Caroline meets Lou Holtz

On Saturday, August 26, the whole family took an outing to the Wal-Mart in Fayetteville (where our church is), where Lou Holtz was signing copies of his new book, Wins, Losses, and Lessons. We are big college football fans, going back to Galen's days as student manager and later team chaplain at Wake Forest, and Lori working for three years at the ticket office there. Coach Holtz is most famous for winning the national championship at Notre Dame, but he also coached at North Carolina State and Arkansas, which is why he came here for a book signing. We waited almost two hours in line to meet him, but it was definitely worth it. As soon as he saw Caroline, he commented on how beautiful she is, asked how old she was, and wanted Lori to bring Caroline around the desk where he was sitting for a picture together. Because there were so many people still in line, and he had to leave soon to catch a flight, he couldn't take much time to talk with people or take pictures, but he was the one to make a special request to pose with Caroline. So we were very impressed by Coach Holtz, and we will remember this day for a long, long time!

One Month Old

Today, August 10, makes exactly one month since Caroline was born. She is healthy and growing normally, for which we are so grateful. We have had our moments where we were concerned about a sleep pattern or a crying spell, but she has not had those daily, hours-long episodes of colic that can be so trying on everyone. It has been amazing to us that so many things we had read in books during the pregnancy have become true. Mainly, we have discovered how accurate it is that the early weeks can have moments both of frustration and of joy, and that this is to be expected. The main issue for Galen has been to cope with crying that has no immediately discernible reason, and the main issue for Lori has been to stay rested and get her strength back. Because our life together has been only the two of us with no relatives nearby for many years now, we have grown accustomed to relying exclusively on each other, and that is certainly paying off now as we are dividing up the responsibilities for the baby and still becoming even closer to each other every day. We both are so happy and blessed when we can hold Caroline, pet Winston, lean on each other, and feel that our family is complete. We know that we have a lot of growing still to do ourselves in terms of learning how to entertain and educate Caroline as she gets older, and then to get used to traveling with her. Also, Galen will soon have less time to give to baby duty as he returns to work for the start of the new college semester. But when we see Caroline's beautiful face, in which we see reflections of each of us, we thank God and smile and know everything will be okay. We have added to this post some of our favorite baby poses from the past month. Thanks as always for taking a look around.

Caroline Goes to Church

On August 6, Caroline went to church for the first time. She was very good, and everyone was delighted to see her. Lori was also glad to feel better enough to be back in church. Caroline wore a pretty yellow dress that one of the church members gave to her, and she also posed for a picture on a white blanket that another church member made for her. When we got back home, Caroline changed into the outfit that sports her favorite Bible verse, 1 Corinthians 15:5: "Listen, I tell you a mystery: we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed."

How's Winston Handling Everything?

A lot of people have asked us how Winston has reacted to Caroline's presence; after all, for almost eight years, he was the only baby we had. He has actually been very good. He does not bark when she cries, and he has not been aggressive around her at all. We are careful not to allow him too close to her just to be safe, and that will probably remain so for a while, but they have been on the same couch and bed together with no worries. As you can see from the top picture, for now Winston may be getting more use out of Caroline's toys than she is!

Two weeks old!

Caroline is 16 days old today, and we have had her home with us for exactly two weeks. She is very active with her hands and legs, and today she even raised up her head by herself several times. She has been a good baby so far, and when she does get a little fussy, momma Lori is able to soothe her. Lori is still recovering some, but she is making good progress. Galen's parents left to return to North Carolina today, bringing an end to three straight weeks of having one set of parents with us. We miss them all very much and wish that we could see them more often, but that makes us all the more thankful for technology like this blog that can allow our family and friends see our little girl grow. Until next time, enjoy the pictures and drop us a line!

First Photos of Caroline!!

Caroline Grace Johnson was born on July 10, 2006, at 4:06 pm. She weighed 8 lbs., 5 oz., and was 21 in. long at birth. She is beautiful and healthy, and mom Lori is progressing in her recovery. Thank you for all your love during Lori's pregnancy, and please continue to pray for all of us as we grow together as a family. Come back to this spot for updated pictures, and leave a comment too!

