Claire - 7 months

Claire is 7 months old this month (plus one week, now) and she weighs about 19 pounds using our official "weigh yourself, then hold Claire and weigh yourself" method. I have no idea how tall she is but she looks really tall to me... she's got some tall genes comin' her way. I hope she is tall, but not crazy tall... tall enough to play sports but not so tall that she doesn't want to wear high heels. That would be a shame :)


She isn't crawling yet, but you can tell that she is close to starting - she rotates... I never really catch her in the act but she almost pivots on one point and ends up pointing in the opposite direction. She does this a lot in her crib too, and sometimes with blurry eyes at 1 am, I forget which way she was facing when I put her in bed and it throws me all off.


We have finally hit our stride with solid foods and Claire does well with cereal and all sorts of foods - fruits and veggies, and she is eating the Stage 2 foods now. Such a big girl! Her hair is getting long in the front - I clip it back because I just can't cut it, and the bald spot in the back is starting to fill in with new fuzzy brown hair (she is keeping the brown hair, not going blonde like we thought). I think she has my coloring but is looking more like Matt every day. Good thing he is cute!

Laughlin River Run

It's time for the annual Laughlin River Run, when motorcycle riders from all over the country converge on Laughlin Nevada and overflow into Vegas for a huge motorcyle event - a 'tradeshow' of sorts.

There have been some crazy incidents with this event every year - shootings, Hells Angels, all sorts of stuff. Which is why it's kind of funny that one of the bikers coming again this year is my dad, Bishop Johnson. He doesn't really fit the profile, but he has loved motorcycles since he was a kid (I think he's always had at least one bike since he was 15). He is probably done with the Laughlin scene by now - he goes for one day and then gets to spend some time with me. He has been coming every since I have moved here, and it's always nice to have some time with my dad.

I'm hoping to get some nice shots with Claire and the Harley (and my dad) - hopefully to post soon!

Blog Books

So my last entry was about my attempt to keep a journal - my blog has kind of been that outlet for the past year, documenting my pregnancy and Claire's birth and development over the last seven months (yep, 7 months as of the 17th). I had thought about printing out all of those pages and putting them in a binder, but I just came across this site that I am really excited about - I haven't tried it yet so I can't offer a first-hand testimonial, but it looks great. It has software that will turn your blog into a hard-bound book! Check it out - it's called Blurb.com.

Thought I'd share with my fellow bloggers. I still think that I would write in a different style in my blog versus in a personal, private journal. But I'd still like to remember what I write here, and all the great comments from friends and family. I'll write about my experience with the Blog Books.

Finding Time for Journaling

I have always liked to write, but I guess in the end writing about myself is difficult. I'm talking about writing in a journal, specifically. I have always had a journal since I was a kid - I was hit and miss with journaling back then too. The sad part is that now I really have important things to write about and the life of my beautiful baby to document, but it is such an easy thing to let fall by the wayside. But I have recently found something that has actually helped me to journal consistently for the past 3 weeks - LDSJournal.com.

It is a free website that archives your journal entries, reminds you to journal, allows you to upload photos and video, lets you print out a cool book at the end of the year with your journal (hard bound, with photos - there will be a fee for this service) and it's just like writing in a blog - only private and more personal. And since I type like 70+ words a minute, it's easier and faster for me. I still like the idea of seeing someone's handwriting in a journal - it feels more historical that way. But left to my own handwriting, I probably wouldn't write at all.

Anyway, I am a bit biased because I am working with them on some PR things, but I have become a user myself and I really like it. So, if you are not a great journaler either, give LDSJournal.com a shot - it's free so you might as well test it out. And anyone can use this site - not just LDS members :)

Your Vote is Needed - Answer to the right ->

So I am too biased - I think all of these are cute! Which of these pics of Claire do you like the best? I need just one photo for a project.

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General Conference - Thank you Elder Ballard

So, I was really hoping that the talks from General Conference had been posted already, but they just have the MP3 files up so far. I absolutely loved Elder Ballard's talk, and felt that his remarks directed towards young mothers was exactly what I needed to hear. Matt had not been feeling well so he was upstairs taking a nap during the second session - which left me free to cry my eyes out all by myself.

He just made you feel like it was ok to ask for help, to say no sometimes to things people ask you to do, and to put your family first before everything else. Anyway, I didn't take notes so I can't quote him just yet, but here is the link for the Conference Talks once they are posted.

Buy in Bulk

Has anyone noticed the cost of food has gone up so much lately? I actually refused to buy a gallon of milk at Albertsons the other day because it was $4... even though I bought a NF Grande Steamer at Starbucks the other day for about the same price (basically, steamed milk with a flavored syrup added to it). When the whole office wants to go to Starbucks, and it's right in the lobby of your building, you find something without coffee that you can order.

Anyway, I digress. The cost of food - eggs, milk, bread. I heard that farmers are planting less corn on purpose this year, so that means that the cost of everything will go up because it all goes back to the basics crops. Plus the cost of gas and transporting food - and since we live in the middle of the desert, everything has to be shipped into us.

So I guess the way to go is to buy in bulk - we have a Sam's Club and Costco membership, and now there is a new Sam's Club right by our house, which is so nice. Here are some of my recent finds, that also translate into easy, quick dinners:

Asian Chicken Salad Kit - in the refrigerated section near the lettuce wraps, salsa, etc. It is two kits with chicken, almonds, dressing, and all you have to add is lettuce. The one I just bought is good until the end of April, so it's good to just keep on hand.

Frozen Salmon/Halibut - Buy a bag or box of already-seasoned fish and then defrost it in the fridge in the morning so it's ready for dinner. I bake it or grill it up and serve with steamed veggies, rice and/or salad. About 20 min to cook.

Chicken Meatballs - this comes in a two pack, I freeze one and use one right away. I cook the meatballs in a tomato sauce and serve with pasta.

Please share your buy in bulk, or long-lasting, easy to store, food ideas.