Here's some pictures from me and the guys as we tracked the illusive black bear over a long, cold weekend.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Preview
We went to Asheville last week. Here are some preview pics until I get around to writing about the whole trip (they are too good not to post...)
First Birthday and Beyond!
So, like I said before, Kyle got back right before his birthday, so Kyle came to Texas and we got to spend Jackson's first birthday with all the family. We actually had 2 birthdays for him: his actual birthday and then his birthday party with everyone (including daddy!) a week later. For mommy, it was pretty special. For baby, it was a little overwhelming. Nothing really ground breaking (developmentally speaking) happened this month. Jackson got his first hair cut. So, instead of trying to recall things, I think I will just post some pictures of his birthday party.
As for the beyond part (which will catch us up to now): He walks and talks! He talked before he walked, but you get my drift. His words (that I can tell) are: Mama, Dada, all done (a da; it actually sounds like "dada" just backwards but he waves his hands -his version of the sign- and it is usually when he is finished eating). He also knows who Gryffin is and that he is a dog, and he knows where his airplanes are (the mobile above his changing table). He took his first step on Sept. 28th, 4 steps on Oct. 1st and started walking in earnest Oct. 13th. And now, just week later, it is amazing that he just started walking. It improves so much every day! He is such a big boy!
Ok, now for the pictures:
Actual Birthday:
Birthday Party: (Yes, I made the banner. No, I did not make the cakes)
As for the beyond part (which will catch us up to now): He walks and talks! He talked before he walked, but you get my drift. His words (that I can tell) are: Mama, Dada, all done (a da; it actually sounds like "dada" just backwards but he waves his hands -his version of the sign- and it is usually when he is finished eating). He also knows who Gryffin is and that he is a dog, and he knows where his airplanes are (the mobile above his changing table). He took his first step on Sept. 28th, 4 steps on Oct. 1st and started walking in earnest Oct. 13th. And now, just week later, it is amazing that he just started walking. It improves so much every day! He is such a big boy!
Ok, now for the pictures:
Actual Birthday:
Birthday Party: (Yes, I made the banner. No, I did not make the cakes)
Months 10 and 11
I feel like I will forever be playing catch up. Whenever I foresee a "break" on the horizon, it ends up being just as busy, if not busier. When will I learn?
Month 10:
A few days before Jackson turned 10 months, Kyle left on his deployment; it was a short one, he got back right after Jackson's birthday, but it was still hard. On me mostly. Jackson missed his daddy too, he just couldn't articulate it. We did get one of those hallmark recordable books that Kyle read for Jackson. It was one of his favorite bedtime books while daddy was gone.
His crawling got fast, and quick! His favorite thing to do is crawl around the house and look at stuff. And by look at stuff, I mean get into stuff that he isn't supposed to. He really enjoyes pulling all of his books off of the bookshelf and dvds out of the cabinet. Sadly, I have given up going around behind him until the end of the day. So my house is clean in the morning before he gets up and after he goes to bed. So, like for about 4 hours. Well, longer than that, but I am asleep, so I am not really counting it. His other favorite thing to do is play with Gryffin's toys. If Gryffin has a toy, Jackson will crawl over there and take it. Thankfully, the dog is great with the baby and waits as patiently as he is able for Jackson to give it back. He learned how to "throw" a ball doing this. He rolls it towards you and you roll it back. It is really sweet. He still pulls up and has started to cruise a little more too.
He has started to eat more finger foods and less baby food. We are still doing mostly really soft things, like beans and fruits, but we also tried some green beans and meat loaf. He loved them all. But he pretty much eats everything. He still gets formula bottles, but we have cut down the amount he takes in each bottle (mostly because he won't drink more than 5-6 ounces, and formula is expensive, so I stopped making bigger bottles). I don't think he likes it much. I can't really blame him, it smells bad.
He babbles all the time and makes a sound that sounds like "dadadada" all. the. time. I try to get him to say mama more, but nope. He makes other incoherent noises to; he loves to "talk". He is also cutting more teeth, but I'm not sure how many. The top 2 for sure though, they are almost through, but I think there might be more too.
Here is his 10 month picture (I might note, it is getting considerably harder to take this picture, especially by myself):
Month 11:
Not gonna lie. I don't remember much. We were in Texas most of this month.
Jackson is so active. He loves to move and look at everything. And then touch it. And then throw it on the floor. And then move on to the next thing. It's pretty cool. He also can climb stairs. He likes to swim and play with Gryffin. No steps yet, but he loves to walk using your fingers. We (I) also got him a little walk behind toy that he learned how to use this month. I'm not for sure, but I think he can say "momma". I mean, he says the word, and I think he actually means me, but its hard to tell. Some of his favorite toys are his blocks, trucks and his music table.
As far as food, it isn't very interesting. He only eats table/finger foods, so he basically eats whatever we eat. He also gave up formula, so he drinks whole milk now. No more bottles/formula for this big kid!
