Soundtrack

Meal Calendar

Some people have been asking me about a meal calendar. My friend Rachael set up the following link if you are interested.
We are still on plan to go home tomorrow and mom staying at least thru 10/8.
Thanks for your continued prayers!!
AJ

http://mealbaby.com/viewregistry/610375. It says that if someone uses this link they have to register an acct but that's only because they send out reminders bf your date.

What I've Been Waiting For

My view

My current view. Completely makes up for the 12:30 C-section surprise. He is precious!! So quiet!! Hasn't cried but when Mark changes his diaper. He latched & nursed for 20 min around 5:00. He's got a few bruises from delivery. Meeting H and the grandparents (and KT) went fantastic. H has been so sweet...of course. Tickling Luke's feet and telling him he loves him and is sweet. I knew experiencing my boys meet was going to be my fav part of this experience.

We will be in the hospital thru Thursday. We would love visitors. We are in room 207 at Northside Forsyth. Please call bf u come and remember the hospital doesn't allow children under 12.

That's all for now. I'm starving but they are going to bring me a meal at midnight. (TMI but threw up my dinner after delivery and could only be on a liquid only diet since then...so I'm sorta over broth & jello and will welcome a "real food" midnight snack).

Luke Crosby Jansen

Luke Crosby Jansen was born today at 12:30 pm via surprise c-section. Luke turned this morning sometime between 8:00 and 10:45. He is 21" long and 7 lb 15 oz. We are doing great, just tired and sore. Visitors are welcome anytime starting tomorrow. Just know the hospital policy is no children in the recovery rooms.

We are about to be moved to our private room and the rest of the family and Hamilton are excited to meet the new family member. We appreciate all the prayer and support. God is faithful and we are blessed.

MJ

Luke = element of surprise

Well the little booger turned and went breach on us so we are headed in for a csection. I'm emotional. You know me and change especially when it's a surprise - never a stable moment for me. Thank you for all the texts of prayers. I feel uplifted and know the peace will come. We will for sure be here thru Wednesday and will welcome visitors once we r in our recovery room (just please no children).

Nervous, anxious, but ultimately serve a god who knows no surprise.

Headed back

Sunday morning update

Its Sunday morning at 9:00. Woke up about 6:30. They were coming in around 7. Didnt sleep great - but did start pretty intense contractions. They grew to be Ab every 3 minutes lasting Ab a minute long. They took the cirvidil out and told me to take a shower and they would start pitocin. But I was far enuf a long that they went ahead a put the epidural in which is providing much relief and sleepiness. So until later (after my eyes aren't dropping while typing)...
AJ

Checked In

So I'm trying out the iPhone Typepad app and posting with it for the first time. So please excuse if this is not pretty or formatted correctly.

We are checked into the hospital. Got my IV (in my opinion the worst part of everything) and cervidil. Said I could eat in 2 hrs so I'll be having dinner around 9:15 and can't eat after midnight. I am still around 2 cm and having a few contractions but nothing I can feel.

Family is on there way up to say good night including dad & KT who I haven't seen yet. KT is staying with us at the hospital (invited her in room with us).

Other than that we are good. Forgot movies so think we are going to go rent some or stop by home...love being so close!!

Stay tuned...
AJ

New Beginnings

We are embarking upon two HUGE beginnings for Hamilton (and us for that matter):

1. TBall
2. School

When you are dating the person you are going to marry you talk about fun futuristic things.  Like what we will name our first dog.  Whether we will have a fake or real Christmas tree with white or colored lights.  And about our dreams...having children.  What type of places we want to travel to together.  Even silly dreams...like writing a book or coaching our son in sports, for Mark - specifically TBall/Baseball.

So over the last two weeks we have started TBall practices and tonight is our first game.  Hamilton started calling Daddy "Coach Mark" because that's what Mark told the kids to call him - my little rule follower did what Daddy said :)

The team name is 'Thunder' and they all sing the Cars Thunder chant which is so funny ("Thunder, whatca you talking about Thunder...").  It is a little like organized chaos on the field - it is 4 year old TBall (which is not the most intuitive sport).  Tonight should be very fun (read: interesting).

Here are some pictures from practice.

 Nate and Hamilton before practice. Mack and Hamilton after practice trying on the batting helmets.  In the words of Chandler, "Could those helmets BE any bigger?"

Rounding first base in base running practice...

Huddle with Coach Mark and Coach Chris (Mack's Daddy).  Someone wasn't paying attention...HA!
Talking with Coach Tyler (Nate's Daddy) before batting practice.

And quick pic with Daddy/Coach Mark

I'll post pics in their uniforms, etc. from tonight's first game soon!!

