A precious gift...

Gage Matthew Johnson arrived on 12-5-2009 in Austin, TX at Seton Medical Center via c-section. He was 9 lbs, 1 oz and 22 inches long. We couldn't be more ecstatic, blessed or thankful.

I began having contractions on Friday evening, December 4th (my due date). I tracked them for an hour, with contractions coming every 3 minutes. We were admitted to the hospital around 9pm. We were joined by Ben, Jamie and Ryan's parents. It was a long night, and short story is, I spiked a high fever, pushed for 1.5 hours and Gage wasn't coming out. The doctor decided a c-section was the only way our little guy was going to come out. I also ended up having an infection in my uterus and was given 3 antibiotics during my hospital stay. Most importantly and thankfully, Gage was a perfectly healthy big boy. We stayed at the hospital for a total of 4 nights. We were greeted at the hospital by Aunt Sharon, Marcia, Melissa, Andy and Little Emily. Sheila aka "Honey" has been wonderful and has been staying with us cleaning, cooking, washing clothes and dishes and helping out with Gage. What a relief! Thank you Honey! We love you!!!

Yesterday we took Gage to his first doctor's appointment and the doctor said he looks wonderful! Thank you Jesus for our sweet Gage.

More to come later, just wanted to get out a little update as well as some pictures!
Thank you for your sweet comments, thoughts and prayers.
Ryan, Sara & Gage.

40 weeks

Today is my due date. I have completed my last day of work- only working 1/2 a day. I am very uncomfortable to say the least. I'm at home, relaxing until Baby Boy J arrives. If I don't have the baby this weekend, I have an appointment on Monday at which time I will beg for an induction. Hope to post some baby pics soon of our precious little boy.

Please pray for us as we complete this last leg of my pregnancy. Lots of emotions to go around. Please pray for a healthy baby boy, safe delivery and recovery for us both.
Love,
R&S

39 weeks & I'm posting an eviction notice...

Nothing to report... no changes signaling the kid will be exiting soon, unfortunately. I was told by my doctor that he's "about 8 lbs"- and he's not even showing one sign that he will be out soon--- ugh! "Home remedies" are all a lie- don't waste your time. I had to schedule another doctor appointment for Thursday, December 3rd... the day before my due date. That was depressing. It's been a rough week or so. Lots of tears. I'm just done. Tired of everything. Definitely loosing my sense of humor. Cannot wait to see and hold our baby. I REALLY hope this is the last pregnant photo you will see... I haven't gained any weight in about 3 weeks, so there's not much difference other than maybe my belly rounding out a bit. Ben is here and will be my other coach in the delivery room. He's camping out in the baby's room on an air mattress. VERY happy he is here. Hoping my next post is a announcing the birth of a little boy...

Thanksgiving 2009 in Austin

Being 38 weeks & 6 days pregnant, I obviously wasn't going anywhere for Thanksgiving... so my sweet in-laws, brother-in-law and Grandmommy-in-law came for a visit! We had wonderful food prepared by the women: turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, squash casserole, hash brown casserole, broccoli cheese casserole, sweet potato casserole, rolls, relishes, butter milk pie, pumpkin pie and sweet tea. We had/have MUCH to be thankful for. We have a healthy baby boy coming at the greatest time of year, a roof over our heads, I have a great job, Ryan is attending graduate school at one of the best schools in the country and we have the best families anyone could ever pray for... just to list a few. Words can't measure how blessed we are. Ben made it in Thanksgiving evening and will remain until this little boy decides it's time to come out. Mom and Dad spent Thanksgiving in Alto, NM with Cali (the wonder poodle), and childless. I HATE not being with my parents during the holidays. I hate that I wasn't there to cook my dad a Thanksgiving meal. Hopefully next year. Other than that, Thanksgiving was great!

38 weeks and black is no longer slimming...

Hummm, well I guess black doesn't help you look thinner when you're 38 weeks pregnant. Oh well. Just get this kid outta me and NOW.

