Christmas Book #2

Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera - kinda long - we had to take a small break in between and play with Izzie. This book is about a little girl learning that it is better to give than receive.

Christmas Picks

I have never put up a Christmas tree before December... but things change. As we started putting up Christmas stuff, I also pulled out all my Christmas books. We decided to read a Christmas book to the boys every day until Christmas. I picked my all time favorite to read first. Olive, the Other Reindeer, by J. Otto Seibold is a great book about a dog named Olive that confuses himself as a reindeer when he hears a Christmas song with the lines "All of the other reindeer" - He thinks he heard "Olive, the other reindeer." They loved looking at the pattern at the front and back of the book.

Things I Have Learned

1. Never say "This stage is the worst, it will get better after this one."

2. No, I won't catch up on my sleep later.

3. The capacity of my heart is endless and when I think I couldn't possibly love them anymore than I already do, my heart grows.

4. No, they won't sleep past 8:30 am (sometimes 7 am - Hagen).

5. Sleeping in is a thing of the past.

6. What in the world did I used to do with spare time? Spare time? What is that?

7. Call screening? What is that... I am lucky if I hear the phone!

8. Showers make everything better!

9. I can say 'I will get to it tomorrow' and if I don't -- I can't get fired!

10. Jeremy's personal truck is parked behind my vehicle...

If you are wondering how I learned #10 ... yes, that is how. You sometimes have to run into things to learn they are there. Thankfully I was going very slow and not much damage occurred.
I have decided I don't like the tooth fairy. Every time she makes a deposit - the boys disappear and she leaves these crabby, grouchy, fussy, irritable children. What's with that?
(Notice the tooth count.) Still trying to get a good pic of the teeth budding.

Do I need to tell you that Hagen likes prunes?

Mason and Bath time

Mason full of giggles.

Hagen is sooooo close to rolling over. At this point even the Occupational Therapist says he just might be a little head strong. No way - not a child of Jeremy or mine!!

We are now wearing these cute thermal pj's to bed. Size 18 months --- are you kidding me??

Lots of Changes Goin' On...

The boys always nap together... well, they are getting too tall and running out of room --- so they are now napping in their own cribs (and sleeping at night in their own cribs). :-(

Say goodbye to your crib mate-

Mason no longer suffers from reflux and has basically still slept on his wedge because he liked it... so we let him... but we tried him without it and he is fine without it... so

say goodbye to the wedge -

look how tiny he was in the first picture - we had to put a pillow at the bottom because it was too big for him :-(

The swings no longer can hold the boys - it squeaks and squirms under the weight of our growing babies! They also really get no more kicks out of being put in it....
So, say good bye to the swing :-(

Thanks swing, you helped Jeremy and I catch a few extra z's

Look how tiny he was!!!! (3 months old)

Last but not least, the tooth fairy has made a deposit :-(
Hagen has one tooth coming in! Sorry, couldn't get a picture of it... will try later. Either the boys have been bitten by a crabby bug or the tooth fairy has made them cranky... Either way, if a tooth doesn't pop out of Mason soon, I am going in after it!!!!

Say good bye to the toothless smiles or for that matter the toothless crys.

My Boo

My best friend, Brandi, came to spend Friday night with us. We had lots of fun. It was nice having her around when Jeremy got called out. She raided my freezer and found frozen fruit. She made us these fabulous frozen fruit drinks. (No, in case you are curious, they were not 'spiked'.)We decided to use pretty glasses. I made chili.

Trouble Shooter 101

Jeremy starts his new job Monday. He is so excited he can hardly stand it. If anyone is reading this that works for TXU-Oncor or knows someone that does - please pardon my vocabulary - I am going to explain Jeremy's new job in "wife" language.


When your lights go out, you call TXU and tell them your lights go out. The 'dock' calls a trouble shooter and that person goes out to see what the problem is. If they can fix it - they do - if not they call out a crew to come and fix it. The trouble shooter will tell the foreman what the problem is and what they need to fix the problem. Jeremy will be a trouble shooter starting tomorrow. Today he picked up his company truck.

