Nursery Update

well, i just typed a nice long blog and then did something stupid and lost the whole thing. Seriously, I am not happy. So here is the shortened version.

Saturday we ran around and got tons of things accomplished for Christmas and the nursery. We had gotten a remnant of carpet that needed a bit of patchwork to get it to fit the room better so we did that Friday night. The Internet connection was moved into our room and we hung a nice red curtain. Keith really wanted to see more of the colors, etc in the room so we picked up a few things from BabiesRUs.

I finally made a decision about what type of chair to get for the room. LazyBoy it is. I can't do it justice to try and explain the ordeal it has been for me to finally decide and move on. http://www.la-z-boy.com/furniture/product.aspx?pid=12 The chair we ordered is the one in the link but the fabric will be a light brown. It will be a race to see what gets here first - baby or the chair.

Bellini called and they will be delivering the furniture on Monday!!!! We can't wait. I am sure we will continue the work on the nursery once there is actually furniture - we can hang the wall stuff, get the bedding, wash what stuff we have already gotten and organize the room. Fun stuff. We also have to fix the spare bedroom because right now it looks terrible because everything out of the office is in there and anything else we have to clean out.

The weather was yucky yesterday but that did not stop Keith from playing in his flag football league's semi final championship game. Fortunately it worked out well and Black&Silver will be going for the gold on Sunday. It might be the last competitive football game Keith plays since age has caught up with him....so I will bundle up as well and possible and lay off the fluids so I can make it through two hours outside in the Bronx along the Hudson River - burrrrrr.

Thanksgiving Recap

We have returned from our holiday trip to Iowa. All in all it was a fabulous trip with little drama and tons of fun. Our biggest drama was that I really do not like flying as a pregnant woman. It was terrible.

Thursday - Turkey Day: We were up bright and early to catch our 6:30 flight. Papa picked us up at the airport and let us borrow the USS Papa (Chrystler 300) for the week. Our day was full of visiting with Papa, Aunt Jan and cousin Billy. We had great conversation ranging from politics, religion, tv shows and pets. Aunt Jan gave us our Christmas gifts of books - Cowboy's book for Keith and the Brother's Grimm stories for me. That evening we took the DVD's of Papa's old family movies over to Denny's (the 61 inch TV made a big difference!) and Keith got to see his mom as a kid. Words can't explain how wonderful that was for all of us.

Friday - My Mom's: We were spending the day with my family but not before I had my darling husband up at 4 a.m. for Black Friday shopping. I am sure he will never do it again and in my current state it was not my smartest move. Although, we did get all the deals we set out to purchase - including a camcorder in honor of the baby on the way.

My how the kids have grown! We learned that the baby is not a big fan of crowds....there wasn't any movement while at Mom's. 5 kids, 5 dogs and 6 adults in a small house creates plenty of noise. The food was yummy and the kids treated Keith as a jungle gym. Mom and Dale gave us Christmas presents - a food processor, Hawkeye gnome (no clue how to spell that), knife sharpener and some baby gifts.

Saturday - The Busby's: Finally I get to meet Mark and Kate, who by the way have the most wonderful set of twins ever! It was great meeting them and getting to know them a bit. If we end up back in the Chicagoland area we will definitely be hanging out with them - if they like it or not! Cameron will celebrate his 1st birthday in December which meant we could celebrate at Thanksgiving. Hard to believe it has been a year already. Some of Linda's family was over for the yummy meal - it is very hard to keep all of them straight since she is one of 12, I think.

Sunday - The Johnson's: The most important thing to mention here is that Aunt Jo rocks! She makes the most amazing turkey and noodles and she saved some from Thanksgiving for me. Brett and Grandma J share a birthday very close to Turkey Day so we took the opportunity to celebrate as a family. Grandma's children purchased a Wrigley Field brick in her honor....the best gift ever for the devoted Cubs fan that she is. No birthday is complete without a bit of red cake. Seriously, all the food all week has been wonderful and that is exactly why I had been looking forward to it for months!

Monday - Iowa City/Cedar Rapids: A quick trip to eastern Iowa to meet with Rob's lawyer to ensure things with him getting primary care of Branden are moving along. We then took Rob out for Chinese food in CR. It was nice to hang out with him a bit more before we headed back to Jersey.

Tuesday - HOME: Although the trip was enjoyable we were ready to go home. The flight was much better than the trip there. We were lucky and got home a couple of hours early which allowed us to pick up our little Missy.

There are pictures and maybe some video from the trip that I will have Keith help me post this weekend.

