Wordless Wednesday - Daddy's Little Helper

Daddy couldn't wait to start painting Baby Boy's room ...

and of course Abby was excited to help her Daddy ...

She's already such a big helper ...

and very proud of herself! :)

Disney ... where MAGIC lives.

As much as I love the holidays, I get a bit stressed with how fast they approach us and then get saddened by how quickly they leave. It just seems like we get so excited for the holiday fun, it gets here, and then it's gone in the blink of an eye.

That is exactly how the whole month of November has felt. Although I guess what they say is true ... "time flies when you're having fun." And the Johnson Family has had tons of fun this past month and makes me super excited about the fun in store for December.

This past week we met Jim's brother, his wife, and their two girls in Orlando for a little Disney action before Thanksgiving. Since it was Abby's first time at Disney World, we were a little skeptic about how she would react, whether or not she would be overwhelmed, and just how much of the whole magical experience she would take in.

We had three days of fun, which I think was just enough for our little girl. Downtown Disney the first day, Magic Kingdom the second, and on the last day we visited several countries at Epcot. My favorite by far was the Magic Kingdom ... a special place that seemed to bring the curiosity out of Abby. She looked at everything around her, went on her first rides, and met the one and only Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Skeptic at first, but by the end she was giving Minnie high fives and pounding it with Mickey.

I love how Disney makes everyone a kid again. It's true ... the magic of the place just gives you that feeling. And maybe it's different seeing it through the eyes of your children ... those smiles and wide eyes make the no nap days that come with meltdowns totally worth it. Afterall, what's better than rides, dinner with Disney characters, and getting hugs from princesses?!?

By the end of the last day, the kids were tired out .... the adults were tired .... and everyone agreed our stay lasted just long enough. Abby had such a fun time with her cousins and it was so special that they got to share Disney together and make these memories for years to come.

Disney awaits us ....

The Johnsons are Disney bound tomorrow! Woo hoo!

It will be Abby's first time and we've been talking it up all. week. long.

Talking about Princesses. Mickey. "Foofie" (Goofy). Pooh. Rides.

And out of all of it, Abby is most excited to see this guy ....

M-I-C-K-E-Y!!

We'll be back Wednesday .... just in time to start cooking for Thanksgiving :)

BIG news here!! It's a ......

BOY!!!!

We are thrilled and feel so blessed to have this little "bundle of boy" joining our family. More updates to come .... :)

Wordless Wednesday - Abby's Runway Walk

A few nights ago, Abby started with this walk that really made us laugh. Of course I'm not sure what's worse... the booty shakin' walk or the fact that her Daddy and I are encouraging her to do it for the camera!

And just in case you were wondering, there will be NO Toddlers and Tiaras in our future, this I promise :)

18 weeks - Baby No. 2 :)

18 weeks today ... unbelievable! This pregnancy seems to be flying by ... maybe it's due to the fact that I'm feeling much more like myself these days, except with a belly. :)

My bloggy buddy Torie over at Twenty Five Design is also pregnant with her second child. Each week she does pregnancy updates with some simple questions. I decided to borrow this format so I can easily keep y'all updated with Baby No. 2!

Here we go .. and thanks Torie!!

Total weight gain: not quite sure, I need to check with doc next week!

Maternity clothes: a mixture of both, but mostly maternity

Sleep: great, with weird dreams

Best moment of the week: date night with the hubs for our anniversary & Abby lovin' on my belly

Movement: little flutters :)

Food cravings: apple pie, which Abby and I made tonight!

Gender: finding out November 18th

What I Miss: not much of anything this week

What I'm looking forward to: gender appointment

Things I've been experiencing this week: round ligament pain and more and more movement, even though it's still just flutters

Size of the baby: sweet potato

1st Birthdays

First birthdays are a big deal ... for the parents, family, and friends of the special little one turning one. Celebrating a first birthday is like no other. Similar to any other birthday, you can't ever get it back, but the memories shared on the first birthday are just so special. Parents celebrate the milestones that came with the first year, they think back to the first few days of holding their newborn, and have a complete understanding of what it feels like to love a child unconditionally.

This weekend we were lucky enough to share this special day with close friends of ours. Their adorable little girl (also the clown on Halloween) was the reason for such a big celebration. Sweet girl had no idea what was going on, not even a clue that all this excitement was because of her!

The party was decorated beautifully with bright colors, sweet treats, and tons of crafty ideas everywhere you looked. Kudos to the Mama for working so hard to put together such a fun themed party. Homemade cakes, cake pops, yummy sandwiches, and sweet lemonade. Everything was just perfect.

The birthday girl did a great job entertaining the crowd and keeping a smile on everyones face. The children blew bubbles outside, played with little toys thanks to Aunt G, helped open presents, and indulged in all things yummy.

And the best part of it all ... the cake!

The crowd favorite of any first birthday party is the birthday cake. The birthday girl wasn't so sure about the icing at first, but lick after lick she knew it couldn't be resisted. Then she finally let go and had at it... posing for the camera with every bite. Always a riot when they dig in and make such a huge mess! Especially a mess big enough that leads to this .... a much needed bath. And nap. :)

It's always kind of sad to think "it's already been a year?!" ... But once you look back at all the memories that were created in that first year, think about all that are yet to come. It just keeps getting better. All. the. time.

"Trick Treat"

Our little kitty cat had such a fun time trick-or-treating or as she would say ... "trick treat." We decided to stay in our neighborhood again this year, inviting friends over to join in on the fun.

Our friends brought over their sweet girl who is about to turn one next week. She was by far the cutest clown I'd ever seen. Seriously... take a look at that adorable homemade outfit and those big, blue eyes!

I had more fun taking pictures of this sweetie because Abby wouldn't sit or stand still. Hey, at least she had fun running all over the place... and tiring herself out :)

Along for the trick-or-treating was this sweet pup Millie. Friends of ours brought her along and the kids in our neighborhood just loved her. She got quite the attention, both from the kids and from Max. He loved having a playmate for the night!

Finally ... Abby poses with La for a picture! So far this is only the second decent picture of her... :) These two play so well together and Abby is like a little mother to her. It's the sweetest thing.

Abby loved going up to the houses and saying "trick treat" and picking out the candy she wanted. Her and La also enjoyed taking turns pulling or pushing the wagon ... was the wagon more of a hit than the candy?!

The best part about trick-or-treating was being in our own neighborhood. We've been in our new house for a year now (moved in last Halloween) and it really made me realize how lucky we are to live in such a nice place. The neighbors are all so friendly and it's definitely a great neighborhood for children.

I hope everyone else had a fun, safe, and HAPPY Halloween! :)