Kyle also got back from his deployment right around his birthday, so that was really special.
This is the best picture I could get. He doesn't sit still anymore...
Month 10:
A few days before Jackson turned 10 months, Kyle left on his deployment; it was a short one, he got back right after Jackson's birthday, but it was still hard. On me mostly. Jackson missed his daddy too, he just couldn't articulate it. We did get one of those hallmark recordable books that Kyle read for Jackson. It was one of his favorite bedtime books while daddy was gone.
His crawling got fast, and quick! His favorite thing to do is crawl around the house and look at stuff. And by look at stuff, I mean get into stuff that he isn't supposed to. He really enjoyes pulling all of his books off of the bookshelf and dvds out of the cabinet. Sadly, I have given up going around behind him until the end of the day. So my house is clean in the morning before he gets up and after he goes to bed. So, like for about 4 hours. Well, longer than that, but I am asleep, so I am not really counting it. His other favorite thing to do is play with Gryffin's toys. If Gryffin has a toy, Jackson will crawl over there and take it. Thankfully, the dog is great with the baby and waits as patiently as he is able for Jackson to give it back. He learned how to "throw" a ball doing this. He rolls it towards you and you roll it back. It is really sweet. He still pulls up and has started to cruise a little more too.
He has started to eat more finger foods and less baby food. We are still doing mostly really soft things, like beans and fruits, but we also tried some green beans and meat loaf. He loved them all. But he pretty much eats everything. He still gets formula bottles, but we have cut down the amount he takes in each bottle (mostly because he won't drink more than 5-6 ounces, and formula is expensive, so I stopped making bigger bottles). I don't think he likes it much. I can't really blame him, it smells bad.
He babbles all the time and makes a sound that sounds like "dadadada" all. the. time. I try to get him to say mama more, but nope. He makes other incoherent noises to; he loves to "talk". He is also cutting more teeth, but I'm not sure how many. The top 2 for sure though, they are almost through, but I think there might be more too.
Here is his 10 month picture (I might note, it is getting considerably harder to take this picture, especially by myself):
Not gonna lie. I don't remember much. We were in Texas most of this month.
Jackson is so active. He loves to move and look at everything. And then touch it. And then throw it on the floor. And then move on to the next thing. It's pretty cool. He also can climb stairs. He likes to swim and play with Gryffin. No steps yet, but he loves to walk using your fingers. We (I) also got him a little walk behind toy that he learned how to use this month. I'm not for sure, but I think he can say "momma". I mean, he says the word, and I think he actually means me, but its hard to tell. Some of his favorite toys are his blocks, trucks and his music table.
As far as food, it isn't very interesting. He only eats table/finger foods, so he basically eats whatever we eat. He also gave up formula, so he drinks whole milk now. No more bottles/formula for this big kid!
Kyle also got back from his deployment right around his birthday, so that was really special.
This is the best picture I could get. He doesn't sit still anymore...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Months 8 and 9
Oh man. I can't believe I let this go so long. Yes I can. If you want to know the reason, see the post below.
Anyway, as Jackson nears his 11 month mark, I figure I should update what he has been up to the past few (10 will be in a separate post). Especially before I forget, as they already run together a little bit.
8 Months:
At the beginning of this month, it was Daddy's birthday! Daddy decided to share his birthday "treat", chocolate covered strawberries (no cake this year, we went out to dinner and we didn't need a cake around) and he loved it! Kid loves his food and really enjoys meal time. He eats 4 jars of baby food a day, and over the month went from 2 nursing sessions a day (one in the morning and one at night) and two bottles to one nursing session and 3 bottles. I can't really say what his favorite food is, he loves it all. I would say he likes the fruits better than the veggies in general, but he doesn't object to veggies. I also started giving him cheerios towards the end of the month and he can't get enough of those.
He still loves to play with his toys. He jumps like a champ in his jumper still and he also likes to play with his blocks. This mostly consists of him taking them out of the bucket, but he will bang them together too. We also got him a little music table that he can stand (lean) on and he really likes that too. I got it in hopes that it would help him learn to pull up when he is ready.
He started sleeping better at night as well. He still takes his two naps and will now sleep 11-12 hours at night (most of the time without waking up) yay! Daddy was home most of this month and, in addition to his birthday, we celebrated Easter! I made Jackson his first Easter basket, since this was the first holiday that he was actually (in my eyes) big enough to do stuff for. His bucket had a little stuffed rabbit (which, I know has nothing to do with Easter. In fact, why does a rabbit bring eggs? They don't lay eggs. Baffling...) Anyway, his basket had the rabbit, a VeggieTales dvd about Easter, and some plastic eggs that I put rice and dried beans in so that he could shake them. The eggs were by far his favorite.
He also has a third tooth; another bottom one. He still really loves the dogs and watched them all the time. He also went to his (and my) first air show! I was helping work a booth, and it was all totally lost on him, but he was there. He still isn't crawling, just a lot of backwards moving. He gets frustrated with that after a while because he actually wants to go forward, but it will come.
