Part 2: Orlando (Monday)

After traveling on Sunday, we decided to just do grocery shopping at the house and swim in the backyard pool. Monday was our first day of "theme parking" it, and we headed to Universal Studios.

The family at the theme park entrance....before the massive sweating began.

Brooklyn had it made- a stroller and a squirting fan...what a lucky girl!

Cheezing it up at the Fivel Playground.

She even had parts of the playground all to herself.

How do you keep a child entertained while her family goes on the rollercoasters and bigger rides? CANDY!

It was a great first day. We made it to about mid-afternoon in the park, and then headed back to the house for dinner and swimming. Eric and Caroline arrived about 7pm, and then the family was complete! :-)

Our Florida Vacation- Part 1: Tallahassee

We left on Thursday, August 6th to drive down to Florida for my brother, Eric's, film school graduation. Eric was one of 29 students participating in a 2 year program at Florida State. I personally cannot believe that he is already DONE with his masters degree (but he and his classmates may disagree with how fast time flew by!). We made a quick stop in south Georgia for the night and then woke up Friday morning and finished our route to Tallahassee. We arrived at lunch time, saw Eric for about 30 minutes in between his lectures, and got settled in the hotel. Caroline (Eric's girlfriend) also had her family in town and they had several friends come down to partake in the weekend festivities. We all met for dinner at this country buffet (with 15 people E and C thought a buffet would be quick and easy). It was nice to meet Caroline's family (finally after 4+ years!) and all enjoy a meal together...though it was quite an experience! This restaurant was packed with graduates and their families (there was three graduations that weekend), it was "seafood buffet night", and some of Tallahassee's "finest" came out for dinner. It wasn't the homeless, shirtless man knocking on the back door of the restaurant that was the strangest, or the large bowl of homemade pork rinds on the buffet...but it was the restaurant's birthday song that stood out the most to me. It went something like this...
"Fried chicken. Fat Back. It's your birthday. How 'bout that?" Priceless. Chad also took a picture on his phone of a guy that could be a dead ringer for Cedric the Entertainer.

Saturday was a busy, busy day filled with graduation and two film screenings (about 5 hours of films total). Eric and his friend, Adam, were chosen to "address" the class at the graduation ceremony (unbeknownest to US!), and they did a great job! The ceremony was really nice. Here is a horrible pic of Eric and Adam during their talk.

Then, we took a quick stretch break and settled in for three hours of film screenings. Chad and I swapped back and forth between watching the films (I made him watch all the scary ones!) and keeping Brooklyn entertained with arts and crafts and her own movies in the theater lobby. After the afternoon screenings, we went to the infamous Momo's Pizza for the biggest pizza I have ever seen in my life.

Here are the bro-in-laws getting some love in:

And Brooklyn waiting on her food....she did sooooo well at the graduation and waiting around during the screenings. I have been blessed with such a patient daughter!

This was the pizza box...36 inches!

Here's Brooklyn attempting to eat a slice of pizza bigger than her head...

After dinner, we went back to the hotel to clean up and change clothes, and then headed back to the theater for the evening screenings. That lasted a little over two hours, but again, Chad and I swapped back and forth and Brooklyn was an angel. She fell asleep at the end of the screenings, so we opted out of the "after party" and went back to the hotel.

Sunday, we woke up, packed up our stuff, and headed south to a week in Orlando/Kissimmee. Eric and Caroline would be joining us the next day after their family and friends left Tallahassee.

Week 28 and 29....

Part of the joy of being on vacation is that the pregnancy weeks actually tick by fairly quickly. :-) Here are updates from Weeks 28 and 29....

Week 28 (in Tallahassee and Kissimmee, Florida):
*Things were great, pregnancy wise, as long as I paced myself throughout the days. The days were HOT (mid 90s most of the day) and we did a lot of walking. Occasionally I would feel some extra stretching and such (due to the effects of gravity) on my belly, but for the most part, Little Man and I did OK in sunny Florida.
*I continue to have awful heartburn dealt with only by Zantac twice a day and Tums spread out throughout.
*Food is still my friend...Vacation food is even better...and unfortunately I am sure to pay for that on the doctor's scale Friday. :-)
*The Little Man (yes, still nameless) moves A LOT. He is such a wiggle worm, especially between 9:30-11:00pm. Though adorable as that is, he can pack some powerful punches when he wants to.
*The Wednesday before we left for vacation, I did pass my glucose test- yay! I was a bit low on the iron scale, but the lab tech said for me to just continue prenatal vitamins and I should be OK.

