Blessing Day -- November 1, 2009

Claire's blessing dress was very special -- we borrowed if from her cousin Ellie. It was just too beautiful to pass up. And they share the same birthday, so it's extra special! Ellie was very proud that Claire was wearing her blessing dress. Thanks Angie!


I'm too lazy to get the red-eye out of these pictures, but I will someday. Really.

The blessing was beautiful. Steve is a wonderful dad. It was a beautiful day spent with family and friends. Little Claire sure is loved!

Was that a compliment or an insult???

When speaking to a new mom about her appearance, it can be kind of tricky. You never know how emotionally stable she is (hormones all crazy & stuff). Do you say she looks "great", "thin", or "healthy" or "you don't look like you just had a baby", (Hey! Thanks a lot! I went through all that for 9 months -- don't take away my credit!) or "you can't even see the tummy" (It doesn't matter, I know it's there.)

But for the first time last week I got this comment: "Um, Aunt Jackie, you are so, like, FLAT".

--Paige Jaclyn Thompson


To which, I of course responded, "WHICH PART????" Crossing my fingers that she says "your tummy" and not...well... you know..

"Like, this part.." (As she caresses my arm).

I sigh in relief.

6 Weeks

This is the best!

Most of the time, I think she looks more like Steve. But this picture really looks like me when I was a baby.

She's such a poised sleeper.

Daddy's little monchhichi. "monchhichi monchhichi, oh so soft and cuddly". This is what I wake up singing in my head in the middle of the night. Thanks Steve.

Fall Stuff

John & Angie's family came up for the annual Lombardi Ranch trip. It's always a fun time. Steve especially loves playing on the haystack pyramid.


Emma Jane love the horse ride. She's getting so big!

We love spending time with these girls.

Steve's "new" toy. New meaning it was someone else's trash. I can't watch him ride it. I had a bad experience on one of these in Mexico.

1 Month

She's already chubbin out! We love her! So far, so good. She's still your basic eat, sleep, poop & pee, pee, pee, baby. But for some reason, we're entertained all day just staring at her. She hardly cries at all, and when she does, it never gets to the "shut that kid up she's hurting me ears" point. I'm crossing my fingers and knocking on wood, though, because I know she can change at any moment. For now, I'm enjoying the cuddles, the grunts, and even the cute little cries. And I'm sooooooo grateful to the inventor of the pacifier.


As for me, I think I had the fastest, easiest C-section recovery ever (I don't mean to brag, but seriously, it was waaaay better than everyone had led me to expect). In fact, I really don't think I could have had a more painless birth experience. I've thought a lot about all the reasons why it was so easy for me, and I can only think of one: God must want me to have more kids!

1 Week Old

Happy Birthday Claire! One Week Old!

This is a rare moment -- completely awake and eyes wide open.

She really loves to snuggle.

I can't count how many times in the past week I have just started crying. I look at her and I am amazed at how blessed we have been. She is healthy, happy, and beautiful. She is ours.

Introducing.....Claire Mattingly Johnson

09/09/09
6 lbs. 11 oz.
20 1/2 in.

The Johnson Family

Steve's space suit.

We are truly blessed.

5 More Days!!!

Been pretty busy this summer -- my sisters' family came and visited for 2 weeks, and we had a blast! Went camping at Refugio, had my baby shower, hung out Grandma's pool, and pretty much just spent the time hanging out. I love my sister! She is the best mom, sister, daughter, friend, etc. etc. She made this quilt for me out of my baby clothes. One of the patches even has my name embroidered (from a dress someone had made me). My adorable niece Liv (on the right), "loves to sew" and helped her mom make it. My mom also helped. Maeve, the baby, pretty much just loved to roll around on it.


Even though she won't be sleeping here for a few months, I just had to have the room and crib done before she came. Thanks to my mom, we finished sewing the bumper, skirt, curtains, and quilt. I love the bright, happy colors!



We went a little crazy with the sewing, and my mom even made a curtain for the bottom shelf of the changing table, as well as a changing pad cover. I love it! P.S. -- best buy ever -- my crib was $100 at Big Lots! Thanks Mom & Dad!


Me and my belly at 36 weeks. The Dr. says she weighs 6 1/2 lbs already. My C-section is scheduled for 9-09-09 at 9:00 am. Maybe she'll be born at 9:09. Better than 6-6-6 I guess :)
I'm really not too nervous about the surgery --I've heard both horror stories and raves about C-sections, but I've got my mom close by, and Steve is really helpful too. I'm mostly nervous about being a mom, and how exhausting that is.

So, hopefully it won't take me too long to post some pics of our (still nameless) baby girl. But don't hold your breath :)

One HOT Summer!

I'm at the point of my pregnancy when everywhere I go random strangers ask me if I'm ok, with a genuine look of concern, as if I"m about to go into labor. I think it's partly because I'm so small, and this basketball bump is weighing me down, and partly because I have a miserable look on my face 99% of the time because it is HOT! 105 for a week makes for a very mean pregnant lady.

Luckily, I can relax in the pool like a mix of Mrs. Incredible (elastigirl ) and a hippopotamus.

I'm very lucky to live so close to my mom right now. She has been a lifesaver throughout my pregnancy-- she helped me through morning sickness, a kidney stone, sewing all my baby's room stuff, and now she makes me lemonade whenever I ask. I lover her!

Not flattering, but historically accurate.

Sew this is what I've been doing....