I really am thankful for the visit with all of our family members and it was a great way to spend our last trip before becoming parents. HOWEVER, there was one very important piece of our family missing....Sgt Wally. Scott is in Iraq and was able to make a few calls while we were home but that just doesn't compare to having him all to ourselves last year in NY. Hurry home, Scottie - the baby will definitely want to meet you!!!

Bring on the Turkey

So, the first glucose test came back high so I had to go through the three hour test. It wasn't pleasant to fast for 12 hours prior and get blood drawn four times in three hours. I was never so excited to eat a banana! After a long week of waiting and many hours of fear having to alter my planned Thanksgiving feasting, I found out yesterday that my test was negative! So bring on the mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, stuffing, etc.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday for many reasons. The food obviously is one reason because I am a carb addict who loves turkey and has a sweet tooth. But more so it is because no matter your religious beliefs it is a holiday that is all about being thankful for the things that make up your life. This year I am overjoyed by the fact we get to go home and visit with our families for the last time before we become parents.

I go to the doctor again Tuesday for a check-up BUT I will not post any pictures until we get back from Iowa. I think there has been some decent changes in me and I want to make it a bit of a surprise for the family.

The baby furniture will be delivered sometime in December. The room is mostly empty - need to figure out what to do with our darn bikes. We decided last week that we should cover up the hardwood floor with carpet. Our apartment is a bit noisy for we think the carpet in the baby's room will help muffle the noise of the neighbors downstairs. Also, we are glider hunting this weekend. I am thinking about a recliner type chair versus a true glider. I will post whatever we find.

25 and counting

Finally, I have some pregnancy pictures to put out here for all of you who have been asking to see what is going on with my body. I went to the doctor on Friday for the glucose testing and my monthly check up. My weight and belly growth are right on track. I will find out Monday about the glucose test results.....gestational diabetes would not be fun at all.

The baby is really active morning, noon and night - literally. There are times when Keith can watch the belly dance a bit. I am growing more and more curious about this little bundle growing inside of me. We know many people expecting around the same time as us - 7 couples actually. It's been fun chatting with all of them to see how things are going versus us.

No other real news around here. We are cleaning more and more each weekend. I have picked up the urge to bake which is new....love to cook but never really liked baking. I think it is the sweet tooth winning over. Still cooking - homemade pasta sauce yesterday and roast w/ veggies today but don't forget the cupcakes I made yesterday too :-)

Enjoy the new pics - oh, and I got a haircut on Saturday - going short again.

Long time, no blog

So, blogging isn't as easy to keep up with as I thought. I apologize for the absence. For awhile I was using the excuse that all the pictures are on our home computer and it is out of commission right now. But the reality is I am lazy.

Many things have happened since the last blog. We went to Chicago for a last sports hurrah and what a blast! How can you go wrong with two Cubs games and a Bears game. Not to mention quality time with friends!! After that weekend I needed some time at home doing nothing but trying to find my ankles again. A couple of trips to the doctor have gone by...my no weight gain has jumped a bit to about 12 pounds....again, pictures are on the other computer...this is my work laptop and I can't download them here. The 20 week ultrasound went well....baby is doing well and the sex is still a secret to everyone, including us.

I had a bit of a scare with a heart issue....a long story that some of you already know but ultimately the cardiologist thinks everything is fine and will continue to monitor me. We also had a nice trip to the emergency room for my darling husband's flag football injury....what was believed by all to be a broken leg turned out four hours later to be an ugly bruising of the bone, muscle, etc

Keith has been in Canada for work since Thursday and will be home on Friday. Missy and I are just hanging out (she mostly sleeps) together all week....I think she is mad because I don't play with her like he does. So, since Keith was gone and I didn't want to be here all weekend alone I went down to visit the Scheiners. Saturday I hung out with Jessica and Lauren - hard to believe she is 10 months old already but what a doll! Saturday night we did Ladies night with the neighborhood ladies....it's interesting to see how suburb women behave on a night out....it was similar to a Thursday night out in college....with martinis instead of beer but the shots were still flowing. I had dessert instead of the drinks :-)

I think that is about it to catch everyone up. I will put together an album of photos and figure out to post the link when Keith gets back. Next week I go for the sugar test so here's hoping that my cake obsession doesn't kick off gestational diabetes.

Hope all is well for everyone!

