A "Big Kid" Bed...

Yep, that's right folks.

Jeremy and I have finally made the transition...

We sold our full size mattress and upgraded to a luxurious QUEEN size mattress.

And we couldn't be happier!

We are practically giddy.

Our old mattress was TERRIBLE. It was the LOUDEST, squeakiest, most obnoxious bed on the planet. We couldn't even roll over in our sleep in the middle of the night for fear of waking the neighbors with the sound of our CREAKY mattress. When Isaac was a new baby and having a hard time sleeping - we used to "practice" getting into bed to see which method was the "quietest". As ridiculous as it is - we discovered that since Jeremy slept in the corner of the bed that was up against the wall - that if he climbed along the windowsill and then let himself fall directly onto the bed all at once (instead of just climbing onto the bed like a normal human being) then it was actually quieter. I am laughing as I write this - because it's hilarious, but true. Anyway, even now we both still have an aversion to sitting on our bed when Isaac is asleep - for fear of waking him up (and this is a child who sleeps through a LOT at this point in his life). So last week - after trying to carefully climb into bed so as to avoid the springs (that you could feel through the mattress) that are the squeakiest and then lying PERFECTLY still so that the bed wouldn't wake up our son - I said "That's it! I'm done! We're buying a new mattress!" And the rest, my friends, is history...

We've had the new bed for one full night and a lovely Sunday nap - it's HEAVEN.

We still find ourselves avoiding sitting on the bed or even touching the bed when Isaac is asleep out of habit - but I am sure that time will help us overcome our bed-aversion/phobia. :)

Well, we're looking forward to many happy nights of sleep (and hopefully lots of yummy naps) in our new spacious, comfortable, and quiet QUEEN mattress.

The Chronicles of Pregnancy

Here's Jeremy's "almost" 23 week belly shot...

And here's my "almost" 23 week belly shot.

For the record:
My goodness - I feel HUGE already! But I am actually just grateful to be moving out of the "chubby" looking pregnant stage and into the "oh - she's pregnant" looking pregnant stage. I feel like this last week I really "popped" out and I also have recently made the official mental change to wearing maternity pants - and that feels very nice actually.

Since about 15 weeks along I have been feeling MUCH better. But this pregnancy is still very different than my pregnancy with Isaac. I still struggle with nausea at times. When I wake up in the morning I have to eat something right away - and if I go more than 2 hours without eating at any point during the day - I also still start to get nauseous. So... I just carry snacks with me all the time and try to stay nice and hydrated. :)

Also - similar to my pregnancy with Isaac - fruits and vegetable RARELY sound appealing to me (which is very out of character for me) and I can barely tolerate eating (and ESPECIALLY cooking) anything with chicken in it. Crazy - I know. So - I live on starches, ground beef based meals, cheese and desserts. Awesome diet - I know (good thing I started running again). By the way, whenever fruits and vegetables sound or look even remotely tolerable - I try to fill up on them!

I felt our baby girl move for the first time "officially" (aka I was SURE it was her) on the night of August 17th - which was just shy of 17 weeks (this was a little later than I felt Isaac move - which was at 16 weeks - so I had been a little concerned). Anyway, at this point she is a kicker and a mover - or at least more so than Isaac was. She isn't crazy active - but I do feel her move throughout the day (and night) - and that is reassuring. Jeremy got to feel her move for the first time around 21 weeks (it was 22 weeks with Isaac).

I was told in an early ultrasound that I had complete placenta previa - and I was put on several restrictions. That lasted from 12-17 weeks... when I switched doctors (from AZ back to my favorite UT doctor) - and he took me off the restrictions. Then when I went in for my 21 week ultrasound - it turns out that the uterus growth had moved the placenta up and out of the way of the cervix (as is true 90% of the time according to what I have read and researched) - meaning that the placenta previa is completely resolved. Yay! That leaves us in the clear for now - with a nice normal complication - free pregnancy. We couldn't be more grateful for this miracle pregnancy - and a healthy baby girl and a healthy mom!!!!

The Zoo

On Wednesday September 23rd Isaac and I went on a fun-filled excursion up to Utah's Hogle Zoo. We met up with our friend Amy and her son Aaron, and spent the morning checking out the animals.

