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!

The Holiday Weekend

What a fun and busy weekend we had! We took complete advantage of the beautiful weather and the time off to just have a great weekend together as a family. Here are some highlights:

Friday: Spent the day at Allie's Nana's house and pool....Here is Chad and Allie swimming and Brooklyn as a bathing beauty.

Saturday: Grace Reigns Down (our band) was actually approved to be a float in the Greensboro parade so we were so excited to be a part of that! Here's Brooklyn in her fun fourth outfit (same dress as last year!) and a sweet ponytail.

With Allie, Callie, and Zoe...

Getting the truck ready for the parade. Thanks, Aunt Patty, for driving!

Then, my camera battery went dead, so I had to take it home to recharge. In between July 4th parties, I charged the camera battery and then we tried our hand at "self timing." Not bad for our first try...here's the "4" of us.Then, we headed to my Aunt Sharon's for a cookout and some family time.

And then, we headed to the Clendenin's house to celebrate Callie's first birthday. I cannot believe it's been a year since this post. :-)

All the Shout sisters...we should have tried this picture earlier in the evening.

Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

Way Back When-esday: Independence Day Style!

Oh, I love WBW posts that revolve around a holiday or theme! Here is Brooklyn on her first 4 July 4th Celebrations.

Year: 2005
Age: 4 1/2 months

Year: 2006
Age: 16 1/2 months

Year: 2007
Age: 2 years, 4 1/2 monthsYear: 2008

Age: 3 years, 4 1/2 months

June 30, 2009- 22, 11, and 6

What a week for numbers! First, for those of you who are itching for a baby update, I had my 22 week appointment yesterday. It was one of the "quickie" ones with nothing too exciting, but everything looked great nonetheless. Here are the stats.
Bitty Brother:
Heartbeat- 145
Measuring- 21 weeks (that's fine)
Mom:
BP- 120/70
Weight- +13 pounds (Doctor was happy; I'm thinking I need to lay off the cheeseburgers and french fries for a few weeks.)
Babycenter:
How your baby's growing: At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

Now, for the 11 and 6 part of the blog post....
I can honestly say that I never thought that today, June 30, 2009, would come. It's been on our calendars at work on and off for three years now and always just seemed "so far away." Many of you know that my company, the Girl Scouts Tarheel Triad Council, is going through a realignment this summer/fall. On October 1, we will become Girl Scouts Peaks to Piedmont and merge 4 councils in western NC. Because of this huge merger and the "over abundance" of staff, the national company offered an "voluntary early retirement incentive package" (VERIP) to staff members serving 10+ years. About 15-18 staff members qualified for the VERIP- 11 are choosing to take the option and are leaving the council. They must sign that they will never work for Girl Scouts again- anywhere- to eliminate anyone trying to "double dip" later on. These 11 staff members are pretty much the heart and soul of the council. They have literally hundreds of years of experience and committment among them. [EDIT: We counted...its 225 years of employment with the Girl Scouts, not counting volunteer years they may have had prior.] Not to mention, they hold very vital positions in the current council. The CEO, the COO, the Director of HR, the Director of Membership, the Director of Adult Development, the Director of Admin....just to name a few. As you can see, lots of DIRECTORS and important people. They have a huge dedication to the council but were offered an opportunity that many of them just couldn't (and shouldn't) pass up. It's bittersweet for many of them (some taking retirement probably several years earlier than they ever imagined that they would) and unbelievably sad for those of us left behind. I have several dear friends taking the option and leaving. They have been such a huge part of my life- and my family's life- for years (definitely the 6 years I have worked for the Girl Scouts, but some for a while longer). Unfortunately, we are saying goodbye to 6 staff members today. (June 30 is the last day of the VERIP "window" so this is officially their last day of work.) FORTUNATELY, we have 5 staff members staying on in their positions through September 30th (or until they find other employment) so we can transition to a new council without a "skeleton" crew. So, I am fortunate that today's goodbyes will be not to EVERYone, but in some ways, this just prolongs the inevitable, and I have a feeling I will be wearing waterproof mascara for the rest of the summer. So, to the 6 who are leaving today- Mike, Sherrill, Gayle, Kim, Kathy, and Elaine- God Bless, good luck, and you will be missed! To the rest of you, SEE YOU TOMORROW AT WORK!

Week 21 update: Over the hump and growing a big one!

Week 21 is going well for us. Chad has been working hard on the upstairs of the house, painting the rooms that we never got around to painting when we moved in September. As soon as painting is done, then we can start getting the JUNK moved around all the rooms so that we can get the nursery set up. Luckily the nursery was already a pale yellow- good enough for me- and we just have to get the computer out of there and set up in the bonus room. So, lots of nesting going around the Johnson house! The baby has been very active....almost enough so that Chad can feel him. We were so close last night, but as soon as Chad came over to feel, he stopped moving- typical. :-) Brooklyn is doing well. She is staying busy at school and has two birthday parties this week for friends in her class. She continues to stay excited about the baby and is actually pretty patient with the whole "waiting thing." I think she realizes that in 19 weeks, her life is about to CHANGE, so she is enjoying being an only child for as long as she can.

Here's what Babycenter.com says is going on with our Little Man...
How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Ultrasound Pictures....finally!

Thanks to my wonderful friend, Debbie, and her scanner, I now have pictures from our three ultrasounds of Baby Brother Johnson. Here he is!

1st Ultrasound (9 weeks):
*This is a full body shot (head is to the right, arms to the sides). He was less than an inch long.


2nd Ultrasound (12 weeks):
*He's looking straight at you in this one. It's a face shot. He was about 4 inches long here.


*This is a 4D shot of the whole body. He's sitting up looking to the left.


