I’m sitting at the table, waiting for this week’s pictures to upload to the blog, as the sounds of our little girl get closer to my chair. I look down and there smiling up at me is our Becca, creeping toward me with determination, knowing that if she can get to her mommy’s chair, she’ll probably make it to her mommy’s lap. As she gets closer, she looks at the computer wires, something she knows she’s not allowed to touch. She looks for a moment and decides the “pleasure” of touching them is not worth the trouble and continues to her mommy’s chair. Success – her mommy picks her up.

Becca has made great progress in her creeping around our home. This week she started creeping from our living room to the kitchen to find me when I’m working. She trails me like a (rather slow!) little puppy as I go from one side of our narrow kitchen to the other. She patiently — and sometimes not so patiently — waits for me to pick her up. It’s so cute to watch her creep around our home: she moves quickly with great determination.

This past Friday, we went to Sushi Zone with the family of two of my piano students. The Hsu (pronounced like “shoe”) family had been wanting to meet Becca, so they arranged for us to meet them for dinner, and they spoiled Becca and us. Abraham (the oldest son) picked out several gifts for Becca — books, bath toys, a little doll. Becca loves all her new books and toys!

Friday afternoon we went to a senior craft fair in Fort Worth. Our friends, the Olsons, were selling some beautiful woodwork and stain glass at the fair and gave us tickets so we could attend the event. Becca and I especially enjoyed the hats!

Becca’s new Pack-‘n-Play arrived last Wednesday. We’re all enjoying Becca’s new bed. She sleeps much better, takes naps, and is less cranky. So we’re enjoying the extra time (i.e., her longer naps!) and our happy girl. We’re still waiting on moving Becca back into the closet. So far we haven’t seen any signs of bed bugs.

These last two pictures are of Becca enjoying her new toys.

Last Thursday we found out that Becca’s Pack-‘n-Play had bed bugs! I’d been noticing marks on her arms and face but wasn’t sure if they were bug bites or a rash. Thursday morning, I caught a bed bug scurrying across her bed. The Terminex man came that same day to confirm that the Pack-‘n-Play really had bed bugs, and after throwing out the Pack-‘n-Play we spent Thursday through Tuesday getting ready for our apartment to be sprayed.

We had to wash and dry clothes, blankets, curtains, toys, etc. (I’m so thankful we have a washer and dryer), move everything 2 ft away from the walls, remove everything from the closet floor, and put things in common areas, so the Terminex man could spray the closet and apartment floors. Needless to say, this has been quite a week. The spraying took place Tuesday late morning, and by Tuesday night, we had made good progress in putting things back together. I’m hoping to be finished with the rest of the stuff today.

Since we got rid of the Pack-‘n-Play, Becca has had to sleep on the floor in our room. It worked well during nights, but Becca refused to take naps during the day. This was complicated by the fact that last Thursday, Becca figured out how to creep across the room. So if I tried to lay her down for a nap. I’d soon hear her at the bedroom door, wanting to get out! We’ve had lots of extra crying this week, and are looking forward to when things are back to “normal.”

Friday evening, we took a break from the prep work and went to a pumpkin patch and corn maze.  It’s the same place we went to when we first moved down here. Becca was a little grumpy, since she had been nap-less; she seemed to enjoy the maze more than she did posing for pumpkin pictures. It was great to get outside and  to have fun together as a family. I’m so blessed to have my dear little family – they truly are a joy.

Hi! Most of you know who I am – Becca Grace Jensen. For weeks I’ve been waiting for a chance to use the computer without my parents noticing (pretty hard when you live in a one-bedroom apartment) and today I have my chance. I’ve watched my parents blog about our family every week, and I’ve been wanting to tell you all my perspective of our summer (and now fall!). So – here goes!

You’re probably wondering what we really did all summer here in Arlington, Texas. Let me tell you what we did: lots of eating, sleeping, and playing! And sitting at tables and staring at computer screens. I’m not really sure what my daddy and mommy find so interesting about sitting, reading, and typing, but they sure spent a lot of time doing it!

