Maternity Photo Shoot

Back in December, our sweet friend from church, Claudia Farr, took some great photos in downtown Harlingen to capture the essence of my ever-growing belly. In my "younger days", I swore up and down that I would never take maternity pictures, but I am incredibly thankful that I changed my mind and that we were able to capture some great moments between Cody and I on camera during our first pregnancy experience. We were so impressed with Claudia's ability to essentially recreate our engagement photo session in the style, angles and settings that she chose, and we couldn't love the photos more. We can't wait for her to take our first family of 4 (yes, that includes Rio) pic very soon!

Prepare for picture overload, peeps...

36 Weeks

Well ladies and gents, we've made it to the final countdown before Hayes' big debut! It's hard to believe that 9 months of pregnancy have just about come and gone (though I'd be lying if I said a few days here lately haven't felt like an eternity as my impatient self tries to wait to see that little face). At this point, it's pretty obvious that we are beyond excited to meet our baby boy in person, and after today's doctor's appointment it won't be long at all until he's here. In fact, she said there's a very good chance he will come within the next day or two, and definitely by next week! I am beyond grateful for this, as at about 34 weeks I began to dilate, and we prayed fervently that God would keep Hayes growing until the end of 36 weeks to ensure that his little lungs are fully developed. As always, God has been faithful, and on Sunday we will hit the 37 week mark and should be home free from any developmental issues. After all of the ups and downs, I am so thankful for the peace that has replaced what was once constant anxiety, and for a God that is good and hears all of our prayers. On top of it all, my health continues to remain good and my body is functioning just as it should during early labor (I'll spare the details here, but trust me- this is a BIG miracle in itself!). We can't wait to see what lies ahead of us and know God's power, strength and healing will be proven yet again as our little man enters this world. I'm still working (it's a great distraction and time passer, which is absolutely necessary at this point) and will continue to until Hayes decides to arrive. Don't worry, I'm keeping a constantly full glass of water at my desk just in case I need to pour it on myself as a distraction when my water breaks... Naturally, I've thought through every circumstance. :) We're  ready for you, little man!

A Nursery Fit for a King

After months of anticipation, we are pleased to post the pictures of our finished nursery! For the record, the room itself has been complete for quite a few weeks at this point, as I simply could not wait to decorate the moment we found out that we'd be having a baby boy. Mom and I were pretty pleased with our handiwork, and we think we might even consider a career in nursery design one day. :) A big shout out to Lynn and Tami for the gift of the crib and Cody for doing lots of hanging, hammering, constructing, painting and positioning. Hayes had one fantastic design team, and now all we need is him to complete the room. We're ready for you, little man!

Ladies who Lunch…& Celebrate Hayes!

The weekend after Christmas, we were able to squeeze in a shower with some of my sweet girlfriends to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our baby boy. My friend Alison planned the perfect lunch at Bin 555 and I was so excited to see some of my closest friends. We had a blast catching up and spending time together, and none of us can quite believe (or are willing to embrace the fact) that it has been almost ten years since our high school cheer and dance days. :) Thank you again to Alison and Morgan for a super fun and special shower for Hayes!

Already such a lucky guy to be loved by so many gorgeous ladies!

Alison did this amazing painting for the nursery. We love it so much!

Nicole is due with Hudson about a month after Hayes is due-- we can't wait for them to meet!

I just love this pic… Nicole, Morgan and me with our three boys. Future teammates and partners in crime!

BFF's since the good 'ol days!

One Last Christmas for Two

To be perfectly honest, Christmas was a blur this year. Perhaps it was the fact that I had my first "Christmas break" since college (a true gift that did not require the usage of any vacation time- thank you, higher education!)… or the fact that the symptoms of pregnancy brain seem to become more powerful by the day… or that I'm not quite sure how I feel about claiming 27 as my age…
While it went by incredibly quickly, our last Christmas just the two of us was just as wonderful as ever and we loved every second spent with our families. This was the year of the big Johnson Christmas, so nearly 60 Johnsons gathered at Lynn and Tami's house to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We had the traditional chili and margaritas (obvi "we" did not include me in the marg portion this year) on Christmas Eve followed by a fun gift exchange. Perhaps most interesting about Christmas this year was the fact that Cody and I spent our first Christmas Eve night in our own home. I must admit it was a little strange to go home and wake up on Christmas morning in my own bed with only Cody and Rio present! It was definitely a fun way to start our own traditions, and we had fun exchanging gifts and stockings when we got home from the Johnson gathering. We can't wait until next year when we'll prepare cookies and milk for Santa and watch Hayes open gifts!

Christmas morning brought our precious niece Addie's first Christmas, and the big 2-7 for me. We headed back to Lynn and Tami's bright and early for presents and then conveniently came home and rested before round two of the Johnson festivities that afternoon. We have so much to be thankful for this year and can't wait to add Hayes to the mix at the next Johnson holiday get-together! Hayes had a stocking at Mimi and Papaw's house and even received his very own John Deere tractor from Santa. He must have known it was Christmas because he was kicking and moving up a storm during our present opening! Something tells me he might be as big a fan of the day as his mama is. :) The weekend after Christmas we travelled to San Antonio to celebrate with Mom, Dad and Kirby, and I may have determined that even a 4 hour car ride at 8 months pregnant isn't the most comfortable of experiences. It was totally worth it to spend time with the fam though, and we had lots of fun eating yummy food, exchanging presents and celebrating my birthday!

Santa had a strange resemblance to my hubby this year :)

Had to document the awesome card that Grandma & Grandpa Johnson got me this year for my birthday!

Hayes' authentic John Deere tractor. Can't wait to see his little feet push those peddles!

Cody and Cale built/painted these awesome corn hole boards for Lynn's Christmas present this year. Aren't they talented?

I had a birthday and Christmas fit for a princess!

No South TX Christmas is complete without a piñata.

Last Christmas for two!

Rio got lots of duck hunting in over the week of Christmas/New Year's. Aren't these two so handsome?

After a long scavenger hunt, Dad found his prize- Washer boards built by Cody!

Rio was spoiled with lots of goodies this year, too. He's all about the Christmas stocking!