Our little Oscar joins the family

This is our first family photo, it makes me happy.


Although I haven't done anything for the past week and I've been trapped in my house, I feel like I've been too busy to tell Oscar's story. Here it is..

Last Tuesday morning I had continuing contractions from the day before that only had gotten more painful when I woke up. They were painful enough to go see my doctor for a little investigating. He saw me quickly and said I was dilated to about a 3 1/2 and sent me over to the hospital and said he would be there in an hour to come break my water. I got there at 3:30 and got the epidural going by the time I was at a 4. I just had to wait there until 8:30 while my body dilated to a 10. At 8:30 I was good to start pushing. I pushed until 10:00 exactly, which was Oscar's birth time. It was pretty hard to push and be completely numb, I couldn't tell what I was doing. I hadn't eaten since noon that day and with the drugs and the heavy pushing I started shaking like crazy and thought I might throw up. My teeth wouldn't stop clattering and it was killing my jaw. But then Oscar came and he was so sweet. Hearing his little cry for the first time and seeing him was an incomparable experience. When I got to hold him for the first time I was overcome with love and happiness. Just that one moment with him made all the negative of the past 9 months completely forgettable. I've never felt anything like that before. I love him to death.

We've been home with him now for a week and have loved every second that we get to stare at his adorable face, it hasn't gotten old. Nate was wondering if I was experiencing any postpartum depression. I think I have the opposite. I cry out of joy at least 2 times a day right now. I don't remember the last time I was so sensitive to every little thing that is good in my life. I mean, I usually feel a lot of gratitude daily for the great life I have, but it's way more intense now. Oscar has made every moment 100 times more joyful and way more emotional. I look at Nate differently and I look at my life differently, and it's the best kind of different. We really love Oscar to pieces and are so happy he has finally joined us.

It was also Nate's birthday on Saturday. I felt terrible that I really couldn't do anything for him while I was recovering from a serious procedure and taking care of a 4 day old baby. Even before giving birth I was car-less, so it was hard to get anything done for him. So, this birthday was a bust and I'm feeling bad about it. Hopefully we can have a makeup date sometime soon. I really love my life with Nate and love that he still trys to impress me with his sense of humor. He's been a really fun husband and he's already a pretty cool dad. He always makes an effort to make sure we are still dating each other. I love the million little things he thinks of to do together or for me. I love you Nate, happy birthday you 23 yr. old dad.


The birthday boy/dad. I think that's a great color on Nate.

Oscar has also had plenty of visitors. Lezlie and my grandpa stayed with us over the weekend and my grandma and mom have been here for almost a week. Diana has come to see him a few times and Stephani and Callie drove all the way from Orange County and back in a day just to see us. Almost all the Jensens have come to see him and Emilia has already taken more pictures of him than I have. My co-worker Sara, who threw me an awesome work baby shower, came to see us in the hospital too. I am disgusting in all of the pictures I'm posting but I'm just gonna try to not let that bother me.


Stephani, Callie and Klein. Stephani makes baby ties and brought some cute ones she made for Oscar. Klein brought a nice poop, he's so ridiculously cute.


Lezlie REALLY loves babies. I think she has a special preference for Oscar though.


Oscar. Yep, my mom.



My cute grandpa.


My co-worker Sara and her daughter who were really adamant about persuading Nate and I to NOT name the baby Oscar. They brought me alternatives and suggestions for months.

Pictures of Oscar

My photographer sister in law Emilia has been so excited to take pictures of Oscar for some time now. She has already given him his first photo shoot and she posted the pictures on her website. Please take a look at our handsome little man:

http://www.lialensphotography.com/

Oscar Augie Jensen

Oscar finally came last night at 10:00 exactly. He tipped the scales at 9 lbs. 9 oz. and 22 inches long. He is adorable and has lots of dark hair. So far his favorite things are sleeping, getting out of his blanket, and the Phoenix Suns. Nichelle is recovering well and we should be back home tomorrow. Enjoy some pictures of the little guy! Excuse the nudity.

The final countdown

I thought this great song and video was pretty appropriate, I only wish my final countdown was as fun and motivating as this video. My due date is only a week and two days away and things have gotten really hard for me on the home stretch.
I really haven't had a hard time with pregnancy until now, but there seems to have been an explosion of hurdles for me all at once. Mentally and physically, the baby inside has all of a sudden become extremely taxing. In the past week my feet and ankles have started to swell to resemble elephantitis, I've broken out with about 50 huge stretch marks all around my belly button, my ribs feel like they are slowly being broken one by one by a 10 lb baby, I cannot sleep on one side for more than 30 min without my hips awaking me in pain and begging me to switch sides, I have lost any remaining normal range of movement, and I have begun to cry about everything.
I know I shouldn't be so vain as to care so much about the stretch marks, but after laying on my back and feeling what they would feel like if the baby wasn't there, I was really grossed out and very sad. The last 8 1/2 months seem like a breeze compared to how badly I want this guy to be out of me now. So if you have any extra prayers you could spare, I would really like him out of me today. Thanks!

Sprouts customer insanity continued

These are the latest of the most obnoxious comments I've gotten from customers lately regarding my pregnant self. I get the usual 4 standard questions about 100 times a day but these are the ones that blow my mind.

1) Man in his 70's: "I'll baptize your baby."
Me: Silence, trying to pretend I didn't hear what he said
Man: "I'll baptize the baby."
Me:" What was that sir?" I heard perfectly well what he said, just hoping he wouldn't want to repeat it a third time so loudly in front of all the other customers in my line
Man: "I'll baptize your baby, I'll baptize him!" With a HUGE smile on his face.
Me: "That's nice of you to offer." speechless

2) 60 year old woman: "It's a boy isn't it? Please tell me it's a boy so I can take care of it. What are you having?"
Me: Confused by so many fast questions at once. "It's a boy."
Woman: "Yeah I thought so. I would take care of him I mean, are you planning on keeping him? You probably are, is it your first?"
Me: "Yes, it's our first and we're planning on keeping him."
Woman: "Yeah, I figured. I would take care of him though, I wouldn't mistreat him or nothing. I had boys of my own, but their all grown now and I could sure use the tax break. These taxes are killing me now. But, I mean I wouldn't take him just for the taxes though, I'd treat him right I wouldn't mistreat him or nothing. I'd care for him and feed him and clothe him. But that's good you're gonna have a boy and you'll take care of him."
Me: Wanting to hold onto my belly, "Yeah, we're really excited for him to be born." What in the world just happened.

3) Regular male customer that consistently makes offensive comments spots me trying to hide from him while he's in another line: "Hey there you are! You're still here huh?"
Me: "Yep, I'm still here."
Man: "Let me ask you something, are you geting bigger and bigger by the day or is the baby just getting bigger?"
Me: "I don't know sir." Trying to be super busy with the customers in my own line.
Man: coming over to my line after he's checked out "Well someone is getting bigger and bigger that's for sure! haha!"
Me: Pretending not to listen while I deal with my own customers

4) Woman about 60:"When are you due?"
Me: "3 weeks"
Woman: " I just was over helping out my daughter in law that had her baby on Saturday. She has four other kids so she needs lots of help."
Me: "well that's really nice of you, I bet that's really challenging for her right now."
Woman: "Yeah it is. Do you have kids or is this your first?"
Me: "No kids, this is our first baby."
Woman: "Yeeeaah you're really in for something. Once you have one your life is over."
Me: Silence. Stunned.