1 Month Update

Today marked Elliana's one month birthday, and what better way to celebrate than to go to the doctor for a clean bill of health. In one month, Elliana jumped from the 68th percentile of weight up to the 78th percentile, which means she now weighs in at 10 pounds, 6 ounces!! We knew she was getting big when the 0-3 month clothes began to fill out more, but knowing of her new weight confirmed our suspicions.

The doctor was amazed at how alert and attentive Elliana was and said numerous times that she was acting much older than a 4 week old. We have always thought she hadn't acted like a newborn, and has exhibited incredible neck and head strength, but to have a medical professional confirm her progress felt pretty great. Elliana is already smiling at Mommy & Daddy and showing some traits of a baby much older than she is. Since I can tell that I am bragging, I will stop now so I don't become one of those annoying moms who brag all the time. :)

Our Little Cheerleader

I just had to share some pictures of our little cheerleader taken this past weekend. In honor of the super bowl, our church had a special super bowl service and Elliana decided to dress up for the occasion.

The first picture is Daddy & Elliana at church before the service began. And, that second picture is at home when we told our little princess that the team she had been cheering for was not in the super bowl.

We hope you enjoy the pictures as much as we do!

2008: A Year in Review

How do I begin to describe how abundantly the Berndsen Family has been blessed in 2008?! I suppose I can begin with the very beginning and just mention a few of the highlights our family has experienced this past year, in chronological order to make it easier :)

January - We escaped the winter blues to venture on a cruise to the Caribbean. We loved our vacation and were so happy to get such a great deal on it! It was the perfect way to begin the year, and get us one step closer to our new home.


February - We moved into our new home, which we had eagerly been waiting for the past 6 months. We had so much fun getting settled into our new house and preparing to make our house a home.


April - We learned that our family of two was becoming a family of three! Such a beautiful miracle and we immediately began preparing for our little one. Words alone can't express the happiness and love that we immediately had for our little peanut.


May - We ventured to Miami, FL for a business trip for T.J.'s work. Such a great getaway and an opportunity for our family to make more memories.


August - We were honored to celebrate our sister Jenna's wedding! Such a beautiful ceremony in a rose garden in WV, and we pray that Jenna and Matt remain as happy and in love as they were on that beautiful day. Trust me, with each day...marriage is more and more rewarding! Congratulations!!


September - We celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary with a little rendevous to Bay Harbor, Michigan. Our trip was just what we needed to celebrate and reflect on our marriage. We relaxed, shopped, walked and enjoyed the spa...everything was just perfect! Thanks hubby for a great getaway, as usual! :)


October & November - We were blessed with the love and friendship of our family and friends with the many baby showers that we enjoyed. Thank you to everyone for showing us the love and support as we prepared for our newest blessing, who was due to arrive the next month.

December - December marked the 9th month of pregnancy. Everything about that last month was incredible, scary and yet incredibly rewarding. We learned a lot of patience, learned to trust God even more and our love for each other grew even more strong than I had known was possible. I thought this picture was appropriate for the month of December, as our niece Dinah eagerly peers at my belly waiting for some action (much like I did most of the month!)


And, I already know that 2009 will be even more incredible than 2008 was! Our baby girl arrived on January 3rd, and I can't think of a better way to begin the year. :)

Our First Week

Well, I knew the time would come for T.J. to return to work, and that time officially came this past Monday. I must admit that I was a bit nervous to be a full-time Mommy as T.J. has been such an incredible help the two weeks that he was home with Elliana and me. But, the reality was that in order to continue to pay bills and provide food that Daddy had to return to work, even though I know he would have been happy to stay home forever.

Our first week home alone together went better than expected, and I am so very fortunate that we have this time together. We have read books, taken naps together, and tried to prepare the house for when Daddy comes home from work so that we can play together as a family.

One of our major accomplishments this week is that we ventured out of the house on our own, which believe it or not was a major feat for the Berndsen girls. I know, it might seem silly that a simple trip out of the house with my daughter is an accomplishment, but the past few weeks a lot of my energy has been spent recovering and determining a feeding schedule...so managing to get out of the house within the timeline of feedings is an achievement. Yesterday we went for another weight check at the hospital, and I am pleased to announce that our baby girl is now weighing in at 9 lbs, 5.4 ounces! At this pace, I predict she will be wearing 3-6 month clothes in about 2-3 weeks which I find absolutely incredible at how quickly my little girl is growing!

As much as I have loved our alone time this week, I am so very excited that today is FRIDAY and we will have Daddy home with us all weekend long. Elliana and I are a great team, but it is the three of us that make us a family.



Elliana happy to be playing with Mommy

Even more enjoyable

It is amazing to me how in just over two weeks, Elliana's personality is already starting to shine through. Each day, she brings a new kind of happiness and laughter to our lives that we never knew was missing.