Cutie Lukie

So last night my little sister told me she wanted to see more pictures of Luke when I realized I haven't even been taking too many. So today he was looking so cute I had to just snap a shot of our 7 week old Luke . . . I know you just want to squeeze his cheeks don't you!!

I thought I would throw in a couple favorite family pictures while I was posting:)- Happy Holiday's everyone.

Thanksgiving

It's almost Christmas so I decided to post Thanksgiving- haha. That's about how my life goes these days meaning to get so much done and getting almost nothing done. But here are a few picts of our turkey day spent with friends who pretty much are family (their last names are the Johnson's and the kids might as well be cousins).


This is "Uncle Kolby" who needs credit for making this beautifully delicious bird.


This is the turkey I get credit for: a cherry cordial stuck to a grasshopper cookie with a few jelly bellies to top it off.




The cooks and the . . .

Crooks- who ate all the food :0.

Our 3 little Indians- or as Sofie likes to be called "Pocahontas".

Just another picture of our growing little boy

This is how we see Sofie about 50% of the time as "Insectosaurous". Seriously there are some mornings I find her in her bed with this on and I have taped it about 100 times trying to keep it together.

The baby story

Of coarse I have to start the post off with some of my most favorite pictures of Luke- I just think they change so much just in the first couple of weeks.

So I have been debating putting the whole labor and delivery story out here for everyone to read but have decided it's a big part of our lives and needs to be documented so you might want to skip over the next few paragraphs if obstetrician terms are not for you.

First I thought I would show the pre-math of what happened. I seriously don't think my stomach could have stretched a mm bigger- so here's me about to pop!!
The shortened version of the story goes as follows: My labor began Thursday morning after a visit to the Dr. (I was supposed to be induced the next morning). I had planned on having all day on Thursday to get things in order for the baby coming the next day so even though I was contracting and already at a 5 at the MD appointment I had to get a few things done before checking myself into the hospital. So as the day progressed they started getting worse and closer together so I thought I would call Spencer and tell him to get home as soon as he was done seeing his last patient. Hours went by and I hadn't heard from Spencer so I called him again and broke the news that this baby wasn't coming tomorrow and he needed to get home. He hurried home, dropped off Sofie and we raced to the hospital. By the time we got there, just after 6:00 PM, I couldn't even walk and I was contracting like every 2 min. It was quite embarrassing being rushed down the hall in a wheelchair cringing in pain. I was just so nervous I was too late for the epidural. Once we got there, they got me in bed and an IV started and I was at a 7. Once they got my epidural in I was finally able to be excited that the moment was coming. It wasn't too much longer that my water broke and then it was a couple more hours of waiting. As soon as the Dr. arrived it was time to push. 8 min of pushing and he was here the whole 8 pounds 10 oz baby. I was worried it was going to be a lot more complicated than that because the Dr. started to looked panicked and told me that I had one of the biggest tail bones he had ever seen and that I might "need help" getting him out- I guess that was all the motivation I needed to get him out :)

Now I have a love hate relationship with hospital pictures it's the truth in the faces that I love it's like two extremes shoved into one moment- extreme fatigue and extreme excitement along with a white, swollen faced, baby. Yet it's this moment that I already miss; 9 months of anticipation for that moment and it's over like that.

It was just too bad that we had him during the flu season because the next day the hospital started a thing were no one under the age of 18 was allowed into the hospital. So Sofie had to wait until Saturday to meet her new brother.

Luckily she didn't even mind waiting because she had Grandma Nancy and Andy all to herself. It was so nice having my mom and brother here to help with Sofie, make meals and do the laundry
etc. Thanks Mom and Andy.

Then this last week we were lucky enough to get to spend time with Grandma Jaylene. She was so much help around the house but especially good company and good for Sofie. I'm pretty lucky because I think I have the best mother-in-law a person could ask for. The first picture is Sofie with some of her loot from Grandma's shopping trips with Sofie. Sofie asked Grandma to take her shopping everyday at least 3 times a day.Thanks Jaylene.
Really I am blessed that both my Mom and Mother-in-law came out to help me when you consider that there are 10 kids in my family and 8 in Spencer's any one on one time we get with them is totally treasured.

Here are a couple of shots from Halloween. It was a very low key Halloween but Sofie still got a basket full of candy so what else can you ask for. I just loved Luke's costume even though Spencer, Sofie and I were the only one's to see him in it. Sofie was so excited about the red hair spray but she still has red spots in here hair that I can't get out and Halloween was over a week ago. Plus it's a funny story, just to give you a snip-it of Sofie's personality. Sofie had, for months, picked out a Tinkerbell costume it was what she was going to be at her birthday party and for Halloween so of coarse a couple days before Halloween she stars this new Ariel obsession. I mean you cannot believe this girls obsessions when she gets them. So of coarse she changes her mind after the costume is already bought and worn that she wants to be Ariel. So I have learned my lesson from past experiences that she is not going to change her mind no matter how much I talk Tinkerbell up or whatever other tricks I think would work. So as you see Sofie wins the battle once again and was Ariel for Halloween.

