Happy Easter

I love Easter. I love getting dressed up and going to a packed church service. I love hearing all my favorite songs and singing with more gusto than I normally do (because there are more people in the church to drown out my off-key voice). I love the sermon and message of Easter. What I don't love is how commercial it's all become.

Campbell and I just happened to be at Target the Saturday before Easter. Trips to Target are not a weekly event for us, more like an every two months kind of event. But we needed new PJs for c-man, and we were already near the store. The studio where we had Campbell's Easter photo taken was in the same area. As we made our way through the masses to the kids section of Target, we had to pass the Easter section. Seasoned moms and grandmoms, were in a tizzy buying baskets, candy and plastic eggs. I stopped for a moment to check out the scene, when a mom started commenting on how cute Campbell was. She continued, "oh, I know it's so hard the first year to buy Easter presents because you don't know what they want. I promise it will get easier next year when he can tell you what he wants!"

Excuse me? I was nearly speechless. When did Easter become Christmas part II? I smiled and sheepishly picked up a brightly dyed blue basket. I proceeded to grab a bag of eggs. Gifts? Was I supposed to buy Easter gifts? Ok, cookies for Brad and I to share. An iTunes gift card for Brad. Well, what's the point of buying a basket if you're not going to fill it. Campbell's gift? I finally made it to the kids section. The area normally reserved for all my favorite Carter's clothes was taken over by rack after rack of frilly dresses. PJs? I hunted for several minutes for boys pjs and finally found one size 12 month - Monster Beach Bash pjs will have to do.

I checked out, made it back to the car, loaded everything up when it hit me. I was just peer pressured into buying Easter presents for my entire family. I better do my Christmas shopping this summer or I'll be toast come November!

Campbell after his Easter portrait was taken. He was fascinated with all the lights we could not get him to smile!

Oh, mom. You dressed me up in this silly outfit again!

Church was too much for little man. Passed out during the sermon.

Post church family picture!

On our way to brunch! Yummy brunch at Dante's with friends.

The Roar of March and April's Blessings

I can't believe it's April. And I'm so glad it's April. March was a tough month.... Campbell was teething . In the baby book it said some babes cut their first tooth with ease and for others it's a miserable process. Campbell fell in the miserable category - poor thing was a wreck, and we tried everything to ease his pain and discomfort. Add to that a cold that seemed to last the entire month and his first ear infection. I had a massive sinus infection which did not help the situation. Luckily Brad came to our rescue! And by the end of March things were looking up!

And just in time for Campbell's Baptism. We waited till Spring because with Brad in Biloxi it was not easy finding a weekend when we were all together. So, Sunday, April 10th Campbell was baptized. It was a very special occasion for our family, and we celebrated the weekend with family and friends. Our dear friends, Kathleen and Durrell, flew all across the country to be part of the ceremony.

The next day, April 11th, was Campbell's 9 month check-up - on his 9 month birthday! It should have been a day worth celebrating, but instead it was a day filled with stress. Campbell is still not on the growth curve. My little man is too little according to the growth charts. So yesterday I spent the afternoon at Children's Hospital getting tests done. Our prayer is that there is absolutely nothing wrong; that Campbell is just slow to grow. Considering that he started at 5 lb. 11 oz., weighing almost 15 lbs. seems big to Brad and I. Teething didn't help the situation. Most nights in March he refused to eat or would eat very little. Now he's eating great and filling out. He's still the happiest kid I know and looks healthy to me, and yet every visit to the pediatrician's office results in panic phone calls to Brad and feeling like I am doing something terribly wrong. Everyone tells me, "when he's taller and bigger than Brad, you'll look back at all this and laugh." I really hope they're right!

Lots of pictures from March and April - keep scrolling!

Campbell's new favorite sleeping position. Love that duck butt sticking up in the air!

Use #101 for a boppy pillow... well at least he's comfortable...

Campbell helping us address his baptism invitations. We had return address labels covering the office, and some got on the envelopes... great job son!

Mom and Whitney, Dinner at Bourbon House, April 9th

Paw paw and Campbell discussing paw paw's golf strategy for the afternoon...

