I'm not gone . . .

So I thought I would do a short post to let you know that we are still here. The reason I have not posted anything lately is becasue our internet is down. The price tripled and the guy who signed us up said if we cancel our subscription, wait a little while and then resign up we can get our old rate back so that is what we are doing and right now I'm at McDonalds and don't have time to post any pictures but I do have some of Andrew and lots of Abby of her birthday and a family picture to post so be patient and hopefully I'll have more time at McDonalds! Happy Holidays to all of you. Hope you had a Merry Christmas and we are Wishing you a VERY Happy New Year!

Bath Time!

This is probably one of the coolest things ever invented for modern mommies! It's a little thing that suspends over the baby bath so that as you give them their sponge baths the water runs back down into the tub. . . not that a towel is not good enough, I did sponge baths with Abby that way and it worked fine but this thing . . . I love it! I know . . . silly. He of course hated the water . . . when it wasn't running over him he was calmer and not crying but you poured water on him and it was all over. I wanted to give him another bath just because using this contraption was so much fun . . . I'm not the type of person who has to go for all the new things and gadgets, (unless we're talking scrapbooking), but this thing . . . it is just neat! If you are about to have a baby and you don't have one, spend the extra money and get it or register for it! You'll be glad you did!

He's such a handsome little man, especially when you part his hair!

Me and My Dad

Joshua has got to be the best dad and the most wonderful husband in the world! He was such a blessing and a HUGE help during the labor and delivery! He was very good and helped me stay focused . . . I also found out he's very good at counting . . . he only messed up once I think it was between 18 and 20, he forgot and said 19 twice but when you are couting over and over and over you're bound to miss a few here and there! He is so good with Andrew and just the love he already has for him . . . it is amazing! You should see him with Abby . . . if Abby only had me for a mom she would be a basket case! He loves her and trains her so well . . . I love him and am so thankful for him . . . you go through times that stretch your marraige and strengthen it and the way he helped me though the labor and delivery . . . I could NOT have done it without him. Every day I learn to love him and more and trust him more! I thank the Lord for such a godly man who knows my needs and desires often even before me! What a wonderful man!

I was going to take a picture of Andrew at home in this outfit . . . when Joshua came to pick us up, I had him dressed in this . . . Joshua loved it but before I could get the picture, Andrew um . . . used the bathroom on it and well, I'll wash it and take pictures later. He looked like such a little man . . . it's one of hte few things that gives the appearance of fitting. It's a newborn size and it is still big on him! I put a 0-3 month outfit on him . . . it's huge! He lost his pound in the hospital so he was 6 lb 5 oz. when we came home and NOTHING fits him . . . I thought there wasn't much difference in the 3 -6 and 0-3 month stuff so I pulled out all those sized clothes and put them together but that is not going to work . . . the 3-6 is WAY too big on him! Oh well, he'll grow! They all do and then you look at your two year old next to you less than a day old and wonder how they ever were that small! You're glad they are though, can you imagine birthing a two year old? OUCH!

Hanging out with mom

While at the hospital Wednesday Morning I took the opportunity because I was feeling a might better after surgery to take some pictures of Andrew. The ones that are whiter are with the flash up. The mixture of lighting in the room was wreaking havoc with the pictures but some of the them turned out cute anyway. This first one I caught him smiling in his sleep . . . so cute. My favorite Nursing Assistant said as she watched him smile in his sleep, "Oh the Angels are playing with him." I know it isn't true but it was cute! So Sweet . . .
Just chillin' while my mommy tries to figure out how to operate a camera!

Mom, this one's for you!

He's Here!

So the pictures are a little out of order you'll have to forgive me for that! At this point in the day it is too much trouble to put them right and to think about it. The first pictures you see are first impressions from Abby . . . jealousy was very quick to settle in. If you have any ideas on how to deal with that let me know! It is amazing to me to think that I had this baby at 2:59 today and am posting his pictures on the internet! What is life coming to? I hope you guys enjoy the pictures. The labor and delivery I'm not going to say was a breeze but it was easier than Abby and extremely quick! Timothy Andrew Johnson was born weighing 7lbs 4 oz. He was 18 1/2" long and very loud for such a little thing! We praise the Lord for him and he was fully cooked, no neonatal stuff, no lung problems, no feeding and growing rooms. He's perfect. He also has a HEAD FULL of dark hair! Abby looks like her daddy and Andrew looks like his mom . . . hmmm. He's sweet! Enjoy the pictures we will talk to you all soon!

