Happenings

I have alot to blog about - well, mostly just alot of pictures to post! I have been trying to do this for awhile, but my days consist of trying to keep both boys fed, changing diapers, trying to keep everyone happy and trying to clean up the apartment so that we can at least see the sink and floor! But, we have had some fun things happening.

First, Isaac is done with the first year of econ grad school. Yeah! I am so so so glad to be done with that first year. The past 10 months have been, by far, some of the toughest months! Isaac did a great job though, and handled everything better than I did. I shouldn't really say we are done, though, because by mid July, he will have taken the 2 comprehensive tests that cover the past year. He has to pass these to continue on in the program. So there is still alot of studying going on. We are glad there is a light at the end of the tunnel though!

Kason thinking Asher was spitting up on him

I got ambitious one day because I was feeling badly for not hardly paying any attention to Kason. I have seen this idea in a couple places. Kason loved "tub painting"

This is how Asher sleeps alot. He throws his arms up and cranks his head as far to the side and back as he can get it.

Kason is in a big boy bed!! Some friends gave us the frame. The first night when we were putting him to bed he was a little upset about the change, but after he went to sleep we didn't hear a thing from him and it has been that way since then!

Asher is doing great and we think he is really cute. He was having some major spit up issues, but has been doing better the last couple days and I'm hoping that will continue

Kason is really good to Asher. The other day we were all driving home and Asher was crying. I looked back to see Kason singing and doing the hand signs to Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to help Asher stop crying. It was so cute. It still amazes me how much Kason understands and how well he speaks.

Love bath time!

Big Boys!

We are loving the warm weather and sunshine! I love being able to go outside with Kason and Asher. And, on another note, Kason got a potty! He is pretty excited! I think we are a long ways off from being truly potty trained, but he has an interest in it so we decided to get one now so he could use it when he wanted. He has used it quite a few times and is always really excited and proud of himself. It will be nice to not have to change 2 sets of diapers when that time finally does come in however many months!

Fun with Friends!

Asher is growing so much! I think Kason wore this outfit when he was a couple months old.

Us!

2 Weeks!

Asher is 2 weeks and 2 days now so I thought I'd better write some of the details down before I forget! So, here goes! I was having a really bad pain in my right side all night the night before he was born, so we didn’t get a whole lot of sleep. At 4:30 am my water broke. I jumped up and said, “Isaac I think my water just broke”. He jumped up really fast too. I went to the bathroom and Isaac felt like he was going to pass out. He came in to ask if I was ok and I told him to go lay down. His face and lips were completely white! I thought he was going to pass out. He laid down and felt better though, thankfully! We called the doctor and he said to go to the hospital around 6. We were worried about the baby, though, since I had been having that pain, so we went a little before 6. I wasn’t having any contractions, which was weird compared to Kason’s delivery!! I could feel them a little bit, but not too much. One time the baby’s heart rate went down during a contraction, but it only happened once. Because of that, though, I stayed hooked up to the monitor things around your belly the whole time. The doctor came and checked me. He had to go do a surgery and said he would be back after that. So, we watched Dancing with the Stars on the laptop. I could definitely feel the contractions, but I knew they weren’t nearly what they could be. So, they kept checking me and things were progressing, but kind of slowly so they started me on Pitocin. I was a little worried about this, but it turned out fine. I think this was about 9:30 or 10? The contractions definitely started to hurt then. Holy cow. It’s a good thing you forget how badly it hurts. For some reason I just don’t want to get an epidural. I know everyone loves them, but I just am worried about it for some reason. The nurse told us about something called an intra thecal (sp) that is similar to an epidural, but not as strong or long lasting so that was my back up plan. It seemed like I was at an 8 forever. I mentioned getting the intra thecal and the doctor said I might only have half an hour left so I said I would try to wait half an hour. I think about 5 contractions later, though, I said I wanted it , but then I had to push. The doctor let me and 10 long minutes later he was born! When Asher came out he was completely blue and didn’t cry. That was scary, but the doctor didn’t seem worried, I don’t know if that was just to help us not worry or it was really no big deal. But, they rubbed him and he started crying and he pinked right up. Isaac said the cord was around his neck. He is gaining weight really quickly and at his 2 week checkup weighed 8 lbs 14 oz and was 21 inches! Adjusting to having a newborn is not as hard this time as it was the first time. I’m not freaking out about every little thing. The hard part has been balancing a newborn with Kason. I don’t feel like I am doing a good job with that at all. I feel really badly for him. He doesn’t get that one on one time anymore. He is definitely having lots of meltdowns and is emotional. It’s hard, but I think it will get better. I just need to be better at focusing on him somehow. Anyway, things are going well. It’s fun to think of the little boy Asher is going to turn into and how his personality will be once we get past this newborn stage. We are glad he is healthy and it is crazy to be a mom of 2 and a family of 4!!!

