Newborn Photos

One of our talented friends, Tara, took the time & energy to take some fantastic newborn photos of little Ezra for us. They turned out to be so adorable!! I'm really excited to print & frame some for his room and to use some for our birth announcements. Tara is starting her own photography business which we fully support because she already has a natural eye for beautiful photos & she's just an awesome person all around!! :) Her photo blog can be found here.

We DO exist!!

Ezra has made it to the 6 week mark already! We can't believe how fast & big he's grown already. And we've starting to do better after all our medical episodes as well. Here's a quick list of what's been on our plates the past 6 weeks...

-Hemorrhaging at birth (most likely the placenta pulling away from uterine wall)

-Episiotomy (3rd degree)

-Vacuum delivery (all natural (Praise God!) even with above complications)

-NICU for Ez for loss of fluid & more acidic blood from my bleeding

-Jaundice with daily double doctor visits for 3 days until count went down

-Problems BF & weight loss until Nipple Shield

-Softer than normal trachea known as Laryngomalacia (so makes awful sounds as if its difficult to breathe)

-Fever-->ER--->UTI (thankful it was not a uterine infection)

-Blocked Tear Duct-->conjunctivitis

-Fever-->Mastitis

So in that order, we have been through a good amount of challenges in addition to the normal sleep deprivation, going back to work, infant needs...etc. We were so thankful for the prepared meals, visitors, and grandparent help during these past 6 weeks. It surely was a crash course in "Welcome to Parenthood!" We are thankful that everyone seems on the mend & we're starting to get a routine down. And some sleep!!! Yippie! Also, our house no longer looks like a complete disaster too. Oh, and Ezra is super cute. We adore him.

PS...We're parents now. And we're protective. So...we've decided to go private with our blog. We'd love for friends and family to continue reading so please send your e-mail to williamandjessica@gmail.com & we'll add you!! We just don't want that random person from some country we can't pronounce checking us out too! Thanks for understanding!!

Love Always, W & J

1 + 1 = 3

So our lack of posts have been because we had a BABY BOY! Looks like most people guessed right on this one.
Mr. Ezra David Swenson was born on December 17th around 10 am. He weighed 6 lbs, 15 oz. and measured 19.5 inches long. Our birth journey is a post for a later time as we're still process through the challenges & joys we faced during that 22 hour period. God's hand was so evident through the whole thing and we were so blessed by all who were involved! We are finally home which has been absolutely wonderful! And we're LOVING being Mama & Papa! :D Life just got a whole lot sweeter!

Christmas Parade

Last weekend with the arrival of Mama Judy, we headed out to watch the annual Christmas Parade!! It was freezing cold, but well worth it. I still remembered the men dressed in white with inner tubes around their waists. They were always my favorite as a kid. There were a lot of boy & girl scout troops, old shiny cars, and packed sidewalks. All the classic things to make small town parades so great! Our friend, Linds, was also in the parade which gave it a fun touch since we screamed & cheered for her. Another great community event to get the town in the Christmas spirit!

Merry Christmas!!

Cafe Art Date

So W is done with finals & we're still awaiting baby's arrival. What better way to pass the time than with a day date?! I've had some discount cards for Cafe Art for two years now that a former student gave me and have wanted to use them so much! We decided to head there for a mid-morning art-fest today! I'm guessing it's more of a ladies thing since W was the only grown male there, but I totally enjoyed doing this with him. And was so glad that he was willing to join me. :) It's really a great date idea & perfect for this winter weather. We talked the whole time. We both thought it was so relaxing and therapeutic just to sit, talk and paint. Plus we get some usable souvenirs from the trip. (we seriously spent most of the afternoon there.) W painted a beer mug, and I did a coffee mug & ornament.

Here's our final products before being glazed & baked!

P.S. Our baby is still 0 days old, please disregard that silly ticker... ;) Apparently, it has no regard for tardy babies!!

Apple Hill

Last month, we took a quick trip up to Apple Hill to check out the apple fields & beautiful trees changing color. I found out about this great place a while ago (Thanks, T!) and since then other people kept mentioning it. So we definitely couldn't pass it up this year, even if we had to wait until November for a free weekend. We spent the night with our dear friend Mel to cut up the drive a bit. And we were *so*pleased to find one orchard who still had apples to pick yourself! We hit up a farm that was having delicious pie samplings and another with an animal feeding area.
Then we headed out into an orchard & picked some apples!
We ended the day at this big market-like place full of little booths with candles, artwork, and various other knick-knacks. And a yummy fudge shop! It was a glorious day & I'm hoping we'll make it a family tradition!