In the mornings during the summer after I would eat, Daddy would play with me and watch me while  Mommy looked intently into her computer screen. Then in the afternoons, Mommy would watch me while Daddy sat at his desk and read or typed. Like I said, I’m not too sure what’s so thrilling about the computer screen, unless of course we’re watching videos of me!

Now that it’s fall, Daddy doesn’t have as much time to watch me. But I found out that he’s going to be watching me more, so Mommy can do more work on her dissertation. I’m not sure what a dissertation is, but I’m pretty sure it’s something AWFUL! It takes both my mommy and my daddy away from me, and it doesn’t look like fun at all. My parents need to learn what true fun is . . . playing with shoes!

When Daddy is watching me, we get to check the mail, have cool airplane rides, wear funny clothes, and say things to make Mommy laugh. When Mommy watches me we get to cook in the kitchen and play with my cardboard blocks and do all sorts of crazy things together. (See me in the tower with Mommy? Daddy taught me how to make a “V” with my fingers and say “peace out”!)

Sometimes if no one is watching me I like to climb into the bathroom sink and brush my teeth! (And do other things that maybe we won’t tell Daddy and Mommy about!) Well, that’s a little bit of what my life is like. Here’s a picture to see how much I’ve grown since June! (But I still fit in the same clothes!)

Oh – Mommy would want me to add this: two things came in the mail this week. We finally ordered Daddy’s Father’s day present – a new hubcap! And a postcard came for Mommy from Daddy. When Daddy lived out here all by himself, before he married Mommy, he used to send a postcard to her at the BJU Music Library and a letter to her house, everyday. Well . . . it took over three years for one of those postcards to arrive. Sent on September 13, 2007, it arrived at BJU on September 23, 2010! WOW!

A year ago today, Josh and I got to “see” our little baby for the first time and we found out that we were going to have a little girl. When people first find out you’re going to have a baby, they often ask, “Do you want a boy or girl?” It’s a rather awkward question to answer. If you say you want a girl and then have a boy, will people think you’re unhappy with your new baby? Of course, ultimately what we all want is a healthy baby, boy or girl.

I had always thought I wanted a boy first – boy first and then a girl. In fact, I was going to be happy with six boys and no girls. I remember the night in July I told Josh that I had had a change of heart and wanted a girl. (I felt bad for even voicing what I thought I wanted, since I knew I’d be happy with a boy or girl.) I think God was putting in my heart the desire to have a girl – since he knew. A year ago when the sono tech said we were going to have a girl, we both got teary-eyed – God was blessing us with a beautiful baby girl, our Rebecca Grace Jensen.

Last week Becca, Josh, and I were delighted to attend the NICU annual reunion. We saw both of the doctors and several of the nurses who took care of Becca during her stay in the hospital. We are so grateful for these precious people, who did so much for us when Becca was born. I still remember many of the tips the nurses gave us about taking care of Becca. I still hear Miss Kathy’s voice every time I give Becca a bath.

At the reunion, Becca loved meeting Build-A-Bear (the big live one!). She wouldn’t talk for anyone else, but when Build-A-Bear came by, she would squeal and hold out her hands to touch him. We decided that we need to buy a bear costume to use when Becca is grumpy. We’re looking forward to attending the NICU reunion next year and hope to see more of our nurse friends again.

This week I experimented with making baby food. I have a good friend who is very resourceful with tips and ideas about what to do. My “experiments” turned out well, so next week I’m planning to make a few big batches for the freezer. Becca did a great job eating her green beans and loved having bananas added to her oatmeal – yum, yum!

We’re enjoying the fall weather that arrived in Texas last week. It’s so nice to be able to have the windows open. I “introduced” Becca to grass this week. She’s not so sure what she thinks about standing or sitting on it. Yesterday, we went outside and played in a puddle on the sidewalk. Becca liked that better than standing in the grass.

Yesterday we celebrated Becca’s adjusted 7-month birthday, and this Sunday we’ll celebrate her 10-month birthday. Becca continues to be a delight and is the cause of much laughter in our home. We’re enjoying giving her new foods — this week I made her sweet potatoes and I think she liked them!

