Hit a rough patch here.

So how are things going? Well it depends on when you ask... 3 days ago I would have said great! I feel very blessed that I recovery fast and my mother-in-law was in shock that I was throwing my 2 year old up in the air and feeling good overall! (But of course not %100-It makes you feel real good when Corbin asks "mommy's diaper?"…uh sure I guess thats what we can call this pad a have to wear…ha) I was ready to go out and even said I was kinda bored staying at home! Gavin was a great newborn eating and sleeping well and things were going smoothly and I was very grateful! 2 kids were definitely busier and less "me" time but I was adjusting well I thought!

Well we have had a few rough days and I'll just admit that I haven't showered in days and yes I do believe I stink, there are dirty diapers around the house, unfolded laundry and piles of dirty laundry dirty, dishes on the counter and sink and I haven't made dinner those last few days. Jesse works 12+ hours a day and I think I'm going to get stuff done when he's home but by the time I figure out what I'm going to do for dinner it's bedtime and next thing it's 9:00 and I'm exhausted but trying to feed Gavin and then happy if I have energy to brush my teeth....this sounds more like life with a toddler and newborn right?! Ha ha! 

Corbin came down with a fever and was very needy and Gavin went from being content with eating and sleeping to wanting to be held all day long or their was screaming! I was holding/carrying around 2 kids half the day and eating leftover cookies for breakfast... Thankfully this has only been the last couple days! But my mom says I need to write it down to look back and remember and maybe even laugh a little about some of these mother moments! I tend to text/call to vent and tell her everything-I believe it is healthy to talk about what is happening good and bad-especially when you don't get adult time to just talk. You might wonder how I have time to write this--well I'm laying in bed feeding Gavin and somehow Corbin only sleeping very minimum last night is still awake so yes I've turned into that mom who just puts a movie on and I don't feel bad about it one bit! Ha! (I usually would cause I don't like him to watch too much tv but I can't even tell you how many times we have watch The Incredibles these last couple days) 

We had a very rough night last night with Corbin having hand foot and mouth--he I guess has a lot of sores in his mouth and wouldn't/couldn't even eat or drink. He would beg for a drink and then just looked and it and cried because it hurt too much to even drink! It was so sad to see him that miserable! He would fall asleep but never sleep more than 10-20 minutes without waking up it crying in pain! Poor guy! But Jesse and I were/am exhausted! He finally went to sleep after 4:00 am when I sang a bunch of songs to him for I don't know how long (until Gavin was hungry and I had to feed him) And you would think he would be exhausted and sleeping--I seriously don't know how he fights sleep so well! We are hoping the worst is over for him but we are just praying Gavn doesn't get Hand foot mouth (yes it is so so contagious) because he'll be in the hospital because of the fever! I had Jesse give both the boys blessings last night! This sickness stuff is so scary with a newborn-not the best timing! And I know Jesse feels awful because he is so so busy with work right now and wants to help!

"This too shall pass" I'm not worried! Just making my way through this rough patch-I sure hoping it doesn't get any more rough! And I'm excited to go up to Kaysville next week as long as we are over this sickness! 

Gavin's Birth Story

I had been wanting my mom to be able to be here for this birth but moving to Vegas and not knowing when I'll go into labor (and not really wanting to be induced) I knew that there wasn't the best of chance that she would (she sadly missed Corbin's by just an hour--and only living an hour away at the time--so living a little over 6 hours away now I didn't know how that would work.) Well it was the week of my due date and Monday I went to the doctors and I was dilated at a 3-4 and about 75 effaced--which you can walk around weeks like that so it doesn't really mean a whole lot--but the week before I was at 2-3 and 75% effaced so I was progressing a bit and I was feeling more crampy some days. I really didn't want to go past my due date because who does? 

So I was getting anxious to know when he was going to come (what mom isn't I guess) so I decided to let him strip my membranes just to maybe get things going a bit but my doctor said it could either help me go into labor or just make me a bit uncomfortable. He said I could go into labor in the next 24 hours or in the next week its still unpredictable. 

