The Johnsons' Journey
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Our Thanksgiving Day Recap (in pictures)
Friday, November 19, 2010
A Month of Thanksgiving
This little man has been wearing this Thanksgiving outfit made by his Nana and passed down by his big cousin Jonathan quite often during the month of November! But I guess it's appropriate because giving thanks really shouldn't be reserved for one day out of the year anyway, right?
As Thanksgiving Day approaches we have been reflecting on the many things we have to be thankful for! This (almost) 20 pound little Turkey pictured below is one of our biggest blessings!!
As Thanksgiving Day approaches we have been reflecting on the many things we have to be thankful for! This (almost) 20 pound little Turkey pictured below is one of our biggest blessings!!
Psalm 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 7:17
I will give thanks to the LORD because of his righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 118:21
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation.
For family, for friends, for our precious son, for a job that provides for our needs, for the country that we live in, for our good health, for Salvation through Jesus Christ, and so much more...we have SO much to be thankful for!! What about you? What are the things you are most thankful for this year?
Friday, November 12, 2010
Life is not Fair...
I am about to get real vulnerable today. I am hurting and not sure exactly what to do with that hurt but I am doing my best to give it to God. My heart is still breaking over the past and over loss...over some years and moments that I can never get back. Have any of you ever been there? I'm praying for comfort and healing that comes from Christ. My heart also hurts when I think about my son ever having to hurt. I know it's inevitable in this fallen world that he will experience pain but even in those moments of pain I pray that he will know peace and restoration that come through Jesus. My heart is burdened to pray for my son's life and his future today.
James, I want you to know that life is not fair and things will not always go the way we hope. People may even say things or do things that hurt you along the way and it will break my heart to see that happen. When I look in your face, sweet baby, I can not thank the Lord enough for entrusting you to me. I can't promise you all the world offers (and I wouldn't want to anyway) but I can promise you that I will wake up every day offering myself to the Father and praying that I can love you in a way that gives you even a glimpse of how much God loves you. I pray for today and for your future. I pray that regardless of the circumstances or whatever each day may hold, that you can rest in knowing that God loves you and has great plans for your life. I pray that you will know Him, love Him, and praise Him in the good and the bad all the days of your life because He is truly good! Love, Mama
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
James at 9 months!
I can't believe our little boy is now 9 months old. Every day we recognize the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) transition that he is making toward toddlerhood, one milestone at a time. It does make me a little sad just because I recognize how fast these baby days are flying by but it is also amazing to watch him change and develop right before our eyes. And every day and change is another day to truly thank the Lord for another day of life! Life really is so precious and is an absolute miracle. I always believed that but have never understood that more than I do now through my experience as a mother.
Here are some of the things going on with James at 9 months:
- He is 28.5 inches long (55th percentile) and 19 pounds 14.5 ounces (40th percentile). People always comment about what a big boy he is, so I was actually surprised to learn he is really falling right in the middle of other children his age.
- He is wearing 9 month clothes if they are separate pieces and 12 month one-piece outfits. We have learned that he isn't necessarily tall but very long waisted.
- He is sleeping better than ever. He naps about 3 hours total during the day - napping at around 10:00 and 3:00 before the time change a few days ago. He is also able to now sleep flat in his crib which is a great indicator that his reflux is improving although after talking to the doctor about his reflux yesterday feels it would be best to continue the medicine a while longer (which is what we were thinking too!). He has become a tummy sleeper and seems to do much better that way. He goes to bed around 8PM and wakes up around 7 am with minimal resettling at night.
- He continues to love Mickey Mouse and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We no longer have cable but bought a Mickey Mouse DVD and now when he wants to watch it goes over to the DVD player and tries to press the buttons to turn it on. When I turn the video on for him, he squeals with delight and hits his hand on the ottoman in front of the TV. He responds more quickly to "Mickey Mouse" than he does his own name. :)
- He has two teeth on the bottom and we are expecting to see more on top very soon.
- He is eating more finger foods now. We are doing a mixture of purees and finger foods but he is starting to reject the purees more and more. He has eaten gerber puffs and melts, cheerios, whole wheat toast and crackers, plain waffles, cheese, cooked cubes of vegetables and fruits, and even some cubes of chicken and egg yolk. Some meals he loves to eat and some meals he is not interested in at all but we continue to offer them three times a day. He is doing very well drinking water from his sippy cup. He also loves feeling the different textures of food by squeezing them in his hands. :)
- He is just all boy. He truly does not slow down all day - from crawling, to pulling up, to cruising on the furniture, to exploring the house. I am on my toes all the time. He has even started standing on his own for about 30 seconds at a time. He loves his bath. He splashes around and even tries to put his whole face in the water. He is just so active and inquisitive.
