. Although, I am very glad God gives parents 9 months to prepare for this! Please continue to pray with us for a healthy baby girl and a safe delivery. The next post I write will be all pictures of Greenlee...yay!

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38 Weeks  

Posted by: Jenna

This will be a pictureless, short, and sweet post. Just wanted to post an update after my doctor appointment this morning. No changes from last week-- I'm still around 3cm dilated and 60% effaced. So, the doctor is allowing me to be induced on October 5th, which is a week from today. Ideally, we would like for Greenlee to come on her own, but since I have to start my new job in 5 weeks I want as much time with her as possible, so October 5th it is! Who knows, maybe she will decide to come before then. Either way, we are so excited to meet her and I can't believe this is our last week "alone." Please pray with us this week for a safe delivery and healthy baby girl :)

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Answered Prayer  

Posted by: Jenna

For those of you who know me well, you know I have been looking for a job in my field (social work) for many many months now. The whole reason I went back to college 3 years ago was to work as an adoption case worker. Little did I know back then how difficult it would be to "break into the field" after I graduated. Adoption is a very competitive field because it is the "happy side" of social work. In addition, most agencies will not hire you unless you have previous experience with adoptions or if you have gone through the adoption process yourself. Long before graduation I began calling all over Louisville and the surrounding areas asking if agencies were hiring. I sent out my resume countless times and made so many phone calls over the period of 2 years.


This past April, I happened to send my resume out to a certain local Christian agency. I had actually contacted them two years before and they were not at a place where they could hire anymore people at the time. Well, I got an email back saying they were looking for an additional case worker and would be starting the interview process within the next few weeks. So, I went in for an interview at the beginning of May-- I was so nervous because I was 17 weeks pregnant and afraid they would rule me out immediately because of the pregnancy. Days and weeks went by with no word-- I was worried they had found someone else for the job. I had even seen the job posted in the newspaper over the summer, which convinced me that they had probably found someone else. Amazingly, three months later, I got an email from the agency asking me to come in for a second interview. I was floored! I began earnestly praying for this job. But, I was also at peace if the Lord had someone else besides me He wanted for the position.

At the end of August I went in for my second interview. It went really well, but I was concerned because they were wanting to hire someone right around the time Greenlee was due. I prayed that God would work out all of those details if this really was the job for me.

Well, the Lord did just that! I am happy to share with you that I have been officially hired by the agency to be the new part-time adoption case worker! They are giving me 4 weeks maternity leave, which is so incredible. I am so relieved that I won't have to be stressed about trying to balance a new job AND a new baby right away.

Due to the fact that this blog is completely public and anyone can read it, I haven't mentioned the name of the agency. But, I will say that it is a Christian agency based out of St. Louis, MO. They do both international and domestic adoptions. They can do adoptions from any state except New York, so if you or anyone you know is interested in adopting from a Christian agency, please contact me.

Adoption is such a passion of mine and this is truly my dream job. The fact that it is part-time and I can predominantly work from home is such a blessing. I get to spend the majority of my time with my little girl, yet still do work that I am passionate about and make an impact for Christ. I couldn't ask for more...my cup runneth over. I am so humbled that God would find me worthy for such a task.

James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

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Baby Belly Tribute  

Posted by: Jenna

As my pregnancy comes to a close, I thought it would be fun to post pictures of my belly from the past 9 months. Sometimes it's hard to see the changes your body undergoes during pregnancy because it is such a gradual process. It's like one day you wake up and you are pregnant and you wonder when you will start "showing." Then out of no where you are lugging this huge bowling ball around and people are asking if you're carrying twins! It's seriously a crazy but miraculous process. So, here is my tribute to my ever growing baby belly :)


February 1st, 2010-- PREGNANT!
5 weeks-- can't believe my stomach was ever that flat


9 weeks
15 weeks
18 weeks
22 weeks
24 weeks
27 weeks
30 weeks
32 weeks
36 weeks
37 weeks-- full capacity!



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36 Weeks *UPDATED*  

Posted by: Jenna



Here are a few 36 week pics. I'll post an actual update tomorrow after my doctor's appointment. Last week I was 1cm dilated and my cervix was thinned quite significantly. We'll see what they say in the morning!

So I had my doctor's appt this morning and we are making more progress...praise the Lord! I'm so thankful my body is already preparing for Greenlee's birth because I know it will make my labor that much smoother :) Currently, we are 60% into the effacement process and 1.5cm dilated. Once you get to 100% and 4cm, active labor is imminent! Josiah and I are so excited. We were just saying today how exciting it is to be so utterly out of control of something SO huge! The doctor said she thinks I'll go into labor around 38 or 39 weeks, but we'll see. I really hope she hangs in there until October 1st because I would love for her birthday to be in October :) Obviously, these are petty thoughts and we know ultimately the Lord knows exactly when she will be born. Until then, we are continuing to enjoy our last days together just the two of us.