I must say I have read so many blogs when the older brother or sister meets the baby for the first time and is so cute with them and wants to help mom do everything from changing the diaper to burping them etc. and how it's the cutest thing and melts the parents heart and so on and so forth. I wish that was what I could say happened with Sofie but it's pretty much the opposite. Of coarse I can't say that I am too surprised since a few days before Luke was born she was crying and telling me how she didn't want a baby brother and she didn't want to be a big sister and then asking me if she could be "Sofie" when the baby was born and not "big sister". I guess amongst the "No I don't want you to hold Luke," and the "I don't want you to be Luke's mom" fights that go on and on all day there has been a few times where she wants to kiss Luke or help me change Luke's diaper that I think the mood is changing but then it's back to the drama. I have tried about every angle to helping the transition be easier for her but it hasn't worked so I am up for any advise that anyone has to offer. Yet at this point Spencer and I have decided time is just what it is going to take for Sofie to accept this change.

I do have to say that I don't know if we were just blind to the fact that our little girl was getting so big or this has forced Sofie to grow exponentially in the last couple of weeks but Spencer and I can't believe how big Sofie seems to us now. This picture is of a bendaroo bear that Sofie made all on her own. Spencer and her were working on them other night. Spencer was so into his Nemo that he didn't even notice that Sofie was fast at work making her own. When she got done neither of us could barley believe our eyes that our little 3 year old made an almost perfect bear out of bendaroos completely on her own.

Luke Spencer Johnson

He's here. Luke Spencer Johnson came the evening before I was supposed to be induced. He was a whopping 8 lbs 10 oz, 20 1/2 inches. I think it's all in his cheeks. Spencer asked why his eyes are slanted down and I said because his cheeks pull them down. I was all prepared for this petite little thing after having Sofie 6 1/2 lbs. Anyways we are all doing great even Sofie isn't minding him too much- of coarse it helps that Grandma is here spoiling her. Anyways enjoy the picts.

Our craziness we call life

Spencer has decided to give Triathlons a tri :) and did two triathlons back to back. The first one he ever did was a really big race where people from all over the US flew in for the Redman. He ended up getting 6th in his age group- this race just warmed him up for the next weekend where he got 2nd over all by 10 seconds. I know I've said it before but I really think he's somewhat of a mutant.


Our little lady turned 3. She insisted on a Tinkerbell party but since we invited almost as many boys as girls we turned it into a Tinkerbell/ Peter Pan party. Kids decorated wands for the girls and pirate bandanna for the boys and were dressed accordingly. They then got tattoos at the Indian encampment, walked the plank and found the lost treasure in the mermaid lagoon. Sofie has SOOOOO many nice friends out here. I just think she is the luckiest little 3 yr old. She got a bike from mom and dad. It was so cute Spencer said he felt really proud buying her bike. He said it's like a huge step in Sofie's life getting a bike (I hope she doesn't let him down :)


Okay I just have to put a little exert in our "family journal" about the amazing friends and people out here in Oklahoma, just to look back at when I'm having one of those bad days. I wasn't expecting any showers when we got pregnant and have ended up with 4 this pregnancy. The first one being with my fam when I went home this summer. This collage doesn't do justice to how many people, how much fun and how cute they were but I just am in awe what people have done for me and my little boy. I seriously feel like a million bucks to have to so many great people in my life. Thanks so much everyone!!! I think the nicest people live in Oklahoma and I met some dang nice people in Idaho and Ohio. Spencer is gone this week and everyone is so worried about me having this baby with him gone. I can't believe the offers people have given to help if something happens while he is gone. Even Dr's at work are telling me to call their house (as if it's anything I want anyone at work to see me go through :) but I just feel like the lord really knows me and has blessed me with the right people along the way when we are so far from family!!!!


Speaking of dang nice people in Ohio- one of my best friends Michelle drove 5 hours each way to just come and hang out with me while Spencer was gone for 2 weeks. I seriously would have lost my mind if she didn't come. Thanks Michelle you are just a great friend!

