Just a few pictures….

November 29, 2009HospitalBecca, NICUamy

Becca’s “honeymoon” period is over — as the nurse said — and her ventilator had to start doing a lot more work for her today. The NICU nurses say that normally, babies have a “honeymoon” period for the first 24-48 hours in the NICU and then it takes a while for them to adjust. So…Becca’s now “adjusting” to her new home in the NICU. The good news is that they started feeding her today – 1 ml every hour for three hours and then she gets a break for an hour, so they can check to make sure she’s digesting her food. Usually babies “fail” at this feeding process a few times…but she’s had a good start so far. She’s now getting what I’ve been pumping for her the past three days.

Rebecca Grace Jensen

November 28, 2009Uncategorizedamy

Rebecca Grace Jensen – Born, November 26, 2009 at 5:58PM (emergency c-section). Weight: 2 pounds and 1 ounce. Length: 14 inches long.

After a rough morning and afternoon on Thanksgiving Day, our doctor decided it would be best to take our baby from the womb, hoping that she would do better outside than inside. Josh was able to see the baby at birth – I was only able to get a glance at her head and little arm from my place on the operating table, while they put me back together. Josh was able to go to the NICU later than evening and see little Becca.

I will describe our first day after Becca’s birth as being “awful.” The pain from the surgery was strong, intensified whenever I would move…getting out of bed was quite an accomplishment. The pain medication they gave me after the morphine was too strong and made my morning miserable. I finally got to see Becca in the afternoon…she’s so little and helpless and there’s no way I could help her. By the end of the day, both Josh and I were drained and discouraged.

But God is good. We know that He has us here for a purpose and that His hand is upon little Becca’s life. We are confident that He is working His good will for His glory and we look forward to seeing Him continue to work throughout the next several weeks. And I continue to pray “Lord, I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

Thanksgiving 2009

November 26, 2009Hospital, Pregnancyamy

Happy Thanksgiving! This year we’re thanking God for our little baby girl and for helping us know when to come to the hospital, so she could continue to live in the womb. We’re praising God for the safety He has given our little girl so far and praising Him for His continual hand in our lives.

Baby J has had a rough Thanksgiving. She’s had several major decelerations and talk of delivery was in the air. The picture (right) of the heart monitor strip shows what a “decel” looks – the top graph is the baby’s heartbeat. (When the line disappears, that doesn’t mean the heart isn’t beating, just that the monitor isn’t picking it up — perhaps because of movement.) I’ve been given oxygen twice today, had my iv restarted, and was put back into the Trandelenburg position for about an hour. The doctor was called in around 2pm and has decided that if Baby J has another bout like she has had the past 4 hours, we will have to deliver. Presently the baby’s heart has stabilized and she seems to be content. We continue to thank God for His control in this situation and look forward to seeing His hand work in all our lives.

(The picture collage above: top left – Trandelenburg position, top right – Thanksgiving flowers from Steffanie, bottom left – trying to use the computer while lying down, bottom middle – reading the newspaper a elderly man [hospital volunteer] brought by, bottom right – oxygen.)

My Doorsign – Nov. 25

November 25, 2009Hospital, Pregnancyamy

I decided to make a door sign for my room, since we’re going to be here for a while. Here’s a picture of the sign I put up yesterday. I also had a diabetes test this morning. Last night they put a sign on my door to inform people that I was not allowed to eat or drink after midnight. I decided to put up my own translation for the sign.

Here’s an update Josh wrote on Tuesday, after our follow-up visit with the perinatologist.

The perinatologist (maternal fetal health specialist), Dr. Goldaber, came by this afternoon.

The sonogram showed that the amniotic fluid is about the same as last Tuesday. Amy’s had a couple decelerations today, and when Dr. Goldaber looked over today’s chart, he said, “Those are some very significant decelerations.” Right now the cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, which may explain why some of the decelerations today have been deeper than we’ve seen for a little while. The baby is breached, which I suppose doesn’t matter much right now, since a natural birth is out of the question anyway. Then again, if the baby turns and gets her head out of the cord, there might be less pressure on the cord.

Dr. G. said he anticipates an early delivery, and wants the IV port hooked back up now so that Amy will be ready whenever the time comes. But at least she doesn’t have to be hooked up to the whole IV until it’s time to deliver.