Here we are going to get it... he is trying to act like it is no big deal.

About to get in...

Filling it up with gas...

Telling me 'enough already with the pictures...' but you can tell he is still sooo excited ... hee hee hee

Blow Out

Blow out? What is this? Dictionary.com defines it as: (of an oil or gas well) to lose oil or gas uncontrollably. (This was the closest definition to all the 48 definitions it gave me.) I liked this one the best because instead of oil or gas - in 'parent' jargon it would be poop. Yes, poop. To lose poop uncontrollably. Usually up the backside. Let me use it in a sentence that was used quite frequently today - "Mason had another blow out."
I was taking care of Hagen when Jeremy called for help. I found him knee deep in, umm, poop. He had it all over Mason's back, the changing table, his hands, Mason's clothes and two diapers. He said, "I don't know what else to do. Everything I touch gets poop on it." We got everything cleaned up and soaking in the washer. Wish I could get commission on this plug - but love this stuff - thanks LKD.
Fast forward to about 3:30 this afternoon. Jeremy was called out to work and I was changing the boys' diapers. I felt something wet on Mason's back. Yes - blow out #2 for the day. I proceeded to one up Jeremy - and I even got it in Mason's hair. Someone once told me the best way to clean up poopy diapers is to take them out back and hose the kid down - now I see the absolute genius in that! If only I could have done that.

Here we are in only a diaper - why? Because I had no place to put him that didn't have poop on it.

"What's going on? What is that smell?"

"Did she get all the poop off you?"

If you weren't so cute - I would be a little grossed out at all this stuff I keep finding in your diaper! - and for that matter NOT in your diaper!!

Big Boys

Jeremy ended up getting called out on T-Day... a bummer - but I still dressed the boys in their finest... they look like such big boys :-(

You Want Me to Do What??

When Mason was in the NICU, he had several kidney issues. Thankfully most of the issues have resolved. He was on a couple of medications that he came home on. Back in August - early August - he had an appointment with one of the kidney doctors. He has two, the only way I can keep them straight is to remember one deals with the toilet (the actual kidney) and one deals with the plumbing (the tubes from the kidneys to the... where ever the tubes go). These two doctors obviously don't communicate too much. One of them (or someone) prescribed a medication to him and neither one wants to fess up to who prescribed it. But, both agree that he doesn't need to be on it. One doctor graciously told me he would take him off it, but we would do a urine sample on him first. I was sent home with instructions to call the nurse and she would give me instructions on how to collect the urine. I called to schedule the appointment and get my instructions.

Let me remind you this was in August - early August. I found out the next available appointment would be November 19th. OOOKKKK, so I made the appointment and the nurse said she would send me some bags. I could take a bag, put it over his penis. Collect the urine. Sounded simple.

So November 19th came up and I pulled out the bag she sent me. A note was attached - please collect urine 3 to 5 days before dr. appointment and take to lab. What??? Soooo, the appointment was in about 3 hours and I was obviously a little late on collecting the urine. I called to tell them my problem - they told me the next available appointment was in January - late January. OOOOKKKK, so I was about to make the appointment and the woman said I could see the nurse practitioner instead. We were able to get in on November 27th. This gave me yesterday and today to collect the urine.

I know this story is long - but I am telling it anyway. I called the lab - received a few more instructions on the urine collecting process. (fun) She also said I would need a cup, they won't take the bag - so I decided to just take him up there with the bag on and transfer it myself.

Yesterday, I put the bag on him. Put the diaper over him and he was just as happy as a lark.

Here we are, just waiting to pee.

After I saw some in the bag, I put both boys in their car seats and headed to the lab. When we walked in, the front desk person told a nurse that there were twins here. She told another nurse, who told another nurse and by the end I think about 5 women came out to take a look. I got the cup and took the stretch limo to the bathroom. At this point Hagen was awake and wondering what in the world we were doing. I had to wake Mason to rip a bag off his penis... as I was doing it, I noticed the bag was empty - the diaper full. What?????

