4th fun

We had a pretty awesome 4th of July this year :) 
We decided to drive up north for the day & relax in the pines, swim a little & then watch fireworks without sweating.  The boys got insanely dirty, played some baseball, had some light saber fights, swam & ran around like little boys do.  Sean's family joined us for some fun. 

1sts

 Today, this little beauty had a first-
I was singing to her while she was on sitting up on my legs & I was moving her arms all around & making her clap & hit her knees & she laughed!! I did it several times to make sure it was real!  I did have a witness.. Sean was nearby.  I just LOVE this little baby girl!!!! She is so beautiful to me- I can't get enough of her!!!

I also realized I don't have very many pictures of her with me, so I had to take care of that!  I also realized, after seeing this picture, that we have the same dimple :)
I wanted to write down the funny thing Sam said to me yesterday too-
I was changing the clothes over from the washer to the dryer & he asked me if it was called the "wetter".  I asked him why he thought that.  He said- well, thats the dryer, right? - it took me a second & then a smile spread on my face.
We just finished watching all the Star Wars movies, from 1 all the way to 6, plus bonus material.  The boys love them- & I have to admit, I'm loving them too.  Today I bought the pool noodles & made light sabers out of them for the boys.  They love them!
Yesterday Seneca decided to cry pretty much all day long.  She did, however, reward us by sleeping from 1am-8am straight.  The beautiful thing was- no other children woke me up either!! It was a Johnson miracle!!!!  Today I felt like a new woman! & Seneca was happy as can be today!
I've loved not working & being home with my bambinos so much! Some days are a challenge, but I can't think of another thing I want to do more than be with them!  

Today I held Seneca in my arms & we stared into each others eyes.  It was like she was looking to me for something.  So I just started talking to her.  She responded by smiling a couple of times, but the fact that she couldn't say anything back to me didn't seem to matter, cause it felt  like we could hear each other in our eyes.  I can't wait to raise this amazing beauty!  She has such a beautiful soul- I can see it in her eyes.  Today she is sleeping the day away, no matter what I do to try & keep her up some.  She must be growing- I remember when I was pregnant, there were days I felt exhausted, when she was growing in me.  I'm sure that her body is exhausted as it continues to grow. 
I was just listening to a few messages from leaders of our church & was reminded of a message in one of the last general conferences, about motherhood.  He said- [children] are not something you do if you can squeeze the time in.  They are what God gave you time for.  -I hope I can show my children my love by giving them my time!  I love them sooo much!!!!!

picture post :)

This past month has been a pretty busy one in our house!  Just days after I had Seneca, my sister Kelli & her whole family came to visit for a few weeks.  Before they left, Sean's sister Tiffany arrived too.  So, This past month has been one big cousin-fest!  & We have loved it!  I'm already missing Kelli a ton!!!!  So, I just thought I'd make a post of some fun pictures from the past month.

Aunt Nancie & Josey-boo

                                                                 

Kelli & Me

Aunt Kelli & Seneca ( notice the  soon-to-arrive cousin in the belly!)

It's a puppet show... with puppets :)

Marshmallow madness with Battraw buddies :) ( Briggy is not happy!)

short nap in the car :)

Daddy & Seneca chillin in front of the tv

Seneca & Aunt Tiffy

seriously?

first bath :)

beauty baby

trampoline + cousins + water = summertime fun!

splish splash!

It was so great having Kelli visit!  It gave me reasons to get out of my house to help me return some normalcy into my life! & the boys have been having the time of their life spending so much with their cousins!

