Johnson Journals

It is days like this...

2011-09-04T09:08:00.003-07:00

It is days like this, that make me want to throw in the towel. I want to give up. I don't want to me mom anymore. I debated weather to write this post and ultimately decided that it is my life. Someday, I really hope to be able to look back at this time in my life and laugh and wonder why it seemed so hard. I will preface this with this statement, I LOVE MY KIDS. I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world, but I am afraid I am failing one of them as her mom.

I HAVE AN OUT-OF-CONTROL TWO YEAR OLD.

She has a cherub face, and that might be the only reason I let her stay. She is a physical and emotional tornado, and I feel like I am being destroyed by her storm. She is only happy when she is being naughty. If she is not dumping milk on the floor, or using cereal as confetti, or lathering her hair with baby oil, she isn't happy. She walks around all day crying because of non-existent owies. She cries that I won't hold her, and then as soon as I agree to pick her up, she cries because she wants down. She cries because she wants Spaghettio's for lunch and then throws the full bowl onto the carpet as soon as I put it on the table. She cries that Rae won't play with her and when Rae stands up to play, she cries that Rae hit her (which is USUALLY not the case). She cries that she wants to be potty trained, but digs poop out of the toilet to smear on the walls, floor, and anywhere else she can reach. (I still don't know why Rae REFUSES to flush the toilet!)

I have really tried this week to focus on her positive moments. When she is actually doing what she is supposed to do, I make a HUGE deal about it. We clap and sing and dance that Laynee is being so good. Her reaction to praise? She flips out. She throws the biggest tantrum you will ever see. She hates to be praised is the only conclusion I can come to.

I have also tried punishment, in the form of time out and losing privileges. She cries while I hold her in time out, but goes straight back to the behavior that put her there. When asked if she wants to go back to time out, even thirty seconds after leaving it, she will tell me that yes indeed she does want to go back. Losing privileges only forces her to be naughty, because there are no longer any toys to play with or shows to watch.

I have spent more than four hours over the last two days trying to prepare my primary lesson. I still haven't made it past the first paragraph. She can't play nice for more than thirty seconds, and Rae can only take so many beatings before she doesn't want to play anymore (and who can blame her). Even as I type this she has been on and off my lap three times and I have had to stop at least half a dozen times to stop her from doing something naughty.

I have tried redirection, Love and Logic, and trying to figure out her love language. Nothing seems to work. I have always told myself that it is just a phase, that her behavior will get better when she can (fill in the blank here). If I can't teach her to control herself, and how to be a functional person in society, I fail as her mom. We haven't made much progress in the last two years, and I am getting discouraged the future will hold a whole lot more of the same.

If you are still reading this, sorry. If you have any advice, I will gladly try anything at this point...

Funny Girl Rae

2011-09-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

Conversation with Rae today:
R: Dad, how old ore you?
J: 32.
A: That's pretty old Rae, isn't it?
R: That's really old! Daddy, are you going to die soon?!?
You should have heard the excitement in her voice as the conversation progressed!

Rae is 4!

2011-08-26T10:24:00.004-07:00

This was a birthday week for Rae. It started with a little party with her friends on Friday, a family party on Saturday, her actual birthday on Sunday, celebrating at school on Tuesday, and this Sunday will be her birthday dinner with the Johnsons. Rae's favorite gift by far, is a pair of Hello Kitty shoes she got from Kayla and Alexa. She shows them to everyone, including complete strangers at the grocery store.

Rae at four years old is 34 lbs, 40 inches tall, and my right hand. She is always willing to help me and will almost always do what I ask of her. She loves princesses and weddings. She spends half her day dancing, and tells everyone about her dance class, even though she isn't in a dance class. She loves Sunbeams, her new teachers, and all her new friends in her class. She loves Pink Panther reruns. She loves school. She loves pizza and salad. She loves to be on the go. Rae is our sweet little angel, and we love her!

Preschool for Rae

2011-08-26T10:13:00.002-07:00

Rae was so cute on her first day of school, and begs to go back every morning now. She loves school and learning, and probably the social aspect most of all! She also loves Miss Heidi and Miss Sicely!

For journaling purposes, I was so excited for Rae to go to school. Laynee has always been very clingy, and I was hoping some one on one time with her would help her feel more confident. I NEVER could have guess how miserable that first day of school would be for her, or me. For two hours she wailed about Rae. I tried to distract her with soda and cookies, and she wouldn't eat or drink. I tried to distract her with Grandpa, with no luck. We went to Target to distract her, but she cried on. I finally gave up and just came home to let her scream. When Rae came home, you would think that Laynee would have been happy to see her. Not so. Much of the rest of the day was spent with me trying to restrain Laynee from beating the tar out of Rae. It was a rough day, but she has gotten much better as the weeks have progressed.

Laynee is 2!

2011-08-26T09:55:00.005-07:00

Laynee's birthday ended up being much more laid back than I had originally planned, but she LOVED it anyways. Rae had a 24 hour bug the day before Laynee's party, so when Grandma McKee offered her house to party at, I jumped at the chance. Laynee enjoyed being the center of attention, and we all loved doting on her.

At two years old, Laynee weighs in at 24.5 lbs, and is 34 inches tall. She is smart, and very sassy. When she sets her sights on something, there is no distracting her until she gets what she wants. She LOVES all sweets, but calls them all cookies. She LOVES shoes, especially if they are not her own. She has just started staying in nursery the whole time, by herself, without crying. She misses Rae like crazy while Rae is at school. She LOVES coming to snuggle with me and have me pretend she is my baby to be rocked and kissed on. She loves to be on the go, and has been known to start crying when we even turn into our complex because she isn't ready to go home. She is our tiny little Laynee bug, and we LOVE her!

Utah Trip (Take 2)

2011-08-26T09:39:00.004-07:00

Only a few weeks after returning from our Salt Lake trip, the girls and I headed up to Southern Utah for my cousin's wedding in St. George. The wedding was beautiful, and Rae was fascinated by the ceremony. During the reception that followed, she married every boy that would agree to marry her (and even my cousin's little girl when she couldn't find a boy!). Sadly, I didn't think to bring my camera to the wedding (what is wrong with me?!?). The next day we drove up to Bryan Head ski resort. The girls had a blast just running and exploring. Rae was a huge fan of riding the ski lift, and Laynee may have been a fan if she hadn't been so set on standing up. Instead, she screamed the whole way up the lift and most of the way down too. She finally fell asleep about ten minutes before our "scenic ride" was over. We stayed in Vegas one night on our way home, where we went to Steak & Shake (best chili ever!!). I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the girls are to take on vacation, and can't wait for our next big adventure!

Utah Trip (Take 1)

2011-08-26T09:19:00.010-07:00

This summer has been one for fun and vacationing. We were able to take a few days in July to go up and visit with the Johnson/Gurr families in the Salt Lake valley. This little trip could not have come at a better time, as we were all exhausted from moving just a few weeks prior. We stayed a few days with Aunt Lori and her family in Orem. While we were there, my girls were inseparable from her cute little Abbey. We took a day to go swimming at the Linden aquatics center, and another day to go to the Children's Museum in Salt Lake. The last night before we came home, we drove down into the canyon to stay at the Mutual Dell. It was absolutely beautiful! The girls played hard with Wyatt, Cade, and Mason. They enjoyed a taste of freedom, running and exploring everywhere. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to chat with family, and reconnect with many we haven't seen in years.

Easter 2011

2011-04-28T10:22:00.007-07:00

This year's Easter was the best one to date. Not only was Rae old enough to understand the Easter Bunny, but she was also old enough to listen to and care about the atonement. She loves listening to stories of Christ, and she really enjoyed the Easter pageant this year. Even though we were in a terrible spot, and could only see if we stood up, she watched most of it, and was even able to tell parts of it to her Sunbeams teacher the next day. I hope for better behavior from Laynee at the pageant next year...

This was the first year that both girls hunted eggs, and they did so good! The Easter bunny put an R on all of Rae's eggs. When they found eggs that belonged to the other one, rather than leave it where they found it, they would pick it up and take it to their sister...and then celebrate it's finding together. It was so cute.

