Merry Christmas...

Sisters, Sisters...there were never such devoted Sisters! They love eachother ;-)

Jordan is looking at her Daddy like he's a nut....she knows him so well already!

The Helgerson's first family Christmas...so much fun!

Our favorite present EVER!!!!

Big girl sitting in her Great Grandpa's chair w/ a little help of course

Mother/Daughter matching pajamas from Santa....we love them so much we have a BIG smile for Daddy ;-)

Jordan meeting Santa & about to pull on his beard

LePla's & Helgerson's at Christmas...what a wonderful time this year!

We had a wonderful Christmas this year w/ our new baby! We were with both of our families & loved every minute. Jordan received so many gifts from family & Santa. She was a very good girl in the 2 months she has been here. Haha.

We spent Christmas Eve as usual....Jammies & Santa at Nate's Grandma Sander's house. Santa comes to visit & brings everyone pajamas to wear that night. It's so fun & who doesn't love new p.j.'s?! Jordan was very cozy w/ Santa (my brother-in-law, Brock)....so cozy she almost took his beard off. After Grandma Sander's house we head over to my parents house. We have a delicious dinner, open gifts & watch It's a Wonderful Life together. Jordan received her first tackle box, first Disney snowglobe & so much more from Grammie, Papa & Aunt Aimee ;-)

Christmas morning we open gifts at Nate's parents house. Again, Jordan received so many great gifts....Elf on a Shelf book (a new tradition we are going to start next year), clothes, & toys. Nate was busy opening gifts for Jordan, me & himself. Jordan was sleeping the entire time! After we are done at Nate's parents house we head over to his Grandma Sander's. We open gifts w/ his entire extended family. There are so many gifts it takes almost 3 hours. Tons of fun! Jordan got lots of clothes & some really nice learning toys. She didn't get to see what she got because she slept the entire time.

Around 3:00 we arrived at my parent's house to have Christmas dinner, presents & games w/ my extended family. Jordan received clothes & books once again....she is going to be well dressed & a great reader! This Christmas was a ton of fun. It was a long 2 days, but Jordan did an amazing job w/ so many people around & all the excitement. We can't wait for next year's Christmas...lots of fun toys & she will be more into it ;-)

A little update from the previous post about Jordan's 2 month check-up...she is 12 lbs 11 oz & 23 3/4 inches long. She is very strong....holding her head up & pushing herself up when she is on her tummy. She now loves to sit up (we hold her up of course) & she thinks she is tough stuff when she stands. We are amazed at everything she does. She has started to babble & is the smiling all the time. Nate is loving that she is more interactive....he can't wait to play toys & read books to her. I however, love the cuddly baby time & would like her to never get bigger. Haha.

We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy our pics from our 2 fun filled days ;-)
Love xoxox,
The Helgerson's

2 months old ;-(

Jordan in her pretty Santa hat ;-)

Loves to eat her hand & kick her legs

Very curious look on her face

Pretty Nate face ;-)

Jordan's Thanksgiving outfit

Time really does fly by...Jordan is now 2 months old ;-( She is amazing...Nate & I just stare at her & love watching her babble, eat her hand, kick her legs, blow bubbles out of her mouth. Oh the simple things in life. Jordan has her 2 month check-up tomorrow...she is getting her first series of shots, weighed & measured. I will update everyone on what a tank she is. Actually, she is just perfect ;-)

We have had a rough 2 weeks in our house. Nate's Grandpa Sanders passed away on Dec. 12th after he has been battling cancer for sometime now. We were all able to see him & say our goodbye's. The wake & funeral were very tough, but we were just glad to be around family & friends. Nate & his Grandpa were very close...they were "buds". It will be a tough time this Christmas, but we are happy to have Jordan to make us smile & we look forward to sharing her 1st of many Christmases. Grandpa wouldn't want us to be sad...he wants us to all be together & celebrate!

Hope you enjoy some of the new pics of Jordan. She is getting so big & changing all the time! We hope you & your family have a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year.

Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

So much to tell...

Jordan is worn out from all the baking @ Grammie & Papa's WI Cabin

Doozer loves Jordan so much...she always has to be right by her

Her first stay @ my parents WI cabin...I think she likes it there. Good thing because we'll be there a lot in the summer ;-)

3 generations of Helgerson's....proud Grandpa & Dad w/ their little fishergirl ;-)

Papa & Jordan napping...he doesn't share his chair w/ just anyone!