- His personality is really blossoming. He laughs more and more, is "talking" lots, and even says "mama" quite a bit. It is the only real word he has said so far.
- He laughs when we make animal sounds and tries to imitate them. I do the "sheep says baaaaa" a lot and he tries to say "baaaa"...so cute! He love all his animal toys that you can squeeze and they make a noise.
- His stranger anxiety seems to be easing up some. He still looks around for Mommy and Daddy but is more willing to let others hold him and play with him. I've been visiting the church nursery with him for a few weeks and am hoping soon that he will feel comfortable enough to stay on his own for the service.
- He loves peek-a-boo in any form....if we hide our faces in our hands, under a blanket, or even pop out from behind a door. He just laughs and laughs!
- He enjoys reading especially when he is getting sleepy. He loves for us to hold him and read some books and looks intently at the pages. :)
- He lets us know when he doesn't like something...anything that makes him slow down (diaper changes, sitting in the car seat, sitting in the high chair) or taking something away that he wants (laptop or cell phone) results in a very upset little boy.
We did have a little scare at the doctor yesterday that I wanted to share briefly. Even though the doctor explained that it was not "serious" he was concerned about James' left hip and that it may be coming in and out of the socket and that it would be better to find out sooner rather than later. He said that if this was the case he would have to basically have his legs stabilized with some foam between his legs for a few week to correct the problem. I immediately started to blame myself asking how we could have caused this (letting him put too much pressure on his legs too soon, etc.) and he reassured us that it was nothing that we would have done. He explained the condition in more detail but honestly I was hardly able to fully listen and comprehend at this point. I just started to worry and then knew I need to stop and pray. We left the office to go have an x-ray done. Even though this news was far less serious than so many of the things parents have to hear about their children, there was still fear and uncertainty involved and it was hard to watch him scream and cry being held down on a table for multiple x-rays. After the x-rays were the done the technician told us that she wanted us to wait because one x-ray did not look "right." I looked at her I'm sure with fear in my eyes and asked "what's wrong?" and she said, "I don't do that part..." and her look was sympathetic but not very reassuring. We sat in the room holding a very upset little boy and continued to pray over him. A few minutes later that same lady came back and said "good news, everything is actually normal and we are going to report back to your doctor that everything is fine." We both let out a huge sigh of relief... It was a very emotional experience. I was filled with such thanks to God for the continued health of our little boy! I know there will likely be more moments of fear or uncertainty ahead of us throughout the years, but I am thankful for peace and comfort that comes in knowing Jesus!
James, it has been 9 wonderful months! You have filled our lives with even more joy. I have enjoyed learning all about you (and even from you) and pray that God would continue to bless mine and Daddy's relationship with you throughout your life. I pray also that you will know the amazing love God has for you and cling to Jesus all of your days! I love you forever! Love, Mama
Here are some of the things going on with James at 9 months:
- He is 28.5 inches long (55th percentile) and 19 pounds 14.5 ounces (40th percentile). People always comment about what a big boy he is, so I was actually surprised to learn he is really falling right in the middle of other children his age.
- He is wearing 9 month clothes if they are separate pieces and 12 month one-piece outfits. We have learned that he isn't necessarily tall but very long waisted.
- He is sleeping better than ever. He naps about 3 hours total during the day - napping at around 10:00 and 3:00 before the time change a few days ago. He is also able to now sleep flat in his crib which is a great indicator that his reflux is improving although after talking to the doctor about his reflux yesterday feels it would be best to continue the medicine a while longer (which is what we were thinking too!). He has become a tummy sleeper and seems to do much better that way. He goes to bed around 8PM and wakes up around 7 am with minimal resettling at night.
- He continues to love Mickey Mouse and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We no longer have cable but bought a Mickey Mouse DVD and now when he wants to watch it goes over to the DVD player and tries to press the buttons to turn it on. When I turn the video on for him, he squeals with delight and hits his hand on the ottoman in front of the TV. He responds more quickly to "Mickey Mouse" than he does his own name. :)
- He has two teeth on the bottom and we are expecting to see more on top very soon.
- He is eating more finger foods now. We are doing a mixture of purees and finger foods but he is starting to reject the purees more and more. He has eaten gerber puffs and melts, cheerios, whole wheat toast and crackers, plain waffles, cheese, cooked cubes of vegetables and fruits, and even some cubes of chicken and egg yolk. Some meals he loves to eat and some meals he is not interested in at all but we continue to offer them three times a day. He is doing very well drinking water from his sippy cup. He also loves feeling the different textures of food by squeezing them in his hands. :)
- He is just all boy. He truly does not slow down all day - from crawling, to pulling up, to cruising on the furniture, to exploring the house. I am on my toes all the time. He has even started standing on his own for about 30 seconds at a time. He loves his bath. He splashes around and even tries to put his whole face in the water. He is just so active and inquisitive.
