10 months

Yep.  My baby is 10 months already!!  I felt like the year had gone by a little slow and then I look at him and realize it is flying!!  In just 2 months he will be a year old.  It makes me so incredibly sad.  My teeny little 7.5lb baby is now a big 20 something pound big boy!!  Tear...
Other than me not being allowed to put him in a box to prohibit him from growing anymore, everything is going pretty well here.  Zach is growing like a little weed, Doug and I are both in school, and yeah, that's about it.  Man it sounds like we lead boring, uneventful lives.
School is driving me crazy.  Mostly because I feel like I can't keep up with the work when Zach is demanding my attention and honestly, I would rather play with him.  I know it will be worth it in a few months when it's all over and I have my degree.  Or when I win the lottery and take my winnings to a far away land and have people wait on me hand and foot while others are feeding me grapes.  A girl can dream!
Lets see, what else is new in the world of the Johnson's?  My cousin Elizabeth is due to have her baby next week.  I'm so excited!!  She chose not to find out the sex, so this is extra exciting!!  Her sister Lexi found out yesterday that she is going to have a little boy!!  He weighs a perfect 15oz right now.  Such an exciting time!!  More excitement...we are going to Canada next week for our cousin Megan's wedding.  I am beyond excited for this!!  I absolutely love visiting Canada.  It's so beautiful there.  This wedding has been a long time coming and she is going to be one stunning bride.  This is also Zach's first time out of the country.  The only place he has been is to North Carolina!!
I've done a little crafty work before school started.  Here's what I've created

just a little scrapbook paper mod-podged on a ceramic tile

Add caption

beautiful fabric I found and wrapped it around a blank canvas

ceramic coasters I made for my friend Jen

wooden letters I covered in scrap-paper 

Not how I wanted the pictures positioned, but you get the idea.  I guess that is all for now.  I have to get me and the boy ready to meet up with my friend Kammy!

Smiles!!

Love,

Sarah

Here a sickly there a sickly

Me and the boys have been battling colds for a couple of weeks now.  I gotta tell ya, nothing worse than a summer cold.  Doug and Zach comforted each other the other night.

Poor guys.

School has started and is in full swing.  This week I feel like I haven't seen Doug a total of an hour!  Monday and Wednesday he worked, Tuesday and Thursday he had school.  Tomorrow (Friday) is his only day off this week and we are spending it waiting for pest control (don't make me go in to that), enduring hurricane Earl and having lunch with my family from Richmond.  Speaking of Earl, you would never know he was coming looking outside.  It's so sunny!

Here's another sickly.  My grandmother.  She was admitted to a hospital in Myrtle Beach about 2 weeks ago for her ongoing kidney problems (stones and UTI's), while she was there they also discovered a blood infection.  Poor gal.  I offered to come down and help her, but she said her and my pappy have it under control.  She's home now and she told me yesterday that she hasn't had a cigarette in 8 days!  That's great, but for those that know her, who wants to to take bets on how many more days she can last?  I told her that if she kept it up we could come visit and stay with her because we wouldn't be breathing in that nasty smoke.  She liked that idea.

Doug is scheduled for his cardiac ablation on October 8th.  It's going to be a very early morning for us.  My sister in law is going to watch Zach, so we have to take him to her in VA Beach then back to Chesapeake General.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly and he can come home that night.  I'll keep everyone posted.

I think that is all for now...except does he look like an old man waitin it out on the toilet?

Love, 

Sarah

I couldn't make this up

So today started out like any other day.  Boy got me up at 6, we ate breakfast and then I put him in his swing to watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  I came in my room to the computer to fart around for a few before I got ready to take him for his 9 month check up (say whaaaa? I know!  9 months already!).  So anyhow, I was on the computer and I heard him poo (if you don't like to read about poop then I suggest you stop right now because it's about to get stiiiiinky up in here!).  I figured he was on his way to a morning nap, so I was going to finish up on the computer and shower before his appointment.  I walked past the living room on my way to the kitchen and I peeked in on him.  I noticed something on his face, but I couldn't tell what it was.  As I got closer I was like "what's that smell?".  Upon inspection I found poop smeared all over his arms, hands, legs, feet, face and swing as well as aaaaaaaaaall in the bottom of the swing.  And there he was, sleeping peacefully.  I tried to gently wake him up, but he was oooouuuut!  So I did what any mother would do.  I poked him and yelled his name.  He woke up crying.  I know, not exactly motherly to do that, but my child just ingested his own poop, so leave me alone.
I picked him up and took him to the bath tub.  If I had scissors I would have cut that onesie off.  There was poop EVERYWHERE!!!  In EVERY nook and cranny of that boy.  Uhhh...thanks Pampers!  Epic fail on your part!!  He was slipping and sliding all over that tub.  I finally got him all clean and smelling fresh.  I think he ate some soap during that process, but that's the price you pay for eating poop.
I told the doctor at the end of our visit that he quite possibly ingested poop.  He cracked up laughing.  He told me that he would probably be ok.  Good to know, because I'm sure it won't be the last time, although I'm hoping it is.  I really wanted to take pictures, but my thoughts of him having poop in his mouth canceled out that idea.
Well, after all that excitement, the boy now weighs 19lbs and 12oz and is 29 inches long!  He's getting so big!!
Another side note:  Today is my moms birthday.  She would have been 48.  I celebrated by having birthday cake ice cream.  So did Zach...I'm sure I'll pay for that later.

