Johnson Family News

My Savannah Banana

2015-01-25T20:12:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I find myself talking about Savannah in a way that makes her sound like she is just a full time pistol. That's not the case. I am beyond blessed to have Savannah and I wouldn't change her for the world. The thing that has been hard for me, is getting over my own ego. That sounds terrible too, so let me explain. Before I became a mom, I was a "perfect mom". I thought I had everything figured out. I knew exactly how I was going to raise my kids. Well, Savannah was and is a game changer. She knows exactly what she wants, when she wants it. Any time I try to address an issue the way I had always imagined I would, it is unsuccessful and I feel often as though I am failing her. I want her to be and behave a certain way when in reality, she is right now, exactly who she is meant to be. I need to learn to focus all her energy in the right direction so she can be successful rather then trying to navigate her life into a direction that wasn't meant for her. I know Savannah will grow up to be one extremely powerful, successful woman regardless of what she decides to do. Whenever I see this quote I think of her.

She can and will move mountains. She is smart, she is sweet, she is my motivation, she is one of my teachers and I am blessed. Here is a small list of things I adore about Savannah.

1) I love how she gets out of bed in the morning and immediately RUNS to my room. She is so eager to start everyday and learn and do new things.

2) I love the way her eyes squint when she smiles at me. She smiles with every inch of her face.

3) I love the way she purses her lips and looks down out of the corner of her eye when she asks for something she thinks she can't have or has done something I asked her not to do.

4) I love when she sings because that is a passion her and I share and I so see myself as a little girl singing loud and annoying all my siblings. It also turns out that annoying voice is now one of my greatest gifts and I know it will be one of hers too.

5) I love watching her dance around the kitchen with her eyes closed to Taylor Swift. Every time I get teary eyed because I know these days are fleeting and I know how bad I will miss them.

6) I love how eager she is to help me with anything that involves Aubree. She has been the best big sister since day 1 and has done nothing to Aubree except completely adore her.

7) I love the random quiet moments when Savannah just wants to hold me. She wraps her long arms around my neck and I can feel her heart beating against mine and I can run my hands thru her silky fine hair.

8) I love when she talks to baby Aubree and she is mimicking me. It's nice to know that as much as I can lose my cool and get frustrated that she hears the sweet part of my voice.

9) I love her energy! It tuckers me out but she truly loves tackling every adventure.

10) I love how she teaches me. She is teaching me on a daily basis to be flexible, humble, forgiving and patient.

I love my Savannah Banana with all my heart and pray that I can be everything she needs and deserves. I want to do right by her and provide her with the environment she needs to grow. I hope she never loses her curiosity. I hope I can learn to speed up instead of trying to slow her down and I pray that she will stay strong and fearless. Most of all I pray that I can be become the mother I need to be and let go of the idea of what I was "suppose to be".

My big girl!

2014-04-21T14:54:00.001-07:00

Ok....so I have not written a post in a very long time but I have a great deal on my mind today so I wanna put it all out there. I have a gorgeous, smart, funny, strong willed, independent, stubborn daughter. I wouldn't change her for the world. I feel so blessed every single day that Heavenly Father chose me to be her mommy. I can't believe that in ten weeks or less I will have two babies to love this much. Today Savannah was suppose to be napping and of course she was struggling with the idea. It's been a new phase and an adjustment because Cory and I have been so spoiled with her and her sleep schedule since she was 2 months old. But this afternoon I put her back to bed and she fell fast asleep and around 2:30 all I wanted to do was go in and cuddle my big girl, my baby. So I quietly opened her door thinking she would already be awake and she wasn't. She was sleeping with the most peaceful look on her face. I turned to go out the door and she woke up and with the biggest smile said "Hi my mommy! What chu doin?" I walked over and climbed into bed with her and she opened her arms to wrap them around me. I laid my head on her chest and she stroked my head like some little lady. Then she said "your a berry good mommy." It melted me. You have no idea how often I worry about if I am being the best mommy I can be for her. I want to be someone she can always rely on and I hope to earn the privilege of being someone that she looks up to. Having Savannah as a first child has been incredible. There are so many things I cherish and appreciate but I will only name a few because I could honestly write about her all day long.

