Pumpkin Britches (PB) gained weight beautifully! She has also overcame her cold. <and passed it on to me.> 
Thanks for the prayers. Now if I can just make it through my presentation tomorrow ... it will be road trip time! 

Pumpkin Britches

Pumpkin Britches (PB) is growing. She can now crawl. PB says MaMa and DaDa. She loves sweet potatoes and applesauce. PB is taking a swim class with me and loves to kick her feet. She is also not crying anymore when we dump water on her head during bath time... YAY swim class and the tug boat that dumps water on everyone's head! 


The Johnson household is grateful for that little tug boat.


Unfortunately it is not all fun at the Johnson residence. These past few days have been taxing to say the least. But still we praise his name for every moment we spend as a family. 


The Johnson household is so grateful for each other. 


We went to the doctor a few days ago because she was super fussy and running a temp. She has LOST weight. :(  At nearly 8 months old she weighs only 14 lbs and 3 ounces. The doctor's first suggestion was to add formula to her diet following each nursing. We tried to supplement with formula... only to discover that at this time (by the grace and mercy of our Heavenly Father it will pass and she will be healed) she is allergic to milk products. We think it is the casein becuase even the hypersensitive version makes her have a reaction. So I am struggling to figure out how to get her pack on the pounds. Idea 1: increase my milk supply, nurse more often. Well I have choked down a "healthy heart" portion of oatmeal every morning since the doctor's visit. I am also back on fenugreek. She has no problem with nursing more frequently.... but I do feel a little overwhelmed nursing ALL the time again. Idea 2:Increase solids. Sadly.... she is now on a slight solids strike (she'll eat two to three bites of those yummy sweet potatoes or apples and seal those lips like they are fort KNOX! :/ ) 


So we need prayers.And now (as I type this and reread and type some more) I'm not sure why Idea 1 wasn't PRAY. *duh me* The Holy Spirit keeps bringing to my mind the story in the old testament where Daniel refused to eat the king's meat and was the healthiest of them all. I'm not quite sure how that applies just yet... but I'm praying for PB to grow like Daniel. Please pray with me. Our weight check is Wednesday afternoon. 


The Johnson household is so VERY grateful for you prayers.


We are supremely grateful for a Father who heals and provides for each of us.

Awesomely Handy Baby Gadgets that Begin with the Letter B!

There are a lot of products out there for babies that are not a necessity but that I am head over heals in love with....

BUMBO:
We just got a Bumbo seat for Pumpkin Britches at the store today. PB loves sitting in it. She also likes staring at it. She is fascinated by it. :D It is so sweet because it allows us to look at her and play with her without always holding her. Now, don't get me wrong... I L*O*V*E* love holding her. However, sometimes it is fun to have my hands free to play and also sometimes she doesn't want to be held. So..... this awesome seat allows us all to be happy.

BUNDLE ME:
A Bundle Me is an insert that goes onto the carseat and is in essence a sleeping bag. We bought one to prepare for our trip to WV in November. It usually snows. This year we didn't need it while we were up there but have used is several times here at home. Last night it was windy and flurries were falling. The Bundle me allowed us to guard PB from the fierce cold wind.

Cranberry Salad

So every year, we divvy up dishes to bring to the Christmas meal. For the Handsome Husband's family I make Cranberry Salad. My mom makes this for our celebration, and Aunt Rita makes it for Thanksmus. No matter where we are, or who makes it, this a favorite treat to eat along side turkey. It also is a nice stand alone sweet treat for the holiday meal.

What you will need:

1 lb cranberries

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

6oz cherry jello

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cups seedless white grapes

1 cup crushed pineapple

8oz cream cheese

1/2 pt whipping cream

1 cup min. marshmallows

kettle, spoon, 9x13 dish w/ lid, bowl, mixer

Let's begin!
In a LARGE kettle, add water, cranberries, and sugar.

Cook on high, stirring occasionally, and cook the berries until they pop. I made a video of the popping because if you've never done it... you just won't believe they actually burst. It reminds me of popping pop corn... don't remove from heat to soon or there won't be enough of them popped. :D

Add cherry jello and pour into a 9x12 inch glass dish. Put aside to cool.

While cooling cut grapes in half and chop nuts to desired size. Dump nuts, grapes, and pineapple into the glass dish. No need to stress about placing ingredients evenly because you can stir it in the glass dish to distribute things evenly. Place in refrigerator.

Topping:
In a large bowl mix softened cream cheese, whipping cream and marshmallows. It will not mix completely at first (see picture) and that's okay! Let sit over night in the fridge. This step is VERY important because it allows the marshmallows to get soggy resulting in them blending better.

Beat on high until blended, and spread over jelled mixture. I usually let it cool for at least an hour and then serve. *Sorry about the picture...the one I took somehow has disappeared... this is it though (2nd pic: Only difference is that there are nuts on top). Next time I make it I will take a pic again and update it.

Top 5 Reasons I Love Pinterest

5. I just found a ton of quality teachery blogs by clicking on pins.
4. You can make a virtual wishlist for Santa.
3. I spend hours drooling over  pictures of yummy fat-free recipes.
2. It makes me feel special because it is by invitation only. ;p
1. It is an entertaining black hole on the internet.


Woot! What's not to love.

Flavorful Pot Roast & So Much More

So today I made a pot roast with mashed potatoes and vegetable Normandy. (Sorry I didn't get a personal shot of dinner, but  the photo above closely resembles it.) It was probably the BEST dinner I have ever made. Oh my. I never liked roast but this recipe had me wishing it were cheaper.  here is the link: http://pinterest.com/pin/645550017/ I seriously, whole-heartedly recommend this dish!

On a second note, I <3 crock-pot liners! Clean up after the pot roast and gravy was super quick. If you've never used a liner... quick! run to the store and buy liners! They are wonderful.

On a third note, I am so super excited for tomorrow night. HH, PB, and I are going to a Bradley class to share our birth story. The instructor asked us to come tell about our experience and we gladly accepted. Best part will be to listen to HH tell the story. I feel so overwhelmed with love when he tells the story of the birth of our daughter. I never tire of hearing it. He is working on typing it out. My version is typed but needs editing. If you think this blog is full of run-on, fragments, and rambling, you should see my typed birth story. lol. I'll post both our stories later once they are finished. :)

On a fourth note, I go back to work soon. Keep me in your prayers.  I am struggling with the very idea of it. It will be a challenge at so many levels. Today when I got in the car, the radio was on Family Life radio and Dr. David Jeremiah spoke truth to my soul. Funny how sometimes messages feel like they are meant just for you... well this was for me. He reminded me that I am not on this earth to please others. Not on this earth to please family, bosses, or friends. I'm on this earth to please Jesus, and he has the power to handle the rest. Amen and AMEN! Now I have the challenge of living this out. It's one thing to know it and another to live it. So please pray with me and for my family as I live it through Christ's strength.
here's a link to my favorite radio preacher's site: http://www.davidjeremiah.org/site/radio.aspx
His current topic is Christians have stress too! So true, but praise the Lord we have Him as well.

December Challenge: Day 2, 3, and 4.

December 2nd was a success! I made Chicken Bacon Ranch rollups! Handsome Husband loved them. here is a link: http://pinterest.com/pin/36380709459474209/

December 3rd we had left over chicken bacon ranch filling for lunch on hot rolls. And HH made breakfast dinner (omelets and sausage). YUM.

December 4th We had a large lunch with my father-in-law and Granny, so we opted for a light dinner of left over sausage and frozen veggies... I did however make cinnamon roll for HH to take to work. We each at 2 or more of those for dessert. YUM.