P90X (Or, "Getting My Ass Kicked by Tony Horton")

So today I started on the vaunted P90X workout program. I have to admit that I'm usually HIGHLY skeptical of anything that I've seen on an informercial, but that stupid thing sucked me in immediately and never let go. I wasn't sure that I believed the TV hype, so I sent out a Facebook message a few weeks ago asking about people's experience with the program.

The responses were immediate and overwhelmingly positive. The most common response..."It totally kicked my ass, and I was exhausted after the workouts. But it WORKED!"

Fast-forward to a few weeks later, and I now have my very own - very borrowed - copy of the program (thanks Tim and Alyson!). I've finally read through all of the pre-work and the diet plan, and I've set myself up for success by getting most of the necessary items (skipped the protein bars and powders for now, but we'll see...).

Today was my first workout, and I'm here to tell you that Tony Horton WILL kick your ass! WOW! The first workout is chest and back, and consists of 12 different exercises performed twice. You run through the first set, then do the same exercises again in a different order. By the end of the first, I was almost completely exhausted and was absolutely dripping with sweat. My arms hurt, I was breathing insanely hard, and I thought I was going to barf. Then I had to go through it all AGAIN! I persevered, but there was no way that I was going to be able to keep up with the insane pace the guys (and gal!) on screen were keeping. Still, I made it through the first workout alive, and was pretty psyched for tomorrow...until I realized that there was still a 15-minute ab workout to do.

Are you kidding me? I may drop dead here on the floor, and you want me to do MORE? Alright, fine...but I'm NOT happy about it. Needless to say, the Ab Ripper X workout continued Tony Horton's (that's the host, by the way) butt-kicking. In the end, I was completely spent, and I actually ended up loving it.

We'll see how the rest of the program progresses, but if it's always this intense, I'm hoping to be ripped by next spring. BRING IT!

Bicentennial Quarters

So yesterday was ice cream day in Chris's class, and I had to dig up 50 cents for his weekly ice cream ration. I pulled out a couple of quarters, and realized that one of them was the 1976 Bicentennial Quarter. These quarters have always kind of had a special place in my heart, though I'm not really sure why. Maybe it's because they're from my birth year, or maybe I just thought the dude drumming on the back of the quarter was cool. Regardless, I thought I'd share my excitement with Chris.

I walked into the kitchen and said, "Look at this! This quarter was made in 1976! That means it's as old as I am...cool!" Chris got super excited for some reason, and said "OK...THAT is REALLY interesting!"

This may fall under the category of "you had to be there for it to be cute," but I'm telling you...it was hilarious!

I'm Ready to Play!

Oops! Just realized I hadn't posted this one yet, either. Enjoy! :-)

Splish Splash!

Ohmygosh! I can't believe I forgot to post this video of Tyler's first bath. Too cute! :-)

First Monthly Appointment!

It's hard to believe it's already been a month since Tyler made his grand arrival, but here we are... So far, so good. He's growing like a little weed, and the cardiologist says his heart rate is doing great thanks to the medications we've got him on. We don't have to go back to see the cardiologist again until the three-month mark, so we're seeing that as a good thing.

We had Tyler's first monthly appointment with the pediatrician this morning, and it went great! He's 8 pounds, 15 ounces (amazingly enough, the same size Chris was at BIRTH!), and is just a shade over 20 inches long, which puts him in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. That should pick up quickly now that he's really starting to be a food hog.

Keep your eyes peeled for new pictures...we hit Portrait Innovations yesterday, and I'm planning to upload the CD full of photos sometime today. I've gotta' say, the folks at Portrait Innovations are absolutely incredible! Matthew is generally averse to having ANYONE take his picture, let alone complete strangers. Something about their crew, though, got him to open up and smile, and the pictures are amazing! :-)

That's all for now...

Welcome to the World, Baby Tyler!

