Jensen's Birth Story

It has been one year since Jensen was born. Happy Birthday, Jen! Shortly after he was born, I wrote out a few quick notes, so I wouldn't forget anything from the day. I'm so happy I did that, as I read through my notes, I couldn't help but tear up at the journey of getting to Jen's birth, and the journey we've been on since then. Without making this any longer than it already is, here is Jensen's birth story:

March 31, 2015

We had our weekly appointment, Dr. Hewitt checked me and said I was 2cm and 70% effaced, which seems miles better than it was at the last appointment when she said I was only about 1cm. This time she was able to do a membrane sweep. I convinced myself that I was having this baby on the 3^rd because it was a full moon, so I had 3 days to get this show on the road.

April 2, 2015

Happy birthday Josh! Cole and I celebrated his Daddy’s birthday by being sick. We know how to have a good time, right?! Cole had a fever of about 101, I was sitting at 99.4 and feeling crummy, and crossing my fingers that my temperature wouldn’t go any higher. When I went to the hospital when I was in labor with Coleden, I had a fever and he had to stay in the NICU for monitoring right after he was born. I really didn’t want Jensen following in Cole's footsteps, and luckily, by the next morning we were both feeling much better.

April 3, 2015
Full moon. No baby. Dang it.

April 5, 2015 (Easter)
Around 3am I started having contractions, they were between 8-12 minutes apart. Around 6am, they started slowing. Our Easter was spent with our friends, the Lannings. Cole had fun hunting for eggs and jumping on their trampoline with Sophia. I had occasional contractions, but nothing that had me feeling like we needed to hop in the car right away. We got home around 3:30pm, and about that time my contractions started coming back more regularly. I called Labor and Delivery around 6pm (when contractions ranged from 5-10 minutes), I was told I need to drink a big cup of water within 30 minutes, and take a warm bath. If I continued to have consistent contractions, we should start making our way to Ruidoso. After sticking it out as long as I could, I decided we needed to head to the hospital around midnight. 

April 6, 2015

The hour long drive was not a fun one. First, we needed to get gas, and the gas station on base apparently closes for the night, so we had to drive into Alamogordo to get gas. Second, the normally picturesque drive went completely unseen due to the time of our drive, and lack of street lights.  I hummed my way through contractions, it was the only thing that eased the pain I was feeling.

We finally reached the hospital around 1am. I got hooked up to the monitoring equipment so they could determine if they were going to keep me. I was dilated to 5cm and had very consistent contractions, so I was definitely staying (that took about 30-45 minutes). I was moved to an actual room, and after about 45-60 minutes, Nurse Beth checked me again and said I was at 8-8 1/2cm and 100% effaced. Josh said he overheard them saying they needed to get ahold of Dr. Hewitt and have her get here quickly. Josh hadn't even finished bringing all of our stuff in from the car, and Dr. Hewitt was being told to get here quickly?! This was going so fast, almost too fast. When he brought the last bit of stuff in, Dr. Hewitt had arrived, it was about 3:00.

At this point my contractions became very difficult to handle. I asked Josh to play some music to distract me, he chose my Supernatural soundtrack, it seemed appropriate. I don’t think my nurses were used to women playing music while they labored, they seemed excited to have something to listen to and enjoy while they worked. Oddly enough, hearing them sing along to my music made me relax. It was such a normal thing to do; who doesn’t sing along to music in the car or shower?! I was contracting away, and my nurses were singing along, like it (being in labor) was a normal thing-and it is. It's one of the most natural/normal things there is. It was a sort of ego check. I think I had started feeling sorry for myself, not the kind of sorry where I wanted to be pitied, more like I had begun doubting my body. I had to have a cesarean with Coleden, and that experience weighed heavily on my self-confidence. Who knew something as simple as a couple of nurses singing along to The Animals "House of the Rising Sun" would give me peace of mind? It made me refocus. There’s a quick little passage in Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth that always stuck with me. One of the women that shared her story commented saying “Then I thought, no, I’m supposed to be having a baby here, not thinking of myself!” I couldn’t have said it better myself. So stop worrying about the past, and focus on right here, right now; and from here on out, nothing but positivity.

My nurses knew how I needed to be spoken to in order for me to stay focused. I was able to concentrate on my body and my contractions, while they prepared my room for delivery and continued to encourage me at all the right times.

I do want to take a moment to give Josh a lot of credit. With Cole, I wanted Josh right next to me, I needed him to hold my hand, to stroke my hair. I needed that constant touch to help me through each contraction. This time around, he was trying to do the same thing, but I was so overstimulated that I couldn’t be touched. I felt like I was hurting his feelings, but I didn’t have the ability to express how I was feeling, I could only speak in monosyllables and even that was proving difficult. He never skipped a beat, he stopped touching me and kept encouraging me and reinforcing what the nurses told me. He was doing everything he could to be my amazing support, and I cannot begin to express the gratefulness I felt to have him by my side.

