A Joyful Christmas

I am always amazed at how quickly the holidays come and go. We were a little late getting in the Christmas spirit in our house because things were still so hectic from moving and finishing up our place. We didn't put up the tree on the day after Thanksgiving, and the lights didn't get put on the tree until the actual week of Christmas!

Jackson-- The Reindeer

This Christmas we had a the opportunity to learn that our holiday enjoyment is not dependent on the traditions we have, the gifts we buy, or the people we get to see. Several things were different for us this year and at first it was really hard to have a festive attitude about the season. First, we had a late start in decorating and then we decided that we wouldn't put ornaments on the tree this year to avoid fighting Jackson to keep them on the tree. We decided not to buy gifts for each other and we tried to think of things we could do or make instead of buying gifts for family. For the presents we did buy, I ended up getting online, which was very convenient and I got some great deals, but it doesn't have the same thrill of going to the store to shop. Then, the snow ruined the plans that we had for family to come visit on Christmas Eve and it was very disheartening!

Jackson and cousin Gabe- Christmas Day

We had a lesson to learn from Charlie Brown- Christmas isn't about having the nicest tree in town and it isn't about checking off your holiday checklist of traditions. We had such a great holiday and we were able to find great blessings in the simplicity. The idea to organize my mom's pictures was to save money, but it turned out to be such a neat experience to go through and find pictures I'd never seen of my parents in elementary school through college and to remember some of the things I did as a child. Similarly, we were scanning some of Linda's old pictures so she could have digital copies, but again we had fun looking at the pictures as we scanned. Derek got up early on Christmas morning to cook me breakfast and we enjoyed some nice time together before Jackson woke up and it was such a wonderful thought. And even though most of Jackson's presents were hand-me-down toys, it was so much fun seeing him open the presents and be excited about wrapping paper tubes instead of his toys!! And even though it was disappointing that my extended family couldn't come down on Christmas Eve, it was SO nice to tackle some of those things on my to-do list that had just been ignored for awhile. And instead, we had an impromptu celebration with friends and family watching Die Hard while it blizzarded outside. We had a fantastic time celebrating Christmas day with both of our families, playing games and enjoying the company of others.

Our family- Christmas 2009

It's no surprise to me that our most blessed Christmas was the one that might seem to be the crummiest. I pray that even in abundance our family will still appreciate the little things find joy in the simple blessings of Christmas. My grandma has had this quote from in her house for as long as I can ever remember and it has taken me 25 years to truly understand: Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be- Abraham Lincoln.

Jackson and Grandpa reading the Christmas Story-
one of my favorite memories from this year


Jackson with his new toy cell phone

A Thankful Heart

I love Thanksgiving for the positive aspect of the holiday. Everyone has lots to be thankful for, especially me and my family. I try to have a thankful heart all year round, though I am not always successful when I get caught up all in myself. Here are some of the things I am thankful for this year.

--Family--

I am thankful for my family. My immediate family- Derek and Jackson make me very happy, who love and support me. My Dad who has worked, worked, and worked on my house and who still answers the phone, even when it's the sixth time I've called on one day. My mom who also answers multiple phone calls daily and who also offers to watch Jackson just because. My in-laws who let us live with them and for the time when I was having a tough week, I came home from Minnesota to house that was all clean and ready to move in because they wanted to make it feel home-y. And for the fact that all of my family gets along so well with each other. We are SO blessed in that.

--Friends--

Our friends have been truly wonderful to us this year. Hundreds of hours of labor on our house for exchange for a meal here and there. Often times, I hardly had time to even ask for help because they had already offered and/or used the key to work when we weren't even here. We have the type of friends that when we ask for an inch, they give us a mile- every time. Not only with our house... but just in support, encouragement, and friendship have we been blessed.

--Church--
We love our church. Despite being a member for just about three years, I feel that I have been a part of this family for a lifetime. The foundation, the people, the encouragement. I have enjoyed the Tea for Three activities and getting to know more and more ladies in our church. Our Sunday School class is a blessing and I am so proud of them. Wednesday evenings are my favorite- I love the ladies ministry!

--Country--
With several friends and acquaintances deployed at this time, I cannot say enough how thankful that I am for our country. I am thankful for the Constitution that we fight to uphold. I am thankful for a President and for the democracy our county has that allows citizens to make a choice.

--School--
I am so thankful to be in school- for the opportunity and for the support from the people around me. I love studying psychology. I am thankful for the gifts of understanding people and am so eager to be a counselor. And this semester I am particularly thankful for that my professor agrees that I have a talent.

