Two vs. one

So I have two kids now.

 No big deal, right?

Wrong. 

Very wrong. 

Having two kids is a BIG deal...

I don't know how moms with more than two do it. 

Initially, I thought that having 2 was going to be easy, a breeze, a walk in the park..

And I'm sure it will get there... Eventually? 

But as for the first two weeks, it's been hard. And so fulfilling. And so worth it. 

But let's get through the hard stuff before we get to the good. 

Here is a list of things I totally didn't see coming, or just naively overlooked:

•Ryan not getting to take time off. Yikes. When I had Emma he got a week and a half off, and I still had a hard time with him going back to work. This time it was the day after I got back from the hospital. I felt as though I had been brutally thrown into a cruel lonely world of slavery and sleep deprivation... Drama much? Indeed. That may or may not have been due to the fluctuating postpartum hormones. But still. Sooo not ready for that.

•Recovery being painful and still having to cater to a little toddlers needs. 

•Having a toddler who is mad at me. All of the time. Who has all of the sudden decided she doesn't like to sleep or wear clothes or shoes, and can't seem to entertain herself for more than 5 minutes. 

•Dealing with all of the post partum woes that I completely forgot about.. The flabby body, the soreness.. everywhere. The hair starting to fall out (already!!), the lack of a schedule, no sleep.. Need I go on?

     Now before you get too bummed and make an appointment for a hysterectomy (or vasectomy... Er. Anyways..) let me turn around and enlighten you.

Here are some fulfilling things I never saw coming:

•Yes, Ryan didn't get much time off. But I have been thrown out of my comfort zone and grown from it. I have found that I can do hard things. Very hard things. I am capable of so much more than I ever realized. I have been able to get a grasp on being a mom to two so much more quickly than I would have any other way.

•I have come to appreciate and love Ryan so much more than I thought possible. He is a life saver. Seeing how hard of a worker he is, how good of a dad he is to our girls, and how supportive and loving he is  towards me makes me so thankful that our loving Heavenly Father placed him in my life. I'm glad we have each other.

•Seeing my two beautiful daughters that God has entrusted me with together. Seeing these beautiful babies of mine is such a blessing in and of itself. I tear up everytime I see Emma bend down and kiss her sleeping baby sister on the face. My heart swells when I see her run in frantically trying to help AddiLyn be happy when she hears her little squeaky cry. She's such an amazing older sister, and she may not like me right now but I know deep down she still loves and adores her Momma! And she loves and completely adores her sister. And that, my friends, makes me happy.

• I have learned so much about Emma and her needs within the last two weeks. I've also managed to get my girls on a semi corresponding schedule... Which makes me feel pretty dang awesome.

•The lack of sleep has only resulted in a deeper love for my little newborn baby girl. We have so many special and bonding moments through those long night-time hours. Those times when she's most awake and she looks into my eyes without interruption, getting to know who her Mom is. Looking into the sweet innocent eyes of my newborn baby is an experience I will always treasure. I wouldn't trade those moments for a good nights sleep, ever. 

So, yes. Having two kids is a big deal. Is it easy? No. But is it a bad thing? No! I wouldn't trade it for the world! I absolutely love my baby girls!! 

So blurry. You can still feel the love, right? So who cares?

Blessings. ❤️❤️❤️

39 week baby! Last "pregnancy" post for now

How far along? 39 weeks

Gender? Girl

Total weight gain? I lost weight this week ;)

Maternity clothes? Probably still needing the pants

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Not a whole lot of sleep this week... My little girl is a night owl! 

Best moment of the week? Having my sweet little AddiLyn Mae!! Born exactly a week before her due date! I have a post about her birth story up if your into that sort of thing.

Missing anything? Nope! :)

Movement: she moves a lot! And loves being swaddled.

Food cravings? Delicious food. What better time to pig out than the week of giving birth? ;)

Anything making you queasy or nauseous? No

Symptoms: sore.. recovery hasn't been easy but hasn't been the worst either!

Mood: extremely happy and teary

Looking Forward to: our life with this precious addition to the family! We love our AddiLyn!!

AddiLyn Mae Johnson

It was a rainy Monday morning. The doctor had scheduled an appointment to for me to be induced that day. 7 AM in the morning. I was feeling particularly nervous to be induced and was considering waiting it out. I was dialated to a 2 and 80% effaced so I was progressing but inductions are scary to me, they can cause long hard labor that end up with c section, and I felt that was exactly what was going to happen to me this time. 

But then again, the baby had an ultrasound the week before and she was measuring almost 8 lbs already (7 lbs 11 oz) 2 weeks before she was due, so that in itself made me nervous as well. ( babies can really pack on the weight in the last couple weeks!)

I figured if I waited until her due date it'd be a risked c section as well. 

So might as well get it over with sooner rather than later. 

