Baby Katie

She's Here

I can't upload pictures from the computer I am on right now, so you will have to wait for those until tomorrow. Kathryn Claire Jensen was born at 5:46 am on December 26, 2008. She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz and was 18.5 inches long. She is a doll with big cheeks and a cry that sounds like a damsel in distress. Big brother Paul is unphased by the change in our family. He keeps right on with his own business, however, he is aware that baby Katie is around. We are all doing well health wise. Labor and delivery were quite fast. Recovery is still happening and will continue to happen for some time I think, but it is going faster than with the first one. Aside from being a bit sleep deprived, we are so happy to have this little girl with us. A few things that are funny about all this is that now Paul seems to weigh about a hundred pounds after only holding 7 pounds of baby all weekend. And 2 1/2 year old butts and diapering is very different from newborn butts and diapering.

Old pics

I was going through some older pictures and it was fun to remember different times in my life. I remember this being one of my favorite pictures of me. It was a good, fun time in my life. I was 19 years old and was about to start my second year at BYU. I had cut my hair really short (it was long before) and I was visiting Utah friends. I had moved back home to San Diego for the summer. I think this was a pivotal summer for me. Cutting my hair super short was like becoming a new person. All of a sudden I was more mature and more outgoing at the same time. Anyway, it was just fun to remember so I thought I'd share.

In one year

I can't believe how much Paul has grown in just one year. He has such a chubby baby face in his pictures from last fall. Now he still has chubby cheeks, but is looking more and more like a little boy. The one on top is this year. Bottom is last year.

Animoto Video

Here is a video I made of Paul on animoto.com. My friend works for them and introduced me to the site. It is fun and VERY easy to use. Everyone should give it a try.

Last update for a bit

Sorry I have like four updates in a row, but this is the first time I have really sat down at the computer and committed myself to updating for a while. Updating my have to be either brief or spread thin the next couple of months since I start my final semester and student teaching tomorrow! I am student teaching at Westridge Elementary in Provo for grades 2, 3, and 4. I am glad to start because I am anxious for it to all be over! I'm sure it will be tough, but very fun and a great learning experience. So, here are some of the last pictures from our fun summer to keep everyone statisfied for a bit until Christmas and new baby comes.

Paul often goes through the trash to look for treasures and food. He found this old ice cream carton and really went to town licking it clean. It was all over his face and hair. I only wish these pictures showed it better.

Mother of the Year

Paul is really into trains. He gets so excited when he sees them anywhere. He puts his arm up like he is pulling a train whistle and says "woo-woo!" He has some friends with train sets and is so sad when we have to leave their houses. A few weeks ago, I felt so bad for him and wanted to get him an awesome train set, but did not have a lot of money to be spending on toys. Well, I searched ebay and found a brand new 50 piece wooden train set that is normally around $50.00. I bid on it and got it! $2.25 was my winning bid. It was agony waiting for it to come! When it did come about a week and a half later, Paul was so happy and played with it for nearly 3 hours straight that night. The next day he played for 2 hours. He plays with it nearly everyday and stays with it for at least an hour. No mom was ever more proud that she had made her child so fulfilled. :)

Curtains!

For the longest time we had NO curtains in our kitchen windows (two huge picture windows) because the ones the landlady had up would mold since they were thick and pooled on the window-sill getting in the window's condensation during the winter months. It was just easier to not have them there. Well, the heat in the summer was terrible with the sun shining right in all day! Also, the privacy was non-existent. Recently, Jeremy's grandma was kind enough to see the need and buy me some material to make some curtains that would work. After a half day's work and some help from a friend, I was able to make these great curtains that hang straight, and just above and away from the window so that they won't mold this winter if there is condensation on the window! The best part is that we don't have everyone in the world looking in our kitchen. Lastly, I could not believe the difference in how cool it is in the kitchen now that the sun is not beating through the glass. I am so pleased and grateful to Jeremy's grandma.

Paul never stops

So Paul has been very busy this summer just being a typical 2 year old. He has had a lot of fun, too. Here are some pics to show his happenings: He got a diaper stuck on his head and ran around the living room bumping into the walls and chairs, he put himself to bed with his favorite blanket and bunny friend, he found a squirt bottle and gave himself a drink after he finished spraying everything in the house (including the TV which quit working after being sprayed--don't worry we fixed it), he put the wipe box on his head and marched around saying "hat! hat!", and helped dad water the garden and lawn on more than one occasion.

It's for real

We had another ultrasound today and she's still a girl! Everything looks good and normal. I tried to scan the pictures, but it won't let me upload them here. I will see if I can figure it out this week. I have been feeling her move sooo much! She has periods of being very squirmy. I'm glad to feel her. I remember that being my favorite part of pregnancy. So, now we have regular checkups and wait until after Christmas for baby to come. I hope everyone enjoys the last bit of summer before school and other things start again.

Hot Summer

So this summer has been so hot and dry. We have spent a lot of time in the water, in the shade, and in cooler spots like the mountains. Well, at least we spent what time we had in those places! We went to the city pool this week twice. It was so much fun for Paul. His little friends packed him around the pool and took him down the slides. I was surprised at how much fun I had too. I wish I had gotten some pictures. We'll have to go again before the summer is out so I can snap some good shots.

