Jordan has a Cousin...

Jordan meeting her cousin for the first time

Gavin Michael Behnke...so cute & sweet

The Behnke family...Mandy, Brock & Gavin...love them all ;-)

Yes...you read the title correctly. Jordan has a new cousin...her first cousin that is! Gavin Michael Behnke was born on 11/25/10 at 12:24 a.m. He came into the world weighing 7 lbs 1 oz & 20 inches long. It was a long day of labor...but, Gavin's Mommy, Mandy did a wonderful job. Everyone is healthy & they are settling in nicely.

I apologize for not posting this sooner...it's been a crazy few weeks around here. Thanksgiving, new baby, work, Christmas events & shopping, & now Nate will be having his last knee surgery on 12/16. It never ends around here...busy, busy, busy!

Here a few pics of our very cute, handsome, adorable & sweet nephew. We are also honored to be his Godparents! He will be baptized on 1/9/11...we are so proud of the Behnke's! They are already amazing parents ;-)

Love xoxo,

The Helgerson's

Snow Day & Family Photos...

Well, we were snowed in so we thought we'd break Nate's new camera lens in...we had a great time using Jordan as our model & then got a few good family photos out of the event. Hope you are all ready for the holidays. We have been having a great time getting our house ready & enjoying all of the family events that get us in the Christmas spirit.

Hope you enjoy the photos! You will need to copy, then paste the link in your browser to view the pictures. Have a very merry Christmas & an even better New Year ;-)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=248570&id=695550915&l=c508f68225

Love xoxo,

Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

House Pics...

Here is a link to see all of the photos of our new house ;-) We are loving it!!! Now we just need to win the lottery to decorate, paint, landscape & finish the basement. All will happen with time...we will be here for a loooooooong time.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=248572&id=695550915&l=a3dbc3a552

Our New Crib...

We have been in our new home a little over a week now. We are in LOVE!!! Jordan loves all the room to explore. Her room is all set-up & ready to be played in, slept in & messed up so Mommy can clean it up over & over. Doozer is finally realizing that we are not going to leave...she kept following us to the back door thinking it was time to go. She now has her favorite spot & knows where her food, toys & water is at. Our new address is 694 Overture Way, Roscoe, IL 61073. We are so excited to celebrate Christmas in our new home. We have been busy decorating it for Santa to come...we even have a fireplace for him to arrive.

Our move was very smooth & we have so many people to thank. Thursday night 11/18 we had many family members & friends over to load up our old home. We provided pizza & drinks for all the hardworkers. Friday 11/19 we closed on our old home at 9:00 a.m. Everything went very well there. We ended up getting the keys to our new home on Thursday afternoon because our closing on this house got pushed back to 1:00 p.m. on Friday ;-( The sellers realtor was nice enough to give us the keys early since things had gotten changed last minute. We moved a little bit in to the house Thursday night ;-) After our closing on the old home...we got the moving truck out of the driveway, said our last goodbyes & pulled away for the last time (I didn't even cry). We had a whole crew of people waiting for us at the new house to unload & unpack. The house was looking like a home by Friday night. Then Saturday came & my organizing craziness was unleashed...the house was organized, cleaned & no box was left to unpack by Sunday afternoon! I'm insane I know, but I just love doing it all.

Thanks to everyone who had a part in our buying, selling, moving, unpacking, organizing, decorating, babysitting Jordan, etc.... We are so blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives.

Once again...we hope you & your family have a wonderful & safe holiday season. You will be receiving Christmas cards in the mail soon from us ;-)

Love xoxoxo,

Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

Halloween 2010...

Our little puppy dog...woof, woof!

Our 2nd Halloween ;-)

Jordan got presents on Halloween...fun, fun, fun!

We met Nate's side of the family at Nate's aunt Cindy's house for dinner, tricks & some treats with the whole family. Jordan & all of her "cousins" were dressed up & ready to hit the neighborhood for some candy. Jordan received lots of "treats" from all the aunts, uncles & grandparents. After Nate's aunt, Cindy's house we headed over to my parents house. Jordan had some dinner there & met lots of old students of my Mom's. They always come trick or treating to my parent's. My Mom enjoys seeing all of her old students & I know they love her so much. Jordan loved seeing all the kids & waved to everyone of them. She is definitely not shy & thinks she is big stuff when the older kids are around.

