The Johnson 4

New Years

2010-01-02T20:05:00.004-05:00

We spent our 10th consectutive new years with my twin brother Corey and his wife Lisa. They bought Aiden some cupcakes for his birthday and Aiden couldn't get enough of them.

We also visited Laura's Aunt Mary Jo and Uncle Joe and they gave Aiden a Mickey Mouse helicopter and racetrack. Here is Aiden flying his helicopter around Corey and Lisa's kitchen.

Visits with Santa

2009-12-20T18:32:00.008-05:00

Aiden had his first ever visit with Santa on Friday and he did surprisingly well! Not only was he okay with sitting on Santa's lap, but later was interested in going back to visit some more. He sat along side Santa for a few minutes, along with his other friends from day care. The Lexington Hearing and Speech Center (LHSC) also passed out reindeer antlers for the entire "LCSC" Reindeer Team.

On Sunday, we ventured up to the Newport Acquarium with Nana, Pa and Christopher. Santa made a surprise visit by snorkeling in the shark tank! We spent a good part of the morning seeing all types of sea creatures. Aiden loved having the freedom to run around and look at all the exhibits. The Christmas decorations and Christmas music that played throughout the acquarium put us all in a cheerful mood! For lunch we visited Dewey's Pizza and finished up the meal with a chocolate and vanilla layered cake, which Aiden loved, of course!

Big Boy Bed and early Christmas/Birthday

2009-12-09T18:57:00.006-05:00

Well we are at the end of the first week of Aiden sleeping in his big boy bed and we haven't had any problems so far. He hasn't fallen out and can successfully get in and out of his bed without help.

Aiden also received a early Birthday/Christmas present from Nana and Pa (Laura's Parents). A Imaginarium train table which he loves. He attemtps to play with it at all hours of the day especially before he leaves for daycare.

Big boy bed!

2009-11-07T19:11:00.011-05:00

After a long hiatus we have decided to update the blog. Today Mimi and Poppy came over and helped us move Aiden's bedroom and to setup his big boy bed. Thanks Mimi and Poppy!

As you can see from the following picture Aiden loves his big boy bed

Aiden is finally walking!

2009-06-07T21:29:00.002-04:00

Aiden Loves the Pool

2009-02-25T17:00:00.001-05:00

Here is Aiden enjoying the pool in Ft Myers.

Bottles are gone

2009-01-20T13:00:00.003-05:00

Over this past weekend we went cold turkey off of bottles. After a couple of failed attempts at easing him into just using a sippy cup we decided to stop the bottles all together. Here is the first morning after we stopped the bottles. Looks like he is taking it pretty well, don't you think?

Communication via signing

2008-12-31T09:36:00.002-05:00

Aiden isn't speaking yet but he is communicating as you can see below. He is signing for more food by bringing his hands together at a point in the middle.

First Birthday and First Christmas

2008-12-26T18:11:00.004-05:00

We had 2 milestones this month. Aiden had his first birthday party and he also had his first Christmas. His birthday isn't until Dec 31st but we had it early so everyone could come.

Thanksgiving Fun!

2008-11-30T20:31:00.002-05:00

Nothing says Happy Thanksgiving like a little case of roseola. Aiden started having a fever Wednesday afternoon and it was a roller coaster ride after that. His temperature was up and down between 100 degress and around 104. The fever finally broke Saturday night and Sunday morning when we went to give him a bath we found what you see pictured below. Here is some more info on roseola from the mayo clinic.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/roseola/DS00452

A Year to be Thankful For

2008-11-24T20:25:00.003-05:00

It’s almost Thanksgiving and Aiden is almost 11 months old. He’s not far off from being a “big boy toddler” as a friend recently put it. Over the past few months he has reached many important milestones:

He can pull himself up and “creep” along furniture.
He can wave hi and bye-bye.
He can clap his hands when we ask him to (or sing certain songs).
He can eat table foods like eggs, cheese, toast, and tonight he had macaroni and cheese!
He can tell us what a “horse says” by blowing raspberries.

Got his first two teeth.

We are so thankful this Thanksgiving to have such a happy and healthy little boy. Aiden has had his struggles his first year of life, but he is so resilient and strong willed. Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us and supported us along the way. We are excited to see how he will change in the months and years ahead!

