elevenMONTHS

peanut of my heart! you were a WILD RIDE to photograph this month. you with your standing, stepping, twisting, reaching, arching, and unsticking... you are something else! :) and to think 11 months ago you sat there like a sack of potatoes. i know that in just a short month or two you'll climb down that chair yourself, and walk to the other side of the house without me. good thing this monthly photo experiment is only planned for a year--at least on that chair!


munchkin, you really continue to amaze us. do you know that the second you fall asleep, i miss your smile and activity!? and the second you wake up, i miss your sweet, sleepy, heavy breath?! oh, the problems i have--will they ever go away!?

daddy and i are having a blast with you and your blooming personality, or should i say "ever-expanding knowledge of things you've officially decided you do and don't want..."! ;-) we think the world of you, sweet pea, and love you always!

xoxo
mommy n daddy

happy birthday, dad!

without you, "hide and seek" would have just been "hide". without you, i'd have had to walk on sand dollars instead of clinging to your neck. without you, i'd have no clue how to travel. without you, i'd never understand how magical a moon could be. without you, i'd throw like a girl. without you, i'd think "hot" was "hot" and "cold" was "cold. LAME. without you, "no matter what" would just end there.

i'm beyond thankful for every day the Good Man Upstairs has given us together. :)
i love you, dad.
happy birthday!!

CRAZYaboutYOU

IT WAS HUGE! you on both knees, a bright, shiny rock in little black box, june running wild, flashes in the background, big hugs and kisses, champagne, family, friends, excitement and joy in ridiculous amounts!

but i remember the sweet, loving embrace we had after we walked into the surprise party.

IT WAS HUGE! you at one end of the aisle, me at the other, people smiling, a train following me, my girls to my left, your guys to my right, champagne, family, friends, excitement and joy in ridiculous amounts!

but i remember running into your arms behind the bushes after the ceremony--our own little moment together. "we really did it!" we said...

IT WAS HUGE! you holding my hand tightly, counting 1-2-3-PUSH, doctor's yelling, nurses running, grandparents crying, tequila celebration, family, friends, excitement and joy in ridiculous amounts!

but i remember the gentle kisses on my forehead as we stared lovingly together at our little blessing.

THANKS FOR THE HUGE, LIFE CHANGING MOMENTS.

but, even more so, thanks for those special little moments i cling to that remind me of how blessed we are to be each other's companions in this crazy world!

i love you, baby. happy 3 year anniversary!

tenMONTHS

thankful for the 20 pound bundle of joy this child is. happy 10 months, peyton reese. your smile is contagious...

NINEmonths

these nine months "out" have been so much more enjoyable than your first nine months "in" :) we love you to pieces, PEAnut. you and your silly open mouth, tongue out, sloppy, dribbly kisses.

EIGHTmonths

peyton reese, are you kidding me with your EVERYTHING?! you are my smile trigger, my chill giver. you are the reason i stretch my face in ways i never knew i could, and make noises i never thought possible. you have brought to life a whole new part of me. and for that, I THANK YOU. and to think how much you've grown! and learned! and become, already! you are who my eyes follow--where they dart in a room. you are who my ear perks up for. i love that i can hear you through a plethora of other noises--how i feel so in touch with the pitch of your squeals and cries. i even recognize your little toots from the other room! how you crack me up, dear peyton. and have i told you how much i adore your voice?! the look on your face when you make a new sound is priceless. the way your eyes light up when your voice is louder than all the other voices in the restaurant (ah-hem...!). and did you know i've seen you struggle with what to do when your most delicious cheeks get in the way of you smiling any bigger!? but i'd never move those cheeks for anything--own those, baby girl--they are definitely your trademark. and that new little tooth of yours is starting to make a dent in the shape of your smile. so precious... i am anxious to watch you grow and change, and to love you more and more each day (although i'm not convinced that's possible, but "they" tell me it is...) but i promise to continue to cherish each day with you as you grow. baby peyton, you've thrown me for the most incredible loop. you look so sweet in pink that i'm actually liking the color myself, these days. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU DO TO ME. i love you, i cherish you, i adore you.

happy 8 months, pey pey.

love mommy, and your equally obsessed and in love daddy.

got milk?

the munchkin was a cow for halloween.

we had an office party at my office where all the kids came in dressed up. such cuties!!

no trick or treating for us this year--although you can see she's already reaching for treats...

this kid cracks me up with her rolls. i just love that you can see them through her tights...

peyton's friend caden was a skunk--honestly--how cute is his costume!?

i can't believe peyton has friends already...

hope everyone had a happy and safe halloween!