What is this?

It looks like trouble if you ask me!

Not the best picture but I thought you grand parents would appreciate it!

Look at that hair!

Still Cooking . . .

So on one hand being pregnant is a good thing because he's still baking and has more a chance of being completely done but on the other hand, I'm done with this pregnancy thing! Staying up all night because you can't sleep because not only do your feet itch but now your entire body is not my idea of fun! Plus, an almost two year old does not appreciate the fact that her mommy is exhausted or maybe she does because she takes that opportunity to get into EVERYTHING and make terribly big messes for such a tiny girl! I spend what little time I'm able to cleaning up and when Joshua comes home it looks like I have done nothing ALL day because all I did was clean up one mess after another from her! Still I love her and wouldn't trade her for anything, even a clean house! Things are going well here. We have TONS of snow and that is not an exaggeration, if you were to pile it all up and weigh it I'm sure it would weigh tons. I think Joshua told me it was about 12 to 14 inches. We are expecting yet still more the coming week! I think every day we are supposed to get a little bit. I'm glad to report that I don't hate snow as much as I did as a teenager . . . I still don't like parts of it but being a little more grown up there are parts that I can appreciate and enjoy. I enjoy watching my husband play in it with the teens. I enjoy watching my daughter love it and just want to walk in it. I enjoy looking at it. Once day if I ever learn how to draw or paint I'm sure I would enjoy painting the many different hues you see of snow. If I was a better photographer I would enjoy taking pictures of it but my pictures would never do this beautiful snow justice so it's better to just enjoy it and not try to capture it and ruin it. Of course, I don't enjoy getting it in my shoes. I don't enjoy driving in it just becasue I'm terrified of getting in a wreck in the only working, registered vehicle we own. I don't enjoy the prospect of months and months of it. I do have to say that last year I thought the snow would NEVER leave and I thought it was going to be July 4 and we would be doing fireworks in the snow! Honestly, it seemed to last forever last year but it also seemed to take a long time to get here this year. I just hope it doesn't melt and we have a brown Christmas, which ironically here in Michigan is known to happen. I also hope there is not a snow storm when it's time to go to the hospital. Well, I will try to get some pictures of Abby in the snow with her adorable little pink marshmellowing looking snow suit on which, Praise the Lord, I got a yard sale. It was a matching set, pants and coat seperate for $2 which I bartered down to $1. I know, I shouldn't have $2 for a brand new snow suit and coat is a STEAL but I can't help myself. If I don't even think the person will go down, I STILL have to ask becasue the answer is automatically no unless I ask! I do love yard saling. I have to say, I'm not very jealous of my mom and the heat, her living in Arizona, but I would the year round yard saling opportunities! That would be awesome! Like I've said before if God ever sent us to a country where you barter for your stuff I would be thrilled . . . as long as I could speak the language well enough to do that! It's just fun to think of getting a deal, on top of a deal! Well, enough of my I-can't-sleep-so-I'm-rambling-on-and-on dialoge. I'm going to go because I'm sure I've put you to sleep and I will try to get some pictures of Abby in the snow because I know the Grandparents will enjoy that more than a picture of the snow! That way you can see how high it is up on her! Good bye for now!

