It was a beautiful Monday morning...

Thanks to a Great Grandma who is spending the day with us, I have had some time today to do some of the important things- update Facebook and write out Jake's birth story on the blog. :-)

It's a weird feeling going to bed one night, knowing that when you wake up in the morning you are going to "get" your baby. I imagine it's how adoptive parents feel...knowing that they are headed to the hospital or the orphanage or somewhere similar...and then arriving to pick up the best present ever. Because of our scheduled c-section, I felt very similar to this. I had told people that if Jake decided to come early "on this own" I would attempt a vaginal delivery again, but knowing that because Brooklyn ended up in a c-section, this would not be a guarantee. BUT, as is customary, we went ahead and scheduled a repeat c-section at 39 weeks for 10/26/09 at 9:00am. He stayed put (as I suspected he would) and so, on Monday, October 26th, we headed to Women's Hospital at 7:30am.

Because with Brooklyn a c-section was a quick last resort after 24 hours of laboring in the hospital, I do not recall a whole lot about that experience. So, it is nice to still have all these memories of Jake's birth still fresh in my head. (*Hence why I am trying to get it all down now so that I won't forget it in my sleepiness.)

Women's Hospital has their act together...though I have not given birth anywhere else, I do have to say that Women's Hospital is the BEST place I have ever seen for mothers and babies. For a place where I am sure the unexpected is the expected, they run like clockwork. We arrived in the door at 7:32am, and I sat down and completed the check in process (pre-registering is a definite advantage to speeding up the process). Then, they took me back to get gowned and ready to go via an IV. After about an hour of receiving the IV's, giving answers to several questions, watching Chad get in his paper gown (so flattering!), using the bathroom on my own for the last time for 24 hours, etc...we were ready to go...it was about 8:55am at this point.


I was wheeled into the OR at 9:02am (it's nice that the nurses have to announce the times for everything...helps for journaling purposes). Dr. Jackson (the same epidural guy as with Brooklyn- I actually recognized him from her scrapbook!) and another anesthesiologist, Dr. O- something, started with the spinal anesthesia and got me laid out on the table. Once that was working and I could feel "pressure, not pain", Chad was brought in and sat at my head. The nurse monitoring the anesthesia asked me if I wanted a mirror to see the birth and I thought "where else would I get the chance to see this? heck yes!" Dr. Cousins and Tanya (the office's midwife) started the surgery, and Jake came into the world with the sweetest cry ever (nurses' words, not mine, but I agree!) at 9:25am. That headful of hair was definitely the culprit of months of nausea and heartburn!


Jake was brought over to be checked out by the team of nurses and Chad snapped a few pics. He was cleaned up, swaddled up, and brought back over to me.

I am glad that I enjoyed those few moments because the next hour and a half were not so pleasant. My wonderful nurse had the unfortunate task of dealing with my nausea, dry heaving, and throw up, while also trying to keep me still and calm as they sewed me back up. It seemed to be somewhat of a "motion sickness" issue that made me so sick. Everytime someone messed with my belly, I got so sick...so, I just had to woman-up and let them do their job, using the sick spit dish, as needed.

Chad, on the other hand, accompanied our little peanut to the nursery where he was cleaned up and checked out.

The (again, so wonderful!) nurses called to the nursery to get an update on Jake for me and a weight check. They were so impressed with 8 pounds 12 ounces, but I thought, "man, that's nothing compared to some of the other Johnson men!" I was told that Chad and Jake could join me in the Recovery Room, but I was still so sick, I opted to let them stay in the nursery and finish cleaning him and checking him out. It was nice to have the option this time (with Brooklyn I felt so alone and far away...thank goodness they let my mom back then!) but I knew that Jake was in good hands with Chad and I needed to work on getting coherent again.

At approximately 11:45am I was taken to my "home" for the next two days- Room 127. Jake and Chad were there immediately, and I got to nurse him at 12:00pm. He was a great latcher, and did a great job nursing for the first time. I felt so much more comfortable this time around, and so much more "at ease" with everything.