Here is the little man on his 8 month birthday:
Anyway, as Jackson nears his 11 month mark, I figure I should update what he has been up to the past few (10 will be in a separate post). Especially before I forget, as they already run together a little bit.
8 Months:
At the beginning of this month, it was Daddy's birthday! Daddy decided to share his birthday "treat", chocolate covered strawberries (no cake this year, we went out to dinner and we didn't need a cake around) and he loved it! Kid loves his food and really enjoys meal time. He eats 4 jars of baby food a day, and over the month went from 2 nursing sessions a day (one in the morning and one at night) and two bottles to one nursing session and 3 bottles. I can't really say what his favorite food is, he loves it all. I would say he likes the fruits better than the veggies in general, but he doesn't object to veggies. I also started giving him cheerios towards the end of the month and he can't get enough of those.
He still loves to play with his toys. He jumps like a champ in his jumper still and he also likes to play with his blocks. This mostly consists of him taking them out of the bucket, but he will bang them together too. We also got him a little music table that he can stand (lean) on and he really likes that too. I got it in hopes that it would help him learn to pull up when he is ready.
He started sleeping better at night as well. He still takes his two naps and will now sleep 11-12 hours at night (most of the time without waking up) yay! Daddy was home most of this month and, in addition to his birthday, we celebrated Easter! I made Jackson his first Easter basket, since this was the first holiday that he was actually (in my eyes) big enough to do stuff for. His bucket had a little stuffed rabbit (which, I know has nothing to do with Easter. In fact, why does a rabbit bring eggs? They don't lay eggs. Baffling...) Anyway, his basket had the rabbit, a VeggieTales dvd about Easter, and some plastic eggs that I put rice and dried beans in so that he could shake them. The eggs were by far his favorite.
He also has a third tooth; another bottom one. He still really loves the dogs and watched them all the time. He also went to his (and my) first air show! I was helping work a booth, and it was all totally lost on him, but he was there. He still isn't crawling, just a lot of backwards moving. He gets frustrated with that after a while because he actually wants to go forward, but it will come.
Here is the little man on his 8 month birthday:
9 Months:
Most of his 9th month was spent in Texas. Kyle left for a trip earlier than we thought, so Jackson and I went back to Texas earlier than planned too! It was an interesting road trip with a more active baby and 2 dogs, and I am really thankful my mom came out to help me with the drive! We stayed in Texas for a couple if weeks to see my brothers graduate college, flew back to SC when Daddy got back from his trip and hang out with him, and flew back to Texas to see one of my brothers get married (technically that was during his 10th month, but ok).
This month was an all around busy month, aside from the traveling. He gave up that last nursing time and went to only bottles. Part of me felt a little guilty, but the other part of me was glad to be finished. I had originally started to wean him because Kyle and I were going to go on a baby-free vacation, but his deployment got moved up and by the time we knew this, there was no going back. So we are now on all formula. He still eats his 4 jars of food a day, plus his cheerios. We also tried some new things this month: yogurt for one (which he LOVES), and we are at the beginning stages of real finger foods. He has eaten chicken, watermelon, and beans. I think he likes it.
He still plays with his toys, but the big thing this month was that he learned to crawl and pull up! At one point I thought he was going to give up crawling and go straight to walking, but once he figured it out, he was a pretty happy camper. He had been pulling his knees up under him for a while, and it took him almost all month to figure out how to take "steps" rather than just plop forward (it looked like he was doing a weird version of the worm). Before we came back, Kyle lowered his crib mattress for him. He is such a big boy and is growing so fast! He also went swimming for the first time.Considering how much he likes his baths, I figured it would go over well and it did! We got him a little float to sit in and he had a good time. While we were in Texas the first time, he also got to meet his friend Holland, who at 5, almost 6, months old was basically the same size as Jackson. Holland is one of my very dear friend's son (we met in Del Rio and have stayed in touch since). I miss them dearly and hope this small Air Force brings our families to the same city again sometime!
When it was time to come back to SC, Jackson took his first plane rides! After that experience, I will do everything I can to fly direct. He did fine on the flights themselves, but he didn't nap. At all. He was just so tired and it was such a long day. But we made it. And he was so happy to see Kyle. He just loves his Daddy! After we got back, he had his 9 month well check. He got one shot, that he handled well, and the doctor said his top teeth were "bulging" and would probably be in soon! He weighed 19.2lbs and was 29" long. Our tall, skinny boy. I wonder where he gets it ;)
Our little baby is turning into such a big boy! Here he is on his 9 month birthday:
The Dog.
