16 bit love

Long ago, in the beautiful kingdom of Provo . . .

2011-05-08T19:56:00.011-04:00

A while back, Adam got a bee in his bonnet about wanting to start a new blog. He had many reasons, some of which he could never quite put into words. Part of it was that he thought Tumblr was superior to Blogger. But a bigger part of it was that we'd just outgrown our old blog. 16 Bit Love? What does that mean anyway?

It all started when we were newlyweds and had so much free time on our hands, that we'd often sit down w/ Adam's old Super Nintendo and play our favorite SNES game, Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past. We also played a lot of Mario Kart. And let's not forget Tetris/Dr. Mario. When it came time to start a blog, we agonized over what to call it, how to brand it. Our homage to the pixilated days of yore was what we finally came up with.

But life has barreled on and these days we're lucky if we have two minutes together to eat, let alone play mindless video games. (Though Zelda is definitely a thinking man/woman's game.) Life is a whole new ball game for the Johnson family. And so we require a whole new blog. Or blogs. Adam will now have his own blog (soon to be launched) and you can find me and all the kiddos at www.3-ring-circus.tumblr.com.

And just for old times' sake, here is the intro to the legendary Legend of Zelda, the stuff of legends. Just the music makes me happy inside. Enjoy.

For (Grand)Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:33:00.003-04:00

With much love to my mother and my mother-in-law (who is like a second mother) without whom, I wouldn't have been able to raise three such beautiful, mobile babies.)

Seven Months

2011-04-04T20:45:00.005-04:00

Chillin with Daddy

Well I missed the six month mark so I'll just pretend I did seven on purpose. Lucky number seven, right? And we are lucky. Very lucky that these kids are getting easier and easier to take care of. Here are their stats from their check-up:

Charles: 17 lb 4 oz, 27 1/4 inches

Eddie: 16 lb 12 oz, 27 inches

Lucy: 17 lb 6 oz, 27 inches

That's right, Lucy has passed her brothers and is now the heavyweight. No surprise there, right?

Miss Piggy

The babies are sleeping through the night. (Insert screams of delight and sobs of joy) They are early risers, though. Sometimes I wake to hear Lucy talking to herself at 5:30 in the morning. If I can, I just roll over and go back to sleep. If she's too loud, I stuff a binky in her mouth and then go back to sleep. They're all sleeping in the master bedroom, and Adam and I have moved into Elizabeth's old room. They also each have their own crib. Well, technically speaking, Eddie is in a pack n' play, but don't tell him when he's older that he got the shaft as a baby. He was just already in one at the in-laws and didn't seem to mind the hard, cold, low . . . ah! The Guilt! Anyway, so yes they sleep around 11 hours and if they get up much before 7, which they do most days, we give them a bottle and try to convince them to go back to sleep.

Mommy's favorite time of the day!

Having them all in the other room does present it's own problems, however. It's great at night that we don't have to hear every little peep. But for naps, it can be pretty maddening. Lucy is the biggest trouble-maker. Without fail, she'll wake up one hour after she fell asleep and proceed to gibber gabber and do this really annoying droning thing until she's woken her brothers. For the nap all four take together after lunch, I've had to learn to time it juuuuuuust right so either all three babies are dead asleep by the time I take Elizabeth in, or put Elizabeth in early and make sure she's soundly sleeping before I put the babies to bed. Otherwise I find her standing in her crib, laughing and talking to Charlie and/or Lucy, who moments before were peacefully sleeping. Oh, and did I mention that Elizabeth figured out how to climb out of her crib? Yeah. Good times.

What I usually see when I peek in during their nap.

Look what I can do, Daddy!

I ♥ my jumparoo!

The babies are rolling all over the place and they all three are pushing up on their hands and knees and rocking. Lucy, the strongest, even goes so far as to push up on her feet, downward dog style. And just today I saw her army crawling to get at something. Probably somebody else's binky. She is the biggest bully. She'll roll on top of one of the boys and grab their binky right out of their mouths. Or I'll hear crying and come in to see her gleefully kicking her brother's face. And every time she has the sweetest, most innocent smile on her face.

Lucy's favorite victims, ready to hit the town.

The other big development is that they're eating solids now. It took them a while to warm up to it (and to not hate sitting for more than a minute in their bumbos) but now they go gangbusters. The only thing I can't figure out is how much formula to feed them and when. I know they say to give them solids before their bottles, but at 6 AM, it's not gonna happen. And for dinner, we're good about giving them solids first, but then they don't want much to do w/ their bottle, and will only take 5-6 oz where they used to take 8. And some days it's a fight just to get them to take that. So it's been a rocky transition as we've tried to figure things out. Just the logistics of feeding them all at the same time took a lot of thought. And spoon-feeding them is quite the workout, shoveling food into their mouths as fast as I can while keeping an eye on Elizabeth ("Don't take the sandwich apart!")

Please, Sir. We want some more.

All in all they're much happier, mellower babies than they were a few months ago. Does that make for a happier, mellower mother? I wish. My anger and depression has gotten worse. But I'm looking for help (both physically and mentally speaking) and hoping that will make a difference. In the meantime, Adam and Elizabeth put up with me as best they can and life just goes on.

Love this guy.

Worth the Wait

2011-03-20T20:35:00.007-04:00

Elizabeth, one month old. Nov 2008

Imagine the same bald pate for the next 19 months, Nov 2008 — May 2010

Then, finally, some hair. 20 months, June 2010

By her second birthday, a little more. Oct 2010.

And then a little more. Dec 2010

And then all of a sudden . . .

March 2010

This Is Just a Tribute

2011-03-02T14:23:00.010-05:00

This was how it all started. The babies' bout with bronchiolitis pushed me so close to the edge that I knew something had to change. The idea of staying with my in-laws had been raised before, but I'd always dismissed it because I didn't think they'd have room for all of us. I even started to check out rentals near their house, but the thought of doing it on my own, even with help nearby, was horrific. But one Sunday morning, the idea got into my head and I just couldn't get it out. I remember picturing myself there, in their house in Mexico, sitting at the table, playing games or talking, and just feeling safe. We called Adam's mom, got the big OK from her, prayed about it, and decided I would leave at the end of the week. In fact, I would say I was pretty much impelled by the Spirit to go. The message was loud and clear.

Baby Play Time!

Adam's family welcomed us with, literally, open arms, taking turns feeding, changing, rocking, and playing with the babies. They also pitched in with caring for Elizabeth. Every night, during the babies' fussiest time after their last nap and before their nighttime bottle, Adam's mom would get Elizabeth's dinner ready, while the girls and Jack would hold whiny babies. After Elizabeth was done eating, the babies would be fed, changed, put in pajamas, sung to and put off to bed, while I got Elizabeth in her pj's, teeth brushed and story read. We'd chat with Adam on the computer, sing primary songs, then wait while Elizabeth gave hugs, kisses, and ugahmugahs (eskimo kisses) to each person, one by one. Besides missing Daddy terribly, I think she was in heaven.

Grandma and Elizabeth

The true hero in all of this was Adam's mom, Margaret. She got up every stinking night to feed babies. Sometimes, I would feed the first, then go back up to my room (Did I say MY room? I mean HER room that she and Jack gave up all to me.) I would crash so hard, and she would be so quick to get the other two, that I wouldn't wake up again until the morning, feeling terribly guilty but oh so rested.

Being at Grandma's means having LOTS of treats :)

Having so many helping hands gave me a chance to not only rest, but also do a lot of reading (Hello, Hunger Games!), cook dinner, even go on dates with Adam, who would come up every other weekend on the bus. The most memorable date we got to go on was the Sweetheart Dance their stake had for Valentine's Day. We were one of just a handful of couples who hit the dance floor, but we didn't let that stop us from thoroughly enjoying ourselves. There even was a photographer there taking pictures of each couple in front of a red and pink backdrop. We wanted to do a crazy pose, but before we could try, the lady made Adam straddle a bench, put me in front of him, legs together and torso turned to the camera and Adam's arms around my waist. I felt like I was in a glamor shots by Deb shoot. So we just tried to look as awkward as we possibly could when she said, "Smile!" To my eternal dismay, we never got the picture back. They handed everyone else a picture. But not us. Maybe we should have taken it more seriously . . .

Grandpa and Charlie

While we were there, we made some discoveries:

Eddie sucks his thumb!

Elizabeth still fits in the kitchen sink!

I have the cutest babies ever! (Okay, so that one we already knew.)

It snows a whole lot in Central New York!

Really! A lot!

I'm not kidding. A LOT!

Oh, and apparently, Eddie is tasty.

The best part of the trip, for me, was spending so much time with my family. Any "in-law" barriers between Margaret and me were totally smashed to bits. (How much dignity can you preserve when it's after midnight and you toss a screaming baby at your MIL and shout "Take him before I kill him!"?) My sisters and I bonded over vampires (and their diaries) and teasing "Uncle Matt," and Jack and I watched way, WAY too many episodes of Hitchcock Presents. I won't lie and say it was all fun all the time; I missed Adam a lot and by the time it ended I was ready to be back in my own space. But I can never repay the gift the Giovo's gave me: SANITY!

Great-Grandma and Eddie

P.S. The best part of the trip, part 2? Getting the babies on a sleep schedule and only waking once at night. Thanks, Margaret!!

3(3)

2011-02-14T23:56:00.000-05:00

Name: Edward Thomas Johnson
Aliases: Eddie, Crazy Eddie, Eddie Spaghetti
Birth Order: Second
Hair Color: Light Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Feature/Talent: A cry that could pierce the toughest heart
Looks Like: ???
Mom Sings to Me: Baby of Mine
Named for/Inspired by: Edward just fit w/ the rest. Thomas for Uncle Tom and Thomas S. Monson, prophet of the LDS Church

I know this post has been a long time coming. But Eddie is . . . special. And deserved special attention. That, and I had to ask Adam to upload the pictures from home since I'm still up here in the Great White North.

What can I say about Eddie? He has been so, so challenging. He was the middle child, literally. He weighed the most at birth, but was also the weakest. I figure it's because he was so squished between the other two in utero, that he was able to pack on the pounds, but not get the exercise he needed. He was the baby I didn't hear cry when they pulled him from my belly. He was the only one who went to the NICU. I didn't even see this little guy for two whole days after he was born. His biggest challenge, once he learned to breathe on his own, was eating. Adam spent hour after hour in the NICU, trying to get him to eat just 20 milliters of formula. And I sat upstairs, pumping and pumping, trying (and failing) to get something for him to eat, cursing my body, the hospital staff, and everyone for keeping me from going to my baby.

Eddie in the NICU. I had to help Adam name him with only pictures like this to go off of.

When we brought the babies in for their first pediatric visit, he had lost the most weight and the doctor scared the bajeebees out of us, telling us I had to stop nursing him, and that we had to measure exactly how much he was eating and try to push him to eat more every day. We were measuring every stinking milliliter with this guy.

We started calling him Crazy Eddie early on, because he was so hard to deal with, especially to feed. I did skin-to-skin with him as often as I could because it seemed to help his appetite. But Adam had the magic touch when it came time to give him a bottle (of formula or my breast milk which finally, though briefly, showed up.) He was on Eddie duty for the first few weeks and I think it was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do. All of the babies were hard to feed at first, but Eddie was off the charts. We ended up having to swaddle him, lay him a certain way across our chest, and support him with our arms and legs in just the right position, while chanting the magic spell and doing the Mexican Hat Dance. Or something like that. It was, in a word, crazy.

But it wasn't all pain and nightmares and awfulness. He started smiling not long after Lucy and was the first to laugh. We found this out when his cousin was holding him on his belly, high above her head. It was music to my ears. He loves his binky but lately I've found him sucking his thumb in his sleep. He also loves to roll around, from front to back and back to front again. Sometimes I wonder if all the trouble he's given us hasn't made me love him all the more.

And to end on a happy note, he, like his siblings, are all easy to feed now. He eats his 8 oz bottles like it's no big deal, which means anyone can feed him! Hooray! But he wouldn't be Eddie if he didn't have his preferences. Low lights, no distracting noises, and if he takes his sweet time, gotta warm that bottle up again! The things I do for this kid! Good thing he's 100 % worth it.

December

2011-02-09T10:16:00.002-05:00

Yes, it's February. And yes, I'm just now blogging about December. I've got three good reasons, and they're all asleep in their cribs so I better get going...

December found us with our last, but not least, live-in helper, Hannah. She was a lifesaver. And I like to think she enjoyed staying with us, despite all the crying, feeding, burping, poopy diapers, sleep deprivation, etc etc etc.

Hannah and Elizabeth had way too much fun together.

She even got out to see some sights.

On the Brooklyn Promenade

Seeing Freelance Whales with Adam

Every year, at Christmastime, we go see the store windows on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. With Hannah's help, we felt brave enough to carry on the tradition . . . all seven of us!

Rockefeller Plaza

The trip to the city gave me an excuse to finally bring the babies by Adam's work. We caused quite the commotion, to say the least.

Milan, Adam's creative director/mentor, with Lucy, Charles, and Edward

Milan, Charlie, and Robin not knowing what to make of the firecracker that is Elizabeth

We had a lot of fun, but the outing wasn't without it's moments.

A few days later, we had to say goodbye to Aunt Hannah so she could go home for Christmas. But I can't say enough how incredibly grateful we are for all her help.

We spent Christmas upstate w/ Adam's family. His brother, Jason and his family made the drive all the way from Missouri to join us. It was a full house, but so much fun.

Christmas Morning

It was fun to watch Elizabeth start to figure out what Christmas is all about. Presents! (Just kidding.)

It was also awesome to see her bond with her uncle. These two were inseparable!

