Catching Up...

 Merry Christmas from the Johnson's

Ooopsie, skate fell off!  But boy oh boy does he LOVE skating!!!!!!

I am finding things trickier with updating my blog lately.  Our basement has been under major finishing so Evan and I have been "living" at my parents off and on.  So I figure I better sit down and write a bit for those of you still lovingly following along my blog and my thoughts.

Christmas was nice.  I always find it bitter-sweet.  Aching for the children missing from the excitement of it all, yet feeling so blessed and fortunate to be finally watching OUR son opening gifts and racing around with his cousins.  I find myself very emotional during the holidays...but Christmas especially.

Christmas day was spent at Brett's parents.  It was fun, yet boy did I feel old!  When I first entered Brett's family all the kids were just little...that was about 14 years ago the first Christmas I shared with them before Brett and I got married.  I remember finding it overwhelming because there were so many family members.  But I remember it being so joyful for everyone.

That first Christmas was very difficult for me.  My grandpa had had a stroke that year and our family spent Christmas at the hospital.  He passed away shortly after. 

This year I missed my grandpa as much as I did those first years.  But this year I longed to hear him and see him and listen to that infectious laugh of his!

All I can hope is that he is playing "Pop goes the weesle" on his violin for my children...his great-grandchildren.  And that they are giggling away as he allows them to bush out his comb-over like we did.  Those memories make me smile.  I am glad for those memories.

I also made a visit to the cemetery to "visit" with Zac.  It was a cccccold visit so I wasn't able to stay too long, but enough to carve out another path to his plot in the snow and clean up his plaque.

It's not the way Christmas should be.  That's not the visit I should be making.

But this time I have a place to go.  This time his name is there for those around to see.  Where our first babes have nothing.  This was our Jack, Ethan and Whisper's 3rd heavenly birthday...Dec. 6/07.  It's hard to believe how the time goes.

After my visit I was able to clean myself up and found a joy filling my heart when I went back and watched my son tag along with all his big cousins.  He was right in there like noone's business!  Sooo funny!!!  Just one of the gang.

Brett smiled and said "this is how Christmas should be". 

We both know it holds a sting and an ache...but we both feel the joy and honor of now being able to "fit in" with our amazing Evan.  How could it not bring a warmth to our hearts.  How could we not find ourselves smiling like little school kids at recess. 

We are living a dream.  We are living a blessing.  And we know that this is how Zac would want it to be.  We know he wants us to give our all to his little brother (well, by exactly one minute younger :))

And we don't even have to think twice.  Our love for Evan is fully Evan's.  No hold backs.  No pains attached to our love for him.  The only pain is loving his so much that I wonder if my heart will rip apart from overflowing.

We are blessed with all our children.  Each with their own special memory and each with their own respective places in our hearts.

The following day we had Christmas two at my parents.  Now the kids on my side are all young...so it was loud and wild like the first years in Brett's family Christmases.  And it was so fun to hear our son part of the noise!!  Part of opening gifts and stealing his cousins gifts when he could.  A true dream come true.

We headed out to Sherwood Park, AB on the 30th and visited with precious friends.  We got to see our buddy Kardin and the newest addition, 7 week old Boston.  Evan had a RIOT with Kardin!!!!  It was so fun watching them playing.  We had gotten Kardin a make up set with actual kid make up, and Evan was right in there wanting to "pretty up".  After some explaining that make up is for GIRLS, we let him have his fun with his pal! 

It's just crazy watching Evan growing up so fast before our eyes.  It's so true...in a blink of an eye...

I also got to have some precious cuddle time with little Boston.  Brett and I giggled though because we thought of Evan at 7 weeks...barely 3lbs and still 5 weeks earlier than my due date.  It was crazy to hold a term baby!  It took a while for Evan to be that weight for sure!!

But it was nice to feel that sweet baby boy in my arms.  To allow myself to dream a little bit :)

I am just so happy when I think of this precious family!  I'm already looking forward to our next visit!

Evan did great with the drive out and back home.  But of course his schedule was out the window so it took a while to get back on course.  Fortunately the major stuff with the basement was pretty much complete, so we have been able to hang out at home again.  Which is nice!  And sooooo nice to have the basement to play in!!