The new one. Where do I begin? I guess at the beginning. In January, we made the decision to adopt a new puppy. My parents were getting one of his brothers and we (ok, I) had been thinking for a while that it would be good for us to get a puppy to be friends with Mugsy and a dog that Jackson would grow up with. Enter Gryffin:
(This is him as a young pup in March, maybe 2.5-3ish months)
He is a goldendoodle (a 50/50 mix of golden retriever and poodle) and don't let that cute face deceive you, he is a pistol. Don't get me wrong, he is a good dog (most of the time), but he is a puppy. And this puppy experience is much, much different from how I remember Mugsy as a puppy. For one, he was slightly bigger than full grown Mugsy already in the above picture. So, he's big (well, big to me. He will probably weigh 45-50lbs full grown). He also has quite a bit of energy and it fairly strong willed. Oh, and Mugsy doesn't like him.
In retrospect, bringing in a puppy with a baby was not the best idea I've ever had. Like I said, he is a good dog, Jackson loves him and he is really great with Jackson. So that part at least worked out. And I do like having a bigger dog around the house when Kyle is gone (he is really a big wuss, but you would never know that by the sound of his bark). But it is a lot of work; it is getting better as he gets older, but still work. I do like him too, he can be very sweet. He actually thinks of himself as a lap dog and I'm not sure he doesn't think he is the same size as Mugsy. In the long run I think it will be a good thing. There are times that he gets to me, mostly because I am pretty sure Kyle is his "person" and when Kyle isn't around, Gryffin challenges my authority, but he is a good boy over all and will be a good family dog going forward. So, here are a few more pictures:
Watching Mom set up the sprinkler
Jackson giving Gryff a hug one morning
This is (literally) what he looks like today. I took this picture a few minutes ago. The true purpose was because I got a new lens for my camera and was messing with it, but it works out nicely.
Oh, and if you know where his name came from, you know how much of a nerd I am, and are likely one yourself ;)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Yodeling in the Alps
I may or may not have been paid to hike the Swiss Alps recently. Here are some pictures taken by the iPhone, which, I assure you, do not do this place justice.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
7 Months!
He weighs 17lbs 4oz and I have no idea how long he is, but he is long enough for his 12 month clothes. (The only reason I know his exact weight is I had to take him to the dr last week because he had a little rash on his arm, which turned out to be eczema.) So, he's still tall and skinny. Wonder where he gets that from? ;)
Kid loves to eat. I think if he could only eat "solids", he would. He eats probably 3 jars (or jar equivalent) a day and could eat more. He nurses 3 times a day and gets a 6 ounce formula bottle twice a day. Truthfully, I think he could handle more formula, but he gets soooo distracted when I give him his bottle that he looses interest when he gets enough but isn't quite full and just won't take it. It is actually really frustrating, and it doesn't matter where we are. He is very observant and loves to look at anything from the dogs (yes dogS, I will post about that later) to a lamp.
He also is very interactive, with us and his toys. He loves for us to talk to him and make faces. He'll just smile and laugh. It's super cute. Some of his favorite toys are his stackable rings, his sophie, some blocks, and most recently this really obnoxious zoo singing toy that my dad got him. He loves that thing and will smile when I bring it out. He also LOVES his jumperoo. He figured out how to actually jump in it a few weeks ago and just goes to town! It's adorable. He still doesn't crawl, but if he would spend more time on his belly, I think he could, he is a pretty strong kid. He can stand by just holding onto my hands. I'm not really rushing him to crawl, I know he will do it in his own time, but we are working on spending more time on his belly.
Sleeping. He doesn't. No, not really. He takes great naps, two naps a day for about 2 hours a piece. He does not sleep at night. Around midnight he will wake up sometimes twice a night, sometimes every hour. I'm exhausted. He's not hungry, I try feeding him and he falls asleep. My best guess is teething. It's weird because he used to be such a great sleeper! I hope those days come back soon...
Teeth! He has 2 already! His front bottom 2 teeth came in this week a few days apart from each other and I think we are already working on more, judging by the amount of drool still coming out of his mouth.
Some random, cute things he does: when he is tired he rubs his little eyes and it is so cute, he figured out he can pass things between his hands (he has done that for a while, but he just now realized he was doing it, so he will just pass things back and forth, back and forth...), he eats his toes-but just when I change his diaper, and he loves to splash in the bathtub.
We love our little Jackson and enjoy so much watching him grow!
Some random, cute things he does: when he is tired he rubs his little eyes and it is so cute, he figured out he can pass things between his hands (he has done that for a while, but he just now realized he was doing it, so he will just pass things back and forth, back and forth...), he eats his toes-but just when I change his diaper, and he loves to splash in the bathtub.
We love our little Jackson and enjoy so much watching him grow!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
6 (SIX!!) Months
That's half a year people! I know I say this all the time, but I can't believe how fast time has gone by!