Hats knit by Aunt Sara

The Sunday after Christmas, Adam, Jason, Matt and Jack (Dad) blessed the babies. The blessings were beautiful and we were so happy to have all the Johnson/Giovo men together to do it.

Coming home was hard for me. I was going to be on my own for good, and I didn't know how I would do it. The babies were still difficult to feed (= can't prop bottles) and were waking up a lot during the night. Add to that our wonderful experience w/ RSV, bronchiolitis, and a stomach bug in the weeks following, and I was one sleepless night away from a nervous breakdown. That's how I ended up back here w/ the Giovo's in Mexico, NY. But the babies have gotten much better at eating and we're valiantly trying to get them on a good sleep schedule. We're hoping we can come home soon.

Overall, though, I have to say that it was a December to remember, that's for sure.

As Seen on Facebook

2011-01-23T09:41:00.000-05:00

I am desperately trying to figure out how to get the boys to sleep better at night. Thank you in advance for reading all of this and giving me your two cents.

The Situation: We feed the babies around 6 PM, put them down usually by 7 and then the night-long torture starts. Eddie and Charlie alternate waking up every few hours crying very hard. It usually starts around 10 PM. Then there is the inevitable midnight freak out. Eddie will often cry from 12 until I finally give in and feed him around 1. (More on that later.) Then they will sleep well for a few hours, but will wake up and cry around 3 or 4 or 5 and I'll put off feeding them until 6.

The Background: Ever since they were newborns, I have "shooshed" them back to sleep when they awoke. It was just easier to pat their backs, give them their binkies, and soothe them back to sleep. I think I never let them learn how to soothe themselves. Before Christmas, they were both sleeping (with shooshing) until around 2 AM, when we'd feed them, and then they'd sleep until around 7 AM. All that was ruined, I assume, by traveling and then their subsequent illness.

The Goal: To have them sleep soundly until their night feeding no sooner than 1 AM. (When they eat earlier than that, they inevitably want to eat again before 6 AM.) I'm trying to help this by also getting them on a regular nap schedule (morning nap around 9 AM, midday nap around 12 or 1, and late afternoon nap around 4 or 5.)

The Strategy: We've been trying to let them cry it out. We only give them their binkies, instead of the elaborate measures we used to take to soothe them back to sleep. We've been doing this for a week now and there hasn't been any progress. The boys still wake up a ton at night and, like I said, it's always around the same times. The night feeding is the worst b/c even though I haven't "reinforced" a midnight or earlier feeding, they still wake up screaming bloody murder every night at 12 and will cry inconsolably from a half hour to an hour until I finally give in. To complicate all this, Eddie can now flip himself over onto his back and break out of his swaddle, and Charlie may be teething. Oh, and they all have colds again. But they've been waking many times a night from the get-go, so I refuse to believe it will get better "when..."

So what on earth do I do? Do I resign myself to going back to two night feedings? Do I go back to feeding them at 10 before I go to bed? Do I keep letting them cry their brains out? For another week? Two? Is this just reflux acting up? Should I try switching formula?

I'm ready to kill someone for more than two hours of sleep together. Thanks for your help.

2(3)

2010-12-20T21:29:00.006-05:00

Name: Charles Adam Johnson
Aliases: Charlie, Charlie (UK), Chuck E Cheese, The Urinator
Birth Order: First
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Eye Color: Hazel
Outstanding Talent: Impersonating Arnold Schwarzenegger
Looks Like: Mommy, a Davis
Mom Sings to Me: Let's Hear it for the Boy
Named for/Inspired by: Adam's Grandpa, Luis Charles Bodigoi; Emily's Great-Grandpa, Thomas Charles Davis; and this Charlie

I don't know why, but I was worried about having boys. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to bond with them as easily, or love them as freely as I did Elizabeth. I was worried about all the nasty that comes with boys, from cradle through adolescence (and maybe goes away by the time they get off their mission. Maybe.) But all my doubts quickly disappeared the day Charlie was born, as I held him in my arms and fell madly in love. I looked over at my mom and asked how I could ever have thought I would have trouble loving my little boy.

From the get-go, Charlie has been the easiest baby. He was the best nurser. He consistently eats the best (though not the fastest.) He is being treated for reflux, but his is the mildest case by far. He sleeps the best. If I had three Charlies, life would be much easier (though not as interesting, of course.) But he also cries the loudest and often sounds, as his father always points out, like a certain governor of Austrian decent.

Charlie is also the most talkative. He will sit and coo at anything and everything with no prompting.

He was born with an awesomely full head of hair, but sadly it has been thinning. I hope he keeps his dark color, just like Daddy.

Some people say his nose is big. *coughAdamcough* I don't care. He's perfect.

This Is How We Roll

2010-12-18T13:30:00.002-05:00

Dear Diary

2010-12-13T19:46:00.005-05:00

I ran out of formula today. It was 10:30 AM, three and a half hours since the triplets' last feeding. I had been doing things that needed to be done since I got up at 7. But somehow the time had slipped by and there I was, half-dressed with wet hair and three time bombs about to go off. I made it back from the bodega that accepts WIC checks before anyone started to cry hysterically, but I still felt like the stronger word for poo. Leaving alone the fact that I could not feed my babies myself, (a pain I can no longer spare any energy on indulging) I couldn't believe that I had let something so important slip my mind. What have I come to?

Sunday was a black day. I was sitting in the corner of the Relief Society room, holding I don't even remember which baby. I think it was Lucy. I was trying to keep her asleep. My entire back felt twisted and weak, with hot, shooting pains radiating in and out of my left shoulder blade. I'd been feeling faint all day, as I was fasting with Adam for extra help with our marriage. Everything seemed a little off. The night before I'd been up multiple times, besides the feeding at 2 AM and consequently, I was dozing in Sunday School (holding a baby) when I'd been awakened by the change of class. Relief Society had started and there I was, listening to a lesson on the Sacrament, and everything all of a sudden became very surreal. There were my friends, sitting in the middle of the room with each other. There was my sister-in-law, texting and playing games on her iPod. There was the teacher, plugging away at the Gospel Principles book. Tears started to drop down my cheeks and my chest got tight.

I am not okay. I am NOT okay. I AM NOT OKAY!! I shouted in my mind. I kept looking around. Would anyone notice I was having a total meltdown over here? I almost started to laugh. Hey! Relief Society! I I need some relief! It was like I could see myself outside of me telling everyone, Stop the lesson! This is an emergency! The girl in the corner who looks like death warmed up needs help! But no one looked my way and I stayed silent. What would I say anyway? What would I want? To pass around a sign up sheet? Please put your name and phone number if you can rescue Emily from herself. We have a calendar marked with the days Emily needs help living her life. If you can live it for her, make a note at the bottom. Yes, we know you've helped her for months but she STILL needs help. *Frownsmile*

So I didn't say a word. The tears stopped. Lucy woke up. I smiled at my friends as class let out.

Bonus points if you get the MJ reference and can name the music video of the image above.

1(3)

2010-12-09T22:11:00.010-05:00

I felt bad about not putting more effort into my last post (or any at all.) This blog is the closest I come to journaling or scrapbooking or any kind of family history. So I thought I'd talk about the triplets, but one by one. They are, after all, individuals with very different personalities. So ladies first.

Name: Lucy Margaret Johnson
Aliases: Lu Lu, Lucy Lu
Birth Order: Third
Hair Color: Red
Eye Color: Blue
Distinguishing Feature: Huge Cheeks
Looks Like: Grandma Giovo, Daddy, Miss Piggy
Mom Sings to Me: Oh You Beautiful Doll, Honey Pie
Named for/Inspired by: Lucy Pevensie of the Chronicles of Narnia; Lucy Mack Smith

When I first met Lucy, she looked like this:

and all she looked like to me was one of those Russian dolls. Later, she looked like this:

and all I could think of was my mother in law. No offense to my MIL, but it was a little disconcerting to gaze into my daughter's face and see . . . not me. In all honesty, of all the three, it took the longest with her to feel like she really belonged to me. But then she started to smile, and I was melted butter in her chubby little hand.

Lucy smiles all the time. She coos and gurgles and will probably be the first to laugh. (She was the first to smile.) She's the fastest eater and therefore the one we give to helpers. She also eats the most consistently.

I love how chunky she is. Elizabeth was always on the skinny side and, despite my best efforts, never fulfilled my dreams of a big fat baby. Now I have more rolls and chins than I know what to do with.

Lucy is also the strongest. Though she's small, she's very solidly built. She can hold her head up and can already flip from her front to her back. She also stays happiest the longest during tummy time. She lies there with her hands in front of her, like a Sphinx coolly appraising her little brothers as they whimper and struggle. You can almost hear her. "Come on guys. It's not that hard."

So that's Lucy. Stay tuned for the boys.

Three Months

2010-12-04T14:05:00.004-05:00

They are still alive.

.

Happy Turkey

2010-11-30T20:15:00.007-05:00

Thanksgiving this year found us once again in Laurel, MD at my aunt and uncle's house. The drive down was a dream. No traffic and no crying. Woohoo!

As you can see, the triplets are getting big.

Elizabeth giving a sense of scale.

They were so big, in fact, that they couldn't sleep side by side in the portacrib.

It was wonderful to have so many helping hands.

Hannah, Adam's sister who is staying with us for a while, was gracious enough to come with us and help out. First and foremost amongst her duties was passing on her legendary Guitar Hero skills. It is the stuff of legend.

She also accompanied me on my first ever Black Friday Crack-o-Dawn Shopping Excursion. There were a few door busters I'd had my eye on and so, after the 3 AM feeding, we threw on some clothes and jumped in the van and made our way to Target. After scoring our new camera for half the price, we went to the nearby mega mall, Arundel Mills.

This place is a mile around and can be seen from space! Okay, so maybe not from space, but definitely from the secret spy cameras in the unmarked helicopters that fly over my uncle's work. (the NSA.) Here is photographic proof that this mall is a BEAST:

And Hannah and I tamed that beast. Oh yes we did. We didn't quit until 11 AM. That's seven straight hours of shopping. By the end of it, my feet were sore, my mind was numb, and I found myself wandering lost and alone in the back of an Old Navy carrying a blouse that I didn't even like to the dressing room. Time to go home. But the savings were insane. I bought stuff from stores I would never be able to afford otherwise. Like the super-cute shirt from Esprit that was originally $80 that I got for $14!!! I've decided the crowds are worth it and that from now on I will be doing ALL my clothes shopping on Black Friday.

Of course, no trip out of NYC would be complete w/out going to see the latest blockbuster. This time it was the much-anticipated Harry Potter 7.0

One word: AWESOME.

The weekend had to end sometime and Sunday found me pretty heavyhearted. Back to Brooklyn. Back to reality. The drive home was almost twice as long and full of babies crying inconsolably. But we made it home in one piece (except my sanity which has been spotty at best lately.) And that was our Thanksgiving! Who's ready for Christmas?

Did She Really Just Say That?

2010-11-22T20:49:00.008-05:00

"It's mine! I share with me."

"I need attention!"

An exchange:
"Who do you want to give you your bath? Mommy or Daddy?
Daddy!
Why not mommy?
You burn it!
I burn it?
Yeah. You burn the bath."

Another exchange:
"How was nursery?
Good.
What did you do?
I play, sing songs, eat fishes and crackers.
Who was there? Were your friends there?
Yeah! Garrett and Tommy and London and London was crying and Tommy was crying and . . .
Were you crying?
No. I'm happy."

As we are eating dinner, we hear Adam arriving home from work.
To me: "Daddy's home!"
Shouting over her shoulder: "Daddy! Wash your hands!!"
Ever since the Swine Flu scare, I'm always reminding him to wash his hands after he's ridden on the subway.

"Elizabeth," I say as I sit on the floor, "let's clean up these toys." I start to sing the clean-up song. "Okay," she says, climbing onto the couch. "I watch."

I'm having a rough day and I've burst into tears.
"Mommy! It's okay! Be happy!"

Elizabeth's Blessing of Dinner

2010-11-09T18:18:00.004-05:00

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for lunch.
Thank you for mac and cheese.
Thank you for [unintelligible.]
Please bink [?] Mommy and Daddy and Charles and Lucy and Charles . . .

[Mom whispers "and Eddie."]

And Eddie.

[With prompting] In Jesus name,

AMEN!!

Two Months

2010-11-03T13:56:00.006-04:00

Can you believe it?

So what have we been up to?

Some of this.

Eddie

Not enough of this.

Charles

And mostly feeling like doing this.

Lucy

We've had a lot of help.

Super Pumpa

Aunt Amy

The Beautiful Soletas

And sometimes it's just me.

We've even managed to get out of the house.

Aren't we the happy family? (Notice the babies are quiet.)

But don't let the smiles fool you. Most days end with us wanting to do this. Is she sleeping or screaming?

Megan, Adam's little sister. What a trooper!

The babies are all chunking up nicely, especially Lucy. They are still eating every three hours and they sleep a lot, though they tend to wake up during naps way too much. It can be rather maddening, playing the binky game.

Lucy has pretty bad reflux and is on a modified formula as well as medicine. And she recently developed thrush, which we're afraid she may have passed to Eddie. So the poor thing gets medicine four times a day. But they're all thriving and for that we're grateful. Charlie is the best eater and sleeper. Eddie is totally caught up with feedings and they all get 4 ounces each time. Best of all, we've started getting smiles out of Lucy and Charles. Since they're 8 1/2 weeks, I figure they're only a few weeks "behind." Tomorrow is their doctor appointment (shots!) so we'll post their stats later. Wish us luck!

Two Years Today

2010-10-19T22:52:00.003-04:00

Crazy about this kid.