Well, since I have a minute I will update everyone on what has been going on in the life of the Helgerson's. I'm now back to work...I worked for the clinic for 5 months & I was off for 5 months. I started back to work Nov, 30th. It wasn't as terrible as I thought it would be. I was a little emotional Sunday night, but Monday morning I was up & ready to go. It was also helpful that my co-workers were so happy to have me back, it made me feel good. Plus, having Jordan watched by Grandma Lissa gave me a lot of comfort & relief. I missed her like crazy, but it was nice to be around adults, making money & being me again. I am a much happier person when I'm productive & busy. Happy me, means happy wife & mom ;-)

Nate brings Jordan into Belvidere to his Mom's house every morning. At 5:00 p.m he picks her up & brings her home. I'm always home before them so I anxiously await their arrival. He loves their bonding time. He has her listening to Classic Rock. Someday she'll be singing along with him. He hopes she loves Def Leppard just as much as him. It has been so fun to watch him w/ Jordan. He is so in love w/ her & she w/ him. He gets a lot of smiles from her & she loves to cuddle. Nate's work has been very busy, they have a lot of work & not enough guys for the job...hopefully that all changes soon. Nate is now the #2 guy in seniority in his area. Never thought we'd see the day. Now all Verizon needs to do is hire some people below him so he can get a great schedule & be off the call out list. That could take months, they don't move very quickly. He is also coming up on his 9th year with the company. Makes him sound really old. We are both coming up on 30 very quickly.

Jordan has been amazing the last 1 1/2 now that we figured out her formula issues. She wasn't keeping anything down & was always in pain w/ a lot of congestion. We hated seeing her so upset ;-( So, like a good Mom & Dad we got her to the doctor's office. We love our pediatrician, Dr. Omengan, he is very patient & listens to what we have to say. Jordan is now on Enfamil A.R. for spit-up w/ 1 tsp of rice cereal. She eats 5 oz every 4 hours...she now also weighs 11 lbs 2 1/2 oz. She's a big sturdy girl ;-) She no longer wears newborn or 0-3 month clothes. It needs to be either 3 month or 3-6 month sizes. Good thing she has so many clothes...we haven't had to buy anything except a few warmer sleepers.

Next weekend we are getting our Christmas shopping done & having a night to ourselves. Jordan will have her first sleepover at Grammie & Papa's house. Nate & I are very excited to get out & do whatever we want....it's been a loooooooooooong time. Since July 1st we haven't been able to do a lot w/out worrying. We are so thankful we have family around to allow us to have some alone time. We are going to miss her & we'll probably call a few times, but we'll enjoy being just us for a while!

We hope you all have a happy holiday season. We will be sending out Christmas cards w/ a pic of Jordan soon....so keep an eye out!

Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

Mommy & Jordan Dr. Appts...

A girl snuggling w/ her Daddy after bath time

The cutest bath robe & slippers....she is so cozy after bath time

Well, we both had doctor appointments today....we are both fabulous ;-) Haha.

My appointment was for my 6 week check-up....everything is great! The doctor can't believe how much weight I've lost, I still have some more to lose though ;-( Also, we are now on a new birth control...the pill obviously didn't work, so hoping this kind will. It's gotta work for another 2 to 3 years until we are ready for baby #2. It was great going to my appt today & seeing all my co-workers. They were all so excited to see me & see pics of Jordan. I would've brought her, but the weather was crummy & she's been stuffed up. They are all very excited to have me back to work on Monday. I love my co-workers!

Jordan's appointment was for her 1 month check-up....she is now 10 lbs 13 oz & 22 1/5 inches long. She's growing like a little weed. She has now outgrown all of her newborn clothes & is getting pretty tight in her 0-3 month clothes. Thankful Christmas is around the corner....Santa will be bringing her 3-6 & 6-9 month clothes. She also had her 2nd round of Hepatitis B. She cried & cried & even got some tears....it was very sad, but I just snuggled her & she calmed down. She has had a little cold & is very stuffy....not much we can do about it though. Dr. said to give her saline nose drops, suck out any phlegm & snot. Also, when she is in her crib sleeping have the humidifier on to help break up any mucus. Jordan's next appt will be for her 2 month check-up & her first series of shots. They do the shots at 2, 4 & 6 months....those should be fun appts. Haha.

Well, not a whole lot new here....just going to enjoy our Thanksgiving w/ our families. Jordan & I are going to my parents cabin Sat to Sun....pretty excited for our first trip of many to come ;-) Then I'm back to work on Monday....I have very mixed emotions about it. I'm sure you all understand. We'll continue to keep you all posted.

Have a wonderful holiday!
Love xoxoxo,
Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

Our Time Together...

