Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Adam Brennan Johnson - On the day you were born
Adam, we were so glad to welcome you into the world!
At 12:12 AM on September 3rd, Labor Day, 2012, our little baby boy was born. You came out looking just like your dad! The nurses placed you on my chest and Derek cut the umbilical cord, which the doctor said was one of the thickest cords she has seen! Apparently you were well fed and protected in the womb! When the nurses took you over to the warmer to dry you off and weigh you, dad went with you and Grandma Kelley video taped. You cried twice, and then once dad started talking to you, you immediately stopped crying and just looked right at him like you knew exactly who he was! It was amazing! We decided that you looked just like the Adam that I envisioned in my dreams, as you looked identical to Derek with even a full head of hair! So you were named Adam Brennan Johnson, weighed 6 lb. 13 ounces and was 20" long. Adam was given to you because it is your dad's middle name, and Brennan is Grandma Kelley's maiden name, so you got two family names! I remember having a dream early on in the pregnancy about you being Adam Brennan and looking just like your dad. I never realized that this would really be coming true!
I can't tell you the emotions that encompassed me the second you were born. I was immediately a mom, and so excited to just watch you! Our families came in after the delivery so that everyone got a chance to hold you, except Aunt Tracy, who was still in Boston working. Everyone was amazed at how much hair you had and how absolutely perfect you were. Of course we got lots of pictures and some video of everyone holding you. Then it was time for everyone to go home and for us to get some rest. We finally got upstairs to the Postpartum floor at 3AM. The nurses asked us if we wanted them to take you to the newborn nursery to get your bath and so we could get some rest. Dad was so exhausted that he was okay with that, but there was no way that I was going to let them take you out of our room, even if it meant me not sleeping at all that night! I really didn't want to miss your first bath and I really just wanted to watch you all night long because you were so beautiful and I felt like I was still in a dream! So you stayed in the room with dad and me, and actually you slept great. You got up twice to eat, but otherwise slept in the little bassinet right next to my bed. It felt like I maybe got a few hours of sleep, because I just kept watching you lay in your bassinet playing with your hands up by your face, yet I didn't feel tired.
Once morning came, we started getting visitors, starting with Uncle Russ, Aunt Krissy, and your cousins Trevor and Gwen. Trevor and Gwen were very excited to hold you, so Russ had to set the timer so that they each got time to hold you! Then Grandma Johnson and Aunt Amy came to visit you. They were able to stay for your first bath, so we all enjoyed watching how you reacted to it! At first, you cried the second we got you undressed and started getting you wet. Since it was a sponge-bath, they did not submerse you in the water until they rinsed you off in a little tub, then you calmed right down and seemed to like it! We got some footprints and then cuddled with Grandma Johnson and Amy for a little while. Grandma and Grandpa Kelley came to visit in the afternoon. You were wide awake and seemed to be watching everyone and figuring out what was going on around you. We sat around most of the day talking about how cute you were and how we could not believe that you were finally here! The pediatrician stopped by to see you also in the afternoon, and was amazed to see how absolutely perfect your skin was and was in disbelief at the fact that you really had no jaundice. Dad and I spent another night with you in the hospital. This time we slept a little more, but you did really well overnight, waking up just to eat every few hours.
Monday, September 10, 2012
September 2nd 2012 - Going to the hospital
Well, Little Adam graced us with his presence on September 3rd 2012 at 12:12AM. My last post was on September 1st, when I planned on going to the hospital. I will update you on how we ended up where where are today.
Here goes....
I didn't end up going to the hospital on September 1st as originally planned. I had called the ObGyn doc on call because my contractions had gotten to 5 minutes apart, but then stalled out without changing for several hours. She told me that we could wait until my contractions were consistently 3-5 minutes before going to the hospital, so we decided to wait it out at my parents house. As things did not progress, we went home that night to get whatever sleep we could, assuming that we would end up in the hospital overnight. Well, that didn't happen either! We got a couple hours of broken sleep and I woke up exhausted from almost 24 hours of contractions. I started to worry that there was something wrong with the baby, or something wrong with me that had caused my contractions to stall out at every 5 minutes, so we went to church on Sunday morning. At that point, I just prayed for a healthy baby. We went back to my parents for brunch. Contractions were still 5 min apart but were getting stronger throughout the day. At 3pm, I decided that it was time to call the doc again because i was getting much more uncomfortable and exhausted. Dr. Toft, the on-call doc told us to come to the hospital to get checked since i was feeling more uncomfortable.