1 month

If I don't write this quickly, this may not get done today!
Today Seneca Marie is officially 1 month old!!  We saw the doctor yesterday & she is 10lb 5oz.  She got her 2nd HepB shot yesterday& took it like a champ!
I went back last night & was reading my blogs about Joe when he was this age & it made me feel better that I actually survived him, & apparently don't remember him being quite that difficult.  I remember I had a hard time cause he was fussy, but I thought she was much different than he was.  Turns out, they are pretty similar.  He got fussy at the same time as her.  She won't take a pacifier, but both the boys would- I guess Joe didn't take one til after 1 month either.
When I took her at 2 weeks to the doctor, he told me she was not gaining weight & I needed to supplement her with formula after breastfeeding.  Thats when the real fussiness began.  We tried switching her to soy & no dairy in the breast milk to see if that helped, but it seems like it made things worse.  The crying was getting pretty hard to deal with. We finally tried the formula only, without breast milk, for colic babies- the most expensive kind, or course.  She seemed to do well with just that formula, so I tried it with breast milk & it was just like before, constant crying!! I remember one night she cried for 4 hours straight- hysterical!  Who would have thought that my milk was the real problem. Since she has been on just the formula only the past 2 days, its like having a completely different baby.  She is actually happy!  She will sit in your arms, or lay on her boppy, content to just be. 
But there is that whole problem of me wishing I could nurse my child, but not being able to.  It hasn't been an easy process for me.  Shouldn't I be able to feed my baby?  I go back & forth , thinking, I'm sure she'll be ok if she has breastmilk too.  But the difference we've seen is too obvious.  She is sensitive to something I've got & I'm not sure I can handle the crying long enough to figure out exactly what it is!  My poor baby- she slept almost 8 hours straight last night because her poor little tummy was finally happy enough to let her relax.  For now, her tummy is the happiest with very expensive formula, & no breastmilk, & I have to be ok with that.
We are lucky that the crying hasn't been totally constant through the last month.  She does pretty decent 1/2 the nights & there were a few times that she was still & I could snuggle up with her & soak in her beautiful, innocent & pure face.  She has smiled alot already &even laughed out loud a couple of times.  The boys want to touch her constantly & it's been difficult because when she finally settles down & stops crying, I don't want anyone touching her & disturbing her back into tears.  Sam calls her cutie & they both talk in these high, baby voices when they try to talk to her. 
I'm definitely looking forward to the next month of her life when I won't have to walk around with her as much & she will actually cuddle with me & not cry.  I do have to say that I'm thankful for sisters & a mother that have my best interest truly at heart & have held her & rocked her for me when I felt like the crying was too much.  I'm grateful for a loving mother that lets me come "visit" her just so I can have a second of peace & someone telling me it will all work out ok.  Today I had this vision of me & Seneca when she grows up & has her own baby & comes to visit me so I will hold her baby & tell her that everything will be ok while I give her a break. 
This past month has once again made me appreciate my mom & dad, who I know spent hour after hour feeding, caring for, bathing, wiping up tears, or throw up, & comforting me & my sibling.  I have been truly blessed in my life. 
& I really can't wait for our family to continue to grow- to see all our firsts with this amazing, beautiful little angel that our Father sent to us :)