Sooner, Rather Than Later

So, I"m blogging to tell you that there might be pictures of little Andrew up here sooner than we anticipated. I have been on complete bedrest the last two weeks to keep him in there becasue he was itching to come out. With contractions hard a frequent I was dialated 3 cm. Yesterday I was taken off complete bed rest, PRAISE THE LORD, I was going insane. We are more in the clear now. If he is born from here on out he has a better chance of being fully developed! And since I've dropped I do hope it is SOOOONER rather than later! I've been told my the teams not to have this baby today though, because tonight is the night of our first volleyball and basketball games. Go Crusaders! Unfortunately I will not be allowed to attend . . . Joshua says I manipulated the doctor into letting me get off complete bed rest and so I must stay home. . . if you saw my house, you'd know why I did it! And besided I'm ONLY allowed to clean my house and I'm not even allowed to do ANYTHING to the floors . . . but they aren't the worst thing. Two weeks of bed rest, it is nasty and I'm afraid it's going to take a lot longer than that to get it to where it needs to be . . . I appreciate my husband and everything he has done in the last two weeks to help out but with his schedule it was not fair to ask too much of him. Now that basketball season is officially underway he's going to be so busy! But thankfully this too shall pass and Basketball Season is not all year long! Only until February this time! Well, that is all, I thought I would do a pictureless update. I have to warn you though, if Andrew is extra ugly, like not your newborn baby ugly but extra, extra ugly I won't be able to post his pictures on the world wide web for everyone, I will, however, send you pictures in your e-mail if you request them! I not one of those disallusioned moms that thinks their kid is beautiful if they are not . . . no newborn is . . . I do have to say on the flip side, Abby was not near as bad as I was dreading. And now I sound like all I'm concerned about is looks when that couldn't be farther from the truth, I just hope he is healthy and not too early, I don't care what he looks like!

Just Like Daddy

Every Saturday Joshua polishes his shoes. This is something Abby has watched him do several times. She knew exactly what to do . . . From the polish the brush and in the right order . . . I especially love how far the shoe goes up on her arm . . . past her elbow!

Happy Belated Birthday to a Wonderful, Godly, Incredibly Handsome Husband and Daddy

So I'm blogging about Joshua's birthday on Thanksgiving . . . hmmm. I have to have Joshua's laptop to upload pictures so that was the delay and it being a holiday his computer was home. So we need to extend a HUGE thank you the teens and people at GLBC. The teens were VERY generous and gave Joshua enough money to get a much need new black suit and 2 lime green ties. Then the people took up an offering on Wednesday and that was a huge blessing! During Anchored in Christ Youth Meeting there was cake and ice cream but I think one of the best things was the annual "decorate the office" of which are the following pictures! So enjoy!

A.K.A. Enter at your own risk!

I love their idea of streamers . . . all across the room at eye level, their eye level!

There was confetti EVERYWHERE! Plus icecicles, the kind that go on Christmas tree, 4 packages of them!

Yes, that is post-it notes. . . on all his pictures!

They really do love him!

Two of the decorating culprits! Don't they look so sweet and innocent, they aren't!

They didn't stop with the office, they also decorated his van . . . he got a lot of stares because they plastered the van with happy 40th . . . I didn't get the chance to take the picture during daylight so this was the best we have, you get the picture!

They got Joshua some of his favorite icecream . . . chocolate with peanut butter candy pieces! We have some of the best teens in the whole world!

The cake . . . it was yummy. The big joke this year was happy 4oth as the cake says!

We are Truly Blessed!

I am wearing my "It's Not Easy Being Queazy" shirt today. That's what the shirt says. It has a tiny hole in the belly and thanks to my marker loving child, a black mark on it. It is my grundge/feeling-awful shirt. I do have to say the nauseau and vomitting have been a LOT better this time but not enough to make me reconsider the surgery. Two kids, boy and girl, as one lady told me when I told her what I was having, you have a million dollar family. I agree and why spend more than you have to? Besides, You are essentially out of commission, when you're this sick, for a year. That's a long time to have dishes pile up, and junk on the floor that never seems to quite come up, plus the messes that a two year makes . . . yeah, two kids, that's a nice number! But that's not why I'm blogging. I'm blogging because I wanted to tell you something, well, if anyone out there reads this. . . for those of you who might, Abby did the absolutely sweetest thing the other day. We were having breakfast for dinner, you know, pancakes, bacon, and eggs. My mom used to do that and it was always one of my favorite dinners so I get to do it now. Abby was up in her high chair eating and she looked over at me and said, "Mommy, is yummy!" and just like that continued eating! It was just so sweet. It's like the first time she told me when I put her to bed in a real sweet voice, "Momma, love you". It's those little moments that touch your heart that make you realize that permanent marker on the tan carpet is not TOO bad. We have truly been blessed with a sweet little girl. God is so good to us! I thought I'd post a picture of when she was first born. My she has changed, she's a lot cuter now. I do have to say though, when I first saw her I was amazed at how ugly she was NOT. I thought she would be a lot uglier than she was. I know you think it's horrible for a mother to say that but honestly new borns are NOT pretty when they first came out and noone informed me they would come out looking like swamp thing with all that white stuff all over them. But after they washed her off and brought her to me I was amazed. She was not that bad looking! Now she's cute and sweet. What more could a mother want . . . I'm going to stop right there!

