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!

A Busy August Weekend

What started out as a weekend with not much planned turned out to be a fun filled few days with friends and family! We spent time on Friday night relaxing at the house, celebrating Nolan's 2 front teeth, watching the Olympics, and enjoying our yard.

But, we were gone most of Saturday - Mark reveling in the joys of his Fantasy Football draft and poker, and myself spending some quality time with Nolan, Cara, Gwen, and the kids: Payton, Brady, and Rylan. We had a "peaceful" dinner at Firebowl, followed by a fun evening at the park. Nolan LOVED his first experience on a park swing and laughed hysterically! Only to scream in fear a few short minutes later when three moms were screeching and making loud silly noises in order to attempt to get one, nice, smiling photo of 4 kids under the age of four.

On Sunday, we hiked Devil's Head with our great friends Rick and Mandy and their awesome pup- Murphy. The weather was perfect at this point, a bit of sun and a cool breeze. The hike wasn't too rough, 1.4 miles up then 200 some, steep steps to the look out tower. It was a beautiful view and it felt so good to be active! Thank goodness for Mark- he carried all 20 plus pounds of Nolan up and down the mountain! Our timing was excellent, we finished and headed back to the Leensvart's for excellent chicken enchiladas, Arnold Palmers, the closing ceremonies, and funnel cloud viewing. There were tornadoes touching down in other parts of Douglas County and we watched them from their street!

Right about now we are exhausted and dreading work tomorrow! Good thing we have a 3 day weekend to look forward to!

Lazy Days

We had a lazy, rainy weekend...and it was wonderful! We are all fighting colds, so we ate out, slept in, cuddled with Nolan in bed, took naps, and lounged around in sweats watching hours upon hours of the Olympics. And in the midst of not doing too much, Nolan had two, new, small accomplishments that, to us, made our weekend monumental!

1.) He now says "Da Da". We aren't sure if he totally knows what it means yet, but Mark is pretty pumped. And it is so cute to hear! And, 2.) He started clapping. How fun to see him celebrate and show excitement, or possibly, just do it to make more noise! We haven't been able to catch either of these fun new milestones on video, but see below for a glimpse of our big boy this weekend. We are constantly reminded of how blessed we are to have such a happy, healthy baby! He brings more joy to our lives then we could have ever imagined!

Bear Down!

Daddy's working tonight...so... we have free reign to...root for the Bears!!! We thought we would help kick off the Chicago Bears first preseason football game, which is tonight, by trying out Nolan's most excellent Bears track suit from Uncle Tyler! Nolan sure looks like he could be their star line backer some day! Or the next "Frige"! Bear down!

Gimme More

"Gimme More"- the title of this post and video...it also happens to be the title of a Britney Spears song that we sang over and over again this weekend as we fed Nolan. It just seems like that's what he's thinking as he opens his mouth so wide wanting more plums, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, or anything else you put near his face. If you couldn't tell, we can't quite shovel it in fast enough! But, it's also what we're thinking as my sister and Billy left today! "Gimme More"!

We had a wonderful week of laughing, cooking, eating, driving, game playing, watching t.v., taking care of Nolan, and dreaming of a future for them in Colorado! We so wish they lived closer so we could spend quality time like this whenever we want! Thank you Mallory and Billy for coming out and for watching and spoiling Nolan all week! Nolan loves you and so do we! You are missed already!

P.S. "My Lip Gloss Be Poppin" I apologize in advance for my stellar rapping abilities...I wanna give a shout out to Lil' Mama!
(By the way, did you know she's only 18?)

Like Father Like Son

Mark LOVES baseball! He records every Rockies game and stay up until all hours watching them after we have watched our plethora of Reality Shows each night. He has started from an early age to introduce the sport to Nolan. His room is a baseball theme, he has numerous baseball outfits, he attended his first game at Coors Field in early Spring, and he has even joked about tying his right hand behind his back. You know, to strengthen the left arm, because left handed pitchers are a hot commodity! Nolan got his first baseball cap this week, and we think he is quite cute wearing it! Just wanted to share his new look!

Meeting Mylie

Last night we went over to Kim and Ernie's house to meet their new puppy...Mylie! We have been awaiting her arrival for quite some time now. And Nolan was so excited to meet his new friend. When we got there Mylie came right to me when I called her name and she let me hold her for a long time! She loves to cuddle! See, I can handle dogs when they are tiny and sweet, and love to snuggle, and especially when we can say goodbye and leave them at someone else's house at the end of the night! We had a fun night relaxing with great friends, playing with Mylie and Nolan, watching "America's Best Dance Crew", and laughing a lot! Check out Nolan's first interactions with the pup! Kim and Ernie, we hope you got more sleep last night! We love your little girl!

Randomness

So I've been in a bit of a blogging lull. I dove head first into my new teaching year and have been spending every single second of down time hanging out with the very awesome Nolan. We have so much fun every night playing and snuggling on the couch until bed time! He is very active right now- bouncing in the exersaucer, weighing down the swing, rolling over and pushing up onto his hands, reaching and raking things closer to him, teething and fussing over sore gums, and almost mastering sitting up. I put together a quick video of some things we've been up to around the house!

On another note, my very dear friend Jill tagged me a LONG time ago on her blog. I was to write 5 random things about myself on my blog. So here goes...

1. I HATE ONIONS! Yuck! Their texture and flavor is disgusting. I literally barfed in my mouth once when Mark secretly slipped one onto my McFish sandwich at McDonalds!

2. There's glass in my elbow. I had glass embedded deep into my tissue after a roll over van accident. Once in awhile I feel the glass work it's way up to the surface and rub against the bone. I've had some removed awhile ago, but it is kind of hard to locate exactly, so I just live with the rest.

3. I have Scoleosis. If you look at my back...it's very jacked up! I had to wear a back brace for 12 hours a day, in 7th grade. What a great time for that fun, huh? But I mostly wore it at night so, it wasn't that bad! It was this hard plastic thing, so not the most comfortable to sleep in, but better than wearing it to school. Zits and glasses were bad enough!

4. I think purple is a wretched color! I had this purple Disney character shirt, you know the ones where the characters pop out of the buttons. I wore it to Student Impact at church my freshman year of high school and I walked into the basement bathroom. The lighting wasn't very forgiving in there, I looked into the mirror and could not believe how terrible I looked in that shirt. Don't know if it was the fact that Winnie the Pooh was peeking out of my buttons or if it was the particularly bright shade, but ever since then, I have despised the color purple.

5. I make a really funny noise in my throat when it's itchy or when my ears are itchy! It kind of sounds like a frog. Anyone who has lived with me has grown to love and adore this beautiful sound!

And that's it! Now I have to tag three people to do the same.
I tag: Cara, Brad, and Gwen. Have fun!

4th of July Fun!

We have had a wonderful, relaxing, long weekend full of food, fun, friends, and fireworks! Take a look at our 4th of July adventures at Mark's family cabin in Indian Hills!

6 Months!

Nolan Bradley is now officially 6 months old! It's crazy how fast the time has flown! It has been pure joy being home with him for the past two weeks! He is at such a fun stage...standing and playing in the exersaucer, sitting up with his pots and pans toy, rolling over and over, and screeching and gasping at the top of his lungs just to hear himself talk. At our 6 month well check with our pediatrician she stated, "He's all boy!" And that he is! A BIG boy! He is now 20 lbs. 9 oz. (93%) and 28 1/2 inches long (96%). So needless to say, Mark and I will have some buff arms after lugging him around everywhere!