San Diego Zoo

2011-04-14T16:54:00.008-07:00

We decided to take a long weekend a few weeks ago and go to San Diego to use our zoo membership one more time before it gets hot there too. It was the best decision ever! The girls were AMAZING the whole drive there and back. Santa brought them a dual screen DVD player for the car for Christmas, and they were so happy to just watch movies the whole six hours there. We stayed in a hotel in La Mesa about 10 minutes from the zoo and were put in room 111. The whole time we were there, and still at least once a day, Rae talks about the One's and how badly she wants to go back. As we would walk down the hall she would say "one one four, one one three, one one two, and here's ours, the ones!" It was seriously so cute!

The next morning we woke up and went to the zoo. We started off by riding the train tour around the whole zoo because we knew there was no way we could ever see everything without it. Our first mistake was sitting on the bottom level of the bus. Rae really wanted to ride on top,and she was a stinker for almost the rest of the day. She whined and refused to look at ANY of the animals, but she stayed in the stroller so we pretty much ignored her. Laynee wasn't about to let a cranky sister ruin the zoo for her. She got more and more excited with every animal she saw. She was so happy, and totally in her element. She has always loved any animal, and it was cute to see her try to say all the new animal names. When we were worn out, we rode the Skyfari back to the front of the zoo to leave. Both girls LOVED it. For the first time since we got to the zoo Rae was smiling and laughing, and Laynee just tried to hang over the edge screaming "whoa" at the top of her lungs. Neither one wanted to leave when Jeff and I were ready, but both were sound asleep in the stroller before we even got to the car.

The next day we got up and went back to the zoo for a few hours. We started off riding the Skyfari back to the back. We saw a few exhibits, rode the Skyfari back to the front, looked at the snake exhibits, and decided to head home. We were so happy to be able to take our first vacation without extended family. It was nice to not worry about toddler tantrums slowing everyone down. It was so nice to be able to take things at our own pace and just enjoy being together. It was so nice even, that Jeff and I were able to laugh through most of those toddler tantrums. I can't wait to go back in October!

Not what it should be...

2011-02-25T15:48:00.002-07:00

******DISCLAIMER: LONG JOURNAL POST WITHOUT PICTURES*******

I can't believe it has been four months since I posted. So much has happened since Halloween. Thanksgiving was here at our house, but it was just my mom's family so that was no big deal. Even with all my siblings and their kids, my aunt's family, and my parents and grandma, we still had nowhere near the number of people we have for Jeff's family's Sunday night dinners that we host monthly. My MIL is a SAINT for doing it weekly, because it really is alot of work.

Christmas was SO BUSY! Between parties and sickness we were busy what seemed like every night in December. Luckily, we were all healthy on Christmas. Within about two days we all had the "true flu" though, which WAS NOT how we had planned to spend Jeff's week off work (although it was kinda nice to have him home to help with kids while we were all so sick).

I was really hoping that things would slow down with the holidays behind us, but that has not been the case. It seems like there is always something to prep for, or some family function to attend. As much as I LOVE to be busy, I am ready for a vacation from busy. We gave up Rae's naptime a few months ago, so she is my constant companion and shadow. She was having a hard time going to sleep at night, and no nap has definitely remedied that problem. I am just grateful Laynee still takes a good nap. She has had such anxiety the last few months when I am not an arms length away, that I REALLY relish my moments that she isn't in my arms or screaming to be in my arms. With kids constantly in my grill, it takes me longer to do anything. Cooking, cleaning, but especially blogging are often overwhelming when I decide to try to play catch up. (I only write this now, because I broke to broom trying to kill a bee Rae let in the house. It really dampened my resolve to mop tonight since I can't finish sweeping.) If for some reason you have read this far, look for updates on each of my kiddos in the next week. They are growing up too fast, and I am afraid I am going to forget how fun they can be at this age!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T10:58:00.008-07:00

The year of Tinkerbell. My little green fairies were by far the cutest I have ever seen, and I am most surely NOT biased! This was our first year really getting candy. Last year we didn't think Rae was old enough so we only went to a few trunks. This year we went to two trunk-or-treats and came home with the motherload of candy. Unfortunately for the girls, most of it was taken to give out to our cub scouts and most of the rest of it will be used to bribe Rae to sit on the potty (and maybe someday she will actually WANT to). All in all, a fantastic Halloween full of good food, great company, and really cute kids!

Children's Museum of Phoenix

2010-11-08T10:21:00.011-07:00

Turned out to be So.Much.Fun! I am so glad I decided we would give it a try even though our Culture Pass couldn't get us all in free!

Out of the mouth of Rae

2010-11-08T08:44:00.003-07:00

The other night, Jeff and I were laying in bed talking to Rae before we put her to sleep. We were talking about hair. I was asking Rae what color everyone's hair is, naming people one by one. That turned into "Does baby CJ have hair?" and "Does Laynee have hair?". Jeff then asked her, "Does Daddy have hair?". Without hesitation, she replied, "yeah, but just a little bit." She meant that Jeff has short hair, but we were both incapable of stifling our laughter!

Rae turned 3!!!

2010-09-21T10:38:00.004-07:00

Yeah, I am a total blog slacker. So much for keeping a family record. Rae turned three a month ago today. This really was her best birthday yet! She finally understood that it was HER special day. She LOVED getting presents, and especially loved getting her first bike and Little Mermaid sheets for her bed. All day she ran around telling people that it was "Rae's birthday." We had a little play date with her friends to kick off the birthday celebrations. She had so much fun eating hot dogs, decorating cupcakes, and just playing. That night we went with just our little family to Chuck-E-Cheese, Rae's favorite place on Earth (only because we haven't ever taken her to Disneyland). She had so much fun running around and sharing her "coins" with Laynee. On her actual birthday we had some family over to celebrate a little more. She had her first "princess cake" and couldn't have been happier about it.

A few of Rae's favorites at Three:
Play Story (aka Toy Story)
Laynee (aka "baby sister")
Ice cream
Pizza
going to the park
friends
Nursery
Cub scouts
Bikes
Reading stories (even from the scriptures!)
Saying prayers

Rae, you are such a sweet girl. I am so blessed to have you as a daughter. I love you silly girl!

Laynee is one!

2010-07-23T08:41:00.003-07:00

Laynee enjoying her birthday fork after she spit the cake out.

Laynee turned one while we were on our super-duper fantabulous vacation to San Diego last week. We went and got a sheet cake from Costco and celebrated with all the family that was there. I tried to feed her cake with a fork (because we were all filthy enough from camping for four days already), but she wasn't interested. Someday, if I ever get my act together we will let her dig into cake all by herself and maybe even open a present (she got a wagon that was great for hauling everything down to the beach in one trip, but it was too big to wrap...)

Anyways, her stats from her one year well-check:
Height: 30 in. 90%
Weight: 19lbs 9oz 25%
Head: 18in 75%

We have always joked that she was made from the supermodel mold, long and lean. Even though she has got quite the cute chunk to her thighs these days, I guess she is still my little supermodel...

San Diego 2010

2010-07-21T13:37:00.004-07:00

We have been home for five weeks now, so I guess it is time to journal our trip. Before we left, I was terrified to go. The thought of my wild card Laynee in a tent in a crowded camp ground for a week literally made my stomach turn. She really surprised me by being a great sleeper and only having issues one night.

We had a VERY BUSY, not so much relaxing stay. First, the weather on the beach was BEAUTIFUL! The days we were on the beach, Rae had so much fun playing with cousins and building sand castles. She even talked her dad into burying her and making mermaid fins with the sand. We tried several times to get a picture of our little mermaid, but as soon as Jeff would finish she would jump up. Laynee had a blast with almost freedom. She was allowed to crawl all over the sand, but for some reason she only wanted to go explore the showers and bathrooms (gross!). I am still not sure how she could crawl through the dry sand, because it burned my sensitive feet every time I had to go stop her from escaping the beach.