I Love Yard Sales!

These are some MUCH overdue pictures of Abby and her rocking chair. While her grandparents were in the states Abby had to opportunity to spend a little over a week with them. She loved it. Once of the things they did was to go to an Amish store and while there she found a rocking chair, which is one of her favorite things. They tried to find another one for her but they couldn't so they gave us money to get her one. I went to Target, Wal-mart, Toy-R-Us, Baby Depot, and one other store looking for a rocking chair. I could not find one. I was also keeping my eyes open at yard sales. Now, if you know anything about me you know I LOVE yard sales. I love to barter. If God ever sent us to a country where you barter for things you buy I would love it! When at a yard sale if they were asking $5 for something I would offer $1, if its $0.50, I'll offer $0.25. I love it, more for the sake of getting it cheaper than for getting the deal, although the deal is a lot of fun as well! So, it was sadly, the end of yard sale season and you only saw one or two here and there. As I was out I saw a sign for one and hoping there might be baby clothes, because I shop from Summer to Summer at yard sales for their clothes, I went. I knew I didn't have a lot of time but decided to take the time anyways. They had a few toys so I decided to stop. No baby clothes, it was grandma getting rid of some of her grand kids outgrown toys and what do I see, this "Little Tykes" pink and white rocking chair, just like the ones in the nursery that she loves. I was very excited and knowing I had money for that was DETERMINE not to barter but just accept the given price. I asked and they told me $2. I was EXCITED! That was excellent. I had a fleeting thought that I could get them down to $1 but her grandparents had given us A LOT more than that for a rocking chair and I was NOT going to barter. Nothing else was of much interest so I went back to the car to get my money. While there I realized that Abby had once again been in my purse and taken out my wallet. I had NO money. I started scrambling going through the car hoping to find enough change. I knew I did not have time to come back that day and the next day was completely filled and I REALLY wanted that chair. All I could find was $0.74. I didn't know what to do but knowing I wanted that chair and feeling completely guilty I offered what I had and they took it! God is good. I got to barter and I didn't even set out to. I was honestly going to pay full price because I knew it was good price but I didn't have to! Abby frequently sits and rocks in her chair. She loves it. By the way, don't you love the oversized p.j.s another yard sale find!

Puppy Love

The other day I had running to do on both sides of town, or rather on two of our four sides of town. I had told Abby during the week that we ought to go to Build-A-Bear and make you that $10 dog. Then on the day that I had several places I decided to stop and get the dog. We took 15 minutes and made the dog. We tried to find an outfit for him or at least a hat but I had a hard time spending more for little scraps of clothes than for the dog. So after they put a bow on his neck that stayed until we got in the car and the two bows on his ears, we were off again. I did my running, got lost and everywhere we went, the dog went. We decided to name him buddy because that's what she thinks other dogs' names are! Later that day we stopped and got a snack of French Fries from McDonalds, before she could eat her fries, she would first feed them to "Buddy". That dog of hers has been with her ever since then. She sleeps with him. When she wakes up it doesn't take her long to go looking for him. She plays with him. When she sings "The Wheels on the Bus" she takes his hands and does the movements with him. She brushes his teeth when she brushes hers. She puts him on the potty. She reads to him. If I had known she was going to love him that much I would have taken pictures of us making him but some things are better just being remembered. It is amazing to me how quickly she got attached to that dog. I don't know if it will last, it might just be "puppy love". Yesterday she wanted to take her dog to church and I told her that was fine because we usually get there about 4 and then have choir practices until 5:40 and prayer meeting and then church but I told her if she wasn't going to share him she had to put him in daddy's office. So Buddy waited out church for her in Daddy's office and she was glad to get him back afterwards. She is such a precious little girl!