So, I was recently reading an article left for me in my work box from another nurse titled "The Preemie Diaries". It was basically a man's journal entries which he wrote during the time his premature twins were hospitalized in the NICU. In ways it makes me shutter to remember the small details which he describes his infants experience with tubes, heart monitors, breathing machines, etc etc. He described their experience with Necrotising Enterocolitis as "relentless stress"...something we're are glad to be done with as well. Then a few months pass, the babies start to grow and develop, and infrequently do we remember what we would have given 6 months ago to know that we would be doing as good as we are. There are good nights and bad and sometimes really bad (such as last night), but "bad" is relative. I'm ashamed at what I consider now to be a "bad" night considering what we experienced a short 6 months ago...
We brought Peyton and Isabella in for their 6 month check up. Isabella hit the scales at a hefty 15+ pounds and is in the 29th percentile (the biggest of all our babies at her age!). Peyton is still a wee- little-one. He is only 13+ pounds and isn't even hitting the 1st percentile...Stan asked oue pediatrician if he wanted us to give him bacon juice in his bottle!

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Here are videos of Carson's first soccer game and first goal of the year for the team! The other video is what I like to call "brotherly love."

Well, a lot happens in a short period of time here at the Johnson home. We had bought a lot up on the bench of he Wellsville mountains mid February. We had all the plans drawn up and were just about to dig the hole when we ran across a small problem (ok, maybe a big problem...and one of many problems) and changed all our plans. We sold our home, walked through a model home and signed to build an "Immaculate Home" on a totally different lot. Now we just need to sell the lot up on the bench and we'll be in good shape...never say never around here! The path we're on feels SO much less stressful and we are totally in love with the house plan. In fact, we loved it so much that we decided to bring our good friends, Chelsea and Lanee Adamson, over to see it...they evidently loved the "Immaculate Home" plans too because they signed on a house plan and a lot right next door to us!!

As for the kid-o's, they are all fantastic! Carson started soccer. He was a little nervous to go, but he didn't mind the attention he received when he made the very first goal of the season!! I included a video of it! The babies are big and healthy and Phoenix is happy (mostly...we're still working on that one.) The babies aren't sleeping a minute longer than the day we brought them home so Stan and and I are usually delisrious. As Stan puts it "Man, I get more sleep when I go to work!" Carson's birthday is coming up and he reminds us of everything he wants everyday. The boys are anxious to be outside even if it is still a little chilly...and we're anxious for them to be out there too! Well, I better be going it's time to get the kids in bed...oh wait, we just got outta bed...dang it!

Easter morn is here and we've just come inside from Easter egg hunting. I was pondering the meaning behind the "Easter Egg Hunt" and how in the world it has anything to do with the resurrection of Christ. So, as modern age allows, I looked it up on my handy dandy notebook computer...here's what I found....According to Wikipedia it says "The egg was a symbol of the rebirth of the earth in Pagan celebrations of spring and was adopted by early Christians as a symbol of the rebirth of man at Easter.

Carson & Phoenix came in with a basket full of eggs and an Easter basket left from the notorious big bunny. Peyton & Isabella enlightened themselves perched in front of the tube watching Baby Einstein. Sicily scavenged around eating any candy left behind...Stan and I are still sleeping...or maybe just daydreaming that we are still sleeping!

We are grateful to say that we have almost made it through the RSV season without any major problems. The doctors have recently warned us that we still need to be cautious because even babies receiving Synagis (the RSV prevention medication) have been hospitalized this year with RSV. We are extremely excited for our babies to get to meet everyone and it won't be too much longer! Peyton is somewhere around 13 pounds and Isabella is probably close to 15 pounds. Crazy to think that Isabella is close to 4 TIMES as big as she was at birth!!! WOW, we've come a LONG way! We hope you enjoy these pics and your Easter holiday...

Well, not even sure who reads this anymore...but here we are again wanting to share with you a little bit of Johnson biz...
Phoenix's latest phrase is "Momma, baby nigh-night." or he'll say "Momma, baby take nap." This, of course, means that I need to stop holding the babies and put them down so I can re-direct my attention on him...he's so dang cute! Carson won't get out of his super hero pajamas...

Well.....we made it! Christmas night is here and the season went wonderfully....for the most part. Phoenix did surprise us a couple of times in the last few weeks. First off, Phoenix is in this "naked" stage. He fights us every day with wanting to run around naked. Despite our efforts he still gets away with it a time or two. The last time this happened he decided to poop on the floor and smear it in the carpet (a little on his mattress too..and sorry for the graphic details)! Second, Phoenix came in to the kitchen one day saying"Momma eat." He was pointing to the living room where the Christmas tree was. I assumed he had taken a candy cane off the tree and was trying to eat it with the wrapper on. But no, I went into the living room and found the remains of a glass ornament which he was calling "candy" by that time broken into tiny pieces(a few of which, were still in his mouth). He ate two glass ornaments and left the candy canes for some fortunate soul. Other than that, we have survived our first Christmas as a family of four and we're excited for the adventures that lye ahead of us in the new year... We thought you might enjoy our last family picture which happens to be a couple of years old by now...still worth the laugh...

Delirious December

"Wait a second!--Is this helmet on backwards? This is right, right?"

Man things can get crazy in a hurry! who knew chucking diapers in the corner for a couple days until you can take them to the trash could produce such a lovely aroma.
The babies are doing awesome! we took them to their first Dr. appointment and learned that Isabella is now almost 7 and 1/2 pounds of sugar and Peyton is about 7 pounds of "GIMME MORE FOOD!!!" They are both growing furiously.
Isabella was tested for about 2 hours at the Dr.s office and we found that she does not need oxygen to live. ha ha She is free from all monitors and oxygen tubes/tanks but we still find ourselves yelling at Carson from across the room to get off the TV or Christmas tree, not realizing that we can actually move around the house while holding Isabella now.
It feels great to have them home and free from hospital support. It makes you want to look around and say "OK, now, where did we leave life before all this happened?"

Carson and Phoenix are handling it well, although the house does seem to get a bit more messy. Yesterday I found a sock stuck to the wall. seriously. If only we could train Sicily to do housekeeping we would be all set. Here are some more pics of whats new.
One picture is out of place but it is the picture of the day to make you smile. can you find it?