1. She is soooooo girly.

2. She loves to sing like I do and she really gets a kick out of singing with me.

3. She is fearless. This has been a great learning experience for me because I am a scardy cat and constantly worry about her getting hurt. Luckily Cory is adventurous and a little more fun then I am lol. I am thankful he has many qualities that I don't because my hope for Savannah is that she does it all. I would love for her to be into performing arts and wake boarding and all different sports. I want her to choose what she would like to do but I want her to know that she has zero limitations. She can do it all!

4. She is independent, strong willed and can throw some pretty nice tantrums. This has been challenging and entertaining all at the same time but I am thankful I am experiencing this all with my first right out the gate. She is teaching me patience and understanding and how to be a loving parent who can teach her right from wrong. I came across this quote and it totally made me cry because it is so true. I try to keep this in mind on the rough days.

5. She is FUNNY! Anyone who knows my brother Taylor knows he is naturally hillarious and his comedic timing is on point. Savannah is this way too and has been since she was teeny tiny. She cracks us up on a daily basis.

6. She is smart! She loves to read and learn and I love learning fun new ways to teach her new things. We read almost every single book she has every day and she likes to "read to me".

7. This is what I cherish most. She begs on a daily basis to go to church. Teaching her about the Gospel and how to be reverent and pray has been a very very special thing for me. I am so thankful for the Gospel and the difference it has made in my life and hope Savannah continues to love it for herself and that she gains a strong testimony and can be a good example for Aubree and future siblings.

I have loved these last couple years of enjoying just Savannah and taking in every little thing that she does. She is an exceptional girl and I love her with all my heart. I am enjoying these last few weeks with just her and can't wait to see her in the role of big sister. I know she is going to be great!

Thankful

2012-12-14T13:46:00.002-08:00

After hearing of the shooting this morning in Connecticut, I just had to post about how thankful I am for my family, their safety and their health. I love my family with all my heart and cant imagine how awful it must have been to be a parent of a student who attended that school this morning. Who knows how long they had to wait to see if their sweet baby was going to run out into their arms safely. My heart just aches for all of them. What a tragic event! It is a scary world we live in today and I am just thankful for each new day I get with my husband and our gorgeous daughter. I am going to hold Savannah and Cory extra close today and be sure to tell them constantly how blessed I feel to have them and how much I love them.

Here are some just some of the personality traits Cory has that I admire and that I am thankful for:

he is selfless
he is loving
he is honest
he is smart
he is SO funny
he is patient
he is courageous
he is genuine
he is sacrificial
he is loyal
he is generous
he is punctual
he is tolerant
he is empathetic
he is compassionate
he is protective
he is understanding

Some of my favorite things I love about Cory are:

his eyes
his hands
his laugh
I love when we cuddle on the couch
I love how he always holds my hand while we are driving in the car
I love when he sings in the car and doesn't know all the words (Sorry honey)
I love how he always kisses me on the forehead at night before we go to bed and in the morning when he wakes up.
I love that we say "I love you" over ten times a day
I love when we are just goofs together
I love what a great example he is to me everyday
I love when he plays with Savannah

Here are some of the things about Savannah that I love:

her smile
her sweet eyes
her little nose
her feet
her hands and how she holds mine
her pretty lips
her laugh
her cute little fanny( SORRY SAVANNAH)
I love how she mimics Cory and I
I love when I go to get her in the morning and she is so excited to see me
I love her big open mouth kisses
I love when she "talks"
I love when she pretends to talk on the phone
I love when we read books together
I love bath time
I love peeking at her when she sleeps, she looks like sleeping beauty
I love when she walks as we hold her hands
I LOVE when she plays hide and seek
I adore when she "sings"
I even love when she is frustrated and has a little tantrum

These are just some of the things I came up with on the spot but the list could go on forever. I am thankful for everyday that I get to enjoy these moments with the two people I love most. They are my world and my joy and I will cherish them with all of my heart for time and all eternity.

Growing too fast!