We also spent one day at the Wild Animal Park, one at the San Diego Zoo, and one at Knott's Berry Farm. Those days were all HOT! Apparently, July is not the best weather to go theme parking in California. Both of the girls did good at all of the parks. They were pretty much stuck in strollers for the zoos, and didn't complain too much about it. At Knott's, Laynee was able to ride a few of the kiddie rides, but only really enjoyed the Mac truck ride. Rae on the other hand, was able to ride everything in Camp Snoopy (the kids area of Knott's). Her fearlessness really surprised me. She insisted on going on a few rides that I was sure would make her cry, and she LOVED them. Hopefully, in a few more years she can be Jeff's roller coaster friend. I like to ride them, but the kids ones are just as much fun for me!

Rae says...

2010-06-15T10:51:00.002-07:00

A few nights ago Rae and I were laying in bed watching Princess and the Frog right before bed. Our conversation went a little like this:

R: Sad mom. A bug. (when Raymond gets stepped on)
Me: Yeah. Did Ray die?
R: NO! NO RAE! A BUG!
Me: The bug's name is Ray, just like you.
R: Oh. A momma too.
Me: (Looking at frogs on the screen) Is that Prince Naveen and Tiana?
R: Yeah. T-momma.

She was telling me if there was a character with her name that there had better be one with mine. She still denies sharing a name with Ray...

Where is the balance?

2010-04-21T14:42:00.003-07:00

I spend several hours everyday either planning for scouts, prepping for scouts, or attending trainings...for scouts. My kids are both screaming for attention, and I have been getting ready for scouts tonight since 6:30 this morning. I know the church has asked me to serve. I know that I am going to learn something from my service, but are my kids learning something too? Are they learning that their mom cares more about scouts than them? Do I just let my whole house go to heck in a hand basket for scouts? Is it wrong to ask to be released? Why would they call someone without any sons, with two children two and under to such a time consuming calling?!? I don't know how much longer I can do this...

Please, if you read this before I take it down leave me advice. I really need it.

Easter 2010 Part II

2010-04-02T13:02:00.005-07:00

We had some friends over today for a little lunch/Easter egg hunt. It was so much fun to see how different kids the same age are. Some of the kids were worried about the quantity of eggs, some about the quality (or if they are full of candy), and some were a little worried about making sure that the babies didn't get any. We had so much fun! Thanks to Katelyn, Mack, Ian, and Max for coming to help us party!!

Easter 2010 Part I

2010-04-02T12:54:00.003-07:00

Since Easter Sunday is conference Sunday, we decided to dress the girls in their Easter dresses the Sunday before. I am sure I am a little biased, but when my girls aren't busy crying, the are just the most beautiful girls anywhere!

Seize the day...hug your kids! Part II - Pictures

2010-04-02T12:49:00.002-07:00

How sad are these?!?

Jumping on the bandwagon...

2010-03-23T13:13:00.003-07:00

I have decided to go private. I have been getting really weird comments lately and trying to delete them as fast as I can, but they keep coming back. It is time to protect my kiddos from the strangers out there...

Leave me a comment or send me an email if you want an invite. I have comment moderation on for the privacy of your email. I got your back! ;)

Seize the day...hug your kids!

2010-03-03T14:18:00.004-07:00

Sunday was our first Sunday in our new ward. The ward seemed so super friendly and everyone was so eager to introduce themselves. I think we are really going to like it here. We got up for our 8AM block, enjoyed church (mostly out in the hall for me because Laynee wouldn't nap), came home for lunch and naps. Jealous? We ALL take naps on Sundays at this house. After Jeff, Rae, and I woke up we decided to watch a Sunday afternoon movie. We were laying on the couch when out of the blue Jeff started screaming for help. I jump up to find him laying Rae down on the floor...and she was having a full blown seizure. As this is not her norm, I sprinted down the hall, grabbed the phone, and called 911. She was still seizing when I got back. At some point she had stopped breathing, so we turned her to her side. As soon as she was turned she started vomiting all over the floor. She threw up quite a bit, and when she finally stopped vomiting, she turned blue. Around her eyes and lips was beyond blue, more a blueberry black color. We were terrified. She finally stopped seizing. We were getting ready to start CPR when she took a very ragged breath. Not more than one minute later the paramedics were through the door and working on her. As they were taking her vitals, they called an ambulance. Rae and I rode in the ambulance to Banner Desert. On the way there, the paramedics gave her an IV because her heart rate was at 220 and not coming down. In the 15 minutes it took to get her to the hospital, her temperature went from 99.2 to 104. We waited at the hospital for six hours while they took blood and urine tests. While we were waiting, our new neighbor came to the hospital to help give Rae a blessing. We are so grateful that he listened to the prompting to come, as after the blessing we all felt more peaceful about the whole situation. The doctors couldn't find anything that would be causing her fever. They sent us home with the diagnosis of a viral infection and febrile seizure. We watched her so closely all night to try and keep her fever from spiking again. She had another small seizure Monday morning, but has since broken the fever. We are so grateful for family, that were able to take Laynee overnight. We are so grateful that it happened in this house and not QC. The paramedics were here in less than five minutes, but at our old house it would have been 15. I am so grateful for a 911 operator who was able to keep me calm to work through the situation. Mostly, we are so grateful it wasn't more serious. We are so grateful we still have a stubborn, angry, perfect Rae in our lives. It has been a little easier to just sit and love my kids this week. I am grateful for all the hugs, kisses, and time we have shared. I love both my babies sooo much!

(I have really sad pictures of Rae at the hospital, but I don't have a camera cord to upload the pictures with...maybe later when I can find the cord in the sea of boxes...)

Just when I was sure she was asleep...

2010-02-09T21:20:00.002-07:00

...she comes downstairs looking like this.

Where did her pajamas go, and how did she keep completely silent for the last 30 minutes?

Too cute not to share!

2010-02-09T09:12:00.003-07:00

Finally got our pictures back from Thanksgiving. I realized two things when I saw them. 1. My girls are dang cute. (that's why I share these pictures with the rest of you!) 2. I am one large mama. (when did I grow that second chin?!? that's why I didn't share any of the whole family. maybe next time.)

All about my troubles!

2010-01-27T14:24:00.005-07:00

That's right. My troubles, aka kids. I guess troublemakers would be a more appropriate name. They are growing up too fast and not fast enough. I am always amazed as Rae gets older how the "trouble" changes. I love my girls like crazy and can't even imagine where I would be without them, so this post is all about them!

Rae:

Favorites:
Blankies
Daddy
Grandpa
Nursery
Laynee
Friends
being outside
pasta
The Little Mermaid
donuts
Climbing out of her crib
hiding things from mom and dad behind her back

Dislikes:
naps
obeying
carseats

We FINALLY took away all of her "boppies", or pacifiers. She has only had them at night for over a year now, but she is WAY TOO OLD for them at all. I have been scared to take them because she couldn't go to sleep without one, just the thought of taking them made me tired. The final straw broke this week when she threw a fit because I wouldn't let her have it all day. I took them and hid them all. She wasn't very happy about not having it (and still begs for it all day and especially at bedtime) but it has been a very easy transition.

Laynee:

Six month stats
Length: 28 in 100%+
Weight: 15.1lbs 75%

Favorites:
Mom
Rae
sitting up
being held
sweet potatoes (she hasn't tried anything else yet)
napping
mirrors
blankies
pacifiers

Dislikes:
anyone but mom holding her
juice
tummy time
doctors

Laynee is still not rolling over. For some reason neither of my kids have ever mastered this one skill. Must be something I do wrong. Anyways, if she doesn't figure it out soon we will be off to see a specialist. Personally I don't think anything is wrong, but being cautious is never a bad thing. Hopefully we won't have to go all the way to Phoenix like we would have had to with Rae...
Laynee is such a different child from her sister. Rae was always a "go with the flow" kinda kid (once she got over the colic anyways). Laynee is a sensitive little thing. She is upset very easily and only mom can clam her down. Lucky for me though, she is like Rae and I in one way. She LOVES to go places. She is always so much happier anywhere but home. She loves to see new places and meet new people, as long as she is in the safety of mommy's arms. Sometimes it bugs, but mostly I try to just love on her. Eventually she will be an independent toddler like Rae and I will cry for my clingy little baby...

