Seeing red

Hyrum has always had a thing for red-heads. His mom is a red-head, so it probably stems from that.


His brother also favors red. Funny thing is, neither Hyrum nor his brother married red-heads.



Hyrum WAS once engaged to a red-head, until he broke it off. Hyrum's mom is bright red, and she had 8 children. Not one of her children has red hair.



Susan and her girls aren't in the above picture, but none of them are red. Susan is engaged to a red-head, but can't have kids anymore. Hyrum gets red hairs in his beard and sideburns, but that's the most red that showed up in the family. Now, with all the Johnson kids being parents, not one of them has had a red-head. Elisabeth married a red-head, but her daughter is blonde.


Hyrum really wanted a red-headed daughter, but we seem to have dirty blonde kids...until Kiersa. We've been suspecting for a long time that Kiersa was strawberry blonde, but with her dark lashes and with her hair so short, it was hard to tell. Her eyebrows always looked a little red, but I thought it was just an optical illusion. If you click on these pictures, you can see the red in her eyebrows.



As she got older and got more hair, we really saw the red in her hair. When morning light shines on her hair, there's no mistaking that she's a strawberry blonde. Other people have noticed it now too and have commented to us about how we have a strawberry blonde.







So Hyrum got his wish and got his red-head, and I got my wish and got kids with dark lashes.

Kiersa learned how to do stairs while at the Bandon house (and she fell halfway down the flight of stairs while there too). So now she likes to go up and down our stairs at the apartment.


She's a super happy girl. Even when she was sick and was covered with a rash, she still played games with her shirt and gave me smiles.


If you say "on your mark, get set..." she says "Go!" She says down, tries to say Paisli, and has a tender place in her heart for her Nana.


She recognizes your facial expressions and responds to them accordingly. She's super cute and sooo sooo fun now! She's at the adorable stage where she interacts a ton, talks a ton, and plays with you like crazy. She has her daddy wrapped so tight around her finger that he can't resist her and her expressive eyes. She loves to watch Tilly and Hyatt play and joins in when she can. I can't wait until Paisli can play with her, since Tilly and Hyatt are so close and don't really care to play with others as much as each other.

Running out of time

I was given an invitation to a birthday party for a little girl who was born a month after Talea. The party is in 2 months.
2 MONTHS!!!!
How in the heck is anyone organized enough to plan that far in advance? How do they know the health of the family will be good enough for a party in 2 months? Maybe I just think that because my family always seems to be sick lately. Hyatt is full blown SICK now...again, and Talea just caught it. They both just puked today, are coughing like seals, and have runny noses! Give me a break already!!!! We've already missed church for the past 5 weeks and it looks like it will be yet another week before we make it there again.

I just realized today that Hyatt's birthday is in exactly 2 weeks. He'll turn 3!

3!!!! Where did time go?

I haven't planned a dang thing or even thought about a party, and it's in 2 weeks! Uh, who will come anyway? We don't have any family out here (John and Maren are back in Utah), and there are no little boys Hyatt's age out here. Hmmm. Last year we invited a family over to jump on the trampoline since that's what Hyatt got for his birthday, but I have NO clue what to do for Hyatt's birthday this year!
I stink at making cute cakes.
I stink at planning things in advance.
I stink at surprises.
Where is Daisha when I need her?! Or Annie! Or Teresa! Or Kylene! Or Marcee! Or any of the other people who are so amazing at throwing parties together or decorating or planning? Ugh...
I'd make a good Jehovah's Witness for the fact that they don't celebrate holidays. Or is that a different religion?

Well, maybe I'll get some ideas online. I'd better get cracking. Poor Kiersa already had a last minute party since I came home from the hospital on her birthday, so I don't want to repeat that for Hyatt.

I had to throw this picture in because I love how newborns always go cross-eyed.


And here are my other girls.

After living here for 5 years we explored around Winchester Bay for the first time (and Hyrum got pulled over for going 49 in a 25 but only got a warning...we were seriously oblivious to the signs!), and we went to the Muntifering's ATV shop to chat with Kevin (Kaylynn's lover-pie) and the kids got to sit on the little ATVs. Good times.