We left my parents and drove to Southdale hospital. The got us checked in and then brought us to triage, where they checked me and told us that I was completely effaced and 3cm dilated. They waivered about whether or not we needed to stay, and then decided that it would be a good idea for me to stay and start my antibiotics as the baby was likely coming in the next 24 hours. So we were admitted to the hospital, and they told me that I could walk around for an hour before rechecking the baby's heart rate. By then, my parents and Michael had arrived at the hospital, so they helped us get checked in and then the boys (my dad, Derek, and Michael) went over to Schlotzsky's to get some dinner. Mom and I walked the hallway, and my contractions continued to get worse. About 30 minutes into our walking, my water broke. Then the contractions really picked up! By this point I was incredibly uncomfortable and extremely fatigued. When Derek got back a little while later, we decided I would get an epidural so I could get a little rest until the baby came. This helped A TON! I finally got some rest. My epidural ended up being perfect because I could still lift my legs and feel contractions without feeling the pain. When they checked me again at 7PM, I was 6cm dilated. Things were moving quickly. The next several hours, people started showing up at the hospital, Russ being the first from the Johnson family, then Jerry, Amy, and Vicky. We got to visit for a bit before the nurses rechecked me, this time I was 9-10cm dilated and we were waiting on the doctor to get there so we could start pushing! We started pushing at 10:40PM on September 2nd. My mom and Derek were there helping me push and getting me ice chips. But no baby was born on Sept. 2nd!
Here goes....
I didn't end up going to the hospital on September 1st as originally planned. I had called the ObGyn doc on call because my contractions had gotten to 5 minutes apart, but then stalled out without changing for several hours. She told me that we could wait until my contractions were consistently 3-5 minutes before going to the hospital, so we decided to wait it out at my parents house. As things did not progress, we went home that night to get whatever sleep we could, assuming that we would end up in the hospital overnight. Well, that didn't happen either! We got a couple hours of broken sleep and I woke up exhausted from almost 24 hours of contractions. I started to worry that there was something wrong with the baby, or something wrong with me that had caused my contractions to stall out at every 5 minutes, so we went to church on Sunday morning. At that point, I just prayed for a healthy baby. We went back to my parents for brunch. Contractions were still 5 min apart but were getting stronger throughout the day. At 3pm, I decided that it was time to call the doc again because i was getting much more uncomfortable and exhausted. Dr. Toft, the on-call doc told us to come to the hospital to get checked since i was feeling more uncomfortable.
We left my parents and drove to Southdale hospital. The got us checked in and then brought us to triage, where they checked me and told us that I was completely effaced and 3cm dilated. They waivered about whether or not we needed to stay, and then decided that it would be a good idea for me to stay and start my antibiotics as the baby was likely coming in the next 24 hours. So we were admitted to the hospital, and they told me that I could walk around for an hour before rechecking the baby's heart rate. By then, my parents and Michael had arrived at the hospital, so they helped us get checked in and then the boys (my dad, Derek, and Michael) went over to Schlotzsky's to get some dinner. Mom and I walked the hallway, and my contractions continued to get worse. About 30 minutes into our walking, my water broke. Then the contractions really picked up! By this point I was incredibly uncomfortable and extremely fatigued. When Derek got back a little while later, we decided I would get an epidural so I could get a little rest until the baby came. This helped A TON! I finally got some rest. My epidural ended up being perfect because I could still lift my legs and feel contractions without feeling the pain. When they checked me again at 7PM, I was 6cm dilated. Things were moving quickly. The next several hours, people started showing up at the hospital, Russ being the first from the Johnson family, then Jerry, Amy, and Vicky. We got to visit for a bit before the nurses rechecked me, this time I was 9-10cm dilated and we were waiting on the doctor to get there so we could start pushing! We started pushing at 10:40PM on September 2nd. My mom and Derek were there helping me push and getting me ice chips. But no baby was born on Sept. 2nd!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
September 1, 2012... 38 + 6 = Headed to the Hospital
Things have been slowly changing over the past week. We went to the doctor on Wednesday, August 28th. At that time, I was having lots of contractions that I felt mostly in my abdomen and a tiny bit in my back. Mostly, I felt uncomfortable. When Dr. Johnson examined me, she said that I was a tiny bit dilated, but that everything was completely effaced and "soft". Since I was uncomfortable most of the afternoon, she told me to go home and take a bath, which could help. Also, she said that if I could not sleep that night, I should come to the hospital, as I might be in the very beginning stages of labor. We already had plans to go to the Twins game with Jerry and Libby, so we decided to keep our plans and if we needed to go to the hospital we would. I did fine at the twins game, with some contractions and being uncomfortable, but we had some fun! Wednesday I did fine during the day, but had more contractions at night. I decided to stay home on Thursday to get some extra sleep. Also, I had been feeling lots of contractions mixed with some nausea. When I woke up then on Thursday morning, I felt really nauseated so I sat in bed for a little while before getting in the shower. It was my last day at work, so I was planning to go in and give my presentation at least. As I was standing ready to hop in the shower, I lost my mucous plug. Disgusting, I know. I was pretty grossed out, but it made me more aware of keeping an eye on my contractions for the day. I made it most of the way through the day on Friday with some nausea and contractions, so I came home at 2pm. We went to celebrate the last day of work with my family and Vicky at La Casita. I had contractions that night, definitely getting stronger and coming about every 10-15 minutes. I decided I would try to get some sleep and I would get our bags packed for the hospital, as I definitely didn't think I would make it through the weekend without having the baby.