This past weekend, Aiden had his first “official” photo session for Christmas pictures. You can go to this link to view the pictures: http://www.jennifer.smugmug.com/

Go down to “Johnson Gallery” and the password is “Laura”.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Party!

2008-10-26T10:57:00.005-04:00

We attended Emerson's first birthday/halloween party on Saturday. Aiden had lots of fun and got to hang with his new friend Emerson.

Peekaboo!

2008-10-21T13:47:00.003-04:00

Recorded this in the car with my cellphone so the quality isn't too great. Enjoy!

If your happy and you know it....

2008-10-07T18:50:00.006-04:00

CLAP YOUR HANDS!
Aiden has started clapping along to this song.

Poor little guy

2008-10-07T13:48:00.004-04:00

Aiden wasn't feeling well yesterday afternoon and this what I found in the back seat when I got him home from daycare.

Saturday morning at Ashland

2008-09-22T22:51:00.004-04:00

We spent saturday morning at the Henry Clay estate taking some pictures of Aiden. Here are some of the better ones.

Helmet has arrived.

2008-09-14T20:15:00.005-04:00

Aiden's cranial molding helmet finally arrived and he is taking to it like a duck to water. The only time it bothers him is if he gets hot since it makes his head a little sweaty. Here are some pictures from the past couple weeks. The last picture was taken tonight when Laura went to check in on him before bed, he had a long day.

Mr. Curls!

2008-08-28T20:17:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures after tonight's bath. As you can see red and curls are now permanent.
Our blog is also now part of Deaf Village.com, a community of online blogs/websites of deaf and hard of hearing children and families.

Update for August

2008-08-21T19:52:00.004-04:00

Aiden is almost 8 months old, but is almost as big as a one year old! He is tipping the scales at 20.5 lbs.! He is approximately in the 75th percentile of height and weight and 97th percentile in head circumference. He has reached many milestones in the past few weeks. He is now sitting without support for longer stretches of time (several minutes). Some nights Aiden looks like a steamroller rolling across the living room floor, although he much prefers rolling so his left ear is down against the floor. He is learning to “speak” new sounds, including the long i sound and the h sound (which is a very quiet sound, so we’re quite pleased.) He can randomly say mama and dada, although he doesn’t use it referring to us yet. Sometimes, when he’s really cranky, it sounds like he is saying “I want my mama.” He’s done it on several occasions and it always gets us tickled! He is a quite a flirtatious and giggly little boy. He loves to smile and laugh all the time.

Most of you know, Aiden has plageiocephaly (it sounds worse than it is, it just means a flat head). He has a customized helmet on order to help alleviate pressure on the back of his head and apply pressure to the sides. This will help his head shape become more “normal.” UK fans will love the new look – just in time for football season. Pictures of his helmet will follow, once he is suited up ready to take the field!

Can't get enough bluegrass

2008-07-30T20:37:00.005-04:00

We found out something interesting tonight. Aiden loves music, especially bluegrass. We plopped in front of the Grascals on KET tonight and he was hoooing and haaing all over the place. Here are some recent pictures including his Grascals obsession.

Long Day

2008-06-29T18:46:00.001-04:00

This is what a long day looks like.

Shakertown

2008-06-29T15:36:00.004-04:00

We visited Shakertown today for breakfast. We went for Laura's brother's 24th birthday. It was a beautiful morning, not too hot with a little breeze. Here are some pics of Aiden's first Shakertown visit.

Aiden 2.0

2008-05-27T17:38:00.004-04:00

Aiden got his hearing aid and it is like he is truly hearing sounds. His face lights up everytime we show him a toy that makes noise, like he is hearing it for the first time. Two nights ago he slept from 9:00PM to 6:00AM, although he didn't give us repeat performance the next night. So far he loves bananas, tolerates sweet potatoes and hates squash. As you can see from the picture below he likes to "help" and he still has his red hair and blue eyes.

Yum, Carrots!

2008-05-10T08:35:00.001-04:00

This is either Aiden trying to eat carrots or a picture of him with facial hair.

Slobber Monkey

2008-05-03T12:22:00.002-04:00

Aiden is getting to the point where he is constantly doing the following.

