Tessa and Baby Ashley

Tessa loves her baby sister Ashley, especially her hair bows!

Tessa with Grandma and Ashley.

Thumb Sucking

Ashley Jane Lydia Lela Guadalupe Isabel Johnson

Well the day has arrived. I have been given the task to update the blog site (this is Kirk). Our daughter was born this morning at 7:49am. There were no complications with the c-section. She weighs in at 6 lbs 11 oz and is 18 1/2 inches long. We couldn't decide on a name yet so we just decided to use every name on our list. We will actually probably decide on a name tonight or tomorrow after Laura gets some rest.
I have taken a lot of pics but in all our preperations we forgot to pack the USB cable to download the pics. Sorry. Tessa is thrilled to have a baby sister. She refers to her sister as "Tessa's baby". We will have to make sure she isn't too helpful with the baby. It is very cute to watch her interact with our new one.
Mother and baby are doing great. I'm sure Laura will be posting something tomorrow after she has gotten some rest. Stay tuned for pics and the decision of the name.

Baby Update

2 days to go!!! Wow, it has went by so fast. It's strange, because part of me, well, most of me, is tired of being pregnant. But the other part of me is sad that I only have 2 days left to be pregnant. It's odd that I feel that way, but I enjoy feeling girl #2 moving around in my belly. With Tessa, we were so excited for her to come out so we could see her. But this time, since Tessa is here with us, I just kinda enjoy the pregnancy more because I am not as anxious about having baby #2 here right now.

Anyways, tomorrow is cleaning day, then Tuesday I pick up my mother and step-father from the airport. They will be staying with us for the next 2 weeks to help with Baby and Tessa. Then on Wednesday morning at 5:30 am, Kirk and I head to the hospital. At 7:30, we go in to the OR and have our baby girl! How crazy to think that this is all planned out, that we know what is going to happen at every moment. The only thing we don't have planned is her name. We have a few we keep tossing around, the list probably has about a dozen names on it, but we aren't set on anything in particular yet.

So, check in Thursday or Friday for pictures and all the details of Baby Girl #2!

I am a Princess

You Are Pocahantas!

Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

I saw this on another blog and had to do it, because I am a princess, well, I guess now that I have kids and a husband, I am a queen!!!

Idolized

So I had to add another playlist to my blog... My favorite american idols. I heard "Billie Jean" on my friends blog, and was reminded how much I love David Cook. This is really the first year I have religiously watched American Idol, and I got Tessa loving it too! She would wave her hands and sway along to the music. Anyways, David Archuleta was very good also, but I just loved David Cook (and he's from Missouri)! He can sing anything, every type of song, he just does it all. I had never really heard Billie Jean, but when he sang it on the show, I was awe-struck, it was sooo good. He reminds me a lot of Our Lady Peace, who I just loved a few years back. I would listen to their CD everyday, it was a phase I guess. Anyways, I have no idea what the Idols are doing now, but I am really hoping that Cook does a concert here sometime next year!

Baby Update

We had an appt. today and doc says pack our C-Section bag. Plan is next wednesday at 7:30 am, which means we have to be there at 5:30 am!!! I asked him if he was joking or not, and he said sorry, he wasn't. So, I guess I will be planning on a few naps that day, and so will Kirk! We do have to do a stress test again this Wednesday, but he thinks it will be fine. Doc said if the fluid is low, then we'll just take her out this week (but I'm not ready yet)! So, I have 8 days to finish everything I have put on my list of 'things to do before the baby comes'. I guess it is kinda nice to know exactly when she will be here!

Dinosaur Museum

We went to the dinosaur museum last week with Tessa's cousins Jake and Jonny. She had a blast! When we pulled up to the museum, there is a large T-Rex painted on the building, and she points and says "dinosaur". I have know idea where she learned that at! It is a super cool place to go, I have always wanted to go, and since all Tuesdays in Aug. are only $2 per ticket, we decided to go. So did everyone else in Utah County! I have never been in a building with so many children and strollers in my life (well, maybe at the circus or in line to see santa)! It was neat to see all the skelatons and fossils and they have lots of interactive stations for kids (too old for Tessa, but if she was 3 or 4, she would have loved them). So, if you are in the area, check out http://www.thanksgivingpoint.com/ and go on a Tuesday this month, it's well worth $2 even if it is crowded!

Playing at the "erosion table".

Who knew that plastic palm trees make great shovels?
Petting the dinosaor with Jonny.

Baby Update

We had an appt. today. Things are good. Baby is head down, as she should be. But doc still says it will probably be a C section, we have no signs of anything going on to get that baby out. So 14 more days till surgery and then we will be a family of four!

We had a stress test last week, and that was ok also. Tessa was induced because her fluid was really low, and doc says low fluid will probably happen with all my pregnancies because of the history. We got checked, she is at an 11. They want us to be between a 7 and 21, so we are good for now. Tessa's got low about a week before her due date, thus the reason doc has scheduled us a week ahead of our actual due date. The test was kinda nice though, the nurse checked again just to make sure she is a girl (we don't want a surprise!) and she took a few minutes to let us peer at her again. She looked so baby-ish, not alien-ish like at the 20 week ultrasound. When we saw her little calfs, Kirk said it seemed so real, it's like she's holding up her legs for a diaper change. Totally cute little legs.

So, yep, it's getting close!