So now it is Saturday. I got very little sleep overnight. Lots of waking up with contractions. This morning I got up at 7AM and decided that I would likely have to go to the hospital today, as contractions were very strong and now coming every 10 minutes. So I hopped in the shower to get ready for the day, just in case. Derek also got up, as he was feeling a little overwhelmed and maybe nervous about when we would need to go to the hospital. We went down and sat on the 3-season porch and had some breakfast while we started to count the spacing between contractions. They were still about every 8-10 minutes. We got on the phone with my parents, and went over to their house at 11:15AM so that Derek and my dad could go pick up a lawn mower. Derek didn't want me alone at the house, in case something would happen like my water breaking or needing to go to the hospital. Once we got to their house, he decided not to go get the mower after all, so him and Dad started working in the back yard. Michael and I went to sit on the screen porch. My contractions were coming every 6-10 minutes. Michael would keep track of the timing for me. To really speed things up, Derek and dad decided they were going to trim some trees in the back yard. I turned to look at them, and there Derek is 3-stories up on a ladder leaning on a tree, with a big chain saw in his hand. He cut down a branch and I watched as the entire tree and ladder shook. I immediately freaked out and had a panic attack.... the 2nd one during this pregnancy where I started crying and hyperventilating uncontrollably. Of course, Michael and my mom saw me squatted down on the deck in tears breathing really heavy so they checked on me and got Derek down of the tree. All I could think of was imagining Derek falling off the tree and getting hurt. Clearly my hormones are all out of whack. I finally calmed down, and sat on the porch for a little longer. Contractions slowly started getting closer together at around 1PM, coming every 4-8 minutes. Once they were coming relatively consistently every 5 minutes or so, I decided it was probably time to head to the hospital. It is now 2PM and I have had contractions coming every 4-6 minutes for at least the past hour. Mom, Dad, and Michael have gotten the cameras ready. Derek and dad finished their project in the back yard, showered, and ate some lunch. And now, we are going to be heading off to the hospital. Plan to leave by 2:30PM. Here goes nothing..... on our way!
So now it is Saturday. I got very little sleep overnight. Lots of waking up with contractions. This morning I got up at 7AM and decided that I would likely have to go to the hospital today, as contractions were very strong and now coming every 10 minutes. So I hopped in the shower to get ready for the day, just in case. Derek also got up, as he was feeling a little overwhelmed and maybe nervous about when we would need to go to the hospital. We went down and sat on the 3-season porch and had some breakfast while we started to count the spacing between contractions. They were still about every 8-10 minutes. We got on the phone with my parents, and went over to their house at 11:15AM so that Derek and my dad could go pick up a lawn mower. Derek didn't want me alone at the house, in case something would happen like my water breaking or needing to go to the hospital. Once we got to their house, he decided not to go get the mower after all, so him and Dad started working in the back yard. Michael and I went to sit on the screen porch. My contractions were coming every 6-10 minutes. Michael would keep track of the timing for me. To really speed things up, Derek and dad decided they were going to trim some trees in the back yard. I turned to look at them, and there Derek is 3-stories up on a ladder leaning on a tree, with a big chain saw in his hand. He cut down a branch and I watched as the entire tree and ladder shook. I immediately freaked out and had a panic attack.... the 2nd one during this pregnancy where I started crying and hyperventilating uncontrollably. Of course, Michael and my mom saw me squatted down on the deck in tears breathing really heavy so they checked on me and got Derek down of the tree. All I could think of was imagining Derek falling off the tree and getting hurt. Clearly my hormones are all out of whack. I finally calmed down, and sat on the porch for a little longer. Contractions slowly started getting closer together at around 1PM, coming every 4-8 minutes. Once they were coming relatively consistently every 5 minutes or so, I decided it was probably time to head to the hospital. It is now 2PM and I have had contractions coming every 4-6 minutes for at least the past hour. Mom, Dad, and Michael have gotten the cameras ready. Derek and dad finished their project in the back yard, showered, and ate some lunch. And now, we are going to be heading off to the hospital. Plan to leave by 2:30PM. Here goes nothing..... on our way!