I continue to be utterly amazed by the bluntness of people and their rude has heck comments. Last night, I told Ryan I wanted to go to dinner, but that I didn't want to go inside a restaurant because I didn't want to see people staring at me or hear any comments. However, I heard Ben & Jerry's has a new ice cream called "Cake Batter" so I wanted to give it a whirl. So, we ran into the grocery store before going to the P. Terry's (burger joint) drive thru. At the check-out the guy behind me said, "That's definitely a girl!" I said quickly, "Nope! It's a boy!" He said, "Well, I thought girls were carried low and boys were higher up, but maybe I have that backwards. Well, you've managed the keep the weight off everywhere else!" I looked at him and said, "Yup, just a basketball." Really dude? What were you going to say if I had gained weight everywhere else including my ear lobes? Then what? Were you going to say, "Wow, you've really packed on the pounds?!" Sheesh.

I see why God makes the end of pregnancy so completely miserable... because by the end of it, you don't give a crap how much delivery will/could hurt, you're just ready for it to be OVER. Well, I'm there. Thank you Lord for blessing us with a precious baby boy... BUT I'm done. I'm over it. I'm ready. Little boy, begin your decent and NOW. Come out, come out, come out!!!

What a difference 10 weeks makes... a shocking look back

16 weeks...

26 weeks...

36 weeks...

36 weeks & I'll do anything to get this kid OUT!!!

I know when you just opened my blog and saw this picture you thought, "HOLY CRAP!"... "GEEEZ"..."*(*@#(&?!"... that's okay, I thought the same thing when I saw this picture.

It's venting time: I swear, people really have no filter. People have no commonsense. Some people are just morons. Nothing really set me off today... just thinking of all the strange looks, gasps and comments I have received over the last 8+ months. Ryan and I were walking into Wal-Mart on Saturday night when two females walked past us, one of them turned to the other and in a voice that a deaf person could hear said, "WOW, she's definitely having a boy!". Really lady? I never knew pregnancy was supposed to affect your hearing, because I sure as hell can hear pretty darn well. Daily, I have women (the species which should be more sensitive than the male) asking me "woooooow, when are you due?"... "you are done aren't you!?"... "gosh, I bet you are ready, huh?"... "it's a boy isn't it?"... Ladies, rude people, wipe that shocked and horrified look off your face when you hear how much further I've got... it's NOT okay to ask strangers rude questions, especially pregnant ones who already feel like a friggin' cow. Yes, my belly looks like I have a watermelon patch growing inside of me... you think I don't already know that? You think I haven't noticed the 30-35 pound melon hanging off my abdomen? I guess not. Women who have made similar comments like the ones above (none that read this blog of course!!!) shame on you. Other than the guy that said "Gosh, when are you due? Looks like that baby is going to fall out!" the men have been much nicer to me these past few months... probably because (God bless em') they know nothing about pregnancy. They usually have comments that every sea monkey carrying chick wants to hear like, "oh wow, that's not long at all! You're almost done!". Thanks boys.

I will be 37 weeks on Friday. I go back to the doctor on Thursday... if something hasn't changed, I'm gonna... well, I don't know what I'm gonna do. I've already asked my dad to send me some petocin today- which he refused. It was worth a try.

I'm getting sick of posting bizarre looking pictures of myself, so I'd really appreciate it if this sweet little boy with the last name of Johnson, would kindly, and gently make his appearance ASAP so I can post pictures of HIM! I know you can't wait either- I don't blame you! Just keep your negative comments to yourself! =)

You know you're either pregnant or just need to lay off the donuts if...