When people ask us why we chose Rebecca Grace as our daughter’s name, I never feel like there’s enough time to explain all that her name means to me, especially her middle name.Before I started my music teaching job at Cochran Elementary School, I’d been reading a lot about a wife’s role of having a heart for her home. One of the things I worried about as I started my new job was the misplacement of my heart’s affections from the home to my work. At the end of my first year of teaching, things were going great, and I was loving teaching and looking forward to the next school year. I realized then that teaching could consume me  — there were so many things I wanted to do with “my kids” — so many ways I could help them.

A couple weeks after school let out for the summer, we found out that we were expecting our first baby. We were thrilled and so excited! I also saw our baby as God’s grace in my life in keeping my heart fixed on our home. I’d been reading Piper’s Future Grace with a friend and thought that if Josh and I had a girl, I’d like her middle name to be Grace to remind me of the act of grace she was to me. Josh liked my idea and so we settled on a middle name before a first name.

Little did we know how much that name would mean to us in light of the events to come. When I was admitted into the hospital “indefinitely” because of pregnancy complications, I truly needed God’s grace to trust Him with all the unknowns. When Becca was born at 27 weeks and then stayed in the NICU for 76 days, I truly needed God’s grace to rest in His hand. As a friend share with me “God is giving you grace.  How little did you know how much you would need that when you decided on Becca’s middle name being Grace.”

I saw Becca as a gift of God’s grace in my life, but little did I know how much I would need His grace in her birth or how much I would be learning about God’s grace as I continue in this adventure of motherhood. I now smile at my healthy, happy little Rebecca Grace. My heart is firmly fixed on my home and my family. Whether it’s feeding Becca, watching Becca play with her daddy, comforting her as she cries, or teaching her to swordfight with spatulas — my heart is loving the role God has given me of wife and mommy.

This week, for the first time since coming home, Becca moved into her “own room.” We live in a one-bedroom apartment, and Becca has been sleeping in a pack-n-play in our bedroom. When my mom came to visit right after Becca was born, she helped me clear out the closet, so we would have room for Becca. Monday, I decided it was time for Becca to have her own room, and it’s been working wonderfully. (The photos on the left were taken before the switch; the photos on the right, after. Becca’s bed used to be where the  black stacked drawers are now located.)

When Becca was sleeping in our room, her bed was right outside of the bathroom door. We always had to be careful about going in when Becca was napping. We now have the freedom to go into our bedroom or the restroom anytime we want without the fear of waking Becca. It’s been really nice, and the move has made our bedroom seem more spacious. It’s also opened up some extra play space for Becca and Mommy when Josh needs to get something done in the living room (where his desk and computer are).

Becca is doing well with eating solids. She typically has rice cereal two times a day, and we’re practicing how to open our mouth wide (say AH!). Yesterday, I cooked her some carrots to try with her cereal. I’m not sure yet whether she prefers raw or cooked carrots – raw ones are definitely more fun to chew on. I spotted Becca’s first tooth making it’s way in, so she’s getting ready to chew those carrots.

We’re having lots of fun with Becca. She’s a very happy little girl and loves playing with her parents. She started rolling over both ways quite regularly and is reaching for objects. I love watching her examine new things. She is quite serious in her detective work.

Happy 41-week birthday, Becca-Bear! We started out our week by sending in my prospectus to my committee at BJU. We’re very excited that the Lord answered many prayers, helping me meet my summer goal of completing the first draft of my prospectus. Becca is very happy to have some extra time with her mommy (and so am I!). I’ll continue to do some research for my paper, while I wait to hear back from my committee. Please pray that my committee can get back to me quickly, so I can proceed with completing my degree.

The day after I turned in my prospectus, we took a surprise trip to Greenville, SC. When Becca was born, we had to cancel our flights for Christmas. We were planning to use them for Christmas this year but found out we had to use the tickets before October – use them or lose them. So, we decided to take a surprise trip to Greenville to visit Dad and Mom Jensen. We worked very hard to prevent them from finding out about our visit and were delighted to surprise them both! (We did end up waiting 4 hours for them to come home, but that’s all part of the surprise package!)