Isaac loved it! He is obsessed with animals in books right now and loves seeing dogs, cats, ducks, etc... so I was sure that he would enjoy the zoo experience. This is the look that was on Isaac's face pretty much the WHOLE time we were at the zoo.
It's his "intently interested, checking everything out, and absorbing everything he sees" look. He did smile a few times. :) But mostly - this was his expression. He has this look permanently plastered to his face any time we go somewhere THIS cool where there is SO much to see. Funny boy! I promise he really is happy and excited to be there - this is just how he shows it. :)

First stop was checking out the elephants. There was a mom elephant AND a new baby elephant! Isaac was completely intrigued. We got to watch the baby elephant playing with a ball. That was definitely a highlight for him. I taught him the sign for "elephant" and made the noise of an elephant (or at least my attempt at the elephant "sound") while we were watching them and he picked up on it right away. Now he signs and makes the elephant sound at pictures in his books at home. So cute!

Isaac has been signing a LOT lately. So at the zoo - he was trying his hardest to sign to me and identify the animals when he saw them. I was showing him the signs for the new zoo animals the whole time - but for the most part he just wasn't familiar enough to use those signs yet. So here's Isaac's identification system... he signed "dog" for all of the big animals (zebra, bear, giraffe, etc...). He signed "cat" for the furry looking animals (monkey, leopard, lion). And he signed "bird" or made a quacking sound (to identify it as a duck) for the penguins, turkeys, peacock, swan, etc... Hey - I figured he was giving it a good shot. :)

Here we are admiring the giraffes. Check out Isaac's thrilled expression on his face. Really, I just had a hard time getting him to look at the camera - instead of at the giraffes - so I am sure he is just thinking "can we get this over with Mom". :) There was a cute baby giraffe as well - but we didn't get a picture of that.

Anyway, most of the animals were pretty "chill" at the zoo. But this leopard was pacing back and forth RIGHT in front of the viewing area.

I held Isaac right up to the glass so that he could see - and he stayed right there so close. I was impressed that he wasn't scared. He was just watching the leopard pace back and forth. When the leopard was RIGHT in front of him then I would feel him kind of lean his body back closer to me - but then as soon as it passed he would lean forward again to keep watching the leopard pace. What a brave, curious, interested little boy I have!

It was such a fun morning! I was so grateful to be able to watch Isaac enjoying his first zoo experience. We also had a blast with our friends. Aaron and Isaac had a good time checking out the animals, strolling around, poking at each other, and trying to take each other's crackers. Amy and I had a great time watching the boys enjoy themselves and talking about every subject imaginable. Isaac and I were so glad that they invited us to join them! It was a fun, special morning and well worth the drive.

Back in the saddle again

So - if you remember - back in May I raced in my FIRST triathlon. And then I got sick... and found out that I was pregnant (yay!)... and got put on some restrictions due to minor complications.. and then... 4 months later... I am finally feeling better and I got the go ahead to resume exercise. I was excited and then - I felt a little nervous about it.

I hadn't done anything remotely close to exercising in MONTHS - 4 months to be exact. I was worried that it would be painful to start back up with running again. So - I procrastinated for a couple of weeks - until this Wednesday when I noticed myself getting WINDED pushing Isaac's stroller up a SMALL hill - talk about EMBARRASSING! I decided that I had to start exercising again now - or I never would - and then after I had baby girl and started exercising again in March 2010 - I would be in even WORSE shape. So I talked to my friend about my resolution - and she motivated me even further. She said, "If you go running 2 miles tonight - I will be so proud of you that I will throw you a party tomorrow."

And that my friends did it. Thank goodness for a good friend.
And the motivation that comes from a few balloons and a Breyer's Reese's Peanut Butter Cup ice cream celebration. :)

Now - a whole DAY later - I have gone running a whopping two days in a row! But I am excited to continue. It feels great! And it is so much easier to run for 20-30 minutes than to feel guilty about not running ALL day long. Two of my lovely pregnant friends are now becoming my running buddies - okay, let's be honest - it's more of a slow jog - but it is better than nothing!

Caught Wet Handed

So this morning Jeremy and I caught Isaac...

...just as he finished "cleaning" the toilet.
Check out this guilty smirk.

And this proud grin!

What a great reminder to keep that bathroom door CLOSED.

Have you ever...

driven your car to school in the morning - and then (out of habit) walked home in the evening...

only to realize upon arrival that your car is still parked exactly where you left it in the morning - at school??

