Thanksgiving Weekend

We went down to California for Thanksgiving weekend. Phillip's brother and sister in law drove down from Utah and we all piled in our van and drove down together. It was a very nice visit. We stayed at my in laws house and it was a full house over there with everyone, but it was fun. Abby was getting her two year molars and had a fever so she was a little pill the entire time we were there. We got to have two thanksgiving dinners. One on Thanksgiving day at the fire station with my father in law, and then one on Saturday at the house with most of the family. Then my family came over later and we blessed Chase. It was a very nice but fast visit.


He's getting so big already!


Abby and Grandpa at the fire station.




Can you tell she didn't feel so great?








All the Jenkins cousins, minus Jared and Kathryn's on the way :)


Chase got to use the same blessing outfit that his cousin Jeremy was blessed in. It was so sweet!








4 generation picture


Uncle Vaughn got Chase a Dodgers hat so I had to take a picture with their matching hats!

Mini photoshoot

A friend of mine from our ward was nice enough to come over and take some pictures of the kids for me (it still seems so weird to say kidS) I wanted to get some pictures before all of Chase's hair fell out :)

Happy Halloween

These past two weeks have been a complete whirlwind as I am in a sleep deprived daze. It has been an adjustment getting used to having two kids and trying to figure out a new routine. Abby is absolutely in love with her baby brother and is constantly asking for him and wants him to wake up all the time. I usually have to keep him in his bassinet when he is asleep because otherwise she is all over him. On top of having a new born and getting used to that, Abby has decided that she wants to be potty trained. I purposely had put it off because I figured that she would just regress once the baby was born. But ever since we came home from the hospital she has been wanting to go potty in the big potty and wear "big girl panties." So it hasn't been the best of timing for me, but since she was ready we decided to go full force and completely take away her diapers (of course except for nap and bed time.) So far she has done really well. Anyway, last weekend my parents and sisters were able to come up and visit and then this weekend Phillip's parents came up too. It has been soooo nice to have the company, the extra hands to help, and most of all the attention for Abby that she has been craving. Since we have been home for the past two weeks because of the baby and Abby potty training, she has been starting to get a little bit of "cabin fever" so having the company to entertain her has been wonderful. We had a fun time this Halloween weekend filled with pumpkin carving, a little farm/pumpkin patch, pies, and trick or treating. Abby wasn't so sure about the trick or treating, she wouldn't say a word at any of the houses, but she would walk right up the house and hold out her bucket for the candy. It has been a great couple weekends, too bad Abby and Chase didn't get the memo that the time changed last night and that they were supposed to sleep an extra hour :)


Daddy and Chase watching Sunday football together


Pumpkin carving










Abby loves to help feed her baby brother


Baby Chase enjoying the farm and pumpkin patch :)


Abby was in looove with this little horsey





Halloween night after trick or treating






Wide awake


We went to Halloween party that a friend of ours from dental school put on. She was Snow White and Abby was so excited!

Introducing....

Chase Alan Jenkins


This is actually a picture of Abby, but I just wanted to show the similar brother and sister picture











Going home from the hospital outfit that daddy bought for him



Chase Alan Jenkins was born on Oct. 13 at 4:38 PM. Weighing in at 9 pounds 4 ounces and 19 inches long! On Friday the 9th I had a regular Dr. appointment in which they noticed that my blood pressure was slightly high. They sent me up to labor and delivery to monitor the baby and my blood pressure. They sent me home after my blood pressure had come back down and told me to return the next morning for more monitoring. I was sent home again after the monitoring in the morning but later that day a Dr. called and told me that I had too high of protein levels in my urine and that they were diagnosing me with mild preeclampsia. They told me to come into the OB clinic on Tuesday for more monitoring and to discuss a time to be induced sometime during the week. So that weekend I got some more last minute things ready and anxiously anticipated what day they would schedule me to be induced. On Monday I took Abby to the park to feed the ducks and then that night took her to a pumpkin patch. I wasn't sure when I was going to have the baby that week so just in case I wanted to spend some fun quality time with her before baby brother came. Luckily Monday night Phillip told me that I should pack my hospital bag just in case. I didn't think that there was any way I would be induced after my appointment on Tuesday but I am glad I actually listened to him. Tuesday morning I left for my appointment and Phillip dropped Abby off at our friends house and went to school. At my appointment the Dr. came in and said "well since you are 38 weeks and have mild preeclampsia we are just going to go ahead and induce you. I will call up to labor and delivery right now and make sure they are ready for you." I was in complete shock. I was not thinking that I was going to be having the baby that day, I thought for sure I would have a few more days to get things all ready. So I called my friend Nicole who had Abby and said that I would not be coming home for awhile because they were sending me up to be induced. I talked to Phillip and let him know that I was going up to be induced and to see if he could leave school early. He had carpooled that day so he had to have a friend take him to the hospital. They started the potocin around maybe noonish and soon after broke my water. Phillip kept telling the nurses that once I get to about a 5 I dialate very quickly to a 10. It took awhile to get to a 6 but within 45 minutes I was complete and pushing. I had the epidural but for some reason at the end and when it was time to push I could actually feel the contractions again and I could feel a lot more pain then I did with Abby. Luckily with Chase I only had to push for about 15 minutes. With Abby I pushed for an hour and a half. I couldn't believe how big he was, and for technically being almost two weeks early! Phillip and I had been struggling the entire pregnancy with figuring out a name for this little guy. We could never agree on anything and I kept saying that I needed to see him before I could settle on a name. Once he was born I still could not quite figure out what I wanted. We had a couple names that we had in mind but nothing was sounding good. Then finally that night after talking about it again we decided to name him Chase, which is my maiden name. I think Chase is a really cute boy name anyway, but I really like that it is also my family name. Then of course Alan is Phillip's middle name, so I think it is very fitting. It took me a little bit to be comfortable with the whole name, but now I really like it. Anyway, sorry such a long post, I just wanted to write about his birth a little before I forget things. We stayed in the hospital for that night and went home around 7 the very next day. It was a very quick stay. It is still an adjustment being home with two kids but I am still running off adrenaline so the wave of extreme exhaustion hasn't hit me quite yet, but I am sure it will soon. Abby has been in love with her new baby brother. She always asks for him and is always trying to give him toys, cover him with her blanket, give him his binkie, anything she can do to help. She is such a good big sister.