Recovery went well at the hospital...sure it was a constant open door of nurses for both me and him, but things went very well overall. I asked to be discharged a day early if we both checked out OK because I missed Brooklyn so much! (side note: Because of the H1N1 virus, visitors must be over age 18 at any Moses Cone hospital. So, besides a few Skype conversations and some phone calls, I had not seen or talked to Brooklyn since Sunday night.) Jake and I both passed all our "tests", and on Wednesday, October 28th, we were sent home to be a family.

I am so thankful to all the wonderful doctors and nurses who helped both me and Jake have a great first few days together. But, more than anything, I am so thankful to a wonderful husband who has taken great care of me and our beautiful children. Chad has been wonderful, and God has blessed me so richly with this family. I thank Him so much for all he has given to me...and I promise to be the best wife and mom they could ever ask for.

Sleep when the baby sleeps?

But then when would I have time to blog?

I really need to keep up with this blog because I am hoping this will continue to serve as a journal for myself as well as a way to let others know what's going on in the Johnson house. I am hoping that in the days ahead I can find sometime to sit down and collect my thoughts about this whole "second baby thing." It's a new world entirely having a second baby. The mystery of having a baby in general is not there (thank goodness) but the whole dynamic of having another little person in the house that needs your attention in a different way just adds to the "stress." GREAT stress may I say, but stress nonetheless. Jake has been a great baby and I will blog more about him later, but today there is something pretty specific that's been on my mind.

I have found myself very emotional this weekend as I think about Brooklyn going to school on Monday. Chad will bring her and pick her up at least for the month of November. December we will play by ear based on my work schedule and what I end up doing. Now, I have taken Brooklyn to school everyday for the past 4 1/2 years. We have had some great mommy-daughter time in the car (except for the few weeks after we got the mini van and DVD player and she stopped talking in the car for a while since she was watching Jon and Kate). I have a great relationship with the school director and her teacher and always feel well-informed on what's going on in her class. Now, I have to rely on Chad to message information back and forth, have him remember to pack a coat and hat, have him help her find and remember to bring in a "show and share", and most importantly, I will miss my sweet girl from 7am to 5pm everyday.

I know I have to let go for a while and allow (1) my body to heal like it needs to after pretty major surgery and (2) time for me and my little man to bond by ourselves, just like I had time with Brooklyn. I have to remember that his time with me by myself is going to be very minimal (and Brooklyn had me for 4 1/2 years by herself), so I must make the most of the next few weeks and know that in a blink of an eye, this time will be gone, and we will be on to the next stage on our lives.

So, as I go to sleep for a few hours (until the next feeding) I pray to God to please let Brooklyn have a great first day back with her friends, please allow Chad a stress-free morning dropping her off and a great day back at work with his kids, and for me and Jake to have a wonderful day snuggling, cuddling and catching up on some Days of Our Lives. :-)

Home Sweet Home

Thanks to a wonderful team of doctors and nurses at Women's Hospital and perhaps to a better than average tolerance for pain, I was allowed to leave the hospital one day early this week. I missed Brooklyn soooooo much, and I just wanted to sleep in my own bed and sit on a couch. So, once I was checked and approved for release and (most importantly) Jake was approved for release, we came home on Wednesday, October 28th.

Brooklyn, as we expected, was a bit hesitant at first when we brought this little munchkin home. She started off by ignoring him, and then she wanted him to try out all the baby stuff that we had set up for him last week. She's warming up...and each time she sees him, she is a bit more interested in what he's doing. She's also been a great help gathering items from around the house and pushing him in the swing when we wanna eat. Maybe one of these days I will get a pic of her actually touching HIM. :-)

I had forgotten how much I love when they fall asleep mid-burp.

Trying out the "new to him" swing

Absolutely precious!

He slept soooooo well in his first night in the pack and play in our room. Chad had a "sleepover" with Brooklyn in her room, so I tried soloing it last night and it went really well. He ate every three hours and pretty much would go right back to sleep after eating. I am so hoping that this is how this child rolls!