OK...I should have posted this on September 12th, but I was a bit busy:

It’s with more excitement that I can even begin to communicate via e-mail that I make the following announcement: Tyler Sloan Johnston was born yesterday morning, Saturday, September 12th, at 6:40 AM. He weighs 7 pounds, 8 ½ ounces, and is 21 inches long. That’s the awesome news. The funky/not-so-great news, though, is that he spent all of yesterday in the ICU with an irregular heart rate. Not to worry, though…there’s a light at the end of that tunnel. Here’s a quick recap in case you’re not up to speed:

Saturday
2:30 AM – Holly wakes me up to tell me that her water has broken
3:25 – We meet my mom and dad at the hospital, and pass the boys off to them
4:00 – 5:15 – Various tests, etc., to determine whether Holly’s water had, in fact, broken. The tests all came back negative, but the fetal heart rate monitor indicated a wildly varying heart rate (bouncing from 120 BPM to 250 BPM). The nurses called in the on-call physician, who verified via ultrasound that Holly’s water had, in fact, broken, and that there was no more amniotic fluid at all. She decided, therefore, that it was time to get Tyler out.
5:15 – Since there was so much confusion about the heart rates, the neonatologist was called in for a consult. The question being posed was whether we should go ahead and deliver at Northside Forsyth, or if we should head to Atlanta instead since they have a larger NICU. He decided that we’d be OK here, but that Tyler would most likely have to spend a day or so in the NICU for observation. Here’s the kicker…
5:30 – The anesthesiologist arrives for placement of the epidural in preparation for a 6:15 C-Section! Incredibly, we were slated for surgery less than 4 hours after Holly’s water broke!!
6:40 – Tyler is born. He weighs 7 pounds, 8 ½ ounces, and is 21 inches long. Aside from the funky heart rhythm, he’s perfectly healthy and completely adorable.
7:30 – Tyler is admitted into the NICU for observation, and is quickly diagnosed with SupraVentricular Tachycardia (Google it!), which essentially knocks the rhythm of the heart out of whack and causes it to spike unnaturally (hence the bounce from 120 to 250 and back). They put him on an IV drug to control the severity of it, and (ideally, anyway), to bring order out of the chaos. They also give him a tube in his mouth to provide an oral version of a similar drug. The idea there was to wean him off of the IV drug so that he could be treated via oral meds.

Fast-Forward to Saturday Night
6:00 – The meds aren’t doing their job, and Tyler’s heartbeat is still fluctuating wildly. The neonatologist and cardiologist decide that Tyler would be better-treated at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta…about 40 miles from here. OUCH!
7:30 – The final decision to transfer Tyler is made.
9:15 – The transfer team arrives and moves Tyler into a really cool transfer carrier (check out the picture). They take him downtown, and my mom and I follow.
11:30 – Tyler is officially admitted to the hospital, and is set up in the CICU (Cardiac Intensive Care Unit). They set Tyler up on a strong IV drip in conjunction with the oral meds. During this visit I actually get to HOLD Tyler, which is about the greatest experience of all! Finally, we’re exhausted and head back home to Forsyth for some much-needed sleep.

Sunday
11:00 AM – I talk with the head nurse at Tyler’s new hospital, who fills me in on the night’s progress. His heart rate has stabilized, and they’re turning down the flow on his IV from 300 (of whatever unit of measure they’re using) to 200, with plans to be at 150 by 12:30. They’ve also taken him off of his oxygen. This is about the best news we’ve heard since 6:40 Saturday!
2:30 PM – I talk with the head nurse again, who tells me that Tyler is down to 50 on his IV, and they’re planning to have him completely off by 3:15. SWEET! The nurse also tells me that Tyler is watching football. “He told me that he wanted to watch the Falcons play the Dolphins, so I had to let him!” Loving this nurse at this point!
10:00 PM – Mom, Dad, and I take the boys down to the hospital for a quick visit. The boys aren’t actually allowed into the CICU right now, though, because of flu concerns. Bummer, but Tyler’s doing great, and is completely adorable.