Delayed Anniversary Celebration

For our anniversary, I gave Keith a gift certificate for guitar lessons and Keith gave me a date in NYC to have dinner, see a show and stay the night. Now, we can see NYC out of our living room window but getting back and forth is a saga on the weekends so the hotel room was a real treat. We weren't able to make a weekend of it until a couple of weekends ago.

The weather was perfect around here - upper 60's/low 70's and that is key to an enjoyable day in the city. The smell can be strong the warmer it gets. We learned that a couple of years ago when we went to Chinatown in 90+ weather. So after some subway issues we finally arrive at our surprise overnight destination. Keith wouldn't tell me where we were staying - most likely because I would have told him it was too expensive. We stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. It is beautiful but didn't look like the movies. We made sure to have the Red Velvet cake and have to say Grandma J's has some competition.

For dinner we went to an Asian restaurant in Time Square. After having the cake before dinner (hey, remember I am pregnant!), we didn't eat as much as we are truly capable of eating. However, it was a good choice because Keith could have sushi while I could have dumplings and fried rice, trying not to drool over his sushi. We both walked away happy and full.

Finally, we attended Mama Mia which was hilarious. We were drawn to that particular musical because while in Vegas we saw many, many advertisements for it and the Mandalay Bay had slot machines that sang "Dancing Queen". The show is really funny with a cute story. My only complaint is that is suppose to be set in Greece but aside from saying that there isn't anything Greek about the musical.

The next morning we got up before the city was too busy so it was great to walk around and have some breakfast. The trip home was uneventful and we spent the rest of the day doing exciting things like laundry and watching baseball.

1/3 of the way there!

Thank goodness the first trimester is over! It wasn't horrible but everyone says it's better during the second. We both made our announcements to friends and co-workers since the last baby post. Everyone, including work, is very excited for us and that is a nice feeling. I am moving quickly from my "normal" clothes into maternity clothes or my fat pants. I am looking forward to the days where I can start eating whatever I want and in large quantities. I may feel full but it doesn't last long so I think I eat all day long.

We had our second ultrasound last week. No one warned us that the ultrasound for downs syndrome can be so terrible. The baby was moving too slow and stuck in a position that wasn't good for the picture they needed. So after two + hours of "punching" me with the ultrasound wand, drinking OJ with a walk and grabbing some dinner - it was over but not after the mom-to-be shed some tears. It hurt, I was tired and sick of the lady who couldn't speak much english. I got home after my normal bed time and that didn't help the situation. After all of that the woman didn't even take a picture we could take home so I made her take some. Unfortunately, we are dumb and forgot to take them to Target today for scanning so I will post them later.

The overhaul of the office into a nursery has begun. We have too much junk and will be making a nice donation to the local Goodwill. Anyone want about 50 VHS movies from when I was in college?? Seriously, these are the things we are getting ride of over the next month. I am a bit of a procrastinator so this needed to get started now and be done before the McClaskey's come to visit Labor Day weekend.

So here the first pregnant photo. I figure the weeks when I have a doctor's appt I will have Keith take a picture. I have always loved checking out other people's progress but now understand that it isn't fun for pregnant person. The doctor says I am doing well and amazing enough I haven't gained any weight - it's just shifting.

Friends Visit

For the first time in awhile we had visitors in Jersey City. The Scheiners drove up from south Jersey to spend some time with us. We did not tell them about the baby before the visit. When they got here and we standing in the kitchen Keith pointed to the fridge and said there's our baby. I nice little surprise for Jessica and Brad. We then tried to go over to NYC with Lauren, their 7 month old daughter. Well, the trip isn't easy for anyone with all the public transportation so a tired hungry baby was not impressed. So, before we crossed to NY we turned around and came home for a nice relaxing afternoon at our house. Lauren came with lots of stuff - definitely an eye opener for the parents-to-be. All the toys made noise and were fun for all, including Missy. Don't laugh at her, she is having issues with scratching her face so she has been wearing the cone a bunch. Her back claws will come out soon!


After a nice breakfast of homemade waffles, the Scheiners were on their way home. We ended up with some serious thunderstorms that afternoon which allowed the Johnson household to take a nice nap!

Happy birthday to Miss Jessica who turns 30 this week!!!

The Baby Blog

Today Mommy is 10 weeks & 3 days pregnant with Baby Johnson! The newest member of our family is due February 11th, 2008. Mom and Dad are overjoyed! We were able to see the baby and hear it's heartbeat on Saturday at the first ultrasound. The doctor said the baby's heartbeat sounded like a freight train. Good to know it is strong.

I feel yucky most days but that seems to be less and less each week. Some of my work clothes are getting too tight but I am not ready for maternity clothes yet.

