New Years in the Hospital

Tuesday morning Oliver ran a fever of 101, which for a 5 week old is pretty serious. We took him to the pediatrician, and it was decided to take him to the hospital. They needed to run some tests to rule out anything serious. They told us that they needed to keep him for 48 hours. It looked like everything was fine and we thought we would be going home this morning, but last night the culture for strep came back positive. They aren't sure if it's a false positive, so they want to run the test again. So we have to be here for 2 more days.

Oliver seems to be feeling much better though. His fever went down after a day and he seems to be healthy and happy. It looks like whatever infection caused his fever was caught early and we've been treating him with antibiotics. If the test turns out to be positive, we have to stay here and will just continue the antibiotics for a week.

So we sit. We wait.

We wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Christmas 2009

We had a wonderful Christmas at home. Jerry had to work, but at least he didn't have to leave until after lunch. I made a delicious meal of turkey, stuffing, orange rolls, mashed potato's and gravy, salad, and sparkling cider.

We were all spoiled. We are so blessed to have each other to get some fun stuff too!!

Jonah is a pro at opening gifts!

Reading books with daddy. (I love how they sit the same way:))

Jonah's haul. He was totally spoiled by us, Santa, and grandparents!

He loved is bike so much, he had to hold on to it while eating.

Jerry and I decorated Christmas cookies before he had to go to work.

Christmas is almost here!

I really have nothing to post. But I am getting excited for Christmas! I finally finished decorating the house, and we even got our outside lights up this morning!!

Merry Christmas!

Doesn't feel much like Christmas this year

I cannot believe that Christmas is in 2 weeks! I'm sure that it's because we've been busy getting ready for Oliver, and now taking care of him. I think that it also has a lot to do with being away from all our family back in Utah. When we're there there are Christmas things going on all month long, which is exhausting, but totally amazing!

And I really really miss the snow!!!!! At least we get to visit in February and go snowboarding, woo hoo!!!!

My mom is coming today!! Woo Hoo!!

Why am I awake?

So, it's Sunday afternoon, my house is quiet, my newborn just ate and is peacefully sleeping, and I haven't had much sleep for the past week. So, why am I awake. Right now is the perfect moment to take a little snooze.

I am awake because for the first time since I've been married (almost 5 years) our home teachers* are coming over and we are waiting for them. I am very glad that they are coming, but I just can't ever work out the timing on these things.

*for those of you who are wondering, Home Teaching is a program in my church. Sets of two men are assigned 3 or 4 families who they visit once a month during which they share a spiritual message and who generally watch out for and help out their families with things they may need.

Oliver

We are proud to announce the arrival of Oliver. Born Saturday, November 21 at 3:42 am. 8 lbs 0 oz, 20 1/2 inches.

We will post more pictures and details soon!

38.5 weeks!

Well, I only have 10 days left to my due date!! We are getting really excited. (TMI alert) I went to the doctor this morning and I am 70% effaced and almost dialiated to 3 cm! So I am getting close and defiantly progressing. So I could go into Labor today or it could be another week. This news has made me feel like it's going to be soon, but it could be bad if baby boy does want to wait another week.

We still haven't picked a name, so it would be nice to decide before I go into labor. I have posted a poll on the right side of this page, please vote your favorite names, and please leave a comment letting me know why you chose a name or your top couple favorites. Please don't forget to say ____ (name) Johnson so you can hear how they go together. Here are some of the reasons we do or don't love a particular name:

Oliver: We really like this and it is probably in our top two. One drawback is that when I say Jonah and Oliver together they kind of get mushed up together and it's a little difficult to spit it out.

Jeremiah: Jerry always has loved this name and when he was younger he always wanted his mom to change his name from Jerry to Jeremiah. Jeremiah Johnson is an old movie starring Robert Redford about a mountain man, of course Jerry has always wanted to be a mountain man :) However, I think that having Jerry, Jonah, and Jeremiah in the house might be a little confusing and they all might be too similar.

Jack: Jack is my grandpa's name and he is so near and dear to my heart. He always wanted someone to name a boy after him and no one has yet. But, it's another "J" name, it's crazy popular right now (I already have two friends with son's named Jackson), and then there is our last name-Johnson. Jack Johnson is a famous singer. About half of people I talk to about this even know who Jack Johnson is, but still. I went to school with a boy named Michael Jackson. I'm sure his parents never thought that naming their son Michael Jackson would be a big deal, but that was before Michael Jackson turned creepy. The boy in my school was certainly made fun of.

