I'm back to work now...After taking 2-1/2 weeks off to spend time with Jaime and our new little one, McKenna. Jaime is still at home for another couple months and has her hands quite full from what it sounds like. I wish I could be there as well to see the new everything is that I'll most surely miss. I'm also sleeping in another room because McKenna wakes up every few hours for feeding or cranky time. I keep telling Jaime she has to nap when Jaime naps during the day, hopefully she'll get some rest after the schedule we're trying to establish takes hold!

Our new little bundle of joy is so cute. Even when she's screaming. Which lately has been a lot. We've found that when she screams and you blow on her face, she stops for a second and raises her eyebrows and squints her eyes and look right at you as if to say "What the ?" and then continues to fuss. It's quite cute.

We thought she had an eye infection or pink eye or something because her left eye was gunking up all the time and was really red. We also thought that she had a fever and was taking her temperature with 3 different thermometers every few minutes. Jaime called the doctor and they said it was a blocked tear duct, happens in about 80% of newborns and isn't serious at all, just to keep cleaning the gunk with a wet cloth. Now why couldn't they have told us that before we freaked out for 14 hours straight??? :) I have a feeling there will be many, many more instances like that.

One thing I have to say is thank God for digital cameras. I would be so broke and in debt if I had to pay to develop all of the pictures we've been taking of her.
As we do every year, Jaime is cooking Thanksgiving dinner for the family. Although this year instead of the entire extended McConnell/Probst family we're just going to have Jaime's mom, dad, sister and friend as well as Jaime, McKenna and I. There will be lots of food, and hopefully some naps as well. I get Thursday and Friday off work, and have now homework to do over the weekend so that should be nice.

We've seen a new dvd's lately Bewitched gets 2-1/2 diapers. Christmas with the Kranks gets 2-1/2 diapers. House of Wax gets 2-1/2 diapers. Land of the Dead gets 3 diapers (just because it was so campy but still made seriously, and it had a guest cameo by the Shaun of the Dead director and lead actor). Also, we finally finished the first season of Veronica Mars which gets 5 diapers.

That's it for now, keeping checking out nellnell.com for new baby pictures and other fun stuff. Also, I've added some more links to other friends sites. Check them out when you have time.
Hope all is well with you and yours, and have a great Thanksgiving!

A Play by Play

• Wednesday Night
• 11/2/05 11pm. Slight water leakage, Jaime says "I think my water just broke"
• Thursday Morning
• 11/3/05 12am. Larger water leakage, Jaime says "My water just broke"
• 12:15am. Contractions 4-5 minutes apart, although they are not painful. Called Dr. Steinberg (OB/GYN), their office gave us the go ahead to go to the hospital and get evaluated.
• 1:30am. Checked into Stevens Hospital, got a room assigned (#711). Jaime got "gowned" and had her vitals taken. She was hooked up to a monitor for her and the baby. Contractions 3-4 minutes apart, still not painful. Tried to sleep a little.
• 3:00am. Contractions starting to hurt, still 3-4 minutes apart.
• 4:30am. Contractions hurting A LOT. 2-3 minutes apart
• 6:45am. epidural installed and Jaime is examined. 5 cm dilated & 75% effaced.
• 8:00am. An adjustment to the epidural placement (it was only working on her left side). Got a little rest, not sleep necessarily, just peaceful napping.
• 9:40am. Catheter installed. Jaime doesn't seem to be in too much pain, looks like the epidural adjustment worked.
• 9:55am. Examined, 8-9 cm dilated. 95% effaced. Dr. Siscoe's (the on call delivery doctor) guess is that we'll be holding our new baby around noon!
• 10:42am. Examined, 9-10 cm dilated "Anterior Rim" (Whatever that means). Our nurse Amber said our baby has a "cute head". :)
• 11:28am. Examined, 10 cm dilated. "Ready to Go". We'll start pushing as soon as the anesthesiologist gives her more medicine, it's starting to hurt more.
• 11:40am. More epi. medicine and they gave Jaime some oxygen in preparation for pushing.
• 11:55am. Starting pushing with the contractions.
• 12:37pm. Still pushing, nurse said our baby's hair is dark brown or black.
• 1:00pm. Still pushing, Jaime is in a lot of pain. The baby is in the correct head down position and her head is turned correctly, but her shoulders are turned so that they are hitting Jaime inside and won't come through easily.
• 1:30pm. Jaime headbutts Mark because I'm invading her space while trying to comfort her. (More to follow from Jaime's point of view)
• 3:00pm. We've got a beautiful baby girl! Welcome to the world McKenna Gwen Beadnell!
• Lots of tests and exams and waiting and talking ensue. (All normal for the baby, Jaime still has trouble with her calf muscle on one of her legs from the epidural, and lots of pain)
• Friday Afternoon
• 11/4/05 4:00pm. Discharged and head for home to begin our new life as a family! Where do we pick up the Instructional Handbook...?

