Weekend in Illinois

Last weekend the three of us went to Illinois to spend time with Matt's family. Matt's grandpa, Richard Dorsey, lost his brave battle with cancer that week, so we wanted to be there for the visitation and memorial service. He was a wonderful Christian man who touched many lives over his many years as a teacher, administrator, coach, volunteer, and more. It was a very nice service, and Grandpa Dick's two grandsons, Matt and Cam, had the honor of playing the violin and reading scripture in the service. Although it was under sad events that we were in Illinois, it was wonderful to see the Johnson and Dorsey families. Mckenna got to meet her Chicago cousins for the first time, Gwen and Sonja, along with other family members too. Sonja is only one day older than Mckenna, so it was extra fun to see them together - they are both such cuties! Over our weekend in IL the babies were 4 weeks old. And Gwen is such a proud big sister and seemed excited to meet "cousin Mckenna." It was so much fun to see the little Johnson cousins together. Below are some pictures of our weekend - enjoy.

We left Minnesota on Thursday evening after Matt was done with work and drove about halfway, staying in Madison for the night. We stayed at the Crowne Plaza, and we were all really tired when we finally got there... Minneapolis to Madison always seems to me like the longest part of the drive to Illinois. We set Mckenna down on the big bed while we were setting up her little cradle sleeper - can you read the sign on the bed next to her? It says...

...Sleep Soundly. :) (She seems pretty cute even when she's crying, doesn't she?)

The next day we drove on to Aurora, Illinois. We stayed at the Hampton Inn, and they had a really nice pool, hot tub, and a cool kids pool, kind of like a mini-water park with water falling from filled up buckets overhead, a slide, etc. Gwen enjoyed the pool and then came back to our room to hang out with Mckenna. Too cute.




Then it was time for the Sonja and Mckenna show - we had to get pictures of the two new baby cousins! I like to think that they are looking at each other thinking about all the fun and adventures they will have together in the coming years. I love Sonja's full head of hair, she is just such a sweetie!

And of course Gwen got in on the pictures too. We were trying to have the girls in a snuggle-type pose, but I don't think we could ever quite get a picture where all three were still and quiet. :)


Here is Sonja and Mckenna fast asleep in their car seats at the church. They were both sleeping and quiet through the whole service, they were great.


After the memorial service we went over to the Dorsey's house to spend more time together. Here is a picture of Cam and Matt holding their daughters. Handsome brothers and adorable babies!


Here is the Johnson family - Cam and Matt and babies, their parents Karen and Craig, and grandma, Fran Dorsey.


Grandma Fran got to meet her great-granddaughter Mckenna for the first time that weekend. Mckenna enjoyed being held and snuggled by her.


Mckenna also enjoyed snuggling with Gwen, and I think vice versa. :)



Here is a bigger group of us. So wonderful to be together. What a blessing to have such a great family.



Linnea, Sonja, Cam, and Gwen.


Grandma and Grandpa with little Mckenna.


Grandpa Craig enjoying his two littlest granddaughters. He was looking at both of them, and I if I remember correctly, kept saying something like, "I just can't believe this!" I'm sure it's fun to see your kids having kids of their own. :)


After the Dorsey's house we went back to the hotel, ordered pizza, and enjoyed our last night together until our next visit at Christmas. Mckenna was loving her Uncle Cam. I love Linnea and Gwen in the background too.


It was a full weekend and we were all tired, but happy!


And this last picture isn't from our weekend, but one we took this past week. After Mckenna was born, Matt got this "Minnehaha Academy Munchkin" bib in his mailbox at work. So cute!

Mckenna is 3 weeks old!

Mckenna is already 3 weeks old! Here are some pictures from this past week. She is healthy, content, happy, adorable, sweet, and so much fun. She is eating well, sleeping great, and an all around wonderful baby. We feel so incredibly blessed to have her in our lives. Enjoy the pictures!