Pics again, finally

Well, here are some new pics finally. It was a while since we had a working camera, and then it took forever to get back in the habit of taking pictures, then it took forever to put them on the computer. Here they are now!

This is Paul worshipping Uncle Kelly and Aunt Steph's picture after they left grandma and grandpa Jensen's house:














The next ones are Fourth of July fun at the Aurora, Utah city park activities:

The Results are in!

Well, it was 50/50 and it looks like the votes reflected that possibility. The ultrasound happened on Friday last week and the technician gave us her highest confidence that we are having a GIRL! We are very happy and hope that this time around, the diagnosis stays the same because Paul certainly did not stay a girl. :) The pictures were pretty clear and the tech was very certain, so I will trust it. We have another ultrasound in august and we can post video then.

family pics are in

Above and here are the pictures from the Jensen side of the family. I don't know when, if ever, we will get Woodward/Ludlow family pictures again. It would take a lot of work to get us all together long enough to do it. More pics are supposed to be coming later this week.

A NEW POST!

It has been a long while since the last post. We have been super busy. Jeremy started his online grad program, I have started new classes at night and have been teaching summer school for the last couple of weeks. Between all that and trying to have some family time, we have not had much time for anything else. Here are some updates:

• we FINALLY got our camera back from kodak after it would not turn on, so now we can take pictures and post them again. I will try to put some up this weekend.
• as I said we are in school and teaching and working
• our dryer broke so we have been having to spend even more of our precious time taking clothes to the laundry-mat
  
• and after much prodding from friends and family to let the cat out of the bag, here is a big ol' MEOW announcement that we have baby #2 due for new year's.

We are all looking forward to a fun and energizing 4th of July. We hope everyone else has a fun and safe holiday.

So They Think They Can Dance

My cousin Marissa and her roommates decided to put on a great dance show at the Gateway Mall in Salt Lake. They had some pretty funky moves. I was very impressed and thought I should share.


http://www.youtube.com/user/dceb122

Happy Anniversary

June 3 was our 3rd anniversary. It was a low key but fun day. I didn't have class, so Jeremy took the day off work and we had fun. I went canning in the morning, and when I got back, we went to see the new Narnia - Prince Caspian movie. It was pretty good. After that, we went to eat at our favorite Indian restaurant in Provo on Center Street - The India Palace. It is sooooo good. If you have not eaten there, you MUST go and order Peshwari Naan and the strawberry yoghurt drink to compliment your meal (I must recommend any of the Korma or Coconut Kormas). After dinner, we picked up Paul from our friend's house and dropped him at another friend's house. We were gonna go have more fun, but were so tired from the day that we just came home for two hours and Jeremy got to read his book and I took care of some calling stuff. It was nice to be able to get things like that done when Paul is not there wanting attention. Then we played Scrabble and had ice cream. It was just a nice day to spend time together. If you would like to remember what we looked like when we started this partnership, you can check out our wedding photos by clicking the link at the top of the page. :)

Paul turns 2!

On Sunday the 18th Paul turned 2 years old. He is a regular two year old...he likes to make messes, tear off his diaper and run around naked, escape outside the house, and pout if he does not get his way. We sure love him. I wish I could post a picture of the conquering 2 year old, but my camera recently broke and it is being fixed. This is why there have been no pics for a while. However, I will post some pics of him from when he was born and from his 1st birthday so you can compare them to the current ones to see how he has grown.

Goodbye Wedding Dress

I sold my wedding dress today. It was only a little sad, but I am glad that I did it. The girl who bought it was so excited and she looked stunning in it. I am so happy that it will get a chance to be worn again and that someone else can benefit from it. Now I just have to sell some bridesmaid dresses!

Web Cam

We have been viewing the exotic world of Japan and California through the modern technology of the web cam. We were able to see Laura's brother in Japan. We haven't seen him for over two years. He is one handsome fella. We like seeing other people and talking face to face. We just are cautious not to pick our noses during the session. Laura came back from California Sunday to the cold weather of Utah. Forty-five degrees yesterday. Burr. Okay I finish my first blog comment, it is enough!.

Jeremy's Big News

On Wednesday, Jeremy got an acceptance letter to Utah State University's grad school for the Master's of Rehabilitation Counseling program. He will start this summer as a part time student and we are planning on moving up there for him to finish on campus next year in August or after Christmas. We'll see about the job opportunity up there and make our move then. We are so happy and I am so proud of my wonderful husband. I knew he could do it. He is happy to continue his education working with people who have disabilities and improving their quality of life and community integration. Hooray for Jeremy!

It's Over!

So the lovey doves Kelly and Stephee are finally hitched up and on their honeymoon. Hurrah for them. It was great to see everyone in the temple. The reception was very beautiful. We are sorry we had to leave early since Paul was starting to go crazy...actually I had a headache and Paul was making it worse. Anyway, it is time to focus on a new wedding. Dearest cousin, old roommate, good friend, Jenn Hainsworth is now on deck for a fabulous Mesa Arizona temple wedding on April 26th! I am very glad I can go. Here is a picture of the dress I will wear to the wedding (for all those who will not be attending). Love is in the air, hurrah for springtime.