On the bad news of Halloween...our brother-in-law, Brock had started to get dizzy, numb on his right side, slurred speech & memory loss. Brock, Mandy (Nate's sister/Brock's wife), & her parents went straight to the ER at Swedes in Belvidere. They ran a few tests & brought Brock by ambulance to Swedes in Rockford. He was admitted overnight for 2 nights. They ran a ton of tests on him & nothing came back showing why he had this episode. They believe he had a mini-stroke or that it is migraine related. He has a follow up next Wednesday & we will know more then. We have been saying a ton of prayers for him & his family. Brock & Mandy are expecting their first baby boy, Gavin Michael Behnke due on December 2nd. We are always hoping for the best. Please keep him in your prayers!

Hope you enjoy the pictures of our little puppy...she even barks too ;-) Seriously, if you ask Jordan, "what does a doggy say" She will say, "woof, woof" It is the cutest thing!

Hope you are all enjoying this fall weather & getting ready for the holidays to come....we are very excited for the holidays in our new home!

Love xoxoxo,

Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

New House...

We have found the perfect home for our family!!! We close on Friday, November 19th. We will close on our current home at 9:00 am & then close on our new home at 10:00. Then the moving & unpacking begins...thank goodness. I am not enjoying the packing process. Living out of boxes & having our house empty is no fun. I'm too much of an organizer to have everything disorganized. I like things put away & in their places.

We are soooo excited for our new home. It is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch w/ a 3 car garage. The neighborhood is full of swing sets & children...Jordan is going to have so many new friends. We also have a dining room, unfinished basement, family room w/ fireplace & a big kitchen w/ granite countertops & stainless steel appliances. As soon as we walked in to view the home we fell in love. The ceramic tile & carpet throughout the home are exactly the colors we would've chosen. We also have 1st floor laundry which makes me so happy ;-)

Nate is already planning out his new basement & how to decorate & organize his big garage. I've got all the rooms decorated in my head...I just need more money & time to do it all. Our new address is 694 Overture Way, Roscoe, IL 61073. We will put up pictures as soon as it is "officially" our home! We are interested to see how Jordan & Doozer will react to the move....hoping for a smooth transition. We have a ton of family & friends helping with the move & we are so thankful for all the support we have had.

We will as always keep you updated ;-)

Love xoxox,

The Helgerson's

1 year Dr. checkup...

We have a one year old in the house who is just perfect...at least that is what the doctor said ;-)

She is 31 1/4 inches long (90th percentile) & weighs 23 lbs 2 oz (60th percentile). Looks like we are going to have a tall skinny girl on our hands....supermodel! Doctor said we are feeding her right & giving her plenty of sleep & she is on the right track with talking, walking & everything else. YEAH!!!!

Jordan received 3 vaccinations today (only 2 shots though). She also received her first round of the flu shot. Since she has never had a flu shot she has to have 2 to make it work. Next year she will only need one shot. So, we have to come back in a month for her next flu shot. After that she will go for a height & weight check at 15 months which is in January. We have all of her appointments all scheduled so we don't miss anything!

She was a good girl at the doctor's office until the shots came. Then she just wanted to snuggle & by that time Mommy was ready for snuggle time too. I think the shots are worse on the parents...I just want to take her away & punch the nurse who gives the shots. ;-) Hurting my sweet baby girl is no fun to watch. She is now fast asleep in her crib w/ some motrin to relieve any pain she may have. She does have 2 bugs bunny bandaids on her chubber thighs...she is too cute!

Just wanted to update you all on her progress. Hope everyone is doing well.

Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

Happy 1st Birthday Miss Jordan...

Shrine to Jordan...2 albums, baby book, guest signing frame & family pic

Reading her books before it's time to get ready for the party!