When it rains...

...it pours the Johnson Jinx!!!

In case you were wishing you could be a part of our family, here's a Johnson Jinx health saga that might make you change your mind.

Since around Feb 12 (just a month ago, mind you), we have been plagued by a number of health problems. I'm beginning to think that our family will NEVER all be healthy at the same time again. We've been to more doctor visits in this month than I've ever been to my whole life. It went like this...

Talea got sick, then passed it on to Hyatt. They were both getting better by the time Paisli was born, but still had to wear masks at the hospital to keep germs at bay.



I gave birth and spent several days recovering from it. (No, Paisli doesn't stick her tongue out all the time. Kiersa does. I just found a couple of pictures where she was sticking it out and thought it was cute.)



I saw my OB on a sort-of-emergency visit since I couldn't sit or get relief from my hemorrhoid. I was referred to the surgeon since everything they'd prescribed and could think of or look up on the internet wasn't doing a dang thing to help me.

I saw the surgeon and was told I should to wait for surgery until my swelling went down or my scar tissue would be too severe.

I caught the kids' cold.

We took Paisli and Kiersa to the doctor for Kiersa's one year check-up and shots, and for Paisli's weight check.

Paisli's poo turned black with blood. I was put on a strict no-dairy diet for 3 weeks to see if that improved Paisli's poos.

I got breast infection #1. Well, a clogged duct really (forerunner to a breast infection, but very painful just the same). Finally, by baby #4, I have learned how to unclog it before it becomes an infection and needs antibiotics. Each baby has given me several clogged ducts and/or infections, but Paisli is by far the champion at giving them to me.

I saw the surgeon again (a week later) and set a date for surgery in a few days.

I went to the OB to have a 2 week postpartum check, then had to rush home to take some powerful laxative stuff in prep for my surgery, which trapped me in the bathroom for the rest of the day.

I had surgery (hemorrhoidectomy to be exact).

Paisli's poo turned green and hasn't been baby-poo-yellow since.

I spent 2 full weeks recovering from surgery. Thank goodness for Relief Society and all the meals they sent during those weeks!

During the recovery, we took Paisli to her second doctor appointment...her 2 week check-up.

I had to return to the surgeon for a post-op check up 6 days after the surgery. He was NOT gentle when checking things. It was pretty much "drop the drawers, bend and spread 'em". Ouch!

I got clogged duct #2 during my recovery.

Hyatt got another cold, and passed it on to Kiersa.

Kiersa was hit hard by this cold. She had a cough, runny nose, fever, etc...then it went to her ear. She is our first child to ever have an ear infection.

We took Kiersa to doctor appointment #2, to have the ear infection diagnosed and to get antibiotics. They put her on Amoxicillin.

Kiersa suffered from a terrible diaper rash and raging diarrhea during the antibiotics. Her suffering was so horrible to watch. I HATE it when our kids get sick! I feel so bad for them.

I got a serious headache that literally felt as though someone was drilling a hole through my temple. I don't get bad headaches or migraines, so I just about couldn't handle the pain. Some ibuprofen, leftover Norco from my surgery, and an ice pack finally enabled me to fall asleep. I've only had one headache that was worse, and it was when my mom overdosed me on myrrh (yes, like the gold, frankincense and myrrh variety). I was pretty delirious with that pain, and this one got close to that.

Hyrum woke up early before church feeling pretty bad, and ended up erupting out both ends all morning. We have no clue what caused it.

Kiersa followed in Hyrum's footsteps the following morning by vomiting.

Paisli has been suffering from constant diaper rashes (my newborns always do), and we've discovered (after trying all brands of diaper rash ointments, vaseline, nipple cream, monistat, etc) that if we wash her at the sink rather than using baby wipes (even the sensitive kind), and then use Johnson's baby powder, we can keep the rash pretty much under control.

Paisli caught the cold and had a cough and stuffy nose.