Labor Induced

I wanted to write a quick post as I am checking my email for the last time. We are going to the hospital tonight for me to have my labor induced. I will go in tonight (Sunday, July 9) at 8:00 p.m. and I'm hoping by tomorrow sometime, we will have our new baby. At least that's the plan! Galen and I are very nervous and anxious, so we would appreciate all your thoughts and prayers as we experience this event for the first time. I know most who read this will already know what lies ahead for us, but as I hope you can remember, this is a very emotional time for us now as it's hard to prepare yourself for the future pain and joy. We will try our best to post the birth announcement as soon as possible, but please be patient if it's not instantaneous!! We will let you all know as soon as we can. The next time I write to you I will be a new mother and our family will be changed forever for the better! Thank you for all your concern for Galen and I and we look forward to sharing more updates with you on our new bundle of joy!!

Due Date!!

Well, today was my due date and as you can tell by me writing this post, we're still waiting. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said that I hadn't progressed much since last week. So, they will induce labor Sunday night (July 9th) starting at 8:00 p.m. They will give me something to help me sleep through the night, so hopefully I will get at least one decent night's sleep since the beginning of my pregnancy and before the sleepless nights really begin!! Galen and I have been walking around the neighborhood today, 3 times actually, trying to get my contractions to start...NOTHING!! I told Caroline she has about 48 hours to get started on her own or she's going to be forced out into this world! I think she's built a condo in there and is taking up residence!! My parents are here and are busy getting the house looking the best it's ever looked. Tonight we took Dad out to Dairy Queen to get his favorite Blizzard. He was in 7th heaven! My whole family is anxious for Caroline to get here and I'm just anxious for things to get back to normal or at least to have a new normal in my life. Nine months is definitely a long time!! I will keep you posted on the upcoming days, but hopefully by Monday sometime we will have some great news to pass on! Until then, please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers for the road ahead. We appreciate all your love and continued support!

39th Week!!

I saw Dr. Hix today and he gave us some good news. I've dilated 2 centimeters!! Only 8 more to go!! He thinks that she will come on her due date, if not sooner. So, I guess this is going to happen pretty soon. Now, I'm REALLY nervous...this is becoming more of a reality as the hours go by!! My parents will be here next week. I hope that she doesn't come before they arrive. Not only do I really want them here for the big event, they will be on "doggy duty" while Galen and I are at the hospital. We packed our bag for the hospital last night. It's really embarrasing that we had to use a bigger bag than I wanted to...it looks like we're going to be moving in!! We have some more pictures to share with you. We wanted to have some pictures with Winston and me with my big belly and then after that we got out of control, as you will see...

It's hard to believe that the baby is probably the same size as Winston!!

Winston enjoyed trying out sister's bed for her...

and got very comfortable, but good things come to an end and he had to settle for curling up on the couch!!

Well, my ankles are swollen and my back is aching so I guess I bid you adieu for now. Just an ending note, Galen and I went tonight to see "Superman Returns" and we give it two thumbs up. I even cried, but of course I'm pretty emotional at this point anyway. We'll keep you posted as we anxiously await "D-Day" (delivery day)!!

Baby Nursery Ready!!

I wanted to let you see some pictures of our nursery that I believe is ready for the baby's arrival.

This is the crib along with Classic Pooh bedding, a Pooh mobile and a bear that simulates womb noises that's suppose to help the baby sleep. Of course, the first few months she won't enjoy the crib because she'll be sleeping in our bedroom in a bassinet. You can see her namesake above the crib. We are going with Caroline Grace.


Here is a picture of her bookcase with her Pooh lamp. You can see her diaper bag on the closet door (of course it's Pooh). Then, we have made her dresser into the changing table (this is Galen's old dresser). We also have her supplies easy at hand and have a hanging display for her first handprint and footprint (waiting for her).


We added some shelves to put her various trinkets on. She has her first Russian nesting dolls, a Precious Moments figurine along with a Pooh keepsake pillow waiting on all her birth information. We have included a picture frame with pictures of her entire family! She has her own TV (although, it's really for Galen and I during those late nights), but we'll just be playing her CD's on them right now. Beside the TV is her own Wake Forest cheerleader! The last picture is the crib along with her Pooh rug (Winston's favorite item in the room) along with my glider, which I'm sure will get a lot of use. I tried to get a picture of the window, but it didn't come out. She has a basket of her stuffed animals underneath the window. So, I think we're ready, I hope at least!

