Nana and PopPop Johnson visit Sarasota

Nana and PopPop arrived in Sarasota on Monday evening and left early this morning to head back to their warm weather in Arizona. The week was full of fun and went by way too fast, just like always. Of course Abby was spoiled with Christmas gifts and she loves her new toys. It's so fun to watch her facial expressions as she plays with them.

PopPop helped Jim do some projects around the house, while Nana, Abby, and I did what we do best... SHOP! We also spent an afternoon at Marina Jack, where we walked by the water, took a lot of pictures, and had a nice lunch outside. It was a gorgeous day in Sarasota. Abby tried some new things too while Nana and PopPop were here. We tried cereal again ... this time with just a little bit of applesauce mixed in. She was okay with it, but still not so sure. Abby also began to play in her Exersaucer... what a big girl!!! (Pictures to come later...)

Not only did Abby enjoy her grandparents, Max got a lot of extra attention from them too! He was in heaven.... playing ball, going for walks, and even getting some comfy sleepy time in bed with them.

It's always nice to have family in town, especially around the holidays. It's so special for grandparents to visit and see how much and FAST little Miss Abby is changing. She just adores her family! :) Now it's time for Gramma and Grandad Rowland to get into town... more fun ahead!

Abby loves her new caterpillar from Nana and PopPop!

Abby was telling Nana stories before bathtime.... she had a lot to say!

PopPop and Abby enjoying a walk at the marina.

Playing around with the new camera .... Abby was too serious!

Swinging at the marina with Nana and PopPop .... is Abby a happy baby or what?!

Abby taking a turn on the swing with Mommy and Daddy ...

Kisses for such a sweet baby! :)

Abby's First Christmas

Baby's First Christmas

The Johnson Family :)

It was this time last year, Christmas Day, that Jim and I found out we would be welcoming a baby into this world. That was the best gift I could have ever asked for. Here we are a year later, celebrating our first Christmas together as a family, with our new bundle of joy.

Kisses from Daddy...

Mommy with Abby

Our first Christmas with baby Abby was wonderful. On Christmas Eve, we took Abby to the children's service at church. She seemed to enjoy the children's choir and loved the candlelight part of the service. Sometimes she would get upset when the organ became really loud, but for the most part she sat on Daddy's or my lap and just looked all around. Santa visited Olive Avenue later that night, leaving tons of presents for a baby that would have no idea what this holiday was all about!

Santa made it!

On Christmas morning, Abby woke us up around 8, ready to go! I fed her while Jim made us waffles with his new waffle maker. Then, Abby opened a few presents from her Daddy and Santa. Daddy loves to spoil his little girl... more clothes, books, and toys! Abby's favorite thing of all was the wrapping paper.... the way it crunched, crinkled, and of course.... it went straight to her mouth. Hmmm... guess we didn't need so many toys?! After a while, Abby went down for a nap (with lots of presents still unopened) and Jim and I were able to exchange our gifts. Jim loved his new dovetail jig tool, even though he intercepted it in the mail weeks ago. Abby gave him some personalized golf balls with her picture on them... very cute! I absolutely LOVED my gift... the Canon Rebel. This camera will capture many laughs and smiles for years to come!!

Yum... that wrapping paper must taste good!

Abby liked her gifts too, especially watching the butterfly crawl around!

After Abby woke up from her nap, we headed to Valrico to continue celebrating this special day with some dear friends of ours. The Brancas have been kind enough to invite us into their home the past two Christmases. Since it's just us here in Sarasota, it's nice to have another family to reach out to. They always go all out, which isn't necessary, but well enjoyed! We shared a wonderful meal, played with Abby and MORE new toys, and enjoyed being a part of the family for the day!

The Branca Family loves little Abby!

Sue finally has a girl in the house!

Our first Christmas with Abigail was a special one. Abby is such an amazing addition to our lives and I can't even imagine what life would be like without her anymore. Jim and I are truly blessed to have some a wonderful, happy baby to make us smile every day. We look forward to continuing the holidays with our parents visiting us. Abby is so excited to see you Gramma and Grandad, Nana and PopPop!!!! :)

Abby's First Bite

After being given the OK to start cereal, Jim and I decided to give it a try yesterday. However, I forgot to warm it up.... and she wanted NO part of it. Could have also been that she was hungry and did not want something out of the ordinary. Either way, she screamed and stopped after only a few bites.

Today went a little better, but she still doesn't know what to make of it. We'll try again in a few days! :) Enjoy the video - it's a funny one!

