One month later . . .

Seth is already a month old and somehow we are all still alive and doing well. He's really a great baby, but life with 2 kids is completely different than life with just one (and I'm sure life with 3 and more is just magnified). I consider it a great accomplishment most days to shower and put real clothes on, never mind cleaning or actually going out of the house! There have been several days that both Luke and I have spent in our jammies (which of course he doesn't mind!). Last night David and I went away for the night to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (I pumped and Seth got bottles), and I can't believe how great it feels to actually sleep through the night. I know it's going to be a long time before that happens again, but it was wonderful! I've been amazed at how easy it is to love this little boy. I couldn't imagine loving another child the way that I love Luke, and yet somehow I do. I really miss the undivided attention I used to be able to give to Luke though, and I know he misses it too. A couple of nights ago he just cried and cried when we put him down for bed (which he rarely does) and when I finally went in to him he just wanted to be held. He fell asleep in my arms and as I rocked my precious baby I just wanted time to stop. He felt so big (especially compared to my newborn) and I realized he's just going to keep getting bigger and continue changing. I want him to stay pure and innocent and sweet. I thank God every day for these sweet children and I sure hope I can help them return to Him some day. I've been lucky enough to fall deeply in love with 3 men, two of them just happen to be smaller versions of their father. Anyway, this post is just a bunch of random thoughts, but things are kind of random right now!

Life with 2 kiddos

More Seth

Our New Addition

Seth Daniel was born Nov 19 at 1:30 pm. He was 7lbs 10 oz and 19 1/2". The labor and delivery were amazing compared to my experience with Luke. I had to be induced because I was a week late and things went quickly. I only had to push for 3 contractions (compared to 2 hours with Luke). I'm feeling really good and we're both doing well. Seth has had jaundice so he's been under lights all week and had to be re-admitted to the hospital for a day, but otherwise he's great. He's already back up to his birth weight and he's a great eater and sleeper. He is such a sweet little baby and he's very calm. My mom has been here helping, so I don't know exactly what it will be like to have 2 kids and be on my own, but I think it will go well. Luke has adjusted really well and actually really seems to love Seth.

Halloween!

Luke had a great time for Halloween. We really didn't do much to celebrate because we moved on the 25th and we've been trying to get settled, but we took Luke trick-or-treating and he loved it. He got a hang of it quicker than I'd expected. He would knock on the doors and then take the candy (he never got the hang of saying 'trick or treat') and then he would say 'thank-you, bye-bye.' He was dressed as a race-car driver for obvious reasons (cars are just about the only toy he plays with). I thought he looked so adorable and he seemed to like the costume as well. He actually wore the hat almost all day and he would walk by mirrors to look at himself. Kids make holidays so much more fun!

Blessings

Well, a lot has happened in the past week and I certainly know that Heavenly Father is aware of our little family. The first thing that happened (the day after the last post) was that we found out we would be able to move into a place that will be a MUCH better fit for our family and more affordable. It is the perfect size and in a great location. The next several blessings were that we had a very strict budget for furnishing our new place, but needed almost everything . . . couches, kitchen table and chairs, computer desk, living room tables, night stands, etc . . . and we were able to get everything for less than we had budgeted (thank you craigslist!). To top it all off, today David received a letter to come test and interview for a job that he really wants and even if he doesn't get it, it's nice to know he at least qualifies for an interview. Anyways, I am so grateful for all that we have been given and I know that we are being watched over.

One of Life's Little Joys

This little boy brings so much light and joy into our lives. We are so grateful for him!

Oh, Life

So, I'm realizing that I haven't been posting very often because at this point in time . . . well the past year really we've just been trying to get through each and every day. Ever since David graduated our lives have been quite a struggle, which has been a great disappointment because we were always under the impression that a college degree was the ticket to success. Yes, he has a job . . . but he really doesn't like, he works 50-60 hours a week, and he's still not getting paid enough for us to really survive. Thankfully we have amazing parents that give us some help, but I think we've certainly reached the point where we want to be able to support ourselves. We've spent the past year applying for different jobs but nothing has worked out. Dave is now studying to the GRE in the hopes that graduate school will help with the situation. Anyways, we know this is a trial from which we are supposed to learn a great deal and slowly I think we are starting to understand. I now try to take advantage of every little joy in life. Dave and I are closer than we have ever been because we have been through so much together. We know that family is really what is most important and we will direct our future to keep our family close. There is so much more we have learned, but I think we still have a way to go. I'm just grateful for the gospel and the love of the Lord and my family . . .

Finally!