I got clogged duct #3. It's been the same duct every time. I'm getting so tired of this! I'm not so sure that I love the whole nursing thing, other than the bonding. I have very little luck with nursing and barely manage to keep them nursing for 7-9 months before I can't take it or the baby can't take it and weans on it's own.

Kiersa was still sick 6 days after being on medication, so she went BACK to the doctor for an ear recheck. Her ear still wasn't normal, so they switched her antibiotics to Cefdinir.

Kiersa broke out in a body rash after one dose of Cefdinir, so they took her off of all medicine and we're hoping her ear will heal on it's own. We have to take her back in, AGAIN, on Monday to see if it's healed. In the meantime, her fever finally let up today, after more than a week of suffering.



Each time we take the kids to the pediatrician, it's a $30 copay. Over this last month we'll have spent $180 in copays!!! Things have GOT to improve soon or I'll be broke!

I have to go back to the surgeon tomorrow for a follow-up and then to the OB next week for my 6 week check-up. Oh, I can't wait for the appointments to end!

By the way, I've been concerned because it seems to me that they missed one of the three hemorrhoids, but I'm NOT going through surgery again. I was told something today that makes me feel a little better about it though. I was told that they can't take too much tissue off that area or else your sphincter won't let you know that you need to poo, and then you'd poo in your pants. So, it's better to leave a little than take too much off. I'd like to NOT poo my pants, thank you very much! I'll leave it alone!

Hyatt started coughing again last night and having a runny nose, so it looks like he's caught yet another bug.

Anyway, I'm sure I've missed some ailments or problems, but you get the jist of it. If you can spread it, we'll catch it!

PB and J burger

On Saturday, I wasn't feeling up to getting out of bed. Hyrum went to the drugstore to get me more drugs with Hyatt and Kiersa, and while he was gone, Talea started complaining of hunger, so I told her to make herself a sandwich. I normally don't let her make her own food because I dread the mess, but this day I didn't care.

So, being the big girl she is, she got a chair to reach the jam off the top shelf of the fridge, got a stool to get the laundry basket off the counter so she could get the peanut butter out of the cupboard, and she got her own bread (did she know it was hamburger buns?). I could hear her in the kitchen working away, so I drug myself out of bed to grab the camera so I could document her first sandwich done 100% on her own. (She's made her own sandwiches before, I but I always get the ingredients down and help her with the lids and sometimes with the spreading since I'm so meticulous about how the PB and J is spread.) Oh, wait, I did open the jam lid when I got up since I knew the ring and lid would be stuck, so I guess she did it 90% on her own.

I love that she's getting old enough for me to trust her with helping me out with cleaning, laundry, and now food prep. I think she was ready for all of that before I was ready for her to be. She's growing up too fast!

One month old already

Paisli turned a month old today. Where did the time go? Why is it that the month AFTER the baby arrives is 1,000 times faster than the month BEFORE the baby arrives? I haven't posted any pictures of her lately because I've been down and out, but now that I can be up and at 'em again, here's some catching up.

After a year of growing her hair, Kiersa barely has more than Paisli was born with.





Sometimes she gets ticked off and screams.


But usually she just scowls. Talea always made this same face at this age. Luckily, Talea outgrew it, so hopefully Paisli will too. If I knew this Mac stuff better, I'd post a picture of Talea's infant scowl, but I don't know where it is!


She scowls when she looks around. She scowls when she hangs out. She even scowls when she eats.


But she does make silly faces too. Lots of them!


Mostly you will see her wrapped up like a little burrito because it keeps her happy.


She's a sweet little girl and I still can't figure out which of my other children she resembles the most. I keep seeing all three of the others in her at different times. She has lots of hair like Hyatt did, scowls like Talea did, and yet she somehow looks like Kiersa too. She's been very good to me during this recovery, and even though she joined our family far sooner than I'd ever have planned, she's adored by her siblings and loved to pieces by her parents. It's so fun watching her grow! She smiles a lot now. She's even starting to track me with her eyes as I move around now that she stays awake more. I forget how fun the milestones are after I pass them with the previous child. Kids are so much fun!

Is it winter yet?