That’s the latest for now. They’re hoping to have Tyler out of the CICU and into the Step-Down Nursery sometime today, and we’re planning to take Holly home sometime tomorrow. Holly and I can visit down there any time, and we’ll have classes with the nursing staff on how to take care of Tyler after we take him home. We’ll probably have to take CPR classes (we had to with Matthew since he was in the ICU…I think this is standard operating procedure), as well as classes on how to recognize SVT if he spikes in the future. He’ll most likely have to be on oral medications for the next six months to a year, but his long-term prognosis is excellent, and they say he’ll be perfectly healthy. PHEW!

Sorry for this being the world’s longest post, but I thought it’d be best to get all of the details out there in case you were curious. A HUGE thank-you to everyone who’s called, stopped by, sent text messages and/or Facebook messages, and generally been wonderfully supportive this weekend. We truly appreciate the incredible outpouring of love and support, and can’t wait to introduce Tyler to all of you soon!

Home Stretch, Baby!

First, this note from our friends at WebMD:

You're 37 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby is about 21 inches from head to toe and weighs almost 6.5 pounds. Pregnancy is getting rounded every day, and skin is getting pinker and losing its wrinkly appearance. Your baby's head is usually positioned down into the pelvis by now. Your uterus may stay the same size as it was for the last week or two. Your weight gain should be about as high as it will go, about 25 to 35 pounds. About this time, your doctor might perform a pelvic exam to help judge the progress of your pregnancy.

HA! Though we're officially considered to be in the "home stretch" at this point (2 weeks from yesterday!!), the last statement here cracks me up. Not because it's not accurate, mind you...it's just that the idea that Holly would progress anywhere close to someting approximating labor is hilarious.

Chris basically held on to the umbillical cord for dear life, and Matthew showed absolutely NO signs of wanting to be born on time. Those experiences prompted our doctor to tell Holly, "I'm not even going to bother with the exams for the next couple of weeks unless you really feel like something's happening. Otherwise, all we're doing is making you uncomfortable." Now, THAT'S a great doctor! :-)

Two more weeks 'til Tyler's here!!!!!

Busy Bees...

First, this note from our friends at WebMD:

You're 36 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 20.7 inches from head to toe and weighs about 6 pounds. The baby may drop lower in your abdomen, usually assuming the head-down position. You're in the home stretch; after this week, you'll be seeing your doctor weekly. You may be alternating between feeling exhausted and having extra bursts of energy.

This last statement could hardly be more true. It's amazing to me that Holly can go from cleaning everything in sight and buzzing around the house like a demented bee (it's early...that's the best I've got!) to completely crashed in about 3 seconds. On the positive side, our house is getting VERY clean! The only negative side effect is that I'm starting to nest, too. So far, I've added a ceiling fan to our guest room, redone the guest bathroom, and painted my office/desk. Who knows what'll come next?

Just Breathe...

First, this note from our friends at WebMD:

You're 35 Weeks Pregnant. Your baby measures about 20.25 inches from head to toe and weighs more than 5.5 pounds. Lungs are almost fully developed, but if born now the baby would probably be put in an incubator. It still doesn't have enough fat deposits beneath its skin to keep warm outside your womb. Your uterus is about six inches above your navel. By now your weight gain is probably between 24 and 29 pounds. Discomfort and sleeping problems are common around this time. It won't be too much longer.

It's hard to believe that our little guy is almost done "cooking." Even more amazing is that, if he were born today, he'd be OK and ready to go. Can't wait to meet him!!!

The...Penis on the Bus?!?!?

Chalk this one up to another proud moment for fathers everywhere...

This afternoon, Chris got off the bus and told me that the bus driver wanted to talk to me. I eyed him suspiciously (Chris, that is...not the driver), and asked him if he was in trouble. Naturally, he assured me that he had been a perfect angel all the way home, and that he couldn't possibly be in trouble...HA!

After all of the kids had climbed off of the bus, I warily approached to chat with the driver. He leans down close so that he's out of ear shot of the kids in the front seat, and says to me, "He (meaning Chris) was yelling 'PENIS' pretty loudly on the way home. I thought I'd let you take care of that one."