Due Date

Dear Baby in Mama's Belly,

A standardized wheel calculator told us that today was going to be your birthday. And well, it has come & gone--but we still wanted to let you know what your family was doing on this delightful day anyway. Just to let you know what you missed out on! Everyone is really excited to meet you & a little bummed when you decided to stay in my belly for a little while longer. Perhaps, it's the crazy cold we've experienced or the fact that Papa has some really important tests to take tomorrow or that a wheel calculator just gives an average. Either way, this is what we did...

First off, Mama woke up to find that it snowed today! And, lovely child, the last time it snowed here, Mama was in elementary school. It was really exciting to see snow-covered hills & Gma even has pictures of snow from her YARD! So, as you can tell, it's been unusually cold around here. Grandma Judy & Mama went for a long walk this morning with the doggies to try to help you come out. Then went over to Grandma Diane's for some card-making craft time with the ladies--they are a hoot! Mama got the rest of her envelopes ready to send out announcements of your impending birth. All the while, Papa was hard at work! Mama also did some other stuff like cook dinner & do some laundry.

And since it is also Gma's birthday today, Mama & some girlfriends celebrated by going to a dinner & concert!! It was really fun and Mama loved the Christmas music! This was actually your 4th concert since being in Mama's belly. Papa & Mama already think that you'll like music a lot because you move around so much in Mama's belly! Now, Papa is working hard on studying for those important tests he'll take tomorrow. So, although we really can't wait to meet you, it was very considerate of you to wait until Papa finishes. But, please hurry on out! We're all awaiting your arrival!

From the Depths of Our Hearts,

Papa & Mama

Anticipation

I'm so thankful to have carried this little one full-term without complications or major symptoms. I'm still in awe of the whole miracle that God created! What a beautiful process and design! We are both so thankful that we got to experience this! I mean, really?! How is it that we can create new family members?! Children are truly a blessing & reward from the best Father!! We're already experiencing that blessing. With our due date approaching *tomorrow*, here are some things that I'm really looking forward to...

-riding my bike

-sleeping on my back again

-having W call out the gender

-getting to experience labor & delivery with my best friend

-seeing my hubby be a Papa, not just an Uncle

-discovering if s/he will look/act more like W or me

-getting to know our newest family member

-not bumping into people/things because I don't know my new circumference

-shaving my legs

-running

-eating feta, brie, sushi

-drinking wine, cosmos & margaritas

-watching our friends & family interact with our little one

W is looking forward to...

-finally naming our little one

-family meal time

-catching our little one & cutting the cord

-finally being a Papa

-teaching him/her how to survive the wilderness and handle

sharp objects & fire safely (scout's honor!)

-going camping as a family

-going on "Papa Dates"

-learning the ropes of parenthood with his wife

-teaching chivalry

-getting his wife pregnant...again

2/3

The only thing missing from this picture is our Baby Swenson
to complete the legacy of friendship that W, K, & T started in grade school!
Really hoping to get a 3/3 shot before the Jenkins go back to Spain & the Mascianas to Austin!

And could NOT pass up this a.dor.able picture of the Mascianas (with Sarah!!)

A Delightful Sunday

Yesterday started with a spontaneous breakfast in bed made by my fabulous hubby. I think more days should start this way! ;) Then we headed off to church for a great message...it totally fit into recent conversations W & I have been having. Great timing!

For a late lunch, we ate at this pizza joint for their infamous preggo pizza. Regardless of its actual labor-inducing power, we both loved all the extra yummy goodness on top!

Now, for quite some time we've been on the fence about getting a Christmas tree & doing the whole decorating thing. We actually didn't do it last year. (Gasp! I know!) It's kind of a strange back story for me. Really, just ask my mom...she retells it much better than I. Anyway, W thought it would still be a good idea & I'm so glad we decided to do it this year (Dad, you'll be so proud of us!).

We got a small Charlie Brown-sque tree per W's request which I think is so cute. And W supplied much of the ornaments & lights we used from his bachelor days...not the typical single guy! We also inherited (for lack of a better word, Mom) some additional decorations from my parents. So we walked away with only purchasing a tree stand & stocking weights!! Sweeet! And with such a tight-budget this year, our place looks so cozy with hodge-podge character! :D Tim Gunn, we made it work!