Stella's First Ponytail

I know, am I really blogging about my babies first ponytail?? Yes I am. It is a very momentous day for a Johns' girl! Stella beat her sister to a ponytail by almost 4 months. We are very proud of her and her hair growing ability. I must say that the invention of the Bumbo may have advanced her new milestone. Is that thing not amazing?? She sat perfectly still in it, so I could even tie a little bow in her hair! She looks very proud of herself and her new hair. She knows she is beautiful. It starts early doesn't it?? I can hardly believe that my baby girl is almost 6 months old! Yes next week she will officially be half a year old! How did this happen?? My sweet baby girl is almost a toddler. Ok, maybe a little exaggerated, but really how does time fly by so fast?

Just look at her! How could someone not want to kiss those cheeks! She is very attached to me, which I appreciate. My mom babysat her for me last week, so I could attend Payton's Valentines day party. I laid Stella down for a nap and left. When Stella woke up, she smiled at my Mom and then quickly looked around to find me. When she didn't see me, she began to scream and was inconsolable. My Mom tried bouncing her, rocking her, singing to her, ect. I opened the door as my Mom was instructing Chloe to get her shoes on so they could go get me. Stella was red faced, tear streaked and SCREAMING. I walked over to my Mom and took Stella. Stella proceeded to take a deep breath and was SILENT. My Mom just looked at me and her and said, "You need to get that baby on a bottle!". Stella, is a little dramatic I will give her that, but she loves her Mama!

A New Baby for the Johns' Family!

Ha ha to all you that rushed here to see if I am knocked up again, while thinking of who you will call the instant said news was verified! Our new baby is of the Canine variety. Oh yes, we got a puppy. A very lovable 8 week old Yellow Labrador Retriever. Her name is Bella, Bells for short....all you Twilight fans know what I mean. Aaron wants her to have puppies someday, so we may have to get a handsome companion for her and name him Edward so they can make beautiful babies together. Although, I was Team Jacob, so maybe not Edward. Anyways, that is a long time from now. And yes I know the name Bella rhymes with Stella. However after much discussion with my hubby, we decided we loved the name. Enough said.
Bella is so sweet! She absolutely loves Chloe, who has always been my animal lover. If Chloe goes into the bathroom, Bella sits outside the door and whines. Yes I am one of those people that drives through town with my dog on my lap. Only my dog isn't a lap dog...or at least she won't be for long. Hopefully you all will get to meet her soon!

Sweet Chloe Ava

Where can I begin with you my sweet little one? I pushed for 9 whole minutes with you because you were facing up instead of down. We are pretty sure you would have stayed in my tummy forever if I hadn't been induced. You came out screaming. You screamed the whole time the nurses weighed you and bathed you. You didn't stop until you were finally able to nurse. Such a small victory for me that you latched on and never let go! We almost lost you after knowing you for 14 short days. I can't even imagine my life without you.

You wouldn't let anyone else hold you until you were almost 2. Daddy thought at first it was because you were breastfeeding, not like Payton. You and I new different didn't we? We knew there was a closeness with us that couldn't be broken. I love how you tell me that we are best
friends. You can't even begin to know how much I hope that is true after we weather the teen years! I loved it today when you told Payton and me that you didn't want to ever get married because you want to live at home with Mommy. We would love that too, because no guy will ever be good enough for you in our eyes! I love you sitting in my lap as we go through the list of what the "Ladies" (as Daddy calls us) like best. Starbucks, shopping, lipstick, cuddling, and horses. I love the way you boss the boys around and use the exact same phrases I would. Daddy just rolls his eyes at us! I love to cuddle with you and talk about all the things we are going to do when you get just a little bit bigger. Some relationships in life are hard, and others just come easily. Ours is one of those magical relationships that is easy. Its because you are so much like your Daddy, even though you try to be just like me. You nature is laid back and calm. I can peek into the future and imagine us baking Thanksgiving dinner together and then our conversations as we clean up afterwards. You are such a helper to me and a natural born server. You think to pick up things or do things before I ask them of you. You will never know how much a help that is to me. Now you are a week away from turning 4 and I cannot believe it! How much time has past and how much you have grown! I love you my little Chloe Ava.

Godspeed Little Man

You were born on Friday the 13th. We all know how the story goes, one very short first labor and one push and out you came. You were quiet after your initial first scream. You were almost pensive and if you could have your mouth hanging open in true Payton thinking form, I know you would've. I was young and entering motherhood not knowing a thing about it. I regarded you in an almost panic, thinking what have I done? I am now responsible for this little baby. You were so quiet and sweet. As we cuddled in my hospital bed all my fears and anxiety left me, and I knew I could do it. The nurses propped pillows up around us so we could take a nap together. You were my biggest learning experience, and I'm still learning. I had to grow up in that moment and realize how selfish of a person I was / am. Your every cry would send me into a panic. I didn't want anything to happen to you. We had many ER visits that first year and you had many 'issues'. From Eczema to colds, we had it all.
Yet, we made it through and as you grew into toddlerhood, you amazed us with your quick mind. Nothing got past you. You were always more active than the other kids. They would sit on the little plastic picnic table and you would climb it, stand on it and jump off with all the gusto and theatrics a toddler could possibly have. I was given looks from other moms that at first glance said, 'My he's active', but really underneath said, 'My child would never do that'. But you know what, I would much rather have a rough and tumble boy than a sissy. And the Lord couldn't have given me more of a BOY than I have. Active in every sense of the word. Always out to prove me and Daddy wrong. Like when you argued with Daddy that you could ride a bike without training wheels at 4 1/2. Daddy said fine and took them off for you. He tried to hold onto your bike and you yelled, "Let go Daddy! I can do it!". So daddy did and you took off! Not falling at all. Or you bringing your reading homework home and telling me you could read it. I didn't believe you and argued with you until you opened it up and started reading it to me. I love that in you.
Now you are 6 and in school. Causing drama between the 1st grade girls, all in love with a Kindergartener. Yet your oblivious! Your giggle, your sense of humor, the way you love your sisters, even how you can frustrate me, makes my heart sing with joy. I'm sorry for all the mistakes I've made along the way. I know these days are quickly fleeting, and I am going to open my eyes one day and you will have your own life. As I dropped you off at school today and watched you walk in by yourself without looking back at me. I realized how much you've grown and it makes me sad to know that I will never get those days back. Yet we have so much to look forward to. I love you Pay Pay.