2012-09-22T19:57:00.000-07:00

Ok! So everyone told me to cherish every moment because they grow up too fast and boy they were right. Thank heavens I have enjoyed and cherished every moment we have had with Miss Savannah so far. She is the sweetest and funniest girl and I feel so blessed to have her. Right now, she is pulling up on everything, and today she walked along the furniture. She loves getting to eat new things and she thank heavens, is not a binky baby. Glad I don't have to pry those away from her. One of her new favorite things to say is "ya!". I was teaching her "no and yes" one day and she gets they are opposites lol. She will always crawl over to where the DVDs are and she tries to pull them out. Cory, in a deep voice will say "Savannah no." Then Savannah, in a deep voice, will say "ya." O my, we are in trouble. She LOVES to dance and she loves to copy everything we do. She is smart too. If we play a beat on the table, she can do the exact same thing back to us. Its pretty cool watching her learn and grow up, but I do so miss when she would just cuddle up in my arms all day. She is the greatest blessing and I love her to the moon and back. I miss things from the past but I have a lifetime of memories to come with her.

Life Changing? Absolutely!

2012-08-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

I recently posted on my facebook that I am a health coach for a fantastic program and that it has changed my life. I know when you hear things like this it is easy to think what a bunch of crap! I have struggled with my weight going up and down since the 8th grade and I know it is a miserable feeling. I could never figure out how to get weight off and maintain it and after a few years I turned to not eating. I figured I rather not eat and lose weight then try to eat and keep fluctuating. I was barely surviving. But hey, at least I was skinny right?? No, that is not right. I eventually started eating again after much concern from my best friend and family members and when I did all the weight came back and then some. I never knew how to eat properly. It wasn't until after I gave birth to Savannah and gained a lot of weight with my pregnancy that I was motivated to make a change. I didn't want a quick fix, I wanted to gain healthy eating habits for life and I wanted to be a good example to my daughter of how a healthy woman fuels her body and takes care of herself. I had a few relatives who started this program and they just looked fabulous. There skin was glowing and they were extremely healthy. I decided to look into the program for myself and I fell in love with it within the first week. In just seven weeks I have lost 18lbs in a healthy manner and have lost 4 inches off my waist and 4 inches off my hips. More then the weight and the measurements, I feel healthy, energized, I sleep better and I feel like I have a glow. I have not been this passionate about something in so long that I had to payback this amazing program and become a coach. I know I can help people successfully drop 2 to 5 pounds per week and gain optimal health. Please contact me with any questions you have.

After 7 weeks on the program

O how time flies!

2012-08-01T16:10:00.001-07:00

The past nine months have hands down been the most exciting of my life. Savannah is just the sweetest girl and brings so much joy to our lives. The past few weeks have been huge for her, she has started to "crawl, just today she started to pull up on things and SHE GOT HER FIRST TOOTH. The reason I say "crawl", is because she doesn't have it down 100% but she can get around with her army crawl/scooting, believe me. I am really in for it when she decides to finally take off.

It really does get more fun the older your children get, but I still LOVE the baby stage. I miss when I was able to just cuddle her whenever. Nowadays she just wants to play so sitting still is rough lol. Savannah is starting to have favorites and it is so cute. Out of all the toys she has her two baby dolls are her favorite. She has one that is wearing a little cow costume and her face just lights up when I hand it to her. She also LOVES fruit, she always has but now is even more vocal about it,when she eats she goes "mmmmmmhhhmmmmm" . She is starting to get more interested in books which is very exciting, and sad for me, she is starting to get less interested in bows. It takes about five seconds for her to take one off after I put it on. Her absolute FAVORITE thing to do right now hands down, is sitting up. I put her on her belly and by the time I sit down, she is sitting up like a big girl. Now I think it is the cutest thing in the world but it has led to some hilarious nap times. I lay her down and she sits right up and sometimes we go back and forth at this for a while.

Just recently we had to take down her beloved swing because she decided she wanted to be an acrobat and she would hang her upper half off the side, so we switched it out with a jumperoo. My mom was able to find a nice lightly used one for her and as she says " its a lallapalooza of a toy!" That it is, I don't think I have ever seen so many things to look at on one toy and Savannah loves it.

I cannot believe my little girl is going to be one in just a few short months. I am so thankful Cory and I have cherished her babyhood as much as we have because time goes by so fast. It has been a blast!