Around 3:20, Dr. Hewitt broke my waters and told me it was time to push. I pushed 2 or 3 times and began to panic, this was the point I had gotten to with Cole and wasn’t able to go any further and I ended up with a cesarean. This was now new territory, and I was desperate to have the birth I envisioned, so when Dr. Hewitt told me to focus on her words and push, I did exactly that.

At 3:34am Jensen Luca Trout was born, weighing 8 pounds 3 ounces, and he was 20 inches long. I have never been more proud of myself than in that moment when I got to hold my brand new baby (I wasn’t given that opportunity with Coleden). I remember looking into Josh’s eyes and seeing so much love in his eyes, our family was complete, and we couldn’t wait to find out more about this tiny little human, with his new baby smell.

Josh stayed with me for a few hours, then made a trip back home to make sure Cole was okay, since we left in the middle of the night, he would be waking up to our friend, Billy (remember the Lannings from earlier? Guys, seriously, these people are the best. I wish everyone had a Billy and Shelby of their own.), and wanted to make this huge change feel a little less huge for the newest big brother. 

When Josh came back up to the hospital, he did so without Cole (he still had the sniffles from a few days prior).  Now that it was daylight, Josh commented on how freckly I was looking, and how he had no idea hormones could make freckles pop so much. After taking a closer look we realized that I had actually popped all the blood vessels in my face and neck when I was pushing Jensen out, but somehow didn’t burst the blood vessels in my eyes-weird. Even Dr. Hewitt was impressed and couldn’t figure out how I managed that.

Jensen and I were released the following day, but we ended up having to go back to the hospital for a couple of days in Alamogordo because Jensen’s bilirubin levels were crazy-high. Eventually he evened out and we were able to start our lives as a family of four.

It has been a blast to watch Jensen grow this last year. His personality is so bubbly, and happy, and I wouldn’t change a thing about him. I’m very grateful to be this little boy’s mama. Jensen, you made a dream of mine come true. You gave me my confidence back. You have a piece of my heart, and I hope you know that your daddy and I will always be there for you and your brother. I love you, Jensen Luca. Always.

Happy 3rd birthday, Coleden Levi!

Today you are 3 years old. Your Daddy and I want you to know how proud we are of you. You have such a beautiful spirit, and we love seeing your imagination at work. You are fearless, friendly, fun, and funny. You are so patient when it comes to your brother. You melt our hearts when you kiss Jensen and tell him you love him. Thank you for choosing us to be your parents.

In the last year, you:

• have been to 6 different countries (Germany, Spain, Italy, Monaco, France, and United States)
• moved from Germany to New Mexico
• gained a best friend (we love you, 'Phia!)
• play more independently 
• say your name with confidence
• started helping in the kitchen, you especially love stirring and mixing
• have started to take things apart and put them back together again
• take every chance you get to have your picture taken-such a ham!

Your favorites:

• Superheroes: Spider-Man and Hulk (You like Iron Man too, but call him Spider-Man)
• Color: red and blue
• Toys: Legos, cars, robots, Dorian, and Teddy
• Food: waffles and chicken nuggets
• Book: any of the Pete the Cat books
• Song: Uptown Funk

Photo Friday, golden birthday fun, and a surprise guest!

Wow it's crazy how much can happen in a week. First of all, thank you for all the birthday love! Usually, I'm so excited to celebrate my birthday, but this year, I don't know, I just wasn't feeling it. I would've thought that it being my golden birthday, I'd be celebrating longer than my normal week, but I just couldn't get excited about it.

Last Thursday night, Josh got called into work, he ended up working past 9 o'clock. I was trying my hardest to stay awake, but this pregnant mama was struggling. Just as I was about to call it a night, I hear the front door opening. When I looked over to greet Josh, a different person met my glance. My mom strolled through the door!

If you know me, you know I'm kind of hard to surprise. I love being surprised, but for some reason, I end up ruining it. Every. Single. Time. Not this time. Josh and my parents really got me, and no one believed that I had no idea. I couldn't stop crying, I was so happy. I feel so blessed that the people I'm closest to know not only how to brighten my spirits, but also know that they needed a lift to begin with.

Saturday, we went bowling. Our friends Shelby, Billy, and Sophia surprised me with a beautiful birthday cake!  Later that night we played "Cards Against Humanity," if this was any indication of how my birthday week was going to be, I was in for a birthday to remember!

My actual birthday was spent sleeping in a little, hitting IHOP for breakfast, then making the hour trip to Las Cruces to hit the mall there (there really isn't much of a mall here), and enjoying Dippin' Dots and Olive Garden, before heading back home. The rest of the day was spent just hanging with a few of my favorite people. Oh and it was 70 degrees ON MY BIRTHDAY! That has never happened to me, and will probably never happen again. I soaked up as much of that glorious sunshine while I could.

 One of our family photo outtakes

The beautiful drive to Las Cruces includes scenic mountains and white sands

I didn't realize how much I missed Dippin' Dots, so good!

 My birthday dates

My other birthday date

Take home birthday tirimisu from Olive Garden! One of the many surprises I recieved from Josh, my new dehydrator. He also got me a wine cooler and the essential oils I've had my eye on. Seriously, my husband is pretty awesome!

