Erica's home and Tess is geeting better

Erica came home today and is doing very well, it was hard to leave Tess in the NICU
and not
bring her home with us, I guess when we started out doing this we never figured we would be home without her but we both know its all for the best.
Tess's feedings are going great and as of tonight she gets double the amount of milk and this will keep going up if she can handle it.
She came off one of the breathing machines today and got smaller tubes in her nose, just like the one adults get(just smaller) she is much happier,they also took her IV out of her hand and put it into her foot, this frees up her hands to move around and she loves this because she can now touch her face and she has found her mouth.
Erica and I would like to thank all of our family and friend for all their words of love and strength
it was because of all of you that the last week has gone so smooth.
Thanks to our Moms and Dads for being there when we need them and giving us a shoulder to cry on when we need it.
Thanks to our brothers and sisters for the support and understanding in our time of need.
And a BIG thanks to all out friends:
Rob and Candy for all the help with the house and the pets
John and Lynn for help in the hospital
and all the rest of you guys for the visits in the hospital, the words of encouragement.
Thanks to you all

Tess's new pics and a little more

Well she has been doing great for the last two days, they took the o2 tube out of her mouth last night and she got it moved to her nose, and was she happy about that.

The best part was when they took her tube out and said we could hold her and that was like nothing I have ever felt before. That made it more real then I could have ever thought.

We also went to see her in the afternoon and was surprised Tess was sleeping on her belly, the nurse said its good for her if she can handle it and it looks like she loves it.

Got to do some diaper changes today and that was cool, a little weird and it felt like I was going to break her but all in all it was great to be able to touch her and hear her.

Erica is doing well, she got up this morning and got her self ready to go, she really has impressed me on how she is doing and handling all of this, I guess that's why I love her so much.

I return to work tomorrow and I think it will be a little hard not to wake up and just see Erica and be able to walk down the hall and see Tess, but I'll just such it up.

Well got to go post more tomorrow.

See yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Baby time @ 11:59pm Sunday

Wow, what a surprise, went home to get some sleep and to get stuff done and got a call to get back to the hospital. Tess's heart rate was not changing much, just sitting around 130/135 and the doc. really didn't like that so she called it and away we went to an emergency c-section. Baby came though it fine and she was even breathing on her own but because of her size we were off to the NICU.

I got to spend some time with her well Mom got all fixed up and got some good drugs. As I waited they gave me her weight, 3lbs 14.60z and 16.75 inch's long. She got some test for how she was doing and coming around and at first it was low but within 5 min she was a 8 and that's really good for her size.

So around 2:30am Erica my parents, her parents and I got to go in and see her and she looked great, she was fusing and all. It was kind of hard because we could not hold her and that was the hard part for both of us. The nurses said the would most likely give her a breathing tube to help with her breathing but they would hold off to she if she would hold out.

So off to bed we went, up this morning to the nurses waking Erica up for Bp and pain meds and I must say she is a lot stronger then me, by 9:30am she was ready to go and see the baby and she wanted out off the bed, So back to the NICU to find out the had to put in a breathing tube to help Tess but by the time we got there she wanted no part of it and we were told if all the blood work came out good they would most likely take the tube out tonight or tomorrow morning.

Well as I type Erica is sleeping and I just came back from the NICU and Tess's blood work came out over the top and they are going to try to take her off the tube tonight, I can't wait and Erica is so excited to hold her, as Erica said "It just dose not seem real because I can't hold her".

Well I really got go I will update more tonight

Day four of baby update

Not to much, still sitting in the room, Erica is doing a little better, she got her second steroid shot today and spent two hours on the monitor and she had her first contraction. She did not feel it but the monitor picked it up. She spent most of the day in bed and she's not having much fun with it, her mom came to see her today so that was a bright spot in her day.Talked with the Doc. on call and she in turn talked to our Doc. and everything is in a holding pattern, we will deliver if something changes but otherwise it will be Monday before we hear anything.
Its been long days but its all for the best.
See Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Randy

