Family of Four

The first family portrait.

Meeting Baby Cooper.

Cooper isn't going to get any attention, is he?

Daddy and Cooper

Mama taking it all in.

Tyler tells us how he really feels about Baby Cooper's arrival.

Cousin Cade was SO EXCITED about meeting Baby Cooper.

The cousins making their hospital rounds in the wagon.

Cooper on his way home.

We made it home yesterday afternoon and Travis and I didn't know what to do with ourselves. The house was so quiet because Tyler is in Harlingen with his grandparents and cousins. He will be there for a week and it will give Travis and I a chance to spend time with Cooper and get adjusted. Don't feel sorry for Tyler being shipped off to Harlingen. The last time we talked to Travis' parents they were on the way to McDonald's for dinner and then they were going swimming. I'm pretty sure he is going to have loads of fun this week, but we will miss him and be ready for him to come home!

Cooper has been such a great baby so far. He is feeding well and most importantly sleeping well. He seems to be such a sweet and easy going baby, which I'm so thankful for. He actually let us get plenty of sleep last night, pretty much only interrupted for feedings. He would settle down easily and go back to sleep. Hopefully we will have many more great nights with him.

Hanging with Mr. Cooper

Well, Cooper officially made his appearance last night for those that don't already know. Sarah went in to the hospital yesterday at about 2:30 and they induced her and he was born at 8:17 last night. The 2nd baby was a lot quicker than the first. He weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and has been great! He doesn't have quite the conehead like his brother did. Sarah is still up at the hospital and I came home to get some sleep. I will go back in the morning and we should all come home tomorrow. Tyler went with my parents down to the Valley for a while so we can get adjusted to life with a newborn for a while. Thank God for good parents to help us out. We will post pictures tomorrow. Thanks for your prayers!

Travis

The End is Near!

I went for my OB appointment this morning and the end is near! I'm still dilated to a 5 and 90% effaced. After talking to the doctor, we decided to go ahead and schedule an induction for Tuesday, July 17! That means we only have a few more days, unless Cooper decides to come on his own before then. We are excited about meeting our little baby boy and can't wait to introduce him to you!

15 months!

Tyler went for his 15 month checkup today. He is 26 pounds and 32 inches (both 75% percentile). They said he looks great and his ears are looking fantastic, which makes me really happy. He is really turning into a little boy. We are working on using a spoon and fork during mealtime. Tyler seems to be very independent and is very interested in doing everything himself. He wants to feed himself, brush his own teeth, and try and take his shirt off. I can't believe within the next few weeks we will be a family of four!

Tyler's new backpack for Mother's Day Out.

Tyler using his spoon during dinner.

Update

I just got back from the OB and I'm already at a 5! Shouldn't be too much longer. She said she doesn't expect me to be pregnant this time next week! That is just what I wanted to hear!

Belly Shots

Christine has been begging for some belly shots but she didn't specify of whose belly she wanted to see...

Back off ladies, he's taken!

Get some sun on that kid!

The biggest belly of them all!

I am currently 37.5 weeks pregnant and am ready to have this baby!!! I have gained about 30 pounds as of this morning and I'm feeling large. I go back to the OB tomorrow so we will see what she has to say. Hopefully I've progressed some more.

Two of My Favorite Things

Lil' Cowboy

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, but we really haven't been doing too much around here. Here is a picture of Tyler riding his rocking horse that his Great-Grandpappy made for him before bed last night. He loves it and can make it rock back and forth by itself. He also likes to try to get on and off by himself.

In other news, Tyler got his tubes yesterday. He did really well and the procedure was literally only 15 minutes or so. He had a hard time coming out of the anesthesia, but they said that was to be expected. Before they took him back to the operating room they gave him some valium to calm him down and make it easier to take him away from us. He was so out of it and had the goofiest look on his face. We wanted to take some home with us for those days we just can't handle chasing him around anymore!!!

I also went to the OB today and everything is looking good. I'm 85% effaced and dilated to a 3! I'm pretty sure Cooper isn't going to make it to July 23. I better get my bootie in gear and get everything ready!

