Getting Ready!

This week I am 35 weeks and we are getting VERY close to meeting beanie baby Johnson! Here is what I am looking like these days...!
All of the things I read say that the baby should be running out of room and I might not be feeling as much movement here toward the end -- this is NOT the case! The babe seems to be often favoring my right side and kicking HARD in a very particular spot on the left. Of course, I still have a few weeks left for him or her to run out of room I guess. At my doctor's appointment this week, I was measuring right on track and he said again that he couldn't find anything wrong with me. He told me that if I were to go into labor at this point, they wouldn't stop me and that his wife delivered their first baby 3 weeks early so that I should be getting ready! I know it's rather unlikely that I'll deliver much before 40 weeks, but that comment really hit home and I realized just how much I still wanted and NEEDED to get done in the babe's room! I think I have most of the needs done - diaper/wipe inventory, crib ready, newborn clothes clean and put away, started to pack diaper and hospital bag, swing put together, etc. There are still some "wants" that I'd like to get done, like some decoration type things, but if those don't get done in time, life will go on! Since the room isn't REALLY finished, I'll just give you a little sneak peak around to see my progress this week ...
I really love that little rocking horse - I found it at a garage sale earlier this summer. And all of those books! I can't wait to read them with the babe!
I didn't really have a theme in terms of the decor/bedding ... I wanted it to be baby/kid friendly, without being too baby-ish if that makes sense. Mostly it's just a hodge podge but I think it's coming together. And obviously since we don't know the gender, it needed to work for either a boy or a girl, plus it will have to be a shared room with beanie baby's future sibling some day!
I loved, loved, LOVED washing and hanging/folding all of those sweet little clothes! WAY better than doing mine or Jed's laundry! Everything is so sweet and tiny!
Simon and I put together the swing this afternoon since the heat index was 111 and I figured staying inside was probably a good idea. Simon mostly chewed on cardboard instead of helped, but I am very impressed that I did this all by myself. Jed has been working really hard at his new job and some yard projects, I wanted to see if I could do it on my own without having to ask him. It's standing up straight and the swing works so I think I was successful!
Speaking of that puppy dog ... since I've been spending more time in the baby's room, so has he! Every time I go in there, I find he has left another toy in there. I think he knows something is up!
We are heading to Minnesota for the holiday weekend and I am so excited! This is our last trip just the 2 of us (well, 3 plus Simon) and then I think it will be awhile before I'll be ready to travel with the baby. I think we will have plenty of visitors instead of having to travel ourselves! :)

Tales from the Crypt Part 1

Alright, so I don't blog very often, but when opportunity presents itself, it's hard not to give in to the temptation. And ironically, childbirth class is one of those opportunities. I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most attentive listener and tend to make a joke or two in any notes that I take. But, it seems I take that to the next level when it comes to child birth class as the majority of my notes consisted of new ways to be an attentive and engaged labor partner. I won't bore you faithful readers with all of them, but I'll just touch on a few of the highlights. Either I can't take anything seriously, or I may just have stumbled upon some cutting edge new material. Don't be surprised if you see me teaching a birthing class near you!

The first thing that was established was that the instructor had only seen one "lobby baby" in twenty years. As of right now our (my)goal is to see baby Johnson birthed in the Mercy Hospital Lobby. Do you think they'd let us have the lobby as our hospital room? I bet we'd get a sweet discount. Aside from that, here are a few helpful tips for any expecting fathers.

• There are lots of large and fancy words to describe the atonomical parts of a woman that are involved in the birthing process. You don't need to remember all (or any) of them. Its important that you rub your wife's hand as it will allow you to avoid a "movie" birth and you will not be scratched/clawed/beaten or cursed out.
  
• Apparently, you can't predict when labor will happen. Make sure your vehicle is free of pet hair, golf clubs and empty pop cans. If it is necessary to deliver in your 2005 Ford Escape it is best that it is free of animal hair.
  
• The uterus is like a ballon (a red ballon) and labor contractions are similar to rapidly opening a clothes pin for 60 seconds. It is important to realize that at this point, the mother is essentially bubble wrap for the baby to protect it (but don't tell her that, it won't make the kicks hurt any less) (and in that I mean the baby kicking her, not her kicking you when you tell her).
• The pictures on in-utero babies all appear that the baby is desperately trying to eat itself.
• Someone should be able to figure out how to induce labor. Is it like the hiccups? Can you scare your wife? Make her slam a glass of water? Dancing with your dog? Doing your best version of whatever is playing on the radio?
• Be sure to tell her that she is a winner. Like Mickey encouraging Rocky, no pain, no gain. Try to equate gain to baby. Continuously promise unlimited McDonald's chocolate shakes as repayment for going through labor.
  
• Bring cookies to the hospital. You do not want to be that father who passes out as his wife delivers because you are a moron and forgot to eat. Preferably Oreos.
  
• As your wife delivers, remind her that she wants to go through labor like the Green Bay Packers of laboring, not the Minnesota Vikings of laboring. Because we don't want to come up short.
• Do not pass out. DO NOT PASS OUT!
  
• Sarah is to labor what Aaron Rodgers was to Super Bowl XLV. If she cramps up or gets hurt, we lose the Super Bowl.
  