One Month

2010-10-03T18:34:00.005-04:00

We survived. Barely.

The kids are getting along well.

Lucy is by far the chunkiest.

They're all still very sleepy.

Don't let this picture fool you. Most of the time she's pulling hair and grabbing noses. "HONK!"

People wonder how I have time to do anything on the internet. I must confess, it's kind of my drug—an escape I can take five minutes at a time. I should be napping. I should be cleaning. I should be pumping. But this is where I end up.

Our Little Helper

2010-09-25T14:22:00.001-04:00

Two Weeks

2010-09-20T17:33:00.004-04:00

C, E, and L

Hard to believe. It's been the longest two weeks of my life, that's for sure. Round the clock feedings, near-comatose preemies, and a very excited but very volatile big sister make for some crazy times. But our stress level was significantly reduced when we took them for their weight check on Friday and found out that they all have gained plenty of weight, even Eddie. The doctor says he's in the clear and, though we still feed him more frequently than the other two, he's progressing well and eating at least 2 oz each feeding. HUGE SIGH OF RELIEF!! Charlie is over 6 lbs in fact and he and Lucy have exceeded their birth weight.

Our good friend, M, came by one day to take Elizabeth with her and her son to the playground and brought this double-stroller, which she said she was throwing away. I quickly asked if we could have it and she graciously agreed. This is a picture of our first ever excursion. We walked around the block. It was liberating.

Super G-Ma. Adam and I left three sleeping babies for just 45 min and came back to this.

My mom left on Saturday. That was a very hard goodbye. Things have been up and down since. I felt pretty good over the weekend. We managed at night with just the two of us, mostly because Adam kindly fed two babies and I just nursed one. And we had a lot of help on Saturday. But this morning a heavy fog of depression seemed to settle down on me. It's lifted somewhat as the day has gone on, but it varies according to how well feeding, especially nursing, goes. This morning, I couldn't bring myself to face any of it. I had no patience for Elizabeth. I let Adam do everything. I just didn't care. It's hard to feel a deep, bonding love for three newborns at once. At least, it's been hard for me. I never feel like I'm giving enough, and yet I don't know how I can give more and stay alive. For the moment, at least, I'm stable. I hope it lasts.

Charlie, our first-born, was the first to loose his umbilical cord and therefore got to have his first bath. You can't tell by the picture but he liked it. He's a snuggler. He sleeps a lot better being held. But he's also a pain to change his diaper b/c he ALWAYS pees. This is a new thing for me, projectile urination. Lucy is easy-going. She sleeps well and eats well, from a bottle. But she spits up a ton so we put her to bed in her car seat. And Eddie is Eddie. He's just happy to be here. And he's eating more each day. They all are. They still take a lot of attention to feed and I'm just waiting for the day when I can pop a bottle in each mouth and they can do their thing. But until then, I better sign off and get some rest before the next one has to eat.

Sleepy Time

2010-09-09T15:55:00.003-04:00

Eddie, Charlie, and Lucy

Eddie somehow ended up in a pink blanket.

Birth story to follow. The whole hospital stay was kind of traumatic so I'm still processing. But we're home. They're healthy. Eddie of course needs all the attention still, and so is having a hard time eating enough. But we're working on it and trying to stay sane on the negligible sleep we're getting.

Meet Lucy, Edward, and Charles

2010-09-05T23:17:00.001-04:00

Final Thoughts

2010-09-02T12:11:00.003-04:00

My brain seems too scattered to organize my thoughts into something cohesive. So I apologize for the randomness of the following. But I just wanted to put down what I was thinking and feeling the day before the triplets are born.

What a strange thing to know when your child is going to be born. I can see why it would appeal to a certain personality. But I prefer the unknown of spontaneous labor, mostly b/c, as time passes, the number of days I have left have been inversely proportional to how many hours of sleep I get at night.

We still don't know what we're going to name them. We have a list we keep messing with, but we're waiting until we see them. I think, though, that I've just been putting it off. I wish we'd put more time into it. But it's too late now.

It's hard to think I won't be pregnant anymore. GLORIOUS to think, but hard to imagine. I feel like I've been pregnant forever. This has obviously been the harder of the two pregnancies, but from what I've heard and read, I've had a very easy triplet pregnancy. And it's pretty much a miracle I've lasted this long. The average gestational age for triplets is 32 weeks. I read somewhere that 70% of triplet-carrying women had to be hospitalized before delivery. I have felt from early on that everything would be fine with this pregnancy. That I wouldn't loose one of them; that I would carry them as long as possible; that they would be healthy and whole. Whatever their birth weight or the length of their stay in the hospital, I feel very blessed and give all the credit to God.

I often wonder if Elizabeth has any concept of what is about to happen. But then, I don't know if I do either. There are so many unknowns. I am grateful I won't have to re-learn how to be a mother—that I've already been a new mom and won't be gripped by the same fears. But the ins and outs of how we'll care for three newborns and a toddler are like a big, black cloud of uncertainty, hanging over my head. My mom, along with everyone, keeps telling me to just take things one day at a time, one task at a time. Things will work out. But I wish I knew what I was in for. A friend asked about what kind of system or help we have lined up, but with all the variables, I haven't made much preparation, especially since we don't know how long, if at all, they'll be in the NICU. I know the ward is ready to jump in any time. But there are 5, count 'em, 5 other women having babies in the next few months. The poor Relief Society is going to be babied out by the time it's all over. Good thing we're getting ours in first. :) For live-in help, my mom is here until the middle of September, after which Adam will use his vacation time he's saved up to stay home (if he can wait that long.) After that, we're on our own. It will be a baptism by fire, I'm sure. One parent of triplets told me that if our marriage survives the first year, we'll be set for life.

The rest of my thoughts are scattered bits of strollers, epidurals, baby carriers, bottles, hospital gowns, and so on, combined with memories of Elizabeth's birth. How different this one will be!

Lastly, I have been moved and humbled by the outpouring of love and support. Besides many, many generous gifts, we've also gotten many offers of help, prayers, and well wishes. I sincerely thank all of you for your calls, emails, cards, and love. And now, on to the undiscovered country! This is Emily Johnson signing off. See you on the flip side!

1-2-3-4

2010-08-24T09:34:00.016-04:00

special day.

love birds.

babies on the way.

incredible years.

D-Day

2010-08-20T14:07:00.002-04:00

The c-section has been scheduled for September 3rd.

That's in two weeks.

What was it I learned from my Hitchhiker's Guide?

Oh yeah. DON'T PANIC!

P.S. My camera wasn't working, but friends have pictures of the baby shower here and here. It was awesome.

Quick Update

2010-08-12T18:15:00.002-04:00

So I don't have to actually stick myself twice a day. Whew!

I'm receiving medicine from a pump that's hooked into my thigh. The medicine is supposed to lessen contractions. Grabbing a handful of fat and ramming that needle into my thigh was one of the scariest things I've ever done. I was totally crying. But guess what? It didn't hurt. Just like they said. I only have to do that every five days. And the nurse was really nice and said something like, "I've been a nurse for 20 years and I would still be hesitant to give myself an injection." So that made me feel a little less wussy.

I'm also supposed to monitor myself on this home uterine monitor-thing. Twice a day I strap this belt to my belly and have to lie still for an hour while it counts my contractions. And let me tell you, towards the end of the hour I want to rip the belt off and run screaming out the door. Actually, running screaming out the door is something I fantasize about often.

Aunt Kim has gone home and my Mom is on her way. I think these next few weeks are going to take all the mental and emotional toughness I have.

The Beginning of the End

2010-08-11T10:15:00.005-04:00

Yo mamma's so fat, she doesn't fit her maternity clothes!

Well, we were lucky to get this far, but my days of skipping through the streets of Brooklyn are over for now.

At my appointment yesterday, the ultrasound showed that my cervix had shortened. And when the doc checked me, I was 1.5 cm dilated.

"So this means you're on bed rest," he said without hesitation. I think that's when my eyes started to glaze over.

Just a few minutes before, I had told him that my Braxton Hicks (or "fake") contractions were getting pretty intense. This had prompted him to decide that I was going off Procardia (a heart medicine that is supposed to put off labor) and going onto a new medicine that will be delivered via pump and needle.

"It's the size of a thumbtack. You just put it on your thigh and whack!" He slapped my thigh.

That was when I gave him my crazy stare—where you lower your brows but open your eyes really wide.

"It won't hurt," he assured me.

"Yeah right!" I shot back.

Somehow, this pump thing is accompanied by a monitor that I will have to use twice a day to check for contractions. The Fed Ex package arrived this morning. It's been shoved out of sight into a corner. I'll let the nurse who's coming to show me how to use it open it.

So after the announcement that I will have to start daily torture treatments, and that I would now be confined to my bed/couch for the rest of eternity (or until the babies come,) I was feeling a little . . . freaked OUT. "Hey! Somebody make this lady smile!" the doctor joked to the nurses. Har. Freakin. Har.

Thankfully, Kim is still here and staying until Saturday night. She's already stepped up her game, cooking dinner all by herself and making sure I'm watered and fed. Then, my mom comes Monday afternoon and she'll be with us for about four weeks. So these babies will have a four-week window to make their appearance, graduate out of the NICU, come home, get on a schedule, and start sleeping through the night. That's not too much to ask, right?

I'm cautiously optimistic about their development. So far, they're all three growing at about the same rate. The ultrasound showed them at 4 lbs and change, but of course it's a very rough estimate. Still, we're praying they'll make it to as close as 5 lbs as possible. We shall see.

So if any of you have been meaning to call and catch up, I'm TOTALLY AVAILABLE and most likely dying of boredom. How's that for subtle?

Ten Years

2010-07-23T16:25:00.010-04:00

"Near the blue Ontario's waters, our Alma Mater dear. . ."

Two weekends ago, while commuting home before a visit to my parents house and to attend my ten year high school reunion, I reflected on where and who I was ten years later. On the subway I wrote:

Thinking about the past opens a sort of flood of emotions and memories. It is now 2010. When I look back at where I've come, I am pleased and slightly amazed. Never, Never, would I have imagined I'd live in Brooklyn and be married with almost four kids and be a decent designer working at a prestigious publishing house. I attribute it all to the Lord and His goodness.

As my wife and I walked to the door the night of the reunion, I was pretty nervous, walking into an unknown: of who I'd see, what they would think, and what we would talk about. Fortunately the night, and the trip overall, went better than I had hoped. I got to catch up with four of the seven friends I had hoped to see, and discovered that people don't change all that much.

The weekend was summer all wrapped into one. I finally got to show Emily the shores of Ontario and have a good salt-free swim. We enjoyed a bonfire, BBQ, and an amazing amateur fireworks display at an old friend's home. Elizabeth got to spend time with Aunt Megan, Gramma, Grampa, and Great Gramma. Emily enjoyed the frigid temperatures of the my parents home, while I got to dig in the dirt with Elizabeth, swing, and climb a tree. Unfortunately we didn't see much of Matt. My brother was busy in the shop working on Pedro (our former car) so that he could take us home to Brooklyn for his last family road trip.

Pedro has moved on to new owners and our family is moving on to new life experiences. But it's good to look back on the miles you've gone and how you've been helped along the way. —Adam

Playing with Great-Grandma

Tim and his wife, Rebecca.

Emily taking a break. We're talking with Sarah, one of Adam's closest friends in HS.

Another old friend, Josh, who runs his own tattoo parlor in Santa Barbara.

The reunion organizer asked Emily to pose sideways.

At Lake Ontario. Elizabeth has such good manners. Look at that pinky.

Daddy and daughter.

This, Too Shall Pass

2010-07-10T12:28:00.005-04:00

This morning I was sitting with some friends—a young couple like Adam and me, who also have a little girl. They were off conversing about something and when I looked their way, the wife had her arms around the husband's neck and they were smiling and talking. I quickly looked away, though they weren't doing anything especially private. But in that moment, something inside me cried out in pain.

Pregnancy does strange things to you, and not just to your body. (Though those things are strange indeed. Who knew stretch marks could be blue?) I find myself startled when I see someone bend over to pick something up off the ground or when I see moms sitting on the floor with their children. At the post office, at a store, walking along a sidewalk, I feel bewildered and angry if I can't find anywhere to sit down. Why wouldn't they think of that? Doesn't everyone want to sit after five minutes on their feet? I wonder at the self-absorption that makes me see all the world through the lens of my own disabilities.

And it's not just the physical. As I watch romantic scenes in movies, I alternate between incredulity and bitter jealousy. How can she stand being so close to him? changes to why don't I feel like that anymore? It's not fair. I look at pictures of myself on various outings with Adam, before the pregnancy and even before Elizabeth, and I'm shocked by the change. I used to look so happy. So alive. I've never been one to think much of my looks. But at times I almost weep when I see how pretty I used to be. Or, more accurately, how pretty I used to feel. I used to be a wife, lover, friend, and mom. Now I feel like all I am is a walking baby incubator. I suppose that's why it hurt to see my friend with her arms around her husband's neck. There was no baby belly between them. No weight weighing her down. Just youth, happiness, and love.

Of course, I don't know the inner struggles my friend and her husband may be facing. And I know that, all too soon, I will remember, as I did after Elizabeth was born, how "easy" it was to take care of the triplets when they were inside me. But for now, like my toes, these things are hard to see.

Peter, James, and Joan?

2010-07-08T18:40:00.003-04:00

Whoa Nelly! That's some belly!

Well I'm 27 1/2 weeks and the triplets are doing great. "Perfect" is the word my doctor used today. The two boys are 2 lbs 5 oz, and little Miss Piggy is 2 lbs 13 oz! So yes that's almost 7 pounds of baby inside me and I still have two months to go. In fact, the doctor said that since everything is going so well, he doesn't see why I won't make it to 36 weeks. Hooray! Oh, wait . . .

