Almost 9 months! Wow!

This morning we took Nolan in for his 9 month well check at the pediatrician's office! It was a few days early, but we wanted to take care of it while I am still off track. Today is my last full day at home with Nolan. Tomorrow and Friday I have meetings and then I'm off to Iowa for the weekend for a high school friend's wedding. Mark and Nolan will be on their own! That should be fun and interesting too! I'll fill you in on Monday when I'm back! Then Monday I have a day to work in my classroom and Tuesday the kids come back and we are on track for 9 straight weeks!

I have absolutely LOVED my last 3 weeks at home with Nolan. He is growing and changing so much each day. He is now standing at a coffee table or ottoman, eating turkey and yogurt, practicing his sippy cup, waving, and saying "Ma Ma" and "Da Da" all the time! He is not on the move yet, which is actually nice for us, he will sit and play in the same spot for up to an hour!! However, when on his stomach he can turn in circles, reach for toys, and is starting to push off! He is a very happy boy, despite a few cranky moments- the doctor said all four top teeth are on their way in! Yikes!

So here's the break down of our BIG boy from his appointment today. He is extremely healthy and is meeting all his developmental milestones! He is now 30 1/4 in. long (96%). He is 24 lbs. 7.8 oz. (93%) Woah! (Why aren't my arms more toned?) And his head circumference is 45.1 cm. (50%) He is in the exact same percentile ranges as he was at his 6 month well check!

Now that I'll be back at school I'm sure my posts will be few and far between as I try to keep my head above water. Thanks for checking in!

Nolan's 1st Hair Cut

Nolan was born with a full head of hair. The nurses at the hospital said it looked like he had highlights. He lost a bit of it over the following 6 months, but from 24 weeks on, it's been growing like crazy! He has always sported the spiky look, not because we put gel or hairspray in it, but because no matter how hard we try it just sticks straight up! We finally found it too hard to manage- it stuck up so high, was starting to fall over his ears, and blew in the wind! We started with just a trim over the ears with a scissors, but that proved to be hard because boys who are 9 months old don't tend to sit still. And because this mommy was making blunt cuts! So Mark braved the clippers and Nolan loved it. We played a Baby Einstein DVD to keep him entertained and gave him his paci to comfort him despite the buzzing noise. Everything was going well until the very last section over his left ear- Nolan made a quick jerk and ended up with a little Vanilla Ice style racing stripe! Not too noticeable, and doesn't distract from the overall look- a cute buzz cut, still able to be styled with a little water- his Dad's favorite look as well. He looks like such a little boy now.

Camping Adventures

No bathrooms, beauty products, beds, or babies, just four wheelin', friends, food, and FUN! Check it out!

P.S. Special Thanks to the Syers Fam for our camping gear! And to Oma and Opa for taking great care of N.B.J.

Because I told Mark I would

Here's a little video from Monday! Nolan got to cheer on his second favorite football team...the Broncos! He fell asleep shortly into the game, being that it was a Monday night, but his extra clapping must have been enough to help them pull out the win. Yes, I may be a bit biased, but for some reason we just couldn't seem to get a great picture of him in this jersey...it must have been that he was uncomfortable with "Bailey" across his back. So enjoy this small glimpse into our lives. When Nolan's old enough we'll have to see who HE really chooses to root for.

Planes, Tanks?, and Automobiles

We spent the past weekend back home in Illinois! My dear high school friend and college room-mate, fondly known as "DAVIS", got married and I was honored to stand beside her. One of the greatest perks of being in her wedding happened to be that we got to spend the long weekend with my family, high school friends, and college roomies! It was a busy weekend of driving around the Chicago suburbs, but it was great for Nolan to get to spend time with so many people who love him more than words can say! He had a blast visiting Soo-ja at Streamwood Florist, stopping by St. Peters to visit Grandma in her classroom, laughing at Grandpa's beard, being super silly with Auntie Mal (you'll see in the video), clapping at the pretty bride during the wedding, strolling through the gardens at Cantigny, and sitting on Great Grandma's lap! We, on the other hand, enjoyed delicious food from Portillos, laughing and staying up late with my parents, relaxing pedicures (yes...even Mark- a little mother in law, son in law bonding), dancing with old friends, and taking in a bit of God's beautiful creation! Thanks Mom and Dad for a wonderful weekend! Congratulations and blessings to the new Mr. and Mrs. Bill Hart! And to Jiw, John, and Trey...we missed you deeply!

The Simple Things

Early Wednesday morning as I got my bags ready to go to school, I grabbed my keys off the hook in the kitchen to rush my way to school at 6:45 a.m. and I screamed at what I saw! There on my keychain was THE BEST early birthday present Mark could have EVER gotten me! A keyless entry remote control installed in our Honda Civic!

You see, things have changed now that I have a 20 plus pound baby to lug around. No longer am I screaming at the sight of new cute Puma running shoes or a Tiffany bracelet...no, now I am screaming for joy at the simplest of things...something that makes my life 2000 times easier...something we should have just had installed when we bought the car brand new 5 years ago. But you see, we were broke college graduates with only one job, about to move across the country and start our new married lives together and at that point the couple hundred extra dollars for keyless entry just didn't seem necessary. But now it absolutely is!

Imagine me, Nolan in arms and shopping cart full of groceries, trying to bend down to get the key in the hole without the shopping cart rolling away. And then, over the years, the key has slowly started to not fit very well in the hole and you have to jiggle it and position it just right to get the lock to open. So here I am struggling with all the weight and bags and trying 15 to 20 times to get the lock to open, only to have to run around to the other side of the car to open that lock and crawl across the seat to pop the lock open from the inside! (and don't forget I still have all 20 some pounds of chubby cheeks and chunky thighs and the loaded shopping cart) So after sweat, tears, and probably a few not so pleasant words, I would be in the car and driving home. As soon as I would get home, I would burst through the doors and complain to Mark day after day about this horrible situation!

For once, I think he got the hint! And I have my most awesome birthday present. It is amazing how such a simple thing has blessed my life so incredibly much! I love you babe! And now I hope you all can understand why I have found this to be blog worthy!!

Here are a few other shots from our weekend and pre-birthday celebrations!! Thanks so much to everyone who helped make my birthday so much fun so far...and it hasn't even really come yet!!


This is a picture from a fun game our super creative Aunt Sue played to help celebrate her new sprinkler system at my birthday party at her house! Yes...we are wearing goggles!

And the winners are...gold medal: Wes, silver medal: Ernie, bronze medal: Mark! I'm so proud! Nolan even joined in on the festivities!


Payton created her own artwork for my birthday card!

Swimming at Jess' Pool! Such a handsome little dude!

My Birthday Chair...a wonderful Johnson family tradition...the family decorates a special chair for the birthday person to sit in and open up their presents. It's a different theme every year. This year, Mark decorated it in a Beverly Hills 90210 theme. I am the shows number one fan...I love the DVD's and am spending my real birthday night tomorrow watching the new series.

For my birthday celebration Mark and I went indoor skydiving! I was reluctant at first, because if you know me, you know I don't like my feet to leave the ground. I'm talking no skates, skis, nothin'! But it was a fun experience- 110 mph winds shooting out and blasting you into the air. I would never do the real thing, so this was a nice way to simulate the free fall experience, have your cheeks flap in the wind, and to see your boogers fly from your nose. Video to come!

Birthday dinner at Happa Sushi Bar

Labor Day at the cabin: Nolan's first tractor ride!