Family at Bourbon House. Campbell was out late before his big day in church, which actually worked out well because he slept through the rest of the church service after his baptism.

After the wonderful service at St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church. Campbell did great during his baptism. Then drank a full bottle at the beginning of the sermon, burped loudly during the middle of the sermon, and then fell asleep for the rest of the service.

Campbell and his godmother, "Auntie" Kathleen!

Campbell received so many beautiful gifts to celebrate his baptism. And of course his favorite was the ribbons used to wrap the gifts.

Maria?

When we moved into our New Orleans home, for awhile it felt like we were living in someone else's house. The events that transpired post-Katrina were surreal to say the least. We were not here for that event, but have heard amazing stories from friends. After settling in to "our" new house for a few weeks, Brad finally decided to tackle the attic. The attic was filled with the previous home-owners belongings. Tax records, personal files, baby crib, guitar case... Once we started to receive mail at our house, our box was flooded with mail for Maria and Paul.

I asked our neighbor because I was curious about the family that had lived here before us. Our neighbor Linda was all to happy to tell us about the wonderful family that had lived here - Maria and Paul and their son. Over the past three years, we have received financial statements, W4 forms, and countless solicitations addressed to Maria and Paul. And every time, I wrote Return to Sender, this person no longer lives here, and returned the mail to my mailman.

In some bizarre way, I felt connected to these people. Well, Friday I was working in the office (like every Friday), and I saw a car drive super slow in front of our house and stop in the middle of the street. The driver was starring at our house. I kept working and then realized that she was walking up to our house. I jumped up to open the door (because the doorbell always sends Maggie into a barking frenzy).

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Hi, I'm Maria!"

OMG! You're kidding.

I smiled and said, "Maria, so nice to finally meet you. I receive all your mail!"

Next thing I know I'm giving Maria a full tour of our house. Thank goodness it had just been cleaned. With cellphone camera in hand, she took several pictures of every room. She squealed at our fountain in the backyard... was shocked by all the improvements that had been made and told me her Katrina story. We talked about the neighbors and the neighborhood. And she shared her memories of raising her son in this house.

As we said goodbye, she gave me her card and home address. I now know where to send her mail!

Cream and Sugar? Yes please...lots...

Well, I should have known Campbell would be a chip off the old block. His sweet tooth is just as bad as mine. This morning, as I devoured two giant cinnamon rolls drenched in icing, I contemplated how to get more veggies into Campbell. Since introducing fruits (because that's yummier for breakfast), he has fought eating his veggies. Bananas are a mega favorite. Peas are the worst!

When I picked Campbell up at daycare yesterday, Ms. Gloria had quite the story to tell. I had brought two jars of fruit and the dreaded jar of peas. A veggie war had broken out at daycare! Campbell and Ms. Gloria were both covered in peas. She explained with a glint of triumph in her voice that she won the battle and got the whole jar of peas into Campbell (you mean the whole jar minus what's on you and him!). She proceeded to tell me that my son is the most strong-willed little boy in class and he hates peas!

Shocker... my son is stubborn, strong-willed and hates eating green mush. Oh my, I don't know where that came from. I couldn't even think that without laughing. Brad loves to remind me that I didn't eat guacamole until I met him (it was green mush... who eats that!) I smiled at Ms. Gloria and said well unfortunately, BOTH his mom and dad are stubborn and strong-willed. I won't bring peas next week!

When Campbell and I got home from daycare, the battle raged on. I had made asparagus puree for his dinner (the pediatrician said try something new every 3-4 days. and we had already tried all the single veggie/fruit jars). I mixed it with bananas/apples hoping that would help. If Campbell does not want to eat (as Ms. Gloria has noticed), he clamps his jaw shut, shakes his head and rips his bib off. Then the staring contest begins. Last night his eyes said "mom, if you think I'm going to eat that green goo you're out of your mind. And I know my big weight check is next week, so you might as well give me what I want!" I tried to feed him him just bananas/apples, but he was so tired it was a lost cause. Bath, nurse, in bed by 8:00. He was exhausted! And of course because he did not eat a full dinner he awoke at 2:30 starving. And then again at 5:30. That's not the norm for us. Guess I'll be buying sweet potatoes at the grocery store today!!!