Seneca Marie

Well, now that it has been over 2 weeks since our little girly came to join us, I guess I should write down some details! It was Tuesday morning, May 21, a little before 5am when I started having contractions.  I wasn't too concerned because I had been having contractions on & off for over 2 weeks- & some of those times they had been pretty intense.  So, I decided that I was going to try to wait 2 hours, at least, of having contractions before we went into the hospital.  I downloaded an app on my phone that times your contractions for you, so I was using that to help me watch the contractions.  They stayed every 3-6 minutes & continued to get more & more intense, so close to 6am, we called Sean's mom to come be at the house with the boys so we could go to the hospital, cause I didn't want to have to deal with the pain longer than I had to!
Once she got to the house, we took off-in rush hour traffic, mind you- to the hospital. We got on the 60 (big mistake) & through my contractions, I told Sean to get off of the freeway & take Baseline because Southern was under construction.  Ridiculous!
We got to the hospital around 6:30-7ish, I don't really remember.  But, Sean dropped me off so I could go get checked in while he parked the car.  I had to fill a little piece of paper out while I was breathing through a contraction.  With both Sam  & Joe I was induced, so this is the first time I actually went into labor myself- an experience I don't really think I care if I experience again!
They put me in a room in triage & the nurse came in & checked me & got more information. I was 7cm dilated & so they just wheeled the whole bed into labor & delivery so that I wouldn't deliver in triage.  I had already expressed my wishes for an epidural- as fast as they could get it!!  So there were several nurses getting things ready, calling the dr, starting an iv, getting info, etc.  The anesthesiologist came pretty quickly & did an awesome job!  & pretty soon I was feeling nice & fine :)
Sean had called my parents & my mom got there when they were giving me the epidural.  After that, the contractions slowed a bit.  My doctor- Dr. Hollar- got there in plenty of time.  I was dilated to 9cm, so she broke my water to get things going.  I had already started pushing when a nurse came to tell the Dr. that another pt was further along, ready to go & it was her first baby & she was also premature. I told the Dr. I didn't mind if she went & delivered the other baby first.  So we just sat & relaxed for about a half hour or so.  I was drifting in & out of sleep, listening to my mom  & Sean talk about politics.  I hadn't really slept in days because I had been so uncomfortable, & had been having sporadic spurts of contractions, so I was exhausted!!
Dr. Hollar came back in & we started pushing again.  We pushed for probably an hour total- which was kind of a lot, considering that Joe came in 3 pushes.  But- she was finally here!  10:12 am. She-was-PERFECT!  Everyone immediately commented on how big she was.  They let me hold her right away.  It only took here a minute before she opened her eyes & just stared around the room taking it all in.  She was so alert, right from the start!  She heard Sean talking, & started looking around for him.  It's so unreal to be holding a little baby that was just inside of you & realizing that this is all really happening!
So they took her away to get weighed & measured & clean her up.

 Thats right!  She weighted 8lbs 11oz, & was 20 1/4 inches long.  We were all pretty surprised at how big she was!  I definitely didn't expect her to be 8lbs, let alone closer to 9!

 She got her first photo shoot just a couple minutes after birth :) 
Mommy bonding time...

 Daddy too!

 Dr. Hollar

 Nurse Paula & Grandma helped us get her here!

 Grandma & Grandpa pics..

 Sumo wrestler pose

 After a couple of hours, Sean left to go be with the boys, & they got me up & moving so I could go up to my postpartum room.  I was in 232C, which was right on the edge of the rooms.  That meant it was twice the size of most of their rooms, but also that I was right on the other side of the wall from the construction that was going on in the daytime.  Not too big of a deal, cause I dint' really sleep in the daytime.
Sean & the boys came about 5ish to see their new sister.

 Grandma Shannon also came to meet her at the same time.  Everyone was in love with her!!! & We decided her name would be Seneca, but we didn't agree on her middle name- Marie, until the next day.

 Seneca started to cry when Sean came near her & Joe said " Dad.. the baby doesn't like you!".  We all had a good laugh at that.
The boys were in LOVE with her from the very start!

 We stayed that night & the next day.  I figured it would be nice to get a couple of nights of someone else (the awesome nurses) helping me get some kind of sleep before we braved it all on our own.
So the 23rd, in the morning, Sean & the boys came to help us home.  I put her cute little outfit on her that Sean had given me at Christmas time, but she just kicked off her booties & she cried til we took the little hat off... strong willed from the start!

 She didn't waste any time getting to snuggle with Daddy.  Sean is in LOVE with this little girl!!

He loves to have her on his chest.
So there it is. Seneca Marie Johnson joined us on May 21, 2013 at 10:12am.
She is one strong little girl!  She tries to hold her head up  & has from the very beginning.  She loves to sit up & look around.  I can tell she can't wait to make use of her legs & her body to move around!
Sean & I always agree that every time we have brought a baby home, the spirit in our home is changed from the second they come in the door, & it was no different this time.  Our "normal" has changed & we couldn't be more happy :)