Hearing Aid

2008-04-23T16:55:00.011-04:00

Today, we went to order Aiden's hearing aid and to get more information about unilateral hearing loss. We learned many interesting things. Here is some information about why Aiden will benefit from his hearing aid:

"Children with unilateral hearing loss (UHL) can be at risk for academic, speech-language, social, and emotional problems, and often require special services to address these needs. Children with UHL do not have the advantages of binaural hearing (hearing with both ears), and consequently have difficulty localizing sounds, detecting/understanding speech directed to the impaired side, and understanding speech in noisy and/or reverberant environments. " From About.com

One interesting point they made was that the left side of brain processes speech. The hearing from the right ear is also processed on the left side of the brain. Because both of these processes occur on the same side of the brain, he has an advantage. If it had been the other way around, then it would be a little more challening learning to speak. Once he gets his hearing aid, his hearing will be very close to normal. The audiologist said he should have excellent "clarity" in that ear.

His hearing aid is an excellent hearing aid. It is programmed by a computer to adjust the volume for various frequencies, as needed. He will need less amplication with the lower frequencies and more for the higher frequences.

We opted for a UK blue hearing aid and a white and blue ear mold. This will make it easier to find if it falls out (or gets pulled out... he loves touching his ears!) plus we had to do UK blue becuase many of you know how much Aiden loves the C-A-T-S! Once he gets older, if he would like, we can order him a flesh colored one with a clear ear mold. Insurance will cover a new hearing aid every three years.

We were surprised at how small the hearing aid will be. Below are a couple of pictures, so you can get an idea of size. To us the most important things are his speech development and safety, both of which will be aided with the hearing aid. We look at the hearing aid as a piece of equipment, to help him get the most of out life. To us, it's no different than a pair of glasses some people need to improve their vision.

Finally, we are working with The Lexington Hearing and Speech Center. If you would like more information about the center, you can click on this link: http://www.lhscky.org/

Aiden hates tummy time

2008-04-21T16:28:00.001-04:00

We are trying to do more tummy time with Aiden to help with his neck muscle development but as you see below that isn't working out to well. He is now up to 15lbs 3 oz.

Hearing Test

2008-04-03T18:19:00.003-04:00

We went for a 3rd hearing test today. He has failed the previous tests in the left ear and this time he also failed. We have a follow up appointment with the ear doctor so they can perhaps determine what is causing the hearing loss. We are also going to make an appointment with another doctor to get a hearing aid so that his speech development won't be affected.

The last month

2008-03-26T20:35:00.007-04:00

The last month has been interesting. He has been gain weight normally and is now up to 14 lbs. He has gone through several illnesses in the last month. He first had a bronchial problem which required him to be on a neubulizer which gave him vapor meds. After that he moved onto an ear infection which he is still getting over. Laura took him to the doctor today and he now has GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). This would explain the problems we have had with feeding him. He will go on meds for that as soon as the insurance company approves it. The medication is very expensive although we would only have to still pay a $10.00 copay. Here are some pictures from Aiden's first Easter/My (Kelly's) Dad's birthday.

Aiden and Poppy Steve

Aiden, Mommy and Daddy

Aiden and Aunt Lisa

7 weeks and smiling

2008-02-24T20:21:00.002-05:00

It has been a interesting 7 weeks and Laura and I are still learning as we go. Aiden is now in full time day care and is settling into that just fine. He has started smiling and sort of giggling and we were lucky enough to get a picture of it last night. Next post will be around Mar 4 when he is scheduled for his 2 month appointment with the doctor.

1 Month Old

2008-01-31T11:51:00.000-05:00

Today Aiden is 1 month old. He has changed a lot over the past month but he still has his blue eyes and red hair. He is no where close to sleeping through the night but we hope that will change in the next few weeks. He is eating well and gaining weight. He is almost up to 10 lbs.

2 Weeks

2008-01-17T14:03:00.000-05:00

Aiden has now passed his 2 week mark. He had his 2 week appointment on Monday and he is back up to 8 lbs 6 oz. We will go back in one more week to recheck his weight. They like newborns to be back at birth weight by 2 weeks and he was 6 oz shy. We took some time to take some pictures with Laura the other day and below is the result.