--Job--
I love my job. Nothing is greater than to be able to stay home with Jackson and I love having David around. Everything is happy in their world and it is such a blessing to be loved by children- with hugs, and smiles, and giggles. I enjoy watching Jackson grow and move on to bigger and better things each day- to actually get to read him books, while he squeals at the animals on the pages. It is so exciting to hear David count the Ten Friendly Frogs, even if it's the fifth time in one day and nothing is more entertaining than to hear him lecture the cat when she isn't nice ("Mia, it is not nice to hit. Do you understand me? Now you say, 'Yes, Ma'am'.").

Jackson and his toys

We got some video clips of Jackson playing earlier this week. He is really starting to play with toys a lot- pushing the buttons, dancing to the music, and tackling a giant Pooh Bear. But regardless of what he is playing with, he always pauses to make sure we are watching!

Jackson and his airplane



Jackson and his penguin



Jackson and his piggy bank

Jackson's 1st Birthday

The last week of October marked Jackson's birthday week and much celebrating took place. Despite the fact that it's now the middle of November, I am still a little bit in denial that my baby has become a toddler and that he is officially one year old.

Jackson's first birthday picture

Jackson's birthday party was on the Saturday the 24th and was in our new house in the basement, even though the upstairs was still a major construction area. It was kind of a last minute plan because when we first starting thinking about his party, we had no idea what shape our house would be in. We swept up the basement, put down a rug, and brought our little playground inside and I think it went nicely. Mom and I (but mostly Mom) made food and it was yummy! We had sandwiches, fruit, spinach dip, chips, some veggies, and of course- a cake! My friend Tammy has a special talent for making cakes and she did a FABULOUS job.

The cake- half chocolate, half fun-fetti- Delicious!

Jackson eats his cake

Just a little big messy!

Jackson had several friends come to the party and he had fun and of course grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles joined the party too! Linda and Forrest got him a kid broom to appease his desire to carry the big broom around the entire house. Grandpa Duff got Jackson this little big that dances, sings, and squeals and needless to say all of the kids love it. Jackson got several other gifts and he plays with them all, though his favorite thing is get to play with the 'big kids'!

Yum- a basketball!

Jackson and I went up to Kearney on his actual birthday and went to Chick-fil-a for lunch with Grandpa. They have a playplace that is more suited for the toddler and Jackson always enjoys climbing and going down the slide. The manager at the restaurant gave Jackson a balloon and Jackson carried that thing around as if his life depended on it-- up the stairs, through the tunnel, down the slide, even when he fell asleep in the car. Both Jackson and Grandpa had a good time.

Jackson and Grandpa

He sure loved that balloon!

Since Jackson's birthday was on a Wednesday, we planned to have a mini celebration after church with cookies and edible markers. The kids all decorated some cookies and Jackson just squealed in delight of having the 'big kids' around once again. Not only is Jackson loved and adored by all of our family friends, he also have a fan club from kids ranging from age 2 up to the 7th graders at church- especially our Sunday school students. In fact, we are having a Sunday School party tomorrow and the 4-5th graders have insisted on Jackson being present.

Decorating cookies

Happy Baby!

These boys love each other-

Grant and Jackson

And can't forget to mention that Jackson was just so excited about his birthday, that he was up several times in the night. We were awake from 3:30-5:00 all because Jackson wanted a banana and it took us that long to figure out what he wanted. We are so blessed to have Jackson in our lives and also for our friends and family who love him so much! And here is a video I made for Jackson's birthday. It is kind of long, but it's really cool. And for more birthday pictures CLICK HERE.

Time of my Life

I thought I'd give a little tribute to the hometown hero, David Cook, and his first single. This past year really has been the time of my life- surpassing anything I could have ever thought possible. Without a shadow of a doubt, this is by far the best year that I have ever had. Jackson is really the best thing that has ever happened to me. Despite the delivery being on my list of the worst things, I would do it all again in a heartbeat. I love my family so very much and I am truly so blessed with a great husband and the sweetest little boy.

Our family- 1 day old

I knew from the time that I was a little girl playing with my cabbage patch dolls that I wanted to be a mommy and waiting until I "established a career" or "spending my 20s learning about myself" never appealed to me. Sure, someday after I finally finish my Master's I cannot wait to establish a professional career, but having a family is and will always be my main priority despite the busy lives we lead. My first year as a mommy has seemed to have flown by in a bit of a blur. Jackson was (is) continually changing and a lot of the time was spent adapting to that change and enjoying Jackson during each stage and all of the "firsts" that come with the first year.