On the to-do list this week: hang the paintings my friend Jennifer made for G's room and hit up Sam's to stock up on all the essentials for the next few weeks.

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35 Week Update  

Posted by: Jenna in

Ok, I know I cheated by giving you this generic picture and not something from our own personal collection, but honestly we haven't taken any pictures in weeks! This picture is way cooler than any I could have posted-- look how big Greenlee is getting! At 35 weeks she weighs 5 1/2 pounds and it around 20 inches long! Only 2 more weeks until we are full-term and ready for some action to begin. Speaking of which, I've been having tons of Braxton Hicks contractions the past few days so I am eager for my doctor's appointment tomorrow morning to see if any progress is starting to be made. I have a feeling she might come a little early.Time is starting to really creep by now that we are in the home stretch. Greenlee's arrival seems so close, yet so far away and I have mixed emotions about the whole thing. As much as I cannot wait to hold her and have her here, I also love the time Josiah and I have together just the two of us. I'm not ready for that part to end-- but I'm definitely ready to be done being pregnant.


For instance, I'm ready to wear normal clothes again, to be able to put my pants on without losing my balance, to shave my legs without it taking an hour, to drink as much coffee as I please, to stop taking nasty Flintstone vitamins, to not be tired all the time, etc etc etc--I would go on but I don't want to seem whiney. Ultimately, I know all of these things are just a normal part of the process of bringing our sweet little girl into the world.

Last week was my last week of nannying, so now I am just doing the quilt shop and working some for my dad's business. It will be nice to start taking it easy and be able to relax these last few weeks.

Josiah started his fall semester at UofL 2 weeks ago. He is working overtime to put in lots of hours studying so he can be ahead by the time Greenlee is here and be able to focus his energy towards us.

This month we have been trying to plan some fun things to do on the weekends to help pass the time and give us something to look forward to each weekend. So far we have about 3 or 4 craft fairs lined up, which I'm super excited about!

I think that's about all that is going on with us. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!

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Happy Birthday!  

Posted by: Jenna

Today is Josiah's 27th birthday! This is actually the 3rd birthday I've gotten to spend with Josiah. The first time I met him was actually the day after his 25th birthday, then of course last year, and this year :) I can't put into words how incredibly thankful I am for Josiah's life and that I get to share it with him! He is better than anything I could have ever dreamed of for a husband. He takes care of me, works 2 jobs to provide for me, always puts me first, sacrifices for me, shares with me, dreams with me, and loves me for ME-- probably more than anyone else could ever love me-- unconditionally! He is also one of the most selfless people I know. On top of all those qualities-- he is a HOTTIE, such a beautiful human being! I'm madly in love with him and even after two years I LOVE spending every second with him. I never get tired of spending quality time with my precious husband. Happy Birthday to my best friend and the love of my life!


p.s. this is a picture from Josiah's 26th birthday last year. We are going to Havana Rumba tomorrow night to celebrate. I'll try to take pictures. I made him a cookie cake last night but we already ate half of it...haha.

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Little Treasures  

Posted by: Jenna in

Tonight was the opening night for the much anticipated Little Treasures consignment sale. It's this ginormous baby/kids sale that only happens twice a year. I think something like 700 local families consign their stuff at this one event. I have been pre-registered for the sale for the past two months and was super excited about going! I went to the bank today and got a huge load of cash because I wasn't sure if they would take credit cards or whatnot. Plus, I thought I'd end up buying tons of stuff. Amazingly enough, I was there for an hour and just couldn't take the madness anymore. I got exactly what I went for-- nothing more, nothing less and spent $44 total. The place was a zoo-- there were pregnant ladies everywhere I turned. The line was a mile long just to get in the door! It was seriously crazy. But, once I got in there I realized why-- the place was a gold mine. There was literally everything there you could possibly need for your child and the prices were KILLER! I got a like-new Baby Bjorn carrier, Baby Trend Snap-n-Go stroller, Boppy nursing pillow w/extra cover, and a bottle drying rack for $44. The only things I wanted that I couldn't find were an extra Chicco carseat base and a decent umbrella stroller. Also, I just didn't have the patience to sort through all the clothes and toys, but I plan on going to the next sale in February when Greenlee will be here and I'll have a better idea of what she needs. All in all, if you love consignment sales, flea markets, etc-- you would LOVE Little Treasures. It's the mecca of consignment sales. The best part is that it is well organized, everything is in great condition, the prices are incredible, and they take cash/check/or credit! It will be open to the public for the rest of the week I think and is taking place at Hoops off Blankenbaker Pkwy. Happy Shopping!

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32 weeks!  