So Monday night I guess I was getting a little more excited and knowing it was going to be soon. I was talking to my mom and we were trying to plan things about a bit. She could only really take 3 days off of work so we got thinking that maybe she should just take the chance and come down Wednesday through Saturday and hope and pray I go into labor while she is here. But then I was like what if I go into labor tomorrow and you miss it by just a day…?? that would be awful too! I know we were kinda being silly thinking I knew when I was going to go into labor-because I could go a week over my due date for all we knew? So we decided to have her drive down Tuesday and hope for the best.

Tuesday evening she got here and I felt like all the little cramping I was feeling went away and nothing was happening….it made me a bit nervous and discouraged. I didn't want her to come here and have nothing happen. So we ran a few errands that night I made the same dinner I made the night before I had Corbin that has an extra kick of spice to help ;) (I guess it's the dinner to eat before I want to go into labor) and made Jesse give me a foot rub…

Wednesday I woke up and not a whole lot happening..so my mom, Corbin, and I went on a walk together before it got too hot to help things along (they say walk yourself into labor). We came home and around 10:30is I want to say is when I felt a bit of cramping but not much. We got a little excited though-it was something! ha We needed to go into Jesse's work to sign papers for closing on our house in Kaysville. While driving there I felt another little something. So I decided to maybe start seeing if they were consistent and timing them a bit. It seemed like every 10 minutes I would feel something but one would be kinda painful and then the next it would just be a little uncomfortable so I felt like they were still inconsistent. We were driving the golf cart around the lot (because thats Corbin's favorite thing to do when we go into work) and I had another painful one while driving! We kinda laughed in our excitement and the fact that I was driving a golf cart around while having a contraction.

(I know lovely picture…but we were being goofy and had to remember the moment)

We went to lunch around 12:30 and at this point I felt like they were getting more consistent at 10 minutes apart and they were to the point that I had to stop what I was doing when I had one. We had to get dessert after and we went to this crepe place. Funny side story--the owner/chef of the crepe place was chatting with me about being pregnant and asked when I was due. I said this week but we are hoping for today or tomorrow if possible. He guess I was having a boy by the way I was carrying he could tell he said. And then he came up to me and starting touching/rubbing my belly (which thankfully that really doesn't bother me like some woman but I think he was the first stranger to ever do it to me) but as he was touching me I was having a contraction and he was like "whoa your belly is super hard right now!" I was like "Yeah….uh..Im kinda having a contraction right now!" He then told me he gets pregnant woman in there multiple times a day! and some even go straight to the hospital from there. I told him I hope I get could vibes from that then!

We came home around 2:00 and had I had a few contractions within 5 minutes of each other--then I thought ok these is getting serious. So I text my friend Kate to let her know I will probably be dropping off Corbin soon. But then right after they seemed to have gone away a bit. So I told Jesse to go run his few errands he needed to and I wanted to go shower for the day and at least start out a little clean and fresh and I really wanted Corbin to take a nap before we took him to Kate's house so he would be ok for her. Jesse was a bit hesitant to go but we had another car my mom and I could drive to the hospital and have him just meet us there if anything. I got ready and was uncomfortable but nothing seemed way painful. 

I came down and sat at the kitchen table with my mom and we were just talking and then BAM they were consistently 5 minutes apart or less for about 4-5 in a row. So we were back to OK we need to leave now!! I called Jesse and he was about 15 minutes away and he said just go to the hospital don't wait for him!! I told him I still had to drop Corbin off and then I would call him back and see if he was close. I woke Corbin up and took him over and Jesse was within minutes of our house so I told him we would meet him back at home and drive together. We picked Jesse up at 3:50 and had our about 30 minute drive to the hospital. Poor Jesse right as he got in the car I had a painful contraction and you could tell he was a bit scared! Both him and my mom were like Please don't have this baby in the car!! I think its so funny how you can just be chatting and the bang your in a ton of pain and then right after you just go back to chatting and feeling ok. On the way to the hospital Jesse was calling everyone at work and letting them know we were on our way to the hospital and he wouldn't be in to work.