I am recovering slowly but surely from the c-section, but that is to be expected. One of these days I need to document about that experience...what a crazy thing c-sections are (especially when you are completely aware of what is going on and soaking it all up). With Brooklyn it was so quick and crazy (and exhausting after laboring all day), but with Jake everything was so methodical. I definitely had time to take it all in.

Jake's Debut

Here are some pics of our 12 hour old son, Jake. He's doing great, and we are so blessed already.

Birth Announcement!

We are so happy to report that Jake Edward Johnson joined our family at 9:25am this morning. It was a great c-section (relatively speaking), and soooo convenient to be able to check in the hospital at 7am and two and a half hours later, get a son! :-)

Here are his stats:
8 pounds 12 ounces
20 3/4 inches long
feeding/latching on real well (shocker, I know!)

I'm doing well....got up and walked around about an hour ago when the numbing wore off, but still working off a catheder and an IV. I'm hoping for a real dinner later....

We'll try to post pics later this evening.

Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes!

Visit(s) to the Pumpkin Patch

With the impending arrival of baby Jake, we wanted to make sure Brooklyn got her fair share of pumpkin patch visits with her Shout sisters. Here are some snapshots from those two visits...

The (probably) last Johnson 3 picture:

Brooklyn and her "big sister" Allie H:

The littlest sister Callie:

Another little sister, Allie K:

Brooklyn and Zoe- BFF's:

38 Week Ultrasound

Monday I went to the doctor for a "bonus" ultrasound to do a size check of our little football player. My belly has been measuring a week or two ahead, and I was concerned about entering the hospital early and not being able to deliver him "naturally." If he doesn't come before Monday at 9am then I am definitely doing a c-section, but if he came earlier, then I had an option. I basically just wanted to make an educated decision. Had he measured about 9 pounds yesterday, I would feel good about going into the hospital and saying "scrub up! we're headed to the ER." But, as luck would have it, he's measuring about 7 pounds 12 ounces, give or take a pound either in direction. So.....if we head into the hospital this week, I still have options. :-)

37 Weeks

As so enthusiastically expressed a few days ago, we have reached full term- 37 weeks! It's such a great feeling on one hand, but at the same time I am feeling every bit of those 37 weeks on my joints and muscles. I went to the doctor today and had a good appointment with the midwife on staff because my beloved Dr. C is on vacation this week. Some of the normal: blood pressure is 120/70, minor swelling in the ankles (cankles, anyone?) and the hands (cannot get wedding band off- oops!), pelvic pain and pressure (normal at this point when the baby is engaged and ready to go), and heartbeat of Jake was 140. Some interesting points: I am measuring at 40 weeks (about 2 weeks ahead) and concerned about the size of this baby. My plan is to have a VBAC unless we go to 39 weeks and then I will just have my scheduled c-section on monday, october 26th. However, with the size of little Jake growing dramatically, I expressed concerns today about going in and laboring for hours, just to have to end up in a c-section anyway because he was too big to deliver. She valued my concerns and said she completely understood. So....we scheduled an ultrasound for monday afternoon to do a size check. That way, when I enter the hospital I can make an informed decision about which route to take. I'm excited about seeing our (possibly not so) little man on the sonogram on monday...it will help this last week go by quicker.

What Babycenter says:
How your baby's growing: Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

You know you're fat...

As this pregnancy comes to a close and I seem to grow inches by the day and pounds by the hour, I found this forward particularly funny...However I will NOT be laughing in a few weeks when it's time to start the diet again. :-)

You Know It's Time to Diet When:
You dance and it makes the band skip.
You are diagnosed with the flesh eating virus, and the doctor gives you 22 more years to live.
You put mayonnaise on an aspirin.
You go to the zoo and the elephants throw you peanuts.
Your driver's license says, "Picture continued on other side."
You ran away and they had to use all four sides of the milk carton for your picture.
You learn you were born with a silver shovel in your mouth.
You could sell shade.
Your blood type is Ragu.
You need an appointment to attend an 'open house'.

Full Term! Yee haw!

Life is good! We are full term. This baby is almost done cooking! Stick a fork in me....