Doozer kissing Jordan & she has a little smile

Our first stroller ride in the neighborhood...she fell asleep right after

Daddy making funny faces & Jordan kept smiling

Little napping girl in her princess crib

4 generations...my Mom, Me, Jordan & my Grandma Suzie (my Mom's Mom)

Well, it's been a while since we've updated the blog....don't worry the blog isn't over. Haha. We have been very busy w/ our now 1 month old little girl ;-) We have had lots of visitors come to see us from near & far. Jordan has met so many people & has been a very good girl. She loves traveling in the car. She falls asleep every time. She is very good at the pediatricians office, too. Her last visit was 2 weeks ago & she weighed in at 9 lbs 1 oz. Her Dr. said she is perfect ;-) We already knew that though.

Nate & I had our 1st night out without the baby 2 weeks ago. We went bowling w/ friends for a benefit. Jordan stayed at Grammie & Papa's house (Rachel's parents) from 6:30 until 11:00. Nate said I was very good, but I did watch the clock & check in w/ my Mom via text messaging. I also brought a little photo album in my purse to show off our favorite girl to everyone. We are proud parents!

Jordan has been such a blessing...we are loving being parents. She is so funny to watch. Her faces and noises are hilarious. Doozer is very much in love w/ her & incredibly protective. She sleeps by her door if it's shut or she'll sleep in her room if the door is open. Jordan loves bath time & would stay in there all day if we let her. She has discovered how to kick her legs in the tub....not hard enough to splash Mommy yet. She is also a very strong little girl....lifting her head up & moving it from side to side while on her tummy. For my birthday, Nate bought me a video camera....we have a ton of video of Jordan already. We can't wait for the fun of the holidays. The camera will be very handy to have. Once I figure out how to post video on the blog I will get some videos up for you to enjoy. I'll have Nate teach me, he's the computer genius!

I will be returning to work on Monday, Nov. 30. I will be working Mon thru Fri 8:00 to 5:00. Jordan will be in the good care of Grandma Lissa (Nate's Mom). We are so fortunate to have family to watch her. It makes us both feel better that Jordan will be loved & cared for during the day while we work. Nate's schedule at work is Tues thru Sat, so if he doesn't get called into work on a Mon he will stay home w/ Jordan. I will have to hide a camera in the house to watch those two. Haha. He has been so wonderful w/ her & he is already a sucker for her. I warned him that Dad's are suckers for their daughters....I know my Dad is for Aimee & I, but we are suckers for him, too!

Well, we hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving w/ your families. Hope you enjoy some of the new pics of the little princess! More pics & video to come soon.

Love xoxoxox, Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

Happy Halloween...

The silliest little monkey

A Mommy & her monkey girl ;-)

Sleepy Monkey & her Daddy

The Helgerson Family w/ their new monkey!

"I'm 2 weeks old today & you dress me as a monkey"

It was our first Halloween as parents....it was a ton of fun ;-) We were so excited to show off our little monkey! Jordan however could care less about Halloween...the bum slept from 5:00 until 8:30. She was tossed from one person to the next & never woke up once. We stopped by Nate's Aunt Cindy's house & then wandered over to my parents house. We had to make all the rounds. She has a lot of fans ;-)

We have been enjoying the beginning adventures of parenthood. Jordan is such a blessing...we can't picture our lives w/out her now. She makes us laugh everyday w/ her faces & noises. We have taken a ton of pictures of her....so, we will do our best to post pics when we can. Life has gotten a whole lot busier, but so much more fulfilling.

Have a wonderful week.
Love xoxox,
The Helgerson's

Home Sweet Home...

We are home & so happy!

Just so peaceful....for now ;-)

Aunt Mandy (Nate's sister) loving her niece so much, thinking about all their shopping trips

Grandma Lissa just amazed & thankful for her 1st grandbaby

Grammie Deb so in love w/ her Jordan Deborah ;-)

The 4 Le Pla girls...Jordan may have the Helgerson last name, but she's a Le Pla too ;-)

Jordan is melting her Papa's heart

Auntie Aimee is so happy to have a new friend & teach her so many things

Uncle Justin & Chrissy ecstatic to have a niece to spoil

Uncle Brock amazed by his new niece

The new Daddy a bit tired, but so thrilled to have a daughter...he already knows he's in trouble w/ this one ;-)

Jordan & Mommy ready to rest & so happy to finally meet

We arrived home on Monday, October 19th (Nate's 28th birthday) a little before noon. We are so happy to be home!! We unpacked & got settled in immediately. Our visitors have already started & we are so happy to have so many people who love us & want to meet our new little love. We have received a lot of gifts & flowers as well. We are overjoyed by all the support & love everyone has shown. It's still so surreal that we are a little family now...Nate, Me, Jordan & Doozer. Let the fun begin!