What Babycenter says...
How your baby's growing: By this week, your baby weighs two and a quarter pounds (like a Chinese cabbage) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of his head to his heels. He can blink his eyes, which now sport lashes. With his eyesight developing, he may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. He's also developing billions of neurons in his brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

Week 29 (this week):
*Things are pretty much the same this week as last. I'm still feeling great, as long as I am in air conditioning. :-) Brooklyn, the baby, and I all traveled well home from Florida- stopping about every two hours for snacks and leg stretches.
*Doctor's appointment Friday....I think a regular check up, but I am never sure.

What Babycenter says...
How your baby's growing: Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

back to work...

I'm back to work after being out since Wednesday, August 5th. I have come back to a new supervisor, new phone system that I do not know how to use, 150 emails to answer, 2000 spam emails to delete, and furniture piled on my desk because the carpets were cleaned.

Oh yeah, and I found out that while I was away, my computer was used and contracted a virus (that has supposedly been cleaned up). Lovely.

It may be a while before I get to post pics from my vacation. :-)

I hope this is not a forecast of what's to come with my maternity leave.

home...

we're home after a 10 day vacation to Florida....lots of posts to make but just too tired tonight! hopefully I will have some great stories and pictures up over the next few days. thanks for checking in!

Way Back When-esday!

For this week's Way Back When-esday, I actually have all August pictures of Brooklyn with her "big/God sister" Allie. They have been best friends since the day Brooklyn came home from the hospital, and though the age gap causes to become somewhat problematic at times when they fight and bicker, they love each other just like sisters.

Year: 2005
Brooklyn's Age: almost 6 months
Allie's Age: 4 years
*Brooklyn's God Family dropping by for a quick visit on their way to the pool.

Year: 2006
Brooklyn's Age: almost 18 months
Allie's Age: 5 years
*This year, Brooklyn was old enough to actually GO to the pool herself. She didn't get in much, but she loved the snacks and the pool chairs.

Year: 2007
Brooklyn's Age: almost 2 1/2 years
Allie's Age: 6 years
*Loving each other at their other "sister" Zoe's 1st birthday party.

Year: 2008
Brooklyn's Age: almost 3 1/2 years
Allie's Age: 7 years
Zoe's Age: 2 years
*Allie and Brooklyn were so excited once Zoe got a little bigger so they could all play together...here they are making a Brooklyn Sandwich!

27 weeks, 2 days...but who's counting?

According to SOME sites on the internet, we have entered the third trimester this week. Other sites say that Week 28 is the first week of the third trimester, so I feel kind of in limbo this week. :-) Regardless, I FEEL like I am in the third trimester. I have started grunting when getting up from the couch, sweating after walking to the car, and breathing heavy after putting on pants and socks. If that's not third trimester symptoms, I don't know what is. :-) I have also started snoring in the middle of the night, so Chad has pretty much moved to the couch (another third trimester symptom I had with Brooklyn). I also experience horrible acid reflux in the middle of the night (about 3-4 times a week) where I wake up choking and gagging and have to recover for about 10 minutes before I can fall back asleep. Lovely stuff, I tell you.

Now for the fun information....what's going on with Bitty Baby Brother Johnson this week:
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with his legs extended. He's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing his eyes, and perhaps even sucking his fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if he were to be born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother him, so just relax and enjoy the tickle.

I never claimed to love being pregnant. In fact, except for the fact that I don't have to suck in my gut for 40 weeks and the first few weeks of the kicks and rolls of the baby, I pretty much don't enjoy it. I had a wonderful pregnancy with Brooklyn in that there were no complications and she was born very healthy at 40.5 weeks. I did have every "minor pregnancy discomfort" known to man, though. If it was listed in "What to Expect When Expecting", I had it.....heartburn, nausea, leg cramps, nosebleeds, headaches, constipation, and on and on and on. It's been the same with this pregnancy...but I woudn't trade it. I'll take the heartburn, nausea, headaches, etc. as long as I give birth to a healthy fullterm baby at the end. I swear, though, with the heartburn I have had, this baby should be born with a 'fro! So, anyways, as I am 99% sure this will be my last pregnancy, I don't get sad thinking about never being pregnant again. I will be so happy to just bring a healthy son home and round out our family of 4. I cannot wait to permanently get rid of maternity clothes and close this chapter in my life. God has blessed me with two babies, and I am taking them and running. :-)

Happy Anniversary, Chad!