Keith was out of town last week and will be gone the next two weeks. In a way he is lucky because he doesn't have to deal with as much of my moodiness or the fact I am in bed at 9:30 every night.

I have another doctor's appointment in two weeks and then we will see the baby again. We will do our best to keep up with the blog about what is going on out here during the pregnancy.

One year down and many more to follow

Happy 1st anniversary to the Johnson Family!!!!

Unfortunately, Missy is still at the vet and can't be here for the celebration.

We got home very late last night/early this morning from Vegas so today has been a slow one. We went to our favorite breakfast place for a yummy meal (we have no food cuz of the whole vacation thing) and ran a few errands. Target was our first stop for "shit rocks" to fill up Missy's litter box for her return home tomorrow a.m. and then the grocery for some food. We decided to grill steaks and portabella mushrooms with rice pilaf and biscuits for our anniversary dinner.

We watched the Cubs FINALLY win a game today as Keith watched the Royals on mlb.tv.com. Oh and we did some laundry. Married life is so exciting!

Now we are both playing on the computer (suppose to be doing work actually) and watching the remnants of Barry roll through - I think we are suppose to get 1-2 inches of rain tonight and continued rain for the next couple of days.

I gave Keith a gift certificate for 10 one hour guitar lessons since he has been talking about learning how to play. Keith gave me a night in NYC - dinner, a show and a night in a hotel. That will be fabulous. With all of our June plans we are thinking it will have to wait until July.

Well, after this lazy day home together I have to say good bye to my husband in the morning as he heads to Canada for a few days with work. I am just glad we had a whole week together before he had to leave again.

Memorial Day and beyond

So, we have settled back into our apartment after a week long tour of the country. The adventure started in trying to get to Des Moines on Northwest Airlines (I would recommend to NEVER fly them! It's a long story but trust me). Once in DM we drove over to Omaha to see my mom, brothers and their families. The eleven of us went out for dinner to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday. Six adults and five kids are bit for this newlywed couple to handle. All in all it was a good meal and everyone came out of it in one piece.

The next day Keith took the boys (Pete, Rob and Nick) for some paintball while mom, Wendi and I hung out with the younger kids. I think Keith recruited a few more people into the paintball army.

Again, everyone came out of the day in one piece so that was good. I received a phone call from Becca that afternoon that Caden Robert Helkowski had joined the world. Eric and Christy were so excited about the birth of their son and couldn't wait to take him home to meet Dakota (the dog, not my nephew - Dakoda).

Monday we drove back to DM to see Keith's side of the family. First was a nice get together at Denny and Linda's house with the Forgy's. Cameron has gotten so big since Christmas! He looks like a little man instead of a baby - it's so cute. I was able to capture male bonding at it's finest between Matt and Cam. Once I get pictures off the camera, I will figure out how to add them here.

After D&L's we went to Marv and Jo's for a Johnson cook out. Let me just say that I seem to eat my weight in food when I hang out with these people. It was fabulous. Brett and Tracy made a fine looking man in Cade. He was such a good baby, being passed around all afternoon with very little fuss. Mom is tired and in pain from the C-section and Dad is serious about every aspect of caring for his son and wife. It is adorable. As always, the time with them was short and went quickly. By the time we get back Cade will be thinking about sitting up and the Cyr's should have bought and settled into a new house (hopefully in Ankeny).

Tuesday Keith and I stopped to visit with Papa. He is doing well and looking forward to a quiet summer in Ankeny. We talked a bit about home movies and it appears that Papa has quite the collection and is getting them transferred to DVD's. So, we scheduled a movie night with him when we are back for Turkey day.

Keith then went to visit with Grandma Busby and stop by Grandpa Busby's resting place while I did a quick load of laundry and took a quick nap. The kids at Pete's were a little under the weather with fevers and I think I took some yuckiness with me.

All in all, a great visit to the midwest. We are looking forward to returning in November. After our time in IA, we headed to Vegas......that's another post :-)

There's a first time for everything

So, I have decided that the Johnson family established in 2006 needs to join the blogging world. It's an easy way to communicate the happenings in our lives - lately, there haven't been many. Hopefully we will be good about updating things. Right now is a good time to start because we are about to embarge on a week long vacation to Iowa and Las Vegas.

Also, yesterday the Johnson side of this family welcomed the first to carry on the Johnson name. Brett and Tracy were blessed by Cade Walter Johnson yesterday afternoon. We are hoping to sneak a peak at him while we are home.