Is She Teething?

For the past week or so C.J. has been playing with her mouth a lot. If she isn't poking her bottom lip out (which thus far I am able to keep composed) she is drooling or chatting. The one thing that is really getting us is that she is hell bent on sucking her hands. Now you know I have to check with a few experts in the baby industry. So during the football game I went to today I asked my mom and a family friend whether or not teething could be happening. They both affirmed that C.J. could be teething.

What does this mean? Now daddy can give her some food, real food. Now I will have you know that mommy has already told me that I better not give her baby no food. Now what dad does not want to sneak their baby some ice cream, a cheese doodle, a piece of a sandwich during the game or some juice instead of milk. I know its not right but hey, it is me people. Do I always do whats right? LOL!

Watching C.J. develop has been fun. When I speak to seasoned mothers the question that I must be prepared to answer is, "What is C.J. doing now?) So I get a kick out of myself as I explain her chatter, her kicking and her famous clinched fist. Now we have noticed that she is in a stage of development where she has identified that she has hands so now I will be looking to see how she uses them.

I really enjoy being a dad and when I get to share about C.J. it makes my heart flutter. If people thought I could talk before they should see me now! This ride is getting better and better as it goes along and I am enjoying it a lot. Well until tomorrow always remember to opray because prayer changes things.

Out of Sequence

So TCNJ Homecoming kept me from my blog yesterday. My plan when I began this was to make sure I completed one every day no matter what. However the week that ended yesterday would end off with me not being able to complete all my tasks. I was spent and pulled in many directions and over did it. Yesterday was a day for daddy. One day, C.J. will be able to join me when I go to Homecoming and then I guess I can participate in the family day festivities the school has in place. When I came home yesterday my two ladies were sound asleep so i kissed them both and did not make a lot of noise as I got in bed. One has to wonder what a day in the life of C.J and Shatema is when daddy is gone. I whispered to C.J. today that soon she and I will have a day like that as well.

Friday Night

Apple Pie a la mode and football...in the house early and C.J. and I are chilling. This is a great way to spend Friday evening. My long week finally ended and now I get to bond with the little one for a while.

I went on a visit to a high school today, and I must admit, it was a bit nostalgic for me. I saw the football team wearing their gear, and the cheerleaders were all in their uniforms. Varsity jackets were seen all over the place and even the teachers where in high spirits. It was a good feeling. So you know i have to take advantage of these Friday nights now, because one day C.J. will be a part of all the fun. Funny thing is I guess I will have to study what these kids get into on Friday nights these days.

The one thing I have to instill in my head and in my heart is that I will have taught Ms. C.J. Johnson everything she needs to know in order to be able to enjoy Friday nights without any problems. The more Friday nights she and I spend together the more and more we will be able to share. Her karate classes will help too, if need be, lol.

Their is no better feeling than the one I have right now sitting here chatting with C.J.! I am enjoying every kick, every wave of the hand, every smile and every giggle. I am going to go so I can enjoy the rest of this Friday night and instill in her how she should behave for the many Friday nights to come.

Dropped A Nugget

As I conversed with one of my students today she said something that made me think. I mentioned to her that I met one of her friends and that I wanted C.J. to have a similar Sweet sixteen party. She told me not to make C.J. be something that she did not want to be. That struck a cord because I do not ever want to mix wanting whats best for my child with trying to plan her life. As an educator I encounter many parents and I always say the same thing, "Man, I do not want to be like them!"

As a parent one must understand that their role is to provide, lead, guide and protect. It is not to live. C.J. is a person made in God's image. She has her mold and God crafted her and blew the breath of life in her nostrils. Now, I can try to persuade and instill all I want but ultimately it will be C.J's decision on what she wants to be. I have to make sure I live this out. It seems that their is a stupid parent syndrome that is airborne and anyone can catch it. I want C.J. to have the same opportunities I had to explore all options and have the support from home.

I usually enlighten my students but today one came through with a nugget for me. To C.J., you can be whatever you like sweetheart! I am out my good peoples, always remember to pray becasue prayer changes things.