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Officially Full Term - Let's Celebrate!
Today marks week 38. Baby is now officially considered full term and is ready to be here any day. Of course, that calls for a celebration! So today, we went to the state fair with my parents and Michael. Surprisingly, I did really well and didn't even get that swollen throughout the day. We got our favorite foods and made the rounds at least once, so that was perfect. I was really hoping that walking around all day at the fair would bring delivery on a little sooner, but so far no luck tonight. A girl can hope!
We have our next doctors appointment on Tuesday, so we will see how things go over the next several days. I am hoping the little guy will be here by the beginning of September, but you just never know. If he is anything like his father and me, he will be stubborn and will come out when he is good and ready. At least now, his room is ready, so when he decides to make his debut, he will have his own space all set. Thank you to all of our amazing friends and family for helping us get the room ready. It looks perfect. Only thing left to go up is the curtains! Check it out......
We have our next doctors appointment on Tuesday, so we will see how things go over the next several days. I am hoping the little guy will be here by the beginning of September, but you just never know. If he is anything like his father and me, he will be stubborn and will come out when he is good and ready. At least now, his room is ready, so when he decides to make his debut, he will have his own space all set. Thank you to all of our amazing friends and family for helping us get the room ready. It looks perfect. Only thing left to go up is the curtains! Check it out......
Thursday, August 23, 2012
37 Weeks - Hanging in there
I can't believe it has already been 3 weeks since I last posted anything. Time is flying by! Let me fill you in on the past several weeks...
Week 35 was chaotic. I finished up my Medicine 2 rotation, so I was studying for the shelf exam most of the week. I found that my motivation to study was significantly diminished compared to several months ago. I guess stacking my rotations back-to-back makes you burn out a little easier! I ended up with my first full weekend off in a long time, and spent it enjoying the beautiful weather and getting the house ready for baby. It is incredible the amount of junk that piles up in every crevice over a relatively short period of time!
On August 12th, the Schroll ladies threw us a beautiful baby shower at their house. We spent the evening laughing with friends and talking about the significance of our names and funny baby stories. As usual, these ladies went way above and beyond everything I could possibly expect, and the shower was amazing! From the adorable onesies spelling out "baby boy" to the themed cookie favors, they were so thoughtful and must have worked so hard to put it all together. Also, so many friends and family members were there to celebrate with us, which was amazing! It is nice to get to see everyone and catch up, as time gets away from me so quickly these days, and I just feel like I don't get to see them very often. The shower was also wonderful in the fact that it helped us completely finish off the baby's room! Our amazing friends pitched in to buy us the most beautiful bedroom set that is all in the jungle theme! We love it! To top it off, we got some amazing gifts from the Brennan side of the family. All of the Brennan ladies pitched in to buy us a rocking chair and our stroller! We have been so blessed by everyone! I am so grateful to everyone for going out of their way to celebrate our new little guy with us! We are so blessed to be able to bring him into a world with family and friends who will surround him in love, as they have already without him being here yet. Thank you to all of our incredible family and friends!
At 36 Weeks I started a new rotation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Taking care of premature babies that are born at 23-24 weeks, as well as babies will all kinds of congenital malformations and other issues really makes me grateful that I have been lucky enough to carry our little guy to full term. I cannot imagine facing the long hospital stays and the outcomes that many of these little babies will face for the rest of their lives. It is a blessing to get to take part in the care of such fragile little lives. It really reminds you how precious life is, and how miraculous it is that we can even grow these tiny babies from just a few cells all the way to intricate and functioning babies that will grow and flourish into children and adults someday.
Mom and I went to our 36 week appointment on August 14th. The doctor said that everything was going fine, and told me that I was 60% effaced but not yet dilated. I think this was a little nerve-racking for my dad, who happened to be leaving for China for 9 days the next day! But luckily, you can walk around for weeks partially dilated without having the baby, so things were looking right on track.
During week 37, I started taking overnight call in the NICU. It had been a little over a month since the last time that I had to spend the night in the hospital, and yet my emotional status feels like it has changed so much. The first day that I was supposed to be on call, I felt down all day about staying in the hospital, and ended up calling Derek to tell him that I was sad and wanted to come home. It seemed so silly in my head, but yet I feel so home-sick. Really, I just wanted to sleep in my own bed with my husband and kitty. Lucky for me, I have an amazing husband who decided that he would try to make it a little easier for me by driving down the the U of M to sit and have dinner with me so that I would get to see him before I went to bed. We enjoyed a nice little dinner at Davanni's and were able to sit and chat for a little while without my pager going off. It was so sweet of him, and it was amazing how much it made a difference in making time go quicker for the night. Also, Derek has been really helping me getting things done around the house. Last night I came home to the recycling and garbage cans outside, the cats litter box cleaned, and the kitchen clean. Its amazing what a difference it makes to have these little jobs done. As I get larger, each little job seem to take just that much more energry!