My little man is growing and changing all the time, and it is such a joy to watch. So here are some of his new things:
He still loves his food. In addition to his cereal, he eats pears, apples, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans and peas. His favorites are probably the pears and sweet potatoes. Least favorite: peas. So far I have made all of his food and I am finally making good use of my food processor :). Despite all that eating, he is still a skinny little guy. At the doctor, they weighed him at 16lbs 9oz (which is the 25th percentile). I thought he was heavier than that, but I guess not. He feels heavier anyway. They also measured him at 27" long/tall, but I am pretty sure that iswrong not quite accurate. I measure him at 28" and I am more inclined to trust my measurement since the nurse made her first mark when he was sitting up and then the second one when he laid down. Plus he had been wrinkling and playing with the paper. (I know, I sound like one of those mom-knows-better-than-the-professional type person, but really its only in this case!)
He can sit! All by himself! And it happened practically overnight. I mean, he has progressively been able to sit for longer, but he just surprised me one day. He also babbles all the time and its so cute. He still loves his feet and now puts them in his mouth during diaper changes. Which, as you can imagine, makes diaper changing slightly more difficult. He can roll from his back to his front (I know because I have had to go turn him back over in the middle of the night. Why do yo have to turn him over? You already said he can roll from his tummy to back. True. He can. However, he was already up against the side of his crib and was trying to roll over into the side, which wasn't working. Thus, I had to go turn him over) but he doesn't really do it. Kid is still not a fan of being on his tummy. But, he is getting better, especially in the last couple of days and can push his whole torso up off the ground. I also think he is teething, Kyle doesn't. I can't see or feel anything, but if this isn't teething drool, I would really hate to see what is. And he chews on everything. Everything. We'll see. Eventually, I will be right ;) Let's see, he doesn't really have a "favorite" toy. He still loves his pooh bear, which is now in his crib, but he also likes his sophie the giraffe, his moose, his stackable rings and his blocks. He still loves to take a bath and splashes everywhere. He also gives "kisses"! I love it. It really just consists of him grabbing my face pulling it up to his mouth so he can slobber all over me. But he grins so big after and it is just so cute.
So, here is my sweetness: (Sorry that the quality isn't so good. I emailed them from my phone. When we upload pictures and videos to the picasa site, I will let you know)
My little man is growing and changing all the time, and it is such a joy to watch. So here are some of his new things:
He still loves his food. In addition to his cereal, he eats pears, apples, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, green beans and peas. His favorites are probably the pears and sweet potatoes. Least favorite: peas. So far I have made all of his food and I am finally making good use of my food processor :). Despite all that eating, he is still a skinny little guy. At the doctor, they weighed him at 16lbs 9oz (which is the 25th percentile). I thought he was heavier than that, but I guess not. He feels heavier anyway. They also measured him at 27" long/tall, but I am pretty sure that is
He can sit! All by himself! And it happened practically overnight. I mean, he has progressively been able to sit for longer, but he just surprised me one day. He also babbles all the time and its so cute. He still loves his feet and now puts them in his mouth during diaper changes. Which, as you can imagine, makes diaper changing slightly more difficult. He can roll from his back to his front (I know because I have had to go turn him back over in the middle of the night. Why do yo have to turn him over? You already said he can roll from his tummy to back. True. He can. However, he was already up against the side of his crib and was trying to roll over into the side, which wasn't working. Thus, I had to go turn him over) but he doesn't really do it. Kid is still not a fan of being on his tummy. But, he is getting better, especially in the last couple of days and can push his whole torso up off the ground. I also think he is teething, Kyle doesn't. I can't see or feel anything, but if this isn't teething drool, I would really hate to see what is. And he chews on everything. Everything. We'll see. Eventually, I will be right ;) Let's see, he doesn't really have a "favorite" toy. He still loves his pooh bear, which is now in his crib, but he also likes his sophie the giraffe, his moose, his stackable rings and his blocks. He still loves to take a bath and splashes everywhere. He also gives "kisses"! I love it. It really just consists of him grabbing my face pulling it up to his mouth so he can slobber all over me. But he grins so big after and it is just so cute.
So, here is my sweetness: (Sorry that the quality isn't so good. I emailed them from my phone. When we upload pictures and videos to the picasa site, I will let you know)
Monday, February 7, 2011
Perspective
It is amazing how time and perspective are related. The longer the amount of time, the more you have the ability to look at a situation with (at the very least) rationality and appreciation, and in some cases understanding.
Two years ago was one of the hardest times of my life thus far. We lost our first baby. Yes, I was only 8 weeks along, but it was still a baby. Last year, I saw and heard my little Jackson's heart beat. And now he is here and going on 6 months old.
So now, as I hold my precious son in my arms, how do I feel about our miscarriage? It is a hard question to answer, even now. On one hand, it still fills me with sadness to know that there was going to be a child that we were not able to meet, that didn't have a chance at life. On the other hand, without that situation, I would not have Jackson, who I cannot imagine life without and I love more than I ever thought possible. I know that I would have the same feelings and emotions had our first baby been healthy. But it wasn't and now I have my baby boy.