Again, we love the green walls and appreciate our friend Ron painting the room for us and putting up a new window blind. His thoughtfulness is always remembered everytime we enter the room! We're looking forward to using this room and making it a special retreat for our new daughter. We would also love for anyone who can come see the room in person along with our bundle of joy!!

Tomorrow will be the start of my final week. I go back to the doctor tomorrow, so I will add his report some time this weekend, so check back. Galen also wants to take some pictures of me and Winston, so I will try to do that and post them as well.

38th Week!!

We went to the doctor today for my 38th week update. I didn't gain any weight from last week. Dr. Gorman said her head has dropped even more and I was a little more effaced, but no dilation yet. He says for this being my first baby, I'm progressing very well and am still on schedule for my due date. We discussed our birth plan and he was very thorough. I'm so thankful that I am going to this office. All of the doctors are so great and take their time to answer all your questions. So, everything is going great...except for the added pain and discomfort! Galen and I are starting to get jolts of reality on a daily basis. It's hard to believe that after next week, my parents will be here and then the next week after that, the baby will be here (hopefully!!). I'm starting to get very anxious that I won't be prepared enough, no matter what!! We go back to the doctor on June 30th and I will see my regular OB doctor once again. We will add pictures of the nursery as soon as we can. I should also put some pictures of our bedroom on the blog. We have so many boxes for her high chair and swing and etc. that it looks like a Graco showroom!! Babies require too much stuff!!

Victory IS Sweet!!

CAROLINA HURRICANES WIN FIRST STANLEY CUP!!
I'm still on Cloud 9 (or higher) since the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup on Monday night. My only regret is that I wasn't able to be there or to be present at the Championship Parade on Tuesday. This is great publicity for our home state, but it did get a little anoying when the announcers (Yankees and Canadians who don't know better!) kept saying "here in Carolina" and I kept adding "North" to the end of their statements. Then, we get no respect in the media either. I know they're all upset that a "hick" Southern state known for NASCAR beat an institution of a team like the Edmonton Oilers. Get over it and give us some credit!! I got so tired of hearing the NHL Finals as just afterthoughts on news shows when the NBA Finals got an entire hour or more of coverage. No respect!! Okay, let me come off my soapbox now. One tagline to the Hurricanes winning are two players I would like to highlight. Galen found an article on the Hurricanes website about the faith of two players, Glen Wesley and Cam Ward. Wesley is a seasoned veteran and Ward is the rookie goalie who won the Conn Smyth Trophy (MVP of the Finals). Both state in this article that they are Christians and how their faith has shaped their lives as well as their athletic talent. I enclose the link to the article if you'd like to read it for yourself (http://www.carolinahurricanes.com/custom/radA4BF3.asp). Now, on baby news...we are going back to the doctor today and I will add another blog soon about that visit. I will also put some pictures of our nursery which I think is ready. I would have done that today, but we had a little water problem last night and we had to have the water extracted from the carpet today and things are a little messed up right now. So, come back for more!

37th Week

Only 3 weeks to go!! The baby is considered full-term now and could come anytime with no problems. And of course, with the way I feel and the temperature outside rising, that would be fine with me! We went to the doctor last Wednesday. I gained 3 pounds, the most I've gained since the first trimester! Dr. Gorman said the baby's head is very low which means I hurt a lot and have to go to the bathroom quite frequently. He suggests walking to help get things started. He also thinks that since her head is so far down, I probably will have the baby close to my due date (July 7th). We will go back to see him on Thursday. I guess we'll see if the walking helps any. My parents will be coming here from North Carolina the week before the 7th and stay until the week after, so it would be great for her to be either early or on time so that they be able to spend some time with their newest granddaughter. We still have a few things left in the nursery to get ready and I'm in the process of getting my hospital bag packed. I will take pictures of the nursery when we're finished and post them as soon as possible. We'll let you know how our Thursday visit goes. Also, we wouldn't mind some comments from our family and friends out there, just to let us know how you like the blog and what you'd like to hear from us here in Arkansas. And on a personal note, I hope my time of mourning will pass tonight as we watch the Carolina Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. I've been wearing black since Wednesday when they lost in overtime in Raleigh. I don't care now where they win the Cup, just that they win it!! GO 'CANES!!