It's been 7 years since I became Mrs. Chad Johnson. Some days it feels like it was yesterday; while other days, it's like we have been together our whole lives. Well, we have pretty much KNOWN each other most of our lives, and we have been "an exclusive couple" for 12 years (on August 13th), so yes, it's been a long time. :-)

I wrote this post last year celebrating our anniversary: http://jaclynbjohnson.blogspot.com/2008/08/how-wonderful-life-is-now-youre-in.html. All those memories stay true. Our wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life....to know that those 227 people will never all be in the same room again- but they were there to celebrate US- never ceases to amaze me. I always think about that at weddings- and I always remind the bride and groom to look around at everyone and remember that moment because they will never all be there again. I am blessed to still keep in touch with all my bridesmaids and Chad with his groomsmen- it shows us that we picked the right people for the job. :-) They are all truly lifelong friends. Chad and I come from families with very stable, very solid couples. His parents have been married almost 36 years and mine 32 years. My Oma and Opa have been married 57 years and my grandmother and grandfather celebrated 53 years in May the week before my grandfather passed away. Some may think it's pressure, but I see it as a goal. :-)

So, happy anniversary, Chad (though I have no idea when you will read this blog again- ha ha!). I love you...forever and always...and cannot wait to spend the next 7-0 years with you!

Week 26: Second pregnancies really do go by faster!

I really cannot believe that we are in our 26th week right now. I went to the doctor Tuesday...here are the stats:
BP- 117/78
Baby's HB- 144
Belly Measuring- 26
Weight gain- not publically discussing this anymore. :-) Let's just say the french fries and sweet tea won this round, but next month I plan on being a little more cautious about what I put in my mouth. (I say this as I stuff a KK doughnut in my mouth at my desk.)

*Chad has worked so hard this week (in between 3 golf games) getting the nursery together bit by bit. The crib and changing table are put together and ready, and the computer desk is moved to the playroom (with computer still on the nursery floor because that's where everything is still hooked up). The house is in disarray, and it's really sad when you can say that the garage is the cleanest room in your house. :-) In fact, the garage is really cute now because that's where Chad hung all this Dukes of Hazzard memorabilia. Glad he finally found a home for all that stuff. :-)

What BabyCenter says:
The network of nerves in your baby's ears is better developed and more sensitive than before. He may now be able to hear both your voice and your partner's as you chat with each other. He's inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is essential for the development of his lungs. These so-called breathing movements are also good practice for when he's born and takes that first gulp of air. And he's continuing to put on baby fat. He now weighs about a pound and two-thirds and measures 14 inches (an English hothouse cucumber) from head to heel. If you're having a boy, his testicles are beginning to descend into his scrotum — a trip that will take about two to three days.

Way Back When-esday: Ocean Isle Beach Vacations!

In honor of our 5th annual week at Ocean Isle Beach with Brooklyn, this week's Way Back When-esday shows pics from her last five beach vacations. I have also included some reflections as well as pictures to remind of me all the STUFF we had to bring. :-) Now, we will just have to start all over again with Bitty Brother's first trip next year.

Year: 2005

Age: 5 months old

*We were just so unprepared as to how much STUFF we would have to take with us to the beach. Bottles, baby food, formula, dishes, spoons, diapers, wipes, baby tent, etc. etc. etc. It was craziness, and since Brooklyn was under 6 months, I was very nervous about putting too much sunscreen on her. So...we went out about 8am everyday. We were back in the house by about 9:30am, and there we stayed for most of the trip. It was definitely a learning experience for us as new parents! We stayed in a small condo housing my parents, my brother and his "new" girlfriend, Caroline, (God help her for actually sticking with the fam after this vacation- ha ha!), and the three of us.

Year: 2006

Age: 16-17 months old

*Brooklyn was so much more aware of the beach this year. She wasn't truly excited about it, but she did enjoy the "big sandbox." She did not prefer the big pool, so my mom went out and got her a baby pool to enjoy out on the deck of our new beach house (MUCH nicer than the previous year's). We also ended up taking it with us to the beach so she would have a place to play.

Year: 2007

Age: 2 1/2 years

*Brooklyn loved the beach but HATED the pool. This was the year I believe that she actually CRIED whenever we went by the pool, so I had to sneak over there for a few afternoons while she napped. We discovered that our beach house had a great wagon, so that is how we carted our stuff back and forth from the beach....I think Brooklyn enjoyed this ride the best of all! Oh yeah, my mom also bought her another inflatable pool for the beach and for the house.

