i am so bad at everything a great mom should be great at...

• taking cute pictures of my beautiful baby for all to see
• keeping everyone posted on his month to month stats
• remember every adorable thing he does

but...

i love him everyday

i love his sweet little face and his smile, oh his smile!

he has the sweetest laugh we have ever heard

he is my best buddy, he loves to cuddle with his mom.

he sleeps like a champ

this time of year has been so special with him

i can't wait until he "gets" it. but really i can because he is already growing so fast!

i love him

and to show him...

i will take him to hawaii on saturday!

4 month stats (dec. 4th)

height 24" 25%

weight 11.6 lbs 5%

head 16" 20%

my VERY favorite picture from christmas morning...

and his little laugh because you HAVE to hear his little laugh!

Firsts...

Wesson's first trip to Cabela's. He LOVED it. And he doesn't love shopping. But it may have been how excited his dad was to have him there. But really so fun & cute. I LOVE my little BOY. He is such a BOY'S BOY!

Wesson's first celebrity visit. Thank you (Utah Jazz) Ronnie Price for providing this opportunity! Thank you sweet people in line who let me know it was Ronnie Price, not Al Jefferson. oops! I am not that good a fan.

Wesson's first trip to temple square & to see the Christmas lights! We had Wesson in SEVERAL layers, in the Baby bjorn with a blanket wrapped around him and he was covered in "hot hands". The boy was sweating and it was 17 DEGREES! oh geez we are first time parents for sure.

I need a better camera. What do you recommend?

Families are Forever.

I have a family here on earth.

They are so good to me.

I want to share my life with them through all eternity.

Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan,

I always want to be with my own family.

And the Lord has shown me how I can.

Seriously So Blessed...

our family on the special day. so special in zonked our little guy out! :)

Ryan gave our little guy a name and a blessing on October 10th 2010.

it was so special and sweet.

i didn't get the pictures i wanted so ryan and wesson are going to dress up again someday soon

but the day was special and reminded me how grateful i am for BOTH of my boys!

ryan is wonderful. he honors his priesthood. loves his family. is crazy about his boy. pretty much the best dad and husband. ever.

we didn't even get a picture of all the awesome men that participated...

Ryan, Grandpa Jensen, Grandpa Hansen, Great-Grandpa Jensen, Great-Grandpa Godrey, Uncle Brayden, Uncle Andrew

& Uncle Jeremy.

i am so glad my family could come from california.

wesson...we love you. you are so special to us and we are grateful for you.

all the men at the after party (and our newly painted fence!)

l-r: grandpa hansen, uncle jeremy, uncle andrew, uncle kyle, ryan, wesson, uncle jeff, uncle brayden, grandpa jensen, honorary uncle alex (my inlaws foreign exchange student)

all the family at the after party. my family on the left, ryan's on the right...they were not good at mingling!

p.s. i am so sorry if seriously so blessed is copy righted oops :)

Update

(pretty much the cutest thing e.v.e.r.)

i LOVE being a mom.

wesson's mom to be exact...

i am so lucky.

i swear he is the best baby.

cries when he is hungry, has a messy diaper, and sometimes when we aren't home (he is a homebody for sure!)

when other people hold him sometimes he fusses, i take him and he calms right down- BEST feeling ever!

he is starting to smile right at ryan and i! and i have even made him laugh TWICE. it is the most beautiful sound i know.

he loves his carseat, as soon as the car is going he is out.

he take a pacifier like a champ.

nurses like a stud.

we seriously could not be happier...

and the best part

he sleeps 11pm-5am! oh i love every hour. sometimes we get a little longer but that is the typical.

it is hard to be away from him 4 hours every day. but i am so happy i get to leave him with ryan. i feel like there isn't anyone i would rather him be with (except me of course!) and the moment i get home i just want to be with him and cuddle him for hours. i don't take a moment with him for granted! i do feel guilty for working- i wish i didn't have to and i know one day i won't need to, but for now i do and i am willing to! i just wish i didn't feel like it makes me a "bad" mom. for heaven's sake the boy is with his dad! :)

anyway...