First pea bite! That's not the face he makes when it's bananas!

Unrelated photos! But these were cute, so might as well post.

Growth Charts...

I'm not a fan of them. Campbell has been gaining less weight with each doctor visit. At our 6 month check-up I was informed that he had fallen off of the growth curve. Height consistent at 3%, weight dropped from 10% to 3% to off the curve. I think their scale is off because he looks happy to me. He's not the biggest kid by any means, ok, I'll admit I have a shrimp. Brad was in Biloxi and when I called to give the doctor's report, his response was less than positive. Panic set in! I worried for an entire week and then got great mom advice at our church Super Bowl Party.

The next day (Monday 2/7), Campbell moved into the "big kids" class. From Baby Bears to Teddy Bears. I was so worried about that too. I dropped Campbell off in his new class room and stood outside the door watching through the window. I must have looked like a panicked mom because another teacher saw me in the hallway and walked over to assure me that he would do great in his new class. Her words of encouragement almost brought me to tears. I'm not usually a crier, but I have a feeling I'm going to lose it when he starts kindergarten!

Since November 1, my weekday daily routine included a visit to daycare during lunch to check on my babe. I understood that my daily visits would be very disruptive to the bigger babes and so that Monday I called to check on him. Our big boy was eating like a champ. Three meals with solids and bottles in between. Played so hard he crashed at 9PM that night. The next night he crashed at 8PM. All my fretting about moving into the next class was for nothing. He was ready for the new challenge, and it has proved very beneficial for him. (Hmmm... that sounds like a good lesson I should learn now and remember for the future!) Now Campbell is an eating pro and he's going to bed between 8 and 9 every night. Our night owl has become an early bird!! I think our pediatrician will be very impressed at our weigh-in next week (Yes, we have to go for a weight check, one month after our last appointment. Come on Campbell you can gain a pound!)

Little man enjoying his sweet potatoes. I'm happy to say that more food actually goes in the mouth now!

I Love BC!

There, I said it! I love Beaver Creek. It's expensive but worth every penny for how much joy and fun we have! As promised by Brad, here is the ski trip post. Campbell is officially a flying pro. Before 6 months, he'd been on 4 flights, and traveled to 3 other states besides his home state. Flying to CO was our longest trip so far. I knew if we could just get there in one piece, it would be a great trip.

Amid a massive snow storm sweeping the country and extremely cold temperatures, we left for the airport in a mad dash hoping our flights would be on time! To give a little background, this is what led to our mad dash...

Me: "Brad we need to leave at 10 AM." Brad "Ok!" Me calling Brad at 10 AM: "Where ARE you? You left to take the dogs to the kennel an hour ago!!" Brad: "Oh I'm shopping at Home Depot, we're leaving at 11 right?" ME: "WHAT!!!!????? Get your butt home we're supposed to be leaving now!!!" After showering, packing and getting dressed we raced to the airport. Thank goodness we live in NOLA where a busy day at the airport is more than 5 people in the security line.

First flight to Houston. Easy. Second flight to Denver. Easy. 3 hour drive in 4 degree weather at night through snow covered mountain passes. Easy. Campbell slept through all of it unfortunately. We got to our hotel and had a wonderful dinner at the hotel restaurant. Then to bed - it's important to get a good night's sleep before skiing. 1:40 AM guess who's wide awake.... till 5 AM (and guess who's asleep - in his defense the driving was not easy and he got us there safely - thanks babe). All that sleeping while traveling really messed up our schedule. Oh well. Power on...we get 4 days out of the year to ski, so we better make the most of it.

Day 1 morning nap. Let's hope we make it out of the condo by noon!

Day 1 temperature: 4 degrees at the base of the mountain (for the record that's the coldest we have every skied in). Me: "Hey babe, I think it's going to be cold today. I should wear a sweater over my base layer." Brad: "Every year you over-layer and get hot. Just wear your base and fleece. Trust me... you'll get hot." Me: "Well, I should at least put a t-shirt on over my base layer." 4 degrees is really cold... I heard at lunch it was -9 at the top of the mountain. Wow that t-shirt really helped!