But all joking aside, I'm really grateful how well things are going. No shortening of the cervix. No bed rest. No hypertension. None of the manifold complications that are so common to multiple pregnancy. I do admit that at times, I almost wish I would be put on bed rest. Especially when it's as hot as it has been and my energy seems to drain away with every drop of sweat. But heat waves aside, I really don't have much to complain about.

So what about names? We actually sat down and made a list, with Kim's help. She looked up names on the Social Security website (mostly around the turn of the century) and we gave our thumbs up or down. We have a good list now, though Adam still stubbornly refuses to accept Dorothy. Grandma names are cool! So the debate goes on.

In the meantime, they're holding their own World Cup inside me. (I suspect a goal is scored every time they make me run to the bathroom.) And Baby A, the farthest one down, is doing his very best to break my pelvic bone. The little dears . . .

Liddybit's Latest

2010-07-02T08:56:00.005-04:00

Elizabeth's days as an only child are numbered. But that doesn't stop us from being completely head-over-heels in love with her. (When we're not exasperated beyond words with her.) Lately, my favorite thing to do is decipher her newly-formed "sentences." These include:

"Show me!" = "Let me show you something." or "Follow me or I will throw a fit."

"Hol dit" = "Hold this for me." or "Let me hold this."

"Have some." = "May I have some?"

"Foun dit" = "I found it!"

and our favorite,

"Luh you" = "Love you."

She's also started saying "my dadda" whenever she wants Adam. And starting about halfway through sacrament meeting, each Sunday, she'll start saying (shouting) "Nursery! Nursery!" She's also inexplicably began asking for "time out" when she's upset. I think she likes the excuse to sit and cry.

So, Elizabeth, enjoy all the attention while you can!

For some reason, when I look at this picture, I see myself.

Month in Review

2010-06-24T14:20:00.010-04:00

How the Johnson's keep cool in 90° heat w/ 80% humidity.

So here's the promised update.

Memorial Day weekend, we moved. Thanks to our awesome ward, it only took four hours to get everything moved and the old apartment clean. When I took a car-load of stuff down to the new place, to see it for the second time ever, I found out the key I had for our door didn't work. I should have taken it for a sign.

Tuesday after moving in, I left the apartment with Elizabeth to run some errands. I paused on the landing as soon as the door shut behind me. I had no keys. I had no phone. The best bit was that I had left inside the only working key we had for the one lock I'd already promised Adam I wouldn't lock until we got a duplicate. I was saved from death by starvation and/or a bursting bladder by the mercy of my friend, M, and our landlord's mother who had her grandson, with M's help, shimmy up the fire escape to an open window. I'm still waiting for his mom to call and scream at me for putting her child in danger.

All the excitement (plus a parking ticket and a disastrous trip to the laundromat with Elizabeth) must have been too much for my body b/c on Friday, June 4th, I found out from the doctor that I had tested positive in a fetal fibronectin test (that tests for signs of labor) so I was put on more or less bed rest. I could still go to the bathroom and get myself a sandwich, but was supposed to eliminate "all unnecessary movement." Somebody please tell me what on earth that means? Isn't shopping for groceries necessary? How about going outside for my own sanity's sake? Once again, the ward came through. I let the Relief Society president know on Friday and Sunday, right after church got out, I started getting phone call after phone call of people offering to bring food, watch Elizabeth, and (bless them) do our laundry. I can't tell you how moved I was by the compassion everyone showed us. Even just the simple act of being able to take the sacrament at home, made me feel overwhelmingly grateful to be a member of such a wonderful church. At any rate, with a lot of help, we survived my week of bed rest and, at the next doctor's visit, my test was negative and I was back in business. Whew!

Let's see, so then on Sunday, June 20, I was released as the president of the young women group. It was something I had been expecting (and honestly looking forward to) for quite some time. But when the moment came, I looked at one of the girls' moms who was sitting up on the stand at the organ, and I just burst into tears. I've been in Young Women for over two years now, since before Elizabeth was born. I still got to teach the lesson, but now it's over and it's very bittersweet.

So now it's just been a matter of settling into our new place and me trying to figure out a new routine. Luckily, that has become 100% easier now that my husband's little sister has arrived. For reasons I cannot begin to fathom, she was willing to give up her entire summer vacation to come help me with Elizabeth. Pretty selfless 13-year-old, huh? All I can do to repay her is handle all the poopy diapers myself.

We've got most of the furniture where we want it. Adam's put up curtains and in his ingenious way figured out shelving and storage. He's even put up our gargantuan bookcase and mostly filled it. We still have tons of boxes to go but all the essentials are in their place. So how do I feel now that I'm finally living where I've wanted to live since we moved here? Depends on the day. Some days, I'm grateful to be so close to so many friends. And it's been such a blessing to have a playground just down the street. But on other days, as I'm trying to squeeze my huge belly past a kitchen chair, or lying in bed sweating, (since we STILL haven't gotten our a/c's properly installed—a whole other story—) or sitting on our stoop with no one to talk to, I start to really miss our old place. But rather then dwell on the negative, I'll just show you some pics of the place. I was going to wait until everything was unpacked and tidy, but—let's face it—that's not gonna happen for, oh . . . years?

(Now that I've uploaded these, I really wish I'd tidied up more before taking these. I really wish I tidied up ever. Sigh.)

Living Room

The tiny kitchen, complete with blue and white tile.

Elizabeth's Room

The bathroom, AKA the Blue Room

I don't have a good picture of our bedroom, which is ironic b/c that's the reason we moved: to have our own room. But it's big and nice and even more messy than all of the above so you'll just have to imagine.

Oh My Heck!

2010-06-16T15:15:00.005-04:00

We haven't posted in a while. Mostly b/c of moving/temporary bedrest/internet problems. But I will update you on all of that, and post pics of the new diggs after I say my piece about swearing. What is up with it? Am I taking crazy pills? Have I lived in Utah too long?

When did it become okay to use the f-word in print?

What set this all off, or rather, started the slow, steady boil in my brain that has finally erupted, is my subscription to the New Yorker. We got it as a thank-you gift for supporting our local public radio station (which I highly encourage, and they do NOT use the f-bomb.) I felt rather cosmopolitan and erudite and somehow more redeemed as a former English major by receiving such a famous and well-respected magazine. I especially looked forward to reading the fiction pieces. Maybe I know zilch about contemporary short-story writing and its market, but I could have sworn the New Yorker was a good place to start reading. When I got my first issue, my excitement fizzled away into a sad heap of disappointment. I don't remember exactly how I felt when I saw the first four-letter word right there in the middle of my "classy" magazine, but I know how I feel each time now: assaulted, betrayed, and disgusted (with myself and the writer.) And it wasn't just profanity. Week after week, the fiction piece would have, besides a slew of f-bombs, at least one crude reference to sex.

Okay, so I don't read the fiction. The news articles, analysis, and op ed pieces should be safe. WRONG! Exactly how does vulgarity enhance my understanding of the credit crisis? Or a new art instillation? Or the challenges facing eco-minded inventors in the 21st century??? Was there a huge shift in cultural values while I wasn't looking?

Adam is always bringing home from work novels he thinks I'll like. (What a good husband, I know.) I'll start one, get into it just far enough to where I'm hooked, then have to hand him back the book and say, "Sorry. Take it back." And then I feel so angry that I've just filled my mind with filth simply to read—and not finish—a good story. It's gotten to where I'm wary to pick up a book if it wasn't written at least half a century ago.

And don't even get me started on the language people here use in every day life. Adults and children alike can't seem to manage to communicate without the f-word. When Adam tells me what it's like at his work, I'm shocked and outraged. Since when is it professional to swear like a sailor in an office setting, with people you're not "totally friends" with, in meetings and such? I thought that kind of language was seen as "low class" and immature. Are we all turning into teenage boys? Are we condemned to live forever in a football locker room?

So those of you who are out in the working world, living outside Happy Valley, what have been your experiences? And to all my more-literate, more-published friends, am I way behind on the norms for professional writing?

Like I said, am I taking crazy pills? Or am I too enmeshed in my Mormon culture?

P.S. And what's up with the NY-er putting umlauts over the second vowel in words like "coördinate?"

2010-05-27T19:30:00.007-04:00

When I was a kid, we had a book called Mitchell is Moving about a dinosaur who decides one day he needs a change of scenery and moves across . . . the swamp? "I am a moving Mitchell!" he says throughout the book. When he gets to where he's going, though, he realizes how much he misses his friend, Margo. Luckily, she decides to move right next door to his new place. I've lost track of how many times I've moved (it was over a dozen times before I started college.) Every time, I hear Mitchell's self-affirming mantra in my mind. "I am a moving Emily!"

But really, moving stinks. Even when you know the move is for the best, you have to let go of a part of your past. I looked up our current address on Google Maps today and used street view to see our building. It's the same picture we've posted here before (though I can't for the life of me find which post) which has our car w/ Utah plates and our neighbors sitting on the stoop. It's still funny to me that they're in the picture, but this time I realized I could name each person in that picture, even the blurred, white-t-shirted boys running by.

For how long have I complained about our neighbors' smoke habits, or our nasty carpeting, or the run-down neighborhood? For how long have I dreamed of living in Bay Ridge, like it's the Happy Valley of Brooklyn? I'm sure the ward members who live down there think I'm such a wannabe. But now that we're getting down to it, it's hard to leave.

That picture on Google maps is from the fall of 2007, not long after we moved in. I remember sitting on our couch in this living room, as Adam told me he'd lost his job at the Moderns. I remember walking quietly into our bedroom and telling Adam when I found out I was pregnant with Elizabeth. It was in this living room I went through hours of labor. Heck, I almost gave birth to her right here. It's staggering to think of all we've been through in the last 2 1/2 years. Now the living room is lined with packed boxes and the walls are completely blank. I won't miss the smoke or the noise or the cracked tile or the sleeping arrangements, but I feel like when we move I'll be missing a piece of myself.

Good thing, I suppose, that there's more of me each day to make up for any losses. Here are some pics to chart my expanding sense of self:

14 weeks

17 weeks

21 weeks

What's really fun is standing next to my friend, Naomi, who is as far along as I am and just looks like a normal woman with a less-than-flat stomach. But I'm not complaining. I know some day not far from now I'll probably look like this poor soul:

But hey! At least she's smiling! (Maybe it's the beer cup she's holding, as Adam so kindly pointed out AFTER I'd uploaded the image. Oh well. Let's pretend it has water in it.)

Ch-Ch-Change . . .

2010-05-16T20:27:00.006-04:00

This was a rather momentous week for the Johnson family.

This time last week, we still hadn't found a new apartment, though we had gone to a broker who had shown us a few. Then, on Monday, we got word that the landlord, whom we had met, had liked us and was willing to come down in the price. Adam was sold. I still wasn't convinced. The apartment was on the second floor, for one, and the kitchen was smaller (and uglier) than I'd hoped for. But the building was clean, the landlord lived on the premises, and our broker said we could probably store the stroller on the first floor. So we had just a few days to make our decision. I tried to set something up with another broker to see more apartments—just to satisfy myself that we weren't "settling"—but it never worked out. After a few very stressful days, I got so sick of going back and forth over it with Adam that I finally said I wanted to take it. I think what I actually said was "NYAAAAAAAAAAA!"

So Saturday we signed the lease and on June 1st or thereabouts, we will live here:

Adam and I will finally have a room of our own and we'll live in walking distance of a lot of our friends. (Read: close to the people we'll be asking to help with the triplets :) We didn't relish forking over a month's worth of rent as a broker fee, but, by george, I'm glad the search is over!

Another big blessing came when Adam got the word that his submission had been selected for AIGA'a 50 Books/50 Covers. (For those of us NOT in the design world, AIGA is the foremost professional association for design.) So out of the 800+ submissions, Adam's "Classic Shorts" series was in the top 50.

Adam's work will be featured in their annual, be archived online, and will be on display this fall at an exhibition here in New York. Go Adam!

As if all this weren't enough, Adam got an email Friday from a member of the stake presidency asking to meet with both of us Saturday morning. Knowing that our current bishop is moving soon, and that a new bishop had more than likely already been called, we could only conclude what inevitably happened: Adam is now a second counselor in the bishopric and, what's more, a high priest! (Again, for the uninitiated, most men in the church who reach the level of high priest are usually . . . past the bloom of youth. And don't think of it as a promotion. It's more of a place we send the gray-hairs when they're not young enough anymore to help members move but old enough to be our wise leaders. Just kidding.) The best part is that the new bishop is already our good friend. But I think the combined age of the entire bishopric is still less than the age of your average Utah stake president. Not that this is a big change. Our wonderful former bishop has a young family, too. So I guess that's just how things work here in good ol' Brooklyn. All joking aside, I'm really proud of Adam and his willingness to serve the Lord, despite all the challenges that lie ahead of us. I know he'll do a wonderful job cuz he's just that kind of guy.

Oh, and I'm 20 weeks now (4 1/2 months.) I've gained 35 lbs (right on track, according to my book,) and the triplets are growing well. So all in all, we have a lot to be grateful for, even amongst all this change.

California Adventure

2010-04-25T19:41:00.009-04:00

Not long ago, my parents surprised me with the news that they were going to fly Elizabeth and me out to California for one last visit. I had been despairing that, with the coming of the triplets, I'd never see my beloved So Cal again, let alone my new nephew and my parents' new house. And of course, by seeing So Cal again, I meant eating In n Out. So I was thrilled when they told me the news and prayed that I'd be feeling better by then. And I was! Here's a few pictures from our wonderful week.