Dancing to the Happy Birthday song before guests arrive

Loving her cake...but can't get her hands messy (just like Mommy)

The end of the cake eating....exhausted one year old

Cake for the guests to enjoy

The Le Pla family at the party

Happy 1st Birthday to our beautiful baby girl...she will always be our baby! It has been the greatest year! Being parents is seriously the best thing to happen to us. Jordan has brought us so much joy & love. We have learned so much about ourselves this year. I can now function on less than 6 hours of sleep if needed. Thank goodness Jordan sleeps through the night 95% of the time. Nate is able to change #2 diapers if needed...never thought we'd see the day. Doozer is the best big furry sister ever! Our families have been amazing throughout this last year as well. We've all had so much fun together watching Jordan grow.

We had a big 1st birthday party yesterday on Jordan's actual birthday 10/17. We had about 40 people over to celebrate our daughter's big day. We had chicken, mashed potatoes, veggies, mac & cheese, snacks & cake. Jordan enjoyed opening all of her presents. She received so many wonderful gifts....clothes, books, learning toys, blankets, bath toys & kitchen stuff. We are so thankful for all of the thoughtful people in our lives. Thank you to all who partied with us ;-)

On another note...our closing date for both houses is now on November 19th....Yeah!!! Now we can get in before Thanksgiving & get ready for all the fun for the holidays. We are so antsy to get into the new house...Nate & I have discussed our plans for the new house at least 50 times already. They keep changing too! We just want to do so much...but, the checking account will limit us. Haha!

I've posted a few pics from the big party....hope you enjoy them! Jordan's 12 month picture will be coming to your house soon. Watch your mail ;-) Hoping you & your family are all well.

Love xoxoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

Jordan's SO BIG!!!!

Well, we officially have a walker....



It has been a big day in the Helgerson house...we put an offer in on the house of our dreams (we'll know more tomorrow) & our little 11 month 3 week old daughter is now walking ;-) It's a good time at our house!

Hope you enjoy the video!
Love xoxo,
The Helgerson's

Goodbye House...we will miss you!

Yes...you read that title correctly. We have sold our house! Our house was on the market for 2 weeks...CRAZY!!! Now the hard part is finding the next perfect home for our family. We have a few houses in mind, but nothing we are in LOVE with.

We had the perfect buyer come along...a young, single guy who lives w/ his mom, had a preapproval already & loves fish! He doesn't have a home to sell, has money to buy & wants to keep our basement tank so we don't have to mess with that huge thing. He offered to pay our asking price, wants all the appliances except the washer/dryer & would like our barstools (Captain Morgan of course). He was also asking that we pay closing costs, buy a 1 year home warranty & keep the garage workbench too. We countered his offer with...he pays full asking price, we will pay 1/2 of closing costs, no warranty & we take the barstools....they were a birthday present to Nate from me ;-) He accepted our counter & will sign the contract tomorrow & put his earnest money down. Now we just hope the inspection goes well, the bank doesn't have any issues w/ the loan & we find a new home.

It is all soooooooo exciting, but still nerve racking knowing that things can change in a matter of minutes. We are so lucky to have sold our house so quickly w/ this terrible sellers market. We will keep you all posted on our progress on the house hunting. This next house is our FOREVER home...we want Jordan & baby #2 to have one childhood home. So many great memories will be had in this next home. It is very sad that we must move on to a new home. We LOVE our present home...so many great times had here!

Well, our closing date is November 30th...we are hoping to move that date up but we must find a house first ;-) Our buyer is very flexible in the closing date which is wonderful. We just want to take our time to get the right home & we also have to be careful of Nate's knee surgery & recovery time.

Thank you all for your continued support. Maybe the next post will be about our new home ;-)
Love xoxoxo,
The Helgerson's

1st family trip to the Orchard...

Big girl on her pony...making sure Daddy is watching!

The Helgerson's 1st pic at the Orchard

Our little turkey ;-)

She loves her pony ride...love watching all her new adventures!

Big girl w/ her Daddy at the Orchard

The girls at the Orchard...a bit windy out!

I love my little family...they are my whole world!

We had our first family trip to the Edwards Apple Orchard today....it was so much fun! Jordan loved looking at all the animals, petting them & yelling at them ;-) She rode on her first pony. She laughed, grunted & smiled the entire time...it made our hearts melt. Aunt Aimee got to come w/ us today too. We all had cider donuts, hot cider & apple pie...Jordan tried everything & was loving every bite...especially the donuts!

