Lilypie Fifth Birthday tickers Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
A Sunbeam to Warm you, A Moonbeam to Charm You, A Sheltering Angel, That Nothing May Harm You

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Working

25 Weeks gone now and we are still doing very well!!! I started a small job yesterday where I get to sit with a 5 month old all day and get paid for it. The days are long with the commute and everything, but the baby (Chloe) is sweet and lets me craft while she plays and babbles. I get to practice my skills and test out taking care of a baby. It will only be a couple of months since Johnny is due in only 3 now.

We are registered for child birthing classes in January, me and dad are prepared. I am so lucky to have him to fill in for now. Mom always says how great he was for her births and both of my parents have been so excited and supportive of this whole thing.

But that is all, Nothing new here. Thanksgiving was a lot of fun and was very tasty, though Christmas is still over whelming without Shawn, but we have many more years to come and be together.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Appotment and funky symptoms

Well so let me start this by saying, we are healthy and happy. Johnny's heart is beating healthily and he is growing steadily. Our monthly Dr's apt was moved up this week because for the past 2 weeks the skin on the top of my belly has tingles and gone numb often. It is really more annoying then anything, but I became concerned that it might be affecting him. The midwife said it is not an uncommon occurrence but she has only known of one other woman to have it. There is absolutely nothing wrong, Johnny has just decided to smash all of my organs and everything and is slightly cutting off my circulation, but he is just fine. He just like his space!! I have officially gained 14 pds total which I am told is fine, though I really only want to gain another 10 pds to stay nice and healthy, but I am not freaking out about it.

I think that is all, we are healthy growing just fine, my belly is itchy and random things give me heart burn, but he is moving around and we are very much looking forward to thanksgiving.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Kicken

The peanut is on a roll this morning. For the past hour he has been moven around like he chasing something. Normally the very light kicks I get are in the same general area. All morning today he has been everywhere and kicking like crazy, like he really wanted me to get out of bed. I can't explain how it feels. Half like having an alien trying to escape and half like wonder at my son. But I think that is what he will be. :)

Friday, November 9, 2007

Reaching Daddy

I just thought I would put out Daddy's addresses if anyone wants to send him a card or something.

Branson, Shawn
C co 610 BSB
Unit # 42531
APO AE 09361

primal1076@yahoo.com

I know he would love to hear from any of you.

Soldier boy



Johnny is beautiful

Welcome to Our Life

I am going to try and make this intro short and sweet, but it will be hard. I have been keeping this blog for 3 years now, through deployments and pregnancy's, many moves and happy days.

I welcome you to our lives :) Thank you for taking time to read our story! My name is Jenni, but Mommy is what I go by. I am a 26 year old stay at home mom of two beautiful and wonderful children. The story of my happy home started nearly 6 years ago when I meet and married my prince.
April 9th 2005
We where young, but in love and that was all we needed.

The Army brought us together, but also has torn us apart. By the time we had gotten married our relationship had already seen my husband, Shawn, be deployed to a dangerous area of Iraq for 13 months, and had us living in two different countries for 6 months after our wedding. The generosity of my parents and love of my family was priceless and I know I could not have made through this without them.

Once our lives finally got going we lived together for about 17 months at Fort Lee Virginia, it was not an easy time, as we dealt with the emotional and physical backlash of Shawn's deployment, a family sickness and death and failed to get pregnant, but we survived and found a few happy days for ourselves.

In June of 2007 we where given orders to Fort Riley Kansas. In short we arrived got pregnant and Shawn was off for Iraq again leaving me barely 5 weeks pregnant and very far away away from our families. It all happened so quick! But once again my parents opened their doors to me and became an intrical part in my survival of this second deployment.


My father, Papa, became my birthing couch! And my mother, brother, and sister in law where all in the room when John Robert came into the world.

After 2 days of labor he was born on March 17th 2008 at 12:43 pm.

Grams and Pops by my side!

Daddy got to listen to and experience the birth of his son through this blog, IM and my sister-in-law's cell phone.

My St Patrick's day Monkey boy :) I like to call him my Lucky Little Monkey.

We lived and recovered with Grams and Pops for 6 weeks until Daddy came home!

We were so excited to have Shawn home, but that also meant it was time to move back to Kansas where the Army said we needed to live. So off we went.

Johnny grew very fast! He was twice the size of most other babies his age and developed just as fast! Here Johnny is at 4.5 months stretching to fit into a 6-9 month sleeper. (Have you ever tried to find First Christmas cloths in 18 months? I have, it is hard, but not impossible.)

He was a sweet baby, hungry and happy! I felt lucky and freighted that he was so easy. When he became mobile he couldn't be stopped and was into everything all the time.

After only 6 months in Kansas we where offered a wonderful opportunity to move home. This is a rare occurrence in the military. But Shawn reenlisted for 4 more years and the Army moved us to a Post 20 minutes from my parents house. Johnny was 8 months old and we moved back in with parents to wait for a house of own on Post.

Johnny started walking at 9 months, but still did not have any teeth! He continued to fill our days with happiness and fun and showed us the world through his eyes! He makes everyday more fun and fresh then I ever imagined possible.

By the time John Robert was a year old we had our own home and finally settled into a day to day life that had nothing to do with being separated or moving. It was a happy and peaceful time. But as always the best was yet to come, we knew something was missing.

In September when Johnny was 18 months old we found we where experiencing our second child!
It's a Girl! Lily Jean Branson was due May28th 2010.
We where blessed with another completely healthy and uneventful pregnancy!

After just about 12 hours in labor and no drugs or medical intervention at all,
Lily was born June 3 2010 at 1:46 am. Shawn was there in the room when she was born (NOT at war), as well as my brother and mother.

She is the perfect addition to our family, sweet and loving! She is Mommy's Little Cupcake!!

Johnny loved his little sister right from the start! He has always offered her as much help as we let him and loves to make her smile.

And here we are! Family of four living a simple life and loving it!

Johnny is nearly 3 years old, imaginative and playful. He never stops going. Still as big as a 5 year old with an appetite to match. He loves his family and keeping everyone together.

Lily is getting older everyday. I refer to her as the happiest baby ever! Her smiles can take your heart with one look and she gives them out more freely then I have ever seen.