I know I am guilty (as charged, if charged!) of talking about James more than anything on this blog, and so I know already that James and Jude will now (or probably already have!) become my most frequently blogged topics. I can't help myself - I am over-the-moon crazy about these two boys, my boys (that is starting to sink in!). And I love talking about them and delighting in them. I am so blessed to be the mother of these two precious boys.
Since the beginning of this pregnancy, James thought he was going to have a baby sister. He told us that he wanted to call her "Cece" and that nickname kind of stuck over the last 19 weeks as a hypothetical nickname for this baby. Last night I explained to James that the baby's nickname can't be Cece anymore, because that's really a better nickname for a little girl. He thought about it for a second and I suggested a few ideas for other more masculine nicknames for his little brother and then he said "Mama, I'm going to call my baby J-Train." I constantly laugh these days at the things that he says and comes up with, but then I told Stephen what he said and he said "Oh, I love it! I hope that nickname sticks." Well, James has called the baby "J-Train" about 54 times since last night and then we "chugged like choo-choo trains" 8 times (no exaggeration on that one!) around the house this morning to Toby Mac's J-Train. I have no idea what I'm in for in the years ahead, do I?!?
I will try and post about some other things (maybe recipes? or other fun things?) in the days ahead, but I can't make any promises. They will probably, unapologetically, mostly be about my boys. :)
The Johnsons' Journey
Friday, January 18, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Baby #2 is...
We were so excited to find out this morning that we are having another sweet boy, Jude Brooks Johnson! He is healthy and already looks so much like James to me (their ultrasound pictures and profiles are so similar). The main difference that I notice now is that this baby seems to be way more laid back. James was so active and literally bouncing around in the womb and this baby (in all of the ultrasounds so far) is just the opposite. Even after drinking juice right before the ultrasound (since the last ultrasound we had he was asleep and still) Jude was just completely relaxed and sucking his thumb. :)
We are excited about the blessing of another little boy. Of course, I would have been excited either way (God's gifts are always perfect!) - but already it's fun to think about what life will be like with a house full of boys. I am glad that James will have a brother and a best friend and pray that they will be close throughout their lives. James is slowly starting to accept that he is having a brother and not a sister. He really started to come around when we mentioned that they would be able to share a room and get bunk beds! :)
The doctor did mention a benign cyst on Jude's brain when reviewing the ultrasound pictures, but she assured us that it was very common and would most likely just resolve itself. She is going to keep an eye on it though, and she plans to do another ultrasound when we come back in a month. I am forcing myself not to google anything or freak myself out unnecessarily. The Lord is in control and so we just trust Jude to him completely. Thanks for loving us and praying for us and our sweet boys!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
18 Weeks
How far along are you? 18 weeks
Total Weight Gain? I think around 9 or 10 pounds.
How big is the baby? the length of a bell pepper (and almost 7 ounces)
Maternity Clothes? Not yet, but I think I might be moving into maternity pants before too long. We've gotten them down from the attic, but I'm still kind of in an in-between stage (for now!) of not totally looking pregnant but just kind of puffy.
Sleep? I am sleeping good at night, and I am definitely not as exhausted as I was in the first trimester. Naps are starting to be a struggle for James as he approaches his third birthday and sometimes he just skips his nap altogether, so I am definitely missing my chance to just rest a little bit in the middle of the day. I enjoyed that little recharging time in the middle of the day so much!
Best moment this week? I am feeling this baby kick/move a lot now. It's just another aspect of the pregnancy as it progresses that makes it seem more "real." I am just thankful for every little kick. Stephen has gotten to feel the baby move once as well, and that's always such a fun time to share together. :)
Movement? Yes! We have reached the no-doubt-about-it point that this is definitely movement from the baby. :) (No more wondering, "Was that the baby?")
Food Cravings/Aversions? No aversions but also no overwhelming cravings either. I am still wanting "real food" more than anything, and I am eating way less dessert than I do when I'm not pregnant. I have also really been enjoying oranges the last couple of weeks which is funny to me because I wouldn't normally choose an orange but right now I am loving them! (That's a totally different craving than I had with James, and most of my cravings have been about the same.)
Morning Sickness? Only really exhausting days cause me to ever feel nauseous at this point. I am really feeling great!
Gender? James is still leaning toward "girl" but occasionally will say "boy." Hopefully that means he will be happy either way. Stephen and I, I think, are kind of unsure at this point. I have had moments that I've thought both "boy" and "girl" for a time, and now I just don't even have a guess or inclination. I will be so happy either way, I just love knowing. We have settled on both a boy's and girl's name that we both like and that has a significant meaning to us at the point that we're at in our lives and the journey we've been on the last few years.
What I'm looking forward to: Our next ultrasound in January and finding out the gender of the baby and beginning to call the baby by name. We were supposed to find out the gender today, but our practice is actually moving into a new building this week and had to reschedule. I was pretty disappointed that they had to cancel, but we will find out now on Wednesday, January 16th - so just one more week of wondering. I will be excited to share with our families the gender and to reveal the name of our little one. :)
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| Me with baby #2. This shirt might make me look like I'm showing a little more than I actually am, but I am growing for sure. |
Saturday, January 5, 2013
He fell.