New baby pic

New 4D ultra sound

of Tessa Claire Jennings

count down to baby time

Well sorry for the slow updates but things have been a little tough the last couple of days.
Tuesday we had a Doc. check up and it didn't go well, her tests showed she was high in protein, now for racers that works well but in a pregnant woman that not good.
So we were off to St. Joe's for some tests because we would not have got them back quick enough from the lab. So off we go, we thought we would be there for a few hours, a few hours turned into a few days a few days now will be until the baby is born.
We thought we were going to have her tomorrow but their going to leave her in mommy a little longer. Her BP is up and she is in the first stages of pre-aclampcia(Yes that's spelled wrong) so today the doc. started steroids to help the lungs and brains grow faster.
We got a really cool 4D scan of the baby and got to see her face, I will scan a picture later, that was so cool to see her before shes born.
So things are up in the air for now and we are living day to day in her room and just waiting for the baby to come.
I'll try to get another post out in the next couple of days for a update.

see yaaaaaaaaaaa
Randy

3rd Shift

It sucks need I say more
SEE YAAAA
RANDY

New Bike and a UPDATE

New ride for the BMX thing.
I can't believe the comments made it all the way to 42.
Got to the track in elkhorn tonight and the wife even made the trip. Had a good time with Jay,Danny and Fast girl Sam. Made a few good runs and I think I'm getting the gate thing down.
See yaaaaaaaaa

See I was thin at one time

See I have been able to see my feet

Man is that really me, I look like I need a meal

Update=No Update

Well not much happening around here, had a blast at the night race last fri. and it was good to see such a good turn out. Will make the long trip to point next weekend for the Wors stuff and will end up coming right back the same night, I really don't see the need to spend the night as its just a wasted day for Sun. and as the wife is getting bigger everyday I really don't want to be gone over night.
Mommy is in her 27th week and it seems to be flying by, we just got our doctors visits moved from once every 4 weeks to every 2 weeks. That makes it sink in that its getting closer everyday.

Tomarrow is a day of sadness as Candy's Dad died Sunday and tomarrow is the wake, as a kid I lived half a block away from Candy and her family and remember small bits from the past and her Dad. It will be a sad day but to know he had a great life and has many people who knew him and loved him makes things easier for eveyone. Knowing Candy's family you can see all the love they have for him and I will know his memories will be carried on for ever.

See yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Randy

Its came and went like the wind

Number 12 is here and the summer went so fast, not a good season for me this year but I had a lot of fun and you just can't beat all the friendships you make thoughout the season.
Just read the Wors board and I guess the track is dry and fast, I guess I'll leave the XR's on for now and see how they run. I made up my mind last weekend I'll run the 18t as the trail got my legs last weekend with the 17t, I think it will be ok, better is the small back to back up hills like roots of all evil and more spin in the tight single in the pines.
I will try to get out of here around 12:00 or so but that's up to the wife, the kid has been really active as of late and she hasn't been feeling very will, not sick just tired so she going to stay home today but she will be there tomorrow.
Don't forget about the cookout after the race, all are welcome, the only rule is bring some type of food to pass.
See yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Randy

Cross practice

Had a good time, and only stacked it up once.It was cool.
Pat made some practice barriers and we all had a good time.
DON'T forget the ride this weekend at Evergreen Park ~ Sheboygan, WI
@ 2:00pm Saturday the 30th

www.cheqfattire.com

What a great weekend, started with the long drive, got to Bubba's around 5:45am with Mark and we ran over to pick up Rick and off we were, after the long ride we got to the resort and got set up in the house and it was awesome, right off the lake and it even had it's own lagoon. It was so great it had four bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, two kitchens and two living rooms. We had enough room for all 12 of us and still had a ton of space.

So we meet Greg and were off to meet Jay and the Hayes clan to do a little riding at Telemark. We get to the condo and were off, well kinda, it was a asskicker of a trail and my back was killing me so I was on and off the bike all day. Got done and we were off to dinner, we went to this corner bar and had dinner and had a great time hassling the bartender and goofing around.

Friday I got to sleep in a little, ate some good food and worked on the bikes for a little. A bunch of us thought it would be a good idea to go ride a short section of the course and then we had to hit a local bike shop to get Bubba a water bottle cage. When I rode the trail I had a hard time trying to figure out what gear to run, it was either the 17t or the18t, it was like I just couldn't make up my mind, after a lot of back and forth I went with the 18t and as I would find out I was glad I did.

Friday night we just sat around, had a great dinner made by Jim and Bubba and got all set up for the next morning, before the end of the night we loaded up all the bikes into Bubba's, Greg's and my car so we could get our bikes right up front at the start line and then it was off to bed to try to get a good night sleep.