Christmas 2009

2010-01-27T14:15:00.002-07:00

Here we are a month after Christmas and I can't remember too much to journal about. It was the first Christmas without G&G Johnson because they are now in Norway. We missed them so much! There just wasn't anyone for the kids to act out Luke 2 with. Next year I will have to be more on the ball and plan something so we don't miss out on that important opportunity again (not likely, I'm not that good...). Since I can't remember too much about it I will just post the pics and try to finish another post for a real update...

Vampires in my home??

2009-11-30T09:33:00.002-07:00

Upon closer inspection, Laynee has cut three teeth. All of them are eyeteeth. That officially makes her my sweet vampire baby!

Where has the time gone??

2009-11-24T14:39:00.004-07:00

It seems like just a few weeks ago we were transitioning to being a family of four. Time is flying, and while some days that is such a comforting thought, today it makes me sad. My babies are growing up. Rae is two and rambunctious, emotional, and so loving. She can't get enough of her super mean mom, her daddy's fun games, or kisses from her baby sister. Laynee is four months old now. She loves playing with faces, playing in her jumper, and eating. She just cut her first tooth, and I think there may be a second one, but they are both at the back of her mouth and she screams when I try to get a good look. She hasn't had any "food" yet, but she is starting to be very interested in what is on our plates at mealtime. I am not sure how much longer I can hold off on giving her cereal. She is still such a good baby, although she has recently found her voice and loves to let us know when she is bored. We were so excited to bless her this month and have most of our family there. Jeff gave her a beautiful blessing. My favorite part was that she would grow up to be a good friend to her mother. I would love to think my girls could be my best friends someday! Her four month stats are as follows:
length 27 inches 100+%
weight 13.5lbs 50%

We were also able to go camping a few months ago. Obviously it was Laynee's first camping trip (she was only about 10 weeks old), but it was also Rae's first time camping someplace other than the beach. We had SO.MUCH.FUN! It was freezing at night, but beautiful during the day. Rae loved being able to just run, and loved even more that Grandpa was there to run with her! Both girls slept so well. We can't wait to plan another camping trip when it warms up a bit!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T11:26:00.002-07:00

We had a blast this Halloween. Rae is finally old enough to eat some candy so we hit up both grandparents houses for trick-or-treating and then headed to Grandma's trunk-or-treat. No matter how much I worked with her she refused to say anything until she already had the candy,and that was followed with a polite thank you. (Then she would stick her bucket out for more...forget moving on to the next trunk!) Laynee just was dragged along for all the fun, and she was so good. She loved smiling and cooing at anyone who would give her any attention! I may be a little biased, but I had the cutest bumblebees in the world!!

I may be a little late...

2009-09-23T08:23:00.002-07:00

Laynee had her two month well check last week. Her stats are as follows:
Weight: 11lbs 1oz 75%
Height: 23in 90%
Head: ??? small for her age like 25%

My sweet baby decided to grace me with sleep last night. She went to bed at 9 and didn't wake up again untill 7:30. Thanks Laynee! Mommy thinks you are a perfect little baby!!

2009-09-13T10:59:00.003-07:00

Why do babies grow so fast? I want this sweet thing to stay this way forever...

As for this one, she can keep growing. I love her to pieces, but she can be an awfully naughty two year old!

Just for journaling purposes, Rae had her two year old doctor visit. Her stats are as follows:
Weight 30lbs 90%
Height 34 1/2 in 90%
Head 20cm 100+%
Rae, we love your big melon head! I think that you need it to hold that big ol smartie pants brain of yours!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2009-09-04T19:47:00.003-07:00

Two weeks ago these two had birthdays. Someday I might get my act together and find the cords I need to post this years pictures. Then again, maybe not...I am too busy kissing on this!

Indroducing Laynee Adalia Johnson!!

2009-07-18T13:27:00.002-07:00

We have been home for a few days now, and are all feeling great. (It is amazing how much difference two pounds can make on a delivery!) Laynee made her debut Tuesday afternoon weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz and measuring 21 inches. I was only in labor for about six hours, and only pushed for 10 minutes. Talk about having energy to spare afterwards!! She is such a good baby so far and we are so glad she is finally here!!! Now we are just waiting for the novelty of a new baby to wear off. If Rae is awake, Laynee needs protecting from all of Rae's affection. At least they are starting out as friends...I wonder how many years that will last for me!?!

2009-07-13T08:34:00.002-07:00

Tomorrow is the big day. Hospital scheduled for 5 AM. I am super nervous about pitocin, I didn't have to have it with Rae's delivery. I have that feeling that I am forgetting something...that everything isn't ready. I can't wait to meet that sweet baby though (hopefully she is sweet). Here's to hoping she will be the cuddler her sister never was!!

Venter Update...

2009-07-01T08:54:00.002-07:00

I was able to take my dad's car in to the mechanic. We were able to fix our Camry for a mere $15. I slept from 9:00 last night until 8:00 today. Today is a new day, and it will be a million times better!! The doctor won't let me go past my due date, but he won't induce me early either. Right now, that is my only frustration...and I can deal with it for now! Happy face and smiles all around!!

Quick trip to Cali

2009-05-13T11:35:00.002-07:00

Rae and I decided last week to head to California with Kami and Douglas to stay with Joel and Kristina in their beach house. We had planned on going this week, but decided last minute to head out early. Cupcakes were made (can't drive without some good eats!), bags were packed, and we were on the road two hours after deciding to go. It was a ton of work, and I may have thought I was going into labor, but luckily it took awhile to get there so I had PLENTY of time to relax! Surprisingly enough, traveling with a one year old and a three year old is not bad...if you have a DVD player! Anyways, California was beautiful. The weather was perfect, unlike here. The company was the best. We had a blast! Thanks everyone for entertaining us for a few days. We can't wait to do it again!!

(Never mind my fat preggo self in the pictures. At least Rae is cute...)

Mommy timeout...

2009-04-17T15:52:00.004-07:00

The day I thought I had successfully avoided came today. When I put in my contacts after my shower all I could see all over the carpet, my leg, and the wall was poop. Apparently Rae went mining in her diaper and struck gold while I was showering. After scolding her, cleaning her up, and then cleaning up the mess (and showering again) I was still furious. I find myself sitting in mommy timeout blogging away my frustration. Very therapeutic. Now that she has found how much fun her poop is should I expect this again in the future?!?

Easter 2009

2009-04-16T07:25:00.006-07:00

We had a pretty uneventful Easter this year, but it was still packed with food, family and fun! We started our festivities at Grandma & Grandpa McKee's house with dyeing eggs. Rae decided the egg dye was much too delicious to waste on eggs. We all thought she would be done after her first bite of vinegar, but she kept going untill she had eaten half of the orange bowl!

When she finished with the dye she decided to go play in the dirt with cousin Alexa.
When all the daddies got off work, Grandma volunteered to hide eggs. I was not too hopeful that Rae would have any intrest in finding them, but she suprised us again. She needed no explanation, and there was no slowing her down. She ran like a crazy woman until all the eggs were found.
On Sunday the Easter Bunny visited our house and left Rae a little basket. She LOVED the Pez he brought her (gross!). She also loved the bubbles, although she just laughes at them and doesn't try to pop them.
We forgot to get pictures of her in her Easter dress before church (can we even begin to say how hard two o'clock church is and how naps rarely happen on Sundays anymore), but got some afterwards on her cousin's camera. When I can get my hands on those copies maybe we will post how cute she was...tears and all.