So if you're counting that's:

• 16 hours of labor after her first water breakage \or
• 12 hours of labor after it started to hurt \or
• 3 hours 5 min of intense pushing

Everyone at Stevens was very nice and helpful. Although we would of loved to have Dr. Steinberg deliver our little one, we were left in very capable and gentle hands with Dr. Siscoe. All of the nurses throughout our 37-1/2 hr stay were great. At times we had up to 6 attending to us at the same time! So, thank you very much Stevens and staff! We very much appreciate it.

She's here! Finally :) McKenna Gwen Beadnell arrived to us at 3pm on November the 3rd, 2005. She weighs 8 lbs, 15 oz and is 20 inches long. Has a full head of black hair and is as cute as can be. (My newborn can beat up your newborn!) Jaime is doing pretty good, she had a tough delivery (long) and now has Strep Throat as well. She's been trying to get her rest, and I've been trying to do all I can to make sure she gets her rest. There are some thing I just can't do however (breast feed), although sometimes when I'm burping McKenna, she doesn't realize this and tries anyway.

Getting used to waking up every few hours has been difficult for both of us...and the poop that comes out of her....OH MY! The first 10 or so was this dark dark black sticky tar...I was thinking of patching up some road out front of the house with it. For those of you that have had babies I'm sure this is not surprising, but OH MY!...now we're in to a lighter brown watery kind....easier to clean up, but it doesn't always stay in the diaper! OH MY! In the last 3 days since we've been home we've done about 10 loads of laundry already. Anyways....enough of the poop. (I've got more stories if you want to hear about it, that means you Jeff)

So all is well, even better than well...it would be perfect if Jaime was feeling better. We're just so happy that McKenna is here and she's healthy and beautiful and ours!

The next blog will be a breakdown of our time at the hospital.


Until next time.....
Love,
Mark, Jaime, and McKenna

Remember to check out more pictures at: http://www.nellnell.com

One word can describe the last few weeks....overwelming. I am slowly becoming one of those "Hermit People" you see on talk shows that stay at home, blinds drawn only to remove themselves from bed to eat or use the lav. If I had much longer to go I may require a Maury Povich intervention. Lucky for myself (and Mark) we only have a short time until little Nell Nell is here. I have officially forgotten what my feet look like and am starting to forget what my legs look like as well. I am assuming that if I do get post partum depression it could have a lot to do with seeing my thighs again for the first time in months (I hope they break me in easy with the mirrors) . I am truly excited for the moment labor starts and can honestly say I am not afraid at all (yet) about the labor process....so those of you who told me your horror stories about labor have failed at your task to shock and bewilder HA! Today we visited a wonderful daycare and I think it may be the one we choose when the time comes. It's alot like a prison enviroment...low lighting, high tech surveillance and a yard out back to exercise in for half an hour a day. Brilliant! The other great news is that two of our best pals have just announced they to are expecting a rugrat (set to land sometime in April 06) so baby girl will have a pal to play with when Mark & I go out with our pals too! Play dates in our future...all signs point to yes!