wesson had his two month check up on the 4th (his two month BiRtHdAY!!)

head: 15 in. 15-20%

weight:9.4 lbs 15%

length: 21.7 in. 20%

he is a little guy for sure but- he is perfect! and so so cute...

so far...

he loves ceiling fans. he laughs & smiles at them. they don't even have to be spinning.

he falls asleep everytime i take him for a walk.

i read the work & the glory to him while i nurse, he doesn't seem to mind.

we dance with him and he smiles so big. it also calms him down.

he spits up A LOT. always AFTER i change his clothes...but i still laugh when he does it!

ryan swears he loves sadie (our dog) but i refuse to let him anywhere near here---who knows what happens when i am at work :(

wesson, we love you! you have brought us a lot of happiness already. i truly believe the "valiant are saved for the latter days" i can already sense your strong spirit and pray for you everyday already! you are such a blessing to us and we love watching you grow!

time to go cuddle my baby!

five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

august 31, 2007

time and all eternity.

august 31, 2008

paradise.

august 31, 2009

what happens in vegas stays in vegas.

august 31, 2010

now a mom & dad- still so in love.

it is so funny how we relate to Brad Paisely songs, but seriously I thought I loved you then. I love Ryan- my best friend, Ryan- the outdoorsmen, Ryan- the father, Ryan- the do it all man. There is nothing about him I don't love and not a thing I would trade. Everyday I really think I love him a little more than the day before and I REALLY loved him the day before! I love this adventure we are in, I love our growing family and the memories we are making!

I love you Ryan, here is to another five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes.

the story

before we left for the hospital. (i think i was having a contraction when this was being taken)

(this is long...)

once upon a time...

at 6:30 am on August 3rd

we packed and left for Ogden Regional Medical Center

i was dilated to a 2 and 70% effaced

after checking in and getting all settled they started the pitocin at 8:30 am

i was worried about how ryan would do, if you know ryan you know he can't sit still and this was going to be awhile

thank goodness he can get sucked in to a tv show with the best of us...

i was also nervous about only eating ice chips...by noon i was STARVING i still get sad when i think how hungry i was

also around noon i started to feel a weird numbing sensation in the right side of my face

i told ryan i couldn't smile. when i heard my voice i realized i couldn't really talk either. i started to panic and cry and my contractions were starting to hurt worse.

our adorable nurse barbara was worried it was bells palsey (which made us panic more) ryan was good to not act paniced but later told me he thought i was having a stroke. barbara also scared us a little before this when we were talking about having a living will and she said she had only had 4 women die during child birth in 30 years as a nurse...really?? that seems high i would stick with none!

anyway...she called machel who came right over, she said my contractions were hurting me so bad (i have a REALLY low pain tolerance). my muscles were so tight because of the pain i was actually pinching nerves causing numbness. hello epidural! oh my goodness, a wise woman once told me not to see how long i could go without it and just to get it. oh i wish i would have listened to her from the get go (brilliant chelsie) the epidural was amazing. and now the fun really began...

i was dilated to 5 and 80-90% effaced and i stayed here f.o.r.e.v.e.r. they would kick up the pitocin and then turn it off. over and over again. nothing changed. except his little head had decided to turn so he was now transverse. after 10 episodes of the office we were feeling really discouraged. our families would text and call for updates and we really had none to give. machel came and checked me at 6 and we had finally dilated to a 6 and were now 100% effaced! i swear that felt like a huge milestone! the nurses started turning me every hour in hopes that our little guys head would turn...he evidentally did not get that memo!