Seven Months Old!!

She’s SEVEN months! Can you believe it! It’s crazy how much difference a month can make. Help me stand! Feed me! Change my diaper! DON’T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE! It’s crazy how much personality this girl has and how much she shows her individuality. She’s constantly whispering, spitting, and trying to stand. Sometimes she’s trying to do all three at once! She’s pretty dang talented. I can just tell that as she get’s older, the greater my need for a shotgun is becoming. Have you seen the cuteness this girl exudes?!?!?!

And it should be noted... taking our monthly photos is becoming ever more challenging. This month's photo doesn't have a "7 month" sticker because--well, because of this...

When we took the sticker away, the blanket and crib became the distraction of the moment...

We even tried standing, in hopes that may make things easier...

...but we couldn't get a cheese out of her!

But really, isn't this the fun of it all?!?

theWEEKDAY

when sunday night comes around these days, it's as if things don't stop until friday afternoon. josh and i are enjoying this season of our lives with a "new baby", (although it seems as if peyton's been around and part of our lives forever, which we just love!) but it IS different than life pre-baby. as an example, here's a typical...tuesday...

5am - gigi up to pump and get dressed
530am - gigi to the park for an early workout--it's bootcamp this month, brought to me by groupon!
645am - gigi home and in the shower
7am - josh is up and at 'em
715am - peyton's up. time to feed and play!
8am - gigi off to work, josh and p off to nana's
WORK ALL DAY AS IF FAMILY JUST DON'T EXIST :-(
5pm - josh to nana's to pick up the munchkin
530pm - gigi head's home
545pm - finally, family at last :-)
6pm - walk at the park with the munchkin and the bug
630pm - josh and gigi cook and trade off playing 1-on-1 with peyt
7pm - nom nom nom for all of us
715pm - peyt takes a 20 min snoozer while we pick up around the house and do the dishes
745pm - josh and gigi are done with the dishes, so we clean our kid in the sink, next
800pm - trade off playing with p again while we pack lunches and bottles for tomorrow

815pm - josh to the trails for an evening run
830pm - peyt's bedtime...a few books and songs, lots of kisses, and one sleepy baby

845pm - josh home from his run and back in the shower
9pm - oh, hi, husband. hi, wife. couch/snuggle date? sure, why not.
10pm - final pump sesh...for geeg, not josh...of course...
1015pm - gigi spends 10 min. getting frustrated picking clothes
1030pm - roll into bed...exhausted

and again, and again, and again, until saturday. i know this isn't unusual for parents that work full time, and we're totally good to go with all this, but i can't begin to express how much we cherish the few hours we have with peyton...

and those few precious moments spent with P around the house often look something like this...

mommy and peyton after a walk at the park

daddy snuggling with peyt on the couch

6 months old and ever so amahhhzing...

our munchkin is 6 months old, and we can't believe it! we adore every inch of her 6 month old skin, love every strand of her 6 month old hair, and nuzzle every roll on her 6 month old body. seriously, can't get enough of this girl.

at 6 months old, peyton is quite the little ham. she loves to smile, and rather than chuckle or laugh, her happy default is an excited, high pitched squeal!! when left to her own devices, she rolls from one end of a room to the other. the rolling thing is great, until we're trying to change her diaper, that is...

we feel so blessed to have peyton as a part of our family. she brings an indescribable joy to our lives--a joy that is hers alone to bring--and we are thankful for that everyday.