Christmas 2008
2 months

The first few months were definitely challenging with the crazy sleep schedule and entering in to the life unknown, but we managed- with much help and support from our friends and family!!! My mom would come stay with us about once a week and that was such a nice boost of energy to get a full nights sleep! Linda came over once to just hold Jackson because wanted to be held, but I desperately needed to get some stuff done around the house. And the ladies down in the nursery at church got an earful of questions about sleep habits, doctor visits, temperatures and anything else you can imagine!!!

Jackson and Daddy- 12 days old
First Sunday morning at church

Along with knowing that I wanted to be a mommy since being a little girl, I always had to desire to be a stay-at-home mom, so the decision to stay home was not a hard decision. My mom had the opportunity to stay home with us and I joke about the first time I ever remember getting a key to our house- I was a senior in high school because whenever I came home from school or anything, mom was always there. After a year of staying at home, I absolutely love it and wouldn't want to have to go back to work like so many others do. I really enjoy spending my day with Jackson. Sometimes it's hard because I am envious of what others have, like cable tv or an iphone, but I know that those things would never bring me the joy that Jackson brings to each day- the smiles, the laughs, and just being with him.

Mommy and Jackson- 4 months
California Vacation

Born with the ability to be a people pleaser, fueled by the fact that he is spoiled to death with attention, it is no surprise that Jackson saved some of his "firsts" for when we had the camera out. Okay, so it is probably just because we always have the camera near by and in short distance so we are able to catch the newest trick or super cute moment. We got his first time rolling over on video and he decided to stand up by himself for the first time during his 10 month picture. I remember the Sunday afternoon when Jackson shared his first smile for Daddy- it was such a neat thing! We sat on the couch for 30 minutes at least, making silly faces and sounds just for a tiny little smile. Derek and I were so excited.

One of Jackson's
First Smiles

This year was full of calls to Derek during the work day, "Jackson just giggled!", "You are SO changing the next diaper!", and "Should I call the doctor?". We have had really enjoyed our time as a family-- going to DeAnna Rose, visiting California, trips the park, and even just going to the store. We have totally had our share of "No, it's YOUR turn to get up!" and "I changed the last zillion diapers!" but I have to say that Derek and I are closer now because of Jackson despite the late night one-liners. Derek has been there for me when I cried because Jackson had allergies and the times when I am all but throwing Jackson at him when he walks in the door after a long day at work. I'd like to think we make a great team, each bringing our own strengths to the table, doing our best to raise Jackson in a healthy manor.

Jackson's first boat ride
Sacramento, CA- 4 months

I am going to end this post (I know it's long) with some moments from this past year that haven't been "blog-worthy" in themselves, but I don't ever want to forget:

• As soon as we got home from the hospital, I heard Derek yelling in the bedroom. It was Derek's first time changing a diaper ever and Jackson peeped all over him!
• Emotionally, I was a mess when we first brought Jackson home from the hospital. The next day, I was looking through the zillion pictures we had and cried because I thought it was going by too quickly. Seriously.
  
• I took Jackson to the library when he was only a few weeks old and while we look at some books (in complete silence), Jackson tooted SO loudly that most of the people in the library could probably hear. I was so embarrassed.
• When Jackson took a bath in his baby tub, he soaked the entire bathroom from splashing.
  
• Jackson has always found jumping funny- an early trick to get those baby smiles and giggles!
• You DO NOT eat in front of Jackson EVER! Even since he was a little guy, he did not like anyone eating anything in front of him without sharing whether it be a snack or a meal, or a little friend having a bottle.
• When Jackson choked on a cracker at Wendy's, I went home and cried. I was so scared.
  
• The time that Derek and I took Jackson to Jose Peppers for dinner and Jackson all but claimed the attention of our entire half of the restaurant!
• Jackson became so attached to his blanket(s) just overnight at around 10 months. We don't leave the house without one.
  
• When he bit my toe- after he actually had teeth. OUCH!
  
• I was SO stressed out when Jackson fell and knocked his head on a sharp corner of the bookshelf. He had a goose-egg the size of a golf ball in just seconds. I think I needed to hold him more than he needed me to hold him!
• When Derek played was playing darts in his parents basement, Jackson thought it was SO funny when he pulled the arrows out of the dart board. Not when he threw them, only when he took them out. He was cracking up in tears.
  