It was a beautiful 70 degree day in December - the kind of day that's it seems like a crime not to take advantage of an opportunity to soak up some sunshine when the chance presents itself. I told James that after lunch we would go to the park and play for a while before his nap. We enjoyed all of our usual fun: James went down the "dizzy" slide many times, played "estaurant" with the mulch (grilled cheese sandwiches!) on the playground, watched the dogs in the dog park, and pushed his rocket on the path. Before leaving the park, we came across a family having a picnic and throwing hunks of their sandwiches into a little pond to watch the fish come up towards the surface to devour them. James was so amused by this (and who am I kidding, so was I!), and he wanted some pieces of bread to toss to the fish as well. I knew we didn't have any bread but I remembered some saltines stashed in the car that I had kept always by my side during my severe morning sickness in the first trimester of this pregnancy. I thankfully no longer needed the crackers, and I was pretty sure the fish would accept them just as eagerly as they had the bread.
We came back to the pond with our crackers. I started to break up the crackers and told James several times "do not get any closer to the water." He started to throw in the saltines, and the fish came up quickly to grab them. It was such a sweet moment to watch my ever-growing, curious little boy enjoying such a fun moment in nature. I grabbed my phone to quickly snap a picture and then slid it right back into my pocket. Seconds later James was suddenly a lot closer to the water and before I could tell him to move back he was sliding on slick mud right into the water - first his feet, then his legs, and then his back and chest. He was covered all the way up to his neck with water by the time I pulled him out. It all happened so fast.
James was filthy, soaking wet, and crying hysterically. Between sobs the first thing he articulated was "you...told...me...not...to...get...too...close." Oh, how those words made my heart ache for him - knowing that he was afraid I was upset with him and also immediately aware that this wouldn't be the last time that he might fall in this life. That he may one day make a much bigger mistake at some point down the road when immediately he would again feel the weight of his decision so heavily. So many days are spent teaching him and warning him about the negative effects that come as a result of so many different actions (touching the stove, climbing on furniture, running near the road, etc.), but in that moment I knew he felt fully the cost of his decision to take one step closer toward the pond. I picked up my drenched little toddler and told him "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. " I carried his muddy little body over to a nearby bench to try and pull the wet, filthy clothes off of him and dry him off. I wrapped my big jacket around him (and my arms, too, hoping to express my unconditional love for him) and carried him back to the car. I didn't care if I got dirty. I didn't care about all the people looking. All I cared about was him in that moment - because he is and always will be mine. My son. And it hurt me to see him hurt. It hurt me to watch him fall.
I called Stephen on the way home and I told him what happened. I told him it was certainly not my finest hour of motherhood, and luckily he usually laughs at me and helps me to not take myself so seriously. He was amused with the story once he knew James was alright. I got James home and got him a bath. All ended well.
But I thought about the events of the day later. Sometimes James would bring the story up about how he fell in the pond and "Mama pulled me out." And it allowed me to reflect on how I've spent a lot of time trying to protect him from any harm these first three years of his life. But as he has gotten older I have learned that sometimes that won't always be possible and that I am just an imperfect person trying to be the best mother I possibly can for him. And that ultimately I must point him to the only Perfect Parent, Jesus Christ. His Heavenly Father is the one that is truly able to save him and to protect him. I can rest in that.
And also I know that while God can protect James from anything, that sometimes He will allow him to fall too. Because His love doesn't force. That's the bittersweet reality of walking with Christ in our imperfect flesh. And while it will hurt me profoundly when that does happen, I can rest in knowing that He is the parent that can put the pieces back together, mend a broken heart, and bring comfort in the darkest hours in ways that I can't.
I'm sure in the years ahead I will instinctively continue to try to protect James from hurt and pain. But I will also strive to surrender my life daily as an offering to the only parent that will never let him down -so that I might reflect Christ in my words and deeds so that James would know Christ intimately and all of His goodness. I will pray that God would protect him from pain and hurt and keep him from sinning. From falling. But when he does fall, I pray that God will embrace James in his loving arms and whisper "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. It's forgiven."
We came back to the pond with our crackers. I started to break up the crackers and told James several times "do not get any closer to the water." He started to throw in the saltines, and the fish came up quickly to grab them. It was such a sweet moment to watch my ever-growing, curious little boy enjoying such a fun moment in nature. I grabbed my phone to quickly snap a picture and then slid it right back into my pocket. Seconds later James was suddenly a lot closer to the water and before I could tell him to move back he was sliding on slick mud right into the water - first his feet, then his legs, and then his back and chest. He was covered all the way up to his neck with water by the time I pulled him out. It all happened so fast.
