Baby Johnson

               In case you are totally out of the loop and haven't heard....

                                        I'm Pregnant! 

I couldn't resist, I love Juno.

Baby Johnson will be arriving sometime in the first week of February and Travis and I couldn't be more excited!

Since you are probably wondering, but too afraid to ask (even though people I hardly know seem to ask!) this little baby growing inside of me was planned. A little over a year ago Travis and I thought we were for sure ready to be parents...until we visited 2 sets of friends with their newborns in the hospital two weekends in a row. I remember walking out of the hospital and we both looked at each other and said

 "no way! Not ready for that!!"

I am glad we decided to wait that extra year.
People are always telling us to enjoy the time we have alone, because we will never get that back. I am glad we were able to sit down and make goals for the time before we would start trying to have kids. A lot of talking, prayers and temple trips were dedicated to this decision and we both knew when the time was right.

I must be extremely fertile, because I literally got pregnant within the week I went of the pill. (sorry if that is TMI, but you are reading my personal blog...so get over it!)

I knew right away I was pregnant...I could just feel it in my bones. I took tests right away and they were of course negative (because it was WAY too early to tell) when I started getting positive tests...the timing was perfect, because mine and Travis's two year anniversary was literally just a few days away.
Only one problem...I am the WORST at keeping secrets. (and I hate them!)
I managed to not spill the beans and while we were out for dinner on our anniversary, I handed Travis a word search I had made, that spelled out a secret message when he was done. the message read:
"Surprise dessert at home"
He didn't really think too much of that but simply asked if it could wait until after the movie, just in case we were short on time. I promised it would only take a few minutes and that it would be worth it. When we got home, I ordered him to sit at the kitchen table and close his eyes. I was able to sneak away the night before and go to Dairy Queen without Travis knowing and I got an ice cream cake that read "congrats dad".
(I also had wrapped up two pregnancy tests in their boxes and tied a big red bow around them just in case he actually wanted to see the stick I peed on...which is disgusting. It seriously grosses me out when people pose with a plastic stick they just peed on...and my dear husband feels the same!!)
When I told Travis to open his eyes, he SLAMMED his hands down on the table and screamed "I KNEW IT!!" and quickly ran to me! It was perfect...then we threw out the nasty pee-sticks
 box and went to the movie. (too full from dinner to even think about ice cream cake!!)

The next step was to go to the Doctor...but my doctor wasn't taking appointments until the end of the month, so the receptionist told me to just come to a walk in clinic. A few days later, some Dr. I had never met confirmed what I already knew. Then I went and got blood work done and waited for the Doctor's office to call me back with a follow up appt. A week went by, and I had hear nothing, so  I decided to call the office...it shouldn't be taking this long to book an appointment (and originally the Dr. had said they would also be booking an ultrasound) When I called the office however, they informed me that my regular Doctor doesn't see pregnant women after their first appointment confirming the pregnancy and that I would need to be dealing with the maternity clinic at the hospital from now on. (At this point I was so annoyed...why didn't they tell me that at the office a week ago?!) When I called the maternity clinic they said they don't see anyone until 12 weeks, but at 12 weeks I was going to be in Utah dropping my brother off at the MTC...so I FINALLY booked an appointment for when I was 11 weeks.
Just to stress...I HATE secrets and I am so bad at keeping them.
I managed to not tell anyone until 10 weeks when Travis and I told both of our familes. I literally do not know how I managed that!

Oh wait! It was way easier than I thought because I didn't actually feel pregnant. Other than being tired, hungry and occasionally emotional, I felt great. (ok...so those symptoms aren't really anything out of the norm from every day life!) And I still feel great...hopefully this luck continues!

Finally my appointment came. Literally I had to sneak into the hospital. I work in two different departments in the hospital and know people all over the building...if one person saw me, everyone would know in a matter of minutes!! The worst part is...the maternity clinic is right across the hall from the O.R. Luckily no one saw me and I got to the clinic. After a nurse gave me 700 pamphlets and talked my ear off, a really young (and hairy) resident came in and continued with the appointment. He continued to tell me all the things the nurse told me and then told me he would try and find a heartbeat. He also told me that it was probably too early to even detect anything with his little handheld doppler. Within seconds he found that tiny little baby swimming around in me...and it continued to swim away four times until the Doctor was able  to count the heartbeat for a minute. 160 beats per minute. What a little miracle. That was the first moment I actually felt pregnant...the Doctor was so surprised when I said that and told me how lucky I was that I have been feeling so good.
Since I am like 99% percent sure of my dates, my first ultrasound is scheduled for 19 weeks...I can't wait to actually see what is growing inside of me! (And yes, I WILL be finding out the gender of the baby. Everyone keeps asking me this and my first response is to just laugh. I HATE surprises. This is not something I would simply not want to know!)

So there you have it...my adventure in pregnancy land thus far.
Slowly we are stock-piling diapers & wipes and picking up the occasional baby item. My hope is to have everything prepared as far in advance as I can.

Now for some pictures...because you had to endure this horribly long blog post. (Still trying to work with our crappy camera to get the best pictures...I promise they will get better!)

**Side note: I have had this frame for probably almost a year waiting until I could turn it into a chalk board to document my pregnancy! I'm obsessed with it.

This is the photo I was able to distribute to friends
 and family to make the big announcement! 

$10 Maternity top from Ross. Still wearing my regular jeans. (Even
though I bought some maternity jeans for $11 that
 are the absolute comfiest!)

Here is a better look at the chalkboard for this week.
There is a fetus the size of a peach inside of me!
So weird. 