This is the front of the crib quilt that I am making for the baby. I have started to freak out that nothing is ready for the baby's room, so my mom and I began sewing this week. It is so much fun -- my mom is an excellent seamstress and a really good teacher.

This is the material for the curtains in the baby's room. It's orange on a cream background. I'm staying away from too much pink, because if we have a boy next, I don't want to have to completely re-decorate! (We only have 1 spare bedroom).

Oh yeah, and I cut off my hair after one too many hot summer days. After growing it out for nearly 5 years, it feels good to be free again! And I got enough (11 inches) to donate to Locks of Love, so I didn't cry at all this time.

Stoked About My Stokke!

I love my parents and Craigslist! Thanks to my mom & dad, I just got the best stroller for me -- the Stokke Xplory (slightly used, but WAY cheaper than retail).

My niece Emma was a perfect little model for the first test drive.


The seat goes front or rear facing in 5 different positions and fully reclines for infants.




The best thing is that the kid is up super high, so it makes it so much easier for me for lifting and lugging the baby in & out. Being a disabled mom is my most immediate concern about having kids, but I really feel like this stroller will help with my mobility.

Thanks Mom & Dad!

bumps, bruises, and other pregnancy perks

Baby Bump 24 Weeks

I just love my skin right now! The red patches on my cheeks and the bluish ring around my belly button are my favorites. Too bad you don't get a picture of those beauties :)

Lots of women have weird dreams in pregnancy, because they have interrupted sleep. Mine last night was a recurring nightmare I've had since I was 20, so not exactly weird for me, but disturbing. I'm sent back to high school to take a math class that I never took before, and the teacher is explaining all this stuff -- the whole class gets it and I'm sitting there panicking, feeling really stupid because I don't understand it at all. I wake up a nervous wreck.

Am I insecure about something? Definitely! But is it really about math? I don't think so. Maybe it's about being a mother.

Nephew's School Project

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QH9Xnog2vC0



This is a link to the video that Steve helped our nephew David make for his final kindergarten project. David is really funny and Steve did a great job. It's funny how much David reminds me of Steve, when it comes to money, and saving. I don't think I knew what a savings account was when I was 5.

People are so polite

Ok, seriously, why didn't anyone question the name??? No, Vanessa, I am not naming the baby Ruggelina. I thought you would know me well enough by now!

So, let me explain. Ruggles is actually the only name that Steve and I can talk about without really arguing. We happened upon it one day while reading the D & C -- some poor man's first name was actually Ruggles. I swear. Anyways, ever since, we kind of avoid discussing real names, and Ruggles keeps coming up as a joke.

And, knowing my husband, and how fond he is of making permanent decisions, the poor girl will be called Ruggles until the day she's born to avoid the real discussion. And then she'll probably end up with some really generic name like Stephenie or Jackie.

Ruggelina (Ruggles) Johnson -- Due September 23, 2009

Jackie: Um, so can you tell us what it is?

Dr. Tabsh: Girl.

Steve: Really?

Dr. Tabsh: Let me put it to you this way: I didn't see a p____.

(Later)

Steve: Just because he didn't see it, doesn't mean it's not there.

Jackie: Ok Steve.

Friends

I don't know how to make this picture bigger. I seriously stink at this blogging thing.


Steve, Fred, Baby C, Christina, and Me

This past Sunday we went down to San Diego for one of my best friend's baby's blessing. It was a beautiful day and I'm so glad we went. She is a darling little girl with the cutest chubby legs and arms, and she even fell asleep in my arms! I really miss my friends Mercedes and Christina, so it was a great day for me because we all were there.

I'm a taker! I just take take take!

That's my excuse for being a horrible blogger. I blog, alright, but it's usually just stalking other people's blogs. I've also been really into facebook browsing lately, so that takes up a lot of my computer time too. So, here's a few pictures from the last 3 months of our lives.

Above & Below -- FINALLY! The rental house renovation project from Hell is over. And I think we did a pretty great job! Got some great tenants in it, and so my parents are very happy.



This past weekend we all went down to San Diego for my cousin Dan's wedding. It was so much fun to be with my family and see my cousins and aunt & uncle.

Jeff with the bride, Michelle. I couldn'tget a picture of my cousin Dan :(

Jeff & Emma

Ellie & Paige

Steve's 34th Birthday at the Queen Mary

We both look a little drugged....

So I married a trashpicker

I used to get annoyed when we would be driving
along, and Steve would have to pull over to
check out what someone had thrown out on the
sidewalk, no matter what condition it was in.

Once, we were driving around in Lancaster, and
there was a huge empty dirt lot (hard to imagine,
huh?), and he had to make a fast u-turn because
he spotted a bundle of old clothes and boots.
Really, he got out of the car and inspected the
boots. I put my foot down and said, "NO
SHOES!!!".

But, now I am grateful that he is a trashpicker,
because we wouldn't have our dishwasher or this
really nice tv stand if he didn't have that
quality. We did have our tv sitting on a horrible
little black shelf, but he found this one on the
sidewalk, all torn apart and he just put it back
together! I seriously love it!


I can be a trashpicker too. These are the curtains
I made from the material we used as table
runners for my wedding. I love the way they
turned out, but even more, I love that I can
actually sew now! My mom's a great teacher.

And yes, I agree, the curtain rod is way too small,
but it was the only one I half way liked at Bed,
Bath and Beyond, and by the time we put them
in (what a pain!!!), we felt kind of stuck with them!
I should have just gone to Walmart!!!