The other beginning we embarked upon is Hamilton starting PreK.  We are attending the program at First Baptist Cumming on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursdays and have been so pleased with our choice!!  Hamilton's best bud Nate (seen above in the TBall photos) is actually in his class which is great fun for them.  His teachers are fantastic and the theme of his classroom is 'Under The Sea' which he loves seeing all the fish everywhere.  The first pictures are from Open House and the latter part are from his actual first day.  He already is asking me to drop him off in the car line instead of walking him in - I thought I had at least a couple weeks until I chose to do that (with Luke in the car).  Guess not - but at least when I picked him up he told me he had missed me and was excited to see me.

 Here he is at his desk working on his fish craft at open house:

We were VERY excited when we found out the classroom had a train set to play with during free time...

Was trying to get him with a lot of the class decor around him.  Didn't realize I put him in front of the discipline chair and the class rules...HA!  Hopefully this will be the only time he has to sit here.

And from the first day...

  
His smile is a little strained above because he really wanted to do this instead...

Walking into school...

Did I mention he gets to pass this everyday on the way to his class - nothing could thrill this boy more!!

After I said good-bye...putting his snack in his cubby before he heads to his seat to play with play-doh.

I go to the doctor on Thursday for my 38 week check.  This time with Hamilton I was checking into the hospital to start induction so I'm totally in uncharted prego territory.  At my last appointment (last Thursday) they told me my cervix was soft and 1cm dialated.  So at least I know there is some progress in this process of meeting Luke.  I am ready - not going to complain - just going to say I...AM...READY!!!

An Overdue Baby Update

(I started this post almost 2 weeks ago - goodness...)

My sweet friends Rachael, Jill, and Kimberly threw Luke a baby shower last weekend.  They actually talked me into it.  They kept offering and I kept refusing after we found out it was another boy.  But one day Jill called and told me 'Your baby shower is going to be August 14 if you'd like to come' so I had no choice :).  But it turned out to be so fun and I left feeling so loved and blessed by all my friends.

My mom came in town for the shower and we had a lot of fun while she was here.  She helped us out a lot by watching Hamilton A TON.  She was in town for my birthday which we figured out was the first time in probably 10 years we've been together on my birthday which was fantastic!  She let me sleep in (actually I think everyday she woke up with Hamilton and let me sleep in which was SO nice), than we met Mark for lunch at Cheeky (a Mexican restaurant of course).  That night mom fixed my favorite dinner and Mark brought me home a chocolate oreo ice cream cake from Bruster's.  We had small group that night and they, too, surprised me with my favorite ice creams: cake batter and chocolate oreo from Bruster's.  I ate some calories that night!!  I got lots of sweet phone calls, texts, eCards, HeyTells, FaceBook messages, and my favorite: old fashioned snail-mail cards.

The next day Mom and I took Hamilton to the Fernbank Museum of Natural History here in Atlanta.  Hamilton hasn't recently taken an interest in Dinosaurs (oh don't worry he's still obsessed with trains - the PBS show Dinosaur Train is what started the interest) so I thought it would be fun for us to go and see some real dinosaurs.  He really enjoyed it!

And pictures from the shower...

Me and the grandmothers (lovingly knows as Mimi and Emmy)

Me and the hostesses (Kimberly, Rachael, me, and Jill):

A slightly more silly version of my sweet, innocent friends...

Small Group Ladies (Julie, Allyson, Amy, Abbey, me, and Catherine):

My sweet 'younger' friends (Katie, me, Allie, and Amanda):

And half of the Stubbs' ladies (Karen and Kelsey):

As far as an actual baby/pregnancy update.  The short of it is I'm uncomfortable, want him out, and am thrilled if it would snow in September!  HA!  But seriously, I don't remember feeling this uncomfortable with Hamilton.  I posted the most recent prego pic comparison in the photo album and I did carry Hamilton more all over and higher than with Luke he is straight out and lower.  Did I mention it's hot outside?  I go to the doctor again this Thursday so we'll see what they say.  As of right now they are willing to induce on 9/26 (to help accommodate my traveling family), but that's only 4 days before my due date so I'm thinking going into labor is still a high possibility.  Did I say how stinkin' HOT I am all day long?  Hamilton and I made a count-down chain for Luke's arrival.  He is so excited and really wants his baby brother to show up. He loves tickling my belly and talking to him (always asking me what baby Luke says in response).  We are finishing up all the details of Luke's room this weekend as well as bringing out all of H's old baby toys (including the bouncer and swing).  By the way did you know it is REALLY HOT outside?  We purchased batteries and everything is juiced up and ready to make all the fun baby noises.  We plan on packing our bags and getting the car-seats installed as well.  It is officially the month of September which means I will be having a baby this month - can I get an AMEN?

This is our first Labor Day weekend since we've been married that we haven't been either at the lake or on vacation.  Feels a little strange, but there was no way I was getting this belly out on a boat - although now that I think about it I wonder if the bouncing would've helped get Luke out...maybe I'll reconsider the lake idea.  Oh, but wait, there is that thing I don't know if I've told you about...IT IS HOT OUTSIDE!!