All The Kisses

When the doctor announced that my first child was a girl, a lot changed in my life. The first being the importance of the women in it. For the longest it was my mom and her only. No other woman mattered until the day Shatema and I became a couple, and by God's design, one. So she took over the top spot and held it strong for three years, eleven months and six days. She was dethroned in a matter of seconds when C.J. decided to enter the world. Now many of you may say that I am not right, but everyone and their sister knew that if Jamal T. Johnson had a girl, she would not only be a princess, but his little Queen in the making.

This morning all I could do was look at C.J. and admire her beauty as she stared at me as I circled the room getting ready for work. Her eyes were affixed to what her Daddy was doing. I would stop and give her a kiss and she would smile and get fidgety. That makes me know she is happy! This evening I did the same thing. Now I was supposed to be out the door for work after getting my ladies home, but I just could not help but to sit and talk to C.J. for a while and shower her with kisses. Just so anyone who works with me knows, I did make it to my fair on time.

I try, but C.J. is simply irresistible. She is a cutey just like her Daddy. Other than C.J., I will only call her "Twin". So tonight when I got in from work I was able to catch her before she went to sleep and gave her one more kiss to comfort her as she sleeps. It also comforts me because all I can think about is how I love that little girl and she loves her Daddy. As always good people, remember to pray because prayer changes things.

Family Day Needed

This will be brief. Today the devil was busy. When I spoke to Shatema after work she informed me of the bad day she had. I had a bad day as well. So if mommy and daddy both had bad days that means C.J.'s day could not be goo either. I know this month has been bad with me working many nights of the week and it does not stop until the end of the month. The traveling back and forth has been taking a toll on us all. Waking up earlier, the demand of work along with my church responsibilities and my personal business ventures have begun to mount up against me and I am slowly losing control of it all. So now to keep my sanity, which in turn keep my wife and innocent child sane. I am instituting a monthly Family Day. On these days The Johnson's of Old Bridge will be shut off from the regular world. No work, No church business, no personal business, no cell phones, no computer, no nothing. It will be daddy, mommy and baby all together as one.

I will not let myself or my family get consumed in just maintaining our days with them being uniform. So we need a release. I decide this on the long ride home from work today where I touched the New York border. I thought the whole way home about how I would have much rather spent the last three hours with my girls.

So I am planning these days as I type. No you can not know when they will be and you can not join us. We will not write letters or send post cards. On these, Johnson Family Days we will be in a world of our own where no one else exists. I will blog about them once they are over so the next day will consist of two days worth of blogs.

As I sign off tonight, always remember to pray because prayer changes things.

(Forgive all the errors tonight. Mommy usually reads these for me but it is so late and I do not want to bother her, just deal with my mistakes until she can edit them later.)

C.J., I missed you so much today. Daddy loves you and these Family Day's are all about you! Daddy will not let himself be consumed by himself.

No Title

Today is blah! I think it is from the long weekend. Today I came home from work and went to sleep. So when I woke up at 9pm, I was all over the place. There was no C.J. time, there was no watching football together. I was wore out and fell out as soon as I hit the bed. I did not even eat dinner.

So my interaction with C.J. today was dropping her off and picking her up from the sitter. Which is not a good thing but today it was the reality. I would love for everyday to be filled with excitement between C.J. and Daddy but I have to make sure that happens.

I have to make sure that I am well rested so I can pay C.J. full attention everyday. I can not let the world that has become me tire me out so much that I can not control how my body responds. Today was a wake up call that I have a long way to go in freeing myself from the business that I have become. I am working on it but still have a ways to go.

C.J. is still doing well. She is sleeping through the night and getting on a schedule. Now this is a good thing because as we grow as a family (not in size at this point), we will need her cooperation to get to work on time, to get to church on time and to make plans as a family. As long as she gets sleep and allows Mommy and Daddy sleep, I believe we will be alright.

Like I said earlier I do not have much tonight. I spent it at work, driving and sleep and now I am going back to sleep so I will catch you all later. Before I go, one more thing, always remember to pray because prayer changes things.