We arrived at the hospital around 8:45 AM and we were admitted right away. My nurse quickly got me hooked up to an IV, drew some blood and by 10 AM my doctor broke my water and hooked me up to the pitocin. It took a couple hours for me to really start feeling the contractions, and by that time the anesthesiologist was occupied with other patients. So I sat there squeezing the life out of Ryan's hand, rotating from one side of the bed to the other, trying to get comfortable. By the time the anesthesiologist got there I was dialated to a 5 and Ryan's hand was broken... Or at least, feeling broken. 

The anesthesiologist was able to get me hooked up quickly which I was grateful for, and Ryan didn't watch this time, because last time he almost passed out. He focused on getting me to relax and rubbing my shoulders. Which helped a lot, the contractions were getting really bad and the anesthesiologist was poking me and telling me to bend over and I felt like jumping off the bed and running away in agony. But once the epidural was in, I was one happy girl!

By that time it was about 1. Once my epidural was in I was able to relax and I think that's the key to a quick labor. 

At 2:30 I started feeling my contractions again, and they were really bad. It wasn't too painful but I could tell something was happening. And then I needed to push.

So Ryan frantically ran out the door to get the nurses, saying she needs to push! 

They all ran in, my nurse checked me and said "Dang girl!!! Baby is right there! Don't cough, sneeze, and breathe softly!! The doctor isn't here yet!" 

Then they ran out of the room to get the equipment. 

There was a thunderstorm going on at this time, so imagine loud booming thunder as you read this, it really added a dramatic effect. :)

By that time I was crying and shaking because the pain was coming back, I needed to push and there weren't any nurses or doctors in sight! I really wanted my doctor to be there, I trust her and had talked to her about how I wanted everything done and things I didn't want done. I was scared she wasn't going to make it and the nurses would have to deliver the baby. I kept telling Ryan over and over, this baby is coming, I need to push. She's coming and there's nothing I can do about it at this point. 

He was really white and kept saying "Don't you dare push, RosaLee. Don't you dare!!" He was terrified. Then he ran out again and shortly after, all my nurses and my doctor (yay!) came in, ready to go. 

They got me in the stirrups and within 3 easy pushes there was a tiny little human on my chest, gasping and squeaking, and I could barely see through the tears in my eyes.

The last part of my pregnancy I  was begining to worry about bonding with this baby. I didn't have a name for her and the pregnancy went so fast I felt like I wasn't able to really prepare mentally for another baby. But it was Love at first sight, just like it was with EmmaLee. This tiny, writhing, squeaky creature was our sweet baby sent from Heaven and I couldn't be more happy.

I was so relieved she was here, safe and I was done!! 

Ryan was able to cut the umbilical cord and hold her once she was measured, ( 7 lbs 6 oz, 20 inches long) syringed out and in a blanket. 

Watching my husband with his tiny baby daughter made me even more emotional. So I sat there bawling my eyes out as my doctor stitched me up. I couldn't have been happier than I was at that time.

So all in all, it was an easy, uncomplicated and very emotional labor. She was born 2:51 PM, 05/12/2014

Here are some pictures I took while I was in the hospital. My hospital stay was amazing, the nurses were great (except for my last one) and it was a relaxing and bonding time.

My tired handsom man. 

Long toes

She's got really long bony feet like me!

Big sister meeting little sister for the first time. Emma was so in love!

Here's one of the premie outfits I recieved. She's much longer than I premie but she's a toothpick so she fit into it just fine.

Home sweet home!!

Here are a few at home pictures :)

Haha AddiLyn in a semi milk induced coma 

Sweet sisters! They melt my heart.

I love my little squeaky AddiLyn Mae Johnson! Even if she doesn't sleep at night, and doesn't eat very well during the day. She is sweet as can be and a great addition to our little family :)

38 weeks

How far along? 38 weeks and 3 days 

Gender? Girl

Total weight gain? 20 lbs 

Maternity clothes? Yep! My poor maternity jeans (I only have one pair I like) have a big old hole in the knee :( they served me well.

Stretch marks? No new ones

Sleep? This week has been okay! I can't sleep without my body pillow, I love that thing

Best moment of the week? I had an ultrasound on Monday which was great, baby was measuring 7 lbs 11 oz so I'm thinking I'm definitely getting another healthy 8 pounder! 

Missing anything? Being able to snuggle my girl, it's getting a little hard now that my belly is big.

Movement: she moves a lot in the evenings and night, not a whole lot during the day. Little night owl.

Food cravings? Pineapple. Food in general. I'm always hungry... And everytime I step into the kitchen Emma is there waiting for me to share what I'm eating haha

Anything making you queasy or nauseous? Humid smell 

Symptoms: Braxton hicks, feeling baby hiccup a lot, tired, a little emotional, excited, big, nesting (everything is set up, clean and ready for this baby!!) 

Mood: up and down, impatient!! Tired of being at home, I'm staying away from the world so Emma and I don't catch some nasty horrible bug right before baby comes

Looking Forward to: having this baby!!! Getting new flooring in the this month. Yay!! No more yucky stinky carpet.

Ignore the lovely toilet in the background 

EmmaLee is 2!!