Changing faces and Hotter N' Hell

So we got to see the little guy today and I am just in awe at how good the pictures have been turning out. So I made a collage of all the ultrasounds we have had thus far to compare the growth. I have one more scheduled before I deliver and I am worried his face isn't even going to fit in the frame. I really wish I had these 4D ultrasounds with Sofie because she came out looking a lot like me and I don't know if you agree but so far this little guy looks just like his dad. I think we are going to have another baby with lots of black hair (that's what Sofie had) because they saw hair on the ultrasound today. I am just getting so antsy to see him. Oh and if you have any great names you don't mind sharing we are still having a hard time in that department.

So I guess you can't keep a good man down. Spencer raced in Texas's biggest bike race of the year (TX is where Lance Armstrong is from FYI :)) and took 6th place in his bracket. I don't know if you would call me a good wife for supporting him in this after getting in 2 scary wrecks or if I am stupid but if there's one thing I've learned in 7 years of marriage it's that Spencer LOVES biking- so how can I take that away- (Plus I don't think he would listen anyways :)) So I just grin and bear it. But am I wrong to say that I really do like seeing him in spandex :)

It was a pretty cool race. Well you could actually do the race (100 K) or the ride (100 miles). Over 10,000 people signed up and I am sure more people rode that didn't sign up but I just thought after hearing the name of the race it wasn't going to be me- I don't know maybe I will change my mind when I am not 8 mo. prego. Anyways there were all sorts of people and bikes I had to take a pictures of some of them because they were just crazy. There was a 3 person tandem bike. A crazy tandem recumbent bike where one person was facing forward (luckily it was the person in the front) and one person was facing backwards (yea, she wasn't even pedaling she was just snapping photos- now that is the kind of ride I need).

I saw this little guy with training wheels and a whole bike get up and my Son's life flashed before my eye's- I am sure this is what Spencer is picturing our little man doing in like 4 years.- Aghh

At least let's hope that if this happens in the family it's me pulling the kids or else they are in it for the ride of their life (Spencer's Grandpa used to tell him all the time there is more than one speed- He has this crazy need for speed)

I just had to insert this Sunday activity Spencer does. He gets so stir crazy on Sunday- hey I say whatever works- I guess Sofie is getting into it too.

Like mother like daughter???

So the other day we had a rare occasion when Spencer and I got to go on a date so I went all out and actually took a curling iron to my hair. Since this is a rare occasion I think Sofie thought it was very intriguing and asked if I could do her hair like that- usually she cries when I tell her I have to do her hair. So after we both had our hair curled I decided to document it with a picture. Well the more I look at this picture I have found myself asking. . . Is this really my kid. I mean when she was little I swore she was like me mini me and now I can't even see a resemblance in this picture- I don't know- what do you think?

Living so far away from family for so long makes you cherish any little moment you get with them. So that's what we did with my sister Mary and her hubby Joey when they were traveling through on their way from AL. to UT. Mary is in school to be a home ec. teacher so she is kind of on her way to being jack of all domestic trades. So we put her right to work giving Sofie her first real hair cut- I know so I am a bad mom because me daughter is almost 3 and I have never had her hair cut. Then we had her mending clothes and finally we had a big recipe swap- you see this is why you need sisters and why I miss having them so close. Thanks Mary we already miss you.

The final product isn't it SO cute.

So our most recent addition to the family is our new dog Bolt (luckily he's the kind that doesn't really poop or need feeding or if you step on him it's no big deal) anyways Sofie has been trying to fill a sticker chart (she gets a sticker every time she eats her meals well, pick up her clothes- which if you knew how many times a day she changes her clothes you would know why this is part of the deal, and then picks up her toys and anything else mom or dad deam sticker worthy). Any who, she has been eyeing this stuffed Bolt at the Disney store and we had to go visit it every time we went to the mall etc. Finally the day has come where she filled out her sticker chart traded it in for enough $ to get her new pet. Though everything takes twice as long because every time Sofie has to go potty so does bolt and every time Sofie has to eat so does bolt and so on and so forth, I actually think this might help her ease into having another sibling around- or so I am hoping.

The wedding and the cabin

2 out of 3 weddings complete. The whole family actually got to go to Spencer's brother, Jason's wedding (except Jordan who is on a mission in Ukraine). They are just such a great couple so excited we are getting more estrogen in the family. They drove off on a motorcycle it was so cute.

Sofie with her cute aunt Kelsi




We then went on up to Island Park for the week and had a blast on the lake and the land. It was so nice getting some time in the beautiful mountains.

Love this cute little girl


We were so lucky to get to play with all of our cousins on both sides. Sofie couldn't get enough of her cousins every time she was separated from any of her cousins she was constantly asking "Mom where are my cousins'?" I just love spending time with both families- I feel so blessed!!

Oh and we went to a good ole rodeo where all the kids went down and had to chase a cow and get the ribbon. Sofie didn't get the ribbon but she was one of the fastest one's to reach the cow. I was so surprised she wasn't scared.