Vegas Vacation

2009-03-24T14:17:00.005-07:00

We had the opportunity to head to Vegas for Spring Break with Jeff's parents and sisters' families. We walked around and saw many of the free family shows at the hotels on the strip. I guess I had high hopes for Rae, and she was good most of the time, but she wasn't much for the shows yet. She would watch for about 30 seconds and then scream to be free to explore. Her favorite thing to see was the ducks at the Flamingo. She has just recently learned what a duck is and what sound it makes and she just couldn't get enough of them! Her all time favorite thing to do while we were there was ride the elevator. She had no fear. Even after her fingers got caught in the door (with no damage done, just one scared little girl) she still wanted to do it all by herself. Try to ignore the whale in a swimsuit with her. It is just my pregnant self squeezed into a swimsuit long after it should have been retired...

Beyond that, we just hung out, swam, and enjoyed the good company. Thanks Janet for planning the whole thing and allowing us to crash it!

(Some more pictures from our trip just for good measure...)

Still rings true...

2009-03-11T09:51:00.002-07:00

I have not ever been political on the blog before, but I came across this quote and immediately knew it to be true. If only there were a few more people who could understand this concept in our nation's capital today...

"You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it. You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The Government cannot give to anybody anything that the Government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that is surely the end of any nation's future."
-Abraham Lincoln

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying there isn't a need for a welfare program or that there is a problem accepting help when it is needed. I am just very pro personal responsibility and believe that maybe there are a few people out there that could benefit from a better work ethic.

* DISCLAIMER * That being said, this is in NO WAY directed at anybody I know. It is just something that has been on my mind lately...so please don't be offended....

And the verdict is....

2009-03-02T18:28:00.002-07:00

This sweet little thing has big plans to add to the drama in the Johnson household. We are so excited for another GIRL! Hopefully she can be best friends with Rae...and not mortal enemies!!

A day late (plus a week)....

2009-03-02T07:15:00.002-07:00

As always, I am journaling way after the fact. Good thing I only have one kid. My baby is FINALLY old enough for nursury. I didn't know what to expect when I dropped her off. As always she suprised me. She walked right in and never looked back. A tiny (very, very tiny) part of me wanted it to be a fluke, I wanted emotion this week when I dropped her off...to prove to anyone (mostly me) that my baby still needs me. No such luck. We had a repeat of her first week, walked right in and never looked back. I guess I don't need to spend the next few years wondering how she will do her first day of school....

I have no pictures for this event either. The camera was lost...and then found and forgotten. Oops. You'll have to take my word that she was awful cute!

My baby is growing up!

2009-02-19T10:27:00.002-07:00

I forgot to write yesterday, but two nights ago when we put Rae to bed she said "love you". She hasn't said it since, so it may just be a coincidence, but Jeff and I both heard it. She is such a cute girl...when she isn't throwing a world famous tantrum!

Help! I need your "Mommy" advice!

2009-01-27T13:20:00.004-07:00

This sweet little thing stopped sleeping through the night about six weeks ago due to teething. The evil little teeth have made an entrance, but this time she is holding onto old habits and waking me up 2-3 times every night. All I have to do is turn on her music and find her binkie in the dark and she goes right back to sleep.(I know she shouldn't have a binkie anymore, but we were going to break that habit when I am not sick all day.) Anyways, short story long, I seem to have insomnia this pregnancy. It takes me HOURS to get back to sleep and when I finally do, she wakes me up again. The less sleep I get, the more sick I seem to be during the day. What can I do?

Our Big Adventure for 2009

2009-01-07T09:15:00.003-07:00

I have been a lot of things lately. I have been lazy, cranky, tired, sick, and have developed a talent for disappearing soon after we arrive at church. I am so sorry to any of you I may have blown off anytime in the last couple months. I have been busy building this.

Much like the first one, this one doesn't want me to be me for awhile. It wants me to be sick. Hopefully in another couple weeks I can convince It that It will have a much more comfortable ride for the next while if It is nicer to me. I have faith that eventually It will listen, after all, what can be more stubborn than me?!?

Baby #2 is due July 23, but I have an angel doctor who has already agreed to induce labor sooner so that I don't give birth to another toddler. What a good doctor!

Welcome 2009!

2009-01-01T19:42:00.002-07:00

I have been a total blog slacker, and I have a good excuse, but that is a story for another day. We had a very merry Christmas at our house, but because we were trying to get some video we neglected the camera. I just realized we don't have even one Christmas picture for Rae's scrapbook. My mom of the year award is already in the mail.

As 2008 came to a close, I began to reflect on the changes it brought throughout the year. It was about this time last year that Rae was finally overcoming her colic...and what a blessing that was. I like to think of it as the beginning of a wonderful friendship. As the economy suffered, our family stumbled upon tight times as well. Jeff and I have come closer together and I have found that he and Rae really are the greatest joy in my life. We are also so grateful for supportive family and friends who understand and love me in spite of my sometimes stress induced grouchiness.

I love that a new year gives me a good reason to try and make simple changes to better my life. My goals this year are really quite vague. No weight goals this year. They don't ever work out for me. In 2009 I would like to be more prepared. I want to always feel like I can take care of my family. I am sure that just a little prep time on my part would help me breath easier during those "hard" weeks life throws my way. My other goal is kinda one of my deepest darkest secrets...so don't judge. I never clean my house. I almost can't remember what color my carpet is. I have a heart attack anytime there is a knock on the door because someone might see in. I am tired of feeling that way. I want to be proud to welcome visitors in my home...or at least the downstairs part of it.

I am excited to see what adventures 2009 will have to offer. Can't wait to create more wonderful memories with family and friends!!

(How is that for a totally long boring post that may be lacking vital information? Check back in a few days for pictures and an exciting story!)

We are still here!

2008-12-03T16:09:00.003-07:00

Here are a few things we have been up to since the last post:

Pretty Pretties

2008-10-29T12:32:00.002-07:00

Rae wears these around the house all day. When you ask her where her pretties are she finds these and puts them on. I guess I have a girlie girl on my hands...who likes to be filthy and play in the dirt too. What a sweetheart!

Beach fun-freezing style!

2008-10-29T09:46:00.005-07:00

Back at the beginning of October, we went and camped on the beach with most of Jeff's family. Although we usually go during the summer, we were hoping to escape some of the summer heat this year. We succeeded. We froze our tootsies off almost every night we were there. I guess San Diego decided to have a cold front and didn't tell us. We were NOT prepared to say the least. Although after dark was cold, the days were beautiful! We were able to enjoy a few good days on the beach, as well as a Sunday afternoon at the San Diego temple, a day at Sea Port Village, and a day at Knott's Berry Farm. I was worried that Rae would be a handful, and she was, but she enjoyed every minute of our vacation. Here are some of our pictures in no particular order.

For journaling sake...while we were at Knott's, we took Rae on her first "Roller Coaster" (or log ride). It was similar to Splash Mountain at Disney only a little less cartoon and a little more creepy. We were in the log and on our way up to the top when...the ride stops. We are at this point thinking that they just need to get the other boat farther in front of us, no big deal that we are at a very uncomfortable upward angle. About five minutes later they come and inform us that the ride was broken, and rescue us through backstage off the ride. Then the park closed. Sorry Rae. You will have to wait until later to ride your first coaster.

Not my needed update, but that can come later...

2008-09-24T10:34:00.002-07:00

I was tagged, and I am usually VERY bad about doing tags, but Rae is sleeping and I am trying to put off cleaning so here it is...for all your reading enjoyment!

A) Attached or single: Very attached...for the rest of eternity...and loving every minute!

B) Best friends: Many of my friends from high school, as well as my sisters and sister-in-laws.

C) Cake or pie: Either as long as they are sugar-filled

D) Day of choice: Thursday or Saturday...two days of the week they let me out...

E) Essential item: shoes...for protecting my feet and killing bugs...although they get used for the latter more often around here.

F) Favorite color: green

G) Gummy bears or Gummy worms: Either...goes back to my sugar addiction

H) Hometown: Mesa, AZ

I) Indulgence: Anything sweet...and Dr. Pepper...the two things I will do almost anything for...

J) January or July: Because I am tired of the heat I will say January, but if you ask me in January I will say July.