Finally dressed... team Johnson... ready, action. I carried Campbell in the baby bjorn and his bags. Brad carried the boot bags. To the shuttle bus! We were worried about Campbell staying warm so we got a snowsuit from REI. It was a huge hit! I think Campbell was the only infant in a snowsuit in the village that week because every where we went people talked to us, talked about us, and took Campbell's picture. I checked Campbell into the nursery while Brad got our skis. I think we were finally on the first lift by about 10:30. Not bad considering it was the first day.

And the best part of skiing, apres-ski! Beer, huge plate of nachos and fun music!

Skiing with Brad is an experience. Every year I say let's take it easy, we haven't skied in 2 years, and every year we are hitting blacks and moguls before lunch on the first day. I have to admit, skiing at 30 is different from skiing at 20 (age not degrees, but I guess that sentence would apply to both really)! We still had a great time, and skied most of the mountain. Each day at lunch I would ski down to nurse Campbell (thanks Beaver Creek for having such an easy mountain to get on and off of).

On our third ski day, my aunt and cousin who live in Longmont, CO drove over to meet Campbell. We had a great time!! Lunch with aunt Diane, skiing with Courtney that afternoon. Apres-ski at McCoys and mexican food for dinner. It was so fun to see you two!

Our last day of skiing, it snowed all morning and we had awesome fresh powder. Our last day of the trip, we enjoyed walking around the village. Our flight didn't leave until 6:00 PM so we had plenty of time to check-out the art galleries. I think Campbell liked the artwork as much as we did. He squawked away as we looked at all the paintings and sculptures. Then it was back in the car, to the airport for a direct flight home. Historically our flights home from Denver have been delayed, but not so this year. Flight on time, security lines short. Couldn't have asked for a better travel experience... with a 6-month old!!! Way to go Campbell for being such an awesome travel companion. I promise we'll get you on skis as soon as you can walk!!!

One Good Ride

A full post from our trip to Beaver Creek will follow by Katherine because she will do the trip better justice, but here's a preview.

I like to ski, even though I ski infrequently (at this stage of life, every other year it seems). I would ski every week if I could. Furthermore, when I ski, I like to ski well, even if it is only for 4 days. I am lucky because Katherine is such a great skier. I can usually convince her to ski anything with me including double blacks and tree runs, which she usually gets down first.

On my first few ski trips growing up, I usually just took what I got, meaning the basic "sport package", which amounted to smelly worn-out boots that made my shins feel numb after two runs and skis that were like 2x4's. As I have gotten older and somewhat wiser, I have become more discriminating when it comes to ski equipment so much so that a couple of years ago, we splurged for custom foam-injected Surefoot ski boots. The price won't be mentioned here, but they have been worth their weight in gold. That took care of the boot issue once and for all, but the ski problem remained.

To Katherine's shagrin as a financial consultant and someone who is more "cost-conscious", I have always "upgraded" my skis from the sport package to the premium package and sometimes beyond. I have found that historically a 12-pack of Heineken works well in this maneuver. This year I guess I made a good impression on the Christy's manager because he hooked me up with some new Volkl demo skis for the price of the "performance" skis. No beer exchanged hands. I thought I was in heaven, but as I skied on them, something wasn't quite right. Make no mistake, they were nice, but not perfect. It was then I realized that demo skis are not all created equal.

While getting ready to ride up the main lift on the last day, we saw a pop up tent, literally in the process of being popped up, which peaked my curiosity because just the day before riding up a lift I had mentioned how awesome it would be to demo several different kinds of skis to compare different feels. Before clicking into our skis we walked over. It turned out to be none other than a demo ski tent, although it was a company I had never heard of before called Liberty. We started talking to the guy and came to find out Liberty is a local company in Avon (the town below Beaver Creek) that makes high performance, environmentally-friendly skis. The secret ingredient is a bamboo core that is super strong and flexible. After talking for a few minutes he put me on a pair of Helix skis (an ode to Watson and Crick and kind of appropo given my medical training). From that first turn, they were unlike anything I had ever skied on, and I will never ski on anything else! I also convinced Katherine to try a pair in the afternoon, which she reluctantly did. Now, the process of convincing the financial consultant begins...

http://www.libertyskis.com/skis