Elizabeth got to run through the sprinklers for the first time in her life.

I got to visit Dawn, my good friend from high school. She and her family live in Long Beach, one place I'd be happy to live in someday.

The babies checking each other out.

Her son, Wesley, is only a few months younger than Elizabeth. They had a great time fighting over toys and trying to poke each others' eyes out. Things got better when we let them run around the nearby playground.

This video cracks me up. Watch how happy and giggly Wesley is, swinging away, compared to Elizabeth. She looks like she's going to toss her cookies!

Speaking of babies, we got to meet Daniel Ashton, my youngest brother's baby. I can't describe how weird it was to see my baby brother being a daddy.

Unfortunately, it rained most of the time we were there. But we tried to make the most of the sunny days.

At the beach? No way. Too cold! Playing at the playground by Grandma and Grandpa's new house.

On our last day in town, we visited the LA Zoo. We had to get a wheelchair for me so I could last the whole day. At one point, my mom had to leave so my dad pushed me in the chair, while I pushed Elizabeth in the stroller. I'm sure we were quite the sight to see. But it was worth it to see Elizabeth's reactions to all the animals.

Peering intently at the ducks.

So much to see!

Elizabeth said, "wow!" a lot. I think they were looking at these:

Friday night, my mom made a turkey dinner, since last Thanksgiving they had been in the middle of moving. The best part of these pictures is the wallpaper in the background.

Janine, Doug's girlfriend (and Daniel's mommy,) got the night off work to join us.

Daniel chilled while we all pigged out.

Mom and Dad—so mature.

Elizabeth really took to her Aunt Rebecca.

"Sisters, sisters..."

In the end, it was sad to say goodbye but good to get back to Adam. To make it all the better, when I got home, I found that he had totally taken on all the little chores I'd been wishing I could get to lately. He even fixed a leak under our kitchen sink (where he found the following growing in our recycling... Ew! Is it time to move or what?)

Why I Liked Michigan

2010-04-16T17:00:00.005-04:00

by Elizabeth Johnson

I got to play outside in grass! And I got to jump on this big round bouncy thing.

Sticking out my bottom teeth.

I got to use my favorite word, "shy," especially with my cousin Taylor. But I wasn't too shy to pet the dog he walks.

We ate a lot of yummy food.

I got to play with my cousins.

Daddy showed me how to throw rocks into a lake.

And we got to visit Great-Grandma Paxman.

But something seemed strangely familiar...

Looks like Adam and Taylor have very limited wardrobes.

Feeding Her Majesty

2010-04-12T20:08:00.004-04:00

Elizabeth is generally a good eater. But sometimes it takes a while to figure out what she wants.

One word she has no trouble communicating is her favorite food: CHEESE!

Not long ago, Elizabeth started asking for what sounded like "apple tea." I tried giving her applesauce, and sometimes that would work, but others she was insistent on her "apple-tee." For now, at least, she seems to accept applesauce, though she'll often just eat a little. I'm still convinced that we have yet to discover the true meaning of apple-tee.

She still loves her veggies, especially broccoli and carrots. She now will shout "mang!" when we offer mango. She's also recently discovered raisins. She eats pb&j's without pulling them apart (until the end,) and is learning to use a spoon, with considerable help. She still only drinks a little milk, but I've given up on trying to fatten her up. As long as she keeps eating those vegetables, I can't complain!

It's a Boy! . . .

2010-03-27T12:18:00.004-04:00

And a boy! And a girl!

This week, I had yet another appointment with the perinatologist. They did an ultrasound to check for Downs and while she was doing it, the sonographer asked if I wanted to know the gender of the babies. Still too early to be 100% sure, she said, but I didn't mind. (Time to start rounding up hand-me downs!)

As I lay there watching the grainy images of my babies morph and slide in an out of view, and listened to her as she told me each one was healthy, it suddenly hit me: these are my babies. I was overcome with gratitude. They're healthy. They're growing. They have two hands and two feet. What have I been so upset about? This is a miracle! Three babies!

I did start to get a little nervous, however, when one and then another baby were declared to be boys. But the third, the one resting right on top, is a girl. Bless her tiny heart.

So now the clothing gathering begins and also the name game. We've already had a vote for Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey from my nephew. I'm leaning more towards . . .

What do you think?

12 Weeks

2010-03-21T15:43:00.004-04:00

Well here I am at 12 weeks and here's what's going.

I went to the perinatologist for a special ultrasound to find out the "synchronicity" of the triplets. They are fraternal, each in their own placenta. Everything looked good, except that I have some wicked cysts on my ovaries. But the sonographer said that's to be expected and said they'd just monitor them.

Monday, I'd made up my mind to stop letting my pregnancy sickness rule my life. So I made a menu, wrote up a shopping list, and wonder of wonder, did all the grocery shopping! I felt darn good about myself that day, let me tell you. But the next day, Tuesday, I started getting sharp, shooting pains in my abdomen on my right side. When I called the doctor, they said he was out of town and one of the other OBs would have to call me back. I started to panic because I couldn't move around without incredible pain, which meant I couldn't take care of Elizabeth or get myself food, (which is a serious thing these days. No food = vomiting nightmare pain.) I called a few friends but no one answered, and I was about to ask Adam to come home from work, when I heard our neighbor, Tito's, voice outside. I quickly called his cell and asked through tears if he could come over for a few minutes. He and his girlfriend, Valerie, came over and she saved the day. I was so embarrassed to ask her, but she very kindly fixed me something to eat, played with Elizabeth, fed her lunch, and stayed with me until Elizabeth went down for her nap. I don't know what I would have done without her.

I finally had to call the doctor again and this time they told me to just come in. Adam left work early and the three of us headed over. I must have looked a sight as I hobbled into the waiting room, doubled over, in scrubs, a rat's nest of hair and not a bit of makeup. They did an ultrasound first thing and assured us that the babies were fine. Then, after asking a lot of questions, the doctor decided to send me to the hospital to make sure it wasn't appendicitis. Oh, goody! We called around and got a friend to watch Elizabeth, and another to meet us at the hospital to give me a blessing. Thank heavens for the angels of the Bensonhurst Ward! What would we do without them?!

Of course the hospital visit was long and boring and mostly unproductive. Luckily, it wasn't my appendix, but my poor cyst-strapped ovaries causing the pain. The doctor on call, who sounded a lot like Elder Uchtdorf, kept saying, "It's not appendicitis!!" but kept on running tests to make sure. In the end, we all got home not long after 10 PM and luckily didn't have to call in the reserves (ie. my visiting teacher, Satomi) to watch Elizabeth overnight. So all's well that ends well, I suppose. I haven't had pain like that since, except if I get up too fast or twist the wrong way. And then it immediately goes away. So I can't complain. What would we have done if I'd had to have an appendectomy?!?

So that's the latest and the greatest. The pregnancy sickness seemed to fade for a few days but is back with a vengeance. Elizabeth had a fever this week. And so the fun goes on. But I am still trying to do more and start tackling the problems that need solving. I scour Craig's List every day for apartments. I'm dying to know the genders of the babies so I can start collecting second-hand clothing. And I am generally avoiding thinking about parting with Pedro. The happiest note, was finding out this week that my parents are flying me and Elizabeth out to visit next month. I'll get to see my parents' new house, meet my new nephew, catch up with old friends, and eat all the In n Out I can handle. So all I have to say is, I BETTER be feeling well by then!

In non-triplet news, we've been having some amazingly good weather. Yesterday, we went to Prospect Park to just hang out.

Playing Take away the binky with Daddy

Our little monkey

Tickle! Tickle!

Every night when Adam gets home, the first thing Elizabeth does is ask him, "Bum bum bum?" her way of asking for a shoulder ride.

What Keeps Me Up at Night

2010-03-18T11:55:00.003-04:00

Where should we live? How will we manage having four small children in Brooklyn? And how long will we last?

What will we do for a car? We'll get a mini-van, I suppose. I am anti SUVs. But how will we afford one? We haven't made car payments in forever. And I love Pedro. If we lived in the suburbs, we could keep him...

How will I ever leave the house without help? You can barely fit a regular stroller into some of the stores here. Don't talk to me about triple strollers.

What will we do if I have to go on bed rest? How will this ever work when we live so far from family?

Can my body handle this? Everything I've read says that I'll have to get a c-section--a huge disappointment since I really, really wanted another natural birth--and that the babies will be born premature and have to be in the NICU for some time. How will I deal with all of this?

What is He thinking?!??!?!?

1 in 6,889*

2010-03-15T12:45:00.000-04:00

*The odds of having spontaneous triplets

Off the Air

2010-02-21T20:11:00.003-05:00

The Johnson family is currently experiencing technical* difficulties. We will return you to your regularly scheduled posts as soon as possible. Thank you.

*"Technically" it's morning sickness. As a lot of you know already, I'm preggo. Only 8 weeks but in too much pain to hide it from the world. Sitting at the computer is now one of my least favorite things to do, as are eating, housework, and changing dirty diapers. So, basically everything I used to do all day everyday. When I get to Heaven, I'm gonna have a looooong talk with HF about this whole "sorrow in thy conception" thing. WTFrknH?

Stir Crazy

2010-02-03T16:18:00.004-05:00

Being indoors so much has made us a little desperate for entertainment. Efforts to fend off cabin fever include:

1. An attempt to style Elizabeth's "hair." Sad, I know.

2. Taking Glamour Shots of Elizabeth to send to a modeling agency. (Cuz you KNOW they're totally going to email me back.)

3. An trip outside to "play" in the snow. (Meaning, watch Elizabeth walk back and forth in the snow. Whoopee!)

4. Ruminating on the meaning of life while contemplating the delicate intricacies of a single snowflake.

5. The most bizarre, though, is this weird bird-walk Elizabeth has started doing. She likes to run like this, with her head tilted back and the biggest, cheesiest smile on her face. Cracks me up. And sometimes, we do it together.

Spring, please come. Before we lose it completely!

Mini Mii's

2010-01-27T12:14:00.006-05:00

Last Christmas, Adam's family got a Wii and this Christmas, we tried it out for the first time. The highlight of all the gaming was when Adam, who is incredibly competitive at video games, whacked an ornament off the tree, clear across the room, where it smashed into a thousand pieces. Wicked forearm, huh? But the coolest, by far, was how crazy-accurate our Mii's turned out to be. What do you think?

P.S. Thanks to Matt for sending us these pics via his super-awesome iPhone.

A Tribute

2010-01-13T22:47:00.005-05:00

We lost the 'World's Strongest Man' on Monday.

Daddy's Girl

2010-01-11T18:56:00.005-05:00

A few days ago I sneaked a peek at Adam's journal. (Don't worry; he was sitting next to me. He didn't protest, much.) I was really touched by one part that I wanted to share with you.

Elizabeth has been bumping into stuff a lot lately, and has several bruises on her head. She's been trying to say new things lately. She says uh-oh, hi, mama, dadda, eese (cheese), ba-ime (bath time), two, four, six (approx.), bubble (not for a bubble, though.) She can blow her nose, knows what her hair, head, eyes, toes, belly, shoes are, knows what eating is, hot is (by blowing), can run, bounce, ride her rocking horse, kinda say Jesus (mostly S sort of noise), banana (nana). She's incredibly cute. Sometimes she's a pill though, and can be super picky/terrible when eating.

She's very social and friendly with everyone, even strangers. Loves kids and youth. Can play peek-a-boo, drink from a glass (not by herself, except sippy cup), loves animals (dogs, cats), being outside. Hardly has any hair, (a bit longer in the back though.) Loves cheese and ham, banana, kiwi, apple sauce. Laughs when I give her a bumpy ride on my shoulders. Loves bath time, drinking bath water, giving kisses, hugging from behind when you are near the ground, her IKEA blanket, her stuffed dog, Wilson, her dog pj's, books (to chew), buttons, zippers, pen tops, saying "ooo" at things that are pretty like lights at night. Saying "uh-oh" for attention. Likes attention, missionary tags, screaming when she's happy or worked up, getting her way or whining about it. I love her.

I guess I was touched that he noticed and cared so much about all the minute details of her personality and development. He's constantly taking pictures of her. These are pictures he took of her at bath time. Every night, if he's home in time, Adam completely takes over with Elizabeth. They play for a while, then it's bath time (which they both LOVE), and then story time. They have so much fun together. I love it.

Adam was the first to notice that Elizabeth had discovered her belly button.

Not to boast, but I think Elizabeth has a wonderful father.

Christmas Past

2010-01-09T21:33:00.004-05:00

We recently returned from a grand Christmas visit up north at my parents house. If it could be summed up in a to do list, it would look something like this.

I think we did pretty well. Thanks for the swell time.

2010-01-08T23:52:00.001-05:00

Christmas Time Is Here

2009-12-20T20:24:00.005-05:00

December means. . .

. . . visiting Santa,

At Macy's at Herald Square

. . . bundling up to see the city lights,

On the way home after seeing the store windows on 5th Avenue.

. . . making Chiristmas goody plates. . .

Elizabeth playing quietly on the floor while Mommy bakes. This is her "I'm so cute" face.

Helping mommy clean the batter off the spoon. I should have taken a picture of her screaming in agony when I took the spoon away...

. . .going to ward parties (in a new dress)

. . . and playing in the snow.

What does December mean to you?

Really?!

2009-12-01T10:05:00.003-05:00

Two cents?

Maybe they didn't like my sticker . . .?

City Lights

2009-11-22T19:02:00.002-05:00

Saturday was a great day! In the morning, I was invited by my wonderful visiting teacher to brunch at her apartment. Sadly, all of the other v-teachees were unable to attend, but that just meant more crepes with Nutella for yours truly. But seriously we had a great time. Best VT visit ever!