We had a great visit and enjoyed our time with Dad and Mom. It was nice to relax and not have a busy schedule. Becca enjoyed playing with her Grandparents.  We got to visit with my brother Joey, as well as my brother Jon and sister-in-law Ashleigh; Jon helped us surprise Ashleigh on Monday morning. We also got to spend time with Rebekah Pringle. Rebekah picked us up from the airport and took us to the house.

One thing we found out on this trip is that Becca has a preference for her own bed. Becca also learned to reach for her mommy and daddy this week, so now we know she knows who we are!

This was a big medical appointment week for Becca. She had an appointment with the gastroenterologist, the eye doctor, her pediatrician, her OT, and the lab to get some blood drawn. At her pediatrician visit, the doctor gave us the go ahead to officially introduce Becca to solids. Becca performed like a champ on her first try with rice cereal, and then she decided she didn’t like it. So now we’re not making progress in getting her to eat her cereal. But Becca does seem to prefer her cereal with her nasty tasting vitamins mixed in.

Becca received good reports at all her appointments. I have to stay on my special dairy-free/soy-free diet for another 2 months, and hopefully after then Becca will be over her protein intolerance. Becca’s weight was 15lbs and 1 oz (50% for her adjusted age), her length was 25.5in (25% for her adjusted age), and her head circumference was 44.5cm (70% for her adjusted age). We’re delighted to have a healthy little girl!

Last Friday, we found a wonderful park about 3 miles from our home. We’ve been trying to visit the parks in the area – there’s a lot of them to choose from! The park we found had a wading pool, a few different playground areas, a nice walking path, and cute statutes. We’re looking forward to going there again and enjoying the facilities.

We’re getting adjusted to our new semester schedule. Josh has lots of preparation to do for the class he’s teaching, Phonetics and Phonology, and I’m hoping to turn the first draft of my prospectus in by the end of this week. A big thank you to Aunt Ashleigh for sending Becca a box of fall and winter clothes!

Happy 9-month birthday, dear Becca-Bear! It’s hard to believe that 9 months ago today our little girl was born weighing only 2 lbs, 0.8 oz. and measuring only 14in. As of today, Becca weighs 15 lbs, 1 oz. and is 24.5in long! She’s come a long way from having a body (shoulders to bottom) that was the length of a teaspoon.

We’re enjoying watching and hearing Becca experiment with new sounds. She’s got the “da-da” sound mastered, knows how to make clicking sounds with her tongue, and loves to talk. I recently taught her how to do a motor boat sound with her tongue, which resulted in her drool being dispersed all about.

Becca is a generally happy baby, as long as she’s fed and rested. She loves to be around us as we work and doesn’t like to let us leave the room for too long. She’s working on sitting up by herself  and we’re trying to get her to roll over from her back to her stomach. I’m not sure if it’s because Becca sees us read all the time, but it seems like Becca really likes books. (This week Josh finished reading me The Return of the King — the third book in The Lord of the Rings!) We plan to get some more baby-friendly books so she can improve her reading repertoire!

This weekend Josh’s friend Lap came from Lubbock for a few days to work with Josh on Jarai research, as well as discuss teaching linguistics. Josh and Lap usually communicate over email and Skype, and it was nice for them both to be able to work together in person. On Saturday, we had Dr. Pat Davis over for lunch. Dr. Davis did research and literacy work in Eritrea and I met with her in July to interview her concerning my dissertation topic. I really enjoyed hearing about Dr. Davis’ world-wide literacy work. Josh’s semester officially starts today and we’re getting ready for a new schedule. I hope to turn my prospectus in by Labor Day and will continue working on it as I wait to hear back from my committee. We’d both appreciate your prayers for our busy semester.

I’ve been a user of Logos Bible Software for a few years now. Logos 4 Mac looks like a good product. Here’s some promo text from their website: Continue reading Logos Bible Software 4 Mac →

It’s always neat to go back and look at pictures of Becca and see how much she’s grown. In the pair fo photos above, the picture on the left was taken on March 31st, when Becca was 18 weeks old, and now here she is 20 weeks later. This week, I took out the giant bear to help Becca practice sitting up. Of course, Becca had other ideas. The picture on the right shows what Becca really loves to do with her animals – yum, yum!