Cooper Update

I had a regular OB appointment today and the doctor said Cooper is sounding beautiful. I'm already dilated to a 1.5 and 70% effaced! She said that Cooper is head down (yea!) and he is at a -1 station. This means that he is getting closer and closer to making an appearance! Maybe Cooper will be early- any guesses of when he will make his grand entrance?

Diapers...I don't need no stinkin' diapers

Well, we have hit a new low in the Johnson Household today. This afternoon before Tyler's nap I changed his diaper. Instead of putting his shorts back on I decided to just leave him in his diaper, which isn't unusual for me to do. This afternoon when I went to get him up from his nap I noticed that the floor by his crib was wet- just a little spot. I thought to myself- surely he is not drooling that much that the carpet is noticeably wet. So I go to pick him up and notice that his diaper is sitting neatly in the corner of the crib and Tyler has no diaper on! He had managed to take his diaper off and he peed all over the bumper pads, sheets, and floor!!! The diaper was completely dry! He was happy as could be and I couldn't help but laugh. I'm just SO very thankful he didn't have to poop! Needless to say Tyler Johnson will not be taking any naps in just his diaper!

14 months!

Tyler is now fourteen months! He is growing up fast and Travis and I have both noticed him doing more and more big things! He is learning new things all the time and has really started to babble a lot more. He has learned two new signs in the last week- shoes and baby. Yesterday I showed him where Baby Cooper was in my tummy and I asked him to give the baby kisses and he did. Later when Travis came home we asked him where the baby was and he lifted my shirt and kissed my belly! It was really cute, but I'm pretty sure he is still clueless about what that really means. He is a really loving little boy and loves to give kisses to everyone, including his teddy bear and the pictures in his books. He seems to really be interested in his books lately, always wanting to look at new ones. Most of the time he isn't patient enough to sit there and let us read him the book. Tyler also loves playing with his tractors (which were actually Travis' as a little boy). I guess when we play tractors with him we make "tractor noises" because he has now started making noises when he plays with his tractors. It's really funny to hear.

This past weekend the Johnson's came to visit and we all had a good time. Tyler loves playing with his Grandma and Papa. Uncle Ross and Aunt Kim came to visit from Katy too. Tyler loves all of the attention he gets from everyone. The boys also built Tyler a sandbox in the backyard. It's really nice and he loves playing in it. I'll have to get some pictures of him in the sandbox and post them later.

My future is so bright, I gotta wear shades!

Papa Johnson pushing Tyler around in the wheelbarrow.

Celebrating 5 Years!

Travis and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on Friday, June 8. I can't believe that it has already been 5 years. What is really weird is that Travis and I have been together for 10 years since we dated 5 years before getting married!!! That's crazy! Anyway, we were able to go out on Saturday night to celebrate since the Johnson's were in town. So while Tyler was with his grandparents we went to a really nice steakhouse and then to the movies. We had a great time and had great conversation about what we had done in our first five years of marriage and where we thought we might be after the next five years. I can't wait to see where God takes us.

Tubes for Tyler

Today I took Tyler to an Ear, Nose, and Throat Doctor due to his recurring ear infections. Tyler did awesome at the doctor's office- we were there for over 2 hours during his regular naptime!!! He thought getting his hearing checked was really fun. They use speakers right under some toys that light up and make noise. He was smiling from ear to ear! The doctor recommended that we go ahead and put tubes in his ears to stop the infections and prevent any permanent hearing loss. He said that he had some low tone hearing loss that is only temporary due to fluid currently in his ears. His procedure will be on June 26th, so you can pray for us on that day.

Trip to the Zoo

Today we took Tyler to the zoo for the first time. Uncle Ross and Aunt Kim met us there and braved the heat with us. He had a good time, but I think Uncle Ross had the best time out of everyone. Tyler might still be a little young to appreciate the zoo, but he did notice a lot of the animals. All of the adults were pooped after we left, but Tyler was as energetic as ever!

Tyler looking at the animals.

Daddy showing Tyler some animals.

The baby elephant was really cute!