After nearly 5 years of marriage, we finally have a head board for our bed! We didn't want to spend much money and we wanted something that we would really like, so David made it (I made the fabric inserts). It really didn't take very long and we spent less than $150, which is pretty good for a nice head board. David loved having something to work on and he's planning to make a foot board as well. I have a feeling we'll be doing a lot of projects like this in the future because it's something we enjoy doing together and we can get exactly what we want.

Where have those Johnson's been?

This past month has been a very busy, fun, and full one for us. We moved about 6 weeks ago (and still feel like we're getting settled). I went down to Cedar City for a few days to see some plays at the Shakespearean festival and then we went down to Arizona to visit my family for a few days. We celebrated cousin Kourtney's wedding and all of David's family was in town for that. David's parent's had a home-coming party and we've been enjoying spending a lot of time with them. We've also been enjoying the outdoors, water parks, Thanksgiving Point petting zoo, and growing zucchini and tomatoes out our ears! Things are finally settling down and now we can start getting more prepared for this little baby to join our family in just a couple of months! (Hopefully David can take the GRE and get a new job in the mean-time).

Twuk!

Luke's absolute favorite things in the world are his cars and trucks (though he calls any vehicle a truck). I think his fascination started when we took Grandpa's truck camping earlier this summer. He will sit and play with his trucks all day long and doesn't get tired of them. David's going to make him a toddler bed that looks like a truck which we are pretty excited about (I love having a handy man husband!)

Vacation

We went on our family vacation this past weekend and it was a great experience. This was our first road trip with Luke (a 5 1/2 hour drive ended up being more like 8!) and it was a bit more difficult than we had anticipated. He wouldn't sleep for more than about 30 min at a time in the car and on the way up he took only 2 naps and on the way back he took only 1 (but we stopped more on the way back and he did much better). We learned a lot about how to travel with a toddler and our future trips will be planned out a little better to accommodate children more. Despite Luke's dislike of the car we ended up having a really great time and we're so glad we went. We drove through a little bit of Yellowstone and saw Old Faithful, we went on a few little nature walks and drove up the summit of a few mountains. The views are awesome! We were disappointed that we didn't really see any wildlife, but the scenery made up for it. We went to a chuck wagon dinner in Jackson which was a lot of fun, but we couldn't enjoy the show because Luke had had enough. We also walked around the shops in Jackson and had fun making our dinners on a fire (we slept in a little cabin.) Anyways, it was a short trip, but we really had a great time and would recommend it to anyone!

Yellowstone, Grand Tetons and Jackson, WY

A Plea for the Next Person

Everyone, please please please clean your apartment/home very thoroughly when you move out! If you don't then the next person is going to have to do it and is it really fair to make someone else clean up your mess? After helping David's parents manage apartments for the past 4 years I have come to realize that very few people actually really clean when they move. Sure, they vacuum and take all their stuff . . . but almost nothing else gets done. I'm talking about getting in there with a toothbrush and scrubbing every single surface and crevice. The place should look as close to new as possible. As I've cleaned apartments after people move out it has never taken me less than about 5-10 hours (and that's even on apartments that seem to look clean on the surface). Anyways, I'm just venting because I've spent the past week cleaning the condo that we are moving into because the people that just moved out didn't even dust off baseboards and window blinds and the fridge still had food in it and didn't look like it had been cleaned in years. So please, clean for the next person because someday you might be the next person.

So Silly

Luke is quite a silly little boy. He definitely knows how to make us laugh and he uses that to his advantage. When he knows he's done something he shouldn't . . . like throw something or hit something he'll immediately look up at me and smile and do something funny. This is just a funny face he kept making the other day because we were laughing at it.

It's a BOY!

We found out on Wednesday that this little baby is a boy and we are thrilled! Lots of people ask if I'm disappointed that it's not a girl, but I'm not at all. I'm sure we'll have a girl sometime in the future and I think boys are so fun, plus Luke can have a brother close to his age, so we're very excited. He's growing well and very healthy, now we just need to decide on a name . . . good thing we still have a few months!

Change the World

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"Happiness . . .

. . . Is a cookie in both hands". . . and a fudgesicle in the pool. We are really enjoying the warm weather, finally! I got a little pool for Luke and he loves playing in it. He usually wants me to join him, but that's fine because it feels so good. Luke's best friends, Sammy and Jordan, even came over for the fun.

Pacifier Update

Luke ended up crying that first night for just about an hour and then when I went to check on him he had fallen asleep sitting up with his head resting on his big teddy bear. It was so sweet. His nap the next day didn't happen because he cried through the whole thing, but that night he went to sleep with no problems and he hasn't had a problem with nap or bed time since! We have success and it really wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be.

Meanest mommy ever!