Yes, apparently when he moved, peed, breathed, whatever - the tape came off and the bag was useless. Sooooo, I came out with Mason in tow and an empty bag in my hand. I got more instructions on how to collect the urine and was told I would get better results if I stuck his whole 'package' in the bag and cut a hole in the diaper to pull the bag through. She also gave me a cup so I wouldn't have to troop the whole family up there again to transfer it to the cup.

We left - exhausted - with no pee, but a cup, more bags, and more instructions.

This morning, I set about putting his whole 'package' in the bag... the whole 'package' didn't fit, so I just stuck the most important thing in it. Cut the hole in the diaper and pulled the bag through.

And we waited for the pee.

After a few hours, enough collected that I deposited Hagen and Mason with Gran and Pacci so I could take the urine to the lab.

I would just like to remind you that this is so we can take him off medicine that both doctors have agreed he doesn't need anymore - but neither will take him off it. And remember also that this was decided back in early August. It is now late November. I chose to be the doctor and take him off it. We are doing the urine test just so they can take him off it on paper. Really?!? Are you kidding me?

I want to end on a 'precious' moment. The boys know their bedtime. They start getting sleepy no matter what they are doing. It is really neat. Anyway, the other night Jeremy had them on the floor and was putting their pajamas on them. Hagen was so tired, he just fell asleep. Isn't he cute! And of course Mason is like 'Where's the milk?'

I must have way too much time on my hands...

Check us out as elves... thought this was too funny to pass up!
Johnson Elves

Gobble, Gobble and Ho Ho Ho

Well, the holidays are coming up and I am eating my words - again. I used to be one of those people that said "When I have kids, I'm never..." or "When I have kids, I'm always ..." Mmmm, these words are tasty. Okay, so I did say I wasn't going to be overprotective. I said, 'If they eat dirt, it won't hurt.'

I also am the same person that saw my babies being born at under 2 pounds each. I am the same person that got the lecture from the nurses that their lungs are still developing and their immune system is not at 100%. We do not want to go back to the hospital... all that being said - that is why I am not excited about Gobble, Gobble and Ho Ho Ho.

I actually saw this on another preemie mom's website... hope she doesn't mind that I copied it. I just love the illustration.

All this being said, let me be frank. We love seeing all our family and friends for the upcoming holidays. Please wash your hands and let's be honest as well as frank - they put their hands in their mouths ... so if you really want to touch them - their feet and the tops of their heads are a great location ;-)

If you had a cold last week or you were around your best friend's cousin who had the sniffles or you woke up with a runny nose and you think it is 'just allergies' ... please visit us from afar. We can have a great conversation from across the room. Trust me, we have enough strangers running up to us acting like they know us. Feel free to acknowledge us at a distance.

Yes - eventually I will let them eat dirt and lick doorknobs (like their Aunt Erin) ... but for now, I would like for them to be in a bubble. Since this isn't possible - I have to be frank and honest. Hope you aren't offended.

Happy Gobble, Gobble, and Ho Ho Ho ;-)

8 Months... already!!

The boys have discovered they can pick the bears up and chew on them... so that accomplishment made taking their pictures with them quite an accomplishment. 'Say that again, the Cowboys beat the Redskins?'

'Are the Cowboys really 9-1?'

A Hunting We Will Go...

The boys woke up this morning and found out their Daddy went hunting without them. I told them we could pretend we were in a deer stand. They were okay with that until it got a little hot... and it was nearing nap time. So, I called an end to deer season and we went inside for a nap.And...

Another comparison picture...

3 months old7 1/2 months old

Lots of Comments...

Well, first of all I have discovered the next best thing since sliced bread... these bibs.... LOVE them. I want enough to have at each feeding and extras to carry in the diaper bag - so, like 20 or so :-) They are fabulous!!! The boys like them, too. They are called pull-over bibs. Instead of a velcro closure in the back, it has a tee-shirt collar, so I just slip it over their heads... did I mention I LOVE them!!!
It's all fun and games....

until someone gets hurt!!

The boys' Christmas stockings came in - I know - early ... but I didn't want them to sell out.


Here are some of my favorite pictures from our picture day. The family picture is already up and the football picture with the boys is up... and Hagen's picture is already posted.