Derek and I went to our 37 week appointment yesterday (August 22nd), and she told us that I am now mostly effaced and am dilated to 0.5-1cm. Really minimal dilation, but things are moving in the right direction.
Here I sit, on call again tonight, also lucky enough to have my amazing husband meet me for dinner again tonight! The night is flying by, 2 new babies stable so far. Im hoping for a little sleep and then anticipating a wonderful weekend with our families. My dad gets home from China tomorrow, and he will be glad to know that the baby has not come without him here. Vicky also gets home on Saturday, so when the are both home, I am considering it fair game for the little guy to get here. I am feeling about ready for him to come... maybe not so excited for the after math and the fact that I will literally be tearing myself apart to bring him into this world, but I know that getting to meet him will be completely worth it! Hopefully that moment will be soon!
Week 35 was chaotic. I finished up my Medicine 2 rotation, so I was studying for the shelf exam most of the week. I found that my motivation to study was significantly diminished compared to several months ago. I guess stacking my rotations back-to-back makes you burn out a little easier! I ended up with my first full weekend off in a long time, and spent it enjoying the beautiful weather and getting the house ready for baby. It is incredible the amount of junk that piles up in every crevice over a relatively short period of time!
On August 12th, the Schroll ladies threw us a beautiful baby shower at their house. We spent the evening laughing with friends and talking about the significance of our names and funny baby stories. As usual, these ladies went way above and beyond everything I could possibly expect, and the shower was amazing! From the adorable onesies spelling out "baby boy" to the themed cookie favors, they were so thoughtful and must have worked so hard to put it all together. Also, so many friends and family members were there to celebrate with us, which was amazing! It is nice to get to see everyone and catch up, as time gets away from me so quickly these days, and I just feel like I don't get to see them very often. The shower was also wonderful in the fact that it helped us completely finish off the baby's room! Our amazing friends pitched in to buy us the most beautiful bedroom set that is all in the jungle theme! We love it! To top it off, we got some amazing gifts from the Brennan side of the family. All of the Brennan ladies pitched in to buy us a rocking chair and our stroller! We have been so blessed by everyone! I am so grateful to everyone for going out of their way to celebrate our new little guy with us! We are so blessed to be able to bring him into a world with family and friends who will surround him in love, as they have already without him being here yet. Thank you to all of our incredible family and friends!
At 36 Weeks I started a new rotation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Taking care of premature babies that are born at 23-24 weeks, as well as babies will all kinds of congenital malformations and other issues really makes me grateful that I have been lucky enough to carry our little guy to full term. I cannot imagine facing the long hospital stays and the outcomes that many of these little babies will face for the rest of their lives. It is a blessing to get to take part in the care of such fragile little lives. It really reminds you how precious life is, and how miraculous it is that we can even grow these tiny babies from just a few cells all the way to intricate and functioning babies that will grow and flourish into children and adults someday.
Mom and I went to our 36 week appointment on August 14th. The doctor said that everything was going fine, and told me that I was 60% effaced but not yet dilated. I think this was a little nerve-racking for my dad, who happened to be leaving for China for 9 days the next day! But luckily, you can walk around for weeks partially dilated without having the baby, so things were looking right on track.
During week 37, I started taking overnight call in the NICU. It had been a little over a month since the last time that I had to spend the night in the hospital, and yet my emotional status feels like it has changed so much. The first day that I was supposed to be on call, I felt down all day about staying in the hospital, and ended up calling Derek to tell him that I was sad and wanted to come home. It seemed so silly in my head, but yet I feel so home-sick. Really, I just wanted to sleep in my own bed with my husband and kitty. Lucky for me, I have an amazing husband who decided that he would try to make it a little easier for me by driving down the the U of M to sit and have dinner with me so that I would get to see him before I went to bed. We enjoyed a nice little dinner at Davanni's and were able to sit and chat for a little while without my pager going off. It was so sweet of him, and it was amazing how much it made a difference in making time go quicker for the night. Also, Derek has been really helping me getting things done around the house. Last night I came home to the recycling and garbage cans outside, the cats litter box cleaned, and the kitchen clean. Its amazing what a difference it makes to have these little jobs done. As I get larger, each little job seem to take just that much more energry!
Derek and I went to our 37 week appointment yesterday (August 22nd), and she told us that I am now mostly effaced and am dilated to 0.5-1cm. Really minimal dilation, but things are moving in the right direction.