Posted by: Jenna in

Well, here we are at 32 weeks livin' large as always :) I won't tell you the exact number of pounds I've gained but let's just say it's over 30, but under 50!! I actually weigh more than my husband right now which is pretty embarrassing. But, I have decided not to worry about it because it's all in the name of growing a healthy little girl-- who, by the way, is not so little anymore! Greenlee weighs around 4 pounds this week and the doctor said she is growing like a weed. She is finally in the head-down position so my ribs are experiencing much-needed relief! Now I just feel little feet under my ribs, but that is much better than a head or a butt!

Here is the bare belly photo-- I thought I'd throw that up here just to show how big my belly has gotten in the past few weeks! Everyone says I am carrying super high-- what do you think?

I started packing my hospital bag. I have the necessities packed, just holding out to pack the cameras, makeup, snacks, etc. Plus, we literally live 2 miles from the hospital so if we forget something, it's no big deal at all. We also set up the swing and installed the carseat.

Only 54 days to go at the most!! We can't wait to meet our darling little girl!!

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Precious Gift  

Posted by: Jenna

One of our dear friends, Lisa, who was actually my favorite english teacher in high school, sent us this precious precious handmade blanket for Greenlee. I cherish this sweet blanket and have already hung it over her crib rail. Greenlee is blessed to have Mrs. Lisa in her life! Thank you for taking the time to make her something so special that she will have for years to come.

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New Projects  

Posted by: Jenna

Here are a few of my latest sewing projects. It's become such a fun hobby for me these last few weeks and I am absolutely loving my job at the quilt shop!

Thanks to my sweet friend Holly, my newest project is a quilt for Miss Greenlee. This is what I've done so far. I still have to put all the pieces together, sew on the inner and outer border, and put a back on the quilt. Hopefully, I'll get it all done before she's born. It's going to be so beautiful!
The table napkins I made for my sister-in-law's birthday. She really liked them!

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30 weeks, Anniversary, and New Hobby!  

Posted by: Jenna in ,

Here is a picture of me at 30 weeks pregnant. Somehow I don't look as huge in this picture as I actually am in real life. My belly is seriously getting REALLY big. A lady stopped me the other day and asked when I was due. I told her October. She just looked at me with this terrible face and said, "you poor thing, I hope that baby comes early for your sake." Thanks, lady, for reinforcing how huge I am-- as if I needed a reminder...ha. This week Greenlee weighs almost 3 lbs. The doctor said she is measuring average and if she maintains this growth rate she will weigh around 7.5lbs at birth. I'm starting to get really uncomfortable in this stage of pregnancy. Greenlee is still in the breech position and her head/butt are constantly lodged under my rib cage-- which is extremely painful and causes me to have a lot of back problems as well. Obviously, she is worth it though :) My doctor said they will induce me up to a week before my due date if I choose (and my cervix is favorable-- whatever that means). I'm thinking that sounds incredible! For now, I'm just praying she decides to make her debut not too late, but not too early-- 37 weeks would be incredible! On the pregnancy to-do list this month is: finish decorating her room and packing the hospital bag.
For our anniversary, Josiah and I went to Nashville for the weekend. Nashville is probably one of our favorite cities. We went to dinner at Flemings Steakhouse on Saturday night and then went to this place called Sambuca for some live music afterwards. On Sunday we went to a water park all day, then just relaxed in the hotel that evening. Monday we did some shopping and then headed home to Louisville. It was a great weekend of reflection over the past year of our marriage and just enjoying spending time together-- away from work, school, etc. I'm so thankful God has given me Josiah-- he is more than I could have ever dreamed or hoped for in a husband. This past year has without a doubt been the best of my entire life!


Sadly, the only picture we took of ourselves in Nashville. I'm not to keen on having pictures taken of myself these days, as I often end up looking like a double wide trailer.
Anniversary flowers I woke up to on Saturday morning. Josiah also gave me the sweetest card and a gift card to Chick-Fil-A...my favorite place!
The cake we got from the baker who did our wedding cake (Tinker's Cake Shop in Lexington, KY). It was a replica of the one we had for our wedding. Best of all, it was free and absolutely delish! The inside was carrot flavored-- YUMMY! I think I pretty much ate the entire cake by myself (over the course of 3 days...ha).

So, last week the Lord answered a prayer of mine that has been on the "list" for a long time now...I found another part-time job! In addition to my nanny job, I'm now working part-time at a quilt shop and I absolutely love it! I work in the office so I don't have to be on my feet which is such a blessing...and the owner is kind enough to let me make my own schedule. Best of all, I made a new friend-- the owner's daughter, Holly. She is such a sweetheart and has been teaching me how to sew after work each day! So far, we have made burp cloths and we are also working on a special project for a birthday gift. After we finish those, she is going to teach me how to make a quilt for Greenlee! I feel so blessed to have been given this job and also to have made a new friend out of it. God is so good and He even cares about the little details of our life :)

Here is a picture of the burp cloths we made:

Holly made the green one and I did the other two.





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