I feel so mean right now. We've decided that it's time for Luke to give up the pacifier and we've decided to go pretty much cold turkey. Up to this point he's only had it at nap time and bed time, so I didn't think he was too attached to it . . . but I was wrong. Right now he is crying (screaming really) in his crib and he seems more sad than I've ever seen him. I don't know what I'll do if he cries for more than an hour, it just breaks my heart . . . so I'll let you know how it goes.

Camping

We went camping this past weekend up in Provo Canyon. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful. Luke did really well sleeping in the tent and he LOVED the freedom of just running around the campsite. We're looking forward to more camping and outdoor activities this summer . . . assuming the weather gets warm again.

I've been tagged twice

I've been tagged by a couple of friends and thought they were both fun, so for my 5 readers, have fun. Honestly though, if you do read my blog often I'd love to know and add you to my friend's list!

ABC Tag (from Summer)
A- Attached or single: Attached
B- Best Friend: David
C-Cake or Pie: Cake, not so much frosting . . . unless it's really good pie
D-Day: Whenever David has off work
E- Essential Item: diaper bag . . . my life is in there
F- Favorite Color: blue
G-Gummi Bears or Worms: don't they taste the same?
H-Home town: Flower Mound, Tx
I- Indulgences: Anything sweet, lately I love chocolate frozen yogurt
J- January or July?: January because that's mine and Luke's b-day month, but July for the outdoor fun
K-Kids: Luke, and baby #2 on the way
L-Life is incomplete without: family
M- Marriage Date: December 20, 2003
N- Number of Siblings: 4 - Natalie, Audrey, Kevin, Eric
O- Oranges or Apples: Apples, they're easier to eat
P- Phobias or Fears: Luke and/or David getting seriously hurt, I'm a bit clostraphobic too . . . if my arms and legs are pinned I freak out.
Q- Quote: "I'm pretty much the least obnoxious person I know" (my little bro, Eric)
R- Reason To Smile: Every time Luke runs up and hugs my legs so tight
S- Season: Spring, so pretty and such a relief from winter!
T- Tag Three: Amy, Andrea, Jamie Dee
U- Unknown fact about me: My right pupil is attached the the retina of my eye . . . so that pupil is smaller than my left pupil
V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: We definitely eat meat
W- Worst Habit: popping my knuckles, it drives David crazy
X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds to see the baby!
Y-Your favorite food: so many, but I really love Japanese, Mexican, and most desserts
Z: Zodiac Sign: Aquarius


My friend Andrea tagged me: I have to write down 3 of each: joys, fears, goals, current obsession/projects, and random facts.

3 Joys: My family, the nice weather!, being home with Luke

3 fears: spiders, my children going through pain, being completely alone

3 goals: To help David survive work and future grad school, to raise a successful family, to be completely self sufficient (we are so grateful for the help our families have given us though!)

3 current obsessions: trying to keep the house somewhat clean . . . very difficult with a tornado 16 month old, gardening, figuring out where to live when Dave's parents come home and kick us out :)

3 random facts: I love watching discovery health . . . mostly the baby stuff, I haven't eaten a complete meal all day . . . just whatever sounds good (I'm sorry, baby), David only has to work at the airport for 4 more weeks!!!!!!

I will now tag: Amber, Christine, and Mary

Happy Mother's Day!

I've really had a fantastic mother's day and it's all to the thanks of my amazing husband. Sometimes I am really just dumbfounded at how sweet, caring, and thoughtful he can be. He somehow had both Saturday AND Sunday off, so just having him home was all I could have asked for. On Saturday morning he took Luke with him grocery shopping so that I could prepare my RS lesson and when they came home he had beautiful flowers for me (which he had picked out and ordered over a week in advance!). We went on a pick nick for lunch and then he took me out to dinner to one of our favorite restaurants. On Sunday morning he made me a great breakfast - crepes, my favorite and then he made a wonderful pot-roast dinner. He also did all of the dishes all weekend and I only changed 2 diapers in 2 days! The best part though was just feeling that I was appreciated and that all I do means something to someone. When I think about it though, I really couldn't be a good mother without his support. It was also a great mother's day because we are also celebrating the upcoming birth of our second child in November . . . in other words, I'm Pregnant. I'm 13 weeks along and we are very excited!

This is what happens when you give a 16 month old chocolate pretzles unsupervised - bad mommy

The Great Outdoors

The weather is finally really nice here in Utah. We've been very excited to take advantage of the nice weather, so this past week we went up Provo Canyon and cooked foil dinners and made s'mores. Luke really loved being outside, but he seemed too anxious to jump in the freezing cold river, so he had to wear a leash most of the time. He especially liked the park and he had no fear going down the slide by himself. I think his favorite part was that we let him eat some potato chips, lucky boy!