36 Weeks...Seriously?

There are some days when I think this pregnancy will never end and there are some days when I think "wow, where did the time go?" It's a great feeling to be in the home stretch, but unfortunately, that's the only "great feeling" I have lately. The body has just about given up. Things are tired, sore, achy, and stretched to the limit. I find myself groaning more, debating over whether its worth it to roll over, and getting frustrated with myself when I am up every hour at night to pee.

In related news, I saw my doctor today.....
Weight gain: None since last week (yay!)
Blood Pressure: 120/76
Heartbeat: 150
Belly: Measuring 37 cm...we are back on target
Complaints: My pelvis is stretching as little Jake's head is wedging farther and farther down south. This is causing a good amount of pain, especially at night when I am laying down or when sitting in the car driving. No dialation yet (except a wee bit that is caused only because I have had a pregnancy before), but he is "in station" and ready to go. My doctor is on vacation all next week, so I am hoping to hold out (pain and all) until the week of the 19th when she returns. But, as we all know, Jake may have other plans for us.

Note to self: Pack hospital bag.

How your baby's growing: Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. He now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. He's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered his body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected his skin during his nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of his first bowel movement.At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.)

Brooklyn is doing well...she was sick Sunday-Tuesday this week, but back to school today. Hopefully she had a great day. She has a bit of a cough still, but apparantly so does the rest of her class, so she is in good company. We took advantage of Monday and Tuesday as sick days and spent good "Mommy Brooklyn time." I wonder if this minor fever/sickness was a gift from God allowing us some much needed quality time together...the calm before the storm. :-)

New Camera- Part 2

So this is the true test of my technological abilities. We bought this particular camera because it also shoots HD videos. Hopefully I did everything correctly, and this video of Brooklyn and me testing the camera comes through. :-)

New Camera!

We made a (semi) big purchase this weekend and upgraded to a nicer camera. We bought a Canon PowerShot SX20 IS and as soon as I figure out how to use it, I know we will be very happy with it. :-) In addition to learning the basic "point and shoot," I did figure out how to edit the actual pictures while they were still on the camera, so I was pretty excited about that.

Here are some samples:

Here I took a basic photo and just switched the color to black and white:

And here I took a photo, cropped it on the camera and then changed the color to sepia.

35 Weeks- The end is near!

I had my 35 week check up yesterday at the doctor's office. Everything looks great so far, and despite the fact that I am feeling a lot of pain and pressure, all looks normal. I've lost track of the weight gain at this point, but I think its somewhere in the 32-34 pound range. I am hoping to just stay under 40 at this point before I go to the hospital. :-) Speaking of the hospital, I am scheduled for another c-section on Monday, October 26th (unless he comes out on his own before then). I am so happy to have it scheduled in Week 39 because yesterday the doctor measured me at 37 weeks. I KNEW this was a big baby, but I am hoping he's not TOO big. :-) If he continues to measure large next week, we will probably have an ultrasound just to check in and make sure all looks good. My blood pressure was 110/70, which was great (and normal for me non-pregnant). Jake's heartbeat was 138, which seemed low to me, but the nurse said that as long as it was above 120, they were fine with that. I had a test for the Group B Strep...if I test positive (will know next week), then they just have to administer some sort of antibiotic at the hospital at the time of delivery.

Note to self: Pre-register for Women's hospital this week...just in case.

My mom seems to think that October 10th is the day of delivery. Wishful thinking. :-) I am hoping for after October 15th because then I am finished with evening work meetings. However, my doctor is on vacation and at a wedding until after the 18th, so the 19th is looking pretty good to me now. :-) Just as long as his little lungs are healthy.

I am sleeping horribly these days, waking up every hour or so, but also having a real hard time going to sleep because of heartburn and some "restless leg." It makes for some rough mornings, and with work hours changing tomorrow, I am concerned that getting to work at 8am is not gonna happen so easily for either me nor Brooklyn.

