This is a Job for Daddy!

Bryan comes home from school and must next perform his role as Dad!

Here he is with a (fake) crying Mitchell and a grunting Shannon.

Mitch likes to be close to his sister, especially when she's awake.
He was delighted to share the rug with her, though she seems to be camera shy.

Thanksgiving 2011

We spent Thanksgiving in Ephrata at the Johnsons this year. It was fun to spend time with family and see the cousins enjoy each other more.

Mitch loved playing on his Grandma Johnson's new piano. He even joined in a few songs!

Mitch and Haylee were keenly aware of the horse and spent some time on the fence talking to her.

Great Grama Allstot finally got to meet her third great grandchild as she and more Allstot family came by on Friday. It was a fun visit with the crew. Aren't her shoes cute? They were her mother's lo these many years ago . . .

Miss Shannon keeps growing! She is more alert and enjoys being held as much as possible.

Big Brother

Mitch is doing a good job of adjusting to his role as big brother. Yes, he has been pretty moody lately, but that can be attributed to being 2 and having your world rocked and invaded for a steady two weeks. Overall, he's been fantastic and seems to take out his frustration on his parents rather than his sister. I can live with that!
Here are some Mitch and Shannon photos from the past week-ish:

Sharing the ipod . . .
Explaining the use of a calculator . . .
A pause to hold her . . .

Introducing her to Poly . . .

Helping with a change . . .

and keeping the swing arockin'!

What a good big brother!

Bathroom Renovation

I have nothing against the 1950s personally, but the gold-fleck tile, laminate, and tub-only bathroom from said decade had passed its expiration date. Here are 3 photos of our old bathroom:

Now, having a renovation done whilst expecting a child (and raising one) is far from ideal. Strange men roaming the hall, visiting the toilet in the garage in the middle of the night, bathing your child in a rubbermaid tub in the garage shower . . . none of these are highlights of the final weeks of pregnancy. Then, when bringing home your new baby, parents don't often dream of chemical seals and toxins awaiting them. However, when all is said and done, we are happily enjoying our new loo. Presenting the new and improved version:

Tonight is Mitchell's inaugural bath. I'm sure it will be very meaningful for him . . .

First Doctor Visit

Shannon went to the doctor this morning for her first appointment. She is healthy and doing just perfectly, which we knew. She did manage to lose some of her birth weight, dropping a whole ounce down to 8lbs, 11oz. However, we'll have her up over the 9lb mark by her 2-week visit!

Introducing . . .

Shannon Leah Johnson She was born Thursday, November 3rd at 10am and weighed in at 8 pounds, 12 ounces. She was 21 3/4 inches long and is a healthy, beautiful little lady.
Mitch is fascinated with his Baby Sister Shannon, and likes to hold her, watch her eat, and has shared some of his treasures with her. He is also quite content to run around happily in his own world still.
Grama and Grampa Allstot arrived as quickly as possible, but Shannon would not wait. She came after just 6 1/2 hours of labor - a far cry from Mitchell's 38! We were at the hospital for just 63 minutes before she came into the world. It was so fast that Mom didn't get the drugs she craved. Turns out for the best, though, as recovery has been much smoother. The Johnson grandparents were there by evening, bringing toys and telephones for Mitchell's amusement. Looks like a pretty UW-centric family represented in this photo!
Aunt Rachel came with her folks and was pleased to meet her new neice. I think she's hoping for another redhead in the family . . .

Uncle Russ drove as fast as he could, but also didn't quite make it for the arrival. However, he got to be there right after to meet his newest neice and wrap her up with his affection.

Mitchell is being a very helpful big brother. He insisted on bringing Shannon home and helping carry her inside with his Papa Allstot.

We're home and adjusting to life as a family of four.