EmmaLee, age 2

Nicknames: Emma, Emmy, EmmyLou, sweety, nut, my little nugget (I reserve the rights to the last one ;) ) 

28 lbs, 34 inches. 75 percentile for both height and weight. 

How old are you? Two!

What is your favorite color? I'm not sure she has one, but she points out the color yellow "ellow" a lot and blue "byue" as well. 

What is your favorite animals? She is obsessed with our cat Tia, she loves her so much.

What is your favorite book? It changes every few days. Right now it's "the Honey Hunt" and Dr. Seuss "Green Eggs and Ham."

What is your favorite TV show? There are these short "Cars" clips about the truck, Mater, all put together into a short half hour movie on netflix that she really loves right now. She likes trucks :)

What is your favorite movie? She still doesn't sit still long enough to be that into movies, unless she's really tired or sick. Then any movie with animals or cars or trains will suffice :) she really likes "The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" again, on Netflix.

What is your favorite song? "Let it Go" from Frozen. She and her dad are always dancing to it, and she'll ask me to turn on "Eggo" haha 

What is your favorite food? Grapes!! No question about that one. Grapes are like candy to her. 

What is your favorite drink? Milk. 

What is your favorite breakfast food? Cereal. Last couple weeks it's been the "ellow cereal" which is graham flavored fiber one cereal... Keeps the bowels moving, that's for sure.

What is your favorite snack? She likes fruit a lot. 

What is your favorite outfit? She doesn't really like clothes very much right now, unless it's a princess dress "pinsess dess" she's all of the sudden really into cute dresses. If it's not that she's usually stripped naked by noon and then I have to put a onsie on her so she can't get her clothes or diaper off. Hopefully the naked freedom seeking stage doesn't last long. 

What is your favorite game? Hmm she's not too into games yet, she just loves dancing with daddy and playing with Tia. She also likes to be chased ( which only happens when her dad is home due to my 38 week pregnant body!)

What is your favorite toy? She just got a ton of awesome things for her birthday and she loves all of them! A swing, a truck, bubble blowing machine and a Lego wagon are all tied for first right now 

Who is your best friend? Mommy and Daddy of course :)

What is your favorite thing to do? Be outside, blow bubbles, draw, read books with mommy while snuggled in her blankie (no matter how hot it is) play with Tia

What is your favorite thing to do outside?

Blow bubbles, play on the elementary playgrounds nearby, play kick the ball with daddy. (She's turning into a real daddies girl, if you haven't picked up on that yet :) )

What is your favorite holiday? Holidays are still kind of weird for her I think but she really seemed to enjoy Christmas and her birthday party this year

What do you like to take to bed with you at night? She likes her teddy bear Eddison, her sippy with water in it and her pink and brown heart blankie

Where is  your favorite place to go? To the park and papas house. 

What is your favorite restauraunt? I don't like taking her to restaurants, Chick-fil-A is a good one for kids though so we've taken her there a few times and she likes it

Where do you want to go on vacation? She's never been on vacation, her life is a vacation right now :) 

What do you want to be when you grow up? We'll see!

What did you do on your birthday? On Saturday she had her papa and uncles and aunt Katie and Alex over and we had banana splits and opened presents and played outside, which was a lot of fun. Today (her actual birthday) we've spent the day doing things she likes; blowing bubbles, swinging on her new swing, playing with her new toys, reading her new books, drawing on the side walk and spending time together. And now she's having her birthday nap :)

I love my sweet EmmaLee Rose!

Baby Shower!

So this pregnancy I wasn't expecting a baby shower. 

I don't really know many people here yet, and I'm having another girl so I figured it's not a big deal. But guess what? 

I lucked out!

Before I go into detail I'd like to start off by talking a little about Marlee Johnson. She's the one who threw me a baby shower.

I'm lucky enough to have her as a cousin through Ryan. She's been such a good friend to me here and has been someone  I feel like I can just go to and complain or chat or just hang out with and have a great time!

 She just had a baby not too long ago, has 3 kids and is a busy lady! But she always finds a way to remain service oriented and aware of others needs... Seriously, she amazes me in more ways than one and is an awesome example to me. 

Anyways, she insisted on throwing me a baby shower and so I was able to invite family and a couple ladies from the ward. I didn't think I'd get much of a turn out (I mean, really, nobody likes me THAT much, right?? ) but it turns out almost everyone I invited came, except for maybe 3 or 4 people. That was pretty exciting for me, made me feel loved :) Just goes to show how supportive the Johnson clan can be! 

I got some cute clothes, yummy food, diapers, wipes and other things like that. I'm grateful I was able to have a little get together! It was nice to have people come and celebrate baby #2! 

4 Year Anniversary

It's our anniversary! Happy anniversary to us :)

The last 4 years have brought:

2 college graduations 

1 (almost 2 - 18 days left!) sweet 

daughters 

1 cat

7 moves 

2 cars

5 long road trips

Moving to a different state

Becoming first time home owners 

4 years of happiness! 

I love you Ryan!