Home for the Holidays

We got to go home for Christmas this past December, and it was so much fun! We spent 10 days visiting friends and family and packed a ton in. It was kind of fun vacationing to Utah because we got to do a lot of things we didn't normally do when we lived there. The trip was much needed for John to get a little time off work and we enjoyed the snow but were happy to come home to 70 degree weather! Here are some pics from our time in Utah!

 

Johnie and his new cousin, Andrew, seeing Santa for the first time.
I cannot get over the look on Johnie's face. Pure shock! But he didn't cry.
He mostly wanted to pull on Santa's beard.

Christmas morning. Johnie LOVED opening presents! Though most of
the time he preferred playing with the paper instead of his actual gifts.

John and I got to sneak away for a date in downtown SLC.
We went shopping, saw Star Wars and had sushi.

Johnie loved napping with his Grandpa Great!

We went to Christmas Village in Ogden. Johnie loved the lights!

Strolling down 25th Street in Ogden. It was cold, but lots of fun to check out the little shops!

Isn't he SO cute? I'll never get over how sweet my boy is!

Grandpa reading stories to his youngest grandkid and youngest great-grandkid.

Johnie reading Christmas card with his Papa!

Watching cartoons with daddy on his phone.

2 - 7 Months

Initially, it was my goal to post an update on Johnie monthly, but that obviously didn't work out. With the move and everything it was just too much to think about. I haven't posted monthly pictures of Johnie since he was a month old! Better late than never, I guess. Here are his pictures from 2 months old to 7 months old.

 

I can't believe he is already 7 months old! He now has two teeth, can roll and scoot all over the place, loves to eat almost anything I feed him (except for peas!), flirts with any lady who will look his way, has the craziest hair I've ever seen on a baby, and charms everyone he comes in contact with. He is such a happy baby and so laid back. We are so blessed and lucky to have Johnie for a son!

Obviously I don't blog anymore!

It's safe to say that life has been CRAZY since about a week before Johnie was born. Due to some complications I had with preeclampsia, we spent a lot of time in the hospital and Johnie was born three weeks early. Due to some complications he had with jaundice and low birth weight, we also spent a lot of time in the hospital after his birth.

11 days old

Two weeks after Johnie was born, John graduated with his master's degree in healthcare administration. One week later, John flew to Texas for a job interview and was offered the job immediately, which meant my maternity leave was officially over and we were packing up to move. We put our house on the market, sold it in less than 24 hours, and lived with my grandparents while we packed up and moved out.

Graduation day!

Six weeks after Johnie was born, I went back to work to finish out my final two weeks there before quitting. John also quit his job during that time and began prepping for his new healthcare career as a vice president of revenue cycle.

Eight weeks after Johnie was born, we left Utah and drove to Texas so that John could start his new job. We lived in a tiny, one bedroom apartment for a few months while we house hunted. We finally found a great house for us with room to grow into and moved in in mid-September.

Standing on our new front porch

In October, I started a part-time job in marketing at the same company John works for. It's all from home, which allows me to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. I've also been doing some freelance writing, which has been a great way to earn a little extra furniture money (we still have some empty rooms in our house).

Johnie is now six months old and I think life is finally starting to settle down a bit. We still have a lot of work to do on our new house, and we're still getting settled into our new roles, but I think eventually we'll get into the groove of things. Texas is very different from Utah, and John is really happy to be "home" (he has always considered Texas his home), but I think it'll take me a bit longer to feel at home. Utah will always be home to me, but I know in time I will learn to love Texas.

Because life has been so crazy, blogging has obviously been on the back burner. I will do my best to update this when I can, but my role as a new mom keeps me very busy! Hopefully I will update again soon...next time with more pics and more details!

One Month

 

 

• Learned to scream/squeal
• Focuses on people's faces, although sometimes goes cross-eyed
• Has chubby cheeks and a double chin (his pediatrician says he's a big eater)
• Watches TV now and then
• Loves bath time more than anything
• Has a late night party most nights from 2 to 5 a.m.
• Loves looking around at his surroundings and listening to people talk
• Wrinkles his forehead when trying to wake up from a nap
• Loves riding in his car seat
• Smiles and frowns a lot in his sleep (probably depending on what he's dreaming about, haha)
• Doesn't care for tummy time, but mom makes him do it anyway
• Officially has a guard cat named Fate
• Loves to lounge in his Boppy pillow
• Likes to be patted, rocked and held
• Loves to sleep on mom or dad's chest

John's Graduation + Big News

Earlier this month, John graduated with his master's degree in healthcare administration! I'm so proud of him! He has worked hard the last few years to earn his associate's, bachelor's and now master's degree and is FINALLY done going to school (that is unless he decides to pursue a doctorate, haha). We had a great celebration with friends and family, and since our little guy decided to join us three weeks early, he got to celebrate with his daddy too!

The handsome graduate!

Love this guy!

John and I with his parents

John and I with some of our best friends, Becky and Charlie

Our first family photo!

John Sr. and John Jr.

Now that John has his master's degree, he has been given an amazing job opportunity in Texas to work for his brother's hospital group. We are so excited to move to Texas and for John to have such a great job opportunity, but at the same time it is going to be really hard. We're going to miss our family, friends, jobs and Utah as a whole (what am I going to do without the mountains?!). We'll be back to visit frequently, but Texas is going to be our new home. The good news is, our son will have a Texas accent, which is just going to be cute! And I guess I better get myself some cowgirl boots too. Anyway, we're moving at the end of June. John will start his job right away and I'm going to be a stay at home mom, at least for a few months, before I start looking into new writing opportunities. Wish us luck!

Brand New (4 days old)

• Loves to cross his legs at the ankles
• Makes goat noises, which has earned him the nickname "baby goat"
• Grunts/groans more than he cries
• Purses his lips into a "kissy face" often
• Loves to lay on his side, even though we try to keep him on his back
• Started to get a red tint to his sandy brown hair
• Doesn't like his arms to be swaddled
• Loves to be held
• Already found his thumb to suck on
• Loves to look at lights and out windows

Introducing Johnie

John Edward Madison, Jr.

4/19/2015, 5:58 a.m.

5 lbs, 4.5 oz and 18 inches

Just an hour or two old

 

11 days old



 

Birth story to come...