Brennan Kent Jensen

Our sweet little Brennan came into the world on 

February 3, 2014 at 6:06 a.m. 

Weight 5lb. 15 oz

Height 18.5 inches

He came exactly three weeks early at 37 weeks. Here is my story:
On Sunday morning, the 2nd of February, at about 4 a.m. I woke with contractions. I timed them and I was certain I was in labor and would be going to the hospital soon. I was only 36 weeks 6 days so I decided to take a bath to try and slow them down in case it was too early and because I didn't want to wake the kids up yet. They got to every five mins. apart so I got out and decided I had to go to the hospital. I hadn't woken even Nick up yet, but I just started getting ready to go. Then right after I got out of the bath and was getting ready I realized the contractions were gone. So that lasted for about an hour and a half. They just completely disappeared so I went back to bed. The whole day I would have like one contraction every hr. I didn't know what my body was doing and they weren't very painful so with out them being consistent I wasn't going to go into the hospital.

I went to bed that night still with nothing consistent, but I was thinking in my head, he's coming tonight, I know he's going to wake me up again in the middle of the night and this will be it. I told Nick and I think he believed me, but at the same time didn't worry about it.

Sure enough at three in the morning I woke up with two contractions ten mins apart that were very painful. I told Nick I had two contractions ten mins apart, but I know they were too painful to ignore so I got up. As soon as I got up that's when every thing just went fast. Right after standing I started having contractions every 2-3 mins and they were painful. I told Nick we had no time and had to leave NOW.

By the time we packed the kids bag, called my friend, got my stuff and left it was probably a little around 4 a.m. We dropped the kids off and poor Jacob was hysterical. I tried calming him down, but I told Nick I couldn't wait and I knew the contractions were too strong to wait around.

We drove to the hospital and Nick dropped me off at the emergency room entrance. I walked in and told them I was in labor and they told me where to go. I waited for Nick to park and we went up together. We checked in at triage and of course the nurse took her sweet time when I told her I had only been contracting for an hour and a half. She told me to get changed and wait for her. I did all that and was ready so fast, but she took her time. I told Nick to go get her because the contractions were so close and strong I was nervous how far along I was. Finally she came back and hooked me all up. She checked my cervix and told me I was at a 9. I think my heart almost stopped, then when I asked, "Will I have time for my epidural?" and she responded with a chuckle and said, "No"  I think then it really did stop for a minute. I immediately looked at Nick and said, "Nick I can't do this I need my epidural." I pretty much said that the whole time.

They tried explaining that I could get it but it wouldn't work in time. I kept saying I don't care just give it to me, but then the anesthesiologist just walked out of the room and they shut the doors and curtains and the nurse said, "Ok Dana let's do this, let's have this baby!" And I almost started crying then because I knew there would be no pain relief, I was going to have this baby right now whether I wanted to or not.

I kept looking at Nick saying things like, "Nick help me I can't do this" or "I'm gonna die, babe I think I'm gonna die." It's kind of funny now, but it wasn't then. Nick was SOOOO good. He held my hand tight the whole time and I squeezed the heck out of it. He kept telling me I was so strong and I could do it, that I was doing great. I really couldn't have made it through with out his support. I would just look at him, I'm sure with a look of terror on my face and keep saying, "I can't do this, I'm going to die." And he would just look back and encourage me.

Let's just say the next 35 mins were the hardest thing in my life. I can't really describe how I was feeling, I was so incredibly scared out of my mind to the point that I honestly didn't believe I would have the baby with out dying. I've since forgotten all the pain, but I often remind myself I never want to do that again :)

So about 35 mins of pushing and the little guy came out. I will say after going through all of that pain and fear, when I finally got him out I felt such a sense of accomplishment, I really wanted to hold him and I was so happy I did it. It's a different experience then just painlessly pushing out my other kids with an epidural. I really felt like I had done it this time all on my own and that I had been through one of the toughest things in my life for my baby who I loved so much. I feel happy that I got to experience it and it really makes me appreciate my kids even more.

Now with that being said, I will never wait to go to the hospital again, but we couldn't have really gone much faster than we did so I think it was going to happen either way.

I'm so happy to have this sweet little boy in my life. He is just a sweetheart and so calm. I couldn't be more blessed to have three happy healthy children and a loving and supportive husband.