What's that Abby?

(Can you guess what Jim was doing before this? Knee pads, grout all over his arms......)

For Christmas, Carol gave me a video monitor and I already love it after only using it one night. We are able to see her every move and you can even see her breathing! At one point last night, I saw her smiling under that binky... she must of been having some good dreams! I would have never thought it would make things easier, but it does. Instead of getting up at every cry or wimper, I can just look and see what's going on without getting out of bed! Love it... thanks Carol! :)

Mommy watching Abby sleep ... so peaceful :)

Close up ... this thing is AMAZING!

THIS and THAT....

I always look forward to Abby's well visits to the doctor, but quickly remember how dramatic they can be when those needles come out. I can't stand watching her get those shots, she just screams and looks at me with that "why are you letting them do this to me?!" face. Poor thing. Besides the shots, Abby is doing excellent. She weighed in at 13 pounds, 3 ounces, which puts her in the 50th percentile for weight and her height puts her in the 25th percentile at 23.5 inches. Abby is just growing like a weed!

It was overall a great visit and a lot of my questions were answered. We were given the go ahead to start cereal whenever we are ready. Looking forward to that next step ... hopefully it goes well! The doctor expressed a bit of concern about Abby's neck strength since she still prefers to look to her right. It may be a mild case of torticollis, which can easily be reversed with some help. I'm doing things at home with Abby that seem to be helping a lot and we will probably have a physical therapist take a look and show us some things to do with her.

Cute random pic.... this is how I picked her up from daycare last week. The teachers put her hair in pigtails!! :)

In other news, Abby and I had a busy weekend with Aunt Jenny. She came to visit and spend some time with us! It was great and I already miss her company. We spent a lot of time playing with Abby, shopping, looking at Christmas lights, visiting Santa, and walking to the park. Jen and I had some time to ourselves too baking Christmas cookies and seeing the play "Annie." Here are some pictures to show off the fun we had together!

All smiles for Aunt Jenny ....

Abby enjoyed every second!

Abby's new friend... glow worm. She loves it, thanks Aunt Jenny!

4 months old, already?!

"Look at me... I'm 4 months old!"

This picture says it all. Abby is truly such a wonderful baby... she is happy, finds humor in almost anything (even the white ceiling can make her smile), and she is able to melt the heart of anyone that simply looks at her. Just look at her... how can you NOT smile?!

I can't believe it... 4 months already?! Abby has great head control now, is enjoying tummy time more and more, and can roll over from tummy to back. She smiles all the time, giggles but we have to really work for it, and coos like she knows exactly what she is saying. Her hair is starting to thin out a bit, especially the bald spot on the back of her head and it's also starting to lighten in color. Abby is still napping well and sleeping well most nights. Yesterday, Jim and I decided to stop giving her Prevacid (the medicine she was taking each day for acid reflux). I'm not sure that was really the main problem to begin with, so we'll see how she does without the meds. I hate the thought of medicating our baby if she doesn't need it. We'll see how her tummy does over the next few days!

Abby's four month appointment is on Monday so I will update her weight, height, percentile, and all that good stuff afterwards. :)

"Who... me? I'm the cute baby?"

Baby's First Christmas with Santa

Abby's first visit to Santa was a success! Aunt Jenny and I took her to the mall today to meet Mr. Claus himself. I was nervous that Abby would be unsure of Santa and cry but she was such a happy baby and sat on his lap for a few minutes smiling and looking all around. After placing Abby carefully on Santa's lap, I told him that he looked like the "real" Santa and he quietly whispered, "but I am." To this I could only respond, "We believe..."

Abby is on the GOOD list this year! :)

More park pics...

Here are a few more shots

from the park taken with

Carol's new camera. It takes

beautiful pictures and you

are able to catch moments

that happen in a split of a

second.

Hmmm, we may need to invest in one of these eventually!

Abby is so interested in the world around her.

I love this little girl.

Good times!

Today was an absolutely beautiful day in Sarasota, yet a bit too warm for this time of the year. I know, I know... those of you reading this up North wish you had a taste of this warm weather and sunshine! Wink, Wink :) Abby and I first headed to the mall to meet Carol and Chloe for a little shopping, walking, chatting, eating, and a little bit of playtime in between.

Chloe loved Abby's feet! They are BFF's (that was for you Carol!)