Saturday it was up early to finish getting everything ready, we left around 8am to get up close to the starting line and we were glad we did as they changed some stuff and told us we had to be at our bikes by 9:20 and if we weren't they were going to pull our bikes out of the gates(ya right you could barely get in there). So we sat around for awhile and shot the shit and then it was time to go, by then the stomach was in knots and the cannon goes off and away we go.

A short burst of speed and it all came to a stop and then start again. We went down the road ,well should I say they went down the road, I felt like I was going backwards. At about a mile in some guy right in front of me blows a tire and the tube shot right out I thought it was all over but the guy saved it and rode it to the curb, another mile in and there was a huge crash, as we go by I see like 5 bikes in the rode and a girl down in the middle, come to find out Zeke
was in the middle off the thing and ended up breaking his arm all because (in he words) "who in the hell reaches for a bottle at 30 mph?". Off to rosies field and it was like people never rode a bike, at one point I was holding onto some other guys barend when he rides right into me in the middle of the field like I was never there. Though the field and into the rollers, up,down,up,down and up again.
As I'm climbing I look up and Mark is standing on the side of the trail I pull over and he says he got a flat so I stay with him till he was done, as we were ready to get back on Candy rides by and asked if we were ok , we say ya and were off again. Mark is pissed because we were so far back but I figured its a long race and we can pick off a lot of riders if we just keep riding at a good pace.
We get going and I can't believe how many people are out there, we pass Candy and ask how she's doing and were off, Mark led in the flats and I tried to pull up the hills, we were HAULIN and passing people left and right and feeling good.

We hit OO in 1:33 and keep cranking passing more people and trying to make up somemore time. Hit the flat road around mile 23 and into Martel's pothole, we get stopped and have to walk around the pothole cause someguy took a huge digger and had to be carted off on a back board, off we are again and to the fire road, time to refuel and spin out the legs. We run into Rick looking for Bubba, he thought he was behind him but we never saw him so Rick was off to try to catch him. Mark and I stay in sight of each other and most of the ride side buy side.

We hit the next water station and I had to refill and Mark was starting to get back cramps so we get what we need and Mark does some stretches and were off, some good fire roads and were still passing people and we are keeping some good speed. We got to "Fire Tower Hill " and I look up and think well this isn't that bad, well I didn't know there were three tiers, and I was off and walking. Mark started to pull away and I was trying to catch up, we got to the top and I see Mark, we grab some food and off we go.We ride together till around mile six when the ski trails start and Mark pulls away and I just can't push any harder on the hills so I let him go in hopes I can make up more time on the down hills.

Those last six miles are killers, it was like ride as hard as you can down the hill and then I would try to get up the next as far as I could, then get off and walk as fast to the next. I finally get to a huge down hill road and suck some guys wheel that was crankin it and just sit in, the legs still felt good but not great so I wanted to save a little for the end. I get to the last rest stop grab a banana and kept going I round the corner and some lady says 2 miles togo, I'm think, I'm going to do this, I can't believe I'm going to do this. The next corner some guy tells me there are only two big hills left, Thanks Buddy. I grunt the last two hills and I see 1/2 mile togo, time to use the last amount off gas I have. I see the finish gate and I give it my all, passing people and trying not to blow up in the last 1/4 mile and then I hear some guy announcing my name and where I'm from, that was so cool and then I was done. 3:54:44 I broke the four hour mark and that's what I was going for . I still can't believe I finished that race. See Yaa

Wednesday sting at the ridge

Shit,Shit,Shit those were the words that came out of my mouth as Coop and I were racing at the ridge,
so off the bike, kill the bee but the f'in stinger was still in my arm, so I pull out the stinger and away I go for about 2 miles. Up craters and the arm feels a little like pins and needles. By the time I hit the top the arm is total numb and starting to swell, So off the course I go and back to the van were the wife is sitting and the look on her face was like what the hell. I have her grab the first-aid kit and use some sting stuff and hit it with a cold pack, yank the wedding ring off as the hand is swelling and sit and try to calm down.
Now I have only been stung once before and never had act like this. The arm was still a little sore today but better. I swear what else could happen.
I am looking forward to the 40 next week as it will be my first one,I'm still trying to figure out what gear I will use but I guess I'll bring a few along with some different tires. Looks like we will be leaving early on Thursday morning to try to hit some of the local trails for some fun and then some rest on Friday before we race on Saturday. I hope I don't make a fool out of myself out there.
Well got to go and get some stuff done around here

