Much of my year was spent pregnant, which to be honest has to be one of my least favorite states of being. Mind you, I couldn't love my children any more. In fact, I've truly enjoyed giving birth to them, especially considering the wonder drug we call the epidural. It's the nine months that precede the birth that are the challenge. Feeling sick for months and abstaining from sushi, soft cheeses and caffeine. Watching my body morph and my husband suffer my mood swings. Wearing the same pants pretty much every day. Not having the energy to get in the floor and play with my toddler. These aren't tragic conditions, but they're kinda the pits.
Of course, it was all worth it Aug. 12 when our Adam entered the outside world. He weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz., which seemed rather gaunt on his 21-inch frame. Don't worry, mother's milk bulked him up rapidly. At 4 months old, he's 17 pounds and in the 85th percentile, which means he can beat up 85 percent of other 4-month-old babies. Adam is quite possibly the sweetest little boy ever. Content at nearly all times, he loves to laugh, cuddle and, of course, eat. What else could you expect from someone with a drop of Holbrook blood in him? Big sister Katie adores Adam - or "Um," as she calls him - although she didn't know quite what to think of him when we brought him home. The first time I nursed Adam in front of Katie, her chin dropped and her eyes grew to the size of golf balls. She went to bed that night most upset, but was comforted by her Auntie Karen and Nana, both of whom were gracious to stay with us during the first two weeks of us having two kids.
Katie, who just turned 2, continues to be a bright light in the Johnson household. Everybody loves this little girl, and for good reason. She's just a doll. Cute. Spunky. Sweet. And, I must say, she's my mini me. But she is 2 and has mastered the art of tantrum-throwing. Aaron and I are navigating these waters reluctantly, but I'm convinced we'll all come out on the other side better for it. Katie loves all the requisite toddler icons - Elmo, Mickey Mouse and Barney, known at our house as "Barn." Thankfully, Katie started talking, overnight it seems. And, like most toddlers, she's a bit of a myna bird, repeating pretty much anything you say. She sits in the back seat of my car and chatters away. We're not always sure of what she's saying, but we're fairly certain it's all important.
Aaron has undertaken the Discipleship Curriculum at Southeast Christian Church. It's a very rigorous, nearly 2-year study of the Bible and Christian literature. I'm so proud of him for taking this step, as I think he'll emerge from it an even more effective leader. He's fallen for another - the iPhone. The good news is that I'm not as jealous of it now as I was when he brought it home. Aaron's other electronic pursuit is an online game called EVE, which has something to do with space, but that's about as detailed as this technophobe can get. Sorry, honey :)
Me, I spend my days with the kiddos but also keep busy at church. During my pregnancy I lead a small discussion group in a study called Me, Myself and Lies and loved my group. I took a break when Adam was born, but I'm ready to lead another group in January - another Kristen Sauder study, this one an examination of the prodigal son. Can't wait! I'm also getting a serious itch to write but am awaiting God's prompting on what to write about. He'll let me know when the time is right.
OK, so here's the not-so-good part. Just days before Adam's birth the Louisville area was deluged, and along with it were the apartments we own in Jeffersonville, Ind. Non-stop rains hovered over the area, clogging drainage systems that included the already inadequate ones in that small town. Unfortunately, some of our residents who lived in basement units of our buildings lost pretty much everything and many other residents also lost their cars, which were up to their hoods in murky water in the parking lot. We put up several residents in a hotel but inevitably lost some. Cleanup took weeks and we're still working on rebuilding three units. The good news is that we now have flood insurance, but Aaron now winces every time it rains.
And just like for most everyone in this country, the economy cometh. This year was tough on Aaron's business, commercial real estate. Nuff said. But he's persevering and we are very hopeful that we'll see better business days in 2010.
To sum it up, this year was a sort of a glimpse of life on the whole. We saw good times and we saw not so good times, but God was good in every bit of it. He always is. I was reminded this weekend that it rains on the righteous and the unrighteous... and, yes, I do mean RAIN. In short, I love this life the Lord has given me and look forward to what else He has in store!
Merry Christmas to all!
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