More Winston Photos!!

I had to add some pictures of Winston for his fans across the country! Galen went to Idaho last week for a conference and went to Yellowstone National Park. He brought back a present for Winston that's true..."Bad to the Bone". I told Galen we need to get Winston a leather collar and a pair of sunglasses to finish the look.

We came into the bedroom this afternoon to find that Winston had discovered Mama's pregnancy pillow on the floor. He just made himself at home and enjoyed a little rest. He's too cute!! He just doesn't realize how his life is going to change in a few weeks. But, we are sure that he will be a great "big" brother!

Final Baby Shower!!

On Sunday, June 11th, we had our final baby shower at our church, Grace Cumberland Presbyterian Church. It was a beautiful shower and we were so blessed with lots of great gifts including much needed money and gift cards. Everyone at the church is so ready to see this new baby and so are we. I've included some pictures from the shower...

I am also including a picture for the end of my 8th month. I am standing by the crib in the nursery. We still have some things to do to make the nursery complete for our daughter's arrival. We have a little less than 4 weeks to go! The pressure to get everything ready is definitely on. With my ever-growing belly and the increasing uncomfortable conditions, I am more than ready to have her here (although that scares me a lot!). Well, more information will come after my doctor's appointment this Wednesday. And on a sports note, just finished watching my Hurricanes win tonight taking a 3-1 game lead. They can win the Stanley Cup in Raleigh on Wednesday!! GO 'CANES!!

End of 8th Month

Tomorrow will be the start of my ninth month, with four weeks left before my due date. I will have a picture on Sunday for the end of my eighth month. Galen is right now in Idaho and won't be back until late Friday, so we decided just to take a picture at our shower at the church, which will be on June 11. This will be our last (and sixth) shower. We're partied out!! I had a doctor's visit on Wednesday. Everything is going good. The baby's heartrate was 160 (good for a girl) and her head is down, way down. I haven't dilated yet, but my body is gearing up for the big day. I now will start going every week to the doctor's office until my due date. I have seen all the doctors in the office and am starting back with those I really like! The baby has started to kick me in my ribs, not a pleasant experience, but at least it's not all the time. She's still pretty active eventhough she's got to be running out of room in there! I didn't gain any weight over the two weeks since my last visit, so I'm still holding at 17 pounds total. I don't understand because I feel that I've doubled in size! Just as long as the baby's growing and everything is fine, I guess I shouldn't complain. It's getting harder to get around and get comfortable. I'm ready for her to get here. I started packing for my hospital bag. I still need a few items before I feel that we have everything we need before her arrival. We still need to finish some things in her room, but we're getting there. I washed up all her toys and stuffed animals today. Almost ready to bring her home. We're still wondering what Winston's going to do when she's actually here. He still likes to mess up her Pooh rug in her room. I guess I'm going to have to get his own rug!! Maybe he's just got a thing for Pooh!! On a non-baby note...Go Hurricanes!! I will be so excited when Carolina wins the Stanley Cup. They are up 2-0 and will play again in Edmonton on Saturday. It's okay if they lose one of their games in Edmonton, because I'd love to see them hoist the Cup in Raleigh!! But, if they win it in 4, I won't complain at all! Galen jokes that when I'm in labor, that will be my happy thought and my happy place will be the RBC Center holding the Cup at center ice. That will be a nice distraction!! Until Sunday...We love and miss all of you!