On Monday morning, we woke up to snow falling in the sky. That's really rare around here, so the kids were excited. We had a skiff of snow back in...when was it, December? Then when Maren and family came out just after New Years, there was a skiff again. Neither of those times left enough snow to play in.

But on Monday, there was just enough. There was a tad more than a skiff.


Hyrum went down to the storage bins and brought up the snow clothes bin before he left for work. I was still in bed. It was my first day alone with the kids...without a helper. My mom went back home on Sunday. I didn't want to get up, but I knew the snow would melt and my kids had only played in the snow once this year, when we went down to Ashland for New Years.

I bundled up Talea and Hyatt and sent them out to play in the snow, warning them to avoid the mud so I wouldn't have a huge mess to deal with.


Then I bundled up Kiersa and wrapped Paisli in extra blankets and a hat. I was still sore from my surgery, but I was able to carry the two little girls down stairs and over to the trampoline where the big kids were playing. That's where the most snow had accumulated.

Hyatt had been playing for about 5 minutes by the time I got to the trampoline, and he was ready to go back inside. I took a couple of pictures, then I took Hyatt and Paisli inside.




Tilly and Kiersa played around for a few more minutes, then Kiersa was done, so I took her inside and left Tilly to come in on her own. She lasted for about another 5 minutes and was tired of playing alone.


So, for 10 minutes of dressing and bundling, the kids played for about 5-10 minutes outside. Oh well. About an hour later, the snow was gone, so at least they were able to enjoy a few minutes of it. I guess a skiff isn't enough to make the kids want to stay outside and play. I don't blame them. They couldn't even make snowballs!

After the fun in the snow, we had breakfast, and I just think it's so cute to look over and see three of my four kids sitting there together getting along so well and getting so big. Kiersa actually gets to use her booster now!

Eye spy Kiersa

Our computer crashed a while ago, but luckily, thanks to the advice of my friend Karin's husband, Jordan, we had recently purchased a separate hard drive, so all of our documents and photos were safe. Since our computer had been to the PC doctor far too many times in its life, and now was going to have to be rebuilt entirely, we decided to put our money to better use than resurrecting a doomed fatality, and we purchased a Mac. We've been looking into them recently and since I like to play with pictures and videos on the computer, Mac is supposedly the way to go.

I've been exploring iPhoto on our new Mac, and though it's going to take some adjustment, I think I'm going to like it. I took some pictures of Kiersa and Paisli today, since today is Paisli's one month birthday (where did a month go???), and I got some really adorable photos of Kiersa. I decided to play with the editing tool since it's so simple to use (I never edit my photos before I put them on the blog) and here's the result. I think I'll be editing more often! It's fun!

People always comment on Kiersa's beautiful eyes.
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I'd say I have to agree that they're pretty striking. Her eyes are such a gorgeous blue! She inherited the Cluff striking eye color and the Johnson perfectly sculpted eyebrows and long eyelashes. See? Hyum and I were destined for each other so our best features could combine into beautiful babies!
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There aren't too many things in this life more adorable than a baby grin with a couple of teeth showing.
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Surgery aftermath.

Had a Cesarean? Hysterectomy? Hernia? Breast augmentation?
You can talk about those if you want. People have them. People aren't usually disgusted by the idea of those surgeries. Move to the posterior section of your body, though, and what happens?
Plug your ears!
Run away!
Avert your eyes!
Dry-heaving is heard!
Don't say a word!

Had a hemorrhoidectomy?
Forget it.
You have no bragging rights.
Hemorrhoid. People are grossed out by the word, and no one wants to admit they've had one, let alone surgery to repair it.

I (vaguely) remember a time before children. A time when I was perfectly unscathed, especially down south. I think that even though I have relatively minimal stretchmarks, I have plenty of other battle scars to prove my physical sacrifice of bearing offspring. I've mentioned them before.
My nose.
My tummy.
My ankle.
But by far the worst is my hind end.
I think that immediately after giving birth to your first child, where you've pushed something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a lemon, every girl wonders if she'll ever look the same down south again. It's a horrifying transformation immediately postpartum, but luckily, things snap back to shape relatively quickly. Usually.