Enjoy the pics from today. Have a great weekend!
Love xoxoxox,
The Helgerson's

11 Months...Where has the time gone?!

The Helgerson Family...Nate, Jordan & Rachel

Still in love after 5 years together!!! He's my Prince ;-)

Jordan's way of getting the remotes

The cutest face in the world...so excited!

Jordan picked out a few video games for Daddy ;-)

Jordan helping Daddy w/ the lawn care

Typing a letter on the computer...

Hanging out on the beach @ Grammie & Papa's lake Labor Day weekend

Yes...that is right...we have an 11 month old at our house! Crazy how fast time has flown by. I'm a bit sad that she is so big now & not my snuggle baby anymore, but it has been so much fun watching her learn & grow everyday! Some of the newest Jordanisms are: she loves to dance to any song, she does "SO BIG" all the time & expects you to do with her, she talks on her play cell phone to "Dadda"...she will pick up her cell phone, put it to her ear & say, "Hi Dadda" & then she laughs. She is the happiest little girl & so friendly to everyone. Wherever we are she waves & smiles at everyone. Going through the grocery store one would think she was in a parade....she is hysterical.

Jordan is the best sleeper & eater....she still takes 2 naps during the day & sleeps 10+ hours a night. She had her first cold/sickness 2 weeks ago...had a high temp one night, cough & runny nose. It was so sad to see & not be able to fix it right away for her. We are lucky that she has only been sick this once in her 11 months though. We knew she wasn't feeling well when she wasn't smiling all the time. We are still loving being parents...it is really the best job in the world (in our opinion).

Some other news in the family...we have just put our house on the market. Hoping it sells, but if not then it just wasn't meant to be. We realize that fall & winter isn't the best time to sell, but we also feel that a ton of people take their house off the market in the fall & winter & we are hoping there won't be as much competition out there for us. Or so we are hoping that is the case. We have had 3 showings & we have our first open house this Sunday. Please say a prayer. We have found 3 or 4 houses that we LOVE! 2 are in Roscoe, IL, 1 is in Loves Park, IL & the last one is in Poplar Grove, IL. We have chosen to go anywhere except the Rockford School District...it is not good! Nate has his 2nd knee surgery October 21st. It is an outpatient procedure, but the healing time is about 4 to 6 weeks w/ physical therapy. Jordan & I will be taking great care of him like the last time ;-)

Well, once again....hope you enjoy the pics & we wish you & your family the best. Some of you will be receiving the big 1st birthday invite in the mail this week....can't wait for all the fun to come!

Love xoxoxo,
Nate, Rachel, Jordan & Doozer

A few things...

Nate, Jordan & I...the baby shower planners ;-)

Jordan w/ Grandma Lissa & Grandpa Bob...expecting their 1st grandson in Dec!

Brock, Nate, Mandy & I...we love them so much!

Brock, Bob, Nate, Mandy, (Gavin), Lissa, Jordan & I...the family keeps growing

The food set up...deli sandwiches, pickles, crackers & cheese, veggies & dip, fruit salad & delicious cake

Gavin's diaper cake...100 diapers, 3 teethers, 4 spoons, 4 rattles, 4 pacifiers, travel baby wash/lotion, desitin, pee pee cover & 8 washcloths...we had a ton of fun putting it together ;-)

Jordan & her new baby doll...her present from Mommy to make her feel all better

Smiley girl climbing on Mommy...we just love that face!

Yesterday we threw a family baby shower for Nate's sister, Mandy & our brother in law, Brock. They are expecting their first baby boy, Gavin Michael Behnke on December 2nd. We are all so excited for them. We know they will be wonderful parents. They have been trying for a while now so this is a blessing. We had almost 30 people at our house for the shower. They received a lot of great gifts. They were given a stroller/carseat combo, bassinet, convertible carseat, towels, washcloths, clothes, socks, bibs, baby wash & lotions, books & a ton of diapers! It was a ton of fun & we were so happy to throw 2 of our favorite people a party to celebrate their baby boy.

Today I stayed home from work due to having a sick baby girl ;-( She was up every 2 hours screaming her head off. I would go into comfort her & she was still screaming...finally brought her in our bed & she slept a while. Then an hour or so later it was back to screaming. Thought it was teeth, ears, nose...checked everything we could. She did not have a fever. I couldn't feel any teeth coming in. She wasn't pulling at her ears. Thought it could be stomach pains, but can't tell on the outside. Nothing was working & we do not like a sad Jordan!