Here I sit, on call again tonight, also lucky enough to have my amazing husband meet me for dinner again tonight! The night is flying by, 2 new babies stable so far. Im hoping for a little sleep and then anticipating a wonderful weekend with our families. My dad gets home from China tomorrow, and he will be glad to know that the baby has not come without him here. Vicky also gets home on Saturday, so when the are both home, I am considering it fair game for the little guy to get here. I am feeling about ready for him to come... maybe not so excited for the after math and the fact that I will literally be tearing myself apart to bring him into this world, but I know that getting to meet him will be completely worth it! Hopefully that moment will be soon!
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
34 Weeks - Back to some degree of normalcy
Hard to believe we are at 34 weeks already. It is funny to think of being 8 months pregnant. So far things have been going very well. There have been a few instances of me getting sick over the past several weeks, including the cold/headache that I have right now. But overall, I can't complain because this pregnancy has been pretty much uneventful so far (not to curse myself now!)
As for things around the house, we are finally starting to get our lives and house back together. I have been slowly taking out the baby clothing and getting things washed. Also, Derek took me to get the mattress for the crib, so we would actually have a bed for him at some point! Exciting to have his room partially put together at this point. Now it is just time to get the rest of the junk that was upstairs organized and put away where it belongs. Not to mention the disaster zone in our basement that will just have to wait for a few months! haha.
On another note, Derek and I bought an SUV from my parents, so that the baby would be good and safe in an SUV. It is a lexus GX470, which is incredibly beautiful and of course amazingly taken care of by my parents. I definitely feel safe and comfortable in it, but I have to laugh because I get so many funny looks from people while I am driving it. I guess they must wonder how someone my age that is a medical student ended up with such a fancy, nice SUV. Not that I blame them.... I never expected to have such a nice vehicle, and I surely didn't think that buying an SUV was a must, seeing as how tons of people drive their babies around in cars. But, Derek wanted the baby to be safe, and it makes him feel a lot better to know that we will be driving in a bigger vehicle just in case. Very grateful and blessed that my parents sold this to us!
So, while not much has been changing in terms of the pregnancy, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and feeling incredibly grateful for everything that I have. First of all, Michael just turned 15. Crazy to think he is getting that big already and will be starting high school in a month! He has been great lately, offering to help out with everything around our house including painting and mowing the lawn. Also, he has been really supportive and just goes along with the plan, even if it is something he doesn't really want to do. Dad took him to Canada fishing this weekend with his buddy, so I am excited to hear all about their adventures when they get back. Also, Derek just turned 27. Again, incredible to think that we are already in our late 20s. Seems like just yesterday we were the ones that were 15 and dreaming about our futures. Of course, this got me thinking back to when we were 15, and just had started dating. As a teenager, I often thought about what my future would look like. I imagined marrying prince charming, who I thought I had found at the age of 15, and starting a family in our house in the suburbs with a great back yard where our kids could grow up, and of course being close to our families. Little did I know at the age of 15 that this would actually be what my life would look like! There is a lot of people who criticize Disney for allowing little girls to imagine their lives with prince charming and the perfect life, but funny to think that these little dreams sometimes come true. I am incredibly grateful to say that my life has so far gone just like a Disney movie. I am glad to have found the man of my dreams at a much younger age than expected. He has been everything I could hope for in a husband and has supported me in medical school even on the days that I question myself. Also, here we are, about to celebrate our 1st anniversary, and also about to celebrate the joy of bringing our first baby into the world. We are living in an amazing home in a safe neighborhood, close to both of our families. Really, life is a dream come true at this point. Sure, we both work hard at our jobs and I get exhausted by medical school somedays. But I truly never would have expected my life to be as perfect as it is right now. Definitely feeling blessed. I can't wait to meet our little guy in 6 (or less) weeks, and teach him to be a wonderful little man just like his daddy.
Thank you to my husband, our families, and our friends of making us truly blessed everyday!
Happy 1st Anniversary to my incredible husband on August 6th!
Baby Johnson will be joining us shortly, due September 9th, 2012!
As for things around the house, we are finally starting to get our lives and house back together. I have been slowly taking out the baby clothing and getting things washed. Also, Derek took me to get the mattress for the crib, so we would actually have a bed for him at some point! Exciting to have his room partially put together at this point. Now it is just time to get the rest of the junk that was upstairs organized and put away where it belongs. Not to mention the disaster zone in our basement that will just have to wait for a few months! haha.
