Playing in the Snow

Johnny woke up from his nap and realized it had snowed! He went to the door and stood there for a while, just watching the snow fall. Then he started trying to open the door saying "cold, cold, cold." He wouldn't leave it alone. Mommy and Daddy where not ready to go outside...but Johnny was. So we gathered all of his cold weather gear and Daddy and Johnny went on an adventure to the snowy unknown.

Johnny in layer 3 waiting and impatiently wanting to get outside. The layers are as follows
1: socks, diaper and thermal long sleeve shirt
2: full fleece sleeper
3: Elmo hoody, Mommy knit snake scarf, and Daddy's military issue hat
4: double lined snow pants, jacket, boots and mittens

Look Mommy SNOW

Favorite part of the snow is running in it. All he really wanted to do was walk and run and laugh.

Shaking snow from the trees.

Going extra fast down our little slide, right into the snow.

Little red face! It took a lot of arguing to get Johnny to come inside. He would have spent all day out there in the cold. But eventually the call of iced animal crackers and juice was too much to ignore.

Christmas Morning

Here is the first post from Christmas Day.

Hey Look...Johnny was VERY good boy this year and Santa came to visit leaving behind lots of gifts and toys.

Elmo here was Johnny's big gift, he sings 4 songs and over 60 phrases, reacting to hugs and head pats and all other sorts of things...even sits on his little stool.

John Robert's stocking, stuffed to over flowing!

Sweet little boy sleeping away.

And then in the morning happy and smiling, excited to see Christmas morning!



All of Johnny's family came over for the morning to see Johnny opening his presents. We where so sure he would run right to his Elmo waiting under the tree. Everything going and everyone around was a little over whelming, but he quickly warmed up and figured it all out.

Johnny had a system...he would pick a present carry it to Daddy's lap, turn around sit down and opened his present with Daddy.

He also got lots of presents from his Aunt Kimmy, GG, and Grandma Sharon. It was a very exciting morning.



Eating up his one pound chocolate Santa out of his stocking.

Look at all that loot....really! Johnny must have been a VERY good boy and very VERY loved.

Making sure he got all his presents out of every where.

Even though Santa was sure that Elmo would be his favorite toy it ended up being all of these Little People. His train which he drove around saying "choo choo" and stacking people in and out.

Johnny also really loved this car mega block play set Aunt Kimmy got him. It took her a while to put it together for him...but it was really worth it!

After presents we got dressed up and had a big family breakfast and played a whole bunch more...that is another post with even more pictures.

Christmas Eve

Hey look I finally got around to sharing our Christmas pictures! It has only been a full month.

This year spent our Christmas season with Grandma Sharon, GG, and our family in Chicago. Christmas eve we spent at home eating, watching Christmas movies and spending time with our together.


Grandma Sharon made spinach dip, Johnny loved it, and helped it self to quit a bit!

Johnny spending time with Bella...aren't they cute.

Watching a Happy Holidays Elmo's World where we all learned about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. Did you know Little Bear is Jewish?

Johnny is always a big help playing Uno.


This is one of Momma's traditions. At the traditional Penney Christmas Eve party Grandpa Bob used to peal shrimp for Momma, even though he didn't like them...Johnny didn't really care much for them either, but he tried them just like a big boy.
No one could eat anything without sharing it with Johnny, but GG was happy to share.



Johnny playing Santa and handing out the gifts he got for everyone.

Relaxing at the end of the night and watching another Christmas movie.

Leaving cookies and milk for Santa, we also read A Night Before Christmas, but Johnny didn't want to sit still for the entire book.

I got Johnny's stocking done right in time!


We all match! and yes I have a kit for Lily's stocking too :)

Bath Monster

Bath time is a special bonding time for Johnny and his Daddy, but every once in a while Mommy is called up to see something extra cute...today it was Bath Monster...have seen how cute this kid is?

An Outing with Ella and an Update

There isn't a whole lot new going on around here, but I thought it was time for a new blog post and some pictures.

On Monday we got to spend the morning with Ella, Sam and their parents. We bought some books, then went to a really cool pet store and then to a local park. It was a nice relaxing day spent with family and playing.

Johnny enjoyed seeing all of the unique animals, the big birds, snakes and lizards! This snake really reacted to him and stood straight up, Johnny loved it!

And of course fish are always fun!

And then to the park!Daddy thought it was a good idea to chase Johnny through the grounds around the park, this was the outcome...still he had a lot of fun!

Things have been going very well here. Mommy is "nesting" and we have been cleaning all the junk out of Lily's room. Grams bought us some great pink tulle layered curtains and a crib skirt, we are going to use them to pick a shade of pink for the walls, and we are trying to find some lily wall decals that will go onto the bumpy walls without damaging them. We have also been cleaning up and out Johnny's room, preparing to move all of his baby furniture into Lily's room and get him a new bed and storage of some sort. We also moved our extra TV into Johnny's room, against Mommy's better judgment. It is a temporary thing, for now it is in there to entertain him while Mommy works on Lily's room and so Johnny can play his new learning video game that Grams and Pops got him for Christmas.