 The day before I went into labor

 Brennan baby

 February 3, 2014

Precious little boy

Holidays!

Katelyn-Jacob-& Baby 3

Baby 3- I'm 26 weeks pregnant. I have enjoyed and hated being pregnant this time around. With my other two kids I tried very hard not to complain and enjoy pregnancy as much as I could. It didn't seem very hard then, but with this one, the ribs that feel like they are being broken, the muscles that feel like they are being torn apart, the lack of energy, sickness, and emotional breakdowns has gotten to me. I felt great being pregnant with the other kids and it's a whole new feeling with this one. I think I can say I know what a "hard" pregnancy feels like now.

Despite all of that, I still embrace it and love being pregnant. I still cherish every moment of the little guy that is growing inside of me. I am excited to have him. I want to experience labor again and I hope for the best. At my last appt they said he was breech. It's still early on and they said he has plenty of time to flip, but for some reason the thought of him being breech still scares me. And I have no idea if he has turned yet or not, I guess only time will tell.

When I think about having another boy I smile. I look at my sweet little Jacob and it makes me excited. I wonder what he'll look like, if they'll look the same, if he'll have glasses too (that's silly, but he could right??), and if they will have the same personality.

(Please excuse my dirty mirror, I'm very ashamed, but do I want to get all cute and ready again and remember to wipe down my mirror before taking another picture? Not really.)

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Jacob- Jacob is almost 2! I cannot believe it. He turns two Jan. 2. He tries to talk and copy words we say, although most of the time no one can understand the words he's saying besides me, it's still cute to hear. Jacob is, and always has been my angel of a sleeper. I remember one or two weeks in his life where he didn't want to go to bed at night. He naps well and sleeps well at night. He sleeps in the big boy bed now in Katelyn's room and she'll come out and say she's scared and Jacob won't make a peep or move an inch until he's fast asleep. He just loves his sleep. He still does not like nursery, and I've decided I'm okay with that. I feel horrible leaving him to scream and cry my name as if he's being abandoned, and who wants their kid to feel abandoned? So I stay with him. And he plays great. He's in there until he's FOUR so I figure we've got plenty of time to work with him. :) Jacob loves cheese and bread. Those are his two favorite snacks. He drinks a TON too. He's always drinking water or milk. He's our little sweetheart and we couldn't ask for a better boy. Jacob has been potty training and he has done great. He will go with out accidents most days, I just have to get him used to public places now.

Jacob was "Pascal"  for Halloween (closest costume we got, everyone called him a dragon)

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Katelyn- Katelyn is almost 4! I'm dying just thinking about it. Really? I'm going to have a 4 year old? Katelyn is the sweetest girl. She is playful, outgoing, friendly, and confident. We had our primary program and she memorized her part and when her time came she walked right up to that microphone, stood up tall, and very confidently and loudly, said her part with a huge smile on her face. Then at the end, from the back, we could hear her singing very loudly, I am a Child of God. I love my little girl and her confidence. Katelyn is very active. She loves to "work out" on my elliptical whenever I'm done with it. And she'll breath heavily as if she's been doing it for hours. She loves playdough. I'm sure if I didn't hide it she would ask to play with it everyday. That sounds cruel of me to hide it, but cleaning it up is time consuming! She hates vegetables, but will at least try them now at every meal. She eats corn, carrots, salad, tomatoes, and onions, she is very proud to be able to name those few off to people. She loves gum and asks for it every day. Her favorite colors are pink and purple. She loves wearing skirts. We love our sweet little Katelyn, she is and always has been an angel of a child.

Tangled for Halloween

Some days are hard with the kids, especially being tired and sore and pregnant, but mostly they make me excited to have another one. How can you not be excited when they run up and wrap their arms around your neck, or you hear one singing a primary song softly to herself, or the smile you get in the morning when your son walks in your room. I just love every bit of them!

 Balloon Fiesta

 We loved it!

Touching the huge balloon

 Family Pictures 2013

 Katelyn 3 1/2

 No more pictures please!

 Jacob 21 months

Love this guy, he's so handsome!

Baby #3!