NICE, CHRIS! Obviously, we cornered him to see exactly what the heck he was thinking. Thinking quickly and blaming the powers of peer pressure, Chris assured us that yelling out "PENIS!" on the bus had been the brain child of some other kid named Gabe. We told him that, of course, yelling "PENIS!" on the bus is completely unacceptable, and that if anyone tells him that he should do it again, he is to tell them that it's inappropriate, and that he won't be doing it.

This CLEARLY falls into the category of "I need to yell at my kid, but I can barely keep a straight face while I'm doing it." They NEVER tell you that you're going to have to deal with things like this as a parent...consider yourself warned! :-)

Getting Closer Every Week!

First, this note from our friends at WebMD...

Congratulations, Holly! You're 33 weeks pregnant! Your baby measures about 19.4 inches from head to toe and weighs about 4.4 pounds. In the next few weeks, your baby will be growing rapidly. He will gain more than half his birth weight in the next
seven weeks. Baby begins to move less now as he runs our of room and curls up with knees bent, chin resting on chest, and arms and legs crossed. Of the pound a week you're gaining now, roughly half is going to your baby.

Sorry...no witty comments this week. It's been a long week with Chris as school, and waking up at 6:00 AM has sapped my creative spirit a little bit. Maybe next time... :-)

Kindergarten: Let's Get It Started!

OK, OK, OK...I know this is basically a re-hash of the Pre-K video, just with up-to-date video and pictures, but the music is just too perfect NOT to use again! In fact, I think I may start using the same music every year for the beginning of school. This is mostly because I'm lazy, but also because - once again - the music is just too perfect!

That said, Holly and I officially have a kindergartener in the house! Chris started his first day at Chestatee Elementary this morning at 7:50. What? You think THAT'S early?!? HA! How about THIS?!? His school bus gets to the stop at about 6:45! YOWZA! We woke up at 6:00 this morning to have a little bit of breakfast, then cruised on up to the bus stop. We were lucky this morning to have Annie with us, which made the day all the more special. We've been seeing Annie and Hope off to school for 14 years now, and having her here was a really cool continuation of that tradition since we weren't able to see Hope off to her first day of her senior year (!!).

All in all, it went pretty smoothly. Matthew even woke up (mostly) for the trip to the bus stop - even if he DID cling to me most of the way there and back. :-) The bus finally showed at about 6:55, and the kids climbed aboard with a minimum of fuss. There was some slight jostling about for seats, etc., and then the bus was on its way.

The funny thing? No one cried... I guess we've just been steeling ourselves to the moment for so long that we were excited rather than emotional. Still, it's a pretty cool thing to know that Holly and I have raised such an incredible kid, and that he's off to school on the next big journey of his life. We can't wait for The Moo to start Pre-K next fall...WOW! We're getting OLD! :-)

The Great Outdoors

So last week, the boys and I decided that it would be fun to camp out in our front yard. Actually, our next door neighbor suggested that a campout with him and his little girl would be fun, but he ultimately ended up bailing out (sucker!). So...


...on Thursday afternoon the boys and I set out to pitch our tent in the front yard, and immediatedly called in friend reinforcements for a great time in the great outdoors. Chris's friend Griffin joined us for the festivities, and we couldn't have had more fun! The boys played in the yard until about 10:45, then we hit the tent for some shut-eye...yeah, right! Ever tried to get two five-year-olds and a three-year-old to go to sleep when YOU want them to? IMPOSSIBLE!




Instead, the boys decided they'd take turns telling scary stories. Chris (of course) started off with the tale of a witch who had lost her powers, and was searching all over for a new source of power (no idea where this came from!). Naturally, he had a flashlight under his chin, and ended all sentences with long, drawn-out woooooorrrrrddddsss...oooooohhhhh! Spoooooky! When he was done, he passed the light to Griffin, and the stories continued.





At about 11:30, we heard a strange growling coming from outside the tent. Needless to say, the boys were pretty freaked out, and all huddled against the side of the tent to see what was going on. The growling continued, and grew in both volume and ferocity, until... I shined the light outside to reveal that our neighbor, Alan (the one who bailed on us!) was the culprit! Sneakly little monkey, that Alan...