Labor Day Ride

Yes we road today and at least our bikes didn't look like this when we were done.(But the face looks like some one I know "BUBBA" )
We started the day at the alpha trail, but as the rain kept coming down ,John and Lynn said lets just go to our house and grill out so off we are. By the time we got there the rain was light and we all jumped on the bikes to head to hoyt and the connector for a little ride.
We got about 3miles in and the rain started but it wasn't that bad, a little slick but ok. So we kicked it out to John and Lynn's and had a good cookout and some of Johns famous home brew.
Sat around and talked for awhile and then it was time to go home, Started to work on the fixie, think I am going to but flat bars on it for awhile and use it for running back and forth to the shop on the weekends. Well time to go to bed. Here are some other pictures from the ride today and a special one of Jay that I didn't even know I took till I looked at them.
SEE YAA ......................................

Feelin good

My back is feeling great and I have even got out on the bike yesterday and today. Yesterday just did a little ride to hoyt,two laps in hoyt and a spin back home. Back felt a little tight at first but felt a lot better by the end of the ride.
Today I hit the ridge, not to race but just to get a ride on a good course, rode rigid and the back felt good, didn't ride really hard but had a good climb up craters but the rhythm in the singletrack is a little off but getting better.
I'm hoping to ride atleast 5 days a week to get ready for the 40 and try to lose a little weight, well one can hope.
SEE YA....................................................

Ride time @the ridge

Ride: Crystal ridge, Mountain bikes
Date: Monday (Labor Day)
Time: 11:30am
A few fun laps of the hole loop w/ alpha
Meeting place: Alpha trail head (Golf coarse parking lot side)
Cookout after ride.
I am in hopes we can get a good turn out so tell all your friends
Randy

feel in a lot better and a new trike on the way

Well another stop at the back Doc today and I feel thing a lot better after a little electro-shock and then a little snap and pop, it seems like the disc went back into its space, now for the rest of things to get back in order. I will be off the bike for atleast two weeks, so it looks like a lot of core work and yoga.
Doc says yoga will do wonders on the back and help a lot with the core.
I forgot with all the stuff that has been going on to let everyone know the update with Erica, we had our big meeting with the doctor last week and everything is good, all tests came back normal,blood work just fine and Erica is in good health, so they said its time for the indepth ultrasound. We set up the time for last week tue and we were both full of nerves.
On our way to the doctors I look over at Erica and say "we can find out the sex if you want?" She looks over at me and says"YOU ASS I thought we were going to wait".
Well the long and short off it is all the scans look great and Erica was right on with her due date, Jan. 15, 2007. I am still in hopes for Dec. 31, 2006, well one can hope.
OK, OK .........................................................
And the baby is ..........................................
Its a girl, yes Randy is having, well really Erica but you know what I mean.
I am so amped for this, I really wanted a girl and I know its really real, Erica is also excited and we have started to do a little buying now that we know what it is and its cool to go out and look for girly stuff.
Well got to go and do some streches for the back and the goto bed
See Yaa........................................