In the afternoon, we went up to Manhattan to see the Canstruction exhibit at the World Financial Center. I'd never been to this particular part of Downtown, but I'm glad we went. To get there, you walk right by the World Trade Center site, which is always sobering. Then you come to three gigantic square buildings with pyramid-shaped roofs. This is the Financial Center. In the middle is the Winter Garden, a huge open area with amphitheater steps leading down to palm trees and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the docks on the Hudson. It was something else. The can sculptures were made to benefit some food drive thing and we accordingly dropped our two cans of tuna into the bins.

My favorite dessert!

Elizabeth liked this one. Do you love how big Adam's hair is? Don't worry, we cut it later that night.

Views from outside:

Adam took this one.

Looking towards New Jersey

There's something about city lights at night that just make me feel happy. After we got home, we had dinner, put Elizabeth down for the night, then cuddled up and watched Pixar's "Up" for the first time and absolutely loved it. All in all, a great weekend!

Spreading the Word

2009-11-10T15:04:00.005-05:00

I haven't ever posted about a book I'd read. (Have I?) But I enjoyed reading this series so much, I can't help but spread the good news. The Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace chronicle the growing-up years (from 5 yrs old to young married life) of Betsy Ray, a girl from a small town in Minnesota in the early 1900's. I first heard of these books not long after I made one of my first friends here in Brooklyn, but didn't take her advice to read them until Adam brought home these brand-spanking new editions from work. The books start when Betsy is very young and are written to be read by/to a 5 year old. So reading the first one was enjoyable, but not particularly thrilling. But each novel goes up in reading level as Betsy gets older. And by the time Betsy started high school, I was hooked. All the inner-workings of the teenage girl mind are delightfully detailed with humor and empathy. Who will take Betsy to the dance? How will she get that Joe to take notice of her? It's so much fun! And just as addictive as any ol' teen vampire love novel, but without the squeamish stuff. And Betsy won't even consider letting a boy get "mushy" with her (by holding her hand.) It's so refreshing. But it's not old fashioned or stuffy.
Lovelace based these books on her own life experiences and that, I think, makes all the difference with these books. You get to know the characters so well. All the details about life in the time period really transport you there. I found myself looking up all the old songs they sing so I could hear the melodies in my mind as I read the lyrics. And we're talking OLD, like "By the Light of The Silvery Moon" old. (Which is also a wonderful movie, BTW. "Marjorie's old petticoat!!") And because it's autobiographical, there are photographs of all the people she based the characters on at the end of the books. Plus, the illustrations by Vera Neville are beautiful. Are you convinced yet? Maybe if Adam can find more copies, I'll do a giveaway. But until then, go to the library and CHECK OUT THESE BOOKS! But you don't have to take my word for it.

2009-11-06T21:48:00.001-05:00

And this:

Both favorites.

New Favorite

2009-11-05T14:19:00.002-05:00

This face:

All Hallow's Eve

2009-11-03T08:40:00.010-05:00

Darkness falls across the land

The midnight hour is close at hand

Creatures crawl in search of blood

To terrorize your neighborhood!

Looks like somebody's got the "soul for getting down!"

Weekend Getaway

2009-10-28T14:13:00.006-04:00

Elder Johnson and family. (He's in the pink tie.)

Last weekend, we escaped to Maryland to visit my aunt and uncle and bid farewell to my cousin Philip, who is leaving for two years to serve as a missionary in Brazil. We've found that, by leaving on Saturday morning and using our new E-Z Pass, we can get down there in 3 1/2 hours. Not bad.

I love visiting my Aunt Jill's. They live in a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood not too close but not too far from Washington, DC. Her home is warm and welcoming, cozily decorated with her famous quilts and Relief Society crafts. Her three sons are all teenagers, but they're not terribly annoying. In fact, now that we have Elizabeth, they are even more excited to see us when we visit. (Though they still have to be dragged away from the Wii to greet us when we arrive.) My uncle is very kind and quick to laugh and always has interesting things to talk about. My aunt is wonderful. Like a second mom, only without all the baggage. (Love you, Mom.)

Most of the weekend revolved around Philip leaving the next week for his mission. We had a family BBQ, the essential trip to Rita's, Philip's farewell talk on Sunday, then an open house later that night. The farewell was actually for three young men so the house was packed! I think there were more people in my aunt's house that night than there are in our entire ward here in Brooklyn. We're really happy for Philip and excited to hear all about his adventures, spiritual and otherwise, in the Amazon.

Our little trip also gave us a chance to get a jump-start on celebrating Halloween. Here are my cousins as Mario and Luigi:

And here's Elizabeth at her very first Trunk or Treat:

We even managed to get to a real, live pumpkin patch.

Unfortunately, the patch itself was closed so we had to pick our pumpkins from a wagon by the barn. But Elizabeth still enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday to You!

2009-10-19T19:07:00.004-04:00

It's my birthday present to me! I'm so happy!!

Today is Elizabeth's day of all days. We started the celebrations early. Saturday, to be precise. We invited a few of her/our friends over for an informal party. The kids kicked around balloons while the adults chatted. Elizabeth received some lovely presents. But the best part, for me, was watching her devour her birthday cake. I made a double-layer chocolate cake w/ chocolate frosting (from scratch—go me!) She started out politely scooping frosting with her little index finger, but it didn't take too long before cake was gooshing out of her fists and smeared all over her face. It made all the hard work planning and baking and cleaning for the party worth it.

Blowing out the candle (with a little help from friends.)

Before . . .

After!

After getting cleaned up, Elizabeth showed off all her loot.

The festivities continued when more friends dropped by later that evening. I was especially touched when our next-door neighbor, Tito, and his girlfriend, Valerie, came by with a bag full of clothes they'd just bought for Elizabeth. Tito has always been so kind and loving to Elizabeth. They first became acquainted in the spring when it got warm enough for us to sit on our stoop and watch the world go by. Tito is a favorite with all the kids on the block, but he and Elizabeth have really got a special bond. The whole family has been very kind to us. It was really touching to see him pick her up, hug her close, and say, "Oh, I love you, Elizabeth!" He has grandkids of his own, but I believe they're all in Puerto Rico.

Valerie, Tito, Birthday Girl, Daddy

Sunday, Elizabeth got to open up her gift from G-ma and Mumpa Davis while they watched on video chat. Then Monday, we took a special trip to the park and visited another friend of Elizabeth's, who just turned one not too long ago. My friend, Kelly, has three girls, and it was a hoot to watch Elizabeth sit in the middle of that tornado and just try to keep up. She loved it!

At Sunset Park

People ask if it's hard to believe a year has gone by. I've always looked forward so much to each milestone that it does feel right for her to be one year old. What I don't think I'm ready to accept yet is that, before I know it, I'll turn around and she won't be a baby anymore. We still rock her while we sing lullabyes at night, but she's getting awfully heavy. (19 lbs!) She eats with her fingers and drinks from a sippy-cup. She toddles along with just one hand barely holding onto a finger. And even her baby-talk sounds like real conversation. But even with all the growing-up, it's hard to feel sad when I'm so overwhelmingly grateful that she's been a healthy and happy baby all these months. So shout out loud, Elizabeth, I am I! And I may not know why. But I know that I like it. Three cheers! I AM I! You are you and we love you, too.

P.S. If you just can't get enough, (I'm talking to the grandparents) here's the links to the videos of the birthday song and Elizabeth eating the cake.

Autumn in the Cemetery

2009-10-13T09:59:00.006-04:00

Sunday was a clear, bright October day here in Brooklyn. One of our favorite haunts (pun intended) is the Green-wood Cemetery. Adam thought it was rather morbid to let Elizabeth scamper about among the gravestones. But I take grass where I can get it. Besides, if I were dead and buried, I'd want children to play on my grave. Is that morbid?

So creepy or cute: you decide. At any rate, we all had fun.

"I'm not scared."

I think she smells the funk of fourty-thousand years.

Looking at the ducks and geese.

"But I want to go IN the pond, Daddy!"

Vitamin E

2009-10-01T15:12:00.005-04:00

Sorry it's been so long since we posted anything about Elizabeth. That is why most of you check this blog, right? So here's a bunch of photos and videos for your minimum daily requirement of Little E.

As the second-to-last picture shows, Elizabeth has learned to play Peek-a-Boo. . . . Sort of. At times, she throws her hands on her head with such energy, she misses her eyes and gets her ears, her cheeks, or just her nose. It's pretty funny, cuz she thinks we still can't see her. She'll giggle and wait and wait and wait and then, "There she is!!"

These next two videos are Elizabeth "playing" the pipe and harmonica we bought at Gettysburg. They also illustrate how frustrating it can be to get kids to do stuff you KNOW they can do for the camera.

My favorite part is at the end when I try to show her how to hold the harmonica, but of course she says "no" and turns it on it's end and blows.

P.S. to "Repenting"

2009-09-16T19:50:00.003-04:00

I don't know how I neglected to say this, but while I'm thanking Adam, I need to also thank his wonderful mother, Margaret, for giving us the rocking chair, the same one Adam was rocked in. I suppose I should also thank her for raising such a great son. Thank you!

(I know, so cute, right?)

Repenting

2009-09-15T10:36:00.004-04:00

Adam made this last night and left it on the desktop for me to see this morning. I hadn't really given my "coveting" list that much thought. (Find the original post here.) But little by little, through hand-me-downs, improvisations, and then a generous anniversary gift, we've acquired almost all of them. What touched me, though, was that Adam had payed so much attention to my wishes. I knew he was bugged by the post (which was, I admit, whiny.) But seeing this made me realize how much he cares about me, even in all my whiny-ness. I guess I don't understand as much as I should how important being a good provider is to men.

So I want to publicly thank Adam for the wonderful digital piano and for working so hard to not only make sure I have the things I need, but also for trying so hard to get me the things I want.

Thank you, Adam!

What Keeps Me Up at Night, Part 1

2009-09-10T15:08:00.002-04:00

WARNING: Long Post

When we first came to NY, we had only a vague idea of where to look for an apartment. We'd heard good things about some neighborhoods, bad things about others, and absolutely nothing about Queens or the Bronx. We had no money to pay a broker, so we ended up getting the first place we could find, here on the border of Sunset Park and Windsor Terrace. We actually get a lot of square feet for our rent. And we're two express stops from Manhattan. But as time passed, my list of why I didn't like our place got longer and longer. After a few months living and working in Brooklyn, I'd gotten around enough to know which neighborhood I really wanted to live in and often talked about moving, if the right opportunity came along.

But then I started to "nest." We bought a rug to cover the hideous commercial-grade carpet. We rearranged the furniture. We scraped the pink paint off our faux fireplace (only to reveal ugly and now scraped stone underneath.) We put up a room-dividing bookcase. Throw in some pillow covers and matching lamp shade and our apt started to feel like a home. With every screw Adam drilled into our walls, I felt less inclined to move, and more inclined to put down roots. So I met the neighbors. Joined community groups. Started walking to the tiny grocery stores instead of driving to the supermarket. I got brave and started venturing into bodegas and restaurants and bakeries where I'd previously been too shy to go into. (It takes a certain amount of courage to go into a cramped, little store filled with stuff from floor to ceiling, not having a clue where to find what you need and ask for help.) We even joined a community-supported agricultural co-op thing. I was resigned, content, even, to reside here indefinitely.

But every once in a while, the dissatisfaction starts to bubble up, like a bad taste in the back of my mouth. I spent hours one Friday looking up apartments on Craig's List. I looked in Brooklyn, in Westchester, in Jersey, all the while growing more and more discouraged. Then we left to go up to visit Adam's parents. They live in a small, rural town north of Syracuse. As we drove around the main drag of Mexico, NY (pop. 5,181) I kept thinking to myself, where do these people work?!? That's when it hit me: the crux of the matter.

As far as I can tell, the NYC metro area, which basically covers anywhere within an hour and a half commuting distance from Manhattan, is extremely DENSE. People are packed in like, well . . . like straphangers on the 4 train at rush hour. For the rich, there are two options: (1) live in the city in the nice neighborhoods in nice, albeit small, apartments. Or (2) live someplace "normal" (ie. a house in a suburb) and commute to the city. The closer you get to Central Park, the more expensive it gets. The farther away you get, the cheaper it gets, until you hit some sort of cusp where the rent starts to go up as things get more spread out and, in a word, normal. This confused me at first. As I was surfing through Wikipedia articles and cross-referencing them with Google maps to calculate commute times, I kept thinking, well, if I go a little farther out, it will get cheaper, right? Wrong. More suburban, yes. Cheaper, no.

When we first moved here, we had no idea how long we'd stay. If we had to predict, as people often asked us to, Adam would say 5 years at least, while I would say, "you better be kidding." To me, this was just a step. Make it here so you can make it anywhere. But then the economy tanked. We were lucky just to have a job—any job—let alone one with such great benefits doing work that Adam actually enjoys. So when people ask how long we think we're staying (it really is a constant question here), now I say, "There's no way we'll think of looking for another job until the economy turns around." So here we are, anchored to a job in Midtown Manhattan for who knows how long. Will we be having another kid here? Will Elizabeth start school here? These are the questions that are always floating in the periphery. Along with, will we ever own a home?

You see, with half of your salary going to rent, it doesn't leave much room to save for a down-payment. So maybe we should live someplace cheaper. But there is no place cheaper. (Is there? No, really; is there?)