vacationing with good friends - las vegas, nv

the past four days have been pure bliss. josh, peyt, and i hit the road midday wednesday and headed vegas (because i have no clue if that's north, east, north-north east, east-north-north. whatever. it's just toward vegas.) but the best part of our trip? we didn't even go NEAR that dirty strip. we hooked a left at vegas and went toward the toll brothers community "red rock" where luxury homes lined paved streets and families did their family thing. suburbia. BLISS.

our good friends, jana and brian, were there as a perk of brian's job (every toll brother's employee gets to stay in one of their houses across the country once a year). we were so excited when they asked us if we'd join them, along with our other good friends, kym and andrew. this was our first "families vacationing together" trip, and i look forward to MANY more. we did not leave the house the entire 4 days. everything was there that we needed! our friends, the pool, food, drinks, a pool table, the tv, toys for the kids, lots of bedrooms, twice as many bathrooms. the house was beautiful (i have yet to see a toll brothers home that doesn't cause your jaw to drop) and the harrelsons did a fantastic job hosting us, even though we kept trying to get them to relax. oh, how was the weather, you ask!? ABSOLUTELY FLAWLESS! i can't believe it ever went over 95 or under 75. the kids weren't too hot, but it was never too cold to take a dip in the warm pool or even the hot tub. here are a few pics of the shinanigans. enjoy!!

5 months and soaking up this world!

peyton,
at 5 months old you continue to bring so much joy to our lives. you have quite the little personality--you're sweet, cuddly, happy, goofy, goofy, goofy, and constantly exploring and putting EVERYTHING in your mouth. you are easily distracted...when you're nursing and you hear june or daddy walk in, you stretch your head wayyyy back looking for them, and i get a little peek of your usually roll-covered neck. then you make noises, blow bubbles, blow air and eventually re-focus. so cute. you roll from front to back and back to front, and you twist all over, but you're not moving in any one specific direction yet. thankfully. i'm not quite ready for you to be mobile. you learned to sit up this month, and you LOVE standing on your feet when people support you up. my favorite thing you do is flash your big, gummy smile at mommy and daddy when we come get you out of your crib in the mornings. i love that you recognize us, and that you associate us with fun and happiness. because that's what we think of you, too!
we love you peyton, no doubt and never changing.
xoxo,
mommy

sittin' on up!

peyton is almost 5 months old, and more fun than ever! she loves to smile and laugh (squeel, really...) and is starting to sit without help! she loves laying on her tummy playing with toys, and laying on her back chewing on toes! she has a favorite dvd already ("praise baby"--which has been a total life saver on a few occasions!) and loves when we sing songs to her and make faces her way. she watches us get ready every morning, and can't get enough of the june bug right now. it's so fun to see her take it all in! some days she likes books, some days she's over them, but we keep trying! she's starting to really like bathtime, as it's now just become another time to play, only this time, with water! needless to say, it's a somewhat messy event to get clean... here are a few pics of the growing (sitting) munchkin.

transitions

it's an understatement to say things have changed for josh and i over the past few months.

no doubt has having a baby introduced a whole other level of magnificent chaos, but as if that weren't enough, our own lives have endured some big changes as well. our little baby girl is four and a half months old. for the first three months, i got to spend every hour of every day with her, as the lovely state of california funded my time with her. thank you, maternity leave! the worst part about maternity leave? it ends. i truly believe that the transition of going back to working full time has been more challenging than becoming a first time mom. having a baby and not working was CAKE. having a baby and working--now THAT's been interesting.

my three months at home were probably easier than most stay-at-home mom's job, though. i knew i'd be going back to work, so i essentially "lived it up" by doing whatever i wanted, whenever i wanted. we still ate out (so i never cooked), we still had someone come clean our house (so i never had to), and we still shopped as if we had two incomes (which we did...), so i was never challenged to be creative with our money and life as a mom was so new that i never just got bored or tired of being with peyton. my biggest worry was probably going through the mail on a daily basis. but during this time, my daughter learned to love the mall and any restaurant that someone would ooo and ahh at her. that's my girl......