Special Delivery

2008-01-10T18:39:00.000-05:00

UPS made a stop at our house today. Funny thing is we weren't expecting anything. To our suprise it was a gift from AAA where Laura works.

Aiden's jaundice has cleared up and he has started gaining weight. He is now burning through formula like crazy. We want to thank everyone for everything through this period of adjustment with the baby.

Blue light special!

2008-01-03T14:20:00.000-05:00

We had our first followup appointment today and found out a couple things. He is now down to 8lbs from the initial 8lbs 12 oz. His level of jaundice has increased enough to require a billi light. The picture below is him using the billi light when we put him down to sleep this afternoon. We will try him on this for the next couple days and will followup with the pediatrician.

TOUCHDOWN!

2007-12-31T05:40:00.000-05:00

We are the proud parents of a 8 lb 12 oz baby boy. His name is Aiden Kelly Johnson. Laura started pushing at 3:30am and at 3:55am he was out. He came out healthy and crying, no complications. The big suprise was that it looks like he has red hair. Here are some pics right after the birth in the nursery. Laura is also doing fine and resting in her room. More pictures will be coming soon.

We can see the finish line!

2007-12-30T15:34:00.001-05:00

At about 11:30 this morning Laura felt some wetness while she was sleeping. We took about 1 hour and a half before we made the decision to go on to the hospital which turns out was a good idea. When we got to the hospital she was admitted and put in a room. She was 2 centimeters dialated and her water had indeed broken. Delivery is expected sometime in the next 12 - 18 hours.

Not Yet . . .

2007-12-26T17:54:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come and gone and there is still no baby. We've had 2 doctors appointments since our last post and everything is looking normal. We found out he is head down but he is turned the wrong way. The way he is right now he is looking at Laura's belly button. He is supposed to be facing towards her back. He weighs about 7 pounds with a normal heart rate. We are crossing our fingers that he will be a 2007 baby. Hopefully the next post should be from the hospital.

And Down the Stretch we Come

2007-12-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

If this were the Kentucky Derby, we would have rounded the final turn and be heading down the home stretch!

We had a doctor’s appointment today and everything looks text book. The baby is turned head down, has an ideal heart beat and doesn’t appear to be “too big.” The doctor said things could change pretty quickly, so to be on the watch for contractions that are 5 minutes apart or for my water to break. So, for now, it’s just a waiting game.

Since we are anticipating the big arrival right after Christmas, we decided to scale back our Christmas decorating this year. We did put up a little 2 foot tree for our own enjoyment though! Below is a current picture of me. Sleep is hard to come by, so you can probably tell I look a little tired in this photo.

We’ll keep you posted if anything changes! Oh, and a few people have asked about the baby’s name, and in case you haven’t heard yet… We’re trying to keep it a surprise until his “Birth” Day! Hopefully, we’ll be able to announce it sooner rather than later!

Busy Week

2007-11-11T20:19:00.000-05:00

The past week has been a busy one! There have been a lot of preparations for the little Johnson boy!

Sunday, my aunt Mary Jo gave a “Springston” family shower at her house. She had so my great things to eat! Below is a picture of the really special quilt that she made! The little baby will get a lot of use out of it! It’s so soft and colorful! We know he will love it! Aunt Carol made a cute baby boy cake - complete with little blue booties (pictured below)! What I thought was so neat, was at the baby shower, when my mom was pregnant with me, she made a cake with the same little booties – only in pink! We also received many other great gifts, including bath robes, sleepers, stuffed animals, baby monitor and an Elmo puppet, to mention a few.

The nursery decorations are almost complete! There are a few pictures below in the previous post. Mimi Johnson is working on a special valance for the window and we have ordered something unique for above the window. Once they are both finished, the room will be ready for its new occupant!

On Tuesday, we went to the doctor again and everything is looking fine. I just need to watch my weight and sugar intake a little bit closer. We started twice-a-month visits this month, and will start going every week in December! We are getting close to the big day!

Nursery is done

2007-11-03T08:49:00.000-04:00

Last night we completed decorating the nursery. It is ready for its new occupant.

Sunday was busy!