Our recent and upcoming adventures

2012-05-22T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have not been able to write a post until now because we have been extremely busy here at the Johnson home. Life has never been better, but we have been SO busy. A little over a month ago we moved into our very first home in Provo, Utah and we adore it. There is something about having a home and knowing it is yours. Here are a list of things I love about this house.
- having a washer and dryer
- having a fenced in yard
- having two bathrooms
- having tons of storage
- having a cast iron wood burning stove
- AND BEING ABLE TO HAVE A DOG!!!!
Anyone who knows me knows I am absolutely an animal lover but especially a dog lover and we recently added a super cute puppy to our family. I was searching on KSL one evening and saw his picture and knew he was my puppy. He stole my heart and I had to have him. We named him Bear and his dad is a pure bread golden retriever and his mom is a black lab. He is such a good puppy!!! He is four months old and is already potty trained and he knows how to sit and lay down. Now when you hear four months old you would never expect him to be as huge as he is but he is easily already like 50 pounds. Here is a picture so you get the idea.

Now I cant wait till we make some progress on getting are yard looking pretty because it is an amazing huge yard. Our home is on a third of an acre so we fenced in a portion so I would have a place to take the kiddos out to play and then you walk out of the fenced in yard to a park lol. Its not really a park, but it certainly could be. It is huge! Now, here is the shocker. I never pictured myself having lots of animals but when we purchased this home it came equipped with chicken coops, so you can imagine where I am going with this. Now we have CHICKENS! They are a little dirty but pretty cute. I just told Cory we could have them but I will NOT eat them. YUCK! Once we got the chickens, I decided I wanted a goat, so now that will be our next adventure. As we make progress I will post some photos but right now we need to give our lawn some tender lovin care, so no pictures yet ;).

NOW FOR OUR EXCITING NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS

Ok so next week we head to California where we will be for less then 24hours before heading to Miami to take a cruise with my sweet mother and father-in-law, Tawnie and Jordan Jensen, Kyle, Kodey and Tyler. We are going on a Caribbean Cruise and I am soooooooo EXCITED!!!!! I have not been on a vacation like this in years and it is going to be SO relaxing and fun. I cant wait to take Savannah in the water. I know that might sound silly but she loves bath time so I am thinking she is just going to be way to cute in the pool and at the beaches. We have so missed having family close so we are ecstatic for the opportunity we have to spend a week together in paradise. After the cruise we get to spend a few days with my side of the family too so we are anxious as can be. I miss them all like crazy.

AS if life couldn't get more exciting.......IT DOES!!!! Cory's parents will be moving to Utah at the end of June!!!!! We are so happy that Savannah is going to have grandparents and uncles so close. And Mr Tyler will be living with us for a while when they are waiting for their home to be finished. YAY!!!!

We are so thankful to Mom and Pops for their generosity in taking us on this upcoming trip and are so excited for the quality time we are going to be able to spend together. Nothing is better then spending time with the ones that you love.

Loving Life

2012-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

I know this is going to sound like an exaggeration but since I was young I knew that when I "grew up" I wanted to be a mommy. I wanted to be a stay at home mom and wife. May sound like a boring life to some people, but to me it is the most rewarding job you can have. I love children and I love caring for them. Having a baby girl of my own has been the greatest blessing. My entire day and evening revolves around Savannah and tending to her needs and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Things happening in month 5 with Savannah:

She is a chatter box...... She loves to talk! I have no idea where she could have got that from ; )
She is also now able to sit in her bumbo seat without having a bobble head lol
She eats all the time and I am so happy that she is gaining weight like a pro
She smiles ALL THE TIME

She giggles!!!
She is teething so EVERYTHING is in her mouth

She has mastered passing objects from one hand to the other
My favorite thing..... is her playing with her little feet!

I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a beautiful family. I am thankful that Savannah is healthy and that I have the option to work out of my house so I can be a stay at home mommy. I love my life and cherish every day. This year is going to be the best!