We have our first pediatrician appointment tomorrow 10/21 @ 11:15 for a weight check...when we left the hospital Monday Jordan weighed 7 lbs 10 oz...we'll see what the bundle of love weighs tomorrow. She loves to eat! Hope you enjoy the pics of our families w/ the new addition. Everyone is so amazed by her & we are all so happy to have her in our lives.

We will continue to post any updates & pics...she will grow up & change fast so we want all of our family & friends to enjoy watching in any way that they can.

Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

She's HERE!!!!!

He's hooked already...she is his Princess!

A bit unsure of what is going on...she's our burrito baby :-)

So....you are the one who stole all my food for the last 9 months!

I'm a little proud of how sweet she is

Well, Jordan Deborah Helgerson has entered the world....look out everyone! She's gorgeous, wonderful & amazing. We love her so much already....we are amazed at how much you love someone you just met.

We arrived at the hospital at 7:30 a.m. did a ton of paperwork, got hooked up to the I.V., finally got our pitocin meds close to 9:00. I was dilated at 4 cm & 90% effaced. Things were cooking along, but not fast enough...we were antsy ;-) Dr. Holbrook broke my water a little before 12:00 p.m. After the water was broke I immediately asked for the epidural. I was doing so well before, but there was sooooo much pressure after that experience.

I started feeling a ton of pressure as if the baby was dropping...well, I was right we were already at 8 cm by 3:45 p.m & within a half hour we were at 10 cm. So, we started pushing & getting things going. Jordan was a bit stuck, her shoulders didn't want to come & the cord was around her neck. She was born at 5:15 p.m.

She has a lot of hair, it's dark brown. Her eyes are brown but have a hint of blue. She weighed 7 lbs 14 oz & 20 1/2 inches long. When she came out she wasn't screaming at all...as soon as she cried Nate & I lost it. We were so happy she was healthy & overwhelmed by how incredible this experience really is.

Now we are settled in to our room together....watching a little t.v. & just snuggling :-) It really has been the best experience in our lives & we are so excited to see what the future brings with us. She's too beautiful for words...Nate is in love!!!

Thanks again for all the love & support.
Love xoxo,
The Helgerson's

The End is Near...

We have made it to 39 weeks ;-) We had our weekly OB visit today @ 2:15. Nate & I met w/ Dr. Holbrook & wanted to discuss inducing if we go past 40 weeks, which would be this Monday (Nate's bday). We had Dr. Holbrook do an exam to see if anything was happening. I am 4 cm & 90% effaced. We are heading in the right direction to meet Jordan very soon.

We found out that Dr. Holbrook will be on-call all weekend. So, we were joking around w/ her & said, "We should have the baby this weekend so you can deliver." We both love Dr. Holbrook & she has been wonderful throughout our pregnancy. We would also be fine w/ any other doctor in the clinic, but we are both so comfortable w/ Dr. Holbrook. She said, "Let me see, how does Saturday work for you guys?" Nate & I both thought she was joking. She then tells us to arrive at Rockford Memorial Hospital at 7:30 a.m., head up to labor & delivery & we'll have a baby. We both had the big deer in the headlights look. We knew the end was near, but we didn't realize it was in 3 days!

Dr. Holbrook said if my body wasn't already on the way to deliver Jordan she would wait. I am not gaining any more weight, Jordan is running out of room & we are half way there. Plus, Jordan is head down & will be a sturdy girl. So there is no sense in waiting. The nurses at the clinic think we'll go before Saturday, but for those of you who know me...I like a plan! If we go sooner I'm ok with that, but at least I know we have something scheduled ;-)

Well, Nate & I are going to go out for our "last supper" Friday night to celebrate making it through all of our ups & downs these past 9 months. We can't wait to meet our little girl. She will be born Saturday, which is also Sweetest Day...how perfect is that?! She is our sweetest ;-)

Thanks again to everyone who has been there for us through all of our craziness....we appreciate having such wonderful family & friends. We will do our best to keep everyone updated on Jordan's arrival. We are bringing the laptop & camera to the hospital so we can give you all the news & show you her cute face asap.

Love xoxoxo,
Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

38 Weeks...

Well, we are now at 38 weeks w/ our pregnancy....can't believe we have made it this far! We are so happy & thankful we've come this far. We can't wait to meet Jordan...well, Nate can he would like her to arrive on his bday, he thinks it would be a nice present. I however, would like her to show up soon. I've been on bed rest for 16 weeks & now that I can get around & do whatever I want, I just want to meet her & take care of her. In other words, I've got ants in my pants.