So here is the conclusion I have come to: It is all evidence of God's goodness. Was it good that we lost a baby? Of course not. And just as it grieved our hearts, it grieved God's heart. God does not sit in apathy as the world (and His children) hurt. It hurts Him as a Father who watches His children in pain and struggle. And He hates it. He hates is so much that He sent His son to suffer and die that we might not. Yes, there will be pain this side of heaven because of sin. But in the time between now and when God redeems the earth of sin, we have a God that suffers with us, who empathizes with our pain because He Himself experienced our pain and more. And out of that pain and suffering comes the greatest gift we could ever receive: salvation. That is how I view our experience the past couple of years (on a much smaller scale of course). Out of pain and suffering came a great blessing, our baby Jackson. So, yes, it saddens me that we lost a child, but I am so thankful for the child I now have that would not be here if our circumstances had been different. So I give God all the glory, in our pain and joy, and am confident of His constant love and His blessings.
Two years ago was one of the hardest times of my life thus far. We lost our first baby. Yes, I was only 8 weeks along, but it was still a baby. Last year, I saw and heard my little Jackson's heart beat. And now he is here and going on 6 months old.
So now, as I hold my precious son in my arms, how do I feel about our miscarriage? It is a hard question to answer, even now. On one hand, it still fills me with sadness to know that there was going to be a child that we were not able to meet, that didn't have a chance at life. On the other hand, without that situation, I would not have Jackson, who I cannot imagine life without and I love more than I ever thought possible. I know that I would have the same feelings and emotions had our first baby been healthy. But it wasn't and now I have my baby boy.
So here is the conclusion I have come to: It is all evidence of God's goodness. Was it good that we lost a baby? Of course not. And just as it grieved our hearts, it grieved God's heart. God does not sit in apathy as the world (and His children) hurt. It hurts Him as a Father who watches His children in pain and struggle. And He hates it. He hates is so much that He sent His son to suffer and die that we might not. Yes, there will be pain this side of heaven because of sin. But in the time between now and when God redeems the earth of sin, we have a God that suffers with us, who empathizes with our pain because He Himself experienced our pain and more. And out of that pain and suffering comes the greatest gift we could ever receive: salvation. That is how I view our experience the past couple of years (on a much smaller scale of course). Out of pain and suffering came a great blessing, our baby Jackson. So, yes, it saddens me that we lost a child, but I am so thankful for the child I now have that would not be here if our circumstances had been different. So I give God all the glory, in our pain and joy, and am confident of His constant love and His blessings.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Feet
A progression of pictures:
"Oh my feet! They are so cool..."
"Mom, why are you taking pictures of me?"
"Ok, I'll smile"
See post below....
Months 4 and 5
Yes, its true. Jackson is 5 months old. It has gone by sooo fast, and I have loved every minute of it! Although, I do kind of wish I could make it go a little slower. He is just so sweet and has the best personality. Well, I probably think that because he is just like his daddy and I like him, just a little ;), so it's no wonder I enjoy Jackson so much. Ok, so here is what has been going on:
Month 4:
He changed and grew so much this month! He started giggling and just smiles all the time. He figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy in the middle of the month, took a break from it, and then picked it back up again. He also talks a lot. Probably because I talk to him all the time. Kyle was gone for about half of this month, but when he got back home, they picked up right where they left off. He still adores his daddy. After Kyle was done with his travels, it was time for a little vacation and Jackson got to make his first trip to Texas! We went to the great state a week and a half before Christmas so he could meet a lot of his family. He was a little overwhelmed at first, but he quickly decided he liked all the attention and people wanting to hold him all the time. We got to have 2 Christmases this year, one in Houston and then a small family one here in SC. I will just say, even though the concept of presents was lost on the little man, he cleaned up! It was so nice to be able to see our family and also to have a Christmas just the 3 of us. I am so thankful Kyle was here and got to spend Jackson's first Christmas with him. He is such a big eater and is growing so fast! In fact, he had taken up practically newborn hours again. He woke up at least once a night hungry. So, just before he turned 4 months we started rice cereal. It went over well. It took a couple of days to get used to, but it didn't take too long for him to figure out that it was good stuff! We also went to the doctor at the end of the month, and he weighed 15 pounds (50th percentile) and was 26 inches long (90th percentile). He got shots, which he again didn't enjoy, but as soon as we picked him up he was fine and was just snuggly the rest of the day.
Month 5:
My sweet boy was just a ball if smiles and laughter this month! Since we figured out how to roll over, it is hard to keep him on his tummy. I think he could roll from his back to his tummy if he wanted, but he doesn't really like tummy time (still), so I think he is not interested. He is so wiggly though and really wants to be able to sit up, so we are working on that. He sleeps on his side most of the time (he puts himself there) and very often does a 180 during the night (as in his feet end up where I put his head). He still wakes up to eat once, despite being on solids. Boy is just hungry. We have also graduated from just rice cereal to pears and squash. The pears were easy to get used to. The squash, well he eats it, but I don't know how much he likes it. He is still growing and some of his 3-6 month clothes are starting to get small. Not around but length wise. He's tall and skinny, just like his dad. Speaking of dad, Kyle was around all this month and it was sooooo nice! I know it won't last, so I am just so thankful that he has been home for (what seems like) so long! Anyway, Jackson's baby hair started falling out a couple of months ago and I guess now he is getting his "big boy" hair. It's blond. I love it. He is a blond haired, blue eyed boy - which runs in our families, but are traits that neither Kyle nor I possess. I think his eyes will stay blue, but I guess we will see with time. He is taking more interest in his toys now that he can make them do stuff. He reaches for and picks up whatever he wants as long as it is in reach. And he loves his feet. Loves them. He "found" them last month, but now grabs them whenever he is sitting up or when I change his diaper. He still talks all the time and it is so sweet to listen to.
