Family

baby, Family, monthly update, Uncategorized

Our precious son turns 6 months old

July 9, 2018July 9, 2018by Sheridan Johnson2 Comments

6 months.jpg

Image Credit: here

Today is the day that our baby boy is 1/2 a year old! I truly can’t believe 6 months have passed! This little boy lights up a room with his zest for life, LOVE for others, and his easy-going personality! We love you so so much big boy and enjoy every single minute you are here!♥

Weight: 18.5 pounds

Length:26 1/2 inches taken at home

Likes:

-To be held! It’s so adorable how much he LOVES when we are holding him via the Lillebaby carrier!
-To be talked to, he LOVES when all of his siblings talk and play with him!
-To eat! He has just started to like baby food more, and it’s so cute to see him eat so well!
-To sleep! This past month we have transitioned him to his crib and most nights he will sleep all night without a peep! Some nights he just wants extra cuddles and then we put him back in his crib
-His bath! Sometimes I swear he looks so relaxed in it, I think he might just fall asleep!
-His ability to sit up on his own and reach for ALL things around him! He is such an active baby boy!

Dislikes:
– When are out of sight and he thinks he is by himself–cue the elephant tears!
– Getting dressed/undressed! He still doesn’t like the fact that people have to wear clothes!

Teeth: None! Gosh he is teething a LOT, so I hope one pops in soon!

Language:
He has just started to blow raspberries (which is so adorable!), and loves to make a lot of noise to express himself!

Milestones: He just started to pick up his back left leg to try to crawl to what he wanted, so I am thinking crawling is near in our future! He has mastered rolling over, and sitting up on his own!

Upcoming:

MD appt: 6 month well check!

Adoption, Family, foster

Mother’s Day 2018!!

May 13, 2018May 13, 2018by Sheridan Johnson2 Comments

mothers day 2018

Happy Mother’s Day to those mamas who have left this earth way too early, we must honor and remember them today! To all of you soon to be mothers, the ones who have lost their child(ren), the ones who day in and day out give all that you have have to make sure your children don’t go without. You are NOTICED and appreciated!

I remember being pregnant for the first time with Lamar, and being so amazed that I could carry a life inside of me, and I was just amazed at everything that my body was doing, and just the feeling of being a mother already once we got pregnant. I felt this way with each subsequent pregnancies as well. I loved them so much before they were even born, just as Jesus did with us!

Parenting has been difficult at times and easy at other times. I feel like with each age range (ages 4 months-7 years) comes different requirements, and I try my best to meet the needs of each one of them day in and day out, but there are definitely times where I fall short and that’s ok! I look at it with the outlook that I never want to go to bed angry or upset at the kids(shane and I both try so hard to do this as well) and that each day brings a new start with a fresh beginning and I try to make the best of it (after my daily cup of coffee of course).

I have loved this season (past year) with finalizing ALL of the adoptions, and truly finding our new normal after such a big hectic year with fostercare. I am looking forward to this summer with just being able to have a schedule with the kids, and be able to teach them more and more knowledge and growth over the next few months!

Motherhood is seriously such a major part of my identity (especially with so many of them a such young ages right now)but it is not who I am, my identity is found in Christ Jesus. Being a mother to my five kids (and 2 in heaven) is such a gift, that I will never take for granted.

I tried to send this sweet little message (picture above) to ALL of the amazing women/mothers that continue to inspire me each and every day!

This year my parents kept the girls for the night and Shane took all of the boys to run errands so that I could actually get a NAP in ( I don’t even remember the last time that happened), and then I woke up with a bouquet of flowers and dinner cooked (and all cleaned up) and then today he brought me coffee and breakfast and then we went to an awesome church service and ended our night with spending it with my parents in Lockhart!

Shane helps me out each and every day in parenthood and it does not go unappreciated but the extra kind gestures on Mother’s Day are always loved and so thoughtful!

I will leave you with some pictures from today! Hope everyone had an awesome day!!

(These are ALL of the sweet gifts my kids gave to me from school… SO precious)

And Mom, thank you for EVERYTHING. These words are just a bit of how I feel about you!! LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH!!

10 things i love.jpg

baby, Family, growth, milestone, photography, Pictures, rainbow baby, weekly

4 months old!!

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018by Sheridan JohnsonLeave a Comment

4-months

Image credit here

So somehow we have made it to 4 months already!? That is crazy and I love how much growth has happened over these last 4 months! From literally just eating/sleeping/pooping and peeing all day to now being so talkative, belly laughing, rolling over, trying to sit up by himself, and eating from a spoon (and still drinking milk/sleeping/pooping and peeing, haha)!