as a side note i know it must be hard to work 12 hour shifts especially in the middle of the night, to leave your family, to be tired, etc. but seriously didn't you know that when you signed up to be a nurse?! and you are compensated rather nicely for your time!! we had a pretty lousy night nurse, she was so pessimistic, discouraging and negative! i had made it clear i wanted to do everything i could before we opted for a c-section, especially since neither i or nor the baby were in any danger, and i swear she was bound and determined for us to have a c-section. (i only have 7 weeks off of work and i didn't want to spend it all recovering, like i heard is likely with c-sections) at 10:30 she came in (while ryan was gone getting himself some treats) and tells me while i am ALONE that if by 11 i hadn't dilated any further i was going to have to have a c-section. as soon as she leaves i start to cry and pray and cry and pray. i tried to call ryan but i couldn't get ahold of him. i was so frustrated and tired. FINALLY ryan returned (about 2 min later). i told him the news, we prayed together and he asked all our family (and maybe friends...) to pray for us! my parents informed us they not only prayed we wouldn't have to have a c-section but also that the baby would hold out to be born on my dad's birthday, the 4th. gee thanks parents! around 11 in walks cranky nurse followed quickly by machel...it was like she knew the nurse was going to give up on us! i was slightly more dilated and they generously called me 7. machel said she knew i wouldn't have to have a c-section and we would just wait it out for awhile. also at about 11 i started getting feeling back in my legs. for anyone who has ever had an epidural you know this is VERY WRONG. i also started to feel my contractions a little more. not a lot but a little. they called in the anesthesiologist who changed the medication in hopes that would fix it. it didn't and we proceeded with a quickly fading epidural. my contractions really started hurting around midnight, i believe we had no epidural at that point and i was so tired i actually fell asleep in between contractions. machel was so kind to just stay with us at this point and we just waited for our little guy's head to turn. around midnight machel asked me to push during contractions (i didn't feel the "urge" to push but i was just happy this might lead to progress) i continued to push through contractions, she even asked if i had the urge to which i replied "sure" i get snarky when i am tired, hungry and not medicated :) remember the cranky nurse i mentioned earlier? well she was there...she was the "counter" while i pushed. i swear i would push for 4-5 seconds AND THEN she would start counting. very not cool. i made eye contact with ryan and he knew i was getting a little irritated so thankfully he started counting for me! we entered into active labor although i would still say i never felt the "urge" to push. machel had ryan and i play tug-a-war with a notted sheet to help me push harder however i was gripping the sheet so tight i couldn't straighten my fingers she decided we would just let me push like regular. ryan was being so sweet and texting our family the updates but i was so out of it i kept getting mad at him for texting. i was borderline delirious ...forgive me ry ok? he got the camera out and was taking pictures of "the moment" if you know what i mean, to which sweet machel told him "she would probably like you to take pictures from up by her head". bless her heart. machel kept saying "just an hour or so more..." 15 minutes later we had our beautiful, healthy baby boy in our arms. never underestimate a girl without an epidural. it was so amazing to hold my baby. i could not comprehend that he had been inside me for the last nine months! he is the most beautiful precious thing ever and most possibly the most loved little one! i love being wesson's mom.

shawni do not look at my hair. it was hideous. i needed you.

first time holding my little wesson. he is just the best!

they even let us bring him home with us. i think we were both a little shocked.

we love you wesson. you are the sweetest part of our family and we can't wait to watch you grow. Dad has your gun and fishing pole ready, you are the best little buddy he has been waiting for! and i love being the one you want when you are sad, or just want to cuddle, i really don't know what we did before you!

our boy

wesson ryan jensen

born August 4th 2010

at 1:15 am

6 lbs. 4 oz.

19"

beautiful. perfect. wonderful.

36 weeks...

I wish time would fly a little bit faster. not too much faster I still have so much to do but want to meet this little guy.

Last month we took him to California to see the family before he "arrives".

It was a fabulous get away and we were so spoiled.

We have been in a mad dash since we got home to get everything ready.

Here is to hoping we can get it all done!

08.08.10

or sooner!

putting it in his words...

i did not grow up with guns, the only purpose of a gun was to kill someone breaking in to your house.

my dad never killed a deer to feed his family, my mom would just stop by the grocery store to pick up anything we needed.

a truck was only required to take furniture to the d.i.

a rodeo was just some place to go after a parade.

my family didn't wear wranglers, cowboy hats, or boots.

boy have things changed.