End of 7th Month

Seven months down...two to go!! I have eight more weeks left. It's hard to believe it's coming down to the wire. I had my monthly doctor's visit Thursday and I only gained another pound bringing me up to a total of 16 pounds. The doctor says everything is going well and the baby has a strong heartbeat. We're still waiting for her to turn. She likes to lay sideways and kick me everywhere!! Galen got to feel her kick a lot the other night. It was neat!! He's already looking forward to taking her to her first Atlanta Braves game!! I will go back to the doctor in two weeks (now I know it's crunch time!!). I'm still feeling good, just the minor aches and pains. We had our first childbirth class today and we have another one next Saturday. It's pretty intense to say the least, but I'm sure it will be very helpful when the time comes. We have a couple in our class and the husband used to play football at Arkansas. We found out that he also played for the Steelers and the Colts! What a coincidence!! You will notice in my picture that I have moved to a different location...the baby's room! You can see the beautiful green shade that our friend Ron painted for us. I'm standing in front of the bookcase which holds the Pooh lamp as well as some of my old books when I was a little girl. Now that we are working on the nursery, it's hitting us pretty hard, that our daughter will be here soon!!

Two More Showers...One More to Go!!

We had two more showers this month. My friends at JBU (John Brown University) hosted a shower on Tuesday, May 2nd. It was fabulous!! The food was great and the cakes were homemade! It was great to see my friends that I normally don't get to see. I used to work there, but it's been two years now since I left. We got a lot of great gifts, including lots of diapers, which we definitely will need.



Our second shower was given by the ladies and wives in Galen's division at JBU on Tuesday, May 9th. It was held at the division chair's house in town. It was a lovely shower and we got more gifts that our new daughter will use. We played games and had a wonderful time of fellowship.


We have one more shower to go, totalling six showers. Galen and I are partied out!! We have truly been blessed. Now comes the hard part of sorting through all the gifts and deciding what we have and what we still need. The nursery is coming together. We have the crib and the glider assembled (Galen was brillant and I'm very thankful for his handiwork). We have a Pooh rug in front of the crib that Winston is quite fond of! I've told him that is his sister's rug, but I don't think he agrees!! We will put pictures of the new room as soon as possible.

Winston Riding Shotgun

Winston was a faithful companion for Galen's trip to North Carolina. He loves sitting in Momma's seat! Even he gets worn out from the long trip. Momma hated being away from him for so long, but Daddy was glad to have him along for the ride! He doesn't know how his life is going to change in the next three months, but we're sure he'll be a great "big" brother!!

Showers in North Carolina

Our first shower in North Carolina was in my hometown of King on Saturday, April 22. It was given by my mom and my two sisters. It was a wonderful day, but it was a little rainy outside! That didn't keep people away though and we were so blessed to get a lot of cute things. Especially, a lot of baby clothes. I hope that she and I will not get tired of pink!! It was great to see good friends that I don't get to see much of. We wish we lived closer so that we could share more of this special occassion with our family and friends. We were so fortunate to be able to come home at least for a little while. The church where Galen pastors at generously paid for my plane ticket home and Galen then drove the van out with Winston so that we would be able to take all the gifts home. Not having to ride for 1000 miles each way was a relief when you're seven months pregnant! The dress that I wore to the shower was made by a lady in our church. It's truly amazing how God has blessed us so far through this pregnancy! We are so thankful to everyone who has been so generous!!

We had our second shower in Millers Creek on Sunday, April 23. It was given by Galen's cousins and sister-in-law. Again, it was a wonderful day. So many people, including a lot of Galen's family members, showed up to help us celebrate. We got even more great gifts, including more clothes. She definitely will be a well-dressed little lady! We did get some diapers which we will need more than anything. Between the two showers, we received a substanial amount of money and gift cards, which will come in handy for the little extras that will come up before and after the baby is born. We are so thankful for the outpouring of gifts and the generosity of everyone, even total strangers!!

Well, this is the result of both showers. A full van (both rows of seats were taken out, so it truly is completely full)!! Galen drove home after the shower on Sunday and got back home in Arkansas on Monday evening. I flew home on Tuesday and the flights were a little bumpy since we flew through some thunderstorms. Actually, Galen had to drive through a hailstorm on his way home. I got off the plane to rain and cold temperatures in the low 50's. It was a shock to the system!! We were both happy to be home, but now the hard part comes. Going through all the presents and writing the endless thank you notes!! We still have two showers at JBU which will be May 2nd and May 9th and we will probably have our last shower at our church here in Arkansas. So, the gifts will certainly increase!! This baby has to be the most blessed and most anticiapted child I've ever seen. It's been truly an amazing week for us!!