Our flowers in the front look beautiful, except the freak snowstorm we had the other day. Here is a pic of my flowers in the snow!

April Fool's Day

So, I came home from class on Tuesday, April Fool's Day, to a huge sign staked out in my front yard. It had pink balloons, a stork, a rattle, and some blocks on it. You can only guess that it read, "IT'S A GIRL!" Aaaaahhhh!!!! Someone had pulled a prank on me because to my knowledge, I can't recall having given birth to a little girl recently...or ever. It was quite funny however embarrassing. I knew immediately who had done it. I uprooted that sign, jumped back in the car, and headed straight for my good chum Jeanette Workman's house and planted the sign in her yard. By the end of the evening, that sign had been in three different yards. It was a lot of fun. Did anyone else pull any good pranks or have one pulled on them? We would love to hear it. Lots of love, Laura

Excellent dessert

On Saturday I went to my good friend Carissa's house for dinner. Our old chum Amy Juett was there and she brought the most delicious dessert. It is the Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding. Here is the recipe so you all can enjoy it, too. It is seriously good. Now, if anyone has any suggestions for making it lower fat, I encourage them to share. Yum!

Kneader's Raspberry Bread Pudding

Cream Mix
1 1/2 loaves aged, white bread
1 quart heavy cream
3 cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

In large bowl combine cream, sugar, egg and vanilla. Cut bread into 1 1/2"
cubes and add to cream mixture, coating bread well. Let stand 30 minutes
stirring every 5 minutes to allow cream to absorb completely.

Fruit Filling

5 cups frozen raspberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup apple juice

Combine raspberries, sugar and apple juice, stirring until sugar is
dissolved.
Layer a 9x13 dark baking dish 3/4 full with bread mixture, pour fruit
filling over bread mixture, spreading evenly, top with remaining bread.
Bake 40 minutes at 375 degrees.
Serve warm. Top with vanilla sauce.

Vanilla Sauce

1 1/3 cup butter (unsalted)
5 tablespoons flour
3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup sugar

Over medium heat melt butter, and add flour stir 10 minutes until it has a nutty aroma, do not brown. Add salt, cream and sugar and boil till mixture is thick, remove from heat adding vanilla. Serve this wonderful sauce cold.

Happy Easter!

Well, we had a good Easter. We gave Paul a modest basket and had an egg hunt in the backyard. Unfortunately for Paul, we were too cheap to fill the plastic eggs he was hunting for. He found the first egg and was so excited. He broke it open to find it empty. It was so sad. He just stared at the empty egg for what seemed like an eternity. Then he looked at us both with his big eyes and upturned hands like he was saying, "I don't understand. Where's the candy?" Anyway, next year we definitely will not be squelching on easter! It all turned out okay though. He got a really fantastic basket of goodies and cookies from a good friend.
On Saturday we took Paul out and got some new pictures of him. Again, because we were trying to budget, we did not get him any cute new easter outfit. But, I think what we had was just fine. He's cute no matter what he wears. So, here are some pictures we got at BYU at the new Joseph F. Smith Building.

Behavioral Contracts

I had to make a presentation on behavior contracts for one of my classes. All the other groups who have presented had some snazzy video clip to go with their presentation topics. Well, I couldn't think of any interesting movies where a teacher makes a behavior contract with a student, so I made a short little video of my own using my favorite little boy.

Look! A New Post!

So I was severely chastised for not keeping my blog updated as often as some (Kelly) would like it. So, I have made a commitment to update at least once a week instead of just sporadically.

Anyway, it was great to see Kelly and Steph this weekend at Ma and pa Jensen's house and to help get wedding announcements ready. We are soooooo excited! Really, seeing the lovebugs together makes me remember when Jeremy and I were dating and first married and how we always wanted to be close or touching each other somehow (appropriately). I guess the lost doesn't die, but it sure changes when you've been married a few years. We don't have to touch, be close, or even speak. It's nice, but we still are able to communicate love in different ways. I LOVE it when Jeremy rubs my back. But it is also quite fantastic when he does the dishes or puts the laundry away. I married a wonderful guy. I am so happy to be part of his life. I also am very grateful to have super in-laws (brothers, sisters, parents). What a blessing.

Well, that felt good. Thanks again, Kelly for this push in the right direction. I hope I can keep it up more often.

I hope they call me on a mission!

We bought a new white shirt for Paul to wear to church and he looked like such a little missionary that we made a badge for him and took some pics. Here are the missionary boys. :)

Birthday Party

For my 25th bday, we had a toilet paper diva contest. Here are the pics.

Funny Boy

So, Paul is the funniest kid in the world. Here are a few things he has done:

1. He tried to ride his toy dinosaur.
2. He "helped" me make cookies just so he could get his paws on one.
3. He climbed in the dryer before I could get the laundry in.

We sure love our little stinker.