Our houses are protected by the good Lord and a gun
And you might meet 'em both if you show up here not welcome son
Our necks are burnt, our roads are dirt and our trucks ain't clean
The dogs run lose, we smoke, we chew and fry everything
Out here, way out here


We won't take a dime if we ain't earned it
When it comes to weight brother we pull our own
If it's our backwoods way of livin' you're concerned with
You can leave us alone
We're about John Wayne, Johnny Cash and John Deere
Way out here

We got a fightin' side a mile wide but we pray for peace
'Cause it's mostly us that end up servin' overseas
If it was up to me I'd love to see this country run
Like it used to be, oughta be, just like it's done
Out here, way out here

I heard this song and it seriously teared me up. it is like they know ryan. it is like they know what matters to us. and maybe HOOPER ain't 'way out here' we sometimes live like it is! i think today it all just clicked, we are the way we are and it is good to be this way. we love our faith, family, friends and country and i think thats all that really counts!

disclaimer: we do not smoke or chew. promise.

happy birthday

this is a little late. but better late than never right?

on april 28th ryan turned 27. doesn't that sound old? 26 didn't sound old but 27...i am so excited for next year, his golden birthday, i think that deserves an exotic trip right? how does hawaii with my parents sound, ry?! (jk...kinda. we are really going, but that is a story for another post!)

so in honor of the old man

27 reasons i love you (ryan allen jensen)

1. you are the best husband. you love spending time with me even if it is doing nothing! (which you hate, but i abosultely love )

2. how sweet you are to our baby boy. and that you always talk to him. and say "that's my boy!" (even if it is after he kicks me so hard it hurts)

3. when i want to review the questions at the end of all of our baby books chapters and instead of telling me i am a loser, you do them with me, even if you mock them, you still answer them!

4. you work so hard. you work hard at your job, at all you pre-masters classes, at making our house beautiful...

5. you take care of your family so good! me & baby jensen never want for anything, we are probably the two most spoiled people in the world! expensive cribs, pizza in north ogden, a new (safe) car, a vacation, a mac (haha) you never tell me (us) no. (you probably should sometimes...)

6. your passion. (s) you don't love anything half-heartedly...me, fishing, hunting, guns, glenn beck...

7. you don't do anything half heartedly. if you are going to do it, it is going to be perfect. aka: painting our house, tiling, our yard, your wife (just kidding!)

8. you can laugh at yourself. you don't take anything too serious and you don't let anything or anyone get to you.

9. you hate tv. which normally would not be a positive but it makes me so much less lazy! i love your 7 off i am so much more productive. but you will still watch modern family with me. (on the internet with no commercials)

10. your love of old country music. i love dan seals because you love dan seals.

11. you splurge on fun things: dinner, concerts, hotels, vacations. and you never make me feel guilty when we do!

12. you are balding. which means you are 29% less likely to get prostate cancer, taking care of yourself for our family.

13. you love my new recipes "you'll try anything once"

14. the way you take care of sadie. if that is a precursor to how you will care for our children, they are going to be in great hands! except you let her be mean to me. not cool.

15. dating you. i love going out, the way you make everything special, thoughtful and sweet.

16. you put up with my c.r.a.z.y. family

17. how proud you get when i "spot" something while we drive like that beaver, oh my goodness so exciting!

18. your talents. really how many guys can paint, play the piano, tie their own flies, shoot with the accuracy of a sniper, play basketball like a champ...need i go on?

19. the way kids just love you. follow you around. copy everything you do. it is so cute and sweet.

20. every "old" memory i have of us! our first date, the first time we kissed (which was moments into our first date lol) the first time we said i love you, when we got engaged, marrying you, our first HOUSE!, finding out we are having a baby! finding out our baby is a boy!

21. you try so hard to get me to eat 90 grams of protein. really really hard. and are not impressed by my 75!

22. if you could do anything professionally you would own a landscaping business. you go to college for 7 years...and really all you want to do is mow lawns...

23. we think the same exact things all the time. creepy, a little, but mostly so cute. about people, things, anything

24. "what it is?" "take luck" "i'll....you in about a minute"

25. how quirky you are. like when you made a pact with YOURSELF that you always have to own a truck, who does that?! that you only sleep in particular clothes, there are so many more but i am too tired to remember, i'll come back and edit this!