Just curious.

We never have either.

That would be silly.

And maybe even embarrassing.

Especially if it happened more than once.

One of his favorite things

Isaac LOVES his "drawer" in the kitchen. When we moved in I threw all of "his" tupperware and little bowls and baby forks into the bottom drawer - figuring that if he got into it - then it wasn't that big of a deal. By the way - check out Isaac's face in this next picture. It's a classic around our house - it cracks us up. It's a "grimace" grin that he uses when he is trying really hard to fit something into somewhere or pull something apart. It can be MUCH more extreme than this example - but I was just happy to catch a piece of it on camera. Hilarious.

Little did I know that he would not only find it and get into it (several times each day) - but that he would LOVE it! He spends considerable amounts of time stacking and restacking the containers - fitting the lids on and off - putting other toys in the drawer - opening and closing the drawer.
He likes it - I like it - everybody's happy!

It's fun to find him playing on his own - or to hang out in the kitchen with him.

He sure is a fun kiddo!

He skipped ahead...

So - Isaac is going to Nursery in our ward now

and THIS is how excited we ALL are about it...

We've been VERY blessed - Isaac got to start attending nursery in our ward on September 6th - at just 14 months old! Yay!

Here's what I wrote after church that day, "Well, today more than ever before - I believe that nursery is an inspired program in the church. Today was Isaac's first day of Nursery! In our VERY small married BYU ward - there is only one little girl in nursery - so the Bishop asked us if we would be willing to have Isaac go into nursery early (since he is the next oldest child in the ward). After all, there are 4-6 adults assigned to be in nursery each week - they need someone to play with. So... today (at 14 months) we took Isaac to nursery for the first time. He crawled right over to the toys - smiled and began to play ball. He didn't even look back at us. We left within one or two minutes - and we came back at the end of church to a great report. He hadn't cried at all! He had just played and laughed and eaten his snack and folded his arms. Jeremy and I peeked in through the peep hole in the door a couple of times during church to check on him - and he was SO cute in there having a great time.
At one point the nursery leaders had him seated at this kiddie table, feeding him a snack and teaching him a short lesson about Jesus. I happened to look through the peep hole at just that moment - and my heart completely melted! What a tender memory! He was just sitting quietly and learning about the gospel. He looked so big and grown up! Well, he loved all of the toys and the attention.

Jeremy and I BOTH got to sit still in Sunday School and attend Priesthood/Relief Society. It was so nice and peaceful and like HEAVEN. Instead of church being stressful - it was so relaxing! Instead of chasing Isaac through the halls and feeling like a human jungle gym as he climbed all over us in our seats - we had actually had the chance to listen to the lessons and be INSPIRED by them! As we walked out of church I asked Jeremy how he had enjoyed the church meetings - his response, "I felt the spirit. I think I might have even had an impression. Weird." We laughed.

Nursery is definitely an inspired program! :) We can't wait for next week."

Happy Birthday Uncle Troy!

Jeremy's brother, Troy, lives near us - so we are always happy to get to spend time with him. He is so much fun - Isaac LOVES having him around. :)

This week he celebrated his 25th birthday - and we commemorated the event with this memorable cupcake.
Yum. Strawberry with vanilla frosting and ALL 25 CANDLES! They barely fit. Next year we will definitely have to upgrade to a full size cake.

Jeremy carefully lighting our fire hazard.

Happy Birthday Troy!

Dirty Diaper Duty

So... dirty diaper duty. It's a coveted job in our house. Jeremy is sincerely disappointed if I do it. Isaac looks forward to it - and even talks about it. It's what we do for fun. We know - we're weird.

Anyway, at our house wet diapers go in the diaper pail - but dirty diapers get escorted directly to the dumperster. And the more "ammunition" Isaac provides each day - the better. :) Because like any good Johnston family task - the chore has been turned into a game - even an art form.

The dirty diapers are thrown into the dumpster. Sounds simple enough. But we currently have contests going for distance, style, backwards shots, and more...

Here's Jeremy - stretching before his first shot of the night.

Thanking Isaac for the "goods".
And the toss... check out that distance...

He got some great height on that one!