1. Your stomach sits on your thighs when you're seated...
2. You can use your belly as a table for any, all, but definitely not limited to the following: remote control, drink, food, arm rest, catch all for spills, etc, etc...
3. You can no longer see "yourself" when you look down...
4. Your boobs, belly and thighs have almost become one piece...
5. People stare, then ask in horror, "when are you due!?" You say, "six weeks". They say, "OH MY GOSH, it looks like that baby is going to fall out!"... (yes, a guy really said this to me, then his girlfriend slapped him. No lie.)
Note: there will be an alternate ending if you aren't pregnant...
6. Your belly button is now an "outtie" and not an "innie"...
7. You've developed strange red marks (in places I'd rather not say, but they aren't on your belly) and you ask you husband "what the heck is this!!?" and he says, "I think those are stretch marks"...
Note: not everyone is "fat" that has stretch marks!!! They are a doozie and can strike anyone at anytime.
8. Your back constantly aches b/c of the excess 30+ pounds you've managed to pack on in a matter of about 8 months...
9. You know you're fat or pregnant and you don't care b/c you are STILL going to Value Size it at McDonald's dammit! Heck yes!
10. You've sectioned off your closet of things that you can wear b/c you've gone there too many times and tried on too many things that didn't work, so it was easier to just put the things that do work in their own section...
11. You may or may not begin to waddle...
12. You cannot sleep on your stomach!!!!!!!
13. You can't hop up off the floor like you used to, you have to roll to one side, get your knees and legs under you, grab onto something stable, and pull yourself up off the floor...
14. Your belly hangs out from the bottom of your husbands size LARGE shirt...
15. You see pictures (or a reflection) of yourself and still cannot believe how strange your body now looks...
Note: this can happen to anyone, whether you are not even pregnant or fat.
16. You weigh almost as much as your husband (or at least it seems like it)...
Note: Some husbands are tiny, so this isn't accurate for all cases.
17. You sit on the couch and eat a pint of Blue Bell Moo-llinium Crunch ice cream in a matter of minutes and don't even think twice about it- actually you laugh when you are finished...
18. You get up from a table and realize how close everyone's chairs are... you try to "suck in" to pass by so your belly doesn't hit the guy in the back of the head, yet that doesn't seem to work...
19. You drop something on the floor while sitting in a chair and you have to physically get out of the chair, squat down (holding onto something stable) then pick it up- all b/c your stomach is too big to bend at the waist...



I could go on and on... Hopefully I didn't offend anyone, I've just barfed 2 times today and I am almost 35 weeks pregnant, so I need a little humor in my day. If anyone would like to pay me to do a public service announcement of how "morning sickness" never ends and there is NO cure to it, let me know... I'm your girl.

Photos...

Just in case she ever tries to sue me for using her wonderful pictures (just kidding), I need to thank Janelle for taking ALL of the great shower pictures that you see below!!! Thank you Janelle for capturing so many wonderful moments for us to look back at and enjoy!

It's a Green Theme!

Some wonderful friends and family in Cisco thew me one heck of a shower. Gee people! It was awesome! Great friends, great food, great gifts, great fun.... Again, saying we are "blessed" is an understatement. We had wonderful yummy green foods: white chocolate covered green grapes, cheesecake w/ kiwi on top, the best in the world spinach artichoke dip, thumbprints, petifores, mini sandwiches, green sherbet punch... oh so good!!!

We are FULLY, and I mean FULLY covered... we got our stroller, mattress, changing pad, blankets, towels, clothes, books, diapers, wipes, bath items, etc, etc, etc... I keep saying if there happens to be 2 babies in there, we are prepared! We got so much stuff that my great in-laws are having to bring a load!

Cannot thank all of our friends and family enough for sharing in our excitement for the upcoming arrival of our sweet little boy. It means a lot to us that everyone is just as excited as we are to meet Baby J! We can't wait to share is name... well maybe we can! Ha! Sorry everyone... hopefully no more than 6 weeks! *This picture is terrible of me, however, it's pretty funny of Aunt Sharon- she looks terrified of my belly! haha....

Crazy women of Cisco...

My wonderful mother-in-law beat me down this weekend for not mentioning that 7 of them made a long 5.5 hour drive from Cisco (and one from Lubbock) to Roswell for my shower.

My only excuse for not mentioning this wonderful group is "pregnancy brain"! I'm SO sorry. Don't hate me. I loved you ALL being there and it did mean a LOT to me that you came... Thank you sweet (most of the time) mother-in-law Sheila, Aunt Sharon, Aunt Shelly, Marcia, Judy, Janelle & Pattie for being a wonderful addition to my shower! Love you all!