26. how you pretend like everything that ever happened before me never mattered, you don't care about high school or old family vacations, if i wasn't a part of it, it really isn't that important

27. honestly, i love the way you love me.

i am the luckiest girl. to have a husband who is so good, honest and hardworking but also loving, fun and crazy! you are my perfect match. i love every memory we make. i couldn't picture someone more wonderful for my eternity. i love you ryan.

happy birthday!

Perspective

i don't know if it is because i am pregnant.

or because i am nuts.

but i have been an emotional wreck lately

-the right song on the radio.

-a sweet commercial on tv.

-when i miss ryan.

-when i miss my family.

-when i think about our baby.

-if i read a good blog.

-when i price diapers...seriously it happened once.

-during general conference i think i cried 100 times.

and today...i can't stop crying.

i am so blessed.

i have the best father in the whole world. he is the most selfless man. ever. sometimes too selfless. but he literally would give anything to his children. and he has given everything. he works hard to help all of us. i can't wait til he has the chance to just play golf and visit all the baseball parks (and temples) in the united states and doesn't have to worry about his children's tuition, debt and can just enjoy his free time with his beautiful wife (had to give her a plug in this man post!) my dad may also be the smartest man in the world. he has read the encyclopedia and the dictionary for fun! i don't form a single opinion without consulting with my dad. even who to cheer for in the NCAA championship men's basketball game. my dad knows every trivial fact about anything you could ever need to know (except celebrities..that is how the women stand a chance and trivial pursuit) my dad has a testimony. he is a servant

of the lord. but our family never came second. we know my dad's priorities and always have. any given day of the year my dad can tell you how many hours til his summer vacation. my dad loves his family. he loves hot weather. he loves my mom's family. and a good game of boggle. he is a great grandpa. he spoils his little ones pretty good. heck he spoils his kids pretty good. some of my favorite dad-isms:

"money is a tool. it is meant to be used." -i think i might take that one to heart to much...some is meant to be saved :)

my dad has a disorder we refer to as "hansen humor" it is full of puns. corny jokes. bad dancing "i got the beat...i got the beat". but we love him for it. my dad says i love you everytime we talk on the phone. even if half the time we talked he was playing a card game on the computer and didn't hear a thing i said. (silly non multi tasking dad!)...my parents

definitely weren't perfect, but they weren't given perfect children to work with! they loved us unconditionally. they still do. and i am proud to be his daughter. i love my dad.

luckily. ryan also has the best dad in the world. i am so grateful to marry in to a family so close to being translated. good thing with me around they will stick around for awhile :) my father in law is the most hard working man i have ever met. ever. he is at work from sun up to sun down and then off too meetings until 10 pm. he is the most righteous man i have ever met. people say they are in awe when they meet apostles, i live in a constant state of awe with my father in law. he doesn't talk bad about anyone. he knows every aspect of the gospel. we have run into him at the temple on more than one occasion, and it is not cause WE are there that much! my father in law knows how to have fun. he taught his boys to hunt and fish and camp. i really do love jensen style camping. even if it is the EXACT opposite of hansen style! some how he raised sons that get it. good boys that do good, work hard, are honest and fun. i give him so much credit for that! being his favorite is my #1 goal and i think i am doing pretty good. :) he tags along on all my free adventures and i love him for that: crummy BYU tickets, rodeos..you name it he is in! he doesn't just offer it but i love his advice he is practical. he is an engineer if you know what i mean! i am so glad that even though my dad is so far away, i still feel like i am cared for and loved like a daughter. one time he threw a rock into my elbow, like he was pitching it, it was the most pain i have ever felt...maybe he is just making up for that :)

and this all comes down to my perspective. i am so grateful for the men in my life. for the priesthood they hold to bless our family. i am so thankful for their example. i am so grateful for my husband who works hard to take care of his family. who sacrifices to give me not just my needs but every want and wish i have. i was my dad's princess growing up and now i am a queen. i have been so blessed. i am so excited to have a little boy. to teach him to laugh like his grandpa hansen and work like his grandpa jensen and love like his dad. i don't think any of these men read my blog, but i just wanted to write down how i feel today. so blessed. so loved. and i hope i live to make each of them proud. because i am proud to be a part of all of them. and most importantly i am thankful to a father in heaven who blessed me with them. and now with a boy...it just feels right having a boy :)

p.s. if you are over the age of 50 get a colonoscopy. it is so worth it... in fact get every test you can. and eat right and exercise.