Get your gag reflex ready.....lovey dovey stuff right here

2012-03-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

Recently I have spent a great deal of time thinking about how blessed I am to have Cory as a husband. He has so many qualities that I absolutely adore! Since the very first week we hung out I knew he was "the one", the man I would spend eternity with. He is kind to everyone around him, he is smart, he is handsome as can be and when he looks at me I feel like I am the only person in the room, the only person that matters. He makes me feel pretty, even on days when I feel like a complete mess. And he makes me laugh constantly.
The first time Cory and I met was in 5th grade. At that time, we were friends from church but I would have never imagined we would later fall in love and get married. I mean come on! Who marries someone they met back in the fifth grade. Well, life had big plans for the two of us but my life was going to go on a crazy journey before our paths lined up again. Cory has always been a strong member of the church and a great example to those around him, having been inactive for a couple years, I knew I needed a change and that I wanted to be back at church. The happiest I ever was growing up is when I was at church so browsing on facebook one day, I came across Cory and he had just got back from his mission so I knew he would be a great person to talk to. I had been going back to church but wasn't as invested in it as I should have been. The only thing holding me back was me. Well Cory invited me to a church institute class and we started going together every single week. Pretty soon Cory and I were combined at the hip. I would finish work and head straight to Castaic to be with him. I remember calling my grandma saying " Grandma, I just want to let you know that I found the man I am going to spend the rest of my life with." Of course my sweet grandma being the lady she is just said " Well isn't that great!" She was not the only person who received that phone call. I didn't even know if he felt the same lol but I just knew with everything in me. I couldn't picture my life any other way.
Everyday I fall more in love with him. Having a baby together gave me a different appreciation for him and made me cherish our love even more. I am constantly counting my many blessing and cant wait to see what the rest of our life has in store for us.

Gallbladder Shmallbladder

2012-02-19T14:33:00.001-08:00

Soooo timing is apparently not one of our strengths in the Johnson home. On February 8th in the evening before Cory and I went to bed I started getting what I thought was bad heartburn, so I asked Cory if he could grab me some tums. Not ten minutes later I was in an excruciating amount of pain, it literally took my breath away and I couldn't sit still. Not only that but the pain was so severe that I physically got sick to my stomach. I know it sounds dramatic but I felt like someone was crushing my chest. Well the pain died down after about thirty minutes and I was able to at least stay in bed sitting up but I still was in pain. The next morning when one of my girls was getting dropped off, her mom brought up that my episode sounded exactly like when she had a gallstone attack which is apparently a lot more common after pregnancy. So she recommended I go to the doctors and be seen. Well I go to the doctors office and the doctor said "Could be gall stones, could be an ulcer." So we did some blood work to figure what was going on and he said we would have the results tomorrow. Well five days passed and we heard nothing so Cory and I figured that it must just be an ulcer so I was just trying to deal with the discomfort. Well on day six of dealing with this pain the doctor called and explained that they called in a different acid reducer to the pharmacy because my insurance wouldn't cover the initial one they called in. While I had him on the phone I figured hey, why don't I ask about my blood work. Well after some talking he realized they had forgot to check my results and when he found them he was shocked at the results. My liver function levels were extremely elevated so the next day I had to have my blood work redrawn and the following day an ultrasound. It turns out I have gallbladder disease and need to have my gallbladder removed. Luckily it is a short recovery and we have tons of people willing to help us out. Cory is amazing and has been playing Mr Mom since I have been feeling so icky and my mom will be flying out to help with Savannah when they do the surgery. Just happy to know what is going on and glad we have the ability to get it fixed very soon. Thank you everyone for your good thoughts and prayers!

P.S. Cory you are an amazing amazing husband and father and I want to say thank you. You have helped take some stress off my shoulders and are so great for doing so much around the house on top of all your other obligations. Savannah and I are truly blessed. <3

Exciting stuff!

2012-02-14T20:10:00.000-08:00

Just last week Cory and I found out our offer was accepted on a HOUSE! It is so cute and we are so excited to move into a bigger space. I think Cory and I would both agree that our favorite part is the backyard. It is a HUGE yard. I am exceptionally excited because I will have a space outside were I can take all my girls to play and get some fresh air, it will be good for all of us. Its going to take some work and needs some TLC but the interior of the house was completely redone and is gorgeous. Here is a picture of the front of the house, keep in mind the grass is dead because of the snow here. We will post more pictures once we are all moved in and it looks super cute.

On another note, Miss Savannah is as cute as ever and we just fall more in love with her everyday. She is growing so much! She gets taller and taller and now is twelve and a half pounds. She is still our skinny minnie but she is doing great. Ever since the beginning of January she has slept through the night, we are talkin eleven hours a night. She is so great and is on a good schedule now. Something Cory and I cant wait for, is for her to laugh! I am hoping it comes soon.

As for Cory, he is doing great in school as usual and is such a hard worker. He is at work by seven every morning and usually goes straight to school from there. Then after a long hard day, he comes home and helps out with everything that Savannah needs. He is such a great daddy and Savannah just adores him.The second he walks in the door her eyes are glued to him and she just smiles and tracks him wherever he goes.