Then, Abby and I came home for naptime. Unfortunately, she was the only one who got to take a nap. How does that ALWAYS happen?! After a short nap, Abby and I met back up with Carol and Camdyn this time for some playtime at Marina Jack. It was too nice of an afternoon to spend inside, so we walked around the marina and Cam played on the playground, threw rocks into the water, and posed like a mermaid for pictures. It was too cute! Abby just kind of hung out and seemed to enjoy herself, especially sitting in the actual stroller. She looked a bit small, but it worked well and she was happier because she could see so much more!

Can you find Abby?!

Abby looks comfy...

and happy ....

and was one tired little girl on the way home. :)

I am so thankful to have a best friend like Carol. We always have fun together, whether it's just walking the mall or playing with the kids at a park... it's always a good time! :)

Happy Birthday Mommy!!!

Today was my 28th birthday and I realized just how wonderful my husband is. Actually I notice this a lot but today was extra special. I had a day all to myself at the spa, while Abby and Daddy spent the day together. It was so nice to get pampered .... Jim really outdid himself! I had a body "polish" (to be explained later) and wrap, facial, manicure, pedicure, and my hair styled. Come to find out, the so called "polish" was more like a bath. Although it was rather relaxing, I never thought I'd say I got bathed by a woman at the spa!

After getting pampered all day, Jim, Abby, and I went to Olive Garden for dinner with two of my great friends, Kirsten and Candice. It was a nice time and Abby was a good little baby, even when she got tired! Thanks to everyone for such a special day and for all of the birthday wishes! :)

Abby loves playtime with her Daddy!

Random Pictures

Reading with Mommy ... Abby loves her books!

"Tummy time.... look at me!!!"

"Here I go....watch me roll.... I can do it!"

"Whoa... how did I just do that??"

Anything better?

Is there seriously anything better than making a baby laugh? A few days ago, I might have said ice cream, finding a good sale on shoes, or staying in pajamas all day long. All that changed just an hour ago...... the answer is simple.... there is NOTHING better than making a baby laugh. Daddy was able to get Abby's first laugh a few weeks ago and a few days later I got my first laugh. Then about a week ago, Abby gave me a good belly laugh that made me smile for a good five minutes!

Today, I was changing Abby's diaper at the mall and she gave me the biggest, longest belly laugh I have EVER heard. I kept making silly faces and tickling her to keep her going. It was great. Nothing like it.... The family bathroom was crowded too, but I didn't care that another Mom and Dad were staring at me or that there was another Mom waiting to use a diaper changing station. I could not and would not leave that area until she stopped laughing. It was soooooooo cute, it melted my heart. Just thought I'd share the highlight of my day! :)

What's a day like for Baby Abby?

Is this sweet little girl Abby? Nooooo, Abby doesn't have teeth yet!

My Great Aunt Myrt found this picture of me and sent it to me earlier this week. My mom and I decided that I was 8 months old when this picture was taken. Hmmm.... do you think it looks like little Miss Abby?

Here are a few pictures to snapshot a day in the life of Abigail.........

After waking up and a bottle, it's playtime!

After more playtime with Mommy and getting dressed, it's time for our first nap!

Abby looks so peaceful.... and comfy!

Photo shoot with Mommy... of course!

Sitting in the bumbo seat, working on that neck and head strength.... and trying to keep from losing all the hair on the back of her head!!

Smiling at Daddy before bathtime..... then bed!

Family time :)

It was so nice to have family in town for the Thanksgiving holiday. Uncle Chris had been to our house once before, but it was a first for Aunt Melinda, Caroline, and Savannah. They were all excited to meet Abigail for the first time. The girls were probably more excited to meet Max at first (and rightly so), but eventually realized the baby was here too! :) We had a ton of fun at the park at Marina Jack, putt putt golf, shopping, movies, fancy dinner, and of course Thanksgiving Day was wonderful. Having family around for the holidays makes it even more special! :)

Savannah can fit in Abby's Bumbo seat!

Caroline being silly in Max's bed.... she loved the window! :)

Baby Abby - 3 months old and growing so fast!

Savannah and those beautiful blue eyes!

So cute .... Caroline loved holding Baby Abby!

Aunt Melinda & Abby ... so happy!

Savannah loving her cousin ...

This picture should be entered into a funny photo contest. Seriously. I look pregnant, fat, and like I'm sticking my butt out for the whole world to see. If you look closely, Melinda's right behind me, so that would be her butt.... her shirt and hair even blend in to make it look like it's ALL ME!!! Jen - I love my apron! :)