More Details on Baby Number 4!

Jeremy and I have loved (just about everything about) having our kids close together.  We love that they get to play together and that they get to grow up together.  It isn't always the easiest (or most restful) from the parents' standpoint - but we have decided that it is worth it to us.  So it was a unified and prayerful decision to move forward with our family and go for baby #4!!

On May 24th I started feeling woozy and just yucky.  Nothing sounded good to eat - I even took a nap! (I rarely do that unless I am sick or pregnant).  So I took a pregnancy test... and it was negative.  So we figured I was just under the weather.  But the 25th and 26th I still continued to just feel blah and yucky... and it was a nausea that I recognized - one that was oh so familiar, so I had my suspicions.  By Monday night the 27th I decided to take another pregnancy test.  And this time... lo and behold... IT WAS POSITIVE!!!!!!!!!  I saw the test result alone, and I was just stunned.  It was surreal.  Really?  Another baby???  I immediately dropped to my knees and prayed in gratitude.  Thankful for the gift of life.  And praying for strength, since I knew what was ahead.  Then I walked out of the bathroom and looked at Jeremy, who was sitting on the bed.  He immediately knew.  "It's positive.  We're going to have another baby!  Alright!"

We sat and talked about it there on the bed together for a moment.  Talked about how our whole life and our whole future just changed in an instant.  Talked about how excited we are, how this is what we want.  Talked about how nervous we were for the hard months ahead.  Talked about how surreal it always is...   And then we went out to the kitchen and opened some sparkling cider and celebrated in style!!!

Yay for Baby #4 and all that lies ahead!!!!

 

We have always told our families the news of a pregnancy right away... but we decided (mostly me) that we wanted to try keeping it a secret for a little while this time.  And it was fun having our own little secret... but the joke was on me - it didn't last long.  I got SICK and it seemed like it was getting pretty obvious.  So we went ahead and told our family.  Of course, everyone was very excited for us!  We waited to tell the kids until I was 13 1/2 weeks.  Luckily they are young and hadn't thought twice about the fact that mom had been "sick" every day for 9 weeks already.  :)

Here's a photo of when I first felt like I was starting to show - 12 weeks.

Here's the night that we told the kids that we were expecting - I was 13 1/2 weeks.  The kids are SOOO excited!  They talked about the baby all day! In the afternoon they decided they needed to name the baby - on the list so far they have China, Jesus, plunipserious, Star Wars, Lunette, and Himher (since we don't know if it is a boy or girl yet). Pure awesomeness.

This pregnancy has already been hard.  It's tough to be pregnant AND take care of 3 young children.  And I have been VERY sick.  It feels like I have been sicker than usual this time (but that is always hard to know).  Weeks 6-12 were particularly brutal.  During just one of those weeks I lost 8 lbs.  There were days and days of not being able to eat anything but half a slice of bread and a half cup of rice - and water was disgustingly nauseating to me, so staying hydrated was miserable.  I learned that I could better tolerate glacier freeze gatorade and water with fresh lemons in it (which I usually don't prefer).  Everything smelt terrible!!!  I couldn't face opening the fridge or pantry for weeks.  I would lock myself in my bedroom at night when Jeremy came home and fed the kids dinner - because I couldn't stand the smell of anything!  I laid in bed a lot.  I would cry and just lay next to the toilet in the bathroom.... so sick.  I remember driving down the road to go somewhere and pulling over - crying and leaning out of the car to throw up.  No fun.  No fun at all.  

Jeremy has really stepped up a TON and helped me survive.  He lets me sleep in every morning, he comes home and feeds the kids during lunch, he comes home in the evening and does dinner and gets the kids to bed.  Seriously - he's SUPER DAD.  And he does whatever he can to help get me to eat and stay hydrated.  So grateful for him.  I don't know what we would have done without his new job - with flexible hours and a short commute that makes it possible for him to be home at lunch.  We are truly blessed!!! 

BUT - even though it has been so hard (and I wondered why in the world it has to be so darn hard!!!) - never for a moment have I regretted our decision to add another baby to our family.  We WANT this baby.   We are excited to add another child to our little family - another brother or sister.  It's a joyous challenge to be sick and pregnant.  And for that I am truly grateful.

WE'RE PREGNANT!!!

We couldn't keep it a secret any longer...

we're starting to "show".

Johnston Baby #4 coming to join this crazy clan January 2014!!  

** This is the saying and photos that we used to share our exciting news with the world - via facebook, of course. **

Announcement Time!!!!

 That's right....  

WE ARE PREGNANT!!!!!

Johnston Baby #4 is due to arrive at the end of January and we are all SOOOO excited!

Here's how we told the kids.  After lunch one day we told the kids that we had a special treat for them.  Then we pulled this out and put it on the table in front of them.

It took just a second for Isaac to read the message aloud.  Then he looked at us like "Is this for real?" and we explained that indeed there was a baby growing in mommy's tummy and we were going to have another baby come to our family.  The kids were immediately SOOOOO excited!!!!! 

Except for Caleb who couldn't understand for the life of him why we wouldn't just give him a piece of the "COOKIE!!!!".