I am still doing daycare out of our place and I love it. It feels so nice to be back to work. I am watching Miss Taylor and Miss Lily still and I have two new girls.The new girls are sisters and their names are Izzy and Zoie. They are all adorable and all at different stages so it is very fun and gives me a lot to look forward to with Savannah.

The Johnson family is busy but we wouldn't change a thing. We are so happy and just really enjoying this stage in our life.

Savannah at ten weeks old!

2012-01-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Our sweetheart Savannah is ten weeks old now and we are having more and more fun with her everyday. The past two weeks have been so great. She smiles all the time, coos all the time and she finally started liking bath time. This week was exceptionally great because she started sleeping for longer stretches and the past two nights, she slept through the night.

Last night, Savannah had Cory and I laughing hysterically because during bath time she started kicking her legs and waddling her little body from side to side making the water splash out all over the place. While she was doing this she had the funniest look on her face and when I would say "Savannah, are you splashing baby??!!" she would get the biggest smile on her face and she just kept splashing away. It is so cute how in just a few weeks she could change so much. Before, she use to cry when I put her in her little tub and now she cries when I take her out.

Cory and I are getting such a kick out of watching her grow. We both love when we walk into her room to get her and she is in her crib smiling because she hears us coming. She is such a good baby and I cant wait to see what the next few weeks have in store for our little family. Fun times are ahead, that is for sure!

Christmas Break 2011

2011-12-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Break was a blast this year. It started off with a road trip to California which surprisingly went really well, considering it was with a seven week old baby. Miss Savannah loved riding in the car, and when she wasn't sleeping, which was most of the time, she was starring out the window. She is one observant gal.

The first night we got to California was hysterical, because she had been so great in the car and slept so much she just wanted to play all night. All Cory and I could do was laugh because we were so exhausted and we realized we would rather have a rough night then a rough ten hour car trip.

The next couple days were spent surrounded by loved ones and Savannah's baby blessing! I always loved watching other baby blessings but seeing your husband give your baby and first born a blessing is such a touching thing. It was so amazing and the rest of the family who hadn't already met her was finally able to see her,we were so thankful that so many people could be there for such a special day for our family. And boy o boy did she look adorable!

The following week Cory had surgery which was not a fun adventure for him but he was still able to play video games with his brothers and cuddle with Savannah,and get some rest which he was so in need of. So the combination made his recovery pretty good. He is one tough cookie!

Although I missed having my husband 100% for a few days I loved having a lot of one on one time with Savannah, she made me smile so much. About the third day we were in California she gave me the biggest smile when she was awake for the first time. She had smiled while she was asleep plenty of times before but seeing those bright eyes look right at me and smile was seriously magical. Now I just have to catch one of those smiles on camera so everyone else can fall in love. Not only did she start smiling but she started cooing all the time. It is so stinking cute, she makes a noise then looks shocked, as if she cant believe that sound came from her. She has been in a constant growth spurt for the past week and a half and I am dying for her to chunk up! Her little cheeks are staring to fill out but for the most part she just keeps getting longer.

Since we have the first grand baby on both sides we were on high demand while we were in California. Everyone wanted to see her and cuddle her, so to say the least Savannah's first Christmas was a BIG one. We had Christmas Eve day with Cory's side of the family, Christmas Eve night with my mom and Christmas day with my dad. If only you could have seen how full our car was on the way back home.

We loved every second of our time with family in California! We wish we were closer but are looking forward to having visitors in Utah and going on a family cruise to Jamaica in June! Happy Holidays and great wishes to you all in the New Year!

Our life with Little Miss Savannah so far

2011-12-08T20:20:00.000-08:00

These past couple weeks have been some of the most amazing of our life. Yes, we had some nights with little to no sleep but we have been blessed with an exceptional baby. She is so content and we love her to death. The only time she gets fussy is when she is hungry and when she has a stinky bum lol. I don't go back to work till the first week of January and although I miss my other girls, it has been a blast having this time to bond with Savannah. Anyone who knows me knows I have a passion for taking care of children but I never knew just how rewarding taking care of my own would be. The love I feel for her is so strong and honestly, I sit back everyday in awe that I am a mommy.

