The Incredible Scooching Boy

For some reason Nolan in COMPLETELY content to stay in one spot! He sits and plays with a basket of toys, "reads" books, or makes baskets on his mini basketball hoop. He can stay in the same place entertaining himself for a long time. No crawling. He stands, waves, claps, says Ma Ma and Da Da, pushes up on his hands, feeds himself smalls bites, rolls over- all of the developmental milestones have been met. But yet he just doesn't want to crawl! Maybe he's lazy- like his Daddy! Or maybe he doesn't want to do it unless he can do it perfectly- like his Mommy! Who knows! But for some reason over the past few weeks he has figured out his own method of movement- the scooch! He goes all the way across the floor on his bottom! Check it out!

Dedication

This morning Mark and I had the pleasure of dedicating Nolan at church. We had been wanting to do this for awhile now, but our church only does it on certain weekends during the year, and none of the previous dedication Sunday's had worked with our schedule. So today we stood before God, our church community, family, and friends to say that we are so thankful for the precious gift of Nolan in our lives. We dedicate our lives to raising him to know the Lord. We pray that he would grow up to love God and serve others. We are so blessed to have been given Nolan, he is such an easy going, happy, silly, and sweet little guy! We dream of what his future holds and can't wait to see him grow! Thank you to all of the loved ones in his life who care for him and pray for him, and will encourage and support him throughout his life.

Below is the video of parts of the dedication service for all our dear family and friends who live far away to see! We missed you and wish you all could have been there!

After the service we came back to our house for some yummy chili and fellowship! I really didn't get very many good pictures of Nolan. He stayed up for the little party when he should have been napping, and wasn't really wanting to pose for the camera. It's a shame too, because he looked so cute in his new outfit. You'll have to see it in the video I guess! Enjoy!

Murder at the Underwood Estates

Thank you Leensvaarts for an awesome night full of mystery, intrigue, and wine! Who would have known my husband was a murderer!

Busy, Busy, Busy

The past few weeks have been nothing but running from one place to the other with very little down time in between. Work, daycare, Oma's, home, shopping, errands, Bible Study, out to eat, church, and few fun outings thrown into the mix. We definitely enjoy our few quiet moments at home to play and cuddle. Good thing Nolan is such a low key little guy. He pretty much has a fun time no matter what we are doing! Fortunately, in just 6 school weeks and 2 days, we'll have 5 1/2 weeks off to relax! Not that I'm counting down or anything! Here are a few random pictures of the past week or so!

Babysitting Payton and Brady

Reading...This first grade teacher is SO proud! Nolan LOVES to read. He had just woken up- if you were wondering about the whole bed head look! And did you notice the pool of drool around his collar- yep- he's been working on his top teeth for too long now!

Playing at Small Group...standing is his new favorite past time. Don't you just love his new jeans? I'm so excited for him to be able to wear all his new winter clothes since it has gotten cooler.

Take a closer look to see what Nolan was playing with as we adults were making Hobo pies for dinner. What's a Hobo pie you're wondering? Leftovers from our rained out camping trip.

Thanks for my cool sweatshirt Uncle Tyler! Sorry if I jinxed the team yesterday!

All bundled up for the pumpkin patch. How could you not want to squeeze those cheeks? So loveable!

Nolan's favorite face these days! The crinkle nose.

Nolan looking like such a big boy in his khakis and shoes!

"My mom made me sit on all these lumpy orange things...I did not want to pose! This was the best shot she got! Ha Ha!" Nolan

Road Trippin'

This past weekend I flew to Chicago on Friday night, stayed up until 3 o'clock in the morning talking to my oldest dear friend Kerri, woke up early, hopped in the car with my besties from highschool, drove 5 hours to the good ol' town of Oskaloosa Iowa, spent an amazingly fun day with great friends and a new, especially silver one, attended the wedding and reception of my highschool hand holding friend Keith and his stunning new bride Hannah, got down on the dance floor, slept in the immaculate ? Red Carpet Inn (at least we had 2 double beds instead of our usual sleeping arrangements in highschool- 3 girls, 1 twin bed), woke up Sunday morning (early again), drove 5 hours back to Streamwood- thanks for driving Beck, Skyped with Mark and Nolan, had dinner with my family, visited my grandma, baked cookies with my mom, went to bed late, woke up at 3:30 a.m., rode to the airport with Mal, flew out by 6 a.m., arrived in Denver by 7:30, drove home with my boys, jumped in my car, sped to work, worked all day setting up my classroom and planning, left school at 3, went to class until 6, and then FINALLY made it home to cuddle on the couch for an hour and then go to bed! It was fast, furious, and a LOT of fun!

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?)