Our Night of Debauchery!

I love Christmas. Don't get me wrong I do from the bottom of my heart. I break out my Christmas music mid November and decorate the day after Thanksgiving. However, I was so done with it this year. The snow really ruined our Christmas because we couldn't make it to any of our relatives houses. We were literally snowed in at my parent's house. Nothing like exchanging gifts with my In-laws on the side of Hwy 26 Christmas day. Now thats a Christmas.


Thankfully, as some therapeutic relief, Aaron's work has their "Christmas Party" after New Years. So no worrying about getting the date to fit into our busy Christmas schedule or worrying about dressing up to impress the other wives. Pihl Excavation holds their annual "Big Burnout" at the company office. (Or I should say outside of it) Everyone is invited to bring their Christmas trees up to be burnt up. Its very efficient really. There is a drop off place where you pull up and the hired help takes your tree and throws it onto a pile of about 100 trees...not exaggerating! Then you drive around to the parking and walk back to the party. Its not just Pihl employees there, most of the Banks community is there. Hey nothing brings out the Banks rednecks like an Open Bar and free Bar B Que!

It was an amazing display of pyrotechnics. Everytime a tree was added to the fire of its demise, it would create a flame that shot a good 30 to 40 feet into the air. Much hooping and drunken hollering would insue. I sipped on my hot chocolate w/ whipped creme and enjoyed all the sight and sounds of a good old fashion tree burnin' party!

Now this sign to my left was on the barn that was home to the food and I walked past it about 10 times before I actually read it. I don't need to say anything else. This about sums up the party
This is why you should water your tree. Most people stopped watering their tree about a week ago in preperation for the Burn Out. Whenever a well watered tree was put on the fire, there was a collective groan from expectant party goers. It only steamed and slowly burnt. Quickly, oh so quickly, another much drier tree would be heaved on the burn pile much to the party goers glee! The party was back on! So now I pity the wives that must attend stuffy Christmas parties. I am very happy to bundle myself up in muddy boots and a heavy jacket. Maybe I am still a country girl at heart.

Chloe Ava & Stella Rose 4 months

Ok here are two pictures of my baby girls at 4 months of age. I still think they look like twins separated by 3 1/2 years. What do you think?




Stella is on the top and Chloe is on the bottom.

Christmas Traditions and Things

I LOVE this time of year! I love the craziness of shopping, the smell of my tree, the decorations and of course the Starbucks Christmas cups. Chloe Ava loves the Starbucks cups too. Every time we pull up to a drive through she sits in her car seat saying, "Please still have them, Please still have them". I love it! Now usually we get our tree the day after Thanksgiving, after our morning of shopping. This year however we waited because we need our tree to last until after New Years. I will surely be blogging about this too I'm sure. Aaron's work doesn't have a traditional "Christmas Party" per say. They have whats called the Big Burnout the first week of January, where everyone brings up their trees and well you guessed it. Like a bunch of Banks folk that we are, we pile them up and lite those puppies! Its catered and cold, but a blast!

Anyways, this past Saturday we decided to go get our tree. I love Grand Fir trees because of their smell and look. Nobles are not bushy enough for me and Douglas Firs are...well they are like the White Trash of trees....sorry if this is your tree of choice....remember I was just talking about our classy Christmas party....so no judgment here!

Anyway! We saw a sign for Grand Firs $15 on this back country road and we decided to check it out. We pull up to this little shop and the man comes out and says we can chose anyone we want in this field for $15. They are trying to clear it out for plowing next year. The trees were like 6' and above! So I picked out one close to 9' and bushy. Thats my kind of tree! The guy then proceeds to cut it down with a chainsaw and put it into a trailer attached to a fourwheeler and take it up to our car. They then stick it on a shaker, where they proceed to shake it to get all the bugs out and then they bound it up and help Aaron get it on our car. It was completely full service for $15! Amazing! We then have to get home and search for our tree stand which is MIA, so we had to drive out to Banks and borrow one from Aaron's parent. At 8pm, we finally start to decorate as we are watching the news about the snow. We are all getting excited about it and I couldn't feel anymore fullfilled in my Christmas heart! So we put the kids to bed and I cuddle up on my couch with my fleece blanket and watch Its A Wonderful Life next to my illuminated Christmas tree. Really, does it get any better than that?

I know this is getting long, but I'm almost done! Stella woke up at 3am and 6:30am that morning to nurse and both times I ripped the curtains open to see if it was snowing. It was not! I was so angry at the weather man! So at 8:30 Payton came down and yelled, "Its snowing!". I looked out at the pitiful snowfall and wanted to cry. However, by 12:00 it was good enough to play in and that is just what my kids did! Stella didn't know what to think of the snow. But how precious are delicate snow flakes on baby eyelashes?? It was so sweet. Please enjoy my slide show below if you are still reading this!