Isaac watches with a look of complete adoration. In fact, every time we cross the parking lot and see the dumpster - Isaac sits up straight in the stroller and moves his arm in a "throwing" motion and says "throw." When he sees a diaper at home - he crawls up to it and tries to pick it up, saying "throw". And he even crawls to the door throughout the day and asks to go "throw". And of course he always cheers and claps when Jeremy makes the shot. He loves it!

Gearing up for the complex backwards shot. Ready...

Aim...

FIRE.

Jeremy can't wait until baby girl is born. He knows that another baby means - more ammunition. :)

Utah August Adventures

We have been LOVING the Utah summer weather and have been trying to enjoy every minute of it! Here's some of the fun stuff that we have been doing..

Jeremy and I (per tradition) went to a musical at the Scera Outdoor Theatre in Orem. They were putting on a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (which I had never seen performed). It was so romantic and relaxing to lie on a blanket on the grassy hill of the outdoor theater, snuggle up under a blanket, share a churro, and enjoy the show. Jeremy took me to see the Secret Garden at this theater on one of our first dates - and we loved it so much that we have tried to go at least once every summer since - we were so happy to make it back to Utah in time for the night of their final show. (p.s. thank you Michael and Melanie for babysitting!)

We also went to the Annual Cougar Kick-off to celebrate the upcoming Cougar Football season. We love BYU football! I have been trying to teach Isaac (and Jeremy) the words to the BYU fight song. I'm sure by the end of the season Isaac will have the "ra-ra-ra" part down. :)
He loved the event so much that we couldn't get him to look at us. Oh well... what a cute profile.
We have been picnicking and enjoying the many parks in the area. Isaac loves being outside, watching people, swinging in baby swings and going down the slides at the playground with us. So he is pretty much thrilled with life in general whenever we go to the park. Here we are after a picnic at the "Duck Pond" just south of BYU campus.

And my brother Michael and his girlfriend Melanie joined us. We enjoyed a gourmet meal - ham sandwiches, chips, and carrots - and just relaxed.

Then we went to see the ducks. Isaac LOVES the ducks. He "quacks" whenever he sees them and sits up in his stroller and points at them. At home he will be turning the pages of a board book and all of a sudden start "quacking" and pointing - and sure enough! - there he is looking at a page about ducks. :) What a smartie pants.

Here's a mother duck and her babies... Isaac is pointing them out to his Uncle Mike.

After our picnic that evening we headed up to play a round of miniature golf at Cascade Golf Course's Natural Turf 18 hole course. Essentially it is just like putting on the green for 18 holes. It is so relaxing and fun. We were the only ones there - so we took off our shoes and walked in the grass.

Jeremy and Melanie won... I guess the Niland jeans need some help in the golfing department. But we had a blast!

Other than that, we have also been going on lots of walks as a family, watching movies, and practicing "walking". Isaac will take a few steps at a time walking between Jeremy and I when we encourage him - he's getting better at it so quickly. Anyway, last weekend we went out for some Saturday afternoon family fun - and I forgot my camera - but I don't want to forget the memories...

When Jeremy got home from studying, we packed up and headed out to eat. We ALL love eating at restaurants. We shared a yummy dinner at Magleby's Fresh and then headed up the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls.

We walked on the path to see the falls. Isaac loved it! We let him walk around in the cool stream at the bottom of the waterfall, and he picked up little rocks and threw them back into the water. We walked over a bridge and watched the water flowing down Provo River. Then we found a spot of grass and settled down to play frisbee and woofle ball. Jeremy helped Isaac hold the bat - and I pitched. Isaac LOVED it! For him it was just another new spin on his favorite activity - playing with a "ball". He also tried to throw the frisbee. We'll keep working on that one. :) Then Jeremy and I laid down next to each other on the picnic blanket - and Isaac was sitting up beside us playing with the ball and a few other toys. But he looks over at us and sees us lying there together - and his face just lit up!!!! We smiled, made space for a spot between us - and invited him to come join us. He hurriedly crawled over, and nuzzled himself in between us (while sitting up), and then he leaned back as far as he could and tilted his head back - trying to "lie down". We helped him. :) And then he laid there between us and kind of snuggled into his spot giggling. And then came the magical moment...

We all laid on the picnic blanket on the beautiful grass in this pretty park up in the canyon - and watched the leaves on the tree sway in the breeze and pointed at the clouds and watched them move across the sky. We cuddled together and all kissed and loved on each other. And we were content.

Life has been so very good to us. I love beautiful moments and warm memories.