The last day, a new beginning

When Brian and I met almost 8 years ago, we really liked each other, but we didn't always agree on the way we wanted to do things in the future. One of the major things was me being a stay at home mom or a working mom. We had been raised in different situations and therefore definitely held different opinions. As I progressed through Auburn, my opinion slowly changed, helping me to choose education as a major. By the time I graduated from Auburn, not only was I engaged to this wonderful man, I also held a whole new opinion of working versus not. Praise the Lord that He changes the hearts of those that are ready to change- I can't imagine the stress if we still held differing opinions. Then came the job search of 2007.... and 2008..... and 2009. Last year, I completed what should have been my tenure year with two more years to go until tenure. My dreams of teaching glory had been replaced with my dreams of being a mommy. We began the school year in hopes of getting pregnant and He gave us this precious life inside of me. I am so so excited.

But with this excitement comes a whole different feeling. Today is my last day of school. I love my students, I love my school, I love my faculty. Today, when I walk out the doors, I will not be returning as a 2nd grade teacher, but as an outsider. My experience at my two other schools tells me that many of these relationships will not last and certainly won't remain the same and it breaks my heart. I know that staying home is what the Lord has called me to do for a time and I know it will be hard work and wonderful work, but today, I am truly struggling with the adjustment.

So today, I am clinging to God's promises and looking toward the future...

*For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.*

Jeremiah 29:11

Happy Friday!

Pinterest

I have recently become obsessed with Pinterest!

I found it through Chrissy's blog and signed up immediately. Once it became an iPhone app, I was completely sold.

Basically, Pinterest is a website to collect ideas. You create boards, then can post pictures and ideas from all over the web to the board. My favorite part about it is that after you "Pin it," the link is connected to the picture so you can go back to it anytime. You can create as many boards as you like and add as many pictures as you like. You can also find friends from within Pinterest and see what they are updating and pinning.

Check out my boards and see what you think!
http://pinterest.com/auamj/
Let me know if you join so I can follow you! :)

Have a fabulous night!

Baby J- 25 Weeks

I have been very on again, off again on the weekly updates- I apologize! 

How far along? 25 weeks, 4 days.

Baby Bump? For sure. Random people are stopping me to talk about my baby now.  

Maternity clothes? Mostly.  I am still wearing regular shirts and the occasional comfy skirt, but most of my regular bottoms don't fit/ aren't comfortable. 

Total weight gain: I think about 5 lbs. It is VERY inconsistent between weigh-ins.

Cravings: Not much. I haven't been overly hungry. I had Taziki's for the first time since I have been pregnant this weekend. For those of you not from the Birmingham area, Taziki's is a Greek/ Mediterranean restaurant Brian and I used to LOVE. Then I got pregnant and the mere thought of their salad dressing and menu in general made me want to throw up. I decided to test the waters this weekend and had success! I am excited to have another option for dinner out besides a hamburger.

Symptoms: Feeling pretty good! I have been getting hot pretty easily, but that could be because of the pregnancy OR because of the 90* temperatures we have been having. If this is May, I am dreading the actual summer!

Sleep: I'm sleeping well, but am tired of sleeping on my side. Emily Ann is worth it though :)

Movement: She has been kicking, fluttering and rolling around in there for about 3 weeks now. I adore it. She is not consistent about her movements, but I am trying not to worry about it. I am just happy to feel her!

Gender: We are having a little girl! Emily Ann! 

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Sleeping on my stomach and being able to fit between tight spaces.

Best moment this week: Last night, Brian and I were lying in bed and she rolled over. My whole stomach moved! Brian even noticed it without my saying anything. It's such a cool feeling!

The Graduate

Last weekend, I had the honor of watching my husband walk across the stage at graduation Sunday. For the past two years, as I have been working on my degree in school library, Brian has been working on his Masters in Business Administration. He has worked so SO hard and I am beyond proud of him. Even though he chose not to walk at graduation, he DID walk at our church graduation Sunday, along with his two brothers, who graduated from Auburn in December and May.

Brian shaking our pastor's hand.

The Johnson clan, celebrating not one, but THREE graduations!

Congratulations Brian!!! I am so proud of you!

A random assortment of life...

Relaxing evenings
Last week, Brian worked the night shift fueling trucks for the power company. I was so glad that he was able to help people, but I barely saw him all week. To recover from our time apart, we found an *awesome* discount and stayed at Ross Bridge for the night. It was a wonderful weekend. We had a great meal, hit Babies R Us, just to update the registry as we slowly recover from the shock of all things baby, and enjoyed the benefits of cable, which we have been without since February. Saturday, we spent the day at the pool! It was fabulous!
Look at the view from our room!

