Brag time...

I have been thinking about writing this blog for a while and decided that now was the time. So, if you don't want to hear me go on an on about my wonderful husband then click on, but just fyi...it's gonna be good!

Justin Michael Johnson and I have been married now for 4 years and 4 months. We met at Lee University where we were just friends for about 2 years...until things changed of course. We got married, moved to Florida and started as youth Pastors all within about 3 months. So, needless to say, I was overwhelmed with the amount of life changes I had to go through. I admit I got depressed when we first moved here..you know...no friends, no family, nothing familiar. Justin and I just had each other. We did EVERYTHING together. We were never apart and looking back, I think it was the best thing for our marriage. We had to depend and rely on each other because that's all we had.

We moved to Orlando not knowing really what we were doing. Justin took a Youth Pastor position at the church we are still at, Christ Church of Orlando. He took this position after several grueling interviews. He didn't graduate from Lee with a "Ministry Major" or a theology degree. We were truly just following the call on our hearts to work with teens. I have to admit, shamefully, that I didn't know if we could do it. I doubted Justin and his ability to "be a Pastor". I even think I challenged him a bit, because I have a bit of a control problem, and finally realized that he IS AWESOME at what he does, how he connects with the teens, and I'm sure it's no thanks to me and my nagging. He is a dynamic, charismatic, entertaining, humorous speaker and sometimes I don't know where he pulls stuff from. I will admit I still get nervous every time he speaks. I never know what he will say, and he has embarrassed me and probably himself several times....It's scary when the microphone is in your hands! Regardless, he's done such a great job and I look forward to all that he'll do in the future as he continues to marinate in his calling. Yes, he works alot, but we knew what we signed up for.

I love to watch Justin with Judah. They always have so much fun together. They are constantly laughing and having a good time. I'm certain they'll be buddies. But, I will say that Justin is the disciplinarian of the family. (thank God!) He's firm with Judah and I think Judah respects him for that. When Justin watches Judah every Friday, they are always taking fun daddy/son field trips to places like Lowe's and Ikea. What a great daddy!

Justin constantly is encouraging me to be bold and step out of my box. He is the perfect balance for me. I can be a bit uptight and he knows how to calm me down. He encourages me when I'm having self image issues. I know I'm beautiful to him, because he tells me so. I know he's happy, because he tells me so. Thank God I married someone that complements my love languages! All in all, I married my best friend. I actually enjoy being around my husband (imagine that...lol).

Now, he's not perfect, as none of us are, but he's perfect for me! This is a bragging blog for goodness sakes. I'm proud of my hubby, my friend, my baby-daddy!

Chill out already!

So, I have a lot going on right now and have found myself waking up every hour at night. Why is it that we as women can't turn our brain off? I am in charge of the Thanksgiving basket drive, organization, and delivery for our church this weekend. I love doing this every year, just get so stressed about the details and will I have enough help and so on. Everything seems to work out just fine, but man, I wish I could just chill out!

I am also throwing a baby shower for a friend at church this weekend and feel the need to have a perfect girly party looming over my head. I don't know why I do this to myself or why everything seems to be planed for the same time or day!?

I think the fact that I'm also already planning Judah's first birthday party is stressing me out. When did my baby grow up so fast? One year already? Where has the time gone? I thought time went fast before I had a kid, now it's like twice as fast...crazy! I have ordered the invitations and we...I have decided to do a jungle theme. I'm excited about it and am constantly trying to come up with creative ideas that go with the theme. So, far I've got quite a few...I'll definitely share pictures afterwards...don't hold your breath though, it's not until January. (Obsessed much?)

I really don't' know why I do this to myself. I think it's because I LOVE to plan and do parties and think that everyone that knows that I love this expects something grand from me. I hope not to let them/you down, but first I just need to chill out already!!

Motherhood in the Raw, Part 4

1. Not a light Sleeper? You will be! Becoming a mother I guess requires that you become a light sleeper. I could have slept through a tornado before I had Judah, now I promise I could here him cough through 3 closed doors. Judah has just been diagnosed with Bronchiolitis and so he's been coughing throughout the night. Every time he would cough or whimper, I would jump up. (Justin on the other hand, doesn't budge...interesting!) Maybe it's something in a mom's subconscious that kicks in when little ones are sick. Who knows?

2. The taste of Freedom. Judah is now crawling almost faster than I can walk. I fear that he will be walking sooner than I'd like. I used to could put him in his pack-n-play and he would be continent. Now, he's tasted "freedom" and won't stand to be put in a toy or apparatus that allows ME to get things done around the house.

3. Habits. Rocking to sleep, holding the bottle, watching TV. I do all of these. The whole rocking thing is something I love to do because it's "OUR" time together. Well, the downside is that he won't go to sleep (easily) without being rocked. Yes, I still hold Judah's bottle for him. I have tried the sippy cups, but he doesn't know how to tilt them up. We're working on this. I didn't want Judah to watch TV until he was 2, but this is a bit impossible. We let him watch Praise Baby and he really loves it. (He smiles when he hears it come on. lol) I guess you could call these all habits. Are they bad ones? I guess time will tell.

4. Testing Me. Lately, Judah has been pushing the limits. It's crazy how early they learn to test you as a parent. Will you give into that fit of rage because you took something away? Will you punish him for doing something you already said "No" to? Well, Justin calls me a softy, but I think I'm getting better at this. I can tell that he will be the disciplinarian in our family, but I'm working on my sternness.

5. 9 months on 9 months off. So the whole saying "It takes you 9 months to put on your baby weight and it will take you 9 months to get it off."? Well, for me this is true. I think I'm finally back down to my pre-baby weight/size. I'm able to wear my pre-Judah jeans and am so thrilled. One night I decided to try them on and came out doing the happy dance! (It's the little things, I guess.) So, don't be discouraged if the weight doesn't fall off, but also, your body WILL be completely different.

6. Time is limited. In January, I will go back to work full time. For those of you who don't know, I have had the pleasure this past year to take off Wednesdays every week to spend with my baby. Due to finances being so tight, I have to go back to 40 hrs. per week starting Jan. 1. I am so sad, but am so grateful for the time I've been able to spend with my baby. If you are able to reduce your hours, do it! It's been a tight squeeze financially this past year, but in my eyes, SO worth it.