Anyway, the boys got a great kick out their little scare, and immediately incorporated the "bear" into the scary stories. I'm pretty sure I passed out somewhere in the middle of story time, but woke up at about 12:15 to find myself surrounded by conked-out kiddos. Needless to say, a great time was had by all...even if we WERE exhausted the next day!




You can check out more pictures from the evening by clicking here. Enjoy!

First, this note from our friends at WebMD:

Congratulations, Holly! You're 32 weeks pregnant! Your baby measures about 18.9 inches long from head to toe and weighs almost 4 pounds. It fills almost all the space in your uterus now. A layer of fat is forming under the thin, wrinkly skin. Baby's practicing opening his eyes and breathing. Most internal systems are well developed, but the lungs may still be immature.

We're getting closer and closer every day, and it seems like Tyler just keeps getting bigger and bigger. This note cracked me up because of the layer of fat that's forming under his "wrinkly skin." Makes me think of an old, fat person! :-)

Holly's doing great, and continues to amaze me with her perseverance. I don't know how you ladies do it...you're truly incredible! By now, I'd have been reduced to a quivering mass of jelly, and I'd be complaining nonstop.

Until next time...

First, this note from our friends at WebMD:

Congratulations, Holly! You're 31 weeks pregnant. Your baby measures about 18 inches long from head to toe and weighs about 3.5 pounds. Rather than hearing vibrations, his ears have matured enough that he can hear distinct sounds, like familiar voices and music. Your uterus now fills a large part of your abdomen, and you've probably gained between 21 and 27 pounds. You're probably feeling increasing excitement and anxiousness about the birth - - it won't be long now!

I'm fairly confident that Holly would agree with that last sentiment. Excitement and anxiousness are everywhere at our house right now! Mostly, I think Holly's ready to stop feeling like a beached whale (or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man, depending on what day it is!). She's down to 4-day work weeks, and her day off is supposed to be a day of rest. So far, though, we've bought a car (last week...a 2004 Tahoe...sweet!) and gone to the science museum on her days off. I'm guessing that probably contributes to the high level of exhaustion that comes along with the excitement and anxiousness!

We're scheduled this weekend to take a tour of the beautiful new hospital where Tyler will be born, and we can't wait. Everyone we know who's had a baby there says it's absolutely gorgeous, and that it's basically a 5-star resort that just happens to have a women's health center attached. Awesome! More on that once we have pictures...

Until next time!

The Big Cheese!

School bus alert! Chris and the rest of his kindergarten compatriots got their first official ride on the big yellow cheese yesterday. What a great time! Holly and I even got to tag along for the ride, and we had a blast.

Mom, Hope, and Hope's friend Courtney came over at about 8:15 (they had to keep an eye on The Moo while we were gone), and we took our little posse down to the bus stop a little before 8:30. The bus showed up a few minutes later, and shuttled us off to the school. Once we got to school, we were treated to a great little safety video featuring (I'm not kidding here) ELVIS the Safey Owl! Elvis is apparently the king of good behavior on the school bus, and the kids will see a lot more of him in the first few weeks of school as they get used to being on the bus. We were also treated to donuts, which really made the whole morning from the kids' perspective.

We head back to school next Thursday for open house, then it's the first day of kindergarten on August 10th. I can't even begin to believe that our Little Buddy is already in kindergarted (wistful tear...). Where in the world did the past five years go?!?

Walk the Dinosaur!

We've been promising Chris a trip to "the dinosaur museum" (actually Fernbank Museum) all summer, and yesterday we finally came through for him. Fernbank has played host this summer to a travelling dinosaur exhibit (hence "the dinosaur museum"), and the boys couldn't have had more fun!

Before I get to the requisite video of their shenanigans, though, I have to share a quick story about Chris. We were standing in line in the little food court at Fernbank when, all of the sudden, Chris starts shaking his head back and forth really hard. I laughed at first because he looked a little stupid, but then it got a little strange. I finally grabbed him and asked what the heck he was doing...