I am just amazed at laid back he is, how much he still loves to be cuddled up against us when he is napping/ or just sitting wanting to play and sit on your lap to watch everyone and how much joy he brings to the entire family.

It’s so precious that each one of kids are developing such a unique and special bond with him, that they are going to carry with them for the rest of their lives. Brielle loves to feed him, cuddle him, and make him laugh (around 100 times a day), Joseph loves to play with him on the ground and just talk to him and introduce him to new toys, and activities. Luke loves to laugh (and in return malachi laughs back) and loves to sing “twinkle, twinkle little star” to him to calm him down, and Gracelynn LOVES to say “kai kai” and show him all of her toys and she has started to sing him to him as well and loves to see him laugh!

So even though his doctor appointment isn’t until next week, I am just going by what we have taken here at home!

Weight: 15 lb 6 oz pounds taken at home scale

Length:25 inches (taken at home)

Likes:

-To be held! It’s so adorable how much he LOVES when we are holding him!
-To be talked to and play “peek-a-boo”
-To eat! He just tried baby food for the first time today and ate the ENTIRE bowl!! He loves food (just like his parents).
-To sleep! He has woken up past two nights 1 time for a feeding but before that we had a good stretch of sleeping ALL.NIGHT.LONG! Hallelujah! I just wish we could pass on the great sleeping to the girls in the house (including me).. but we are getting there!
-He loves to be hot! He loves to be pressed up against someone when he is napping!
-His carrier! He literally falls asleep in it almost instantaneously. We have now introduced the sling carrier as well and he has done amazingly well!

Dislikes:
– Clipping his nails! Though he is finally tolerating it a bit now!
– Changing his clothes. He absolutely hates it now!

Teeth: None! 🙂 Though, the drooling has caused increase in spit up, so that’s fun! 🙂

Language:
I swear it’s like he is responding correctly to what we are saying at times! His cooing is incredibly adorable and his laugh literally melts my heart every time!

Milestones: Rolling over back to front on both sides now, trying to sit up on his own, and eating his first baby food!

Upcoming:

MD appt: 4 month appt May 14th

Here are some pictures from the last few weeks and today’s monthly picture!

Thank you all for following along his journey and growth! I believe crawling and sitting up on his own is surely going to happen in the next few weeks!

Adoption, Faith, Family, foster

In the trenches

May 4, 2018by Sheridan JohnsonLeave a Comment

I was listening to a podcast (you can find out more here) and they spoke about being in the trenches and watching God speak to you (and through you) during that time.

Since May is National #fostercareawarenessmonth I wanted to let you know how we have been deep in the trenches, and what all helped us during that time.

Fostercare is kind of like riding on a REALLY long rollercoaster, most of the time. Between court hearings (and there is usually between 3-5 within the first year), traveling to and from all of the required appointments, counseling, and visits with the parents, you sometimes find yourself in the trenches of it all.

I remember many times where I just broke down and asked God “can I really do this?” “am I made out for this” and many more similar questions. The overwhelming paperwork, the countless amount of people in your house all.month.long and the having to put your trust in such a broken system, can sometimes catch up to you. BUT you know what? You don’t stay in the trenches and yes you can do it! You see the milestones that your foster children are able to reach, you see the LOVE that is just poured out of them with happiness and joy, and you see that you are making a difference in the life of that particular child (regardless if they remember it) forever.

Every one of us has gone through something (or will go through something) that will test our faith, our friendships, our marriage, etc.. it’s what makes us human. It’s how we respond to that test that shows who we are as a person.

Did it hurt when we had to say goodbye to Gracelynn and watch her go back to people that we knew wasn’t the best for her? Yes! Did it hurt watching the boys have to suffer for SO long watching their biological parents string them along the entire way, just to disappoint them in the end? Yes! But it’s those trenches that God called us so fully depend on him and trust that everything would work out the way He intended on them to!

I am so glad that I have been through the good times and the not so good times with foster care because I wouldn’t be able to write this post with three beautiful adopted children that I get to call mine each and every day.

So friends, remember that when you are the trenches, it’s only temporary and that you can and will get through it (through faith, prayer, and action)!

Let me know if there is anything that you have questions on that I could help you with! I thank you all for continuing to follow along in our journey and know that I love and appreciate every single one of you!