Called work to let them know what was going on & they said, "Dr. isn't here today, he is sick as well. If you want to come in go ahead, if not we'll see you tomorrow...get that baby better!" So, my intentions were to take Jordan to the Dr. & then bring her to Grandma Lissa's house & work for a few hours. The Dr. couldn't get her in until 10:45. She weighs 23 lbs 8 oz now. Dr. Omengan loked her over & said everything on the outside is just fine. She may just have a stomach virus. Nothing we can give her for that it just has to pass. Well, we got out of there at 11:15 & she was exhausted. She had her noon time bottle when we got home & she passed right out. The sick bum slept for almost 3 hours!!! Woke up & was full of smiles. Had dinner, played w/ toys & had our night time bottle earlier than usual & she will hopefully sleep like a champ. She is the best sleeper, so as soon as she was up all night we knew something was wrong. Hoping tomorrow is a better day for our Punkins!

Well, we just wanted to keep everyone posted on the everyday life of the Helgerson's. We are enjoying what is left of our summer. This weekend we will be going to my parent's WI cabin for boating, sun, campfires, family & friends ;-) Next time we'll be in WI we will be snowmobiling!!! We hope you have all had a wonderful summer. Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Love xoxox,
Nate, Rachel & Jordan

10 Months...ALREADY??!!

Miss Jordan loves her music ;-)

Daddy's little Vikings fan...he's so proud!

Daddy teaching Jordan the proper technique to fish

The new surprise face....it is hysterical

Telling Mommy a BIG story...she & I love to chat ;-)

The coolest shirt in all of WI...we cut the sleeves off for a bad@$$ pic

My beautiful family...I thank God for them everyday!

The Behnke's w/ their niece, Jordan...they are expecting their 1st, Dec 2nd

Mommy & Daughter....I love her soooooooooooo much!!!

Surprise visit to Grammie & Papa's lake...what a life J has!

Boat rides are so much fun & very windy ;-)

Playing w/ toys on the beach...can life get any better?!

The 3 of us on the rock-it-totter in Indiana

Daddy & Daughter taking a swim...making the best of the crummy weather

Big girl hanging out on friends weekend...she loved everyone & I know they loved her too ;-)

How on earth do we have a 10 month old?! It has been the best 10 months of our lives. We love being parents! Jordan is the best little girl. She entertains us & makes us smile everyday. It is so much fun to watch her change into a little lady. She is starting to look more like a little girl instead of a baby. I miss my snuggly baby, but I am happy to have an independent child.

It has been a busy summer for us....a lot different than last summer ;-) We went on our annual friend weekend in Monticello, IN. Our friend's family has a cabin on a lake in Indiana so we pick one weekend every summer & have way too much fun! Jordan came w/ us & got to play w/ her friend, Clayton Heaton. The weather wasn't the best, but we always manage. Jordan & I surprised my parents by venturing up to their cabin in WI for a day of fun in the sun. My Mom didn't believe me when I called to let her know what our plan was, but she was so happy I wasn't messing with her! We also just got back from our week in WI. Nate's family...his Mom, Dad, Sister (Mandy) & our brother-in-law (Brock) & the 3 of us along w/ our dogs spent a week fishing, eating too much, laughing a lot, playing games, reading, napping & whatever else our hearts desired! We had a great time & can't wait for next year w/ another baby around. Jordan was once again a wonderful little traveler. She is so adaptable to her surroundings. She still sleeps like a champ & goes on her merry way with whatever is going on. We are so proud of her.

Well, in 2 months we will have a one year old in our house ;-( The party plans have already begun. Excited to enjoy another milestone in our daughter's life. Most of you will be receiving your invites soon....Minnie Mouse & Friends theme! I don't know who is more excited me or Jordan. ;-)

Once again...we hope you & your family are having a wonderful summer!
Love xoxo,
The Helgerson's

P.S. Thank you to all who prayed for my Grandma LePla...she had several minor strokes last week. She is now home & doing well. Let's pray her health continues to get better!