And of course here are alot more pictures!!

First Bath

My boys!!

This toy was a life saver, keeping Kason busy for about 2 days

He's Here!

Asher Gage Swensen

Wednesday May 6, 2009

11:49 am

8 lbs 2 oz

19 1/2 in

More details to come...sometime!

...Waiting...

I am finally seeing what everyone has been saying about springtime in Oregon; the long rainy winter turns into something really pretty! So, since we are just waiting and waiting...and waiting some more for this baby to come we went to this park to walk around and try and start some contractions - with no such luck. This park is about 3 minutes from our apartment, it's so pretty!

Kason loves to smell flowers - or inhale them. I love this picture!

With the ever present basketball

BuSy!

We have been busy! Here are some of the things that have been keeping us so busy:

1. I am giving in and posting a "pregnancy picture". This is only because we don't have any from when I was pregnant with Kason and people have been telling me that I will want to look back and see one someday. I must say, though, this picture is pretty deceiving - I am actually alot bigger than this. So, this was taken at 36 weeks. I am now a little over 37 weeks. The doctor says the baby (who still does not have a definitely decided on name) could come any time. Kason was already born at this point. I am having alot of contractions and am sick of being pregnant, but am still hoping to make it one more week so that my sister will be here and Isaac will have some more tests out of the way. We will see!



2. We moved! We have been looking for a bigger apartment for a long time now. Unfortunately, it didn't really work out. We ended up moving into a slightly bigger apartment here in the same complex. I really wanted a washer and dryer, but things are too expensive close to campus and we couldn't find any openings anywhere that would work out. Frustrating! So we have moved across the parking lot. We are so grateful all the guys from Isaac's program showed up one morning and carried alot of our stuff over! I thought it would be pretty easy, and I'm sure it was easier than moving further away, but it still ended up being a bit messy! Being 37 weeks pregnant, moving, and having a husband in grad school do not go together well! I think our apartment is finally getting some order to it though! We are really happy it could get done before the baby comes too! And we are really close to the school which helps us be able to see Isaac a little bit more. We have lots of friends around so we can deal with a tiny apartment a little while longer.

3. We attended our ward's potato derby. It was the day after the pinewood derby and we made cars out of potatoes! It was pretty fun. My car lost horribly the first time it raced, but Isaac's made it to the semifinals. His car is on the right in the video.





4. We had a fun Easter. A guy from Isaac's program gave Kason a HUGE bear, which Kason loves to jump on. Now there is just the question of where to put it?! My mom also sent a few things for an Easter basket, including some edible grass. Kason loved it! Please ignore the chaos in the background, this was the day after we moved.

We are doing good. Kason is growing up so much and makes us laugh all the time with the things he says and does. We are loving the sunshine that has been here the last few days!!

The Coast

For the last part of spring break we made our way to the coast! On the way there we learned that Kason can get a bit carsick sitting in the back seat of the van on a very curvy mountainous road and not to feed him strawberry yogurt and crackers right before we go. He ended up throwing up all over himself. Luckily, our friends were more prepared than we, and let us borrow their little boy's extra change of clothes. Once there, though, we had alot of fun. We went to a place that had lots of little tide pools. We saw lots of starfish and little crabs. Every time we have been to the coast it is kind of misting all the time. It's not your regular warm, sunny beach, but I think it is kind of majestic with the forest right there and the mist.

As far as a pregnancy update goes, things are going well. I am 35 weeks and counting! As weird as it sounds with how uncomfortable and tired and big I am, I am actually hoping to not have this baby until May (the due date is May 11). With Kason being early, I am worried this one will be early too! Isaac's midterms are the very last days of April so it would make things MUCH easier if he were done with those and could be around when the baby comes. Plus, we are still possibly moving around that time too! I have been thinking what it will be like to have two kids. How do I keep Kason from being completely bored and feeling neglected while I nurse practically ALL day?! Any suggestions?