Tyler wearing Daddy's sunglasses on the way home! Too cool!!!

It's a Man Bag!

Tyler has a thing for bags. It started with this little cowboy bag that hangs in his room. He started pointing at it and wants to carry it around with him wherever he goes. He has since discovered that he can carry my purse around the house as well.

Tyler carrying my purse around.

Tyler with his cowboy bag.

Daddy's Little Helper

Helping Daddy sweep the driveway.

Getting ready to mow the yard.

No Deal!

Well, last week we got some disappointing news- we were not able to complete the sale of the house. The appraisal of the house came back a little less than the contract price (which happens frequently from what we understand), but the people were unwilling to negotiate with us. They were financing 100% with a VA loan and the VA was nothing but trouble. We were really upset about it and that is why we haven't blogged about it until now. I was afraid I might use some choice words that might offend someone and this is a family friendly blog! The house is now back on the market for anyone who needs a new home!

Playing in the Rain!

It has been raining a lot lately around here and for some reason that doesn't deter Tyler from wanting to go outside. The other night I went outside to talk on my cell phone and Tyler had a fit that Travis wouldn't let him go outside. So eventually they made their way out and Tyler had a blast playing in the puddles.

In other news, we are in the midst of taking Tyler's pacifier away. Recently we only let him have it at naptime or bedtime, but we decided it was time, especially before Cooper comes. So yesterday was the first full day without it and it went better than expected. He did talk about 45 minutes last night before he went to sleep. Yesterday he was in a bad mood all day though. Today he was in a better mood- he just didn't like when I put him down for naps without his beloved pacifier! Oh well, he will get over it.

Trip to Tyler

After our weekend in College Station, Sarah and Tyler headed to Gram and Papa's. Gram and Papa were watching Will and Reese while Kyle and Christine went on vacation. On Sunday night we went to Kay and Kenny's and had pizza and Kenny's famous homemade ice cream!

On Monday we headed over to Great Gramm and Grandpappy's. Great Gramm made us her famous fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Everyone eats good at Great Gramm's! We played there until after lunch and headed home with three tired boys.

On Tuesday we headed to the Discovery Science Place and the boys had a great time. They were going in three different directions the entire time. We were all assigned a boy to chase after. They had a blast and we topped it off with a trip to Chick-Fil-A for lunch. The boys were once again exhausted when we got back for their afternoon naps.

We had a good time and Tyler loves to play with his cousins! He was great on the ride home which I was thankful for- he hasn't been loving the car lately. Today is the start of girls weekend for me and boys weekend for Tyler and Travis! I'm getting together with my college roommates while Travis keeps Tyler for the weekend! Woohoo! This is the first weekend Travis has kept Tyler by himself! I just hope they both survive!!!

Tyler and Reese enjoying their morning milk!

Tyler and Reese climbing the stairs at the Discovery Science Place.

Gram and Tyler riding the dinosaur.

Papa giving all the boys a bath!

Happy Birthday Will and Papa!

Last weekend we headed to College Station to celebrate Will's 4th birthday. Papa Fleming also turned 57 on the same day! We got to see Will with some of his friends and help him celebrate the big day. Later that afternoon we went swimming in the Hoover's pool. The boys had a blast.

Reese going down the slide at the park.

Daddy bouncing Tyler on the inflatable jumper.

Where are my legs?

Will handing out party favors and hugs!

Tyler and Reese enjoying an afternoon swim.

Do it again Daddy!!!

Will pouring buckets of water on Reese. Reese thought it was hilarious!

Papa taking Reese and Tyler for a spin.

Mama pushing Tyler around in the car.

Congrats to the Juds!

Congrats to Kyle and Rachel Jud! We traveled to Marble Falls the first weekend of May to celebrate the wedding of Kyle (Travis' cousin) and Rachel. We had a great time and the weather cleared just in time for the outdoor wedding. All of Travis' family stayed together in a lake house for the weekend and Tyler was in heaven. He is crazy for his Papa Johnson and a little obsessive if I do say so myself. Tyler thoroughly enjoyed his time with him and literally wanted to be with him the whole weekend. We were all exhausted by the end of the weekend!!!