• The lemon at Chipotle.
• Jackson tries to escape to outside every single day, multiple times. And when he would get outside in shorts and realized that it hurts his knees when he crawled, he stuck his tush up in the air and crawled using his feet instead!
• Jackson can pick up anything and pretend it's a telephone. He'll hold it up to his ear when you say, "Hello!" Maybe this is a sign he sees me on mine a little much! :)

Mommy and Jackson
Pumpkin Patch-- 11 months

I will never forget the feeling when he first reached for me or how he smiles at me when he first wakes up. Or how we wait by the window for daddy to come home and how I am nearly beaten to death because he flails his arms in excitement when he sees Derek. I cherish the moments he looks at me to make sure I am still watching as if to seek my approval and when he is playing and rushes over to me to give me some lovin' and heads back to play. Nothing could have prepared me for the hard work that it has been being a mommy this year, but I could never have comprehended the love I have for my baby. Nothing in this world compares to the joy I receive every single day from being his mommy.

Family Pictures

A friend of mine, Kasey Allen, took some time last week to head up to Unity Village in Lee's Summit to take some family pictures for us. We ended up with some great shots! Here are some of my favorites.

Pumpkin Patch

I found this in my drafts and wanted to go ahead and post (even though it was a little over three weeks ago)!

We went to the pumpkin patch today. Linda, Jackson, David (the little boy I watch) and I headed up to Faulkner's Farm in Kansas City and we had such a good time! The weather was perfect- chilly, but sunny- perfect fall weather.

It is so much fun to take Jackson to do things these days. He is interested in so much and now that he is walking more, he really chooses what interests him at the moment. He enjoyed looking at the animals today, but he didn't want to look too closely- or touch.

The hay ride was fun. I haven't been on a hay ride in years! Jackson loved looking around at everything and was babbling about it too. Jackson played on the swings and the slide and he toddled all around. We had fun looking at the pumpkins too and we even found some Jackson-size pumpkins that promptly found their way into Jackson's mouth.

For me though, the most fun part of my day at the pumpkin patch is to see Jackson having so much fun and enjoying himself! And it is really neat to see his personality shining through. He is such a social little boy- he loves being around people and he squeals with delight when he gets to play with other kids. He is also for sure a go-getter, not afraid to just start climbing or exploring. He is ready to figure out the world and is not content to just watch from the stroller. I really truly can't wait to learn more about Jackson and the little guy he is going to become!

Click Here for more pictures.

checking out the horse

Jackson just looks so cool!

Jackson riding the tin horses with David

I'm on a mission to the top!

My little man with the pumpkins!

Jackson's Allergies

A few weeks ago, I took Jackson to the allergist, because his eyes were really red and puffy and it was right at the time that Derek's allergies were acting up. I was expecting a simple prescription for Benedryl (since it isn't available OTC for infants anymore...), but I got so much more than I bargained for!

Instead, Jackson had a food allergy test, where they pricked his back with about 16 different food allergens to see which would cause a reaction. It was tough for me to watch him get pricked so many times, but it was only frustrating to Jackson because I had to hold him still for them to do it. Jackson is allergic to eggs, tree nuts, and soy. His allergy eggs and soy will cause an skin reaction, such as welts and rashes, He seems to tolerate both eggs and soy when they are mixed in a product like cakes and cereal, so we plan to mainly stay away from direct intake of like scrambled eggs and mainly soy products, like the SoyJoy bars, etc.

The food allergy test-- the red welts are the
reactions to the nuts, eggs, and soy.

Jackson's allergy to tree nuts is much more prevelent and the blood results showed came in last week. His highest allergy is to cashews and is ranked as a class 5 allergy. Other nuts he is allergic to include walnut and pecan, but the doctor strongly mentioned that he avoid all nuts to be on the safe side. And although the skin test didn't show, the blood test discovered a peanut allergy (separate from tree nuts, because technically, it's not a nut). Since the tiniest trace of nut can cause such a severe reaction, it is important to not only avoid food with nuts, but also those labeled "produced in the same facility that uses tree nuts". Fortunately, food companies are required to label products and often the allergen information is in bold underneath the ingredients.

Unlike the egg and soy allergies, the reaction to a nut allergy is anaphylactic, which means the swelling in the mouth, tongue, etc. can ultimately block the ability to breathe. The doctor prescribed an Epi-Pen that is now with Jackson wherever he goes. For those of you who spend time with Jackson, I ask that you watch this quick video on how to administer the Epi-Pen in case of an emergency.