This week we enjoyed some more fellowship with friends. Friday night we went to René and Yani’s home and enjoyed a lovely dinner, while Becca and Amaris played. Saturday evening we had Steve and Kelly Walter over for dinner. Steve is on my dissertation committee and is providing the Eritrean data I’m working with.

We went on a little vacation this weekend from Sunday evening to Tuesday morning. We used our credit card point to stay in a hotel in north Fort Worth. Our vacation “goal” was to relax and enjoy having an unscheduled day. I brought most of our food and we enjoyed a morning swim in the pool. Becca got to wear my old baby bathing suit.

We could also call it our Lord of The Rings vacation. This summer we’ve been reading through The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, so on our vacation we watched the first LOTR movie and made good progress reading The Return of the King. (We started reading LOTR in Greenville in June. It was on the bedstand in Caroline and David’s guest room, and it’s always been one of Josh’s favorites. So that became our new read-together book.)We had a delightful time and it was a good break before Josh’s semester starts next Thursday.

By the way, if you like cute babies, check out the latest pictures of Bella Eliesse Floyd, born to David and Caroline Floyd on August 9 (yeah, 8/9/10!). (Caroline is Josh’s sister.)

This week Becca got a very special present in the mail from her Great Aunt Ruthy: her very own little chair. It’s a great place for Becca to practice sitting up. Aunt Ruthy also sent Becca a frog, which Becca is very interested in eating – frog legs, yummy! This week I washed and packed up all of Becca’s newborn clothes. She still fits in most of her 3-month stuff. I guess that’s an advantage of having a small baby is that her clothes fit her for a long time.

This week we visited with Michael and Erin Lyons. The last time we saw them was a year ago on our trip back from PA. They generously allowed us to spend the night in their apartment in Louisville, KY, as we traveled home. It was good catching up with them and hearing about where God is leading them next. The Lyons are expecting a baby in February.

Due to the generosity of family and friends, this week was the first time we’ve had to buy diapers since the month of April. We found some good deals from diapers.com. If anyone is ever interested in ordering from Diapers.com, you can put in our referral code (JXSH2621) and we’ll get $10.00 off our next order. (Is it wrong for us to advertise for our own benefit?) And there’s something in it for you: the first time you order from Diapers.com you get 15% off, so at least the first order is a nice deal for anyone.

Well that about sums up our week. Sunday night we have a nice visit and meal with the Martins and some of their friends (no pictures, sorry). We’ve both been busy working on our research. Josh starts school on the 26th of this month. He’ll be teaching an undergraduate class on Phonetics and Phonology, working in the Linguistic Department’s computer lab, and taking one class, as well as working on his dissertation research. I will continue to work on my prospectus as well as enjoy being the wife of Josh Jensen and the mommy of Becca Grace.

This past week, Becca had an OT appointment with Mary. Right after Becca’s last OT appointment April, Mary broke her arm riding a horse. We’ve been waiting for Mary’s arm to recover enough so Becca could see her again. Mary is pleased with Becca’s progress. Becca is right on the edge of having 5-month skills. Mary gave us exercises to help Becca work on sitting up and rolling over from her back to her stomach.

We’re kept busy this week with our research and both continue to make progress. I don’t have much time to blog this week, but I wanted to post a few pictures from our weekend adventures. Friday night we played a new version of hide-n-go seek (what else do people do when it’s too hot to go outside and play?). The finder has to keep his or her eyes closed and the hider has to hold Becca. When it was Josh’s turn to hide, he turned up the music really loud, so the first thing I did was find the computer and turn off the music. It was then not Becca who gave away Josh’s hiding spot but Josh laughing at me. After our game we went to River Legacy Park for a walk.

Sunday afternoon we have Lynnelle and her fiancé over for a late lunch. Later that evening we cooled off in a UTA fountain. Monday night, Kim came over for dinner and then we made sugar cookies. I made a butter-free batch – yum, yum! Today we’re looking forward to having Michael and Erin Lyons over for dinner. So that’s a quick look into our week. Sorry this post is rather boring. . . . Hopefully, next week I’ll time to spice things up!