The ups and slipped downs of the last weeks

Well last week started great and I couldn't wait till wed when we (John,Karrie and I ) headed to Waterloo for three days at TREK, Day one started with test rides at the factory with some cool new rides. We got to ride the new fisher HiFi, cool new bike, really light but not for me, it climbs very well and the rear of the bike feels great but in my mind the down fall is the front, it seem like the new G2 fit changed the head tube angle and to me it feels like it is now to far under the bike, when you stand up it feels like you are going to go over the bars.
We also rode the new Lemond carbon rode bike and I'm in love, it is very smooth and rides like a caddy.
Wed. night was our first chance to see all the new 2007 bikes and they all look sweet, a lot of new weights on bikes and a lot of new specs. from last year, even a few total new bikes.
Thur. was a easy day as I could not get a demo road bike to ride in the morning so I got to sleep in, after that it was shop stuff and looking at more bikes until thur. night. Karrie said we were going to watch kick ball and John was playing, it was cool. TREK rented a semi pro teams stadium for the night and it was a blast, all the food and drink you could handle and some really fun games. Johns team ended up winning the hole thing it was cool. During the game there was a lot of stuff going on also, streaking, a guy riding a bike in his underwear on the field, one team beat up the mascot and stole a beer keg and the best was Bobkey (Bob Roll) did the play by play.
Got out of there around 11pm and decided it was time to hit the bed but the others had something else in mind, so I get a phone call at 11:45 and the other end is saying "GET UP WERE GOING OUT" so up I got and more beer went down, finale got to bed at 1am.
Fri. 5am the phone rings and I pick it up, "Your wake up call" bang goes down the phone, shit I have to get up for the 6am ride, I can sleep for 10 more mins. ring,ring,ring the alarm is going off, shit I'm late, get the it on and out the door to run into John and away we went.
I get to the demo site and all the 54cm bikes are gone buy one, a pilot 5.2, shit a comfort bike but it was all they had so lets go. Well that was until I went to move the seat post and it had like a 60mm post in it, as this is happening the first group with John in it leaves and know I'm pissed.
They jump into the back of the truck and "Sweet" they pull out a 5.2 madone 10speed and start to change my pedals and the second group leaves. Well the third group will have to do and were off, 10 strong and in a good grove on the path until our guide hooked a crack in the rode and goes down like a sack. Well that just changed the whole pace of the ride but it was still fun.
Fri. afternoon we decide to hit the demos on the way home and get somemore rides in.
Got to ride the new supercal 29er and I love it, it feels like it just rolls though the single track and climbs great. We got back and Karrie and I had a little some thing to eat well John took out the supercal, I was waiting to ride the new "Ferrous"29er(steel ) and at the time it was out (they only had 4 as they were prototypes) so John got back, He said he really liked the 29er and I was off on the Ferrous, felt great on the rode but the new G2 got me again, it climbs like a goat but just feels weird when you stand, now it did have a 80mm stem and I use a 100mm so that could have something to do with it but all in all it felt pretty good and it can also be turned from a geared bike to a singlespeed in a snap.
So were getting ready to leave and who comes walking up, its Gary Fisher, now that was cool.
Time to go home and off we go, on the way home I say to Karrie "Its weird my back feels kind of tight". I figured it was just from riding and I left it like that.
Sat. night we head to Dawn's, Keiths co-workers house for a party and some fun, so on our way I tell Erica "I don't know what I did but my back is killin me" she says it was just from the riding and it will go away. So we have a great time at the party but we have to call it early because Erica has to be up at 4am for work, so we get home and off to bed we go, I'm in hopes a good night sleep will help the back.
4am Sunday morning and Erica is out the door and I roll back over for more sleep till I have to be up to work at the shop later. 8am and I get up to take the dog out, the back hurts but I feel like I can make it though the day, I let the dog out to do his thing and he comes right back in, I go to close the door and "O' SHIT, I hit the floor in the most pain I have ever been in. I can't move, it feels like hot needles in my spine, so there I lay not being able to move, 45min later I finale get the phone and call the wife to get home as soon as she can. She gets home and gets me back into bed and calls the shop to let them know I won't be in. I spend the hole day in bed hoping it will get better but no deal, I call in for work on Monday and get into the chiropractor to find out I slipped a disc and will be out of work for the rest of the week and riding is out for idlest two.
I don't know if any of you have ever slipped a disc but WOW it hurts like hell, so I went to see the doc again today, I didn't thing your back could make sounds like that, and I will also go tomorrow. The back feels better but still hurts, atleast I can now walk and I am told I should feel like new by sat. or sun, I can only hope.
See Yaa..................................................

No race day

Well it was kind of strange not racing today and not even being at the race but work called and I was on call all weekend, plus I really needed to get some stuff done around the house and spend some time with the wife.
We went for brunch at SAZS this morning (Thanks Tony and Ulla) and it was great, it was nice to spend time with Erica and the food was great. We also got a new fish tank on sat., a 40 gal tank, we had a 27 gal. so today I had to go back to the fish store today because the filter we got didn't work out of the box so I had to go exchange it.
I also got some stuff done I have been putting off , burned some cd's for the girls and finally got to my sisters to put up a light on the garage.
So I guess as bad as I felt not being at the race for the team I still got a lot done.
I also started to look at the calendar and figured I won't do another WORS race again till Rapids,
So I guess I got time.
Just read Pats blog and he posted the cross calendar so I guess I will also have to get the cross bike back together. I decided to make the redline into a singlespeed so I will stay with the one gear thing.