For all you Jensen followers, if there are any still out there, ;) we are having baby #3! We just found out it's a boy and are thrilled. Well, most of us were thrilled, Katelyn had a bit of a meltdown when we told her she wouldn't be getting a baby sister. She had insisted the whole time that it was girl, actually she had said there were twins inside and one was a girl and one was a boy. Then I sat her down after my ultrasound and said, "So.... we found out you're going to have a little brother!" She was confused and I said, "Yeah it's a little baby boy." She started bawling and said, "I want twins! I want a girl." Poor girl has finally accepted the fact that a baby boy will be joining our family.

As for Jacob, well I'm pretty sure he has no idea what's coming his way. And to say if he'll be happy about it, as of right now I think not. It may be quite the roller coaster ride of tears and heartache for him (and mom!) when I have to spend so much time with the baby. He is my momma's boy, that's for sure, but a sweetheart. He makes me so excited to have another little boy. He is happy and fun and shy and loving. I can't wait for him to have a little brother, and Katelyn as well.

The baby looks healthy and strong, which is always something I'm so grateful for and glad to hear. I'm due February 24th 2014 and can't wait until then!

Hello There

Well, it's been awhile since I have been on here. Life has been somewhat busy (Okay, not really I have just forgotten and been lazy about writing). Here's a little update on what life has been for us the past few months.

We made it to New Mexico! We arrived on Father's Day with the help of Nick's parents. It was somewhat hectic, but with help we got all moved in. A couple of guys from the ward came to help us move in. I felt really bad because it was a Sunday and it was Father's Day. That just goes to show how great our ward is.

Nick started his new job faster than we had expected, with just a of couple weeks after moving in he was busy at work. He likes it a lot so far! I think one of the nicest things is it's only about 1.5 miles from our house so he comes home for lunch every day and doesn't have to leave to work super early.

New Mexico has been, different. I won't say that WE all had a rough start here, I'll just say that I had a rough go here. We all got really sick in the beginning with food poisoning or something. Having it by yourself is rough, but when you have two other sick kiddos to take care of, is even harder. Then a couple of weeks later Jacob and I got some sort of cold. Sore throats, mouth sores, chills, fevers. Jacob had a fever over 100 for four days straight. I got really worried because of his history and having a seizure before from his fever spiking too quickly, I just was a complete mess. We didn't have insurance so I tried waiting it out, but he just wasn't getting better. We finally took him in and paid a fortune for a visit to the Urgent Care, and left with a prescription of antibiotics. After the kiddos were all better I got sick again with the same thing a couple of weeks later. And then right after Nick came down with Strep Throat. I've been sick one more time with a sore throat and head cold since then. Can you see now why I had a rough start?? It was a whirlwind of a start for me, but now I feel a lot better and more at peace.


I never thought I would have to pray to adjust well to a place or love living somewhere, but I have had to now, and it's been hard. I have realized how comfortable I became in Oklahoma and how much I miss certain things about it. New Mexico is my new home though, and I will create memories and feel the same way I'm sure when I leave.

The kids are growing so quickly. Jacob is saying a lot of words now and even talking in 2-word sentences. He is a happy little boy, but when a tantrum strikes, he sure knows how to scream. Jacob is 20 months almost 21. He is trying the whole "potty training" thing right now. He got glasses when he was 15 months old, have I mentioned that before? He's definitely a boy and loves boy toys, cars, planes, things like that. He is shy like his momma and he hates nursery. He is not comfortable being away from me for very long and he does not like interacting with other kids very much. He is super sweet though and loves playing, I think he just feels a little lack of confidence. I don't blame him, I was the same way when I was little, but I turned out fine, right? ;)

Katelyn is my little princess. She is still the happiest girl I know and I don't say that just because I'm her mom, it's because it's true. She always has a smile on her face. She started dance a couple of weeks ago. She LOVES it. Is there a word stronger than LOVE? Cause if there was I would use it. She does ballet and tap. I did a little ballet and tap when I was little, but then switched over to ballroom. I think I want her to do this for awhile though. Along with soccer, tennis, track, piano, all those other fun options when the time comes. She is 3 1/2 almost 4. She is learning how to read three letter words. She loves to draw. She does very well at drawing, I think it will be something she'll enjoy doing when she is older, or at least I hope so.