So, latest updates.  Hmmmmm.  Things have been oddly "normal" in our lives.  Evan hasn't had any appointments lately...and that has been a nice feeling!!!  A couple coming up, but just standard check ups. 

He is doing amazing!  And we are very fortunate for that!!

He has been having some rough nights again...therefore...so have I!  But I will take those rough nights ANY DAY and not complain or wish them away...because the alternative of what COULD have happened, and the years we spent in pain dreaming of children...those nights were far worse wishing we were up with our child/ren.

I get tired of the moments where I catch myself "complaining" about how tired I am or how I wish Evan would sleep through the night or whatever might be the case.  I realize that yes, I'm a human and I get tired and down...but like I say...we dreamed of a child/ren for so many years, and shed so many tears since.  I now cherish my exhaustion.  I welcome it in a strange way.  Those moments where I hear my son calling for "mommy"...that's me!  He is calling for ME.  And I wouldn't want it any other way.

We went through so much to get to this point that I don't feel like I "deserve" to complain or get frustrated. 

Now...DON'T get me wrong...I DO complain and get frustrated...but when I hear myself doing that...it makes me sad.  Yes, the human emotions when exhausted are easy to be frustrated...but I would give away all my sleep to have all our children here and calling for me. 

It is for a time.  It is for a season.  And I DO NOT want to wish those times and seasons away.  I DO NOT want to rush my son to grow up just so I can catch some shut eye.

I want to savour every moment.  I want to feel everything I always dreamt of feeling, and everything I always heard others "complaining" about and wishing they understood how lucky they were to GET to be tired for this reason.

I am here in this place I wished and prayed for.  Yes, with many pains and brokeness along the way...but I am here...and I am thankful.

Anyhow, regarding seasons...

Yesterday morning I made a huge step and converted Evan's crib in to a TODDLER BED!!!!!!!!  I thought why not.  It was getting hard to get him in over the rail with the matress so low, and he IS growing up so quickly.  I figured why not do some trial and error!  So far...no error!!!!!  He had his nap yesterday in his "big boy bed" and did great, and then last night slept in his bed (although some interuptions through the night) and stayed in it and didn't fall out!  And is now napping again in there.

I've always had his bedroom door closed through the night so the dogs wouldn't disturb him or any noises, but in the toddler bed I thought maybe I should leave it open a bit so IF he did climb out there would be a tiny bit of light from the hall thermostat.  I was worried about him wandering around, so I put up a baby gate in his door way and left the door open just a crack when we all turned in.

My concern after putting him down was ME!!!  Having to climb over it without banging my foot, or the thought of forgetting about it and crashing right in to it in the night if he awoke. 

And since last night was the first NIGHT I have learned that even though he wakes up, he just sits in his bed and cries for me without coming out.  That might change the more he becomes aware that he CAN get out.  But for now I think I will just keep the gate down and the door closed.

I've "proofed" his room as best as I can and have hidden all the cords from any electrical outlet.  And I still use a monitor and I hear any little noise in my sleep, so I think we'll try it this way tonight.

Trial and error!

Walking in his room and seeing his toddler bed...that was a tough pill to swallow!  My teeny is a TODDLER!  My baby who lived in an isolette for so long is now in a TODDLER BED!!!  WOWWWWWW!!!!!!

Other than that, the weather is taking a turn.  I'm watching outside my back window and watching the tree line of the cemetery fade away behind the blowing snow.  Yuck!

Apparently we are supposed to get a rather large dumping of snow tonight, tomorrow and the next day as well I believe. 

And it is cccccccold!  With the windchill it is supposed to feel like -33 degrees!  YUCK!!

Time to sit in front of the fireplace and enjoy that warmth!!  I love my fireplace!

Well, I suppose I should get going.  Evan is at the tail end of his nap...however with the nights he has been having maybe he'll surprise me and sleep a bit longer to make up some lost z's! 

I should go and get a few things done and try to figure out what to make for supper.

My dream...a personal chef!!!!  What a treat that would be!!  I enjoy cooking, but some pampering is always nice!  A girl can dream, right?!  hee hee hee.

HAPPY 2011 TO YOU ALL!!!

My blog will certainly continue...

I hope to get to know some of my readers a little more!

Blessings to you all!