Kimberly Lorene 

August 16, 1962-August 3, 1998

I must go now.  The poop eater is screaming for me because I'm not in his range of sight.  Is it almost bed time?

Love

Sarah

Start burnin, burnin’ baby

Fire (Uh) [Uh]
Fire (It’s all about) [Uh, uh]
Fire (Woo, woo, woo)
Fire


He's on fire alright.  Or at least he will be.  Well maybe not reeeaaaally on fire, but burning for sure.  
Doug finally went to the cardiologist yesterday and they are going to schedule an ablation for him sometime next month.  Why does he need an ablation?  Because he has SVT.  What's SVT?  What in the world is an ablation?!  This is SVT and this is what an ablation is.  It's not invasive and he shouldn't feel any pain from it.  Some discomfort, yeah and he will most likely be awake for the procedure.  The doctor said he may or may not need to stay the night, so that's good news.  I'll be sure to keep everyone posted as to when and all that good stuff.
My sister in law Jan just had surgery too.  They removed her gallbladder this past Monday so hopefully she won't have any more pain or discomfort when she eats certain things.  It's a good thing we can get parts replaced/removed for our loved ones so we can keep them around for a while!
Overall, everything else is going well.  School is about to start up again for us.  I'm taking 4 classes, all online, and I think Doug is taking either 4 or 5 that he has to go to campus for.  The craziness is about to begin for us.  I'm happy that we are getting our degrees and bettering our lives, but I don't like the lack of time we have with each other once school is in session.  Oh well.  It's not forever.  I can suck it up.
Zach is going for his 9 month check up on Monday.  9 MONTHS!!!  Seriously?!?!?!  Where is time going?!  He is getting so big and so independent.  He has decided that he no longer wants ANY baby food, only big boy food.  I did give him some baby oatmeal this morning, and he was not thrilled with that so it's probably the next thing to go.  He does well with everything.  He hasn't encountered anything that he doesn't like.  Fruit is his favorite though.
I'm working on some artsy crafty things, but I don't want to post pictures yet because one of them is a gift for someone.  Once they have their gift, I'll post the pictures.
I should go.  Zach is screaming at me...as usual.


love
Sarah 

Because it's my story

     Today marks the day of my mom's passing.  It has been 12 long years since I said goodbye to her.  I always feel guilty that I feel the need to talk about it or that I'm still sad.  I was talking to my friend Jen yesterday and I explained that to her and she gave me great advice.  She said I shouldn't feel guilty because this is my story.
     It's true.  Everyone has one.  A story that is.  I don't think that my mom's death defines who I am, but it definitely plays a part.  So many people have said "it's been how many years and you're still not over it?", "she's watching you from up above", "you know she loves you and would want you to move on".  I could continue, but then that would take up so much space.  I don't think people really understand the hurt and longing for ones mother until they experience it.  Yes, it has been 12 years, but it doesn't mean I miss her any less.  If anything, I miss her more.  So much has happened since her death.  So many good things.  So many wonderful things that I wish I could talk to her about, laugh about and cry about with her.  Please save the "she's watching...she knows" line.  That's great but who wouldn't want the real thing?  Honestly, I don't think it's the actual "day" that saddens me.  It's the day before.  I think about sitting in her hospital room alone with her, holding her hand and in between tears and sobs telling her that it was ok for her to go...to die...and she did a few hours later.
     My biggest secret that I carry with me is that I get so jealous when I see other children (mostly those that are my age) with their mothers.  The other half of that secret is I can't stand when I hear them say how annoying their mothers are and that they get on their nerves.  I would give anything for my mother to "get on my nerves" again.
     As time goes on, I learn to "deal" with it.  I go about my days and think of her often during them.  I often cry for her when something profound happens in my life and I cry every time I see her in a dream.  I look in my sons eyes and get lost in the beautiful blue that they are, just like my mom's.  I think about all of the fun "motherly" things she did with me and my brother.  Dressing us up in homemade Halloween costumes because we couldn't afford store bought ones, taking a drive just to get away, mother/daughter days of laughing and tickling.  I adored our days in Harpers Ferry WV and the long walks we took over the historic land and then ended our day with ice cream.  I loved to sit and watch her put on her makeup in the morning and pull back her long auburn hair in a pony tail.  I miss the way my hands felt in hers and the way she smelled.  I have kept a bottle of perfume for the last 12 years.  It is one that she wore all of the time.  Sometimes I open it to "smell her" and surprisingly after all this time, it still smells exactly the same.  I know that may seem a little odd, but it helps somehow.
  I hope that I am half of the mother that she was.