Along with the allergy diagnosis, Jackson was also diagnosed with asthma due to his past wheezing and also family history (not mine!). :) We were also given an "plan of attack" for the asthma and just the name of that alone, sent me into shock as I didn't even know we should be worried about asthma at all. We have an inhaler (with a contraption thingy) to use every day- two puffs. Then, when he has a little wheezing or coughing then we have another type of inhaler to use. And if that doesn't solve the issue, then we have liquid Prednisone.

Jackson's daily asthma medicine- Qvar

It has been a few weeks since our original appointment and all of this has had some time to sink in and doesn't feel so overwhelming. The doctor has hopes that Jackson will grow out of several of his allergies (eggs, soy, peanut butter) and it is possible to grow out of the tree nut allergy, but it isn't as likely. But we still have hopes. I am so glad that we were able to find out all of this information before we had a major crisis! Fortunately, Jackson's pediatrician recommended early on to avoid nuts, peanut butter, and egg until age 1 because they are the most common and I am so glad that we did!!

The House

It's been two months since we've closed on our house. We still aren't living there yet, but have made some big strides here lately. It should only be a few more weeks until we move in. Granted, we keep saying that... but this time we really mean it!

Throughout the house, the walls have been touched up and smoothed out. Though the pictures didn't show it, several walls had visible seems between the drywall, and lots of bumps grooves. The ceilings in the kitchen, dining room, and family room have been textured, which updates the house a little and looks nice too. We did need to paint the ceiling because the dirt was coming through the texture and looked yellow-ish. As if the first coat wasn't miserable enough to do, the primer didn't cut it, so we had to endure doing another coat. At this point, I want to make sure it is done right and looks good because I will never paint it again- ever.

The skimmed walls and textured ceilings

Painting the ceiling

We have put a window where the front door used to be. The front door will be installed on the actual front of the house (it was installed on the side) and hopefully within the next week, it will be in and ready to use. We are downsizing our picture window in the front to accommodate the new front door, but we will still have lots of windows. And speaking of windows, Dad went and picked them up today and a few were installed this afternoon. I am anxious to go and check it out.

Craig, Dad, and Derek installing the
window where the door used to be

My new front door that I paid next
to nothing for thanks to Craigslist!

The basement has come along way since we began gutting out the moldy ceiling and walls. The boys installed a new water heater and dad converted it to run on electric instead of gas. The process of fixing the basement wall began last week. First was the excavation to expose the basement wall and then a temporary support was created to jack up the house while the basement wall was knocked down. The new wall was poured about 8 feet high and then cinder blocks were stacked and sealed on top to bring the wall up to the original height. Today, a sealant was rolled onto the outside wall that will help prevent moisture from entering through the wall and the house was lowered onto the new wall.

The temporary wall supporting the house while

it was jacked up to pour a new basement wall

Our new basement wall, plus a new stoop for our new front door

Not much has happened in the kitchen aside from moving the pantry door from the hallway to the kitchen. Even though it is a little change, I am so happy that we were able to get that moved. It will make a huge difference in the flow of the kitchen. We tore up the tile in the kitchen and dining room and we have new wood laminate flooring to replace it. We did purchase a new sink and faucet- and I was so surprised to pay more for my faucet than the sink!! I like to make sure I get good deals, but I also want to make sure that I really like what I install (uhm... have installed...). Fortunately, I have been able to find some great deals on some things on Craigslist so I have a little bit of room to splurge on important items. I did work on painting the kitchen the other day a nice green and I totally LOVE it. I did not love falling off the bucket, landing in the paint tray, messing up the wall I painted, getting paint on the carpet, and sporting around black and blue bruises for a week.

Dad cutting the drywall where the new door will be

Our new kitchen pantry door!

Derek and Craig pulling
up the dining room tile

We ended up gutting out the hall bathroom. The plan is to use the stool, tub, and sink that came with the house, but we just we got new tile for the shower and for the floor as well. Derek and my dad put the tile and floor in this past weekend while I was at a wedding shower. Derek learned to use the tile saw and got pretty good at it. One of the last pieces he had to cut was one of the tiny accent border parts- originally 1 x 2" and he got it down to 1 x 3/4". He said it was tricky, but he pulled it off. We took out the huge cabinets from the bathroom and also covered the window that was in the shower.

Tile around the tub (before any grout)

Jackson's room and the guest bedroom are primed and ready to be painted. I am thinking we might make some headway on those this week. Jackson's wall of closets has been painted blue and Craig has refaced all of the drawers that line the bottom. Mom found some airplane drawer pulls that I am really excited about using! The interior doors were installed today and now I just need to get some door handles. I had no idea how much the door knobs would be. Honestly, it is surprising how much a lot of the little things cost that add up! Door knobs, locks, light switch covers, trim, etc...