K) Kids: Beautiful Baby Rae

L) Life wouldn't be complete without: my family and friends, and the gospel

M) Marriage date: June 21, 2003

N) Number of brothers and sisters: One older brother, two younger sisters

O) Oranges or apples: Oranges

P) Phobias: Heights

Q) Quotes: "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Abe Lincoln

R) Reasons to smile: Baby fat (on babies...not me), rain, steady paychecks, good food, family, good books, friends, upcoming vacations

S) Season of choice: Fall

T) Tag some people: Anyone with a few minutes and a desire to do this one!

U) Unknown fact about me: I enjoy a peanut butter and sweet pickle sandwich every now and then.

V) Vegetable: Squash, zucchini, broccoli, peas, corn, pretty much any of them...

W) Worst habit: Blogging when I should be cleaning

X) X-ray or Ultrasound: Ultrasound...usually a happy moment. I have been hurt or sick for every x-ray.

Y) Your favorite food: Pizza and wings, and Mexican food

Z) Zodiac sign: Taurus

There you go...me in a nutshell. I will post a real update as soon as I can talk myself into finding the cord to download new pictures.

Thank Goodness it's FRIDAY!!

2008-09-19T15:50:00.002-07:00

I am so glad this work week is over. I am ready for a good weekend. Kinda done dealing with everyday stresses and I am choosing to ignore almost all responcibility for the next two days. My goal for next week...have a better attitude by Monday morning (and then don't let it fly out the window) and eat a little more chocolate (it helps keep my good attitude). Now I am accountable to anyone who reads this. Wish me luck!!

Allison Johnson

2008-08-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

This came as no big suprise. I have met one of them already.

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
1,136
people with my name in the U.S.A.

http://howmanyofme.com">How many have your name?

Happy Birthday my Love!

2008-08-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a shout out to my favorite guy. Happy Birthday!! Love you so much old man! Thanks for all your hard work inside and outside our home. Thanks for being so hands-on as a dad. Thanks for always trying to come home wearing a smile, even when work is the pits. We just love ya to pieces and hope you have a wonderful day!!

One year down...

2008-08-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

That's right! My baby is one today! This year has just flown by, and I love her little emerging personality more everyday. Rae is such a loving funny little girl, and I am so grateful to be her Mommy!! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the last year in no particular order:

Four months

Seven months
Nine months
Eleven months
Ten months
Three days
Three hours
Two Hours
Two Months
Three months

Jensen Family Reunion

2008-07-28T15:08:00.000-07:00

We spent last week in Utah for a reunion. I was terrified of the 12 hour drive there and home, but Rae did wonderful. Not one fit the whole way. (Although we did keep her happy with and endless supply of juice, goldfishes, Cheerios, and Baby Einstein.) Thanks for letting us use your portable DVD player Jill! I am positive it is the ONLY reason that our drive was pleasant.

This is the house in Pleasant Grove, UT Jeff was raised in until he moved to Arizona when he was five. It was so much fun to drive around and see all of the places that I have heard stories about! Rae really enjoyed getting dirty at the lodge. The cleanest place for her to crawl around was outside in the grass. Her mother must have been nutty to pack white shorts for her when we were going to be camping!

I was able to ride the zip-line while we were there. For those of you who don't know me, I am DEATHLY afraid of heights. It was hard to step off the platform, but so much fun to ride down!
This is almost all of the family that came up for the reunion. We took this picture right before we left the canyon to come home. (Joel and Kristina had stayed in a hotel-definitely easier with a baby, but that is why they weren't in the picture. I may have been jealous for a minute or two, I do love climate controlled rooms!)

We spent the first day in Lagoon. Jeff and I got ride the rides thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Johnson staying with Rae. Rae enjoyed playing in Aunt Eden's wheelchair.

Help me...please?

2008-07-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

I am having a harder time than I thought trying to figure out Coupon sense. It isn't that I have questions, rather I think I just need someone to explain it to me. I think I understand the logistics, but how can I apply them when I go shopping to make the most of my coupons and dollars?

2008-06-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is the primary reason I don't ever post. I started out with four pictures and just a couple sentances explaining them. Rae saw the laptop open and decided to come help. What you see iswhat she was able to do before I could get to the post button. Gotta go!!\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Just a couple of my favorite recent pics...

2008-06-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

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Where have we been you may ask?

2008-06-29T21:21:00.000-07:00

Well....not anywhere really. I have had a very hard time posting ever since Rae started crawling about 2 months ago. If she isn't busy unloading my cupboards, or trying to drink Windex, then she is definitely hitting the keys on the keyboard faster than I can stop her. Since this blog is doubling as our family journal, I thought I would post Rae's 9 month stats. (Yeah, they were taken 5 weeks ago. Sign me up for the mom of the year award.) She WAS officially 22.5 lbs and 30 inches long. That puts her in the 95% for weight and off the charts for height. And if anyone would like to come massage my back, it might be constantly throbbing from the Chubba Bubba attached to my hip! Right now Rae's favorite things to do are watch Backyardigans, get into EVERYTHING, taste new foods, and give everyone loves. My favorite is the loves. When Rae was born she hated to cuddle. At only a few hours old she would arch her back to escape a hug. Now it is one of her favorite games. She frantically grabs at my legs or shirt until I give her a big squeeze and then laughs hysterically. As much as I am not loving her troublemaker side (that shakes her finger at me and yells stop), I wouldn't trade her for anything!!

You might be asking yourself why there are no adorable pictures with this long boring post. There would have been, but they wouldn't upload. Sorry. Better luck next time!

Help! I need ideas!!

2008-06-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

I think I have sharing time this month in primary and I have NO IDEAS for what to do. My theme to work with is "I will be reverent, dress modestly, and speak kindly to be worthy to enter the temple." How can I gear this to a very young primary, and how can I include my Sunbeams in the presentation? Any good ideas out there?!?

Quick recap of our month

2008-05-28T09:57:00.000-07:00

I am not sure what it is about having a crawler, but life seems to be in overdrive lately. We were fortunate enough to spend a few weeks in Oceanside, CA this month. Thanks Joel and Kristina for inviting us! We had so much fun!! Rae also broke two more teeth. We officially have front teeth now! Hooray! Bring on the cookies!

OK, GO!

2008-04-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! Rae is sick for the third time in three months. I am starting to think my kid has the weakest immune system known to man! It all started with a runny nose last Wednesday, and has escalated into fever, vomiting, and diarrhea for the last two days. Help! How can I keep my baby healthy?!?

p.s. I tried to add a beautiful picture of my sick princess but alas, blogger won't let me! Grrrr!

Happy Belated Easter!

2008-04-04T21:19:00.000-07:00

Our family had such a good Easter and were able to spend time with both of our families. Rae had a ton of fun at her first Easter egg hunt. The egg she found made a great rattle.Here she is checking out the loot in her first Easter basket. She had a ton of fun things like pink tennis balls, a hat to wear to the pool, and a bunch of new books. Her favorite things were her new flower headband and the tags on her stuffed animals.Here she is ready to go to church and learn about the resurection in sunbeams. I loved her little Easter dress! This was my favorite Easter basket though. Who knew that a cranky baby could be a cute baby by putting her in a basket?!?

Lastly, but not least important, I made a Key Lime Pie tonight from scratch. I was TERRIFIED to taste it because it came out of the oven a pukey yellow color. It tasted just like they used to when we lived in Florida. I highly recommend to anyone who has never had Key Lime Pie to try it. It is super easy to make, and key limes are in season....

Doctor update

2008-04-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

I took Rae to the doctor yesterday. We originally had made the appointment at her six month check, because she couldn't roll over. When I told him that she still couldn't roll over...or at least that I think it is more a matter of she hates rolling over...he told me that we had better be safe than sorry. We left the office with a referral to a pediatric neurologist and a prescription for antibiotics. (He thinks she originally had the flu, but the congestion went to her lungs and turned into a very mild case of pneumonia.) Now after a few doses of her new candy (antibiotics), she is almost back to her old temperament. Still a little cranky, but we are back to playing and giggling all day long!

Just so that I actually have to do it, I am announcing that I am going to finally post Easter pictures this weekend!

Help!