2007-10-29T19:59:00.000-04:00

Sunday was a busy day for the Johnsons and Baby. Laura had her first baby shower hosted by Sally Wiggins and Carolyn Goins. Kelly and his Dad (Poppy Steve) painted the nursery. Dad did about 99% of the work while I kept our nephew Mathieu busy. Look for pictures coming up soon of the finished and decorated nursery. Here are some pics of the painting in progress and from the shower.

Poppy Steve painting

The Johnson Wives - Lisa, Laura & Nathalie

Nana Springston, Mommy and Mimi Johnson

Saturday at Henry Clay Estate

2007-10-22T20:41:00.000-04:00

We decided to spend saturday taking some pictures at the Henry Clay Estate. This is one of the better ones. A beautiful day, to bad we lost too the Gators.

Baby Development Info

2007-10-12T18:34:00.000-04:00

Here is a neat ticker we found that tells about our baby's development.

Pretty in Pink (but it's a boy!)

2007-10-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday we had our October appointment and it was our longest one yet. We were there almost 3 hours! I had to have the glucose screening test that checks for pregnancy-related diabetes. I thought the worst part was going to be having to drink the super-sugary drink, but it turned out the worst part of the day was not being able to eat any carbs. or sugar, all day. So, my breakfast and lunch consisted of eggs, bacon and water (it’s what the doctor recommended.) We should have the results back soon. As you can see below, I’m getting quite big. Today a woman asked me my due date, and I told her early January. Her response was “are you expecting twins?” We have all the furniture and decorations for the baby’s room! The theme is vintage airplanes! Poppy Steve and Kelly are going to paint on October 28th and once that’s complete, we will post some pictures. As a teaser, pictured below is his crib and bedding.

The BUMP, Take 2

2007-09-12T19:03:00.000-04:00

As you can see from the picture the baby bump has grown. Laura's belly button is now popped out like a turkey timer. The timer is a little premature since he isn't due until the first week of January. We had our monthly appointment today and everything is just right. We've started working on the nursery and should have some pictures of that next month.

The Baby...now in 3D

2007-08-15T19:50:00.000-04:00

Went for monthly baby appointment today and had another ultrasound. This one was in 3D for part of the time which totally blew our minds. The quality at the office was better than the quality of the attached pictures. I have added a second copy with labels to better understand the non-labeled picture. Everything is fine with the baby and we are right on schedule.

Early News!

2007-07-26T18:09:00.000-04:00

Well, we got some blood test results back that showed a increased chance for down's syndrome. The doctor scheduled a Level 2 ultrasound to check the results. We just got back from the ultrasound and everything looks good. No indication of down's syndrome. We also got some other good news. Looks like Laura has a little boy in her belly. To celebrate we went to Babies R Us and registered and went ahead and bought the stroller and car seat that we wanted. We also had a nice dinner at Malones.

July Update

2007-07-19T08:16:00.000-04:00

We had our July appointment yesterday and everything is going as planned. I (Kelly) got to hear the heartbeat for the first time yesterday. Laura got to hear it last week when she went in for sciatic nerve issues. I guess it is finally sinking in that our lives will not be the same in about 5 months.

Let the countdown begin to G (gender) Day which is what I am calling it. It is the day we find out whether there is a little guy or girl in there. The date is August 15th and we scheduled a morning appointment. We won't be able to wait till the afternoon for this. 27 days and counting.

The BUMP

2007-06-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

Laura is now 11 weeks and 2 days pregnant. As you can see from the picture she is already starting to show. Went to the doctor today for a checkup and everything looks good.

Baby's First Picture

2007-05-23T18:31:00.000-04:00

Here it is! The baby's first picture. We had our first ultrasound today and this is the result. Heartbeat was normal and the due date is January 7, 2008. I think he/she looks more like Laura than me. What do you think? Click to enlarge.

First Appointment

2007-05-16T20:54:00.000-04:00

We had our 1st appointment today at Central Baptist. Everything checked out ok with the doc and we will have the 1st ultrasound next wednesday. We also got some great news from the billing office at the hospital. Turns out that Laura's health insurance from her work is awesome! We are going to only have to pay $250.00 for the delivery! We can't believe it. Stay tuned for info from the ultrasound next week.

We're having a baby!

2007-05-15T15:17:00.000-04:00

We found out about 2 weeks ago we are expecting our first child. More information to follow.