*This is a profile shot of the head. He is looking to the right. Very fuzzy.


*This is one where he is laying on his back with a leg extended (far right).


3rd Ultrasound (18 weeks):

*As mentioned in a previous post, this was the BIG ultrasound. He was declared a HE, weighed 9 ounces, and was about 5 inches long. This is a 4D shot with him facing forward.

*This is a profile shot of the head and upper torso.

*This is a 4D shot of the head and face (looking right).

*This is a shot of his cute little feet.

*This is another 4D shot of the upper half of the body (arms included and fists in a ball).

*And the money shot....it's a BOY!

Keep scrolling down for this week's Way Back When-esday post!

Way Back When-esday!

I just love Way Back When-esdays! What a trip down memory lane!

Year: June 2005
Age: 4 months old
*Brooklyn started sitting unassisted for a few seconds (when propped up like a monkey) this week. Year: June 2006
Age: 1 year, 4 months
*This was Brooklyn and Chad at Allie's birthday party at the Skating Rink. Though she couldn't skate, Brooklyn had a great time eating the snacks.

Year: June 2007
Age: 2 years, 4 months
*She got a hold of Chad's glasses and decided to try them on. Too precious!

Year: June 2007
Age: 3 years, 4 months
*This was Brooklyn's first visit to New York City (and Central Park).

Staying Cool...

On Saturday, Chad, my Dad, and my "cousin" Sean played in a charity golf tournament- in 95 degree heat. We (me, Brooklyn, my mom, my grandmother, and my Aunt Patty) decided to do everything in our power to stay INSIDE on this sweltering day. We took a road trip to Winston Salem in the mini van and visited Sci-Works and then Hanes Mall. It was a fun day!

Brooklyn on the Sci-Works tree slide.
"Whooooo" is that cute girl?

Trying on African costumes.

Playing with the bouncy ball machine.

And then at the mall...trying on some unusual sunglasses....she kinda looks like a rapper!

It was a fun day- very cool in the AC! Sorry guys! :-)

Random Updates

1. Feeling the baby move so much more now! I cannot wait when Brooklyn (and of course, Chad) can start to feel him, too.

2. The baby now goes by several nicknames by various people including Verrazano, CJ, Bitty Brother, Little Man...if you need an explanation, let me know. :-) His real name will probably not be decided on until oh, about Week 39.5.

3. Had a great Girls' Night last night at the Olive Garden with my girlfriends....including questionable Breyer's ice cream posing as gelato, three flies (all killed by us and a waiter), stuffing myself silly with black olives, and baby belly comparisons.

4. Brooklyn had a little stomach bug yesterday morning that resulted in staying home from school and not eating anything "heavy." By 2pm, she was riding her bike around the house and asking for Doritos. She went to school today.

5. Prayers are going out to the Boone and Depp families (friends from church) this week....Mary Ann's sweet mother passed away Sunday night, and we are just thinking about them (and a safe travel for Jenny back home).

The halfway point....seriously? (Weeks 19 and 20)

Week 19 kinda slipped me by. Work was a bit busy (we are "spring cleaning" among our other many jobs), and we are slowly getting the house ready for our wee one to come in TWENTY weeks. Yikes! I really need to get all my ultrasound pics loaded on the computer to post...maybe later this week if I can convince someone at work to show me how to use the scanner. :-)

I'm feeling great...lots if energy. (Last week, I went through all of our baby clothes 0-2T to see if our little man could wear anything. The rest is going to McKenzie's baby, Ansley.) I've been eating like a horse (see pic below), so I am a bit worried about my weight when I go to my next doctor's visit on June 29th. :-)

Here's what Babycenter says happened last week (Week 19) and what is happening this week (Week 20):

Week 19:
How your baby's growing: Your baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you.Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

Week 20:
How your baby's growing: Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

And just so sweet Brooklyn was not left out...here is a picture of her and her god-sister, Allie. We ate dinner at PF Chang's with the Henzlers on Thursday night (Lettuce wraps- yum!) and then spent the day at the pool with them for Allie's (early) birthday on Saturday. I cannot believe I did not take any pictures at the pool, but for once, Brooklyn was all about being in the water so no time for lounging around taking pics. I was on guard watching her.

I hope everyone has a great week! Hopefully I can get everything together so I can participate in this week's Way Back When-esday. I love looking through the old pics every week. It makes me even more curious as to what our Bitty Brother will look like when he comes out!

Week 18- The Big Reveal

Yesterday was my 18 week doctor's visit and full screen ultrasound. Here are the results (in addition to the obvious fact that yes, we are having a BOY!):

Mom's Stats:

Weight- +9 pounds (right on track...yay!)

Blood Pressure- 120/70

Starting to feel the baby movements stronger and more frequently now

No major complaints- yay!

Bitty BOY's Stats:

Weight- 9 ounces

Length- 11.2 cm (almost 5 inches long)

Heartbeat- 153

Healthy as far as we can see....and has all his parts where they are supposed to be!

Babycenter.com Stats:

How your baby's growing: Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound. NOT OUR BOY- HA HA!

Thanks for all the prayers and well-wishes. What an adventure that we are about to embark on!

Way Back When-esday!

Way Back When-esday time! (and trying to keep busy all day since at 3:30 this afternoon we have our BIG ultrasound!)

Year: 2005
Age: 3 1/2 months
*Such a happy baby...she loved laying on her activity mat.


Year: 2006
Age: 15 1/2 months
*Bald, but beautiful, with that cheeky smile


Year: 2007
Age: 2 years, 3 1/2 months
*Just enough hair for a teeny "pebbles" hairdo


Year: 2008
Age: 3 years, 3 1/2 months
*And all of a sudden the hair came in...getting ready for Brooklyn's first trip to New York!