Three years ago today, the man of my dreams asked me to be his wife. It was several days before Josh was going to leave for Texas and he arranged with my boss, and dear friend, Mrs. Eby, to take me out for the afternoon. We packed a lunch and drove up to Table Rock Park. On the drive up, we stopped at a souvenir shop and bought and cracked open a geode (we each kept a half). At Table Rock we ate our lunch and then went on a walk. A little ways up the path, we left the trail and went down by a creek. Josh said he had a couple things to give to me. Each time he pulled out a black ring box and opened it up to give me something different – his key-chain with a quarter on it, a little ceramic dog holding a flag that said amore, a little white Bible (inside joke), and last but not least…he once again opened the ring box and there was our engagement ring…and then and there, the man of my dreams asked me to marry him! I was delighted…so delighted it took me awhile to say “yes!” When we went back to BJU later to pick up my car, we found that Mrs. Eby & Co. had decorated it in celebration of our engagement!

I‘m so glad Joshua Jensen asked me to be his wife. I am blessed everyday in so many ways to be married to my Josh. Thank you, darling for asking me to marry you. Thank you for being a wonderful husband to me and a fantastic daddy to Becca. Thank you for being the man who excedes all my dreams. I love you so much!

It’s hard to believe that 35 weeks ago our little girl was only 2lbs and living in an incubator surrounded by tubes and wire. We’re delighted that God has blessed us with a beautiful, healthy baby girl. She brings us so much joy. Both Josh and I are enjoying our play-times with Becca each day. Becca loves bouncing around and flying high in the air. Being a preemie must have made her tough, because Becca seems to love roughhousing. I guess she’ll be prepared for any brothers the Lord may send her.

I don’t often think about the stress surrounding Becca’s birth, but this past week I saw what the “high stress” did to my eyes. Since my work medical insurance runs out in August, we’re taking full advantage of any health-related paid appointments. I had an eye check-up last Thursday and after looking into my eyes, the doctor told me I have “retina vascular changes due to high stress.”  Knowing I had recently had a baby, he asked if I had experienced stress related to her early birth. For those who are interested, the picture on the left shows the veins in my retina. Normal veins are typically strong and straight. The doctor told me that “high stress” causes these veins to become weakened, making them squiggly. The changes my retina has experienced are not a major concern right now; the doctor just wanted to take a picture for future reference. On another note – my insurance also allowed for me to get new glass…you’ll have to wait until next week to see what we chose.

Last Thursday we went to an outdoor showing of “How to Train Your Dragon.” UTA shows free outdoor movies every Thursday night about a block from our apartment. The weather was great – it cooled off and there was a lovely breeze during the movie. Josh enjoyed the free popcorn UTA provided and I enjoyed the butter-free popcorn Josh made for me to eat! Friday night we visited two parks in the area. Arlington has tons of parks, and I found out that three of their parks have equipment for water play. I was excited about going and playing in the water….and then it rained. We still went to two of the parks to check out their equipment and enjoyed walking in the rain. (Doesn’t Becca do a great job taking pictures of us?)

Sunday night we have John and Shawn Lutz over for dinner, and Tuesday night we had dinner with the Bentons (Matt Benton was a classmate of Josh). the Bentons are lending us a play gym for Becca. So far she seems to like her new toy! My dairy-free, soy-free diet is going well. We haven’t seen any significant changes with Becca yet, but we’re hoping to see improvement in the next few weeks. I’d appreciate any suggestions for dairy-free/soy-free recipes.

Eight months ago today, our little precious Becca-Bear was born. We’re so thrilled with the treasure God has given us. We love you, Becca-Bear!

If Becca had been born on her due date, today would be her 5-month birthday. This week Becca got an early 1st year birthday present: Grammy Sutter made Becca her very first dolly and named her Eva. My mom’s first doll was made by her grandmother, my mom made me my first doll, and now my mom has made Becca her first doll. Grammy spent hours sewing Eva and did a lot of work hand-stitching her face. Becca seems to like Eva, and I think they are going to have many fun adventure in the years to come.

We’ve had a good week. Friday night our date was a trip to Rita’s Italian Ice. My brother, Dan, gave me a Rita’s giftcard last year for my birthday. We were waiting until this summer to use it and enjoyed our weekend treat. It was really nice for me, since I can’t have dairy, to eat something that was cold and sweet, without having to worry about milk ingredients.