Year: 2008

Age: 3 1/2 years

*This was a huge milestone year for Brooklyn in that she gave up pacis and pull-ups this week at the beach. She came home a grown woman! Well, just a mature pre-schooler. :-) She still didn't love the pool, but we convinced her to play on the steps of the big pool so the rest of us could at least enjoy it for a bit. She did enjoy digging and playing in the sand a bunch, so we brought tons of beach toys for her.

Year: 2009

Age: 4 1/2 years

*This brings us to the current year...you can scroll down to yesterday's post for a long post about this year's vacation, but I did include two pictures, just for comparison's sake. :-)

Three-Post Tuesday!

It's a three-post Tuesday! Keep scrolling down to read about our family week at the beach, Chad's birthday, and the weekly pregnancy update.

Ocean Isle 2009

Looking back at my pictures, I realized that I was a pretty crappy photographer all last week when we spent the week at Ocean Isle. We stayed in a new house (awesome!) but I didn't get a picture of it. We didn't even get a "family shot" on the beach, and the last night when I wanted to take some family pictures, the wind blew like we were in a tornado, so Brooklyn and I didn't even stay out on the beach. Oh well! There's always next year! I did get some very cute pictures of Brooklyn and her friends throughout the week. We stayed all week and our family/friends, the Pattersons, stayed in a nearby condo. We shared a house with my parents and for the first half of the week, our friends, the Henzlers, stayed with us. Then, they left Wednesday, and Chad's parents spent the second half of the week in our house. It was a great time with everyone. The only thing that was missing was my brother, Eric, and his girl, Caroline. We missed them a lot but cannot wait to see them in Florida in a few weeks for Eric's graduation!

Here is just a "snippet" (or 12) of our week...

Allie and Brooklyn with our "beach loot." The amount dwindled each day, but I took this pic because in all the years before, Brooklyn actually RODE in the wagon. This year was the first year she walked the whole time back and forth to the beach and the pool. She is so grown up now!

Brooklyn on the beach- Day 1 in her first bikini! I think this was the last day I left her hair down, because the poor girl kept having it blow in her face and having to wipe it away with sandy hands. We have never had to worry about long hair before, so we were better prepared the rest of the week! :-)

The whole gang....lots of lounging, eating, laughing, sunburn/tanning, drinking, and digging in the sand all week long!

Day 1 in the pool...just made it to the second step, but we were patient with her.

Brooklyn and her "big sister" Allie. We loved having the Henzlers with us for 5 days!

We seemed to have a holiday/occasion to celebrate every night. Since Aunt Patty's grandson, Bryce, could not come to our family Easter egg hunt in April, we held Easter one evening with an egg hunt for the kids. They loved it and were so excited to get squirty toys, shovels, candy, and money in the eggs.

One day, I french braided Allie and Brooklyn's hair to match. They looked so cute! Gosh, I love having a girl!

One night, we went to see the "Turtle Show" at the Ocean Isle Community Center. It featured NO turtles, just a lady who spoke about the mating and living habits of turtles in the wild. Brooklyn was so bored, so we took pictures of her to keep her entertained.

We also made S'mores out on our little grill. The kids had a great time roasting the first marshmallow but then quickly got bored and just ate them cold (along with chunks of chocolate).

Lots of bocce ball was played out on the beach by the adults.

And the kids flew kites.

And made crab houses.

By Thursday, Brooklyn had decided that enough was enough and she started swimming in the pool. This was a HUGE accomplishment for a girl who, just a few years ago, cried whenever she even SAW a pool. She did a great job, and I hope she continues progressing in her love of water.

And by the end of the week, pre-dinner naps were a must. It's hard having so much fun "relaxing." :-)

Happy Birthday, my sweet husband!

While we were at the beach, we celebrated Chad's 32nd birthday. Brooklyn and I celebrated the night before we left for the beach with cupcakes, Chinese food, and some gifts, but we celebrated with the whole fam at Ocean Isle the last night we were there. We had a great seafood dinner of crab legs, shrimp, baked clams, tilapia, mac and cheese, beans, rice, and birthday cake. Chad received some great gifts, including a ping pong table that he is very excited about putting together.

Happy Birthday, Chad. You are one in a million, and I am glad that you chose me to be your partner through this crazy life of ours! I love you!

Week 24...and 25 (ooops!)