- His personality is really blossoming. He laughs more and more, is "talking" lots, and even says "mama" quite a bit. It is the only real word he has said so far.
- He laughs when we make animal sounds and tries to imitate them. I do the "sheep says baaaaa" a lot and he tries to say "baaaa"...so cute! He love all his animal toys that you can squeeze and they make a noise.
- His stranger anxiety seems to be easing up some. He still looks around for Mommy and Daddy but is more willing to let others hold him and play with him. I've been visiting the church nursery with him for a few weeks and am hoping soon that he will feel comfortable enough to stay on his own for the service.
- He loves peek-a-boo in any form....if we hide our faces in our hands, under a blanket, or even pop out from behind a door. He just laughs and laughs!
- He enjoys reading especially when he is getting sleepy. He loves for us to hold him and read some books and looks intently at the pages. :)
- He lets us know when he doesn't like something...anything that makes him slow down (diaper changes, sitting in the car seat, sitting in the high chair) or taking something away that he wants (laptop or cell phone) results in a very upset little boy.
We did have a little scare at the doctor yesterday that I wanted to share briefly. Even though the doctor explained that it was not "serious" he was concerned about James' left hip and that it may be coming in and out of the socket and that it would be better to find out sooner rather than later. He said that if this was the case he would have to basically have his legs stabilized with some foam between his legs for a few week to correct the problem. I immediately started to blame myself asking how we could have caused this (letting him put too much pressure on his legs too soon, etc.) and he reassured us that it was nothing that we would have done. He explained the condition in more detail but honestly I was hardly able to fully listen and comprehend at this point. I just started to worry and then knew I need to stop and pray. We left the office to go have an x-ray done. Even though this news was far less serious than so many of the things parents have to hear about their children, there was still fear and uncertainty involved and it was hard to watch him scream and cry being held down on a table for multiple x-rays. After the x-rays were the done the technician told us that she wanted us to wait because one x-ray did not look "right." I looked at her I'm sure with fear in my eyes and asked "what's wrong?" and she said, "I don't do that part..." and her look was sympathetic but not very reassuring. We sat in the room holding a very upset little boy and continued to pray over him. A few minutes later that same lady came back and said "good news, everything is actually normal and we are going to report back to your doctor that everything is fine." We both let out a huge sigh of relief... It was a very emotional experience. I was filled with such thanks to God for the continued health of our little boy! I know there will likely be more moments of fear or uncertainty ahead of us throughout the years, but I am thankful for peace and comfort that comes in knowing Jesus!
James, it has been 9 wonderful months! You have filled our lives with even more joy. I have enjoyed learning all about you (and even from you) and pray that God would continue to bless mine and Daddy's relationship with you throughout your life. I pray also that you will know the amazing love God has for you and cling to Jesus all of your days! I love you forever! Love, Mama
Monday, November 8, 2010
How He Loves Us!
James and I went to visit Stephen at work today for a few minutes to bring him some lunch and some cold medicine, and when we got in the car the David Crowder song "How He Loves Us" happened to be playing. The lyrics of that song are so powerful and the imagery of the words in the song really hit home with me today. We listened to it over and over and over on the way there and on the way back. I'm pretty sure James would have sang along with me if he could have. :)
Two of the lines that paint such a picture for me are "Love's like a hurricane, I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy" and "if His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." Wow! What an amazing picture of the great love God has for us! I was thinking about how many times we tell James we love him daily and how we just shower him with our love and affection. And as much as we could ever love him, nothing compares to the love that God has for him and for us.
This song reminded me of a passage of scripture that I love and so after I got James down for a nap I decided to spend some time rereading it.
Ephesians 2:1-10:
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
I am so thankful for His great love for us! I'm so grateful that He is rich in mercy and that through grace I have been saved! What a needed reminder today of His love for us and His grace through Jesus Christ alone. Praying today for all those that have not yet received that grace.
I thought I'd share the video of that song for you to enjoy:
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday
"Baby Giraffe asks Mama, 'Do you love me a lot?' And his mama answers, 'I love your every last spot!"
(All the Ways I love You By Julie Downing)
Monday, November 1, 2010
Baby Giraffe!
We are not a big halloween loving family by any means but we still wanted the opportunity to dress up our little guy for his first halloween experience. We went to a fall festival at a local church and had our family picture made, enjoyed a hayride, and ate dinner while we listened to some live music! We also scoped out all the things that James will be able to do next year too! Nana and Grandpa were in town for the weekend and I know they enjoyed loving our our sweet baby giraffe too! Here are just a few pictures from the weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)