Wednesday was my mom's last full day here, so we hit up the Old Apple Barn. Guys, this is one of the cutest little stores I've ever been to. It's basically a little nostalgia shop, but you can also get fudge, pies, apple and cherry ciders, and assorted types of nuts. My favorite part was the cider, you can get it in a bottle, or they also serve it in slushie form!

I'm pretty sure he would've drank that whole thing by himself if we let him haha

 I love that you can see the white sands in the distance

 My Mama is way braver than me!

Me and my love!

So, like I said before, it's crazy how much can happen in a week! With that being said, I still have a Photo Friday to share!

Day 24: Best invention ever. Airplanes. Airplanes are the best! They brought my mom down here and I still can't believe I got to spend my birthday with her! Thank you Mom, Dad, and Josh!

Day 25: Cloud 9. I love my boys, and I can't wait to see Josh with one more added to the mix. Cole asks me at least once every morning, "Where Daddy?" They are two peas in a pod, and I love seeing the love between them. 

Day 26: Home. 1. Don't you love how Josh's car is displayed?! 2. It looks like there's a tiny circus in our back yard. 3. The blue skies here are unreal sometimes. I think it's my favorite thing about living here. 4. Gotta love base housing and our neighbor's garage door being a different color than ours!

Day 27: Birthday. Wow. I am 27. It's still sounds foreign to me, but then saying I was 26 sounded funny too. In typical Trout family photo fashion, I am the only one looking at the camera. I really hope this next kid takes after me, and actually looks at the camera for more than a split second. 

Day 28: Letter "D." This one slipped my mind. Can we just count the "D" in the signs behind us? You may also notice, Josh is looking at the camera! Baby steps, baby steps.

Day 29: Street. This was taken on our way back from the Old Apple Barn and I can't get enough of just how beautiful this view is! 

Day 30: In my bag. It's super exciting, I know. If I hadn't cleaned my purse out earlier this week, you would've also found a couple of toys, old shopping lists, and a few receipts. If we're running errands and I know we'll be gone for a while, I might also toss an orange in the bag as well.

Day 31: Goal. I really want to make as many memories in New Mexico as we can, before we move back to Omaha in October.

I'm also celebrating 4 years of blogging! It's crazy to think that when I started this blog, I was still living in Omaha, Josh and I were childless, had never been to Europe, or New Mexico. Yet, here we are, living in New Mexico, expecting our second child, and we have great memories from our time in Germany. Life's pretty amazing!

Coleden Levi turns 2!

Today is Josh's first day back to work in a month. It's only 9am here and I already miss having him home. I'm hoping that we will adjust to our "normal" schedule quickly. We haven't seen it in about 8 months because Josh had trainings to attend a month before his deployment, then there's the 6 month deployment itself, and then our month of all-Josh-all-the-time.

As we do get back into the swing of things, I'm going to be making more appearances here on my little spot of the internet. I know how to blog with this schedule, I never seemed to figure it out while Josh was gone. Photo Fridays will be making a comeback, as well as tons of recipes I can't wait to share.

My first order of business is to share some of the details of Cole's birthday! I wish I could say how much fun Cole had, or how happy and excited he was to open all of his gifts...but I can't. Unfortunately my 2-year-old was in a mood from the moment he woke up. I don't know if it was from our very tiresome trip to Heidelberg the day before, or what, but he was such a grouch.

We decided to hold off on opening gifts until after he took a nap in hopes that he would cheer up some. That was a gamble worth taking. In the meantime, we taped some streamers to his door for him to bust through (thanks Pinterest) and I think that alone perked his spirits up. The rest of our day was spent playing with all the cool, new stuff he got.

 We had to sneak Dorian out of Cole's room to put him in the shopping cart. Cole immediately went to Dorian to make sure he was okay, he's such a good daddy.

 This is a FAST slide! Thanks Papa and Lady!

 He's really getting into this slide thing now!

 He loves his sit n spin Aunt Beth and Uncle Dan!

 Cool shades and a serious face.

 His first light up shoes! Gigi and Grandpa, he loves clapping the shoes together. We barely got them on him.

 His new white board/chalkboard.

If you look at the top left hand corner you'll see a photo of Cole from his birthday last year! I didn't do that on purpose but I love that it happened. He's also wearing the same shirt because I ordered it too large, but we got two good birthday uses out of it.

This cake, oh man. I made this cake last year for Cole with a cream cheese frosting. Since we know he's sensitive (we don't think he's allergic anymore) to dairy, I made the cake dairy-free and used a frosting that was made in a plant that also produces dairy products (I didn't feel like making frosting). Cole loved it!

 Daddy even gave Cole soy ice cream! If you haven't tried it, go now and get some, it tastes like homemade ice cream to me :)

This is slightly altered to fit our tastes and sensitivities from Bakingdom.

That about covers it, there were more gifts than what is shown, but we had some weird lighting and a lot of them didn't come out the way I had hoped :/ oh well, I can't wait for next year's birthday when we'll be stateside!