because she loved them

my mom with my great grandfather

Our homemade costumes.  We were cabbage patch kids!

Kimberly Lorene Fink
August 16, 1962- August 3, 1998

 

So long to the mush!

Zach has decided within the past few days that he no longer wants baby food.  He turns his head every time I try to shove it in there.  Downside...I just bought a crap load of baby food for him.  Upside...this has made us eat at the table as a family and forced me to cook for myself because I'm cooking for him as well.

 This is mild compared to what it can look like!

We also had dinner with our friend Charisse who is getting ready to start law school at the University of Richmond.  We tried out a new restaurant in Suffolk called The Plaid Turnip.  It was actually pretty good!  Zach enjoyed it.  I'm not sure if you can tell by his shirt, but he did like it!

Charisse, Zach, Doug and myself at The Plaid Turnip

That is all for now...

Love

Sarah

Shower and a Soapbox

This past weekend we made another trip to NOVA for my cousin Beth's baby shower.  It was such a cute shower and she got a ton of stuff that she will need.  My aunt Tara and cousin Lexi were able to fly over from Texas to attend the shower!  It was nice to see them again. Zach kept handing out kisses to my aunt and everyone that asked for one.  I know my dad is going to be so jealous!  I wish I had gotten some pictures of it.
My aunts from PA also came down to visit with their kiddos.  It was nice to spend time with them and just talk.  Poor Doug.  He was the only guy among 6 girls (plus 1 8month old boy and a 3 year old boy).  My brother was able to hang out with us at times, but Doug still needed some non-shopping guy time, so he hung out at Barnes and Noble and a couple of other "men only" shops.  Yeah...you read that right.  We were right outside of DC and we were shopping.  It was toooooooo hot to do anything else.  Seriously, 105 is stupid hot.  Doug wanted to take the metro into DC and go to a museum, but his idea was vetoed.  Remember...6 girls?  It's a good thing we didn't because when we were leaving the mall the skies opened up and rain POURED down.  I heard on the radio as we drove home that a lot of the metro was closed due to tree limbs blocking the tracks that we would have needed to get back to our cars.
Speaking of DC...I know I spent most of my childhood in that area, but let me just jump up on my soapbox for a minute...aaaheeem....WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!  Why is it that once you come off of any other highway onto one that ends in 5 (495, 95, 695, 295...etc) everyone forgets how to drive?!?!?!  They drove me craaaaaaaazy all down 495 and 95.  Yes...it was raining and I know that we haven't seen it in a while, but admire it and keep driving!!  When you see an accident on the OTHER side of the BARRIER WALL, don't try to see what's going on!!!  That's how you cause accidents on OUR side!!!  Hence the 2 cars that apparently hit and one caused the other to spin around and face the opposite direction of traffic.  PAY ATTENTION!!  When you are driving down a "hill", don't be afraid and brake the whole way down...just drive!!  If you are unable to drive next to a wall barrier in a construction zone without using 2 lanes of traffic (my lane included in that 2)...switch me lanes because clearly you can't handle it.  You live in the DC metro area for petes sake!!  You should be used to construction barriers!!!  Please don't stop for everyday normal sightings.  You're used to it...move on.  Why didn't we stop for the random treadmill on the side of 95?  That's not normal and yet we were all NASCAR racing past that!!!  LAAAAAAWWWWWD!!!  I'm glad I don't have any trips planned to DC any time soon!!  I need at least a couple of weeks or maybe months to relax from the drive!!  Ok...stepping down now...whew...thanks.

*~Sarah~*