James was filthy, soaking wet, and crying hysterically. Between sobs the first thing he articulated was "you...told...me...not...to...get...too...close." Oh, how those words made my heart ache for him - knowing that he was afraid I was upset with him and also immediately aware that this wouldn't be the last time that he might fall in this life. That he may one day make a much bigger mistake at some point down the road when immediately he would again feel the weight of his decision so heavily. So many days are spent teaching him and warning him about the negative effects that come as a result of so many different actions (touching the stove, climbing on furniture, running near the road, etc.), but in that moment I knew he felt fully the cost of his decision to take one step closer toward the pond. I picked up my drenched little toddler and told him "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. " I carried his muddy little body over to a nearby bench to try and pull the wet, filthy clothes off of him and dry him off. I wrapped my big jacket around him (and my arms, too, hoping to express my unconditional love for him) and carried him back to the car. I didn't care if I got dirty. I didn't care about all the people looking. All I cared about was him in that moment - because he is and always will be mine. My son. And it hurt me to see him hurt. It hurt me to watch him fall.
I called Stephen on the way home and I told him what happened. I told him it was certainly not my finest hour of motherhood, and luckily he usually laughs at me and helps me to not take myself so seriously. He was amused with the story once he knew James was alright. I got James home and got him a bath. All ended well.
But I thought about the events of the day later. Sometimes James would bring the story up about how he fell in the pond and "Mama pulled me out." And it allowed me to reflect on how I've spent a lot of time trying to protect him from any harm these first three years of his life. But as he has gotten older I have learned that sometimes that won't always be possible and that I am just an imperfect person trying to be the best mother I possibly can for him. And that ultimately I must point him to the only Perfect Parent, Jesus Christ. His Heavenly Father is the one that is truly able to save him and to protect him. I can rest in that.
And also I know that while God can protect James from anything, that sometimes He will allow him to fall too. Because His love doesn't force. That's the bittersweet reality of walking with Christ in our imperfect flesh. And while it will hurt me profoundly when that does happen, I can rest in knowing that He is the parent that can put the pieces back together, mend a broken heart, and bring comfort in the darkest hours in ways that I can't.
I'm sure in the years ahead I will instinctively continue to try to protect James from hurt and pain. But I will also strive to surrender my life daily as an offering to the only parent that will never let him down -so that I might reflect Christ in my words and deeds so that James would know Christ intimately and all of His goodness. I will pray that God would protect him from pain and hurt and keep him from sinning. From falling. But when he does fall, I pray that God will embrace James in his loving arms and whisper "It's okay. You're okay. I've got you. It's forgiven."
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Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Christmas Fun with Grandma K and Aunt Megan
We didn't get to travel to South Carolina for Christmas this year, because Stephen's job has very few opportunities for vacation/off days. We were thankful that Grandma K and Aunt Megan were able to come visit us in our new house a few days after Christmas and celebrate with us here. We missed seeing Nana and Granddaddy this year, but we were glad to be able to talk with them and open presents on FaceTime and hope to see them at James' birthday party in February.
Opening Gifts. :)
More of our pallet gifts this year - I was impressed with Stephen's skills. :)
Ice Slide at the McWane Center!
Flip Burger! So Yummy!
Christmas with the Johnsons/Pattersons
Here are some pictures celebrating Christmas with Stephen's parents and his sister, Leah, and her family! It's always great to have everyone all together. :) We actually spent the night one night, even though we live in town now, so that the boys could play together longer. I can't believe this next year there will be five children playing together!
James loves his cousins! We cant wait for Reagan to be here too! :)
Matching Christmas PJ's from Nana!
A soccer set!
This fishing puzzle was a hit. :)
Alabama choo-choo train. :)
This is actually James' hat - Stephen is a big kid at heart!
Trying out the Mickey Mouse Choo-Choo Express
A little surprise picture on my camera from Nana and James. :)
Christmas with the Johnson Three (four!)
Here is a little recap in pictures of the Christmas celebrations at our house this year. We experienced so much joy this year as we had the privilege to view all of the excitement through James' eyes. He loved everything about the month of December, I think. :) I can't even imagine all the fun and craziness that we'll experience this time next year watching James interact with his sibling. These pictures capture a lot of the traditions that we have started with James and hope to continue throughout the years.
We made a birthday cake for Jesus for the first time this year. :)
This year we changed opening Christmas PJ's to Dec. 1st so he could wear them longer and now just
open one small gift on Christmas eve instead.
We came across this Thomas Aquadoodle at Goodwill for $1 ($24 savings!).
It looks brand new and James loves it!
Leaving treats for Santa and his reindeer. :)
Christmas Morning! His first words were "I'm so excited!"
We give 3 gifts (really 3 from us and 3 from Santa). These are his
3 favorite and happen to all be from us. I don't know if it's
a coincidence or if it's personal (our not a santa-fan little boy!) Ha!
A plush Rocket from Little Einsteins. We found this on Ebay. They don't make
Little Einsteins toys at all anymore so this was a find!
His xylophone! He has quite the instrument collection now and loves music!
His Tricycle!
Stephen and I didn't buy gifts for each other this year but still had a few little things to unwrap (that weren't really surprises) because James really wanted us to open gifts too. I made this back scratch t-shirt for Stephen for James to give him. He can drive his cars and trains on the roads on his back. :)
We made gifts for all of our family out of pallets this year. Stephen made one for me too.
I can hang pictures or James' artwork on the little clips. I love it!
Christmas Day and headed to eat with Nana and Grandpa!
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