12-1/2 actual days to the "due date" to go. However, on our last doctors visit on Tuesday the doctor said she'd be surprised if we went that long. Jaime and I are keeping our fingers crossed! Jaime is having a lot of BraxtonHicks contractions and feels like she's ready to go any moment. Although I think the baby will have the last word on the when part. We've found a pediatrician for the little one that comes highly recommended and isn't taking new clients unless it's by referral....but we got in :) Still looking for a child care place and going over all of the possibilities. Jaime is working a little less at work, but is still very tired at the end of even her shortest day. She takes lots of naps, and drinks a lot of water. We take walks on our breaks at work which I think helps a little bit.
I've been pretty busy lately with work and school. The last few weekends I helped Jeff put the start of a shop in his garage. It's a similar setup to mine in the design of the counters. His garage is fairly finished with drywall, so it looks a lot cleaner. It should be a good setup for him.
We haven't watched many movies lately, but I am renting the entire 1st season of Veronica Mars with Kristen Bell. It's a great series. 4-1/2 Diapers
We're also hooked on ABC's LOST. (Me more than Jaime, I think) There are TONS of cool websites and theory boards out there...it's really got a lot more to it than just the surface of the show. It's a great mystery to try and solve before the next installment airs. A Strong 5 Diaper rating.
If you've been watching you might want to take a look at some of the following websites:
http://www.oceanic-air.com/ this is a great site with lots of hidden "easter eggs" to discover
http://www.oceanicflight815.com/
http://www.lost-forum.com/index.php this site has some pretty interesting theories
http://lost-media.com/
http://thelostnumbers.blogspot.com/ some people have WAY too much time on their hands
http://www.thehansofoundation.org/ putting the clues together one by one.
http://www.dharmaindustries.com/

Well, until next time

So Amy (from work) hosted a coworker shower for Jaime last night. I think all but 4 women showed up from work (I even went to see what it was all about). Once again, everyone was very gracious in their gift giving to us and the baby. Amy did an excellent job in organizing things (as always). They played a few games and ate lots of goodies. Kathy and Kimberly had a cake made with an edible ultrasound picture of the baby on it. It was pretty cool....(actual picture of the cake to follow). Our house now looks like a Babys R Us showroom!

Last weekend we installed a new toilet in our main bathroom (the other wasn't flushing wellmost of the time and was constantly running). Jaime bought it as her birthday present from her mom and dad (Thank you Rich and Marilyn) And it should save us some on the water bill because it's a lot more energy efficient.
Let me tell you, it's a kings throne :)

Last Friday Jaime and I went to see A History of Violence w/ Viggo Mortensen (aka Aragorn). It was a little slow moving at times, and in my opinion the acting was not so great in parts. I think this had a little to do with the directing and the pace of it. But it was a great premise and I really like Viggo. There wasn't much violence in the movie, but when there was....holy cow...they made it matter. All in all, an ok movie, worth a matinee or a rent. 3-1/2 diapers.
Until next time....

So Jaime and I ventured to the Puyuallup Fair to take in the cotton candy, animals, and of course the Brad Paisley/Sugarland concert. It was lots of fun, although there HAS to be a better way to do the parking and traffic control in that town, Geesh! We saw lots of animals (both human and the animal type), ate lots of foods that we probably shouldn't, and walked around a little more than normal. All in all a fun outing.
The concert was great, Sugarland was good and Brad Paisley was awesome. He's just such a great performer and really funny. If you've never listened to the lyrics to his songs you should give him a go. You'll never guess who showed up at the concert and sang a song with Brad....no.....no....William Shatner...that's right, Captain Kirk himself. It was pretty funny. I guess Brad Paisley did a guest spot on his latest album and they sang that song together at the concert.
For my latest movie review, I'd highly recommend Shaun of the Dead, giving it a 5 diaper rating. Not for the kids, as it is pretty gory with lots of cussing....but a hilarious campfest movie none the less. And for the kids, Because of Winn Dixie. It wasn't really well acted, nor was it one of the best movies I've seen, but it was entertaining, in a 'oh look at that dog smile' sort of way. I'd give it a 2 diaper rating. Dave Matthews played a bit part in it (he should stick to singing), and Annasophia Robb, most notably from this years Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, was pretty cute.
School started up for me last night, my last math class required for this degree! I just hope I can finish it with a half way decent grade and without being away from Jaime and the baby too much.
All in all, everything else is going fairly smoothly. Jaime is starting to feel a little more tired and run down, but the baby is moving around a lot and seems to be in good health from what everyone can tell.
Until next time~