Sometimes you're thrown a curve ball. I, possessing an abnormally large quantity of the Johnson Jinx, was thrown that curve ball in a big way. (Did I mention that within a week of giving birth and suffering from the butt plague, Paisli had the bloody poo scare, I got a breast infection, and I've been battling a cold with lots of congestion? I'm jinxed for sure.)

Have you seen how a person who loses 300 pounds or more is left with sagging, flappy skin that requires surgical removal in order to look normal again? That's kind of how a massive hemorrhoid leaves you after the swelling subsides. What are your options? Live with the unsightly, embarrassing discomfort that inflames frequently...or have surgery. It's an ugly reality that some of us unfortunate ones are faced with.

(I love you, my children, even though you did this to me. I may hold it against you forever, but I love you nonetheless. And you each were worth every second of the agony you gave me. But come on, I wanted a normal life again.)

I chose surgery.

Because I didn't hear about anyone's hemorrhoidectomy until after my own (thanks for popping out of the woodwork AFTER the fact, fellow sufferers), I think I owe it to the women of the world, and men, to chronicle my experience with the surgery and recovery to help people be more informed so that if they're faced with this horrid twist of fate, they might know whether or not it's worth it for them to go through this surgical journey, like I did.

Friday 2/27: No turning back now.
Surgery day.
Did I mention I'm glad they invented narcotics?
Worst dry-mouth ever!

I couldn't pee for 8 hours after surgery. The nurses had to empty my bladder with a catheter since I couldn't release it on my own no matter what we tried. I went home at 8 pm since that's when the short stay nurses go home. I almost choked when I ate since I had no saliva. When I got home and inspected the damage, I noticed that it looked like I still had a bit of hemorrhoid left, but I'm hoping that's not the case and that it's just part of the swelling.

Saturday 2/28: I'm sleepy. So sleepy.
Sore.

Bruised. ("Black hole" has a new meaning.)

Sleepy. 

Thank heavens for vicodin.  I recovered at home with Hyrum and Paisli while everyone else played in Bandon. Hyrum's mom left. I had tons of help with Hyrum's sisters.

Sunday 3/1: Touch me and die!

Oh the discomfort!

Can't move.

Can't cough.

Don't touch me.

Stay away.

Stay far away.

I'm recovering okay, but still feeling pretty bad. I'm battling a cough and congestion which kills my hind end every time I cough. I feel like the pressure of the cough is going to send my butt rocketing off my back side. I know I can stand to lose a few pounds, but I don't want pancake butt! Did you know that almost every move you make affects your derriere? Even just lifting my head off the pillow creates pain.

Monday 3/2: Danger looms on the horizon.
Plugged.

Stopped up.

Bloated.

Worried.

I'm getting worried since I haven't had a "BM" yet (as the nurse calls it), and the doctor's office said if I don't have one soon, I'll have to take the nasty stuff I took before the surgery that about made me puke. I was informed that the other guy who had the surgery the same day has had 2, so I better get on the "move".  I've been eating a ton of fiber, but maybe that's just aggravating the problem. 

Tuesday 3/3: Better off dead!

Horrific pain!

Tears.

Panic. 

Screams. 

Shaking. 

Sitz baths. 

Pleading. 

Prayers. 

Gas pains.

Sleep. 

Vicodin.

I was up from 3 am this morning until 1 am the next, every few hours having "BM's" or threats of them.  I literally experienced pain pretty much identical to childbirth...8 times in less than 24 hours! I feel like I've given birth 12 times in my life now, 8 of the times in one day. I don't think I want to have any more children. The pain is too severe to go through so often and still have a desire to experience it even one more time on purpose.  Oh, the gas! It can't escape, but as it attempts to, it burns me like fire. It wakes me up with a gasp of pain out of a dead sleep. Since I have the pain tolerance of a gnat, I'm having a hard time coping with the pain. I can't talk about it without bursting out in tears. One of the hemorrhoids came back again with a vengeance. Because of this, I don't think the surgery was worth it. DO NOT do this to yourself!