Okay, so you don't worry about home-ownership for the time being. Just be happy to rent. But for how long? We already had to move into the living room to give Elizabeth the bedroom. (See previous post for reasons.) What happens if/when we have another baby? Even without that, having had a few people stay with us since moving our bed out here has really opened my eyes as to how not-cool it is to live in a studio. And I'm almost looking forward to the winter when we can shut our windows and the noise of the street OUT. For now, every car alarm, foul-mouthed pedestrian, and cart-clanking trash picker make it that much harder to sleep.

So do we look for a new apartment? A two-bedroom? With cost-of-living pay increases at Adam's work postponed indefinitely, there's no way we can afford to pay more rent. Plus, our landlord hasn't raised our rent at all since we've been here. I'm afraid to leave and find out that's not normal for NYC housing. Then there's that feeling we get, each time we come back from visiting family. The last few times, as we'd exited the BQE and turned onto 4th Ave, Adam has sort of sighed and said, "Why do we live here?" Don't get me wrong. I've worked hard and long to come to appreciate city life. It definitely has it's perks. And it's never boring. (Well, unless you're home with a baby who still takes 2+ naps a day.) But what about trees? That aren't encased in cement. What about grass? Space. Just space. Being able to SEE space. Stars.

Maybe it's the oncoming winter, but right now I just really don't want to be here.

End of whiney post.

Mamma's Got a Brand New Bag

2009-08-30T19:11:00.005-04:00

I've never been a "purse girl." Every handbag I've ever used has either been given to me or something I've found lying around the house. I never understood the fascination with purses. (Or shoes for that matter.) They all looked the same to me: flashy or frumpy. When we moved to NYC, I'd see women carrying enormous leather bags with big buckles and clasps and all sorts of bling and I'd wonder what on earth they needed such a big bag for and why they were all so ugly. (Now I know why the big bag—city girls on the go carry everything from their high heels to their gym clothes and a book or magazine to read on the subway and everything in between.) So I continued on my merry way, slowly but surely wearing out every satchel, tote, and diaper bag I came across.

But I was always endlessly digging, digging, digging. Where is that stupid binky? Where are those blasted keys?! Where, oh where, is that @#$%! PHONE!?!?! Thursday night, I'd had enough. I'd fished for my phone only to miss the call for the last time. It was time to grow up and get a real woman's purse.

So on Friday, Adam and I made a trip to Burlington where I figured the prices would be low enough and the selection relatively small enough that I wouldn't feel completely overwhelmed. We searched and searched, Adam occasionally showing me one he liked ("Ugh! So ugly!") while I would look wistfully at the messenger bags with embroidered flowers ("That's SO junior high.") When I was about to give up and go back to the hideous diaper bags, I saw a purse that was semi-attractive and didn't look like its owner rode a motor cycle or had airbrushed acrylic nails. But it was purple. A beautiful, subtle purple, but still, I don't ever wear purple. We took it halfway to the register, but then my heart plunged so we turned back, hoping we could find one like it in a neutral color. Adam gets all the credit here. He found the exact same purse in a lovely silver-gray. And it spoke to my soul. It has so many POCKETS!! A pocket for my phone. A pocket for the binky. A pocket for diaper stuff and another for my planner. A veritable plethora of pockets. And it was cute.

I know this might be a strange thing to blog about, but I felt that it was a small turning-point in my life. I now have an honest-to-goodness adult lady's purse.

Gaaaaaaaa! What's next? Wrinkle cream?

P.S. Adam reminded me that it's gray and I usually wear brown so it will hardly ever match my shoes. One thing at a time, I say.

The Man I Married

2009-08-24T09:59:00.006-04:00

It's been three years since Adam and I were married. It's hard to believe so much has happened in so short a time. We've had 7 jobs, lived in 3 apartments, moved 2 times, and had 1 baby. And we've traveled from one side of the country to the other. Through it all, Adam has never wavered in his love, devotion, or faith in me and the Lord. Though we've had our ups and downs, I count myself lucky to be married to such a wonderful man.

Adam loves music. One of the first of many gifts he's given me was a CD he mixed of his current favorite songs. (They change all the time.) He's introduced me to so many artists I now love. And he's taken me to more concerts in the four years I've known him, than I'd been to in all my years previous. Here's us on one of our first dates: The Aquabats.

My fondest "rock show" memory, though, was the first ever at a small juice bar in Provo where we saw a friend of his in a local band, The Handsome. I started feeling under the weather in the way only a woman can, and, much to my mortification, had to tell him I needed to go buy some Ibuprofen or I'd die. He wasn't grossed out; he didn't even flinch. He just walked me to the nearby Albertson's, paid for my medicine and a Coke, and sat with my on the curb while I waited for the pain to go away. I felt so comfortable with him. It was so refreshing.

The following Spring, after a brief but important hiatus, Adam proposed to me. He enlisted the help of half a dozen of his friends to put together one of the most romantic nights of my life. His roommate blindfolded me and drove me up to this:

where I found Adam and this waiting for me.

I said yes.

We sent out announcements. I planned and stressed and shopped. We planted some flowers.

And then we were married.

August 24, 2006. Mt. Timpanogos Temple.

And our life as husband and wife began.

Happy Anniversary, Sweet Pea.

Note to Self

2009-08-21T10:01:00.008-04:00

Take more pictures.

Two weeks ago, Adam's little sister came to visit. She stayed for a week and a half and we all had a lot of fun. But the August heat and humidity has fried my circuits and I place all the blame for forgetting to take more pictures on that.

We tried to do one thing a day, which was a great pace for me and Elizabeth. This is us walking the Brooklyn Bridge.

Saturday, all four of us went to Coney Island, the ashtray of New York. While Elizabeth contemplated eternity, Adam picked nails, shards of glass, and cigarette butts out of the sand.

Kim was a great guest. She gladly babysat whenever we asked; she helped with meals and clean-up; and she was amazingly non-whiny for a teenager. I think we all miss her now that she's gone. Especially Elizabeth. But hopefully this will be the first of many visits to the Big City.

On a side note: while Kim was here, we got to endlessly discuss the Twilight series. I had just finished re-reading Eclipse when we arrived at her house, to drop her off at the end of her visit. When we walked into Kim's room, where she always generously lets us stay when we're up there, I was confronted by wall to wall pictures of Edward, Bella, and this guy:

It was a little trippy. If you've read the books, you know how all-consuming they can be. Even on subsequent readings. Then I saw the poster (not this one) of the actor who plays Jacob Black. (I'm totally on Team Jacob.) Holy Hannah (Montana.) Is he only 17 years old? Yes, yes he is. Am I embarrassed to admit that I couldn't stop staring ALL WEEKEND LONG? Yes, yes I am. If only I'd been born in '91 instead of '81. I might have met him at a high school football game b/c, that's right! He went to Valencia High School. What! Oh yeah. I'm almost famous. And we would totally have beat them at said football game. Go Hart! Okay, maybe I spent a little too much time with Kim . . .

Paxman Family Reunion

2009-08-08T11:37:00.015-04:00

Jill, Richard, Adam, Rick, Dad, Mom, Timothy, Lauren, Emily & Elizabeth, Amy, Suzy, Taylor, Chris, Phillip

The last week of July, we drove down to Maryland for the second ever Richard G. Paxman family reunion. Though some of the cousins couldn't make it (one is getting married!), we still made up a pretty big . . . and, may I say, good-looking group. The blue theme was totally unintentional. Our gracious hosts were the Johnson's. (No relation; I didn't marry my cousin.) Jill is quite possibly the best aunt anyone could ask for. When we were little, she would have my sister and me sleep over and we'd "live dangerously" and paint our toenails. Now that we live so close, her home, as well as Amy's up in Michigan, has become a refuge of love and suburban familiarity.

The big outing of our trip was a visit to Gettysburg. In preparation, we all read The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. I highly recommend this novel, even for non-history buffs like me. I also highly recommend learning as much about the battle before you go visit. It wouldn't have meant nearly as much to me if I hadn't known who these men were that sacrificed so much.

Guessing how much a cannon gun weighs.

We divided into three groups and each car had a tour guide drive us around and tell us about each site as we asked questions. I wouldn't have wanted to see Gettysburg any other way. Incredible! The best part was when, after learning that we are LDS, our guide mentioned that he'd given a tour to some of our leaders. "One of them was . . . Gordon, something . . . ?" We saw battle fields, memorials, a cyclorama (do you know what that is? I didn't.) and ended the day at a great hole in the wall where I had the best cheesesteak I've ever eaten. We also ended up with one incredibly tired baby.

A couple of the days of the reunion were spent in downtown DC at the museums.

Adam's Kermit the Frog face. This is the only way to get Elizabeth to sleep when we're out and about. And it only lasts for 30 min max.

The live butterfly exhibit at the natural history musuem.

A butterfly landed on me! (I am a Disney princess.)

Another highlight was going to the temple with my cousin, Phillip, who recently got his mission call to Manaus, Brazil. His mission is almost entirely rainforest. !!! For those of you who don't know, before going on a mission or getting maried, members of our church participate in a special ceremony that "endows" us or gives us spiritual strength and power as we make promises to God. It was a beautiful thing to be there with Adam and my parents, and see the joy on my aunt and uncle's faces as their son took such an important step.

The last day of our trip, we went to a lake. Do you think Elizabeth had a good time?

All in all, it was a great reunion. See you guys in 2011.

She Gets It from You...No, She Gets It from You...

2009-07-23T10:51:00.008-04:00

At Elizabeth's 9-month appointment today, the doctor called her a "firecracker" and she couldn't have been more right. Lately, we've been struggling with Ms. Picky's eating habits. Remember that video of her scarfing rice cereal? Yeah, that lasted about two weeks. Then it was tight lips and "no no no" shakes of the head to anything mushy on a spoon. I gave up on solids for a while but then started worrying that she was missing out on vitamins or calories or who knows what so we've been trying all sorts of different foods. She mostly prefers things she can pick up with her fingers, but will take food on a spoon IF and ONLY IF it's not pureed and IF she's in the mood. Here's what our little gourmet will always eat:

Chickpeas (whole or the hummus variety)
Mangoes
Peaches
Cheerios
Pita bread
Baguettes
Wheat bread
Black beans
Ice cream
Yogurt (a little)

When she feels like it:

Avocados
Steamed carrots
Oatmeal (Apple Cinnamon, of course)

Anyone else notice an appalling lack of vegetables? Of course, anything that comes off Mommy or Daddy's plate (esp Thai food and lamb gyros) is greatly appreciated and more often than not, demanded by high-pitched shrieking.

E has also gotten three, count 'em, three teeth on top, which she loves to grind on her lower two teeth (shudder!) and has already mastered the art of tearing away at crusty bread.

She's also learned to use a sippy cup. Hooray!

And, finally, here is the video I promised to her G-Ma of the wonderful splash pool she sent us. Thanks, mom! The kids next door were nice enough to get Elizabeth to smile and clap for the camera.

When You're Having Fun

2009-07-12T15:11:00.016-04:00

Whoops. Sorry it's been so long. I kept thinking I'd post once something significant happened. I guess life is what's been happening while I've been waiting. So here's what we've been up to:

Adam baptized Michael, a referral from his LDS cousins in Canada.

Elizabeth went on her first beach trip. She hated the ocean but loved eating sand.

She also reached new heights of popularity on our block. People I don't even know will say, "Hi, Elizabeth" as they walk by. This is Elias, her newest friend:

We learned that Elizabeth goes cuckoo for coco puffs whenever a dog is near. This picture does not begin to portray the shrieking, clapping, arm-flailing mania that overtakes Elizabeth at the approach of a furry friend. Good thing the next-door neighbors have 4+ in their house and more that come to visit.

Elizabeth mastered crawling.

Adam worked tons of overtime for a deadline and I was a major stress case as Girls' Camp approached. But now that both are over, we've been able to enjoy some family time.

At Central Park.

We partied at the first block party of Summer '09. I didn't bring out my camera until after NYFD had come and shut off the fire hydrant, so I didn't get any cool pictures. But we had a wonderful time. We bbq'd lamb shish-kabobs, Elizabeth was passed from neighbor to neighbor, and Adam even got to play some street ball.

It's been a busy four weeks. Time is flying so fast. I can't believe Elizabeth will be nine months in a week. I think that's what she's thinking here:

"Where did the time go?"

The Latest and Greatest

2009-06-17T09:25:00.006-04:00

So lately Elizabeth has picked up some new skills.

Clapping

Crawling (sort of . . . more like scooting and inching)

And Reading. (Just kidding.)

But she is starting to really get into story time. She turns the pages, touches the textures, smiles at the babies' faces, and puts every bobble and doo-dah into her mouth. I suspect Adam enjoys story time just as much as she does.

So happy eight months on Friday, Elizabeth! You've come a long way, baby.

The Decemberists at Radio City Music Hall

2009-06-12T20:58:00.005-04:00

Our first Decemberists concert and my first animated gif.

Boy, can Colin Meloy's voice really fill that place. What an experience it was to see the Hazards of Love performed in its entirety. Initially convinced to go based on our love for the Crance Wife, Emily wasn't too excited about this tour, but was quickly won over. Their variety of instruments, great stage presence, and crowd involvement for the chorus of Sons and Daughters, all made for a very memorable evening.

I Got All of Them Cut

2009-06-08T09:06:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago, I decided that my bangs had gotten way too long and needed a trim. "How hard can it be?" I thought to myself. And with those famous last words, I hacked away at my fringe. The results were not pretty. And it was two days before the ward talent show. I ended up getting it "fixed" by getting my hair cut short. I have always wanted to try a short bob or something like that, and I figured this was my chance. Unfortunately, I didn't bring in a picture of what I wanted, and when I did point to one I liked in the book at the salon, the stylist said she'd recommend shorter layers on top to blend the inordinate amount of hair I'd mistaken for bangs and cut away. She styled it with lots of mousse and pomade. I lied and told her I liked it. (Who doesn't?) And I walked out of there feeling like a cross between a middle-aged Relief Society president and an Italian Brooklyn mom.