On another note, Derek and I bought an SUV from my parents, so that the baby would be good and safe in an SUV. It is a lexus GX470, which is incredibly beautiful and of course amazingly taken care of by my parents. I definitely feel safe and comfortable in it, but I have to laugh because I get so many funny looks from people while I am driving it. I guess they must wonder how someone my age that is a medical student ended up with such a fancy, nice SUV. Not that I blame them.... I never expected to have such a nice vehicle, and I surely didn't think that buying an SUV was a must, seeing as how tons of people drive their babies around in cars. But, Derek wanted the baby to be safe, and it makes him feel a lot better to know that we will be driving in a bigger vehicle just in case. Very grateful and blessed that my parents sold this to us!
So, while not much has been changing in terms of the pregnancy, I have been doing a lot of thinking lately and feeling incredibly grateful for everything that I have. First of all, Michael just turned 15. Crazy to think he is getting that big already and will be starting high school in a month! He has been great lately, offering to help out with everything around our house including painting and mowing the lawn. Also, he has been really supportive and just goes along with the plan, even if it is something he doesn't really want to do. Dad took him to Canada fishing this weekend with his buddy, so I am excited to hear all about their adventures when they get back. Also, Derek just turned 27. Again, incredible to think that we are already in our late 20s. Seems like just yesterday we were the ones that were 15 and dreaming about our futures. Of course, this got me thinking back to when we were 15, and just had started dating. As a teenager, I often thought about what my future would look like. I imagined marrying prince charming, who I thought I had found at the age of 15, and starting a family in our house in the suburbs with a great back yard where our kids could grow up, and of course being close to our families. Little did I know at the age of 15 that this would actually be what my life would look like! There is a lot of people who criticize Disney for allowing little girls to imagine their lives with prince charming and the perfect life, but funny to think that these little dreams sometimes come true. I am incredibly grateful to say that my life has so far gone just like a Disney movie. I am glad to have found the man of my dreams at a much younger age than expected. He has been everything I could hope for in a husband and has supported me in medical school even on the days that I question myself. Also, here we are, about to celebrate our 1st anniversary, and also about to celebrate the joy of bringing our first baby into the world. We are living in an amazing home in a safe neighborhood, close to both of our families. Really, life is a dream come true at this point. Sure, we both work hard at our jobs and I get exhausted by medical school somedays. But I truly never would have expected my life to be as perfect as it is right now. Definitely feeling blessed. I can't wait to meet our little guy in 6 (or less) weeks, and teach him to be a wonderful little man just like his daddy.
Thank you to my husband, our families, and our friends of making us truly blessed everyday!
Happy 1st Anniversary to my incredible husband on August 6th!
Baby Johnson will be joining us shortly, due September 9th, 2012!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
32 Weeks - Under Construction!
So much has happened in the past 4 weeks!
Derek and I had the windows and upstairs carpet replaced about a month ago. Little did we know, that along with the windows and carpet would come a TON of work to go along with it. So we have spent the last 4 weeks crazy busy with house projects. First of all, the windows that were all replaced needed to be stained and varnished, which is a time-consuming project! My parents came to help and and did a TON of work to get things done, which was incredibly sweet! I think my mom must have realized that there is a ton to do and that I just don't have the time or energy to get it done, so they rallied and did a lot to get things moving. Along with the windows came pulling up the carpet to get rid of and painting all of the rooms upstairs around the windows and in the closets. This was another huge ongoing project. Luckily my mom and Michael helped get all of the painting done, and Michael, Matt, and dad helped get the carpet pulled and all of the staples out. As a last-minute add-on, Derek decided that while we were going to have the rest of the upstairs done except the bathroom time (which we have hated), we might as well replace the bathroom time also! I am glad he decided to do that, as it looks fabulous! While it seems so short to write down in this paragraph, this work has been the ongoing accumulation of what we have been doing for the past month. I am not sure there has been one day that we have come back from work and sat down to eat dinner or watch a movie! It is work work work all the time.
Needless to say, since we have the entire upstairs under construction, there is no baby room yet! I am glad to say that he has not come early enough yet for me to panic, but I am starting to get that panicked feeling for sure. There is definitely something about having a baby room all set up and getting nested in, and I have not been able to do that yet. Luckily, once the carpet comes in this week, we will be able to set up the baby room. Our parents have decided to buy us a crib and dresser for the baby room, which was incredibly sweet of all of them! They always do wonderful things like that for us, and we are very very lucky! The crib and dresser are now here in the boxes, and I am super excited to get them set up this week!
Also, The Johnson ladies (Vicky, Tracy, Amy, and Krissy) threw me a baby shower two weeks ago. It was so wonderful to see everyone and spend time with some of Vicky's family that I do not get to see very often! People got us just fabulous gifts. It was overwhelming to sit there opening such beautiful gifts. Thank you Thank you to all of our friends and family who came to celebrate with us! It was so great! I can't wait to get the baby room set up and start getting his new clothes and gear all set for when he gets here. Its very exciting to start feeling like there is baby stuff in the house now!