Elisabeth left today. That makes me want to cry. She's been the BEST help in the world and she loves my kids, and I don't have to worry for a second with her in charge of the kids and my house. Maren also left. She's like my right arm now, so I miss her.

Wednesday 3/4: The calm after the storm.

Peace.

Sleep.

No gas.

No poo.

Relief.

Grateful.

No poop today, so I feel much better. I made it down to the house to check out the new plumbing and the walls Hyrum built last week. Maybe things will be better now. I did some laundry. I found my foam donut in storage just in case I can ever sit again. I attempted to sit today, but I can't. It stings.

Thursday 3/5: Rotorooter, where are you?

Doctor visit.

Bloating.

Embarrassment.

More gas! Drat!

Ohhhh, I'm feeling very plugged! I visited the doctor. When we arrived, the doctor was dead asleep in his office with the door open for us to watch him...pretty funny. He shrugged off my hemorrhoid that reoccurred as post-surgery swelling. We'll just see!  Hyrum had to go to the drugstore for me afterward to pick up reinforcements: FiberCon laxatives, Milk of Magnesia, and glycerin suppositories. He said it's pretty embarrassing to go up to the check-out counter with 3 laxatives, but I told him they shouldn't be surprised to see him since he's been there to pick up prescriptions for Norco, Vicodin, suppositories for swelling, foams and creams for hemorrhoids, ibuprofen, stool softeners, etc. I'm terrified to poo! A sitz bath and suppositories helped to make it not feel like childbirth. Did I mention that suppositories feel like shards of glass when they're being pushed up an injured hind end?

Friday 3/6: Take a seat!

Surprised. 

Hopeful.

This is the first day I can actually sit on the toilet. I can sit on a chair for a few minutes if I sit CAREFULLY on my foam donut cushion. I'm able to get up and do some things around the house, but I end up back in bed frequently. I've been living in a T-shirt and panties (no pants) since I live in bed. I'm still bleeding from childbirth, and now have weeping from surgery, so I have to lie on one of those blue hospital pads. Pants are worthless because I bleed on them when I lie down.

Saturday 3/7: May the stings of 1000 honeybees infest your buttocks!

Stings.

Tears.

Sobs.

Frustration.

Scalding hot baths.

My sitting privileges were revoked. I can't sit comfortably anymore. I randomly get attacked, without warning, by stinging sensations that feel like my injury is being lit on fire or stung by bees. When will the pain be over? The first part of the day, I felt okay, then the middle half I spent sobbing in the shower. I had more shards of glass (suppositories) shoved up my rear which about sent me into hysterics. The last half of the day was almost bearable. I know for a fact that Hyrum could be an amazing nurse. He has to stay in the bathroom with me while I attempt to poo so that he can fill my peri-bottles (the plastic bottle the hospital gives you to use after childbirth) with hot water so I can numb myself while on the toilet, otherwise the stinging is unbearable. He gives me suppositories. He holds me while I sob. He doctors my injury. He is unflinching in his devotion to helping me in any way he can. Nothing is too gross or too scary to him, so he'll do anything I ask him. Have I mentioned I'm married to the most devoted, supportive, loving, considerate, nurturing man in the universe? A girl couldn't ask for more. I ended the day feeling as though another breast infection was starting. Just what I need! Jinx!

Sunday 3/8: Burning in my bosom?

Shocks of pain.

Stinging.

Some relief.

Breast infection#2 hit full swing. You know you have one when it sends shocks of pain as the baby nurses, and no matter how much the baby eats, you seem to get fuller and harder. Maren gave me the tip with my last clogged duct to get in a scalding hot shower and unclog the duct in the way  you would pop a zit, then squeeze as hard as you can to express the milk. It works! The milk from the clogged duct sprays like a fountain...twice as much as the other ducts spray, and that's how you know you got the right duct unclogged. It worked for me last week and it worked again today. 

The bees stung my rear again in a surprise attack. Thank goodness for lidocaine and a kind husband with a day off! I can sit again. Hurray!