We are thinking we got to the hospital around 4:20 and Jesse dropped me and my mom off and we walked up to the labor and delivery floor. They had me get into a gown and then monitor me. I feel like as soon as I got to the hospital my body must have known and it went from painful to excruciating pain as soon as we were there. I HATE being hooked up to the monitors-I swear thats what makes it worse! They checked me and I was at a 7. At this point I could tell me body was going to go pretty fast. I told them I was GBS+ which I am suppose to get antibiotics in before I deliver in 2 different doses 4 hours apart. There was no way that was going to happen. (It didn't happen with Corbin either)

--My mom wanted to take one last bump picture before I had him…it was kinda hard to look happy in this picture since the pain was getting worse--

They wheel me to the room where I am going to deliver and are trying to get things ready but the pain was only getting worse and more intense! At one point I thought I was going to throw up but then the next contraction I didn't know if I was going to throw up or my body was starting to push a little. They were trying to get an IV in me still at at this point I just told them why even try to get antibiotics in me--I am going to deliver soon. But they still wanted the IV in case of some emergency! There wasn't much time between each contraction so the nurse had to hurry which made for a messy IV. Jesse saw the huge needle and blood and at that point felt like he was going to pass out and had to go sit down. (which there really was a good amount of blood running down my arm) But I was enjoying him stroking my hair when I was in pain--so I appreciate the comfort he gave me because I know its hard for him to see me like that.

We could tell the nurse was pretty nervous as my body started pushing by itself a bit--the best way I can describe it is once your body starts throwing up you really can't stop it and you dry heave even when you don't want to--well basically once your body starts doing its thing you can't stop it from pushing but you can definitely help the push and push harder--if that makes sense. My water broke/gushed all over the floor--TMI? the nurses grabbed a bunch of towels and were trying to clean it up. They called the on-call doctor at this hospital-My doctor was actually out of town (my doctor with Corbin was too!) and his assistant was in surgery but at this point I think close to being on his way to come help deliver. 

As soon as the on called doctor came to the room we basically started actively pushing. I definitely had to push a lot more with Gavin. Ill admit with Corbin it was only a few pushes and he was out…Gavin got a little stuck so I felt like we were pushing for quite a while. I feel like I was able to stay pretty focus and calm in between contractions/pushing and rest for those like 30 seconds--but I really was trying to catch my breath in between. I got a little discouraged thinking I was doing something wrong when he wasn't coming out right away. I definitely have a little more understanding for those women who have to push for a long time--I don't know exactly how long I was but I would say close to 20 minutes maybe? I know some people would say thats not long but it sure seemed like it! I can say I was pretty tired once he was out! and so happy that he is here! :)

Gavin Edward Jensen was born at 5:31 pm. 7 lbs 7 oz. 19 1/2 inches

   

 

Corbin meeting his baby brother!

 

 

Corbin finally zonked out on a very long walk with my mom around the hospital--my mom ended up having to carry him back a long ways with him sleeping on her!

Getting ready to go home as a family of 4! yah! (I hate being in the hospital!)

First car ride home--he seems to do ok in the car seat so far!

  

The after pains were a lot worse this time as far as cramping when breastfeeding. That night there was one time where I basically just cried because it felt like I was in labor again it was hurting so bad. It hurt basically every time I fed him for the first few days--it gets exhausting but I knew it would get better! The cramping pains and breastfeeding pains were bad until about Sunday then I felt much better. Sadly that is the day my Mom had to leave--thankfully I had someone here the whole time to help while it was the worse though. Corbin needs a lot of attention and how grateful I am to have my Mom here to give him all that!! Now I week later I am feeling great for the most part and feel pretty blessed to be able to feel pretty "normal"!

--My mom had the idea for me to put the same clothes back on and take a picture with the baby-like I said the human body can do amazing things!! so crazy to think he was inside on me just 24 hours ago from these two pictures--

My mom was so good and stayed the night with me in the hospital and Jesse was able to go home and be with Corbin. We joked that she was good to stay with me because she slept through everything! I didn't have to feel bad about waking her up and not getting good sleep--knowing that Jesse is the lightest sleeper he would have gotten no sleep at all there with me! But there were times in the night when she was sleeping right next to me and I would call for her and no reply. So she told me maybe try waking her up using her name "kim" instead of "mom"--neither one worked, she was out! But like I said I actually appreciated that she slept through everything so I didn't feel bad about another person not getting sleep as well!