Thanks all for praying. Dr. Moseley, Amy’s primary OB, said today, “You have a lot of people praying, right? Well have them pray that your amniotic fluid goes up.” So there’s one prayer request. And the other is that Baby J can keep cookin’ inside a while longer. And keep praying for Amy’s health.

My dear husband continues to take excellent care of me. Here’s a picture of him traveling back to our apartment to do some laundry and transport some more things back to our new home.

Hospital Update Nov. 22

November 22, 2009Hospital, Pregnancyamy

We are in our 6th full day in the hospital (I’m not sure yet if I should count last Monday or not). On Friday the doctor decided that I could have my iv removed…having a free arm was a wonderful present! The baby has been doing well. She had a rough morning on Tuesday and the possibility of an early delivery was “in the air,” but since then she’s been doing much better. She has heart decelerations every day, but the doctor is pleased with the heart accelerations she has as well…it’s a sign of a “healthy baby.” I’m monitored all the time and a nurse usually comes in a couple times a night to have me shift my position to help decrease the decelerations she sees on her screen. My OB has been great – she comes by every morning and usually at night as well to check on me. She also stopped by on Saturday and Sunday. Today we’re waiting for a specialist to come in and do an ultrasound on the baby. He is stopping by on his way back home from the airport from a trip to Mexico.

We’re continuing to adjust to our new lives in the hospital. Josh has made the place quite homey and the nurses and doctors seem to like the atmosphere of our room. Josh was able to purchase a portable computer desk and has brought his computer over to the hospital. Now he’ll be able to do both his school work and web work from my room at the hospital.

We’ve enjoyed getting visitors and appreciate encouragement we’ve received. Baby’s favorite gift was the edible fruit basket she received from Uncle Sam and Aunt Ashley. The chocolate got her so wound up that it took the nurses over and hour to find her heart beat with the monitor! Micah and Anna Martin came over for lunch today and we had a wonderful time visiting with them.

Our New Home

November 19, 2009Hospital, Pregnancyamy

I am now living in Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital – for an indefinite time period until our baby girl is born.

Here’s a clip from the email Josh sent out Tuesday night:
“Yesterday around noon, I took Amy to the hospital because she’d noticed decreased fetal movement for a few days. (We had called her OB in the morning, and the doctor had recommended we go in to the hospital to check things out.) After a few hours monitoring the baby’s heartbeat and doing a sonogram, they decided to keep Amy overnight to have a specialist check her out. The specialist determined today that because of an abnormally small amount of amniotic fluid, the baby’s at high risk of pressing too hard against the cord, resulting in a dangerous decrease of blood flow. So they want to keep Amy in the hospital until delivery — which may be at 34 weeks or before — to constantly monitor the baby’s heart rate.

“We’re very thankful that the baby is healthy, with normal development and a strong heartbeat. We’re also thankful that Amy noticed the decreased movement so things could be checked out. Please pray that the Lord would give us grace for this unexpected change. Naturally, Amy won’t be teaching any more this semester. Please also pray for the baby’s health, and for Amy’s.”

Except for getting up to use the bathroom, I’ve been confined to the hospital bed. I’m hooked up to an iv on one arm and a heart monitor on the other hand, as well as the baby heart monitor and contraction monitor, both on my tummy…and I get some fancy leg wraps that fill up with air to prevent blood clots in my legs and increase circulation while I am in bed all day.

Josh has been the most amazing husband in the world. He’s taking very good care of his girls and I daily thank God for giving me such a wonderful man for my husband.

More updates to follow.

October Visitor

November 7, 2009Uncategorizedamy

We had a great visit with Mom J. on October 24th. Mom was able to arrange her return flights from Uruguay to include a several-hour layover in Dallas. We enjoyed spending the day with her and visiting the Dallas Arboretum.

Baby Girl Jensen’s First Outfit (And 24-Week Baby Bump)

November 3, 2009Pregnancyamy

Today we received Baby Girl Jensen’s first outfit from the Hanson family (thanks!). Brian and Johanna are also expecting a girl about a week after ours is due. It was neat to hold the outfit and think that in a little over three months we’re going to have a little girl to wear it.

Baby Bump at 24 weeks.