First, a bit about our "only in Minnesota" weather... the meteorologist said on the news a few days ago that the weather in the past week here has covered three seasons. Last Monday and Tuesday the highs were in the 70s - sunny and beautiful, summer in November! It slowly but surely got cooler over the week, until we woke up on Friday morning to this sight...

...SNOW, SNOW, and more SNOW! Only in Minnesota, right? :)

Here is Mckenna sitting on the love seat that we have upstairs. It's funny, we think this couch is a little on the small side, but it looks huge with just our little peanut sitting on it!

Ready to go shopping! My mom, Mckenna and I went to Burnsville Center for lunch and to run a few errands.

A sweet vision in pink.

Nap time!

Ahhh... that was a nice nap.

And back to sleep again...

Tired and ready for bed. Isn't the quilt that she's laying on cute? My good friend Katrina made it and gave it to us at a baby shower. Thank you Katrina - Mckenna loves it! :)



Earlier this past summer, my brother Brad and his family were in Arizona on business, and my nephew Jacob picked out these cow booties and cute onesie for his cousin-to-be on their trip. So cute!


Today after church we went to visit Matt's grandma in Golden Valley, Marjorie Anderson. Mckenna enjoyed meeting her great-grandma Margie for the first time, and Margie had fun seeing her. Everyone we saw while visiting her at the care center was commenting on how cute Mckenna is, including grandma. :)



Mckenna so far seems to prefer a shower to a bath, so tonight she got a shower - she really enjoys it!


All wrapped up and snuggly after her shower. Thanks Janna for the cute bath towel!

All clean with Daddy. Check out my big belly! :)

Did you vote today? Mckenna did!

Matt, Mckenna and I went out and voted this morning. Matt stopped home in Savage on his way to Bloomington (he teaches at two Minnehaha campuses - North Campus in Minneapolis in the mornings, Bloomington Campus in the afternoons) and I was glad we went when we did. There were only a few people ahead of us in line. The lady checking us in said that when they opened this morning the line was around the building! Mckenna was with Matt in the Baby Bjorn... it was funny because all you can see are limp arms and legs because she is so little! And yes, she could breathe - we checked. She was actually sleeping. Happy voting everyone!

Maria and Josh's Wedding

Well, I'm about a week behind on posting updates. Funny how before Mckenna was born I was usually able to post within a few days of an event, but now it takes much more time... where has all my "free time" gone? :)

On Saturday, October 25th, Matt, Mckenna, Kristi and I went to our friend Maria Mule's wedding to Josh Reichow. The wedding was at First Covenant Church in St. Paul, and the reception was in Stillwater. Mckenna was just over 2 weeks old, and did great at her first wedding. She was getting a lot of, "Oh, she is so cute/tiny/content!" comments, and I was getting a lot of, "I can't believe you are actually out and about 2 weeks after having a baby!" comments. We had been planning to go to Maria's wedding for months, and we were excited to be there. My sister Kristi and Maria worked together and became friends at Covenant Pines, and Maria and I met and became friends through Kristi. Maria is a great person - so positive and fun, her happy spirit is contagious. We have a lot in common... we're both teachers, we both love Covenant Pines, we both like American Idol (Simon is our favorite judge - we like trying to imitate him), and we both have awesome husbands, just to name a few things.

Below are some pictures from Maria and Josh's wedding day. Also, there are three cute pictures of Mckenna (after the wedding pics) from this past week. Enjoy!



Mr. and Mrs. Reichow!

Julie, Mckenna, and Maria - the bride was so beautiful and happy!

Aunt Kristi and Mckenna snuggling.

The two cutest gals in the room. :)

Maria and Josh's first dance. Maria's dress was absolutely gorgeous.

Normally I am one of the first out on the dance floor, but I left the crazy dancing to Matt and Kristi for the evening while Mckenna and I looked on. They had a great time out there.

This picture is from last week at home. Mckenna loves playing on her play mat that Grandma and Grandpa Johnson gave her. She loves looking at the lights and little hanging animals.


Doesn't she look kind of like a little baby football player? :)

It was warm in our house and she was hungry and getting worked up. She felt warm so I put a damp washcloth on her forehead while she ate. I thought she looked so cute, I had to take this pic.

