Planes, Poop, Cars and Keys

We made it to Minnesota! Bracken was great on the airplane. He was really happy and only fussed a little bit. I was so glad to have my sling, I don't know how I would have gotten through security and onto the airplane with all my stuff if I hadn't been able to use both my hands. The only funny thing was that he had three blowouts. One in between flights and one on each plane ride. It was pretty funny because on the first plane as I was changing him we hit some pretty good turbulence and it threw me against the wall and he was rolling around on the changing table smiling and thinking it was great fun. I was just trying to keep him safe, me upright, and keep all the poopy clothes from falling on the floor. It was an adventure! If he'd had one more blowout he would have been in just a diaper and a blanket, he used every outfit I'd brought on the plane.

The day I was supposed to be finishing packing for our move I ran an errand to Wal-Mart and when I got back to the car I realized I'd locked my keys in the car. I was outside Wal-Mart, Bracken was screaming his head off and wanted to eat, and Brian had just started his last final so I couldn't get ahold of him. I thought we had a spare underneath the car but I guess it fell off, so I'm sure I looked like a sorry sight with a screaming baby in the carseat, grease up to my shoulder from trying to get the key, and road dirt and grease on my hands and knees from being on the ground. I finally gave up and just called a friend for help. Thankfully she happened to be at Wal-Mart too and she came and saved us. Since I was also locked out of our house, I hung out with her for two hours until Brian got out of his test. So that was our adventure for the day, and we didn't finish packing until late that night. But those are the things we laugh about later, right?

Anyway, Minneapolis is beautiful, and we like our new house. We're in a townhouse instead of an apartment which is nice. We even have our own little yard, which is great for Bracken. He loves being outside. There's lots of fun parks around, and a walking trail through some woods that go around a lake right next to our house, so I'll have places to walk.

Brian's working hard all day and I miss him. Especially after having him home so much this year. I'm so grateful for Sunday's when he's home all day! He's getting back in the groove of selling and doing well.

So that's all we've been up to. Happy Mother's day to all you ladies!

Bracken is quite the talker. At least he likes to pretend!

Getting Bigger

Our happy little guy
Grandpa Rudy and Grandma Ginger came up early from Arizona to see Bracken and the rest of us. We love you Grandma and Grandpa!
The three baby cousins~ Stetson, Ella and Bracken

All the cousins!

Photo catch up

"Parents everywhere realize that the most powerful combination of emotions in the world is not called out by any grand cosmic event, nor is it found in novels or history books, but merely by a parent gazing down upon a sleeping child." Thomas S. Monson

Bracken always holds his head up and looks around with his wide eyes as if he doesn't want to miss a thing. And when people are around and we put him down for a nap. . . well, he wants out of bed because he doesn't want to miss anything then either.

Bracken and Aunt Linsy

Bracken weighs 11 lbs now. He's out of some of his 0-3 month clothes!
Watching General Conference with Daddy

Bracken loves it when I bounce on my exercise ball with him.

Bracken with his Great Grandpa and Grandma Gunderson. He was tired of taking pictures.

Bracken had lots of fun playing with his Grandpa Rob over Easter weekend.

"Hey, that's a cool hat. Can I wear it?" Bracken with Grandpa Rob

Blessing Day

This weekend Bracken got to meet his Grandpa Rob, Grandma Sue and Aunt Kristi for the first time. They came up to spend Easter with us and for Bracken's baby blessing. On Saturday we drove up to Richfield and joined my family for the day. We had a treasure hunt and an easter egg hunt, played games, ate good food and watched "Bolt." One of the highlights of the day was when Linsy and Caleb announced they are expecting a baby! She made cupcakes with letters on them spelling out "Baby Coming November 3rd." We are all excited for them!

It was fun having so much of our family together for Bracken's blessing.

Bracken's Blessing Day

Grandpa Rob, Grandma Sue, Kristi, Brian, Kira and Bracken
The Ellingford Family with Bracken

Bracken's First Easter Egg!

3 Weeks Old

Our friend Lethe Kelsey came over to our house last week and took these pictures of Bracken for us. I love how they turned out! I'm glad we took these pictures too, because he's already changed so much, even in just a week. Bracken had a huge growth spurt the last couple of days, and when I look at him I sometimes think "where did my newborn boy go?" In just a couple of days he grew out of all his newborn outfits. We weighed him on Friday and he weighed 8# 7oz, and was 20 inches long. He'd already gained 2 pounds and grew 1 1/2 inches, and in the next couple of days he's grown even more! He's such a happy little guy and loves it when Brian growls at him and takes him on airplane rides. He's started smiling more the last couple of days, and they seem more like real smiles than "gassy" smiles. I love to see him smile! The weather has been beautiful here and we've been going on lots of walks, with Bracken either in his stroller or his sling. He is a noisy little boy. When he's eating, sleeping, laying on his tummy or when we're playing with him he's always making noises and it makes us laugh. He's so cool!

Braken used to make this face a lot, with his mouth in a little "o." It's one of my favorite faces.

Bracken Clay Johnson

We have a new little member in our family! Bracken Clay Johnson was born Tuesday, February 24th at 6:52pm. he weighed 6lbs 8oz and is 18 1/2 inches long. He is so perfect and beautiful! I can just sit and hold and look at him for hours-- his tiny hands, fingers, ears and face. Brian is so excited to have a little boy, or as Brian calls him, his little man. It's so fun to watch him with Bracken.

He was born at my parents home in Richfield and my mom was our midwife. The labor went so well. In fact, I didn't realize I was really in labor until about 4 hours before he was born. I'd had a few contractions throughout the morning, but I didn't think much of it. I went to the gym, got a massage, went to Wal-Mart and the bank and called my Mom around 2:45. When I told her the contractions were grabbing me now, she told me I'd better get to Richfield. By 3:00 I decided, "okay, I think I'm really in labor." We left for Richfield and I had contractions every 2-3 minutes the whole way there. That was the longest car ride ever. I was so relieved when we arrived in Richfield at 5pm. I needed Brian by me all the time. Just having him there helped me so much. Everything went so quickly. When my Mom told me it was time to push I was surprised it was time already. And after just a few minutes of pushing I was holding Bracken in my arms. We stayed in Richfield for the rest of the week and my family and Brian took care of me. It was so fun to see my little brothers and sisters with Bracken. Tyson (2 years old) couldn't get enough of him. Now we're back in our own little home and everything is going great.

We love Bracken so much. Everytime I look at him I just think, "what a miracle!" He is such a good baby and it's so fun talking to him, singing to him, cuddling, nursing and even changing him. We love being parents!

We love you Bracken!

Proud Daddy!

This is one of my favorite pictures. I’d just finished nursing Bracken around 5:30am, but he was wide awake and kept whimpering and then cried when Brian put him back in his crib. After just a couple of seconds, Brian got back out of bed, picked up and cuddled Bracken who quickly stopped crying. Brian brought him back to bed, held him in the crook of his arm, and the two of them fell asleep for the next two hours. I had to take a picture it made me so happy. In fact, it made me feel like crying a couple of happy tears to look at my two boys sleeping so contentedly. The two people I love the most in this world.


One day old
Grandpa Clay and Grandma Lisa -- that's pretty fun that my parents are a grandpa and grandma now!

Looking at Mommy

Family Photo -- 5 days old