Brooklyn is doing well, considering all the craziness that is our life. As I mentioned, I just have another two weeks of evening meetings, and then I will be home much more for her. She is having some crazy separation anxiety, and this morning was the first time in 5 school days that I didn't leave her screaming and clawing for the door. And its not just school...even when she was going with her grandparents on Saturday it was full-on screams and fits. I cannot even begin to understand what is going on in her sweet head at the moment. One of the disadvantages of having an "only child" for so long, I guess. If she were younger and more unaware, I think things would be easier, but I hope that once the baby gets here and she understands that we are ALL here to stay, things will be better for her.

How your baby's growing:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Way Back When-esday!

Here are a bunch of random Way Back When-esday pictures! :-) But I am proud that I start doing much better taking pictures once October rolls around.

Year: 2005
Age: 7 + months
*This was Brooklyn's first Congregational Retreat with our church in Arden, NC, but also her first walk in the CROP Walk for hunger. She did an excellent job riding in the stroller while I walked. :-)

Year: 2006
Age: 19 + months
*This was Brooklyn waiting for her daddy and Grandpa to cross the finish line at the first ever Girl Scout Thin Mint Sprint 5K race.

Year: 2007
Age: 2 years, 7 months
*Brooklyn and Allie loving on each other outside of Panera Bread, one of our favorite Sunday morning breakfast spots at the time.

Year: 2008
*No picture of Brooklyn this week, partly because we were so busy getting ready for my college friend, Jennifer's, wedding that weekend. She and Jay had a fun photographer, and I loved this shot she took of the girls. Happy one year anniversary, Jennifer and Jay Weaver!

Goodbye, Catfish Hunter! We'll miss you!

In completely unrelated baby news....Chad had the honor and priviledge of "relocating" my parents' catfish to a bigger and better location. Long story short, 6 years ago, my dad caught this 6 inch baby catfish at a local lake in Greensboro and brought it home to live in their backyard pond. After 6 years of eating regularly (fish food and some of his smaller "brothers and sisters"), my dad decided that ole Catfish Hunter was getting too big for their pond. He would occasionally flop around the top of the water and even had the ability to splash water out of the pond (and scare the pants off a certain 4 year old princess). So, my dad and Chad set a date and Chad came over with his gear excited as he could be.

Day 1: Catfish-3, Chad-0
On the first day, Chad broke three lines and lost two hooks to Catfish Hunter. We weren't sure how big this guy was, but Chad knew he needed to bring in the "big guns."


Day 2:
Armed with his dad's salt water high test fishing line and a large net, my dad and Chad succeed in pulling Catfish Hunter out of the pond. He was MUCH bigger than we had ever anticipated.



Catfish Hunter was returned to his original pond that afternoon with no injuries- just a bit shaken up from the experience. We hope that he has a long and healthy life at Hester Park (and didn't become someone's dinner that evening). We are just all believing that he will spend his remaining years in a larger, more accomodating space with new friends.

And Brooklyn's happy that the catfish can no longer splash her on the swing set.

Weeks 32-34...Told you I was busy! :-)

I knew it would happen...I'm already behind in documenting poor Baby #2's life and he's not even born yet! :-) The last few weeks have been so busy with work, but in a way, that's great because it is also making this (incredibly uncomfortable) third trimester go by pretty quickly too. I had a 33 week doctor's appointment last Friday. Stats are good for both of us. I have gained about 31 total pounds and continuing to gain about a pound a week. More than I had hoped, but less than with Brooklyn, so I am not too disappointed. My blood pressure stays consistently at 120/70 and my belly is measuring right on target at 33-34 cm. Baby Jake's heartbeat was 143, and he has been sooooo active. He was laying horizontal for a while, but I think he is starting his journey "downstream" based on where I feel the most movement. I will try to enjoy the last few weeks of uncomfortable nights, constant peeing, arms in my rib cage, and head in my groin area seeing that I am 99% sure this is my last pregnancy. Its a miracle, a blessing, and just an all around wonderful thing to grow a child in your body, but I am ready for it to be over. Here are some pictures that we took at the 32 week mark.

