Habitat Kid

DISCOVER: The Real Pumpkin Patch

You've all done it. The pumpkin patch. It's like the new (but not new at all, really) thing to do, right? There's good patches, there's boring patches, there's patches that are really just carnivals in disguise. And I love them ALL. But this year, the Jensen family got a bit down and dirty in the patch and discovered what the REAL pumpkin patch is all about. This was a first for me. I had never seen one with all of the pumpkins still growing, vines everywhere. It was dirty. It was awesome. I mean, we cut our pumpkin right off the vine! We hummed and hawed about which one we were ready to commit to, because when you cut it yourself, it feels sort of special and like you should really think carefully about it. Just when I thought I was getting bored of the whole punkin' patch idea, this little gem of a farm won me over once again.

DISCOVER: Museum of Natural Curiosity

I have lots of things I need to catch up on here! First up: our trip to Utah to see my fam. Utah is becoming quite the kid heaven. There is so much more to do there than in years past! A huge new aquarium (which we saw last visit - sorry no pics! Next time!) and an amazing kid's museum called the Museum of Natural Curiosity. Guys. I've seen LOTS of kid museums. This one blows them all out of the water. It is a state-of-the-art, no-expense-spared, must-see destination. We went two days in a row and still didn't see everything. There are over 400 interactive experiences! Don't know if you're aware, but that's a lot. The cousins had a blast together and I was ready to just move in there by the end of it. Tons of fun! I think my favorite part was in the outdoor section – a giant Noah's Ark splash pad. Holy Moses. I mean, Noah. Finding it was a suprise, so the kids got soaking wet but so worth it. Bottom line: Get to Utah.

DISCOVER: Month to Month

Guys. It's been way too long. Again. I know I keep saying I will get better about this blogging biz. But it's hard. Lately we have been swamped...with life, I suppose. The garden has literally taken over every free second of time. I'm out there for no joke, hours every day. I've pulled thousands of weeds. THOUSANDS. But it's looking awesome. My hands however, are not. :) One other thing that's looking awesome? This baby I made. She is the sweetest little thing and I simply cannot get enough. I am in heaven watching her grow and develop and discover even the smallest things. Like a leaf. Or watching London jump on the bed. Or a secret tiny taste of ice cream. I feel like I'm experiencing life for the first time. And it's exhilerating.

DISCOVER: First Month

It's been a bit of a blur, but we have made it through a month of life with this little one. Sleep has become a joke and we may smell like spit up most of the time, but hey, it doesn't last forever, right? Sadly they won't stay little forever either, so I am just trying to soak up the snuggles while I can.

DISCOVER: Tiny Beginnings

Oh it feels so good to be actually posting again! Yes, our little one finally arrived! Piper Soleil was born on December 15th at 6:24 a.m. and she has been receiving kisses and love ever since. We adore her so much! Having a newborn again has been everything I imagined, challenging and wonderful at the same time and worth every minute. London has been amazing as we've adjusted to being a family of four, and I love seeing her sweet interactions with Piper each day. She really is a great help and is excited to be sharing her room (we just moved baby from our room to London's. More pics on that coming soon!) Here are a few photos for you to oogle over, followed by my dramatic birth story! :)

I awoke at 3:30 a.m. on December 15th to subtle contractions. Not painful, just uncomfortable enough to keep me awake and wondering if this was "it." I debated whether I should wake up Scott, since I had been having contractions on and off for several weeks, and decided I could probably hold off until 6 a.m. Wrong! By 4:30, I was jostling him awake as the contractions grew stronger and started coming closer together. We timed them for a little while, then I went downstairs to wake up my mom. Thank goodness she had arrived from Utah the day before! I really wanted her to be there for the birth and since she had limited time to stay before heading back, I hoped that the birth would come soon after she got into town so that I could have as much help as possible during those first few difficult days with a newborn.

During my conversation with my mom, labor kicked up another notch and I was having serious back pain. I decided to call my midwife and see when I could come in to the birth center, about 20-25 minutes away.  She didn't sound too convinced that I was very far along in labor, but agreed to meet me there in an hour. I then called a friend to come stay with London until she woke up and then take her back to their house. As soon as she pulled up, we left and speeded along the empty freeway to the birth center. I wasn't timing contractions anymore - I was just trying to get through them. We had done some sessions with a hypnotherapist in the weeks prior and I listened to the recordings she had given us to help me relax and deal with the pain. My midwife and her assistant pulled up to the birth center just as we did and, with Scott's help, I began making my way to the door, pausing at points as contractions hit and holding onto hubby for dear life. 

From that point on, things are kind of a blur. My midwife asked me to lay down on the bed so she could check my cervix, which I did, but laying down was so painful. She suggested I try going to the bathroom before I got in the tub, so I did....and never came out! The contractions were full force now and I was shaking all over and sweating like a crazy person. Scott stood in front of me and tried his best to help. I couldn't talk, I couldn't move. I was dying to get in the tub, but I felt completely paralyzed. I just stood there, over the toilet as my body started gearing up to push. "The baby's coming!" I remember gasping, and the midwives rushed in and started getting ready. Suddenly the head was partially out. "One more push and her head will be completely out," someone said. In my mind, I couldn't believe it. This was almost over?? Hallelujah! I pushed again and her head emerged, one more push and her shoulders were out and then the rest of her body, resulting in the greatest relief I have ever experienced in my life! 