Baby showers

 I enjoyed my first two baby showers this week! My sweet friends at school threw me and another girl expecting twins a faculty baby shower. We had a awesome cheese ball, salsa, and cookies.The decorations were so pretty and the party was great. I was so blessed by the sweet gifts from the faculty and can't wait to share them with Emily Ann!

Yesterday, my class surprised me with a baby shower. They scheduled a fake meeting to get me out of the classroom, then set up. The kids jumped out when I got back to the classroom and nearly scared the daylights out of me. The shower was such a wonderful surprise. We played from great, kid friendly games including pin-the-baby on Mrs. J and Scattergories. Students worked in groups to brainstorm as many girl names as possible and as many things that babies CAN'T do as possible. The things they came up with were so funny- a person said do a handstand, someone else said go to the bathroom by themselves, and the quietest girl in my class said SPIT in a very loud voice. Hilarious. Once again, I was so blessed by their thoughtfulness and had so much fun.

Check out the pin-the-baby board... A little boy informed me that it looked just like me, except she was fatter. Ha.

Hairbows!
Since classes have finally ended for the semester, I have been trying my hand at making hairbows. They certainly aren't perfect yet, but they are getting better. I am also LOVING fabric flowers. There are so many great blog tutorials on both of these... I just want to keep making them!!
Sorry for the bad quality pictures- I took them on the iPhone and was zoomed too close.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Opinion?

So I have been faithful to a baby blue Auburn baseball cap for the past 6ish years. I love it, but it has been through band camp, indy races, days at the beach, and so much more. Not that I am retiring it, but I really love comfy days with a casual skirt and a cap and would like something a little more fresh. Not to mention, Brian really likes the baseball cap look.

Here is where you come in-

Should I get this one?

Or this one? (Probably in white with pink font.)

I know it isn't so important, but I am kind of excited! I love a new cap!

Baby J- Week 22

Hi everyone! Hope you are having a glorious week! Here's the weekly update! 

How far along? 22 weeks, 7 days.

Baby Bump? Yup!

Maternity clothes? Maternity pants, but regular shirts. Some of my regular things fit if I am bored with my wardrobe, but they are pretty uncomfortable.

Total weight gain: According to the scales in the school nurse's office, I have gained the first trimester -4 back, so I should be sitting about at 0 or +1. I go to the dr. this afternoon so I will be able to say for sure then.

Cravings: Nothing recently. I have really enjoyed my sweets, but am getting close to the glucose test, so I should probably tame my wild ways :)

Symptoms: Some random yuk things, but besides that, really nothing. It's kind of strange and I have to remind myself that there is a baby in there!

Sleep: I am getting up more frequently to go to the bathroom and actually can't sleep on my stomach anymore, finally! I dream pretty much every night and a lot of times, they are pretty weird. I think I prefer my old school dreamless nights.

Movement: Yes! She has been kicking me consistently for about a week now. Some days it is more than others, but I usually feel it at least once a day. I absolutely adore it :) The other night she kicked me when I was in the bathtub. I had just turned on the hot water and she started kicking like crazy. When I turned it off, she stopped. It was pretty funny.

Gender: We are having a little girl! Emily Ann! 

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: This week I pushed the laptop cart in my classroom from one side of the room to the other. It is always heavy and awkward, but this was the first time I had moved it since EA. I had to sit down afterwards because it wore me out! Though it is not like that with everything, I do miss being able to do what I need to do without help.  

Best moment this week: Definitely her kicking me and me KNOWING that was what it was. Brian has had to work a lot because of the storms, so I haven't seen him much. When I finally did see him, he got to feel it too. It's so neat and I am thankful that it is something he can be included in. 

Also, our friends Maegan and Adam had their baby this past Monday. I have been blessed to be pregnant with three of my friends. Us and two others are having girls, but Adam and Maegan were waiting to find out. Precious Lily Beth was born on Monday- I can't wait for her and Emily Ann to be friends! And what are the chances that all four of us would have girls? So much fun!!

And though this is in no way related to Emily Ann, I took my last final of the semester last night. The test was open book, but crazy hard. It's been a very difficult and exhausting semester, but I can officially say I am one semester and my comps away from completing my master's degree! 

Have a great Cinco de Mayo!!

A day of prayer

Our governor, Robert Bentley, has declared today a day of prayer throughout the state of Alabama. Praise the Lord that we have a governor who fears the Lord and recognizes His fullness and perfect plan.  The news continues to be consumed with stories of the number of people who did not survive, the vast damage, and the number of people who are still missing, today, four days later. It is heart breaking to hear of students at the University of Alabama who have lost their lives, co-workers whose homes and worldly possessions are destroyed, and communities that no longer exist because of this storm. 

Please join the state of Alabama as we pray for our people today.

This post is from the wife of our local weather man. It gives just a small picture of the destruction and a clear picture of our God who is able to do incredibly more than we can hope or imagine.

Have a good Sunday my friends.