PTA Oct 2009 – The Addams Family

October 21, 2009Uncategorizedjosh

My 5th graders performed The Addams Family and a rhythm exercise on the drums for this month’s PTA meeting. I was a little worried that no one would show up and was delightfully surprised when 25 fifth graders participated in the program. Here’s a few videos Josh took and edited from the performance. The last video is lacking sound, since the recording was rather fuzzy.

Baby Bump – 20 weeks (and miscellaneous)

October 10, 2009Pregnancyamy

My little baby bump is growing! This past Thursday was the first time someone actually noticed (without any prior knowledge) that I’m pregnant. It was rather exciting to have someone shriek and exclaim, “Are you pregnant?!!!!” My kids at school keep me informed on the growth of my belly (“Mrs. Jensen, your tummy is getting bigger.”) and many love touching my baby bump. Baby Girl Jensen is doing well and I’m enjoying feeling her move. I feel her movement more on the weekends, but that’s probably because she’s wondering why her mommy isn’t talking really loud, singing, playing instruments, and dancing/moving. Weekends are probably pretty boring for our dear little girl!

I finally took some pictures of my classroom. I moved to a different portable this year and love the extra space! After my ultrasound last week I had all the kids vote on the gender of our baby. I also brought a printout of the ultrasound picture to show them all. My pregnancy is quite a learning experience for some of my students and has led to some interesting conversations in the classroom. After seeing the picture, one 3rd grader asked if the baby would be born with skin! I was also given advice about eating and taking care of myself from the 5th grade boys. This week they were concerned that it was not good that I was pregnant and wearing a belt with my shirt. When they asked why I had a belt on, I explained that it was a decoration and not tight at all.

Josh has had the flu all week, so I made him some homemade chicken rice soup. I always tend to put too much rice in the soup and then it’s more like stew than soup. I had to stop by the store and buy some chicken broth to add to my concoction! (The roses in the picture are a gift Josh brought home to me last weekend – my husband is so sweet!)

Food & stuff

October 8, 2009Uncategorizedjosh

Amy has always planned out the meal schedule in advance, but usually just a week at a time. In September she got ambitious and made a menu for the whole month. She asked me to indicate my approval with a signature and thumb print.

Speaking of food, my most recent attempt at making macaroni turned out better than last time.

If you want a free copy of a book on orphan ministry in the church, head over to the Nightlight blog and follow the pretty simple directions. By tomorrow (Friday).

I started a new website last week — for Carolina Hope for Orphans, a sort of spin-off from what used to be Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency.

I got the flu on Monday, and Amy’s been taking great care of me.

Baby Jensen: Second Photo

October 1, 2009Pregnancyamy

In the second photo, she had turned and the bow in her hair was a little clearer for the photo. We are delighted to be expecting a little girl and were both teary-eyed to see her for the first time.

Baby Jensen: First Photo

September 30, 2009Pregnancyjosh

So here it is, a picture from our baby’s first photo session. If you have trouble getting oriented, our 7.88-inch goober is facing leftward. You can see the spine pretty clearly, and the profile. (Speaking of getting oriented, there was a fair amount of tummy slapping during the ultrasound to get the baby’s head turned.)

So — does our baby look more like me or Amy? You decide. You can also try to guess the gender based on facial characteristics. Put in your vote in the comments, and we’ll tell you if you’re right — maybe later today.

Baby Bump – 18 weeks

September 26, 2009Pregnancyamy

Baby Jensen is finally beginning to make his/her visual presence known – though most people still say they can’t tell. Baby J. also started making his/her physical presence known last Saturday when I started feeling him/her move – love the feeling! We celebrated our 19 week birthday this past Thursday, and according to Babycenter.com, Baby J. equals a large heirloom tomato in size. Our ultrasound is on Wednesday, and we’re looking forward to seeing our little one for the first time.

On Friday night, Josh and I took Selah and Rachael Johnson to a production of The Music Man. It was an excellence performance and we were all worn out from our late evening.

Labor Day and Since

September 23, 2009Uncategorizedjosh

Like last year, Amy and I went to Chick-Fil-A on Labor Day for our free sandwiches, earned by wearing team shirts, which Amy once again expertly crafted. We spread out a picnic table cover on our living room floor to eat our holiday repast, and then had an exciting game of Monopoly. As usual . . . well, can you guess who had all the money?

(If you don’t recognize that thumb, take a look at this face.)