And here is a brief synopsis of what Babycenter.com says has been going on in Weeks 32-34:

By Week 32, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. Jake now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). His skin is becoming soft and smooth as he plumps up in preparation for birth. By Week 33, your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (half a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. At Week 34, your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. His fat layers — which will help regulate his body temperature once he's born — are filling him out, making him rounder. His skin is also smoother than ever. His central nervous system is maturing and his lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

So many posts to do...so little time!

There is so much I have to catch up on. Unfortunately, this is my busiest time of year at work with Girl Scout Recruitment (aka: working about 3 nights a week in addition to days). I hope to get some posts up in the next few days...or maybe in a few minutes if I choose to procrastinate some on work. :-)

Way Back When-esday!

I told you last week that September is usually a slow picture month for Way Back When-esday. :-) So, as a compromise, here are several pics from one "event."

Year: 2007

Age: 2 1/2 years

*Here is Brooklyn playing dress up with her "big sister" Allie (6 years old). They have always had a blast playing together.

*Uncle Joe gets Brooklyn ready for her "debut."

*Ta Da!

*Allie's turn!

*The daddies just sitting back and relaxing.

The boy has a name!

After Friday's quick confirmation that our baby is still indeed a boy, we decided to finally commit to a name. Many of you know this has been an extremely difficult process for us (me), and I have toyed with hundreds of names from tons of sources. There was one name that I liked, a lot even, but tried very hard to find something "wrong" with it since I seemed to find many things wrong with everything else I liked. (You just try to match a boy's name to the last name "Johnson" and see what you can come up with!) After weeks of debating and Chad always coming back to this particular name, and after a quick approval from Brooklyn, we have decided to name our baby boy....

Here is a pictures of his (unfinished) nursery. Once we decided on the name, I just couldn't wait to put it on the walls. :-) We still have some stuff left to do to complete the decor, but thanks to our wonderful god-family, the Henzlers, he is using their bedding, a Classic Pooh print with dark blue alphabet letters.

His official name will be Jake Edward Johnson. Edward comes from both our brothers' middle names, which came from their maternal grandfather's middle names. We just loved the way "Jake" sounded with Edward and with Johnson...but as a bonus the meaning of "Jake" is "Supplanter" which is also the meaning of "Jaclyn." Coincidence? I hope not! :-)

So, we are excited as we start calling our baby "Jake" now...and it sounds so sweet coming from Brooklyn's mouth.

Week 31- Still a boy!

I went to the doctor's office today. Officially, I am 31 weeks, 5 days and measuring at 32 weeks. I gained 2.5 pounds since the last visit and my BP was 120/72. The nurse was a GYN nurse and had a hard time getting a clear fetal heartbeat, but Dr. C found it right away and it was 150 BPM. We had a SUPER quick ultrasound (no pics and no face shots), but Dr. C did a "ball shot" (if you knew her, you would know this was normal terminology for her). He is definitely still a boy....so now I am off to wash 0-3 month clothes and organize his closet. :-) Things are going great with this pregnancy (despite the normal aches, pains, nausea, heartburn, nosebleeds, etc.) and I am so grateful to God for a so-far healthy baby.

Here's what Babycenter says is going on:
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

Happy Anniversary, Adams Farm Parkway!

We spent last Labor Day Weekend painting and moving into our new home. I REALLY cannot believe we have been here a year already. I went back to this post where I kind of gave a "2 week update" of how things were going, and I wanted to revist, one year later, things that I thought I would miss about our old house and things that I thought I would love in the new house. So....here's an UPDATE to the UPDATE one year later. My new comments are in purple.

