Hair - off

ok - so I know its not good practice to compare your kids, but I had to acknowledge the extreme difference in my girls' hair as babies. At 6 months old I could part Aaliyah's hair down the middle and do pigtails - and Aria at 6 months old - not so much. I probably couldn't scotch tape a bow to her noggin even if I wanted.

To those of you who weren't around - or don't remember . . .


Aaliyah at 6 months old:

Aria is 6 months old!

On March 13 (ok so I'm a little behind) Aria turned 6 months old. She is now a cooing, laughing and amazingly happy baby girl and so beyond the newborn stage. She can sit on her own, rolls around the floor to get around, giggles and belly laughs and just cut her 1st two teeth the Saturday before Easter. She still has very little hair, although her head isn't shiny anymore and still has fabulous blue (not from her Mama or Daddy) eyes and great eyelashes. She is beginning to repeat consonants and does a loud, pterodactyl like squeal when she is excited about something. She isn't a fabulous sleeper, still liking to catnap during the day and is hit or miss during the night, but if that is our only slight complaint I will take it. She is also starting to get the stranger thing going on, definitely preferring to be with Mama or Daddy right now). She is now 28 1/4 inches (far above 95 %ile for her age) and 17 pounds 4 ounces. She is wearing 12 month clothes and has incredibly long legs.

Here are some current photos of her. We are getting professional shots of all the kids this week and I will post those when they come through.

Easter Celebrations

We had a wonderful weekend with three Easter Celebrations spending lots of time with extended family, playing games, three egg/basket hunts, oooooodles of candy and sledding (oh yes - more snow - we thought we were done with 92 inches of snow this winter - but it just keeps coming - it actually snowed on Easter Sunday - we've officially broken the 100 inch bar).

It is really special for me to plan and enjoy holidays with our kids - expanding on family traditions - adding our own and watching us celebrate together as a family.

Cousins on Easter: Mulu is holding Cousin Charlie and Aaliyah is holding Baby AriaMulu after enjoying a chocolate bunny
Aaliyah in her Easter bonnet (only wearing it to pose for this photo)
Now those are some big ears!
Great Grandma holding Aria - yes, she is chewing on a spatula - the poor baby cut her first two teeth Saturday - both at the same time - a girls gotta do what she's gotta do
Great Grandpa and Mulu playing bowling Wii -it is very fun to have technology that can entertain people 4 generations a part!

Baby Aria and Cousin Charlie

Here are some current photos of Baby Aria & Cousin Charlie - they are 6 months old now and starting to interact more. Its so fun that they will have each other to grow up with & that they live so close by to be able to get together often!

The babies chillin on the floor.Too cute for words!
Oh no! Aria is the brute in this pair - I think she was going in for a kiss - but either way he is definitely NOT diggin this!

Aaliyah is 3!

Its very hard for me to believe - but our little Aaliyah Konjit is THREE YEARS OLD! Its amazing to me as a mom be able to watch her grow little by little everyday and then realize, on milestone days like this, how much she has grown from the tiny little baby that we knew.

It is such an honor for me to be able to be her mom, and I feel so lucky that I can watch her turn into such a fabulous little girl.

So, on her third birthday, let me share with you a little more about what kind of Johnson kiddo Aaliyah is turning out to be:

She is:
~ Observant - always keeping a keen eye on goings on around her - learning by leaps and bounds each day and pointing out inconsistencies that she sees.
~ a good big & little sister. Starting out as our oldest child, being bumped to youngest, and now ending up as middle child, Aaliyah has found her niche as both a big and little sister. I don't have to worry about her being overlooked, as she has a fabulously strong personality and easily wins battles for our attention whenever she feels the need. She is a complimentary playmate for her big brother Mulu, and loves to take care of Baby Aria.
~ addicted to gum - Trident specifically - a new thing, but a constant conversation throughout our day, everyday.
~ a fan of musicals - she loves the singing and dancing and copies what the actors do as she watches (even gets frustrated when watching a dvd in the van b/c she is buckled in and can't do it all). For a while she was stuck on Annie, then enjoyed Mary Poppins, Wizard of Oz & even Sound of Music (which I thought would be way too adult & boring for a small kid) and is now WAY into High School Musical (or as she says it "High-sical Musical").
~ a dancing fool - she still takes dance class and can often be found grooving throughout our house - both to music playing or in her head
~ a princess - she still loves the formal Disney Princesses which she dresses like and pretends to be, but now she has also seemed to morf Princess right into her true personality. She chooses to wear dresses each day (many of them with long sleeve shirts underneath and worn with jeans due to our nasty winter)
~ a good cook - she loves to help us in the kitchen - often choosing that over any other option given to her - and she is really pretty good at it. She knows where everything is located in the fridge, can stir like the best of them and can even crack open an egg without getting shells in the bowl - pretty good for just being three
~ snugly - which I love - she still likes to be held, carried and snuggled to often

Well, I could keep going on and on - but enough bragging for now - here are some photos of Aaliyah for you to enjoy.

Princess Aaliyah - need I say more
Cutie in her Brett Favre jersey
look at me!

opening gifts with Daddy at her birthday party
Blowing out the candles
After licking the spoon from making our lucky (green) cupcakes