More pictures of Mckenna!

It's hard to believe that Mckenna was born over a week ago. She has already changed a bit from her brand new baby look in the hospital, but she is (of course) still cute as a button. We will post a few more pictures here from the hospital and the day that we came home and also add a web link that you can view an online slideshow of Mckenna, which are from pictures taken on her one week birthday, Thursday 10/23/08. Thanks to my sister-in-law Jessica Person of First Day Photo for capturing the precious pics that you see in the slideshow. Mckenna is our little sweetheart, and our life is forever changed for the better with her in it. Enjoy! Oh, and here is the link to the slideshow: www.firstdayphotogalleries.com/slideshows/102308aMckenna/index.html

Whew... that being born thing is hard work!


Labor Room 218 at Fairview Southdale Hospital, where all the action happened. The room was fine, but I was definitely ready to move up to the 4th floor where we would spend the next few days as a family.


Newborn Mckenna, all wrapped up and snuggly.


All settled in our new room.


My oldest brother Brad and his wife Jessica brought their kids over to meet their new cousin the day after she was born. They were so sweet with her - so excited and curious to see the new baby. They even brought her special presents too - "gugs" (pacifiers) that they each picked out, a pacifier pod (a little bag that attaches to the diaper bag to keep them in one place and clean), a Baby Einstein CD of music, and a picture drawn by Tommy for Mckenna. This is Sarah (age 2), and Thomas (age 3) holding Mckenna. Older brother Jacob didn't make it in this photo. Aren't they so cute looking at her?


Matt's Aunt Karin and Uncle Stew from Texas happened to be in town visiting family when Mckenna was born, and came to see us in the hospital. Aunt Karin made this blanket for Mckenna - the colors are so perfect for Mckenna's room and it's really soft. Thank you, Karin!


Ready to go home from the hospital - 10/18/08.


Welcome home!


Mckenna trying our her cool new swing - I think she likes it! :)

Mommy, Daddy, and Mckenna's hospital bracelets. By the way, the little pink outfit she is wearing is the same outfit worn home from the hospital by her Mommy in 1978.

This pink rose was on the pulpit at our church, Bloomington Covenant, the Sunday after Mckenna was born to announce her birth. We didn't make it to church that morning, but the rose was brought home for us. Mckenna and the rose are almost the same size! :)

What a cute face!

Check out my cheeks!

Our new daughter!

Our long awaited daughter is finally here! Mckenna Bethany Johnson was born today - 2 weeks after her due date - on Thursday, October 16, 2008 at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, MN. Mckenna weighed in at 7 lbs. 7 oz., 20.5 inches, and was born at 2:40 pm. Julie had 20 hours of labor, and it was a bit tough towards the end, but mom and baby are healthy. I will post a few pictures here, and we will get some more up after we get settled at home next week. Blessings to you, and thanks for all of your prayers for us over the past several months and days as we have prepared for this amazing blessing from God.

Mommy in early labor - still smiling! :)

Newborn Mckenna Bethany Johnson

Grandma Mary Person

Grandma Karen Johnson

Auntie Kristi Person

Baby Time!

This morning we went to the doctor. Both baby girl and I are very healthy, so that's always reassuring to hear. During the BPP test, the ultrasound technician said that it looks like she has little chubby cheeks - isn't that cute? Dr. Curran said that I will need to go into the hospital to be prepped for induction, which is an overnight process, and then I will be induced early the next morning. I'm going to Fairview Southdale in Edina, so the hospital scheduler at my OB office checked with them and they are full both tonight and Tuesday night this week. So I will be checking in on Wednesday and induced early Thursday morning. That means our little girl will finally make her debut sometime on Thursday, October 16th! Please continue to pray for us this week - for a smooth, safe, and healthy induction process, labor and delivery - for baby, mom, and dad. Thank you for your prayers, and we will keep you posted with news and pictures when she arrives! WE ARE SO EXCITED!! :)