 

 

So happy my mom could be here with us! She was so good to entertain Corbin and let him boss her around! We so wished we lived closer!…(this is what makes living away hard!) But will take any time we get! :)

 

Corbin needs a lot of attention (thats not new)…and we are going stir crazy staying at home (and its only been a week)! It is too hot to just go to the park but we are going to need to get our selves out more! Thankfully we have Grandma Jensen coming and then Aunt Brooke and Aunt Megan with there kids next week so we can be entertained!

Ok baby brother we are ready!

Alright I think I am ready to have this baby…well as ready as I am going to get. There are plenty of random things I still could do and get done but I'm just about sick of doing those "things" ha! I stocked my fridge a bit and the house is mostly clean (how long does it really stay clean with a toddler?).....ok to be honest I think I'm finally to the point of being way uncomfortable! And yes I know I'm blessed that I do pretty good basically the whole pregnancy-I'm just 39 weeks and to the point I feel like people are staring when I'm in public! Ha! I'm quite large! And this past few weeks I've packed on that extra layer of fat to make someone feel real good-me and the babe building fat up! ;) new stretch marks are showing up....more than with Corbin and each day I never know what new ones I'm going to find! ;) If I were to complain it would probably sound something like that ;) ....but compared to some peoples pregnancies I can't complain at all! But basically I'm anxious to meet my little guy now! (He still doesn't have a for sure name picked out....why is it so hard?) I'm nervous about being exhausted (because I have been pretty tired lately-getting harder to sleep even if I'm way tired-gotta love that part) and being able to entertain Corbin-he still likes my %100 attention. But I'm excited for visitors! :) He's learning he kisses babies not hit so hopefully that part will go smoothly. (He randomly kisses my belly) We both need to get out often-we go crazy staying home all day but it's now above 100 degrees here a lot of days and it's quite toasty being outside… 

So baby brother we will hopefully meet you this next week! :) I pray everything will go smoothly...I am a little more nervous since we don't have family around-my sweet new friend volunteered to watch Corbin when "it happens" and my mom will come down as soon as I let her know I am in labor. So now the waiting game…but I can surprisingly say I am kinda getting bored...

Corbin is 2!

Well its time for the update on Corbin…him turning 2 and all! He is definitely a busy toddler now! I have been in denial and wanted him to still be my baby--but now I guess that we will be having another baby and he is well passed that I can come to realization that I have a toddler. ha! ;)

I am not going to lie it was a rough couple weeks here--basically since we moved here. (but is finally getting better now) He was just really ornery and needy and bossy and whiney…and everything else that comes with those terrible twos! I was really getting nervous for having 2 children and on the verge of a breakdown at some points because I was exhausted. I tried to figure out why he was like that and give hope to myself that he was going to be a happy child again and it wasn't his new self. 

The major thing I figured out was that he was not getting enough sleep here! He was taking short naps,  going to bed too late and then waking up WAY too early. Like 5 am too early. He still has never slept pass 6:30-but I figured its because Vegas time is an hour behind Utah and he was usually waking up between 7-7:40 so I am blaming it on that. (still hate to wake up that early though…) We also switch him to a toddler bed--his car bed which is loves! But also figured out he can get out and come to our room. First night I put him in he did awesome-slept through the night and I even went into his room and got him in the morning. I thought it was a great transition! After that--kind of a disaster for a while. He was waking up multiple times in the night and wanting to be with us in our room. ugh it was awful and exhausting! (when you have a child in your face at 5 am demanding you to get "UP!" after feeling like you hardly got sleep) But on his defense the wind here can get really loud and sound pretty scary in his room. Thankfully he is doing better now--still have to fight with him a bit to stay in his room some days (threaten to put him in the pack n play…which he hates) but overall we are making good progress and just yesterday I finally put up some black out curtain to see if it will help with naps and sleeping in a bit! Right now he goes to bed around 8-9--yeah kinda a big gap but its hard when Jesse gets home late and when its light outside still-some days we start our bedtime routine at 7:30 but he fights it till then. He wakes up usually no later than 6:15 and then usually naps around 1-for an hour and 30 minutes--or if I am real lucky 2.