To Do List:

1. Install windows and front door
2. Install subfloor in kitchen and dining room
3. Stain and install cabinet doors, install veneer on existing cabinet to cover up the paint
4. Paint
5. Install new flooring (wood laminate in kitchen/dining and new carpet in rest of house)
6. Install new appliances
   
7. New trim
8. Pour new sidewalk to new front door
9. MOVE IN!!!!
   

And then after we move in, we hope to make a mud room connecting the garage to the dining room, which will allow us to move our laundry room upstairs. Also, we plan on converting the garage from one to two car. The trees still need to be removed and we plan to reside the house with stucco.

Ten Months

Jackson is spending a couple of nights with Grammy, so I figured it would be a good time to catch up on some blogging.

Our little boy is already over 10 months old-- only 6 weeks until his birthday. UNBELIEVABLE! I mean, I seriously doubted that I'd even last the first 6 weeks that he was alive. Alas, here I am alive and well as he is about to turn one.

Jackson's 10 month picture-
also capturing the first time he stood up by himself!

Jackson is so much fun. Everyday, he makes me laugh. Last week, he started making these monkey faces and he is hilarious as he tries to chew his food (make sure to check out the video). If you get him to focus on you, you can make faces at him and he will mimic you- or try, at least! He is so cute. I love this kid.



We can already see Jackson's extroverted personality and he loves watching bigger kids play. He always wants to play with/on David (the little boy I watch), much to David's annoyance. Jackson learned the other day how to make his way down the stairs, without falling, so his new favorite thing is to go up the stairs and then down, and then up, and then down... I have found a spot to make myself comfortable and will just sit there literally for an hour as he entertains himself.

Jackson and his favorite activity

Jackson began taking his first steps at the end of last month. He can take several steps and do pretty well if he would actually want to. A lot of the times, he will just decide that crawling is faster, and a little easier, and opt to crawl instead. Derek is the one motivator for Jackson to walk-- if Derek is the one being walked to, then Jackson goes a lot farther.



Last, but not least, Jackson is definitely "pragmatic" as Derek says, or I might use the word lazy. He won't event try to hold a bottle if he knows you'll do it and he tries so hard to find away to get away with as little effort as possible. Whether it be one handed, resting it on his tray on his stroller and leaning forward to suck, or even to set it on the floor and lean over it (like he is crawling)- but he has found that to be unproductive. It's cute to watch him try though! Another thing that is beginning to become apparent, is Jackson's temperament. This kid is not patient, and is easily frustrated when he can't get a toy to do what he wants or when he doesn't get his way. Derek has already determined Jackson to be a strong-willed child. I don't know where he gets it from.

Jackson thought he was the coolest
kid in town when he got to drive the cart!

When Jackson was itty bitty, I got to cuddle with him as much as I wanted. Then, he learned to squirm and wiggle, and never wanted to cuddle- he was just too busy. These days, he has begun to let me cuddle him again. Sometimes it's when he's drinking a bottle or when he is getting ready for bed and every once in a great while, it will be just a quick cuddle just because before he gets up to play. When I go down to the nursery to get Jackson, he is always super excited to see me and of course, it makes me feel really loved!

Jackson playing peek-a-boo
at the McDonald's Playplace

Oh! And I forgot to mention the blanket. Jackson loves his blanket. We actually went out and bought a similar blanket so that he we will have a back-up! Hardly anything lights up his face like his blanket does. Sometimes, he is so excited to see his blanket when I put him in his crib, it takes him awhile to realize that he's going to have to go to sleep! He always falls forward into his blanket and hides his face in it, then squeals with delight.

Quickie News Bits

1. We are all moved at the in-laws. So far so good! Though I will be excited when we are in our place that has only 1 flight of stairs that is blocked by a door!
2. I've started watching a friend's little boy for the school year. He's 2 1/2 and pretty well behaved.
3. Jackson has two teeth.
4. He climbs stairs (see video).
   
5. He has also started to walk with his push toy in front of him.
6. We've gotten a lot of work done on the house: cleared out basement completely (all walls and ceiling), installed new water heater, painted Jackson's closet and closet doors, ordered kitchen cabinet doors (and hinges and pulls), tore down gutters and fascia, began some painting, and appliances have been delivered.
   
7. We went to see The Proposal last weekend with friends-- loved it!!!

Jackson fell asleep in the swing

Crawling through the coffee table

Hanging out with Daddy