Cory has been so great! He is a natural at being a dad. He handles her as if she has been around forever. There is not an ounce of hesitation in anything he does when it comes to his little girl. I will tell ya, she has him wrapped around her little finger and it is precious. Not only is Cory in school right now but he also taking on the burden of being the only one of us working because he wanted me to have time to recover after having Savannah. Seeing him hold her and just love on her is the most beautiful thing. He is so sweet and is always willing to do whatever he can to make sure she is content. I probably take at least one picture of the two of them together daily because everyday she looks more and more like her daddy and I think it is adorable.

Here are some things we have learned about Miss Savannah that are pretty stinking cute

1. She is not a fan of bath time! She does however love having her hair washed and brushed, she is such a girly girl already.

2. She loves to sit up like a big girl a cuddle with daddy.

3. She loves to sleep!

4. She HATES to be cold.....so we got to keep her nice and warm.

The first couple weeks of her life we had visitors constantly so it was a little more difficult to get a routine down but now, for the most part she is on a schedule and is doing so great with it. She eats every four hours and in between she has like an hour or two of being alert and then an hour or two of sleeping. She does so great at night now as well. She generally will sleep for a five hour stretch, then she eats and will sleep for another three or four hours. It is so nice for Cory and I because we can actually function like normal people again. SO the last five and a half weeks have been great and we are so looking forward to next week when we head to California for Christmas break and can introduce Savannah to more relatives and more family friends.

Happy Holidays everyone!!!!!!!!

Savannah Rose Johnson 11/1/11

2011-11-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

On Halloween morning, I woke up at 6:30am having contractions that were about six minutes apart. Now, everyone knows we were anxious to have our baby girl, but we did not want to have her on halloween lol. Due to the discomfort I was in, we decided to take a trip to labor and delivery to get checked out and they informed us that we were indeed in labor but that my contractions were not strong enough to help me progress so they sent us home. When they sent us away, they sent us with the recommendation to "stay as active as possible so the contractions would lead to something". Being the impatient woman I am, when we got home, and not a second later, I started bouncing on our yoga ball.

I bounced and bounced for a good three hours. By 5pm the pain was awful and I could not help but be very vocal about it,our poor poor neighbors.

I probably looked like this.

Cory looked like this.

JK!

The fear we had of being sent home again kept us pretty tough and we decided to still stick it out as long as possible. That evening around 7:30pm we joined Corys' dad, brother and his brothers girlfriend for dinner at Applebee's, I could not let Cory miss out on dinner with his family lol,to say the least, I think everyone was very entertained. During every contraction at the restaurant I squeezed Corys' hand so hard that even mine turned purple. We made it through dinner and I was very impressed with myself but the "strong" Mia routine only lasted till we got home. Within 30 minutes of being home I was telling Cory we had to go back to the hospital! He of course was concerned we would be turned away but I assured him if they tried I would pull a "John Q", just joking of course ;). When we got to the hospital I was only at 3cm, so I was scared to death they were going to send me home, but thankfully we had an amazing nurse who could tell I was miserable. She suggested to the Dr that they watch me for two hours before deciding if I stay or leave. During this time, Cory could not have been more supportive. During every contraction he would get up and comfort me in one way or another and honestly it made me even more thankful for him. He is the most amazing husband, best friend and now father. After two hours of awful pain and stressing out I was at 5cm so they admitted me :). Then the very second they could, they gave me an epidural and I could have floated on a cloud, I have so much respect for woman who can do it naturally and I wish I could, but the epidural was GREAT. After the epidural was in place, the Dr came in and broke my water. Once we knew we got to stay and things were moving we must have had huge relief because Cory and I both fell dead asleep for two hours.We were exhausted and finally knew we were going to meet our angel. Suddenly I woke up feeling a lot of pressure and turns out I was at 7cm. Well one of our friends Nickell, who by the way is the most amazing photographer, was coming to take pictures of the birth for us and had told us to text her when we were around 7cm so I quick woke Cory up and had him let her know. An hour after that to EVERYONES surprise I was at 10cm and ready to push. Now, the unfortunate part of progressing so quickly is the Dr figured he had time to go home for a little snooze. Sooooo here I was feeling the most intense pressure and our nurse is saying we have to wait for the Dr. Well,my body had other plans so I told her I had to push! Within twenty five minutes we had our baby girl and that was with them telling me not to push for ten of those minutes. She was 7lbs 5oz and 20in long. Cory and I both cried like babies when we saw her precious face. This tiny little baby that had been beating me up on the inside was finally here and soooo calm and mellow. She has been so amazing and has brought so much joy into our lives. We are very very blessed and thankful.