I was elated. The pain was gone and here was my baby, my precious baby that I had waited so long to meet. It was love at first sight. I was amazed at how great I felt, and walked across the room to the bed to lay down. She laid on my chest, this tiny miracle, and I just smiled and stared. I couldn't stop saying "I love you." 

The whole labor had lasted three and a half hours. I had anticipated a quick birth, but this was much faster than I had imagined. As a result, I tore pretty badly and had some major stitches after. The fact that she was 9 lbs 6 oz probably didn't help either! It was 45 minutes of pure torture, arguably worse than labor. Still, I was so amazed at how fantastic I felt considering I just had a baby and that I was actually able to walk around. I took a shower and we rested for a while before getting ready to go home, only four hours after her birth. The midwives had told me this was likely beforehand, as the baby would probably go into a deep sleep around that time and it would be a good time to go home and sleep ourselves. Piper did just that, so off we went, in shock that the entire ordeal was over. 

DISCOVER: New Pumpkin Patch

I feel like I've had writer's block (blogger's block?) for over a week now and I have struggled with coming up with something decent to post. I never want to post just for the sake of posting and I always want to share good stuff. I am still sifting through party pics from London's 5th birthday - holy crazy. It was fun, but I always end up asking myself every year why the heck I torture myself with all of the preparations for a two hour gig that my kid most likely won't remember... Next year I think I'm going to make things a bit easier and have her party at this super cute pumpkin patch/Christmas tree farm I went to with a friend yesterday. We practically had the place to ourselves, took a wagon ride, a train ride, played on the bounce houses and of course, spent plenty of time frolicking among long rows of bright pumpkins. Oh fall, I love you so much.

DISCOVER: The Fleece Farm

This past Saturday we took a little drive out in the countryside to visit a fleece farm, which was part of a larger tour of local farms. As an avid knitter and fiber geek, it was fun to see the source of some of my favorite materials to work with. They had quite an array of alpacas which I fell in love with (they were so snuggly!) and lots of goats. There were also tons of ducks, chickens and even a turkey - a real farmyard! London was pretty nervous to pet any of them, but she was definitely interested in watching. :) Maybe next year we will bring more courage with us.

DISCOVER: Woodland Park Zoo

So....last time I went to the zoo here it was for a Christmas light show...not so great if you want to see animals, great if you want to see lights! When my sister was in town, we ventured down there to actually see it in the daytime - much better. We didn't even get to half of the animals, but we did oogle over some baby jaguars and the massive gorillas. I think London's favorite part was the carousel and the cool park we found, but whatever. And let me just say a word about the food....don't bother. Long lines, overpriced, totally disgusting. There, now you know. 

Such opposites, these two! One day, London will smile for the camera...

DISCOVER: Silly Backyard Games

Hope you all had a happy 4th of July yesterday! Well, those of you in the states, that is. :) We soaked up the sun in the backyard, filled up our super tacky kiddie pool and even set up a slip-n-slide. I'd say London thoroughly enjoyed herself! This girl is turning into such a goofy kid and has discovered how much fun it is to play pranks and joke around.

DISCOVER: Round Two

Ideally I wanted to write this post at the beginning of Mother's Day, but let's be honest: I haven't been very on top of things lately. This Mother's Day seems extra special as it is also our 7th anniversary PLUS I am now about 10 weeks along with baby number two! Of course, I am cautiously happy - there is still a long way to go! - but it's hard not to be totally thrilled. It's been an interesting journey. If you would have asked me on our wedding day what I pictured our family to be seven years from then, I probably would have said I would have two kids and one more on the way. Funny how life really turns out. I never thought struggling with infertility would be anywhere in the picture, but for the last two and a half years, it has.

Sadly, I think I took my pregnancy with London partly for granted. Everything turned out perfectly, I had no complications and it ended with a great delivery. I wrongly assumed that it would be just as easy the second time around, but as the months turned into years, I started to lose hope. I chose to focus my energy on London and enjoy the time I had with her, which has been wonderful. But as friends gave birth to their seconds and thirds, my heart began to hurt. Going to baby showers or hearing my friends complain about the uncomfortable aspects of pregnancy only made me more discouraged and left me wondering what had changed within my body that was making it so difficult this time. Luckily I had one person who completely understood: my sister. Three months before I gave birth to London, she gave birth to Brooks, and the two love playing together now. She has also struggled with getting pregnant a second time and it has been very comforting to know that I wasn't the only one. Really, she has been the biggest strength and support and I hope that soon her prayers will be answered as well.

I promise to keep you all posted on how things progress in the coming months. Lately I have been in the throes of morning sickness (more like all-day sickness) which seems worse than last time. My energy has been at an all-time low, but I feel very lucky that London is at a great age when she can entertain herself and understands my needs for rest time. Scott has also really stepped it up, tackling the yardwork with a vengeance, and helping out with lots of housework that I just can't bring myself to do right now. Even as I type, he is busily doing dishes/laundry/dinner! What an amazing guy.

So there's my little (big) Mother's Day post. I hope you don't mind me being so personal! I just wanted to share my gratitude and what motherhood means to me at this stage in my life. When I look back on the photos from London's birth, I realize that I thought I understood what being a mother was all about and felt so ready and confident. Four and a half years later, my confidence has dwindled a bit, but I still plug along and give it the best I know how.