"Babies have big heads and big eyes, and tiny little bodies with tiny little arms and legs. So did the aliens at Roswell! I rest my case." -William Shatner

So.... Jaime had her first baby shower and let me tell you, Baby NellNell is going to be spoiled! I went over to my brother Shawn's house for the day and when I came back there were presents lined up against the wall almost to the ceiling.... Lots of blankets, clothes, and hats, and most of the "big ticket" items like a highchair, stroller, playpen, etc. It was very, very nice of everyone to be so thoughtful and generous, and to know that our little one is and will be so loved by everyone. Jeni and KD (Sister and best friend, respectively) put the shower on and from what I hear did an excellent job. There was scrapbooking, in which family and friend attendees made a custom page addressed to the baby for a future scrapbook. They also played a guess the poo game, where diapers were passed around with melted candy bars in them and the attendees had to guess what kind of candy bar it was. All in all it turned out great and we hope that everyone had a good time and want to thank everyone involved for the gifts and attention. And we still have another baby shower in the near future that our friend Amy is putting together with co-workers!

As for everyday life, Jaime and I have completed our child preperation classes and a pediatric CPR certification class. Jaime's belly is getting bigger, she's ready for the little one to come out. The baby is getting longer and bigger, which is pressing on Jaime's lungs and innards, at times making it hard for her to breath and sleep....but I guess that's normal?! We're still waiting to win the lottery, keep your fingers crossed :) School starts up for me again this coming Tuesday, I'm just going to be taking one math class, hopefully it won't be too much with everything else going on. I'm also taking Jaime on a date to a Brad Paisley/Sugarland concert at the Puyullap Fair this Saturday. It should be pretty fun, probably one of the last real "dates" we''ll have in awhile!

We watched Crash last weekend, with Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon and, Sandra Bullock ....an exceptional movie! I'd highly recommend it. A 5 diaper rating!

Well, until next time....

Today is now my favorite day of the week! I have been given the green light at work to work only 7-11:30 every Wed until the baby so I now have time to do Dr appts, take naps & do some killer yoga moves. Our little one is already proving to be a little rascal and I am certain she will very athletic when she finally joins us on the outside as her hobbies already include rock climbing (up my rib cage) and kickboxing (in my bladder). The time seemed to go by so quickly in the first two trimesters, but now it seems we are in some strange vortex where each second is another eternity. I am so looking forward to seeing my feet again without attempting insurpassable feats to do so, and I can't even describe how much I am looking forward to even one night of decent sleep again. Mark has been a real sport through these long months and has dealt with his share of my lovely mood swings so I am certain he feels as ready for this baby to be born as I am. I just have to keep reminding myself that shes almost here...

3 Day Weekend! Oh...it's already over???! That went way too fast. Since we had this weekend off from our baby classes, Jaime and I spent the majority of our time slaving away at our house cleaning and doing some odd things that probably won't get done for a long time after the baby comes. We rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned all of the carpets in the house...spic and span....we figured it would be good for a new toddler! I finally painted the outside trim and touch ups on the new windows I put in the manroom. I installed a cat door in between the kitchen and man room so we can close off that room to the baby when she starts to wander. And Jaime did loads and loads of laundry and dishes and misc cleaning.
We also went to see Madagascar at the cheap theatres....I'd give it a 3 diaper rating....it was fairly funny, worth the cheap price but not necessarily worth the $9 regular price.
Oh yeah....and we watched Napoleon Dynamite again.....it just gets funnier every time I see it.