I love how different my kids are. Jacob is very mellow and sweet. Katelyn is, and has always been so outgoing, crazy, and such a happy girl. Katelyn goes to bed late and wakes up early. Jacob goes to bed early and wakes up late. Jacob has sort of a chubby look to his cheeks and belly, and Katelyn is a skinnie minnie all over. They play so well together and love being together. They both absolutely LOVE playing outside. Katelyn is a social butterfly and asks to go over to the neighbors house EVERY DAY to play with the kids.

We are loving New Mexico right now. Life is great and we have a lot to look forward to this next year as Nick's work progresses, the kids grow older, and we get adjusted to our new life.

  All the other kids in the neighborhood started school and Katelyn wanted to too, so we do "pre-school" at home.

 My name is Katelyn and my favorite food is an apple

 Being silly with dad

 Kind of describes their personalities. Jacob did not want to take a picture and Katelyn is like, "OK!"

  Family hike up Sandia Peak

Dr. J

He did it! Nicholas graduated from dental school (May 11th) and we couldn't be more proud of him. 

I can't believe it's over. It's been bittersweet watching everyone move away and enter the new chapter into their lives. I am very excited for this new beginning we are about to start as a family though. 

In case you didn't know, we are going to New Mexico! We will be in a town just North of Albuquerque called Rio Rancho. I'm excited to explore Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, and all the other neat places I've already heard of in New Mexico.

The biggest thing I'm excited for is to be closer to family. Our usual 10 hr drive to Colorado will be cut almost in half to a 5.5 hr drive. To us, five and a half hours is nothing, so we're excited. AND to make it even better, it's about 6 hrs from my favorite girl in the whole, wide, world: LU, my sister!! I'm so excited to be able to see her and her family more often. Her babies, Elizabeth & Jackson, are just the CUTEST things ever. Can't wait to squish their cute faces.

Also, we can drive to California to see my parents, and always stop on the way in AZ to see my sister which is about half way to California. New Mexico really does just seem like the perfect median for us! 

Well, the four years are over. They came and they went. A little faster than I expected at first. There were great days, and there were lonely nights, but overall, it was such a fun and memorable experience.  And Now it's off to the Land of Enchantment!

Happy Birthday to YOU!

Nick's birthday was last week, the 28th of April. We (the kids and I) were so excited to celebrate with him! One, because birthdays are just fun and especially fun celebrating someone you love and making them feel special. And two, because it was the last day of Nick's Dental Boards and he would be done with all testing and requirements for dental school that day!!

We got everything ready for him while he was gone testing. We set up some gifts-- I tried to do 28, since it was his "golden" birthday, 28 years old on the 28th of April. Half of them ended up being candy bars I think.. ;) Anyways. While the kids were down I started making his cake. Can I just say I NEVER make a cake from scratch. I did this year though, that's how much I love my husband. It actually wasn't too hard, and it was Delicious!! Here is the recipe I used:

http://www.howdoesshe.com/german-chocolate-drizzle-cake/

After I baked the cake I lied down for a nap. Nick got home shortly after that. We had covered all of his gifts on the couch with a blanket, so that he wouldn't see any when he got home!

We waited for Katelyn and Jacob to wake up from their naps before opening gifts because I knew they would be SO sad (Katelyn especially) if they missed that.

Katelyn was so happy and so ready to celebrate! She loved giving daddy each gift and telling him what each one was.

 All set up before we covered it up

 The kids wanted a pic too, they deserve it since they helped me so much :)

 Jacob playing peek-a-boo.

 Katelyn getting a present for daddy

 She made a special card and picture for him

Later that night we had dinner. Nick made his own birthday dinner. Yeah, I know, it shoulda been me, but he wanted steak and NO ONE makes a better steak than he does. It was delicious. I've never really been a steak person until I met Nick. He cooks them SO good!

After that we sang to him and ate some cake. 

 The birthday cake, yum!

 Katelyn helped Nick blow out the candles

 Nick insisted he light his own candles, and he was super excited about it. Haha.

 Make a wish!

 Me n the kiddos

My sweet boy pre-glasses. Such a happy kid.

We hope Nick was happy too ;)
It was a good birthday. We are so lucky to have him in our lives and are SO happy we are just about done with Dental School! I'm so proud of all of his hard work, seriously, so proud.

FOUR

4

CUATRO

FOUR MORE DAYS PEOPLE!!!!!!! 

Can't wait until graduation :)