FIRST FAMILY PHOTO

If you need a photographer......use her!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nickell-Photography/19818079946

October 1, 2011

2011-10-01T13:21:00.000-07:00

September was a very fun, educational month for Cory and I. Being that I have been a childcare provider since ten years old, I feel very confident in being a parent. But as far as pregnancy and labor and delivery go, I think Cory and myself both had a lack of knowledge. Last weekend, we went to a prenatal class where we were able to learn some basics that both helped us feel some comfort and probably made us a bit nervous. Up until this point I have been pretty adamant about wanting Miss Savannah Rose to come early. I can now assure you that after watching some pretty vivid videos of births, I am more then ok with her coming whenever she wants. Plus, one of our favorite doctors Dr. Gamette, at Valley OB reminds me continuously, that most first time babies do indeed come late. Soooooo I have decided I am MORE then ok with that. We are just six weeks away from our due date, which is 11/11/11. Pretty cool right??!! Well once again, Dr. Gamette said "If everyone who wanted their babies to be born on 11/11/11 actually gave birth on that date, we would have to build another hospital." So we can hope all we want but she will come when she is ready.

This trimester has been a very interesting one. I feel like I am about the size of a house and my emotions have been insane. I feel that the smallest things start a flood of tears whether it be because of something happy, something irritating or me just feeling like a cow. Cory has been AMAZING at dealing with me. He will just come sit next to me and give me the warmest most sincere embrace and tell me that all is well. Not only has he been the greatest comfort to me but he is such a HUGE help. The little girls I watch are amazing but as I grow, so does my inability to do simple tasks. Cory will come home from work and school and without hesitation he will change dirty bums, or straighten up the house or just play with the girls. He has the sweetest temperament and I know he is going to be the most amazing dad. Something else that has been a tremendous help is Cory's cooking. I cannot stand soooo many smells and he will cook dinner or make me snacks or whatever and they are always delicious! Soooooo my dear hubby, thank you! You are the greatest man in the world.

As for how Savannah is doing, she is doing perfect! She is still very active, and when I say active boy o boy do I mean active. I have no clue when she gets any sleep because she moves every five minutes. Cory and I get a kick out of watching her make my belly dance, which she does constantly. Every time we go to the doctors they comment on what an active girl she is and they always say her heartbeat sounds very strong. I am anxious to see how she is when she is here because apparently how they are in the womb is how they will be outside the womb. We just found out this past week that she is head down! So we were very excited to hear that. Cory and I would always try to determine if it was her little bum or head we were feeling but we had no clue. Starting on October 11, we go to the doctors every week, so we will be sure to keep everyone in the loop.

Last week of the second trimester

2011-08-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

These past few months in our life have been pretty amazing and fun! Here are some highlights:

We went fishing!!!!

Cory caught a BIG one

Enjoying watching my baby fish!

Taking a break from fishing and enjoying the shade together

Had an amazing baby shower in California where we were able to see a lot of relatives and friends we haven't seen in a while.

Daddy & Mommy before the shower

Thank you Bibi and Sam for throwing an amazing shower!

Went to Grandmas cabin in Strawberry Reservoir! Still waiting on some pictures from that trip.

We finished a great deal of Savannah's nursery which I think is pretty stinkin cute!

Baby Nursery

On the 30th of this month we have our next doctors appointment which will start our doctors visits every two weeks! I am so ready to meet this sweet little angel who keeps me up all night with her kicks. We are praying, or mama bear here is praying that all this movement means there is a chance she can be a dancer. That is a talent mommy lacks but daddy however has some moves! For anyone who hasn't seen pictures of the sweet baby here is our favorite!

All in all this trimester was a lot more fun then the first with far less sick days and a very active baby aboard . Now we are heading into the final countdown and we are sooooo anxious. Cory is a little more patient then me but he still is ready to meet Miss Savannah Rose Johnson.That is all I can think of to add right now but I am sure we will be updating again very very soon! Cory starts school again at the end of this month and we have another baby shower on the way, sooooo there will be a lot to update.