I have been really sick and it hasn't been easy... but we truly are SO grateful to be expecting our 4th baby and so excited to welcome a new baby to our crazy little clan.

July according to Jeremy's Phone

Just a few fun moments that Jeremy captured on his phone this month.

Caleb at the restroom in the library.  

Jeremy's comment when he saw this seat -  "We need one of these in every room of our house!"

On one of my runs a bug literally flew into my eye and got stuck.  My eye swelled up and was a problem for a day or 2 before (having tried everything!) finally getting it out.  Yuck!

Yum.  Fruit pizza!

A rainy Saturday family outing to Cabela's, Nebraska Furniture Mart, and the Grove (indoor play area at Zona Rosa).  Free.  Lots to see.  And good times. :)

Random quotes from Elise.  All on one Sunday no less. :)

After the opening hymn at church she said, "Next time, let's sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star."

I curled my hair in the morning. Her response, "Mom, your hair looks fun! Like slides!"

Then after church I asked Elise to go to her room and put on something comfortable - she came out in a nightgown with snow pants on top. Pure Awesomeness!

Jeremy and I were able to help out with a community effort to search for a missing young father.  I helped provide babysitting and Jeremy got to actually go out and search.  It was a sad time for our community, but also a time that really bonded us together.  We were proud of our community - it was refreshing to see so many people reaching out to try to help in any way possible.  We are grateful to live in such a responsive, compassionate, giving community.

Caleb at the library.

Just another Saturday morning with Dad at the park.  Our kids are such early risers that they apparently get the park to themselves.

And a trip to McDonald's - another favorite activity with Dad.

Caleb helping Dad in Primary.  The star Primary Chorister assistant!

Summer Camp!!

This year a couple of friends and I decided to do a DIY summer camp.  And I am SO glad we did!  It was a BLAST.  We chose art as our theme and dubbed the camp "Mini Masters Art Summer Camp".

Summer Camp week started with a Kick-off event the Saturday beforehand!  We all went to a big "extra fun" pool with the dads and had a great time!  We enjoyed the water playground, lazy river, slides, whirlpool, diving board, and zero entry play area.  Everything was a big hit.  It was essentially a water park for my kids. When we were tired of swimming we ordered pizza to be delivered to the pool and had a fun family picnic - oh and we taught the kids our summer camp "cheer" to get them excited.

"Hey all you summer camp fans - let me see you clap your hands!

Now that you've got the beat - let me see you stomp your feet!

Now that you're in the groove - let me see your body move!"

Day 1:  Monday morning I hosted.  We had a mini lesson about Abstract vs. Realism in art and focused on the artist Jackson Pollock.  Then we headed outside to do our art projects!  We did 3 projects, each  focusing on one of Pollock's techniques of splattering, dripping, and pouring paint. Good thing we were outside!

We used rubber bands to splatter paint.  We used spoons, straws, twigs, and paint brushes to drip paint on our papers that were below us on a tarp.  And we used cups to pour paint along the sides of a giant cardboard box.  Then we ended up all teaming up and working on painting the giant cardboard box inside and out.  When the other moms arrived we tie-dyed our official summer camp t-shirts, and then ate a fun picnic lunch.  Phew!  Busy morning!  But fun and a big success.  Luckily Michayla (our hired camp "counselor") was there to help me out and try to coral Caleb (my busiest component of the morning adventures!).

Monday evening we had another fun evening activity - swimming at the Walker's community pool and barbequing dinner.  Relaxing and easy.  And fun!  Perfect.

Day 2:  Tuesday morning the kids headed to Micah Stadler's house to learn all about pointillism (and a few other abstract methods).

Day 3:  Our first field trip!  We took all of the kids (in their summer camp shirts of course!) to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum in the Plaza area of downtown Kansas City.  I had never been before (but had always wanted to go!) and it was a GREAT experience.  Seriously, I did not think that 3 moms (and Michayla) and 10 kids could have that successful of an outing to an art museum.  But it was a hit!  Michelle Walker came prepared with a picture scavenger hunt that got the kids really involved.  And I was SO impressed with their behavior and cooperation.  Proud mommy moment.  After the art museum we headed to Chick-fila for lunch and some well deserved play time.

Day 4:  Thursday morning was spent learning about 3D art at Michelle Walker's home.  The kids made pinch pots, fun snack sculptures, and did several other projects.  Of course everyone's favorite part (every day!) was the free play time and picnic lunch at the end.

Day 5:  Our last day was spent doing another field trip.  We went to Kaleidoscope at the Crown Center.  The kids had all done it before - but it was still a BIG hit.  And it made for a great grand finale to a fun week.  After our session we had a picnic lunch and gave out "awards" and a treat specific to each camper.  Then we did our camp cheer one last time and that was the end of Summer Camp 2013.  :(

  To say that the kids enjoyed summer camp - would be a VAST understatement.  It was a great success!  But mostly because we were able to do it with such fun and wonderful friends as the Walker and Stadler families!  Yay for good friends, learning adventures, and wonderful summer memories!!