Monday evening we had one of my former BJU roommates over for dinner. Kimberly and I were roommate during the first semester of my senior year, Fall 2003. Kimberly was a freshman in the academy. We’ve stayed in touch since then and have been planning to get together since I moved with Josh out to Texas. It was great to see Kimberly again, and I look forward to seeing her more this summer.

Josh gave me a wonderful birthday. He made me birthday oatmeal for breakfast, birthday eggs for lunch, and birthday tacos for dinner. He also made my birthday watermelon fruit basket (something my mom made for me on my first birthday and many years after). In the evening, we went on a birthday walk, played a birthday game of Othello, ate some birthday popcorn, read my birthday card, and did some birthday reading in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It was a lovely day and I enjoyed the extra activities we did together. I am REALLY excited about my birthday gift from Josh. . . . It won’t be done for a while, so you’ll have to wait to find out what it is!

Now, to wrap up the photos from the Becca Tour. While in PA, we visited with Mr. and Mrs. Burd. It was Becca’s first time in a pool, and both Josh and I enjoyed swimming. While in NJ, we spent the night at America’s Keswick and took a quick trip to see Harvey Cedars Bible Conference. It was fun to show Josh some places where I’d spent time when I was younger.

One other important person Becca met on this trip was her Great Uncle Johnny. Uncle Johnny called me every day from the time he found out I was in the hospital until the day Becca came home from the hospital. Becca spit up on Uncle John’s shirt. . . . I figured that was her way of letting him know that she likes him. Becca also got to meet Owen Bucholtz. Owen was born at 28 weeks on September 28, 2009, and went home from the NICU a few weeks before Becca was born. It was encouraging to see his pictures and hear of his progress while Becca was in the NICU.

This concludes the pictures from the Becca Tour. Becca seemed to enjoy meeting everyone and we enjoyed showing our little girl off to our friends and family.

Twenty-eight years ago today was one of the most important days of my life: my (then future) wife was born at home in Piscataway, NJ, delivered by the EMT. (She’s quite a bit happier today than she was then.)

Happy Birthday, RuthAmy Sutter Jensen! I love you.

Amy entered this photo of Becca in the Cow Appreciation Day contest at Chick-Fil-A’s website. If you think she’s cute, you can vote for her. (You have to enter your email address and confirm your vote after they send you a confirmation email. But it looks like you don’t get entered onto a marketing list or anything. Only one vote per person, please.)

Today is Becca’s 33-week birthday! As for last Thursday, her weight was 14lbs and 2oz and she was almost 24 in. Our week’s excitement was celebrating Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A. For those of you who don’t know, Chick-Fil-A gave away free meals to anyone who dressed up like a cow on July 9th. We had fun dressing up and eating our meals. Becca was a star at the restaurant! When we walked into Chick-Fil-A, the staff cheered and clapped for us.

Speaking of cows, this week Becca was diagnosed with milk and soy protein allergy. Her body has trouble breaking down the protein in milk and soy (which is similar to milk). This means Mommy has to stay away from eating all dairy products and soy products (except soybean oil and lecithin). The nurse practitioner gave me a list of ingredients to stay away from and told me the diet basically consists on meat, veggies, and fruit . . . it’s amazing how many things contain soy.

Josh and I continue to work on projects relating to our degrees. We’re making good use of UTA’s library, inter-library loan system, and online databases. Becca is doing a great job keeping herself (and us) entertained while we study. She usually eats around 6AM and then goes back to sleep until 10ish. This usually give me a solid two hours to work on my research. Josh entertains Becca in the late mornings . .  . as you can see in the pictures, they have exciting times together. Becca has been enjoying helping me in the kitchen. I made her Kitchen Queen for a day.

Now for more pictures from the Becca Tour. Becca got to meet all of Josh’s immediate family. The Erkens were visiting from China — it was great for the whole family to be together! Becca also met all four of my brothers and my three sisters-in-law. And she got to meet Grandfather David Emil Sutter (my dad) for the first time. I enjoyed watching my dad playing with Becca. Grandpa enjoyed giving Becca watermelon, and she seemed to enjoy it too!