Luke: We just like it. It's growing on me more every day.

Caleb: We just like it. I was already thinking of it and my mother-in-law suggested it.

Alan: This is Jerry's middle name, and will probably be baby's middle name if it doesn't end up being his first name.

Desmond: We just like it. OK, it doesn't hurt that the Australian hottie from LOST is named Desmond;)

Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon

We had a great time in Fort Oglethorpe, TN this weekend where Jerry completed his 15th marathon!!! He ran the 26.2 miles in 3:59:09. Jerry ran with his brother James, and James' friend Joe.

Jonah, Chase (Joe's son) and Spencer (James' son, our nephew). We all hung out together waiting for the guys to finish.

Jonah and me waiting for Jerry. There were hardly any spectators, so we just sat on the curb in the shade. It was nice.


Jerry approaching the finish.

Jerry and Jonah
Jerry, James, and Joe, Way to go guys!!!!

Halloween

Trick-or-Treating with my girlfriends Robyn and Amy. Before it rained.


Our Boys: Taylor, Jackson, and Jonah

Jonah after the rain.

Jerry as a spider at the ward Trunk-or-Treat

Jonah decorating (eating frosting) Halloween sugar cookies.

Good Halloween!!

October!

Last Saturday we went with our new group of friends to Kackleberry Farms, which has a corn maze, petting zoo, pumpkin patch, cow train ride, and all sorts of other fun stuff.





Later that day, Jerry's brother and his family came out to visit for the rest of the weekend. We had so much fun, but I forgot to take any pictures. Grrr. Monday, Jerry's other brother and his wife came to join the party and it was so great to have a full house! Not to mention people to play games with.


I am now 34 weeks and here is the latest belly shot.

Jonah is the best!!

Bragging Alert!!!

My son is the best! The older he gets the easier he gets to take care of (and the cuter he gets!) Since he was born, we've had to get him to sleep before we could lay him in his crib. Now I can just read him a book, sing him a song, lay him down, and say goodnight and he just quietly lays there until he falls asleep! It is so amazing I can't even tell you. This is for both naps and bedtime. He is also taking 1 1/2 to 2 hour naps at the same time everyday. I gotta say, the Lord knows what I can handle, and the farther along in my pregnancy I get, the more Jonah is taking care of himself. Ever since our vacation last month I have been really relaxed and I've really needed it. I feel like I've been stressed out basically for the last 2 years, ever since I got pregnant with Jonah.

Also...
He is becoming so independent. When he wants something instead of throwing a tantrum, he just keeps trying different things until he gets it. Last night Jerry and I were having a bowl of ice cream. We got involved in a conversation and we both kept forgetting to give Jonah bites. After walking back and forth between us for a few minutes, Jonah left the room. Suddenly I look down and Jonah had gone to the kitchen, gotten a spoon out of the drawer and came back in the living room and was helping himself to my ice cream. What a smarty!! When he can't get something he wants on his own, he will come find me, grab my finger and take me to what he wants or what he needs help with. If he gets hungry, he takes me into the kitchen and leads me to the pantry or gestures at his high chair and try's to climb in himself.

I'm sure I'm in for it soon when the terrible two's hit, but I am really enjoying this time with him.

We've been pretty busy this month. Playgroups, Dr.'s appointments, and Stake conference. One of the most fun things I've done is join 2 book clubs. One is a church book club, I really have so many awesome women in my ward. The other is with a small groups of mom's I met through a community playgroup. We all have small children the same age and even though most of us just met, I already feel like we're all old friends. We are also doing weekly play dates together and a babysitting co-op (we watch each others kids for free and just exchange tickets instead of money to keep it fair and equal).

The weather has also finally cooled off and it is so beautiful! I can't tell you how nice it is to open the windows and spend time outside. We are all loving it!

Here is a video from last night. We were outside watering the garden and Jonah got a hold of the hose. He had SO MUCH FUN!