"DAD! I have too many smarts in my head, and I have to shake them all out to make room for new smarts!" Can't argue with that... :-)

Enjoy the video...

Chubby Chia Baby!

First, this note from our friends at WebMD...

Congratulations, Holly! You're 30 Weeks pregnant. Your baby measures about 17 inches from head to toe and weighs about 3 pounds. Baby is growing plumper and beginning to control its own body temperature. Eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed, and hair on the head is getting thicker. Head and body are now proportioned like a newborn's. Hands are now fully formed, and fingernails are growing. Your uterus is about four inches above your navel, and it's hard to believe you still have about 10 weeks to go. You may be feelingmore discomfort in your pelvis and abdomen now, and you can expect to gain about a pound a week from now until delivery.

It's pretty incredible to me that Tyler will gain anywhere from 5 to six more pounds before he's born (based on Chris and Matthew's birth weights), especially since the little booger already appears to be getting so big. He's been doing backflips and cartwheels for several weeks now and, despite what last week's update said, appears to show no interest in slowing down in his acrobatic adventures. Holly's doing pretty well, as long as she can keep moving. She pretty much crashes as soon as she stops going, so we sort of have to keep her in a state of perpetual motion unless we want her to go all narcoleptic on us. :-)

Chris and Matthew have really gotten into the spirit of the pregnancy, and they're starting to really show an interest in Tyler's growth. They even talk to him through Holly's belly button...it's WAY too cute! It remains to be seen whether Matthew will fully embrace having a little brother. He's been the baby for the last three years, and he's not really used to having other people steal the limelight. Still, it was pretty much the same for Chris, and he's been an AMAZING big brother, so I guess we'll see.

On an amusing note, stop by Andrea's blog for a second to see the sort of effect this pregnancy is having on other families. Her account of Annabeth's curiosity about babies it great!

Finally, I just think it's hilarious that Tyler's hair is starting to fill in. For whatever reason, I can just picture the little guy in there with a sprig of hair that miraculously sprouts into a glorious head of hair. Chia-Pet, anyone? :-) There's also something hysterical about the phrase, "Baby is growing plumper." Not sure why...

Ol' Blue Eyes...

First, this note from our friends at WebMD...

Congratulations, Holly! You're 29 weeks pregnant. Your baby measures about 10.4 inches from crown to rump, or a total length of about 16.7 inches from head to toe, and weighs about 2.7 pounds. At this stage, a fetus's eyes are almost always blue and can distinguish bright sunlight or artificial light through the wall of the uterus. Baby is performing fewer acrobatics as conditions in the womb have become cramped now that he is getting bigger. Your uterus is about 3.5 to 4 inches above your navel. Weight gain is probably between 19 and 25 pounds. If born now, your baby could probably survive outside the womb - although in a neonatal intensive-care unit.

How amazing is it that they know that almost all babies have blue eyes at this stage of development? Guess that's why they call 'em Baby Blues, huh? The whole thing made me think of Frank Sinatra, which made me think of Frank Sinatra, Jr.'s cameo role on (once again!) Family Guy. Check it out!

Again, I never cease to be amazed by what doctors are able to discern about kids who are still in the womb. I also got a kick out of the "Baby is performing fewer acrobatics..." First of all, all I can picture is a baby flying across the Big Top on a trapeze or something. Second, Tyler seems to be kicking Holly more frequently (and with more ferocity) than ever before. Maybe the WebMD guys are wrong about that...

Shamon! (with apologies to Adam Selzer)

So the other day I turned on the TV only to find (on every stinkin' CHANNEL!) the Michael Jackson memorial service. Chris happened to be sitting next to me at the time, and says, "Who's that?" I gave him a quick overview of Mikey and his musical legacy, and quickly (though vaguely) explained what was going on. Chris takes another look at The King of Pop and says, "Wow. Michael Jackson is handsome. I'm sure glad he's dead, or Annabeth might want to marry HIM!"

Nice...