Until next time,
Mark

"Pedro offers you his protection."

We bought a car seat for the baby, and after hours of seatbelt extensions, straps, instruction booklets, and head scratching, I finally got it installed. (It really wasn't that hard after I understood it, call me an idiot) So we're ready for that baby now! We got a crib and a carseat, and diapers...everything else is just icing on the cake. .....So where's that baby at already?.....

Jaime and I had our 2nd baby class yesterday...watched a few birthing videos and practiced some more breathing techniques and calming exercises. Jaime's definitely the hottest mama in the class!

We also watched a few dvds while relaxing this weekend. Starting off with A Lot Like Love w/ Ashton Kutcher & Amanda Peet. This was actually a pretty good movie for a chick flick. I laughed and cri....uh laughed some more. Sin City was a visually great movie, and Beauty Shop followed up the weekend with a few laughs as well. Out of a 5 five diaper rating we'll give A Lot Like Love 3-3/4, Sin City gets 3-1/2, and Beauty Shop gets 3 diapers.

Speaking of installations, Jeff and I finished up installing a couple of windows at his house today. One was just a replacement in his bedroom, and the other was a full blown new window in a wall where there was previously no window. It looks really good and it went pretty fast, faster than the carseat installation.....

So this is pretty cool. It's night time, we're getting ready to go to bed, teeth are brushed, alarms are set and the lights are off. I snuggle up to "the belly" for my goodnights, but this time with a flashlight nearby. I talk to her for a little bit, wondering how her day went, what kind of positions she was in, what she ate, etc....(we're talking about the little unborn baby now). All the while she's turning and kicking, trying to communicate with me and answer the questions. And THEN I turn on the flashlight and shine it right up to where I think her head is while I talk to her some more, but she stops moving around. So I turn the flashlight off and she starts kicking like mad, so I turn it on again and she stops, and so I turn it back off again and we think there's a little alien going to poke its way through Jaime's belly she's kicking and punching so hard. Finally, I tell them both my goodnights and turn over to go to sleep. I guess she kicked and moved around all night waiting for the light to come back on. Jaime didn't sleep too well, I slept pretty good! ;}

I posted some pictures of the nursery crib we bought and the changing station I made on our MSN website....http://groups.msn.com/TheNellNellExperience/babypictures.msnw?Page=2

As well as some new pictures of my niece Katie and her new husband Chad's wedding reception
http://groups.msn.com/TheNellNellExperience/katiesweddingreception.msnw

Ok, so we're about 11 weeks away (29 weeks in) from our new baby girl (As Yet Untitled) Sometimes you can kind of see a leg or back or a head type of shape in Jaime's tummy when she stretches out and lays down. The baby seems to be lulled to sleep whenever Jaime is active, but wakes up and wants to do calisthenics when she's trying to rest. I think she's going to be a kickboxer or something like that.
I love to rest my head on Jaime's tummy and talk to the baby and feel the kicks and pushes she gives me in response. She reacts almost immediately to my voice now, anytime Jaime is resting and I'm near her I try to listen and talk....perhaps I'm one of the reasons she gets so rambunctious and Jaime doesn't get any rest! The baby also responds to Jaime's intake of sweets....she seems to do jumping jacks after a good sugar rush of Heath flavored Blizzard® :)

The nursery is almost all set up. We've now got a white crib with built in dresser drawers, and a changing table I built in the closet. Jaime wrapped some wood frames I built with some nice colorful fabric and put NEMO and Lion King prints in them. The border or the room is original Pooh. The room is mint green with white bead board paneling and trim. It's pretty cute. Pictures to follow on our website soon. (www.nellnell.com)

Well, I'm hoping to get Jaime to post on this thing some too...I'll try to keep up as best as I can. Until then....

Welcome to The NellNell Experience Blog!
This is a site in the making, so post if you wish and be patient! :)