And how am I feeling? Well, truthfully, I am exhausted! I have never really felt like calling in sick to work just to sleep, but it has definitely crossed my mind lately. I am working in the medical ICU right now, so things are crazy busy and I am up at 5 every morning. While I really enjoy the ICU, I don't enjoy having to stand for 5 hours while we do rounds. This is the first time that I have really started to feel like I am swelling. I am pretty sure that I am currently losing my ankles and getting cankels! Yuck! My doc told me that it was no big deal that I work all day as long as I go home and put my feet up at night..... yeah, like that is ever going to happen with the construction projects going on at our house! haha! I guess I will just have to deal with having no ankles and big swollen legs! Also, baby seems to be growing so fast now. My belly feels like it gets bigger by the day! According to the doc, I am growing right on schedule. It is hard to believe that there is only 8 more weeks to go before he gets here. I am so excited and yet also nervous! I want things to go right and I just hope that he is healthy and doing well. He sure moves around a lot, so at least I knew he is still doing okay in there for now. I am currently hoping for a bit more sleep and some peace and quiet around here once the construction is done, seeing as how I won't be sleeping once the baby is born! Wish me luck!
Derek and I had the windows and upstairs carpet replaced about a month ago. Little did we know, that along with the windows and carpet would come a TON of work to go along with it. So we have spent the last 4 weeks crazy busy with house projects. First of all, the windows that were all replaced needed to be stained and varnished, which is a time-consuming project! My parents came to help and and did a TON of work to get things done, which was incredibly sweet! I think my mom must have realized that there is a ton to do and that I just don't have the time or energy to get it done, so they rallied and did a lot to get things moving. Along with the windows came pulling up the carpet to get rid of and painting all of the rooms upstairs around the windows and in the closets. This was another huge ongoing project. Luckily my mom and Michael helped get all of the painting done, and Michael, Matt, and dad helped get the carpet pulled and all of the staples out. As a last-minute add-on, Derek decided that while we were going to have the rest of the upstairs done except the bathroom time (which we have hated), we might as well replace the bathroom time also! I am glad he decided to do that, as it looks fabulous! While it seems so short to write down in this paragraph, this work has been the ongoing accumulation of what we have been doing for the past month. I am not sure there has been one day that we have come back from work and sat down to eat dinner or watch a movie! It is work work work all the time.
Needless to say, since we have the entire upstairs under construction, there is no baby room yet! I am glad to say that he has not come early enough yet for me to panic, but I am starting to get that panicked feeling for sure. There is definitely something about having a baby room all set up and getting nested in, and I have not been able to do that yet. Luckily, once the carpet comes in this week, we will be able to set up the baby room. Our parents have decided to buy us a crib and dresser for the baby room, which was incredibly sweet of all of them! They always do wonderful things like that for us, and we are very very lucky! The crib and dresser are now here in the boxes, and I am super excited to get them set up this week!
Also, The Johnson ladies (Vicky, Tracy, Amy, and Krissy) threw me a baby shower two weeks ago. It was so wonderful to see everyone and spend time with some of Vicky's family that I do not get to see very often! People got us just fabulous gifts. It was overwhelming to sit there opening such beautiful gifts. Thank you Thank you to all of our friends and family who came to celebrate with us! It was so great! I can't wait to get the baby room set up and start getting his new clothes and gear all set for when he gets here. Its very exciting to start feeling like there is baby stuff in the house now!
And how am I feeling? Well, truthfully, I am exhausted! I have never really felt like calling in sick to work just to sleep, but it has definitely crossed my mind lately. I am working in the medical ICU right now, so things are crazy busy and I am up at 5 every morning. While I really enjoy the ICU, I don't enjoy having to stand for 5 hours while we do rounds. This is the first time that I have really started to feel like I am swelling. I am pretty sure that I am currently losing my ankles and getting cankels! Yuck! My doc told me that it was no big deal that I work all day as long as I go home and put my feet up at night..... yeah, like that is ever going to happen with the construction projects going on at our house! haha! I guess I will just have to deal with having no ankles and big swollen legs! Also, baby seems to be growing so fast now. My belly feels like it gets bigger by the day! According to the doc, I am growing right on schedule. It is hard to believe that there is only 8 more weeks to go before he gets here. I am so excited and yet also nervous! I want things to go right and I just hope that he is healthy and doing well. He sure moves around a lot, so at least I knew he is still doing okay in there for now. I am currently hoping for a bit more sleep and some peace and quiet around here once the construction is done, seeing as how I won't be sleeping once the baby is born! Wish me luck!
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