Speaking of sad faces, here’s Amy two Monday evenings ago looking at the dinner I fixed:

There was supposed to be macaroni with those beans and hot dogs, but, well, things didn’t come out pretty. (A few minutes into supper I decided to supplement things with a grilled cheese sandwich. Not macaroni, but still good.)

Some people have asked for a photo showing whether Amy is showing. Stay tuned.

Summer in Review (My Birthday & Dan’s Fiancée)

September 12, 2009Uncategorizedamy

This summer we got to meet and spend time with Dan’s fiancée, Isabelle during two meals at Jon and Ashleigh’s. (Dan got engaged in May and the wedding date is set for December 19th, 2009.) Jon and Ashleigh had us all over for dinner to celebrate our birthdays. Ashleigh made my family’s traditional watermelon basket (which my mom used to make for my July birthday). It was good to spend time with both my brothers and sisters-in-law (one future).

Mom J also made me a watermelon basket — and right now I’m using the gift Dad&Mom J got me/us!

In other news . . .according to BabyCenter.com, little baby J is now the size of a turnip!

Summer in Review (Mt. Mitchell)

September 8, 2009Uncategorizedamy

In July between my 2nd and 3rd classes, we had a Jensen family weekend. Friday night we went to an Italian restaurant and had some amazing stuffed pizza and then attended the BJU summer play in Performance Hall.

On Saturday we went to Mount Mitchell, North Carolina. (Mt. Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi.) We had grilled hotdogs for lunch and then went on some hikes around the area (I will admit that since I was in my first trimester, the hiking really wore me out . . . at one point I didn’t think I could go on much longer and was glad that my husband gave me a piggyback ride so I could have a short rest!).

And that pretty much sums up our summer in review. The rest of the time was spent in class and (for me) in studying/researching and (for Josh) working. Our road trip home was fun – we headed up to PA/NJ to visit my parents, grandma, and great grandma and then took three days driving from PA to TX. We were delighted to make it home safe and sound!

Summer in Review (Our Anniversary)

September 6, 2009Uncategorizedamy

This past June, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. And yes, this picture is actually from this summer. Mom J needed a picture to match with the other siblings’ wedding shots on the wall, so we got dressed up again and had a mini photo shoot – it was fun to be in our wedding clothes again! Our anniversary fell on a Sunday before one of my mid-term exams, so instead of a big to-do, we celebrated that day rather simply by going to church and exchanging cards.

After school was over we got away for our wedding anniversary celebration for two nights at a bed and breakfast in Spartanburg — The Inn on Main. We had a wonderful time relaxing and enjoying a break after our very busy summer. When we arrived, the owner upgraded our room to the best in the house — the bridal suite — since the air conditioning was out on the bottom floor (where our reserved room was), and the wedding couple who had reserved the bridal suite decided they wanted a smaller room. We were delighted by our upgrade.

Quick Josh update

September 6, 2009Uncategorizedjosh

School has started. I’m teaching Grammar and Morphology to 16 eager seniors and MA students every Monday and Wednesday from 7 to 8:20 pm. I’m taking 2 courses: Structure of a Non-Western Language and The Computer & Natural Language. The final projects for both classes should directly contribute to my dissertation. Additionally, I’m working on my dissertation proposal — with a goal of defending the proposal by spring. Will I graduate in spring 2012? That’s what we’re hoping.

Before school started, I finished a web project for a local business, Earhart Electronics:

I also helped set up (but didn’t design) an e-commerce site for Hartley Cruver (for those who know him, that’s Dan Cruver’s dad), who arranges sacred instrumental solos. I continue to do web and publications work for Nightlight Christian Adoptions (which acquired Carolina Hope Christian Adoption Agency).

And, speaking of things that don’t change, I’m married to the beautiful, amazing, now pregnant RuthAmy Sutter Jensen. What could be greater than that?

Baby’s First Gift

August 30, 2009Uncategorizedamy

My parents send us some little hats for Baby J (due February 18th). Now we have officially starting our baby’s wardrobe. It’s so neat to think that these little hats are going to fit on a little head that will join our family. Just to get used to it, I’m practicing with our little panther.

Last week, both Josh and I started school. We have a busy semester ahead of us. My teaching schedule is much better than last year. This year I’ll be seeing every class (32 altogether) once a week, instead of for a whole week every six weeks. Josh is teaching a class on MW nights and taking classes on TTH afternoons. We’re looking forward to a good semester.