It's the Easter Bunny!

Look who Connor ran into in the mall...The Easter Bunny!

The women were so cute - they took about 10 pictures until we got the best one, and we bought the cd! How could we resist documenting his First Easter in such a cute way?! He was perfect, he didn't cry at all. I am a great mom - it was like 50* outside but I still put him in his Easter outfit for 75* weather! Stay tuned for more Easter celebration photos!

Happy Friday!

This is Connor Man wishing YOU and YOU and YOU a very happy friday!

Granny To The Rescue!

My sweet mom flew out last week to help me with Connor while Bj was in Marathon, FL for Jason and Sally's wedding. Congrats guys - you looked beautiful! While I was really sad to have missed it, it was really nice to spend the time with my momma. The one thing I left out of my "Things They Don't Tell You Post" was how much you are going to miss your own momma when you have a baby. Bj and I just love watching our families around Connor - he is so loved and it makes us so very happy. I begged her to stay with us, but she kept saying something about having to work. At any rate, she was so wonderful to come out and help me. I think we wore her out, but we had a good time. We toured the Celestial Seasonings Tea Factory and did a lot of hanging out around the house. She was AMAZING and watched Connor for me on the nights I had to work - I don't think I moved a muscle for eight straight hours - it was fantastic! We were both really sad to see her go - but can't wait to get back to St. Louis at the end of May for the Indy 500! Look at how comfy, cozy he is with his Granny!!

Thanks Mom, we love you!

Look Mom and Dad... No Hands!

He is so proud of himself - and I think we jump up and down far more than is necessary when he holds his head up! He is just getting so big before our eyes and he loves to play on his tummy. Soon enough he is going to be "SCOOTING" all around!!

Snug as a Bug!

We had some April blizzards to make up for our 70* degree winter!

My mom and I took him shopping, he slept the whole time and the hat ended up rolling down over his eyes. Sweet Boy!

What They Don't Tell You...

Connor and I were watching Oprah yesterday (I use the term "watching" very loosely - I was so tired we were kind of dozing in and out!) and the subject was Celebrating Mom's - What No one Tells You. I think it was a wonderful program to have and I think it is such a great thing for new mom's - to know they are not alone. Becoming a parent is unlike anything else in this world and I think it is so wonderful that the women on the show weren't afraid to speak out and be honest. Being a parent isn't all peaches and cream and it feels good to know that you are not the only one that thinks that. So, it got me thinking about my own list of things people don't tell you. There are certain things you have to learn on your own - that initiate you into the sisterhood of mom's - but that is labor speak and no one needs me to get into that! Here goes my list...

• No one tells you just how much you are going to love your baby. I had heard people describe it as a feeling like nothing else -- but I had no idea. My heart aches sometimes because I love him so much. I look at the world in a completely different way than I did three months ago. I truly know what it is like to know that I would do anything in the world for him - I get hot flashes thinking about the possibility of anyone doing him any harm.


• No one and nothing can prepare you for the lack of sleep. It is so difficult to function some days it was all I could do to brush my teeth in the first few weeks - and some days I didn't even accomplish that! It is something you have to live through to understand - and to understand why and how you would do it all over again for the precious moments with your sweet angel.


• No one tells you that your relationship with your husband is going to change. It was a tough adjustment on Bj and I. I had so little patience from aforementioned lack of sleep that I felt like we constantly argued the first few weeks. What I didn't realize at the time was that we would come out stronger and closer. I feel so connected to him in more ways than when we were a childless couple. I love watching him with Connor - he is an amazing father.


• No one tells you that you just feel different. I know I am the same Ellen as before but I somehow just feel different. I think I realize it most at work when I am just me - I don't have to take care of Connor, I just have to work. When I get home I slide back into the role of momma - it is not something I can explain, I just feel different. Good different, just different.


• I used to love crime shows and I could watch anything. I can't anymore. I get absolutely panicked watching anything that involves children and their pain. I find myself clutching Connor and having a terrible pain in my heart at the thought of anything happening to him. It is there and it's amazing. You really have a bond and know exactly what your baby needs from the minute they arrive. On the other hand - it is so helpless and painful when you can't fix the crying.


• You just don't know how hard, tiring, emotional, draining, exciting, fulfilling and amazing the whole experience is until you go through it. I keep telling Steph I am so excited for her to feel what I am feeling - she is going to be an amazing mom and I can't wait for her to experience the utter amazement and joy at meeting her baby for the first time.

I knew I would love being a mom - I have always wanted to be a mom. I wasn't prepared for some of it - but I feel as though we are rolling with it around here. It was really refreshing to know that I am experiencing and feeling the same things that other mothers feel. Sorry for the honesty - I just wanted to share.

Here's to you Sweet Pea - We are ready and excited to share the adventure of life and parenthood with you!

What's In a Name?

The sweet little angel on the left has a very beautiful name, in my opinion. Connor had been on our list from the very beginning - we always liked it, but wanted to keep thinking. We also really liked the name Aidan for a boy and he would have been Madeline if he was a girl. The middle name was always going to be Francis, after my dad. One of the things I looked for in a name was something you could put a good nickname with! I love nicknames and rarely call people by their "given" name. Once we got into the hospital and realized that we could have a baby at any time, we got serious about the names. Connor really was just the best choice - Connor Francis Johnson. It just has a great ring to it! Now, we call him pretty much anything but Connor! I was thinking about it the other day, he has so many nicknames! Connor-Man, Sweet Pea, Little Man, The Boy, CFJ, CF, C, Monkey, Moose, Moose-Munch, Cute Boy, Cuters Patooters, Sweet Boy, Handsome, Beautiful, Stinker, Stink-Butt, Stinky Pete, Blue Steel, Bunny and I could go on and on! It's so funny - we just look at him sometimes and call him whatever names pops into our minds! He is such a sweet man and he will always be my little sweet pea - no matter what other nicknames I call him!