I liked that it was short, though, until Adam got home and looked so crestfallen when he saw what I'd done. ("Jo! Your one beauty!"*) and I even shed a few tears when I was washing it the next day and my fingers kept grasping at hair that wasn't there.

I have since tried different ways of styling it, but I haven't found my groove yet. I guess it will just take time to get used to. Here are some pictures:

The bad bang job.

After the salon.

My attempt at styling it the next day.

Me performing with Adam at the talent show. My hair looked its best that night. Haven't been able to replicate it, though.

Moral of the story? Don't trim your own bangs. Or at least don't hack off inches at a time, thinking that's what you really want your bangs to look like. And don't go to the salon without a picture and the guts to say what you really want.

*Little Women quote. Adam doesn't call me Jo.

Reunited

2009-06-01T10:08:00.020-04:00

Several weeks ago, we got the great news that Adam's mom and step-dad were finally going to be able to be sealed in the temple. They chose Memorial Day (a fitting day for such a memorable experience) and Adam's brother, Jason, who lives with his family in Missouri, decided to make the trip. It was going to be the first time in five years that Adam and both his brothers would be together. And the first time he'd be in the temple with his mom. We wouldn't have missed it for the world. Plus, it was a chance for Jason and Co. to meet Elizabeth. (I like to think that was a big selling point.)

We played . . . (squirt guns, kickball, catch, Wii, Rock Star, Apples to Apples, bikes.)

We ate . . . (Margaret's World-Famous Smoked Turkey)

We spoiled Elizabeth rotten . . .

But most importantly, we witnessed the sealing of two wonderful people.

Oh, and there was some modeling going on, too.

We also had an awesome talent show (but I didn't get any pictures :( which culminated in a dance party, with Jack on the organ, playing ABBA's Dancing Queen.

So thanks, Giovo's . . .

Jack, Megan, Margaret, Kim, and Matt.

And Johnsons . . .

Ethan, Sarah, Jason, and Tori.

For an awesome and memorable reunion.

Boo-Yah

2009-06-01T10:03:00.004-04:00

I think breaking your wooden spoon while stirring cookie dough is like busting the guts out of a baseball; you're sad you ruined it, but man! You're awesome!

Talent Show

2009-05-29T20:03:00.003-04:00

A reminder for tomorrow night. Come one, come all. It should be a good time.

Thanks, G-ma

2009-05-14T15:19:00.011-04:00

I had noticed that Elizabeth was in a kind of "gap" between toys, developmentally, and so I started looking at toys on the Internet. She loves banging her hands against things so I figured a toy piano would be the way to go and I quickly found one I liked.

Then, inspiration struck. Why buy something ourselves that I'm sure her grandparents would love to give her? Feeling rather sin verguenza (shameless, but it has a better zing to it,) I emailed my mom. She said she'd buy the piano, if I post pictures of Liddybit playing on it.

Deal.

Elizabeth can't wait to open her package.

Elizabeth ponders what note to play next.

In this one you can see her two bottom teeth that have recently come in.

Here she is playing the piano for the first time. I love how she lifts her arms, like a conductor, waiting to give the downbeat.

Later, she got so excited, she spat up all over it. I'd say that's a sign of approval, no?

I have a feeling this might get old.

So, thanks G-ma.

P.S. Grandmas: So you have them where you can always find them, here are the links to your Mother's Day videos:
Grandma Davis and Grandma Giovo.

Success!

2009-05-07T09:32:00.009-04:00

This

Plus this
Equals this:

I don't normally post recipes, but I had to post about this. A while back, my friend gave me a recipe for fish tacos. Tilapia sauted in butter and garlic, served on corn tortillas with cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, and tartar sauce. They were good. But not the mouth-watering fish tacos that Adam remembered from his trip to San Diego years ago. So this time around, I looked on allrecipes.com, my new favorite website, and found the most amazing recipe for fish tacos. I didn't want to go through the trouble of breading and frying my fish, so I still sauted it butter and garlic, but also added the following:

1/3 c. lime juice
2 T. honey
1 T. vegetable oil
1 t. cumin

If I'd been thinking ahead, I would have marinated it in that, too. I had about a pound of fish and there was more than enough marinade.

Then, instead of tartar sauce, I made this "fish sauce":

1/2 c. mayo
2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce
1 T. adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle chilies.)
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

Blend everything in a food processor or blender and spread on warm corn tortillas (before adding the fish and stuff.)

The results were "mighty scrumptious," to quote Adam. He and I both agreed this was one of my all-time best dinners ever. The fish sauce has a kick so if you don't like spicy, I would omit the cayenne pepper and maybe just use one chili. But WOW WOW WOW!. It was like an explosion of taste, like on Ratatouille. Little fireworks of goodness going off in our mouths.

Out with the Old . . .

2009-05-06T12:58:00.009-04:00

From this*:

To this:

We've been making some major changes in the Johnson household. Not long after our Easter vacation, Adam and I decided it was high time we broke Elizabeth of her swaddle habit. Okay, okay, it was my habit. I was scared to death to try to get her to sleep without swaddling her and putting a blanket over her face. But she had gotten too strong and would wake up mid-nap b/c she'd break out of what we affectionately called "the straight jacket." It was even disturbing her sleep at night, too, so I finally made the switch.

We started with just nighttime. We put her in a sleeper sack, did our normal good-night routine, laid her down and walked away. With her arms free, I couldn't put a blanket on her face because she'd just pull it off. (I also put mittens on her hands because she still scratches her face when she's overtired.) After just a little bit of crying, she got quiet. I tiptoed up to the crib to find her lying on her side, holding her bunny, fast asleep. Miracle of miracles, it worked!

Abandoning the swaddle for the nap was a little harder, but it got a lot better when we . . .

. . . switched rooms with Elizabeth.

For weeks I had been contemplating moving her to the room and us out to the front room. It had it's pluses and minuses. On the plus side, we'd be able to open our windows at night worry free, have a quiet, dark place for naps during the day, and also be able to watch the t.v., have lights on, and otherwise go about our normal business after her bedtime. On the minus side, the front room would be lighter, noisier, and, Adam pointed out, we'd look like we lived in a studio apt. In the end, the pluses (ie. the wife) won and Adam moved all the furniture in one Saturday morning. What a man!

The first few nights did not go well. We were in the middle of a heat wave and everyone was outside, late into the night. One night, Adam and I both awoke at 12 to the grating accents of a Brooklyn teenager talking on her cell phone on the steps next door. "Oh no, he di'nt! I know, right?" The conversation lasted an hour at least. By the end of the heat wave, I was a walking zombie. But Elizabeth was sleeping great! We finally solved the problem by moving the bed against the wall, away from the windows and the light. Then, Adam rearranged more furniture to make it look a little more like two separate rooms.

Now everyone is sleeping great. I put Elizabeth down for her naps and every time I'm amazed that she just falls asleep on her own. Why hadn't I tried this before!?!?! And it's also really great to sit on the couch and watch American Idol (Go Kris!) at full volume or talk to our family on the phone without having to hide out in our bedroom.

Here's our new "bedroom."

The view (clutter and all) from the front entryway.

To top it all off, Elizabeth has cut her first two teeth and has started eating solids. The first time I tried, I couldn't seem to shovel it in fast enough. Now she's slowed down (maybe since she realized rice cereal is as bland as breast milk) but she still enjoys it. We've given her green beans, carrots, applesauce, and banana. It's so fun and Adam, especially, loves feeding her. Here's a video of her first green beans feeding.

So all in all, the changes have been good ones. To end, here's one last picture, just for the grandparents.

*For the record, I didn't really swaddle her that way . . . I tried but she got out of it. That was a swaddle with the pink swaddle blanket (with arm flaps to tuck over her arm and under her back), topped with the stretchy Ikea blanket wrapped and tied over the shoulders, her favorite escape route.

What the . . .?

2009-05-05T12:02:00.003-04:00

Yes, yes, we will have another post about Elizabeth soon, but until then, a quick rant by Emily.

I have recently been receiving issues of Women's Health magazine. How or why I am getting these is beyond me. (Maybe one of you is sending me a subtle hint that I need to get back in shape?) Too bad they're not sending me National Geographic by mistake. But I digress . . .

What I don't get about these magazines is why they are filled with photos of half-naked woman. It's a woman's magazine, intended to be read by women! What on earth makes them think that I, as a woman, would be compelled to read an article or purchase a product because it's being hawked by a half-naked woman?! If anything, shouldn't these magazines be filled with half-naked men? How about naked babies? Lots of delicious-looking chocolate cake? Come ON, people!

I guess the idea is that, if I use XYZ product, I'll look like this sexy, skinny woman. But that's pre- supposing that I, the consuming female, would even want to! Walking down the beach with only my bikini bottom on and my breasts flapping in the breeze is not my idea of "alluring." I feel like Amy Poehler in Weekend Update. Really? Are you serious?!?!

Okay. Rant is over. Your thoughts?

Spring Has Sprung

2009-04-26T21:23:00.009-04:00

I suppose this post comes a little too late as we leap-frogged over spring right into summer this weekend, but here are a few of the pictures I took at Green-Wood Cemetery the other day. It was my first time going somewhere with the specific purpose of taking pictures and I had a ball pushing Elizabeth up and down the cobble-stoned paths and "composing" my shots. Of course, they are all pretty mediocre, but here are my favorites.

Spring Break

2009-04-19T19:54:00.015-04:00

For Easter this year, we went to Michigan to visit my aunt and uncle for a mini Paxman reunion. My other aunt and uncle were coming up from Maryland since their kids' spring break coincided with the Paxman's. We were gone for 6 days (!) and loved every minute of it. Here are some pics.

Timothy, the youngest cousin, loved not being the baby of the family, and got the biggest smiles out of Elizabeth. He always claimed the seat behind her in the van so he could make faces at her . . .

. . . and get faces in return.

We gathered at Grandma's for the traditional movie and popcorn. It was Elizabeth's first time meeting Great-Grandma Paxman. Notice how both grandmother and grandbaby are mesmerized by the giant TV that's off camera.

The kids (yes, that includes Adam) were treated to a laser tag game at Zap Zone and colored these print-outs to get an extra free game. It was Adam's idea, of course, to cut them out into letters. Everyone shout "Zap Zone!" (a la Trogdor.)
The bunny ears got around.

Yes, the Paxman men are certainly mature and intelligent.

And finally, everyone in their Sunday best. Thanks, Grandma G, for Elizabeth's beautiful Easter dress.

And thanks to Amy and Rick for hosting us. We had a wonderful time. See you for the real reunion in July!

Six Months Old

2009-04-18T10:20:00.004-04:00

Sunday marked six months, by date and day, that Elizabeth was born. My mom asked me if I remembered when we brought her home from the hospital. How could I forget? Those were intense and somewhat dark days for me. But now she brings us plenty of sunshine. And I'm much better at relaxing and enjoying her. Here are some videos of what she's been up to lately.

Though she smiles easily, we have to do a lot to get her to laugh, and then it only works when she's tired. But it's worth the extra effort.

Lately she's been adding consonants to her repertoire of sounds. My favorite is the "Nya nya." She's camera shy though, so it's pretty quick.

She's also gotten pretty good at sitting on her own, though she still freaks out if she falls over on anything less cushy than a down comforter.

So happy half-birthday, LittleBit!

Hey, It's Free

2009-04-07T14:44:00.006-04:00

My friend recently did a post on cutting her husband's hair for the first time, which inspired me to do a quick post about cutting Adam's hair, which I've done since we were first married. Adam learned to cut his own hair on his mission from a companion. His mom, a licensed beautician herself, gave him a set of buzz clippers and nice pair of shears for his birthday. So when we were newlyweds, he said he wanted to teach me his "technique." I was so nervous and I still am sometimes. But I have to say, if I do say so myself, I've gotten pretty good at "The Adam."

I've even gotten the fading down to an art, though I've had plenty of mishaps. In fact, Adam was even used as a model for an ad for the BYU Barbershop back when he worked for Creative Marketing at the Y. And who cut his hair? It wasn't a barber, that's for sure. (Yes, my friends, that was false advertising. At The Lord's University.) I still sometimes mumble "oops" and the back of his neck is often a little asymmetrical, but I'm proud of my new skill and happy that we don't have to pay anyone to do something we can do ourselves. So, if we have any boys, (which Adam thinks we won't on account that he wants a family full of Elizabeths) they'll all have cuts like Daddy.

P.S. I couldn't find the barbershop ad, but here's another one Adam got suckered into posing for. That hair is long!

2009-04-03T22:53:00.001-04:00

Coveting

2009-04-02T11:29:00.013-04:00

I should be doing a million things right now. But all I want to do is sit and think about stuff I want that I don't have*. I don't usually do this, I swear. Most days I go about my business doing just fine with what I've got. But every once in a while, it's like I lift up my head and notice the glaring hole in my life that could be filled by a new XYZ. And then I feel sad or hopeful (if it's near a gift-giving holiday) or just discontented. Today I'm feeling the last. But HEY! It's my birthday in two weeks. So here's my list, from largest to smallest.

1.
2.

3.4.
5.

6.
7.
8.
9.

10.If this were American Idol, Simon would call my post "self-absorbed, indulgent, and boring." Oh well. I had fun. Now, where did I put my credit card . . . ?

*Disclaimer: This blog post in no way reflects the opinions or ideas of my husband, nor does it mean to imply that said husband is not a good provider. However, readers are free to infer whatever they wish about the author's own character.