Kyle and Rachel sharing their first dance.

Daddy and Tyler after the wedding.

Mama and Tyler bustin' a move on the dance floor.

Tyler dancing away the night.

Tyler spent most of his time at the reception looking at the dogs at the neighbors house.

Tyler and Papa at the lake house. Tyler was throwing rocks into the water.

The lake house had a chair just his size!

Going Crazy, Wanna Come?

I'm officially losing my mind as a mom today. Really I've been gradually losing it all week. It started off with a trip to the Pediatrician on Monday because we had a sneaking suspicion that Tyler had another ear infection. Our suspicions were confirmed- double ear infection and a runny nose that just won't stop!!! For the first part of the week Tyler was definitely not feeling good and was very irritable, which tends to make me irritable as well!

The part that is really making me crazy is his naps! The past week he has been talking, playing, crying, etc. for at least 45 minutes before he will go to sleep. Currently, he has been in there for an hour and is still not asleep for his afternoon nap. I don't know if it's because of his ears or if he is trying to tell me he is ready to drop his morning nap. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE don't let it be that he wants to drop his morning nap!!! I was really hoping he would continue his morning nap until Cooper was a couple months old and we were somewhat settled into a routine with him. I guess time will only tell. I will keep you updated on the nap situation and my sanity.

Enough venting... We have been very busy lately trying to pack the house, find a rental home, and find a lot for the new house. We have signed a lease on a rental home and have found a lot that we will probably make an offer on next week. We get the keys to the rental home on June 1st so we can gradually move stuff over and then we will just be getting ready for Baby Cooper's arrival. And I wonder why I'm going crazy?

SOLD!!!

Today we received and negotiated an offer on our house! We are so thankful our house has finally sold, especially since we are getting closer and closer to Cooper's arrival. We will close on the house at the end of June, which will give us plenty of time to pack up all of our junk and move out. God has blessed us so much by this house and we hope this couple will be blessed in it as well. We have lots of great memories in our first house- especially bringing home our first baby. Anyway, we look forward to building our next house and making memories there!

First Swim of the Summer!

Travis, Tyler, and I went swimming on Friday with The Murtha Family. Zac Murtha is Travis' boss and they have three young girls. They invited us to go swimming at the Showcase Home which Zac's company built for a parade of homes in our neighborhood. The pool (and house) are amazing and we had so much fun. The pool has a beach entry so Tyler could crawl around and splash as much as he wanted. He loved it. Here is a picture of Tyler enjoying the water.

New Toys!

Here are some pictures of Tyler playing with one of his new toys that he got for his birthday. It's a ball pit that you put the balls in the top and they roll down the tunnel in the middle. He LOVES it! Thanks Hoovers!!! He has seriously played with it all day long.

New York City

After D.C. we rode the train up to New York City. While in New York we did a lot of sightseeing- mainly from the greyline double decker tour buses. And yes we rode on the top level even though it was freezing, but you couldn't see as well from the inside of the bus. The tour took us into Brooklyn and Harlem, which I had never seen before. We saw two broadway shows- The Producers and Phantom of the Opera. They were both fantastic and we really enjoyed them. We also went to the NBC studio and did a tour of the studio. It was really neat and we got to see the Saturday Night Live Studio and while we were there they were doing a dress rehearsal. We saw Scarlett Johansen, Amy Poehler, and Daryl Hammond. Travis also saw Toby from "The Office" as we were getting on the elevators, but I didn't see him. After a long trip we were definitely ready to come home and especially ready to see Tyler. Travis has decided he is definitely not a city boy, but would anyone ever mistake him for one?

Travis in our hotel room. It quite possibly was the smallest hotel room in the world. You are pretty much looking at the entire room. I'm standing in a small space that leads to the bathroom. We were definitely ready to sleep in our King Size bed after that!

Travis in front of Brooklyn Bridge. This was one of the days it was actually very pleasant. We walked around the South Street Seaport area and had lunch. Then we just sat on the pier and enjoyed the sunshine.

Times Square at night.