Because of our fabulous beach vacation last week, I also took a vacation from blogging. I was just too relaxed to be creative. :-) Here is a picture right at about 24.5 weeks:

Lately, I have noticed the following things:
-I pee my pants when I sneeze.
-I can no longer paint my own toenails.
-I fall asleep at 9pm.
-I have a very active little boy growing in this belly- especially around 6am.
-I still cannot give up the french fries.
-I have completely given up the idea of exercise until after the baby is born. (It just doesn't interest me right now.) :-)
-I can eat my weight in crab legs.
-I actually feel pretty great besides the normal heartburn and "stretching" pains that I get every now and then.
-I have been craving sweets like crazy.

Here's what's going on with Little Man Johnson (who, no, still does not have a name yet!):
His brain is growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon. Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches (longer than an ear of corn). His weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but he's beginning to exchange his long, lean look for some baby fat. As he does, his wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and he'll start to look more and more like a newborn. He's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

And not to leave her out, Brooklyn has said the following cute things this week:
"Mommy, I don't want you or Daddy or me to brush my hair." (Me: Well, who's gonna do it then?) "God."
"Mommy, I remember I was so happy when I was growing in your belly."

Week 23....plugging right along

Week 23 has been pretty eventful. Monday started us off with a scare when Chad decided to wake up in the middle of the night unable to breathe. He gasped for about 30 seconds and finally could catch his breath. He went to the doctor the next day and they are trying him with some acid reflux drugs and a modified diet (to also help with elevated blood pressure). Hopefully, this will help him, and we will not have an episode like that ever again. It was scary for a minute and I do not want to have to sleep with one eye open for the rest of my life. :-)

Brooklyn's sweet teacher, Mrs. Ramona, told us Monday that next Friday would be her last day. She is leaving the school to stay at home with her children and work part-time at Kohl's. But because she had surgery Wednesday and we are at the beach next week, Tuesday ended up being her last day with Brooklyn. Brooklyn doesn't quite understand that, but I was super sad to say goodbye to her. Luckily, Brooklyn's other wonderful teacher, Ms. Jeanna, is staying (I hope!), so she and her friends will have one familiar face in the classroom. Ms. Jeanna is a great teacher and I hope that Brooklyn can keep her until she leaves for Kindergarten.

Everyone has been asking what Chad is doing this summer....well, a little bit of everything. Golf...fishing...more golf...painting....carpet cleaning...more golf...mopping...mowing...he's doing it all! It's nice to have someone at home doing the normal everyday cleaning up, but its also nice when he goes out on "paying" jobs and makes a little extra cash for the family (and to support the golf habit). I'm just so ready for a vacation...work is crazy with redistributing jobs and responsibilities...I need some time to just chill.

The pregnancy is going great! When I read blogs about pregnancies that are "high risk" or complicated in anyway, I realize just how lucky I have been to this point. I will take the minor aches and soreness, the heartburn and the "fatness," and remember just how lucky I am. I hope that the next 17 weeks continue to go as smooth and uneventful. I feel the little man everyday now. Very strong kicks and pushes, but he is so unpredictable that I haven't been able to get Chad or Brooklyn over fast enough. But, we know it will happen soon. :-) I have been craving two things like crazy the past few weeks: french fries and watermelon (and you can see where one will be detrimental to my weight plan more than the other). I actually tried a little bit of Taco Bell on Saturday so I am hoping that maybe my aversion to Mexican is finally gone. I have headaches every day pretty much but luckily two Tylenol usually knock it out in the hour. No swelling or stretch marks...yet...and I hope that continues. I have another appointment at the end of July and then I think I go every two weeks.

Here's how the little man is growing:
Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when she hears them outside the womb.

Hope everyone is having a great summer so far and staying cool!

Way Back When-esday!

The weeks seem to fly by these days, so I cannot believe it's time for another Way Back When-esday!

July 2005
Brooklyn was almost 5 months old when she went to visit Lutheridge for the first time. Here she is with Uncle Drew, who was working there as a counselor all summer.

July 2006
At almost 17 months old, Brooklyn loved to color, do puzzles....anything that involved sitting on the floor in her daddy's lap!

July 2007
I cannot believe it's been 2 years since Brooklyn's first (and so far only) trip to Disney World! She had a great time and was such a good girl the whole week, despite the heat.

July 2008

This was Brooklyn's first experience with sparklers and she did so well. I don't even like playing with them, so I was super impressed by her bravery!