Trip to Utah! pt 2

We had such a great vacation in Utah! We thought that being gone for a month would be so hard and stressful, but we had a really nice, relaxing time. Well, I did. Jerry had to work everyday, so it wasn't much fun for him, but we all still had a nice time. We were able to stay up American Fork canyon where Jerry's parents live. They let us stay in their nice trailer and it was really nice to have our own space, since we were there so long.

Jonah enjoying breakfast. A lot :)

Jonah spent like 45 minutes loading fruit loops in my hairbrush.


Helping BBQ


Jonah and Jerry at Highland splash park

We even got to go on quite a few dates (Thank you family babysitters) Here we are at a Bees game.

Jonah loves to vacuum!



Jerry got to go mountain biking with his brother Brad. They had a good time.


Jonah playing with his cousin Riley up in the mountains.


Jonah and my best friend Emily's son, Tucker.


Jerry and my Aunt Jenny running the Swiss Days 10k.

At Aunt Kristi's riding the tractor...

and the horses.

We were also able to spend a couple of days at my Grandparents cabin up in Midway. Jonah had so much fun playing with my Aunt Jenny's dogs.

S'mores at the Cabin.

It was such a wonderful trip. The drive home wasn't too bad. Just long. We didn't get to stop for more than a night at my sisters, so it was 4 days of straight driving. We played the license plate game and we were able to get 47 of the 51 states (50 + Washington DC) The only one's we didn't see were Vermont, Delaware, and Rhode Island.

It is good to be home now, and now it's time to start getting ready for the new baby.

Trip to Utah!

Day 1: Augusta, GA to Clarksville, TN
We set off at 12:30 pm and got as far as Clarksville, TN on the Tennessee/Kentucky border. We were stopped 3 separate times in traffic for about 45-60 min each time. Here are some beautiful views along the way:



And here is the old fashioned crib that the hotel there provided. I thought all hotels used port-a-cribs now.


Day 2: Clarksville, TN to Manhattan, KS
Not a very eventful day. We drove over the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers a few times, it always amazes me how huge these rivers are. Most of the bridges look like this:




We also past through St. Lewis and the beautiful arch, but didn't stop. We stopped there 5 years ago when we made this same drive. Of course 5 years ago it only took 2 1/2 days without kids instead of the 4 days it took with a toddler and me being 6 months pregnant.

We made it to Manhattan, KS where my sister lives and which also happens to be exactly half way.

Day 3: Manhattan, KS
Somehow we were able to work it out so that we had a whole week before we needed to be in Utah, and so we were able to stop for 2 days in Kansas and visit with my sister and her family. It was such a nice visit and a great way to break up the drive.

We visited a great splash park that puts the little one in Augusta to shame. We had such a blast, especially Jerry who had a great water gun fight with a couple other kids who were there.

My sister, Amelia, and her kids, Florence and Everhett.

Day 4: Manhattan, KS cont.
We went to a very small zoo called the "Sunset Zoo" which we think may be a place for old animals to come to die. Which is actually kinda sad, but we had fun making jokes about it the entire time. I thought I had taken lots of pictures at the zoo, but I don't have one, so I must have forgotten my camera. That evening we went to a park and had a little BBQ:



Here's the kids at bedtime. There was a small hole in the sheet, which they all thought would be fun to try to crawl inside. Needless to say, the sheet is ruined but they all got inside :)

Day 5: Manhattan, KS to Frisco, CO
Back on the road. A long day driving through Kansas. Here is what we looked at ALL DAY LONG: farms.

oh, and cows and power lines.

We made it to Frisco, CO which a small town just past Denver. It was so beautiful, we didn't want to leave! It reminded me of a mini Park City. There was a great rec. trail that started right outside our hotel and Jerry went on a great run around the small lake there.

Here's a random picture of what we would find Jonah doing in the back seat to keep himself entertained. He played with this box for like 30 min. He was so good by the way. We made it all the way there and back without either of us sitting in the back seat once. Granted the DVD player we picked up from my sister helped a lot (Thanks Milly!!)

Day 6: Frisco, CO to American Fork Canyon, UT

Another long boring day. I didn't take any pictures because I don't think there is anything good to see on the western side of CO or the Eastern side of UT. Jerry thinks it's beautiful, but me, not so much!

I'll post more of our trip another day!