Baby Johnson #2

I would like to start out by saying that I am not a very big fan of belly shots...for some reason they just never turn out to be all that attractive (I am speaking of my own belly shots, of course!), but because I love my family and friends who have requested to see what I look like pregnant, I am willing to post these "lovely" photos.

This first photo was taken back at 17 weeks. I was just a "wee bit" smaller then...

And this photo was taken on Friday, at 24 weeks. As you can see, the baby and my belly have at least doubled in size, and my shirt is quite a bit shorter. :P I honestly have this inkling that I am going to be and feel HUGE by the end, but I know that it will be completely worth it!

And for those of you who do not yet know......

......Linnea is going to have a......

LITTLE SISTER!!!

(in case you couldn't tell by the pink bow :))

Can you believe the ultrasound picture! What a special treat! I have to admit that I was kind of bummed that my insurance for some reason would no longer pay for my doctor to do my ultrasounds, but required that I get them done somewhere else. Well, the Lord decided to surprise me with this being a blessing, as their equipment was much more advanced, and they were able to get this beautiful 3D picture of her face....I see a Johnson nose :)

So...there you have it. It's getting late, which means bed for me, but I just want to say that overall I can genuinely say I am thankful for this pregnancy. The Lord is in a very real way teaching me complete dependance upon Him, as it hasn't been physically easy or enjoyable, but for that, I am thankful. As headaches come often throughout my week, I find myself praying more and focusing on the gospel more, especially as I am also reading Because He Loves Me, by Elise Fitzpatrick, which has so far been a phenomenal book! It is all about applying the gospel to daily life...and I mean daily, practical life. I can truly sit here and write that God is SO good (and mean it too! :)) I am truly experiencing his very real grace in my life, and I am so grateful for all the many blessings through the hardships.

Well, I could write much more, but I need to sign out. And I can't leave without saying Happy Easter! I hope you all have had a wonderful, joyful day celebrating our risen Lord, and marveling in all that He has done for us in His sacrifice on the cross and victory over death!

Linnea

Here is just a glimpse into the life of Linnea. She loves to wear hats, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and shoes. Yesterday, it was her snow hat, and she decided that her baby needed her hat on too!



Really...I wish there was a way to catch everything on video. She does the cutest things! I hope to get one of her reading a book...it is quite adorable!

Stay tuned for some baby #2 pictures and a couple more videos! :)

Another Fantabulous Visit!

Papa and Grandma (aka...my mom and dad) came for a visit a couple weeks ago, and we had a wonderful time! We mostly had Grandma for the week, as my dad was attending the Shephard's Conference, and Linnea grew quite fond of her "Baba". I think it only helped that Grandma insisted on sleeping with Linnea in her room. I still feel bad, as Linnea tends to sleep talk and babble in the morning, but hopefully it was somewhat enjoyable :).

Grandma spoiled us and took us shopping one too many times! :) Linnea still loves her Hot Wheels "Fishie" Cars that she got, seeing as Linnea loves fish. It is always such a special blessing to have family come visit and 24/7 fellowship with my mom all day long. Did I mention there were never any dishes for me to do the whole week. I got so used to walking into a miraculously clean kitchen every day, that I wasn't sure how to handle "clean-up" after meals once she had left. Thanks mom for serving me! I felt like I was on vacation for a week...not quite sure that is how it is supposed to go! Your selfless heart GREATLY blessed me! :) Here are some pics from the week.

Dad took us all out to celebrate Kimiko's b-day. Thanks Dad!

Linnea LOVES putting on different shoes (usually on the wrong feet) all day long.

Linnea is enjoying her new sunglasses, which were a gift to Hannah from their cousins, but Hannah already has the same pair...so thanks Grace and Faith! :)

They got Papa to play dollies with them!

Fun in the bath!

The girls very much enjoyed storytime with Grandma!

One of the highlights of the week was taking a hike on Kimiko's birthday. It has rained a lot here, so it was actually green!... Well some spots anyway. :)

(note: all of the beautiful hiking photos are from Kimiko's nice camera. Thanks Kimiko!)

"Baby"

I think Linnea will be a very good big sister...we'll just have to get her a stroller, so our new little "peanut" won't have to lay like this on her bicycle...

How Deep

Well...as I sit here right now, I'm feeling a bit on the nauseous side, so this won't be a long one ;). But, nauseous or not, I am still overflowing with thankfulness from a wonderful Sunday. To be honest...the morning was a somber one... My husband couldn't have picked a more beautiful, worshipful set of music to go along with the message from Mark 14, as Pastor Scott preached through the agony Christ experienced in Gethsemane.

It's hard to grasp...you know?? All that Christ suffered for us. We have never felt the wrath of God as Christ did, as He carried the sins of the world to the cross. And as believers, because of the great agony Christ suffered on our behalf, we never will! Yes...it is definitely hard to wrap my mind around such an amazing gift of love the Lord gave us, around ALL that he sacrificed for us, and around all that He is still doing for us.

And now, I can't help but post the lyrics to one of the songs we sang in church yesterday. It is by far one of my favorites...in fact the whole CD is one of my favorites, and so incredibly gospel focused. The songs often make me want to cry, but that is never a bad thing. :)

How Deep

You were broken that I might be healed
You were cast off that I might draw near
You were thirsty that I might come drink
Cried out in anguish that I might sing

How deep is Your love
How high and how wide is Your mercy
How deep is Your grace
Our hearts overflow with praise
To You

You knew darkness that I might know light
Wept great tears that mine might be dried
Stripped of glory that I might be clothed
Crushed by Your Father to call me Your own

© 2006 Sovereign Grace Praise (BMI).

If you do not own this CD, I think it should be a must. And for one more week, Sovereign Grace is having their super sale, so go on over and get one! :)

The Big Announcement!!!

Well.....almost all of you who read this (if not all) already know this.....buuuut, for those of you who don't.........Linnea is going to be a big sister! :) That's right! There is a precious baby growing inside of me, and we are so very excited! I should have posted this announcement long ago, as I will already be 12 weeks along tomorrow, but time has flown and i just finally went to see the doctor yestserday! I know...crazy! And probably not as smart as I could have been. :/

Nonetheless, it feels even more real and wonderful now that we have heard the heartbeat and seen our baby, and everything looks great! Aaron and I are so thankful for the life God is forming, and don't for one day want to take it for granted that He has blessed us with not only one, but two children! I'm speaking of Linnea, of course...we are not having twins! :)

I am reminding myself everyday through the nausea and fatigue that this IS indeed a blessing, and now that I have been through this once before, I know that it is definitely worth it. So, lets just say that I am smiling much more during this yucky stage than I did with Linnea. And that is all because of the Lord's good grace and His Word which is sustaining me and giving me joy in the midst of this trial.

The Lord has also decided that I learn to be unselfish and share my birthday "time" with my two children....as this one is due August 12....4 days before my birthday, and 6 before Linnea's. It may be a money-breaker month, but at least family can combine three cards or packages in one! Haha...and that makes it easy for Aaron to remember our birthdays!

Here are some pictures of our little peanut! Enjoy!

Linnea's Own Chair :)

Well...Linnea just wanted to say thank you to all of her grandparents and great-grandparents for your gifts of Christmas money for her. And we wanted to show you all what we used some of it for.... Her very own IKEA chair....and she is officially in love! We had an idea we wanted to get her a chair, but just had not found the "right" one for a good price, until Aaron came across this one!

Our daughter will now of her own free will take books to her chair and read by herself for a good 15-20 minutes....like 3 different times a day. :) So, everyone is happy! Thank you for your generosity and for blessing our family!!