That is about all (that I can remember). Here is what you really want (a few pictures):
Month 4:
He changed and grew so much this month! He started giggling and just smiles all the time. He figured out how to roll from his back to his tummy in the middle of the month, took a break from it, and then picked it back up again. He also talks a lot. Probably because I talk to him all the time. Kyle was gone for about half of this month, but when he got back home, they picked up right where they left off. He still adores his daddy. After Kyle was done with his travels, it was time for a little vacation and Jackson got to make his first trip to Texas! We went to the great state a week and a half before Christmas so he could meet a lot of his family. He was a little overwhelmed at first, but he quickly decided he liked all the attention and people wanting to hold him all the time. We got to have 2 Christmases this year, one in Houston and then a small family one here in SC. I will just say, even though the concept of presents was lost on the little man, he cleaned up! It was so nice to be able to see our family and also to have a Christmas just the 3 of us. I am so thankful Kyle was here and got to spend Jackson's first Christmas with him. He is such a big eater and is growing so fast! In fact, he had taken up practically newborn hours again. He woke up at least once a night hungry. So, just before he turned 4 months we started rice cereal. It went over well. It took a couple of days to get used to, but it didn't take too long for him to figure out that it was good stuff! We also went to the doctor at the end of the month, and he weighed 15 pounds (50th percentile) and was 26 inches long (90th percentile). He got shots, which he again didn't enjoy, but as soon as we picked him up he was fine and was just snuggly the rest of the day.
Month 5:
My sweet boy was just a ball if smiles and laughter this month! Since we figured out how to roll over, it is hard to keep him on his tummy. I think he could roll from his back to his tummy if he wanted, but he doesn't really like tummy time (still), so I think he is not interested. He is so wiggly though and really wants to be able to sit up, so we are working on that. He sleeps on his side most of the time (he puts himself there) and very often does a 180 during the night (as in his feet end up where I put his head). He still wakes up to eat once, despite being on solids. Boy is just hungry. We have also graduated from just rice cereal to pears and squash. The pears were easy to get used to. The squash, well he eats it, but I don't know how much he likes it. He is still growing and some of his 3-6 month clothes are starting to get small. Not around but length wise. He's tall and skinny, just like his dad. Speaking of dad, Kyle was around all this month and it was sooooo nice! I know it won't last, so I am just so thankful that he has been home for (what seems like) so long! Anyway, Jackson's baby hair started falling out a couple of months ago and I guess now he is getting his "big boy" hair. It's blond. I love it. He is a blond haired, blue eyed boy - which runs in our families, but are traits that neither Kyle nor I possess. I think his eyes will stay blue, but I guess we will see with time. He is taking more interest in his toys now that he can make them do stuff. He reaches for and picks up whatever he wants as long as it is in reach. And he loves his feet. Loves them. He "found" them last month, but now grabs them whenever he is sitting up or when I change his diaper. He still talks all the time and it is so sweet to listen to.
That is about all (that I can remember). Here is what you really want (a few pictures):
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Month 2 AND 3 Update
Ok, I wrote this a long time ago and forgot to publish it (I think because I was waiting to upload pictures, but all the pictures are now on the picasa site, so go there). Obviously, Jackson is NOT 3 months old; he is, in fact, a week away from being 5 months old. 5!! Anyway, stay tuned for a 4 and 5 month update. Until then, here's what he did 2 months ago ;)
My baby is 3 months old. I don't know if 3 months have ever gone by so fast! So, even though a lot of these updates are "old hat" now, it's mostly for me to remember when he did things so that [someday] when I sit down to do his baby book, I remember when all these things happened.