Things I will miss about Eagle Road:
It's our first home: Well, it does hold, and will always hold, a special place in my heart, but as I stated before...it's just a house. Um...not really missing it so much now...:-)
Brooklyn's first (and only home): She made many memories in that house, and I look forward to the many will be make together here at the new house. After months of wanting to "visit" the old house and wondering who lived there now, she is asking about it less and less.
The backyard: We have a great backyard here- thank goodness! Chad has done a great job maintaining our new backyard. We have added a swingset/playground, and despite a "bee problem" right now, we have spent many hours outside with Brooklyn.
My gardenias: Seriously, I am kind of over them already. Sadly, I never did have a green thumb. However, Chad keeps telling me that we will plant some more gardenias in the front yard...probably in the spring.
Vaccuming: I have found that I can vaccum the new house using two plugs, so that's not too bad. Since becoming pregnant Chad has done most of the vaccuming so this really hasn't been an issue for me. :-)
The hole: Dad and I looked, and although we don't have a wall where we can make another hole, the space is open enough, I think we will be OK. :-) I am surviving without a "hole in the wall." The Stevensons: We will always miss you guys! Actually, the Stevensons bought a house closer to us, so even though we are not a block away (a mere 60 second run proven by Jon), we are still within 5 minutes. :-)

And now an update on things I had looked forward to at the new house:
Duel sinks in the master bath: Honestly, the duel sinks are not that great (more to clean) but the COUNTER SPACE is incredible in the master bath! Still loving the bathroom and counter space. No complaints here.
Cool sink nozzle/sprayer in the kitchen: Yup, love it! Still love it though I have been so busy lately its amazing I even SEE my kitchen much less cook in it.
Hardwood floors: Spills have been great to clean up downstairs (no stains on the carpet upstairs yet!) I should probably mop them more often, but I do like not having the stained carpet in high traffic areas.
A place to have a big Christmas tree (in the LIVING ROOM): Yet to be determined since, thankfully, I have a few weeks until the holiday season. We had a GREAT first Christmas in our new home. The tree (about 8 feet) fit GREAT in the space and we were very excited to have Christmas in the living room and not our kitchen/dining room as in past years.
New carpet and paint upstairs (that I didn't have to do!): Some rooms I like, some not so much now that we are moved in with our stuff (like the master bedroom). Over the summer, Chad painted the master bedroom and both full baths upstairs. I love the new colors and am very excited about doing some more "decorating" in the next several months.
Side by side fridge with an ice maker (that's connected!): Once I figure out the best way to store food efficiently, it will be great. Fridge has been organized; ice works; life is good.
Retractable, remote controlled awning on the patio (cement, not brick- yay!): We've already spent a lot of time outdoors and that extra shade has been nice. Still LOVE the awning and back patio.
Neighbors with kids (three years old, too!): We met Peyton, a three year old, next door- VERY cute and friendly! Peyton and Brooklyn still love playing together and its nice to have a young couple our age living next door.
A dutch barn (as opposed to the "out house" looking contraption we call storage now): Already filled with crap; I'm gonna have to get in there and clean! Filled with lots of baby stuff and empty maternity clothes bins that will soon be in use or given away over the next few months. It's been great to have the extra storage.
A bonus room (or as Brooklyn calls it, "her dancing space"): Been a GOD SEND for all her toys. Now, is also the home of an elliptical trainer and the office furniture so it's a bit cramped now, but still a great space for us to have.
CLOSETS: Like the dutch barn- already filled up but up for a good cleaning out when I get the chance (or when we move again, whichever comes first). They are currently filled with tubs of my regular clothes and maternity clothes that are "off season," but after November, they will be GREAT wrapping paper and craft storage closets.
A breakfast table (more chairs for everyone!): We LOVE our new table from World Market. Still love it and wish that we ate at home more to enjoy it. :-)
Surround sound: Not hooked up yet; Probably will never be. Actually, Chad did hook up the stereo so we have sound coming from our two main speakers, but as for surround sound, nope, not yet. :-)

Way Back When-esday!

Boy, am I embarrassed this week. I only have two pictures for WBW! I am gonna blame it on work and say that since September is usually the BUSIEST month of the year for me, that MUST be why I barely have taken any Brooklyn pictures in year's past. :-)

Year: 2006
Age: 1 1/2 years
*My good eater looks like she was cleaning the spaghetti bowl that night!

Year: 2007
Age: 2 1/2 years
*We said goodbye to the potty seat and hello to the regular potty. This was Brooklyn's "Farewell Tour" as the potty was sitting by the front door waiting for its owners to come pick it up.