Ready or Not...

He is Here!!!

(one week ago :)

Linkon Holt Johnston
April 3, 2012
10:48 am
6 lbs 9 oz
19 inches

Last Monday when I went to my doctors appointment I planned on setting a date to be induced. What I did not plan on, was him telling me to come in that very same night. It was a bit unexpected and I spent the rest of the day in a frenzy trying to squeeze in my long list of To Do's before baby is born. Luckily I have an amazing sister who is willing to take two extra kids on short notice and by 3 am I felt somewhat ready to go.

I truly truly dislike ANY pictures when I am pregnant, and tend to get upset if anyone brings out a camera at anytime during my 9 months of fatness. (I mean who really wants to remember themselves that way.) However, I've been informed that you need at least one prego picture for documentation purposes. So here is my ONE picture taken at 38 weeks 5 days- 2:55 am, right before heading to the hospital.

Just a few other things I wanted to document about this pregnancy....

Finding Out: I didn't officially find out I was pregnant until I had made it home from California. It was around the second week in August and Shawn was still out working in Bakersfield. My immediate reaction was of course-PANIC!!! I did this with all three of my kids so it is not really a surprise, but 3 kids is a big deal! I mean 2 I can handle- a hand for each of them, but THREE. That is like full-time mini van mom. Obviously I was excited but that is what I do, I panic.
I immediately sent a picture to Shawn's phone and of course he did what he ALWAYS does...calms me down and acts overjoyed with excitement. I am sure glad he is there to balance me out. :)

Girls Reaction: My girls are not the best secret keepers and very impatient so I held off telling them as long as I could. After taking them to my first doctors appointment though it was a little difficult to hide. Brylie kept asking why my stomach was beating and why I had two heartbeats. She knew, and was THRILLED at the idea of a new baby in the house. Lauryn was a little less interested but still excited when you asked her.

Gender Reveal: I waited to go to the doctor until around 16 weeks so when they told me I could schedule an ultrasound two weeks later, I decided to hold off on announcing the news so I could share two surprises at once. (It was extremely difficult to ask Bry to keep the exciting news quiet, but she did extremely well...except for the minor slip to her Grandma & Cousin Summer-which I did not find out about until later.
Anyways we went to the ultrasound with Brylie POSITIVE it was a boy because Heavenly Father obviously would send us a boy seeing as we have two girls already, and Lauryn was SET & determined it was a girl because girls are prettier.
After a very clear view of the sex...Brylie walked out of the hospital saying "I told you so, I told you so" while Lauryn was bawling..."I not want a baby bother!!! I want a baby girl!!"

Most enjoyable things about this pregnancy: Feeling the baby move, the girls excitement over everything, & of course any excuse not to have to suck in my belly.

Least enjoyable things: Lack of food options due to gestational diabetes, headaches, leg cramps, excessive peeing, not being able to sleep on my belly, and my stomach being stretched like a balloon.

Weight Gain: Around 15 lbs (although it felt like 150)

Cravings: Cereal (which I cannot have) Fruit (also no) & Chocolate (once again not suppose to eat) needless to say, I was hungry a lot!

My diet consisted mainly of eggs, bacon, or protein shakes for breakfast. Then veggies, chicken, quesadillas w/ low carb tortillas, and more protein for lunch & dinner.

Thank goodness for Coke Zero & Carb Smart ice cream or I may have never survived.

NESTING

I wasn't quite sure if I fully believed all of the things they told you about being pregnant. (Or at least they did not apply to me.) I would LOVE to say that doing the dishes made me nauseous or that my emotional moodiness or flighty forgetfulness was due to being pregnant (problem is mine never goes away:) Pretty much I am just myself only fatter while pregnant, but the one thing I did notice this time around was...The Nesting Phase! I was a crazy person. I wanted EVERYTHING cleaned, organized and labeled. Plus about a million projects for Shawn to do along the way. Below are just a few examples of my crazy nesting period.

Baby Room/Craft Room Closet


Girls Room Closet

Playroom Closet

The Cradle Redo- This cradle was built by my Grandpa Warner and has been used by my mom and all of her siblings then passed down to us. And then Lisa used it with all of her kids and it finally made it to me when I had Brylie. Obviously it needed a little love after all of that usage. We sanded it, painted black, & Shawn sturdy-ed it up a bit. Brylie of course did not think it was complete until it was made with blankets, a pillow, & a stuffed animal for the new baby boy. (this part was done by her:)

And finally Baby Linkon & Big Sister Brylie

Brylie single handed-ly named this little boy. Shawn sent a picture to my sister Lisa right after having the baby and Brylie immediately ran down to tell her entire preschool class and anyone else she found that her new baby brother... Linkon Shawn Drake was here!!!! We spent the next 2 and half days in the hospital going through EVERY name imaginable and each time we would run a new one by Brylie she would say..."It's cute, but his name is Linkon." I loved how sure she was and since neither Shawn or I could decide we left it up to her. Although Lauryn is still very upset we didn't go with either of her suggestions of Prince Eric or Flynn Ryder. Maybe she can decide the next one (if there is a next one.)
We are just so happy to have him here, home, & healthy!