It's a BabyQ!

Some sweet friends of mine and my mom's threw me one heck of a baby shower in Roswell on 10.3.09. The theme was a "BabyQ" so we had baby back ribs, green chile chicken, shrimp, cheddar biscuits, tea, lemonade, cake... It was amazing to say the least. Talk about people "showering" us with gifts. Wow. There's a lot of people that seem to love us for some reason. I had a couple surprises: two of my co-workers from Lubbock drove in for the shower and surprised me and my cousin Jen and her husband Brad also showed up. I was completely taken off guard and was not expecting that. It was awesome and it meant the world to me that they came. The shower was held in my mom's great friend, Nita's backyard. What a pretty backyard she has. It was the perfect setting. It rained all morning that day, so we were worried that it would rain at the shower (which was at 5pm). BUT, the weather was P-E-R-F-E-C-T. The air was cool and there was a slight breeze... perfect weather for my mom. She was able to stay basically the entire shower and watched me open every single gift. As you will see in some of my pictures, my dad, brother, cousin and grandfather were all present at the shower. Yes, I know, showers aren't for boys, but I wanted them there with me. I loved having them there. I wish my sweet, hardworking husband was there, but has been working on wrapping up his education at UT.

We absolutely cannot wait for our baby boy to be here. We are ridiculously excited and look forward to his safe arrival. We are SO completely blessed by our friends and family, that "thank you" will never be enough. This baby boy doesn't have a clue how many people love him and cannot wait to meet him... and know his name of course! 7 more weeks...

We are off Cisco this weekend for yet another wonderful shower. Pictures of that madness to come...

30 weeks & this egg is about to crack!

Whoa, big mamma alert!!! Watch out people. My belly is officially ridiculously large. It's one heck of a sight. I am astonished every time I see myself in the mirror. Amazing what the human body can do. Let's just hope this belly snaps back into place almost immediately after our little guy makes his entrance! If I don't fit back into my normal clothes when I got back to work after 6 or so weeks, I think I will have a nervous breakdown.

I have an appointment on Wednesday, then the next appointment in October will be our last sono--- I'll be about 34 weeks and they will do one last check of the baby's position and size. Let's just hope he's no 8 pounds at that point--- he sure feels that way right now.

Ryan and I did nothing but crack up all yesterday and last night... I swear the little guy was trying to punch a hole through my belly! He's crazy! I think he knows he makes us laugh, so he keeps it up!

Off to NM this weekend for our Roswell shower. Stay tuned for some shower pictures...

Little by little...

I painted & distressed our armoire...



Mom & Dad Mooney bought us a great dresser...


Mom & Dad Johnson bought us an awesome new crib and adorable bedding...


I created the curtain that you see... the bedding came w/ a valance- the green polka dot section at the bottom of the curtain. I am not a huge valance fan. I already had a chocolate brown curtain that happened to be a little short, so I got some handy hemming tape, and ironed on the new valance to the bottom of my existing curtain. I think it turned out pretty good...


I am wanting a fully upholstered glider/rocker- so hoping to get that soon...

We still need to get a mattress, but I couldn't stand the suspense and had to set up the bedding as much as I could...

Much more to do, but you get the idea. I'll post more pictures as things get completed. We have some amazing showers coming soon. We are SO blessed to have so many people that love us. This is SUCH an exciting time in our lives... thank you for sharing it with us. Looking forward to holding Baby J!

Lastly, we FINALLY decided on a name, yet we will continue to keep it a secret until Baby J arrives!

Being 26

So, I will turn 26 on Sunday. Wow. Hard to believe! My husband just turned 24 in May. Wow, I really am old. Don't worry, he constantly reminds me of that!

Well, at the bank, us girls do what we call "Birthday Club". For each girls birthday, we have either breakfast or lunch, and everyone brings a gift. Great times. They celebrated my birthday today since it will be on Sunday. What a fun group of girls I work with! Also, we got to wear jeans to work today, as well as our favorite team colors... I represented for TTU of course! Enjoy few pics of the fun...