He is 100% at the stage of "I do it!" "my turn!" And usually I can handle it pretty well and understand that if I just let him "help" then we don't have nearly as many tantrums! Everything does take a lot longer…and is sometimes frustrating (and messy) but our day goes so much smoother if I let him learn and do things! He actually has become my little side kick and buddy and I do enjoy doing things with him! He basically helps me make dinner or cookies or whatever else--and I just deal with it not being made exactly the way it is suppose to and hope they work out! ;) But we do have fun together! He likes to always have me around and if not playing with him then watching him play and at least being with him! (makes me a bit nervous being busy with a newborn here soon) I recently taught him basically not to boss me around so much--he was always "mom..come!!" "mom I DO IT!!" "I HELP!!" I now remind him to say "please" so he still bosses me…but with a nice "please come" "I help, please" and I must admit its so cute to hear him say but I almost get annoyed because then I feel like I can't say no! ha!

Sometimes it makes other parents a little nervous watching him go up the playground!

He insisted on helping me with the eggs and had to learn the hard way that "Mommy has to do it!"

Thought he should take the bear to the bathroom...

He is definitely all boy-loves his cars still, loves to throw balls, and wrestle/be tinkled (I love hearing his giggle and then ask for more), and destroy things, loves the dirt (and still thinks its funny to eat it at times….ugh gross), loves watching tractors, and recently loves to watch the garbage man come-and is quite devastated if we miss him (good thing they come twice a week here) And I guess most boys think farting his funny?!... He loves to read right now and he has even sat in his room by himself for quite some time "reading" books by himself! (I need to find some more good books because I feel like I have most of them memorized now) He loves food...He is a teenage boy when it comes to eating the past few weeks. I am hoping it might be just a growth spurt but this kid eats so much!! First thing in the morning is "HUNGEE!!" and every hour throughout the day he is asking to eat. I seriously am worried some days! I even try to feed him "filling" foods but hopefully he will slow down because I run out of ideas of what to feed him! He still chooses fruit over basically anything. ok chocolate would probably win but besides that! ha! He is a healthy eater overall and will eat most everything I give him which is nice-so we will see if he is "overweight" at his appointment but I am not really worried about that because he is so active and I feel like pretty healthy!

He loves the splash park!! he would go every day if I had the motivation to go everyday. ha! (or if I didn't have other things I needed to get done) we do go quite often though--and to a regular park-he loves the swings!--If not then I have a little water table in the backyard! Or he loves to get into the bath/shower. He already complains about the heat….well not really when we are playing outside but only when we try to get in the car-he fights it and complains its too hot and even tries to blow on his car seat--and don't worry I check to make sure and it really is just nice and warm-not too hot yet!--so…we are going to be in more trouble here in just a few short weeks--it has already hit over 100 here but for the most part I think it has been pleasant in the 80s! (Im enjoying it for now)

too bad we moved away from Grandpa and Grandmas pool cause Corbin loves it...

our neighborhood splash spark that Corbin loves.

He is talking a lot more! And of course as a mom you think your child is so smart! I love watching him learn and grow and start to do new things! It's amazing how fast they can learn sometimes!

Yes, I do complain about him sometimes--but being a mom is not always easy! (and I need to vent a little ha!) But even if I do complain I wouldn't change him because I think he is so fun and it is the biggest blessing to be his mom! He seriously entertains me so much! He can be hilarious! He is such a goof ball and loves the attention! He face expression still kill me! He can be the sweetest boy and just randomly give you kisses and hugs/snuggle! And I might have taught him to show me how much he loves me by holding his arms out wide!…and I might ask him throughout the day! ;) Everyday I look at his sweet cute face and am grateful to be his mom!

He loves visiting daddy at work and needs a golf cart ride basically every time now...

silly boy…who fights me to get dressed often. --boys just love to be naked..

so he's been wanting to go the bathroom on the toilet…so I don't fight him--but no he's not potty trained. I wasn't ready for it--even though maybe he is?

I found him/walk in on him like this on the toilet....he had climbed up by himself to go potty!!

For his birthday I originally got him just a train track and I was going to call it good since he's 2 he doesn't know the difference and it's a great gift. Well I stopped by a nice garage sale the day before and scored some great stuff! It made me quite happy! And Corbin got a few more things for his birthday! Ha

He loves is train though! :)

And his lawn mower!…since we don't have any grass here…ha!

(yes when I went to pick up his little cake they had his named spelled wrong even though I spelled it out to them…I don't think English was her first language…)

We sure love you, Corbin! :)