 Another few things:

-my family is just a wee bit excited. (First grandbaby for my parents!)
-It makes me sad that my best friend (who is currently serving a mission) will not get to meet my baby until it is almost 9 months old.
-It also makes me sad that my brother is now officially a missionary, and will not get to meet his future niece/nephew until they are well over a year old. (Not that he cares...he is the most relaxed/chill kid on the earth) But it also makes me so happy and proud to know he is out serving the Lord! (Enough on my awesome brother..he has only been gone a short time and it still makes me cry!) I am so blessed I was able to be with my family when we dropped him off at the MTC and I know he will be a fabulous missionary!! Love him & my family SO much!
-my sister has already bought the fetus the cutest little turtle outfit...(she always knows where to get all the good stuff!) I can't wait for her to be an auntie for the first time!!
-My parents are already obsessed with the baby, and they will be wonderful grandparents!
-This will be grandchild #8 on the Johnson side!!
-LASTLY my brother in law FINALLY proposed to his awesome soon-to-be wife! I am so excited for them!!

Our Beginning

You might not know it, but one simple action can change everything!

How do you think us two goons got together in the first place! Well, 

let me fill you in on how it all began....

Once upon a time it was WOW week for institute 2010 and one of the nights, it was super cold and rainy, there was a slip-and-slide activity at the sugar bowl. I was not too impress because it was FREEZING and I wanted nothing of this activity. So I suggested a bunch of people come over to my parents place after for hot chocolate! So I went home, made a huge pot of hot chocolate and people started to come over, my usual friends and some friends of friends...the usual thing that happens. Anyways, a friend had brought over this new boy (Travis). I thought "loud, annoying, fresh from the mission and on the prowl for a wife. no thanks".

At a YSA dance.

Anyways, the night ended and soon after, the friend and Travis started dating and I never thought much about him. 

I then enrolled in an institute class, and this boy Travis was in it, but we never sat together and hardly said more than 10 words to each other for most of the semester. Then all of the sudden he was in my ward, so I started seeing him Sunday at church, Monday at FHE, tuesday&thursday at institute, friday usually at a dance, and saturday when a bunch of people would hang out. So I saw him everywhere it seemed like, and I didnt think he was that annoying anymore, just a cool guy friend. 

At the time all of this was happening, I was still sort of involved with this other guy, and it was just a complicated thing, that had gone on a very long time and seemed to only get more complicated everyday. 

PREFERENCE. One word that every YSA girl loves or hates. A fancy dance where the girl chooses her date. I was at a loss, I really didn't know who to ask because I simply wanted a no-drama night! I started thinking of the guys in my ward and institute class and boom...Travis was in both. Why not ask him? Him and his girlfriend had broken up almost a month earlier, so I guess he was single and nice....good enough for me! However, in talks with other YSA girls I discovered that someone else was planning to ask Travis the next day, so if I didnt act now, I would be hooped for a date. 

So, I got a big bag of popcorn, made a puzzle and threw it in the bag, and dropped it on his doorstep and waited. 

And then waited some more. 

Awkwardly enough I saw him the next day, and he didnt say anything about preference...hmm

Until I got a stack of 193 papers with one saying "if there is 193 papers in this pile, then the answer is yes."

The preference gang.

Travis and I had such a blast at preference! Even though my ex was there and I felt a little awkward, it was still super fun and he was super sweet.

Travis married such a dork.

After that we started going to movies, talking more at institute and hanging out at the college library. It was all so light and fun, and it was exactly what I needed! Travis kept asking me if we were dating yet and I kept putting it off...till finally I agreed! It was certainly a day to remember when we first started dating let me tell you! That night, we had plans to go to a movie, but instead I was put through one last dramatic night with my ex. I was so thankful that Travis was there for me, and even though I cried like a baby that night, he stood by my side and comforted me. How could this guy I have so much fun with, and is so sweet and I don't know all that well comfort me when I need it the most. Obviously then I knew there was something special about him. 

The rest is basically history!!

My first attempt snowboarding...

We talked a lot about marriage before we got engaged. We even went ring shopping a few times and it all just felt so surreal. I couldnt believe this was all happening to me! What had I done to deserve this!? Even though once I read Travis's phone and found out the day he was going to propose so then he had to change the date...

Anyways!

The day we got engaged:

It was Feb.4, 2011. A friday night, and I was doing a late shift for my practicum at the hospital and Travis, like always came and picked me up. This time he had a bouquet of duct tape roses, so sweet! Once we got to his car, he had hot chocolate and timbits and he suggested we go to a park. (I wasn't think too much of it, as he is always great like this) We pulled up to Turtle Hill (by lakeview school) and went to the slide on the top of the hill, spread out a blanket and began to drink our hot chocolate. My phone then vibrated with a text, so I turned to get it and check it from my hoodie pocket. As I was reading the text, Travis called my name, and when I turned to look, he was on one knee, holding a ring box and simply said, "will you marry me?"

At my 18th bday dinner with my fam.

I was like YES YES YES YES YES!!! And fell into his arms and we were both shaking and tearing up! He surprised me! (which is hard to do because I do not like them!) We then proceed to go find my parents (who were at the thomsens playing cards, and I think they knew as soon as we told them we needed to come see them right away! (Travis had asked their permission days before, so they knew it was coming.)

Then we told/called/texted whoever needed to know that night! Everyone was so excited, but not nearly as excited and happy as we were. We then celebrated with some friends who were at my parents house at the time with waffles and ice cream...at midnight. 

On the truck, on the farm, being hick.
Four months later we were married in the Cardston Temple and it was the best day of our lives, it was so perfect and everything went so smoothly. I'm so lucky to now be Mrs. Macaul Johnson :)