Today we had our weekly OB visit. Jordan's heart rate is perfect. My blood pressure is good, weight is still fine....hasn't gone up at all. I have been swelling in my right foot & ankle the last few days. Dr. Holbrook says it's nothing to worry about until I start having headaches, blurred vision or flu like symptoms. So, right now I'm just swelling due to the joys of being pregnant ;-) Today was a quick appointment....not much to tell you all. I scheduled another appointment for next Wednesday. I'm hoping we have Jordan by then, but you never know....she has her own schedule & plan. Just like her mother ;-)

I think this is the shortest post ever. Hope everyone is doing well. We will keep you posted if anything changes.

Love xoxoxox,
Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

37 Week Update...

Well, we have made it to 37 weeks :-) We also had a trip to the hospital Tuesday night....I was having consistent contractions every 10 minutes for an hour & they were painful. So, I called the OB doctor on-call & she suggested we go to the hospital. They hooked us up to the NST machine to monitor our contractions & also checked to see if we were dilated. We were there for a little over an hour & ended up going back home. We were dilated to 1 cm & having contractions....but, they weren't "labor" contractions. The nurse said that when we are having labor contractions we'll know they are 10 times more painful. My eyes got really big & I just said, "I can't wait." Haha. We now have our route to the hospital & everything is in the car now just in case ;-)

Yesterday I had 2 appointments for myself....fun filled Doctor day. In the morning I had to see the hemo doctor (blood guy) one last time to see if my platelets were above 100,000 in order to receive an epidural. I just passed & will be able to get an epidural. Problem is though that they will retake my blood when we arrive to deliver & go off of that amount, so we are hoping it stays above 100,000!

In the afternoon I went to my OB office/work :-) We saw Dr. Holbrook this time (she's our favorite) she measured my belly & we are measuring at 38 weeks. She said wow, this baby is going to be a big girl. We were smiling....we are so happy to have made it this far & finally have good news coming! The doctor rechecked my cervix & we are now dilated to 2 cm & 80% effaced. She had us schedule another appointment for next week, but she didn't think we'd make it that far. She sees us delivering way before next Wednesday. Also, I now weigh 171 lbs...YIKES!! I have gained 41 lbs....it's amazing how easy you can gain weight. It's going to be fun trying to lose it....but, it's all so worth it.

So...now we just sit & wait. Jordan has a mind of her own & will show up when we are least expecting it I'm sure. We can't wait to meet her. Her Princess room is all ready for her arrival & Doozer is checking everything out wondering what is coming to our house soon. We would also like everyone to know that we would love visitors at the hospital & once we get home w/ Jordan you are welcome to visit then too. We just ask that once we get home if you could call first. This way we can still get into a routine & have company too. Thank you ahead of time for respecting our wishes. It's already going to be a mad house. Haha.

On another note....Nate returned to work full time w/ no restrictions on Tuesday. He said he's in no pain, but physical therapy is killing him. He never realized how awful some of the exercises he's doing could make him be in so much pain. His calf muscles are killing him! We also met with a lawyer yesterday to get what money we didn't receive from workmans' comp. They have shorted Nate on a bunch of "regular" pay & we are looking to get what is owed to us. The lawyer doesn't get paid unless we collect & if we collect he gets 20%....so, we figure it's a win situation either way.

Well, the next update may be the arrival of Jordan :-) We will of course keep you posted & have lots of pics to take. Jordan's daddy has his camera all ready for her! Thanks again for all the thoughts & prayers. We are so thankful for all the love & support our family & friends have given us through our journey.

Love xoxoxo,
Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

Jordan's Finished Nursery...

Jordan's Wooden Letters....painted by Me :-) Crafty & a Bargain!!!

Beautiful crib w/ bedding & mobile....love our new rocking chair!!!

The cutest sign ever....it's soooo true too!

Beautiful Disney Princess decorations

Disney Princess shelves...Pooh shelf, Bunny & Books, Diaper Changing Station

Dresser/Changing Table, Activity Table & Storage (stuff for the hospital too)

Book cubbies, bouncer, swing & suitcase packed & ready to go :-)

Closet, Crib w/ pink Disney Princess bedding, & her pretty name

Me & Jordan....36 1/2 weeks & counting!!!

Jordan's room is officially complete! Well, Daddy needs to install the ceiling fan, but that will be done soon ;-) We are packed & ready for the hospital too. I'm sure you are all shocked that I would be so well prepared. Haha. After I get off of the medicine & monitoring I am going to do NOTHING. I want to just lay around & wait for her...we just don't know how long we will be waiting. So, that is one reason I have to be prepared....but, I'm usually always this organized.

More news will come next week after our 37 week appointment....dun, dun, dun! Have a great weekend & we'll keep you posted as always.

Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's