the fears of a redneck wife...

ryan and i are both very non confrontational.

we have never really fought.

ever.

i can't remember the last time he even maybe me mad.

hunting season always makes me sad but i don't count that.

but...

there are some things we just don't discuss because it could make us fight.

i lied it is not somethings...

it is one thing.

ryan wants to move.

not right now.

but he wants his kids to have "what he had and didn't have growing up"

-no backyard neighbors.

-shooting bb guns in the backyard

-learning to fish just a walk away

-no traffic (for those who don't know he grew up like 5 houses away from highway 89..seriously no traffic?!!)

but what it all really comes down to (although he would never admit it...) he wants to be able to hunt. in better places.

better states.

he doesn't want to live in blessed Utah.

and it makes me sick.

he thinks there is too much traffic.

too many people.

but he isn't a farmer. a rancher.

he is a microbiologist.

there isn't a huge demand for them in the sticks of wyoming.

i love weber county.

i love weber school district.

i love being so close to our family.

i want my kids to go to fremont. (or weber...i have sketchy loyalty)

i want to live in plain city

or farr west

or harrisville

or pleasant view.

all fabulous places for a microbiologist to live.

so...

i feel there are all these little battles along the way i must win to win the war.

well ladies, i come to you...

a failure.

i think i lost our first battle.

and the worst part...i don't think i feel nearly as redneck as i should...

so...what do i do? let him win this battle and keep my focus on the war? or take it down with a blow torch?

i sure hope seriouslysoblessed doesn't make fun of me for this post but i am serious!

100%

BOY!

now we just have to wait to meet the little tyke!

we sure love him already though.

new favorites...

i have fallen in love with a few things lately..

lemonade. fresh squeezed.

salsa- like the delicious fresh kind!

fruit-all of it...i wish more was in season!

tv..i have like 36 must see shows! (i wish ryan had a different schedule, i would be MUCH more productive)

sleep. 12 hours everyday. naps.

dan seals. (20 years late..)

but my very new favorite..

.

will make his grand arrival in August!

we are having a BABY!

i love ultrasounds

dr appointments.

reading everything i can get my hands on.

planning, preparing, and all that comes with that!

i don't love...

being sick. a lot.

being tired. always.

getting nothing done. ever.

getting fat. pants not buttoning. shirts a little snug. but so worth it!

we took our test on Dec. 14th. (we were so nervous it would be negative and we would be so sad for christmas) i took three tests just to be sure! we both were so nervous. and excited. we just starred at it for awhile. then went to costco (and purposely did NOT look at diapers so we wouldn't get sad at how expensive this is going to be!)

Jan 7th was our first dr. appt. ryan made me change the appt because he couldn't come to the first one i made and he does not want to miss them! (so sweet)

we didn't get to hear the heartbeat and that was sad. and my first due date was august 14th.

we told our families towards the end of january. we told the jensens in a game of cranium and we sent my parents flowers and a poem. i didn't get to see their reaction but i think they were surprised! and i know the jensens were! but excited! everyone has been so excited!

our second appt was jan 29th we got to hear the heartbeat! AMAZING! and our little bud was just doing gymnastics in there! so sweet. our dr said she thinks it is a boy.

ryan is SO excited. we said we didn't care. but he definitely did care.

we find out for sure on march 2nd for now our due date is 08.08.10

we are so excited. and love this little one already!

i will try to do better at blogging so we can remember all the details.

and maybe even post a picture

this is all we have so far in our nursery. unisex onsies and a stuffed buffalo. we are the best parents