Gymnastics

Tonight, Tessa and Kirk were in the living room watching the Olympics while I was in the kitchen. Kirk comes in laughing telling me to come watch Tessa. The mens gymnastics were on, China was doing the floor routine, and Tessa would watch them tumble and throw their hands up, then she would drop to the floor, roll around, then stand up and throw her hands up. She would lean her head back and we thought she was gonna fall over! It was sooo funny, she is such a girl. I told Kirk that every little girl wishes that she could be like the gymnasts and will try to copy them, and Tessa is a total girl :)

Pictures!

Yea!!! I am so excited! My pictures are done and they look great! We took our maternity pics last Saturday, it was a blast, and we love them. I have always loved having my picture taken, but it was really fun with Tessa and Kirk. Kirk feels a little cheesy, I think, but it's just so cute to have belly pics with Daddy. Tessa had a lot of fun running through all the cloth backdrops hanging up, it was hard to get her to hold still. If you want, you can check out my friend Amy's blog at http://www.amyharrisonphotography.blogspot.com/ to see them and all of her other great pics. She really does a great job! Thanks again Amy!

Recipes

For my beloved Notebook, I am looking for quick and easy recipes to put in it. If anyone has recipes they would like to share, I would be so happy. Even the basics like Tator-Tot casserole are great to have, because honestly, I just learned how to make that one last year!! So, if you want to share, email me or leave it in comments. BTW, Lali, I would love to have your Swedish Steak recipe, that was great when you made it for us! I will repost any I get so we can all enjoy! Thanks!

Home Organization

Perhaps it's because we are having the baby this month, perhaps it's because my mother is coming to stay at our house, or perhaps it's just finally time, but whatever it is spurring my great desire for an organized home is a good thing. I joked with Kirk that it has only taken me about 8 months of being a SAHM (stay at home mom) to finally get on the clean & organized boat. I have been trying really really hard these past few weeks to keep up on housework and finances (which is like a totally other post all in itself)!

So, having great desire but not sure how to proceed, I went to the Internet. I found a great website called www.organizedhome.com where I learned about a wonderful tool called the Home Notebook. I have been dreaming about one of these for quite a while, but didn't really know how I wanted to set it up. So, on this beloved website, I found forms to print and categories to put in my Notebook. I was so excited :) Now, I know you want to know what I put in my Notebook, so here it is:

1) an emergency contacts sheet, which includes all the info a babysitter would ever need in the case of an emergency (I printed it out on the organizedhome.com)

2) a weekly day-by-day chore chart. It can be overwhelming when the house gets sooo dirty that I don't know where to start cleaning. Now, everyday, I know what I am doing, and this way, the house never gets out of control (hopefully)!

3) a local yellow pages I put together of all the restaurants and phone numbers that we may want food from after the baby comes. Or when we have out-of-town guests here, they can see what all is close by. I am also enclosing a section full of take-out menus.

4) a food section. It has two pages of menu choices, all under the main meat heading, of things I know how to cook and that are fairly quick and easy to make. Next, I have a blank weekly menu page I can take out every week to plan out our family dinners. I don't worry about breakfast or lunch, cause they don't require much more than instant oatmeal and sandwiches. Also included is my absolute favorite thing: my grocery shopping list. I spent two hours making this beauty and just LOVE it. It is a two-page all-inclusive list of everything I could think of that we buy at the grocery store. I set it up for Wal-Mart, since that is where I do most of my shopping. I started with Dairy, which is in the complete back of the store, and worked my way up the isles category by category so it ends with freezer and fruits & veggies. I don't worry about forgetting anything now because before I go shopping I go thru the list and mark anything I need. It also helps me to not buy "extra stuff" that we don't really need, because I know that I have a complete list and I feel safe knowing I didn't leave anything off.

5) a list section. This includes a list called "Projects to Do", which has a date heading, a project heading, and a cost heading. When we think of something we need or would like to do, we write it on the list so we don't forget it later. And with the cost heading, we can prioritize our expenses to include certain projects. The next list is a "Things to Buy". Here we write down "extras" we want or think we need. It also has a cost heading and a store heading so I know where to get it at. I put the more expensive items that we can't afford right away and the little things we need but that don't go on the grocery list on "things to buy". Right now it has some baby items, like the double stroller and a bassinet, and also the random things, like a thicker shelf for the TV armoire that we need to get at Home Depot. Also in my list section is a Birthday/Anniversary list. How many times do I flip the calendar and see that someone is having a Bday that week and don't have time to send a card or gift. Plus, I don't keep up on my calendar like I should. This way, at the beginning of the month, I can go check the list, and mark off if I sent or already bought something.

This is all I have for now, but it is still a work in progress. It really does help me though. If anyone wants a copy of my Grocery Shopping list or any other list I made, leave a comment with your email and I will send it to you. They are excel files so you can change it up to fit your family a little better. Now Mom, when you come visit this month, make sure to say how clean the house is!!!

Nighty-Night

Kirk told me that I am wrong, but I almost feel like a bad parent. Tessa has learned that she has freedoms now that she is in her big girl bed. Freedom to get in and out when she pleases, freedom to walk out of her bedroom, freedom to play and read if she wants to. We typically push her door closed but not shut, so that we can check on her easily without waking her when we go to bed. Well, she now knows this also. So, we began shutting her door, nice and tight, so that she can't get out. And yes, I feel a little mean, but she needs to know that bedtime means bedtime, not coming and going time.

So, as I sit here and type, I can hear her rattling the doorknob, and knocking on the door. She is yet to make a sound (I have the moniter on) but is trying that door pretty good. I guess we just have to do what we have to do. After she falls asleep, we open the door again so that she can come out when she wakes up, but I still feel a little mean and a little sad locking her in. Hopefully she will learn to stay in bed soon so I won't feel so guilty :)