He is at an amazing age! He is an amazying kid! His mind is sucking up everything you show him and his vocab has been growing like crazy. He loves to read books and can point out many animals, letters, numbers, sounds, and textures! He helps out around the house, actually demands to help out around the house.

Mommy is no longer watching Chloe. For the past year Chloe (2.5 years) has been a part of our daily lives...she even spent the night for Johnny's first birthday. Johnny really loves playing with her, calling out her name and searching for her. She was a good girl, but Mommy needs to focus on Lily and Johnny. I really hope Johnny always remembers all the fun times we had with her.

What Johnny Knows

Johnny is so smart and is learning so quickly. His speech has really picked up lately and he will repeat anything you say...anything. But this video shows what he is learning. I don't think we ever focused on naming the parts of his face, but he knows them...no question. He has been doing this for a few months now, but most of the time when I pull out the camera he just laughs at me and refuses to answer my questions until the camera is put away. And after I was done with the video and we where cheering him he put his hand on his head and said "hair!" I guess Mommy forgot that one, but Johnny didn't :) My little boy is SO big!

Lily's Loot

It is a tradition in our little family that we go out and get something special for a fetus right after the big ultrasound and sex determined. So after Shawn and I left our ultrasound last week we went to target and got this adorable animal sleeper for our Lily. I am a big one for keepsakes and keeping memories as long as possible. Johnny still has his Pooh Bear gown and cap that we bought when we knew he was safe and healthy and a boy.

Our favorite part was the fuzzy sheep feet :)


And this is the loot! Thank goodness for Samantha, who will be about 11 months older then Lily, therefore all of her season cloths will be perfect for Lily and her parents and grandparents keep everything so nice! She already has a ton of cloth, and the infant bath tub. Grams and Pops went out and bought her new bottles and binkies (Soothie this time, since I do plan on nursing most of the time, at least during the day) and this adorable binkie holder tether that makes the binkie look like it is a big flower around her mouth!

Speaking of binkies and big boys, Johnny has been learning to give his binkie up. He is down to using it just at naps and bed time and next week we planning on going less on that as well. He is such a good boy and has been loving helping out around the house, and cleaning up after himself. After each meal he puts his plate in the sink without being asked! He listens real well and does as he is told, most of the time. Every day he amazes me more and more with how smart and create he is. He has a new toy from Santa, Little People. The are these plastic people without legs that fit into various houses and cars and other stuff. Johnny got a bus, an animal train, a school house and a yard with blocks and a bunch of people. He really gets that they are people and loads them into the bus or train then "vrooms" it around, even "choo choos" with the train. In this cold winter though we have learned that he has minorly sensitive skin. He started getting itchy rashes under his hair and down his back, belly, and face. The Dr says it is just a reaction to the cold dry winter. He has been getting washed less, lotioned more and benydrl some nights. It seems to be controlled well enough, though the red bumbs and spots on his face keep coming back, he is a real trooper!

On a brother sister note, I have been having trouble adjusting to having two children. What is said is true, there is always enough love and when we found out we where having a second baby I loved her immediately, with no question and there was enough love for both, attention is another thing. I have been planning a lot of knitting projects for Lily, aside from her come home set, there are tons of patterns for dresses and dolls, and bonnets and ruffle butt diapers that I have been dieing to try, but the items I have made for Johnny have always been limited. A monkey doll is best I have made for him. I started a cable cartiagn hoody for him for his birthday, but I always want them to feel equal and know that I love them the same. The knitting projects is just the start. I have always wanted a daughter, but one daughter would have never been enough and I never want Johnny to feel like he isn't as special to me because he is a boy, I want us to keep having the connection we have now! He will always be my first born and son, more special to me then I ever thought something could be and in our own way as, mother and son I have found out who I really am and I see more of myself in his eyes. I wish I was better with words. There is more in my love for Johnny that I hope he can always feel. and I hope this makes sense to both of them one day. I feel so blessed to have two healthy happy children who will always be with me!

I think that is a full update for now. I promise a Christmas post this week :)

IT IS A HEALTHY GIRL!

Say hello to Lily Jean Branson, Johnny's little sister and our Little Cupcake!!! 19 week ultrasound today went beautifully and she is 10 ounces and everything is working and developing very smoothly!

It was another one of those wonderful days where you realize and feel what is really going on. She started moving nearly three weeks ago and the kicks and movements have become stronger every day, but today watching her on the screen and seeing each part of her, from her legs to her finger, her heart, her spine, everything...it was over whelming. It is all real, we are really having another baby, we are really having a daughter. Daddy spent the day thinking about how real she finally is and said it more then once. Mommy spent the day on the phone with Grams planning out her nursery (antique white and pink...lots of ruffles, and Lilys!) and what Mommy will knit for her to come home from the hospital in (a cupcake bean hat, ruffle blankly, and antique white gown.) We even started a small registry on Amazon.com, more of a list of what we still need. She is real, and now we really start planning and organizing to welcome her into our lives.

The beanie hat Momma is going to make Lily to come home from the hospital in!