going back to work wasn't over the top tough--my morning's start a little earlier since we have to get the munchkin ready and take her to grandma's, and my evenings are now devoted to preparing for the next day, but being at the office is--dare i say it--fun. the challenge in the whole transition has been that overall feeling of not getting enough of my little peyton. i get 15-30 minutes with her in the morning, then another 2-3 hours at night, of which we find a nap somewhere in there. that, compared to my 24/7 best friend from months 0-3, has been a struggle. josh assures me that she knows who i am, and that i know her better than anyone in this world, and i'm glad he does, because there are days that i'm doubtful. so, my current focus is on finding creative ways to squeeze more time in with her. the occasional work-from-home afternoon or lunch-date with peyton and my mom seem to be helping, but this is one thing that's going to take some serious getting used to. so, i struggle, but i endure. i think this is where God wants our family to be right now. and i know my mom sure likes it!!

josh, on the other hand, has had his own transition to work through. of course, daddy-dom requires more from him than owning a dog did, and he's handled it with beauty and grace (not surprised one bit...) but he's changed jobs in the middle of all this. on june 30th he had his last day at his old job, and on july 1st he started his new one. can we say BLESSED?! in this economy, we really weren't sure if petyon would be experiencing a stay-at-home-daddy lifestyle or what... (not that josh would have minded getting all that time with the little one...) his new job is going really well. but a job change is just that--a CHANGE. and with change comes stretching, growing, and a little cramping. learning a new business and a new company is exciting, but keeps him on his toes. funny enough, though, we are right back where we started. his company is moving, and my company is managing their relocation. so, low and behold, just like we met the first time, josh and i are at one enterprise in aliso viejo flirting across the conference table as we meet with numerous execs and industry vendors. I'M LOVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT! you can ask josh how he feels... the same, I'M SURE OF IT... right, babe? it definitely is funny, though, to see how far we've come. this time we know our flirting will get us somewhere at the end of the day ;-) after all, he IS my favorite client! and i'll venture to say i'm his favorite project manager.

peyton has her own set of changes. going from hanging with mom all day to hanging with grandma all day has been a change, but she seems to love it! she's also been going to the church nursery on sundays, and will start to be with grandma lynette and grandpa don on monday nights, as she's all too distracting for bible study with her bubble blowing and noise making cuteness. josh and i are always running around town with her on the weekends, but on the weeknights, we do a pretty good job of staying home and keeping to somewhat of a routine. i like to think she has a good balance of activity, rest, excitement, and relaxation. i also like knowing she is comfortable with all sorts of people, although i'm starting to see hints of a momma's girl here and there (which i secretly relish in... but know will be tough to manage if it becomes a habit).

so, for now, we keep chugging along. we are enjoying the heck out of our family time, and work hard while we are away from each other. and we stay nimble, because it seems like "transition" is our middle name these days. josh, gigi, and peyton transition johnson.

from the heart,

gigi

4 Months Old!

Four months old! Can you believe how fast time flies??? It seems like just yesterday our little girl was swaddled like a burrito and sleeping a majority of the day. Now she's up smiling, playing, rolling over and standing (with mom and dad's assistance of course.)!! Pretty soon she'll be mobile and June will have to be on the lookout for hair pulling and tail tugging.

Our little Peyton had her four month check-up today and got the A-OK from the doctors. She's 15 lbs., 24 inches tall, and all sorts of CUTE. It seems that almost everyday we notice something about her that is just like mom or dad. It is unbelievable how awesome it is to see something fairly unique about yourself show up as a trait in your child. Gigi has taken many pictures of Peyton and I sleeping next to each other in the EXACT same position. I am constantly reminded that Peyton and Gigi are linked because they both can spread their toes apart and I cannot.

This little miracle we call our daughter has taken over our lives (rightly so) and we cannot stop doting over her every spit, squeal, burp, fart, laugh, and cry. We are getting her ready as I type this to take her to her first Angels baseball game. It's not the Lakers, but I figure if she can handle baseball, she can handle the good sports easily!

Off we go!!!!