2008-04-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

Rae has been sick since Saturday night and I am about to lose my mind! What do you do to stay sane when you have sick children?

Carrots?

2008-03-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to think of easy things that I can do to stretch every dollar. I posted earlier about wanting to make my own baby food. I have spent the last week or so researching prep and storage and thought it sounded pretty easy. Last night after I put dinner in the oven, I decided to just give it a whirl. Totally easy! I didn't actually make enough to worry about trying to freeze it, but Rae seems to enjoy her food fresh just as much as she did from the jar. Here are a couple pictures of my carrot puree and one of my sweet baby after eating her fresh carrots.

I finally did it!

2008-03-07T21:12:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to try my hand at bread making for awhile now. I finally decided today was the day. It was nerve racking, but relatively easy. My bread didn't turn out perfect, but it wasn't as awful as I expected it to be. I'll have to try it again soon! My next project is to find some good baby food puree recipes. I'll domesticate myself if it is the last thing I do!

Fun afternoon...

2008-03-05T16:46:00.001-07:00

Rae and I went to lunch with some of our friends from the ward to the Olive Mill. The food was really good, but didn't even compare to the beautiful weather and the fun company. We sat outside because we all had kids, and it was just too nice not to! Luckily for me, Bethany remembered her camera and offered to share her pictures. Thanks Bethany!! We took this video of Rae's laugh. It makes me giggle everytime I hear it! After lunch we went to the new Super Target on Rittenhouse and Ocotillo. So nice! The shopping carts are so easy to steer and every shelf was stocked to capacity. Rae and her best friend Kennedy had so much fun playing together! What cute girls!!

Six months already?!?

2008-03-05T15:11:00.000-07:00

Rae had her six month well baby check on Monday. Her new stats are as follows:

Height: 28in 100%+
Weight: 19lbs 9oz 95%

She is getting so big...and breaking my back in the process! Here is a little comparison; at a few days old and just today (I guess lunch with friends and almost 2 hours at the new Target wore her out!)

I just noticed yesterday that her legs and feet are so fat that they touch when she is standing! So cute!!

Update with pictures to come soon

2008-02-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

Rae has had a cough for almost three weeks now, so I took her to the doctor last Friday. Turns out she has an ear infection. Lovely, she is on her first round of antibiotics. She is more cranky on the antibiotics than she was with the ear infection. We go back on Monday for her 6 month checkup. We have been kickin' it at home all week. I am sooo excited for this baby garage sale thing that I heard about. Check it out HERE. The really cool thing about it is that if you are expecting or have a baby under 1 year old, then you can register to go before it opens to the public. I plan on being there Friday by four o'clock. Hopefully that will be early enough to pick up a jogging stroller. Maybe I will see some of you in line!

Happy mommy and other things...

2008-02-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

I was really sick of holding all of Rae's bottles, and seeing as how she is almost six months old I decided it was time for her to learn. I figured she could do it, because when you pull the bottle out of her mouth she grabs it and puts it back. I decided to just lay her on the floor and put her bottle next to her. Within a matter of seconds she had it picked up and in her mouth, happily eating away. What a stinker! She REFUSES to hold it if I am holding her, but does so well when left to her own devices.

I also took this picture sometime this weekend. What a sweet picture of my two favorite sweethearts!

Happy Valentine's Day

2008-02-14T14:44:00.001-07:00

Too bad I was one cupcake short of a heart. It isn't because I ate it, I promise. Count them. Still 24 of them. How is that for self control?!?

Daddy's Girl

2008-02-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

It only took five months to see what traits Jeff has given to Rae. She may look just like her momma, but she has a passion for TV just like her daddy. We set her down to play with her toys and turned on Backyardigans because she will occationally watch for a few minutes. It got really quiet and when we peeked around the corner this is what we found. We had to climb over her to get the camera and she never looked away. Doesn't she look comfy?!?

Also, this week she thinks she is too big for naps. When I put her in her crib she just cries and cries. That is why I have been finding her like this all week:

I guess having really good English teachers has paid off...

2008-02-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

TV Reviews

I am not sure how they rate it, but I will post anything that says I am smarter than the average ten year old.

Urgent Update

2008-02-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

I posted too soon. I just checked and the second one broke through last night. My baby is just going to have a mouthful of teeth soon. What a big girl!

Time for some REAL food...

2008-02-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Okay not really, because I am the meanest mom. Rae broke her first tooth yesterday with the secod one ready to break through any time now. She thinks that just because she has a tooth, that I should share my cookies for breakfast. I don't think so. Thankfully, she has just been her normal self...maybe without the extreme appetite, but she has not been too cranky. I wouldn't have even known if she hadn't started knawing on my finger!

Gerber Baby

2008-01-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

We started feeding Rae Gerber 1st veggies a few days ago. We can't feed them to her when she is hungry or she totally freaks out. If she is hungry I can't shovel the food in fast enough. We started with squash...and she loved it. We moved on to sweet potatoes...and she LOVES them. I am seriously considering sending her picture to Gerber and telling them to update their baby! I could look at her face on baby food jars for a few years, what about you?!?

She has also decided that she LOVES to sit in her highchair and play with her toys...the tray keeps them from sliding away! That is a feature that the couch and floor didn't come with. Ingenius!!

Killing time

2008-01-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

I am trying to do anything possible to avoid cleaning my house right now so I thought I would post. I did make it to the hospital and baby Alexis is adorable.

I also FINALLY finished Rae's letters for her wall and hung them in her room. I guess it is officially her room now....

I am out of new pictures now...here I come messy house!

Congratulations Merissa & Cris!

2008-01-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

My little sister Merissa gave birth to her second little girl last night. Alexa weighed in at 8lbs 15oz. Hopefully, I can go meet her today and get some pictures!

Mmm Mmm, Good!

2008-01-04T17:09:00.000-07:00

My baby had her second experience with rice cereal today. Although she HATED it two days ago, today she absolutly LOVED it! She had a Very hard time keeping her finders out of her mouth while she was eating, but she has the same problem when she is eating from her bottle. I guess she just LOVES her fingers! I may be a little biased, but she is just so CUTE!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2008-01-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

My New Years Resolution was to get my baby out of my bedroom. (thanks to Taryn, if she can do it with her little guy I can do it with mine) One down and 365 more to go this year (leap year this year)! Hooray Rae! Mommy slept so good!!

Four months already!

2007-12-29T13:09:00.000-07:00

I took Rae in to her four month check-up yesterday. For any of you who voted on the poll...drumroll...she was still three pounds away from doubling her birthweight. Rest assured, she is still a big girl. (I guess when they start out at 9lbs 9oz it takes longer to double.) Anyways, her new stats...

16lbs 15 oz
26 inches long

That leaves her in the 95% across the board. I am hoping she will slow down her growth a little. She is already getting too big for her 6 month clothes and she has only been wearing them a few weeks. Guess it may be time to go shopping soon again.... Anyone up for lunch at the new mall on Williams Field and possibly some shopping afterwards?!?

Christmas Memories

2007-12-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

This post is coming a little late, however, Rae has been a BEAR to be around lately with a really bad cold. Christmas is sooo different with a child. We started our morning at 5:30 because Rae woke up hungry and couldn't breath by the time she finished her bottle. She tried so hard to be a good little girl and go back to sleep, but she could only breath through her mouth, and she can only go to sleep with her Nuk. Anyways, her and I headed downstairs to wait for Jeff to wake up. When we got there I turned on the TV to the Yule Log. (I know, I am a TOTAL DORK!) As I sat on the couch holding my tired sick baby and listening to the Christmas music, I realized that a very long time ago another mother had held her baby and loved her baby the same as I do. I wondered as Rae snorted away, if Mary had any idea the suffering her baby would face in His life. I became overwhelmingly grateful for the sacrifices Mary made in being mother to my Savior. I can't even imagine standing by and watching as people hurt my child and not being able to do anything about it. My heart broke for her. I am so grateful to have the gospel and all of the undersatnding and blessings that come with it. I am so grateful for Christ and all he did for me, and also for this season we have to celebrate his life with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who sacrificed their time this season to spent it with me.