• Birth will be more successful if I'm there. Be sure to show up. On time. And bring myself some snacks that Sarah will really want, to encourage her to deliver faster.
• The baby will be worth the laboring. Continuously remind wife of this. Also that she will no longer be pregnant after it happens.
  

And that's what I've learned. Your wife is the quarterback and you (as the man) are the punter. You play a small role in the game, and its important that you're there. But no one interviews you after the game. More to come after class two. Hopefully, we will cover hyperventilating.

1!

Today, June 18th, marks our first anniversary of being husband and wife! It is hard to believe a whole year has passed - sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday and other times it feels like we've been married for much longer -- I mean both of those things in the best way possible! Jed is a truly wonderful husband and challenges me in so many ways. I'm thankful to be married to a man who is devoted to loving Christ and loving others so sacrificially. Some highlights of our first year as Mr. and Mrs. Johnson...

1. Actually getting married!
2. Honeymooning in Lake Tahoe, California - I'd really like to take another honeymoon. Like once a month or so would be great.
3. Visit to MN for Emily's baby shower
4. We're an aunt and uncle, round 1! Meet Jaylen!
5. Round 2! Meet Claire!
6. Longest road trip EVER to Niceville, Florida. (Totally worth it)
7. First Thanksgiving - stranded in Des Moines! This was the weekend we found out we were expecting!
8. First Christmas!
9. Share the baby news!
10. Pa Johnson comes to help with the bathroom remodel! Sarah decides she will leave town next time there's a project. :)
11. Simon joins our family.
Of course, there were many other note worthy events and these are just a few to share. I'm so humbled to look back on the past year and think about how blessed we are - God is so faithful and kind to us. I can't wait to see where we are in another year, 5 years, 10 years, etc!

Showered

Last weekend some of my sweet friends here in Des Moines threw a beautiful baby shower for baby Johnson and me. Everything was decorated so fun and the food was so creative and delicious! Allison really has a gift for throwing parties! I was very excited that my mom was able to come down from Minnesota to be there as well as my Grandma Charlotte, Aunt Barb, cousin Lauren and sister-in-law and niece, Cate and Jaylen!

We were incredibly blessed with wonderful company and gifts! Here are some pictures from the fun afternoon!
YUM!!!
Baby Jaylen!
There were LOTS of other moms and moms-to-be at the shower - Meg's and my due date are just a few days apart!
Baby Laehn and Baby Johnson - they are really going to be best friends!

Thank you so much to everyone who hosted, helped and came to celebrate with us! We are so grateful and blessed!

This is why...

I can't sleep! But I wouldn't have it any other way! Baby Johnson's video debut...

Beginnings and endings...and stuff in the middle

There has been so much happening in the life of the Johnson's ...

• Jed started his new job on May 2nd and has really been enjoying it. He has enjoyed getting to spend more time with his friend Nate, checking out West Des Moines during is whole HOUR long lunch and getting used to his new duties. He is really kept busy and is learning a lot!
• The last few weeks of school are always wild and crazy for me with report cards, meetings, YCamp, etc. but this year was especially busy as I had to do all of that, in addition to packing up my classroom and saying lots of goodbyes. It was an emotionally draining week but the Lord has been so faithful through it all and Jed has been so great and supportive. He keeps reminding me that my new job will be way better and I get to be the boss. :) We had a really busy weekend and start to the week so my classroom is currently sitting in the porch and it looks like this... ha!
• During the last week of school, I had my students make "affirmation cards" - at the DTC, in many different Bible studies I've been in, we've done "affirmation circles" where we sit in a circle and each take a turn affirming one another one by one. It's always so encouraging and a special time. I started with having the kiddos brainstorm and make a list of positive comments, compliments and nice things they could say about one another... I did this so they didn't write "You're nice," on every single person's card. A few of the comments made me laugh and a few of them were so genuine and thoughtful ... I am thankful that the Lord gave me this class to "end" with - they were really, really wonderful.
  
  
  
• The beginning of summer meant the beginning of Mission to the City with the DTC - a 5 day "mission trip" to Des Moines designed to reach out to our own city in a unique way. I wasn't able to participate last year because it was during the last week of school and this year, I wasn't able to do quite everything the rest of the group did due to being very pregnant, but it was a really encouraging week. Plus, there are actually 2 other pregnant gals in my Bible study so we were able to do a lot of the meal prep and cookie making together. I am so thankful to be a part of a church whose mission is to really love people, believers and unbelievers, at all costs and lay down their lives for one another. Some of the highlights of our group's week was volunteering with Operation Christmas Child packing boxes and organizing materials, organizing books for a book sale at Iowa Right to Life and doing yard work and having a Memorial Day bbq for the gals at Ruth Harbor. We also made A LOT of cookies ... A LOT.. for a free concert we're hosting on Friday night at the DTC featuring Aaron Gillespie. This is what Jed did the moment he got home this afternoon from weeding at the Easter Seals camp...
• The end of spring and beginning of summer mean my favorite flowers are in bloom... PEONIES! I feel like they didn't bloom as well as they did last year in my yard - I think I need to split them but I don't know how to do that or when... advice? They are so pretty and they smell so good!
• A new week means more changes and a bigger belly! We had another appointment this week and all is well with baby Johnson! The doctor said I am measuring right on track and everything looked great. I will start going back every 2 weeks now ... that must mean the end is getting closer... Here is what I'm looking like these days. (Oh, and what Jed looks like too... in case you were wondering! :)