Month 2:
He smiled! His first smile was for his dad when Kyle went to go get him up from a nap. Possibly one of the cutest things I have ever seen and he has been doing it a lot since. He also has an airplane mobile over his changing table that he loves. He even started "talking" to it. He is a big eater and nurses or takes a bottle just fine. He got over his "colic"; I think it was mostly gas pains. Whatever it was, he is over it. He got his 2 month shots at the end of the month and was not happy about it. He did NOT enjoy the shots at all, but as soon as we let the doctor's office he calmed down and was pretty much a snuggly, sleepy baby the rest of the day. The next day he was back up and at it! Such a trooper! Right after he turned 2 months, it was his first Halloween. I didn't dress him up this year because we didn't really have anywhere to go, but he did have a couple of Halloween outfits that were sent to him, so he wore those. Kyle was gone for Halloween, but my parents were in town and we handed out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Month 3:
He is such a smiley baby! He loves his mommy and absolutely adores his daddy! He "talks" all the time, probably because his mommy talks to him so much (because daddy has been gone so much)! He has also started giggling an laughing and I love it! Of course when I get out the video camera to try and capture these moments, he stops and just stares at me with a very serious look on his face. He still doesn't like tummy time and wants to roll over from his tummy to his back so badly. He can't quite do it without my help, but he is getting so close. Even though he doesn't really like tummy time, he loves to play "airplane" with mommy where I basically just lay on the ground and hold him up in the air over me. He loves to ride in the car and look out the window; no sleeping in the car for this baby unless he is just super tired. He found his hands this month and they are pretty much always in his mouth. He can suck his thumb, but mostly prefers his pacifier or to chew on his fist. And he drools everywhere! He has taken more of an interest in his toys, can hold and shake his rattle and even grabs it from my hand sometimes. Actually, he tried to put it in his mouth and often hits himself in the face with it. Its kind of funny. He is still a big eater and takes down a 5oz bottle like it is nothing. He also went on a very strange, very stressful (for mommy at least) nursing strike or a few days. I have no idea why he did that, but it lasted about 3 days. On the 4th day he woke up and went back to nursing like he had never had any objection to it. Baffling. I still can barely keep up with is appetite though, so I am thinking he will probably start rice cereal next month. Speaking of big appetites, he also got to celebrate his first thanksgiving! Kyle was gone (again), so we headed over to a friends house where he slept most of the time. We came home, played for a little bit and then Jackson went to bed and I watched the Aggies beat tu! The only thing that would have made it better were if Kyle had been here.
My baby is 3 months old. I don't know if 3 months have ever gone by so fast! So, even though a lot of these updates are "old hat" now, it's mostly for me to remember when he did things so that [someday] when I sit down to do his baby book, I remember when all these things happened.
Month 2:
He smiled! His first smile was for his dad when Kyle went to go get him up from a nap. Possibly one of the cutest things I have ever seen and he has been doing it a lot since. He also has an airplane mobile over his changing table that he loves. He even started "talking" to it. He is a big eater and nurses or takes a bottle just fine. He got over his "colic"; I think it was mostly gas pains. Whatever it was, he is over it. He got his 2 month shots at the end of the month and was not happy about it. He did NOT enjoy the shots at all, but as soon as we let the doctor's office he calmed down and was pretty much a snuggly, sleepy baby the rest of the day. The next day he was back up and at it! Such a trooper! Right after he turned 2 months, it was his first Halloween. I didn't dress him up this year because we didn't really have anywhere to go, but he did have a couple of Halloween outfits that were sent to him, so he wore those. Kyle was gone for Halloween, but my parents were in town and we handed out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Month 3:
He is such a smiley baby! He loves his mommy and absolutely adores his daddy! He "talks" all the time, probably because his mommy talks to him so much (because daddy has been gone so much)! He has also started giggling an laughing and I love it! Of course when I get out the video camera to try and capture these moments, he stops and just stares at me with a very serious look on his face. He still doesn't like tummy time and wants to roll over from his tummy to his back so badly. He can't quite do it without my help, but he is getting so close. Even though he doesn't really like tummy time, he loves to play "airplane" with mommy where I basically just lay on the ground and hold him up in the air over me. He loves to ride in the car and look out the window; no sleeping in the car for this baby unless he is just super tired. He found his hands this month and they are pretty much always in his mouth. He can suck his thumb, but mostly prefers his pacifier or to chew on his fist. And he drools everywhere! He has taken more of an interest in his toys, can hold and shake his rattle and even grabs it from my hand sometimes. Actually, he tried to put it in his mouth and often hits himself in the face with it. Its kind of funny. He is still a big eater and takes down a 5oz bottle like it is nothing. He also went on a very strange, very stressful (for mommy at least) nursing strike or a few days. I have no idea why he did that, but it lasted about 3 days. On the 4th day he woke up and went back to nursing like he had never had any objection to it. Baffling. I still can barely keep up with is appetite though, so I am thinking he will probably start rice cereal next month. Speaking of big appetites, he also got to celebrate his first thanksgiving! Kyle was gone (again), so we headed over to a friends house where he slept most of the time. We came home, played for a little bit and then Jackson went to bed and I watched the Aggies beat tu! The only thing that would have made it better were if Kyle had been here.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Picture Updates
So we have figured out an easier way to share our pictures with everyone. We will continue to use this website and sort our albums by upload date. So this update will be under todays date, January 10, 2011. I probably wont be notifications via the blog whenever we update pictures, so be sure to check the other website for the latest Jackson photos. Also, we will be trying to upload videos in the future. Enjoy!
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