Now, on a lighter note...Christmas is sooo much fun with kids! I know that Rae had no idea what day it was or that she was opening gifts, or even why we were celebrating. She did know that she got to spend extra time with her beloved Daddy, and that she LOVES her new bouncer! Here are a few pictures from our WONDERFUL day!

First round of Christmas!

2007-12-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from todays Christmas festivities.

Rae in her first Christmas dress...and always a wonderful bib.

Here are a few of the kids acting out the nativity with all of their Johnson cousins. Rae got to be baby Jesus this year!

And lastly, here is my princess opening her very first present, an adorable new outfit from Grandpa and Grandma Johnson. Thank you! We LOVE it!!

Nap time?

2007-12-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

I put Rae down on my bed for about two minutes while I put my shoes on and this is what I found when I finished. I guess we won't be running errands right now....so cute though!

Tis the Season

2007-12-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

It has been too long since I have posted. That can be attributed to many many things. First and foremost, it is because I LOVE my Princess Beefcake! I just hate to watch her cry (and hate to listen to it even more). She is just a happy girl all the time lately for two reasons. Firstly, because Mommy finally gave in and gave up all hobbies except for holding baby. Second, she is happy because we have just not been home very much. (She doesn't seem to mind where we are as long as we are not at home.) Jeff snapped this picture tonight at family dinner. This is what she looks like when she doesn't get the attention SHE THINKS she deserves! So CUTE!!!

The other excuse for my lack of posting is Christmas. Holy cow!!! It takes sooo much longer to do my shopping or anything with baby in tow! Who knew?!? We did leave her at my parent's house the other night so that we could have a date night at Jeff's holiday work party. Unfortunately we can home empty handed, but it was still a good time with friends!

I am...

2007-12-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

You Are Mince Pie

Admit it, this isn't the first time that someone has called you "beefy"

http://www.blogthings.com/whatholidayfoodareyouquiz/

Just a quick update...

2007-12-01T21:27:00.000-07:00

I was reading online about reflux, and a few sites said to try a faster flow nipple. I busted out the level 2 from the cupboard, and it made a world of difference. She still spit up and was cranky today, but NOTHING compared to all last week. I think we will stick to the faster nipple and try to keep her upright after eating, and continue to feed her small amounts every two hours until we can get her to the pediatrician. Thanks for everyone who took the time to leave a comment!

Could it be teething?

2007-11-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

I need your help and comments all you moms out there! For about the last few days Rae has been super fussy. If she is awake she is pretty much crying...or spitting up. She has always been a spit up baby, but it has gone to new extremes. Also, she has had the WORST diapers! Yesterday I got a before and after picture. We will just say she has ended up in the bathtub more than she likes! I was reading that teething age is genetic, and I know that I teethed really early. What symptoms did your kids have?? Could Rae be teething at 3 months old?!?

This years first Christmas project

2007-11-23T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here is how our family spent Thanksgiving weekend. It took a ton of coaxing and bribing for Rae to cooperate.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9587759920

Animaniacs!

2007-11-16T15:16:00.001-07:00

I was at my parent's house the other day and we all decided that Rae bears a striking resemblence to brain from Animaniacs. What do you think? Same Saggy cheeks and bald head...I totally see it!

catch up randomness...

2007-11-15T20:21:00.000-07:00

I finally put Rae's crib together last week. We have only had it sitting around for about 6 months and Rae is now only 12 weeks old. She has yet to sleep in it overnight because I wouldn't hear her during the night until she is already frantic and thinking she is STARVING. I did however put her down for her first nap in it on Saturday...

She also held her first toy this week...for about 10 seconds, just long enough for her to get it to her mouth and for me to snap a picture.

I have just been feeling like my baby is growing so fast lately. She has just started this really annoying habbit where she thinks she needs to eat a few ounces every 30 minutes for about 2 hours before she goes to bed. I think its pretty irritating, but Jeff was really sweet and took her screaming and all tonight to feed her. She was so sweet just looking up at him through the whole bottle. (I might be a little bit jealous. She always tries to watch TV when I feed her. Guess she is tired of my face...) Anyways, I had to snap this picture of my two favorite peeps!

At church last Sunday, Jeff and I had been talking about how we don't remember Rae ever being as tiny as the other babies at church. It dawned on me as I stared at Jeff's enormous shoes on the floor, my baby might look smaller if she was wearing Daddy's shoes. It didn't work to make her look smaller, but it was a pretty cute picture.

Rae's Special Day

2007-11-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

We finally blessed Rae on Sunday. We had all been so sick for several days before it, I had just prayed that we would all make it through the blessing without vomiting. Turns out my prayers were answered. We all felt better Sunday morning. Rae was so good during her blessing. She didn't even make a peep, and for those of you that don't know her, that is far from normal. Jeff said that right before he started the prayer she just looked up at him and gave him the biggest smile and then tried to do situps all through the prayer (she hates to not be sitting straight up if she is awake...I think she is afraid she will miss something if she lays down and relaxes). She was just adorable in her blessing dress, but because she spits up ALL the time, she had to wear a bib over it. Hopefully when she is ready for her next white dress, we won't have to cover it with a bib!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T14:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everyone! I had wonderful plans to post cute pictures of Rae in her pink leopard costume, but she woke up sick today. Hopefully she is all done puking now (she has kept down some Pedialyte for about an hour now). When she is feeling better we will have to dress her up even though Halloween will be over....

Pictures Rae can hate me for someday...

2007-10-26T16:22:00.001-07:00

Kami asked, so here they are...

2007-10-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

Rae sure was hungry today!

I've been tagged!

2007-10-26T08:19:00.000-07:00

Six things about me. I am going to try to think of things that nobody will know, but if Rae wakes up I promise that all creativity will leave because of the screaming. Here goes in no paricular order...

1. I like it when Rae frowns, not cries, just frowns. She has such a cute frown. (Does that make me a bad mom?)

2. I am totally addicted to Dr. Pepper. I call it my sanity juice and I drink it like its going out of style!

3. I have never had a spotless house, but since Rae was born I have just let it all go. My house is always a mess now. I should be cleaning instead of doing this. Sorry Jeff. Someday you will see the carpet again...I hope.

4. I totally have a sweet tooth, or a mouthful of them. I can't go grocery shopping without getting myself a little treat. (Maybe that's why I can't lose those last 10 baby lbs...hmmm)

5. I am really funny about meat. It totally grosses me out if there are any bones attached.

6. I love taking pictures of Rae that I know she is going to hate me for someday. She has some baby cleavage (sp?) pics, some sleeping modestly pics, some stoned baby pics, and some saggy cheeks pics and I love them all!

Brag Time

2007-10-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

Rae had her two month well-baby checkup today, so I am going to take just a minute to brag about her. First of all, she has grown so much! At birth she was 9 lbs 9 oz and 22.5 inches long. Now, she is 13.5 lbs and 25 inches long. That puts her in the 95% for weight and 100+% for height! Guess she is going to be a big girl!! She was so tough too. She just sat on the table wearing a great big frown (but no tears) while the doctor checked her out. She did cry when the nurse was giving all five shots, but she stopped as soon as I picked her up. Any of you that know her know how much she hates to nap during the day, and today has been no different. She is a trooper though, she is still trying so hard not to cry. What a good little girl! I was hoping the shots would make her want to cuddle her mama, but that doesn't seem to be the case either. I sure hope she will want to hug her mama someday!

Growing so fast!

2007-10-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has been two months already since little Rae was born. She is starting to be so much fun! She still loves to cry but she loves to smile for me now too. She tries so hard to be a good girl, and it has been a whole week now since I have had to put her down and take a breath and try to remember that I wanted this. Jeff stayed home to babysit on Friday so that I could go to Target for a few minutes. I couldn't withstand temptation and I came home with a Bumbo chair even though they are for 3+ months babies. I busted it out today and put her in it, and she loves it. She sat and talked to me while she was in it for almost 10 minutes, and probably would have gone longer if she hadn't spit up all over herself and I had to take her out to clean her!