Our California Vacation

Well, our trip to California has come and gone and I am just now getting a chance to write about our vacation! We had a wonderful time, but were completely exhausted from vacationing with a baby!! Even just packing for Jackson took forever because we had to plan for every what-if with extra outfits, burp cloths, food, medicine. And then it was a mess planning to take milk on the plane and I of course forgot to take the liquids out of the bag before it went through the x-ray machine, so they had to search (mess up my organization) and do special tests on the liquids greater than 3 oz.

Jackson did fairly well on the plane, only getting fussy a time or two. On our second flight, Jackson was having a really hard time while the plane was descending and the flight attendant brought us some apple juice to dip his pacifier in and Jackson loved it and stopped fussing immediately! Unfortunately, Jackson didn't adjust as well to sleeping in a new place as he did to traveling by plane. We really didn't get much sleep as Jackson woke up nearly every hour or two, and because of the time change, he was up and ready to play around 6:00am.


On Thursday, Grandpa, Derek, Jackson and I toured the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield. I don't even like jelly beans, but it was just SO interesting to see the process of how they are made! I had no idea it takes between 9-21 days to make a jelly bean. After the tour, Grandpa took us up to Lake Berryessa. It was a beautiful drive in the Califronia countryside. On our way back, we drove by tons of orchards. I was bummed that the trees weren't in bloom, but it was still so neat to see!

The next day, we all drove down to Vallejo to catch a ferry over to San Francisco. Once there, we then got aboard another ferry to travel over to Alcatraz- what an neat place!! I loved the audio tour; I think its a real creative way to make the history of the prison so interesting! I was bummed that we couldn't finish the whole tour, but all of us were so worn out that we just needed to go home.
On Saturday, we left Grandpa at home and Derek, Jackson and I drove down to Muir Woods, a national forest, to check out some of the California Redwoods. What a site to see, but man was it chilly!! We really enjoyed our walk through the park and someday, we hope to get back when we aren't pushing a stroller so we can make our way up some of the "off road" trails.


We then headed back down to San Francisco and drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. We drove around the street of San Fran for awhile and drove up Lombard street and I really thought we were literally start falling backwards because the street was so steep. Once we got to the top, we then drove down the windy street-- Derek wasn't impressed. We headed for Pier 39 and visited there for awhile, but it was just soooo windy and Jackson was upset that we left to go home after about an hour or two.


Sunday, we visited Grandpa's church. Jackson really turned on the charm and impressed all of Grandpa's friends. In the afternoon, we helped pack Grandpa up and then headed to the outlet malls, which were practically in his backyard. Derek even helped me pick out a new purse and we got Jackson some sunglasses.


All in all, we had a good vacation. Traveling with a baby was definitely an adventure and now that I have had about a week to recover, I might even consider doing it again but not for a loooonng time! Well, we are headed for Springfield this weekend, but at least there isn't a plane ride involvd! I am so glad we were able to go out to visit Grandpa before he moved back here. But I'm more excited to have Grandpa here just a few minutes away so we will get to see him more!

Jackson, Biology, Oscars, California

Our little fella turned four months this weekend! I just can't believe how much he has changed in just the past few weeks. He is playing (bonking his head) with toys, talking up a storm, and bouncing like crazy in his Jumparoo. He started sleeping through the night, from about 10pm-8am, about three weeks ago. I sent out an update email to some family last week bragging on this new feat and since that night, Jackson has been waking up three or four times a night. Derek says I jinxed it. Per the doctors suggestion, we started feeding Jackson cereal this week. The kid loves it! This increases the amount of laundry and the number of baths that Jackson takes!



I took Jackson to get his 4 month pictures taken last week. The little stinker will smile and giggle up a storm until you get a camera in front of his face. He would rather stare at the big black thing to figure out what it is! We did end up with a super cute picture. Isn't this kid just adorable!?!?!
More Pictures

I am almost half way through my class this semester. This is a tough one for me. I love Psychology, but more on the social and personal side as opposed to the biological stuff, which is what I am taking. When I read the textbooks for my other classes (Developmental Psych, Mental Disorders, Career Counseling, etc...) I read through it once and it all makes sense. Reading this Biological Bases of Behavior book... blah! I can read and read about dendrites, axons, basal ganglia... and I still don't really get it. Lying in bed at night I go over the flowchart of the Central Nervous System hoping it will stick with me one of these days!!!

I can't believe we got so much snow on Friday night... and it really caught me off guard! I try really hard not to watch the news (it is overall depressing and often keeps me awake at night) and so I never know what the weather is going to be like. I'll leave the house in just a t-shirt because it is 70 degrees and by the time I am on my way home, I'm freezing because it is sleeting outside! I am just so ready for spring to be here.

Last week, we had some friends over for an Oscar Party. We filled out ballots marking who we thought would win. I have won for the past three years, but lost this one. I still did pretty good. I am hoping to get out and see Slumdog Millionaire sometime. I don't really know what to expect... the past couple of years we watched the Oscar winning movies and weren't all to impressed. I do have to say that I was very entertained watching Hugh Jackman dance and sing. I think he put on a great show!!

We will be taking our first family vacation to California in a couple weeks. I am so excited-- I've never been to northern California. I went to visit a friend in San Diego over Thankgiving Break a few years back. This time we are flying in to Sacramento to visit Derek's grandpa before he moves back here! We have plans to visit San Francisco and to check out some of the giant Sequoia trees out there. I am a little anxious traveling with Jackson, like I don't quite know what I'm getting myself into. Feel free to share any advice!

My Valentine

I have a new Valentine this year. He has taught me more about love than I could ever have imagined. He melts my heart each time he smiles at me. I love learning about him every day (like how he hates when things cover his eyes-- like when a shirt goes over his head) and watching him grow. He is becoming "chatterbox" these days and he has is beginning to use his hands and play with toys. I love the way he looks at me and how he calms down when I sing him a song. God has blessed us so much by giving us Jackson-- I just love him so much! :)

Three Months

January 28th marked Jackson's three month birthday! I just cannot believe how fast he is growing! He has turned into a chubby little guy and he is just SO cute. I know that I am a bit partial... Derek says that Jackson has "Popeye arms" because his forearms are bigger than his biceps. Jackson smiles SO much these days and I live for the moments when he does! Dad finished the crib and brought it down last weekend. And it was totally worth the wait. I need to take some pictures of it to put on here! Jackson is sleeping right now, or else I'd do it now!

One of Jackson's 3 month pictures. What a handsome fella!

More Pictures here

Jackson just LOVES bathtime. Sometimes I'll put him in the bath to calm him down if he is just fussy and there have been times when I'll have him take a bath when I want him to wake up from a nap so he'll go to bed at his real bedtime. While he loves to kick and splash, he does NOT like when I run the water to keep it warm!

Jackson is a fabulous cuddler. Some days, I just sit and hold him and just look at him... even after he has fallen asleep. That is when I might normally take a shower, read a book, clean around the house... but I sometimes I just want to hold him. He is already growing so fast and I know there will be a day when he doesn't want to cuddle with me! Jackson does do funny things in his sleep sometimes like make kissy faces and stretch out his body in a funny way. This is a cute video I shot after Derek came home from work and they both took a nap.

25 Things

I did this little thing on Facebook, so I decided to copy and paste to my blog-- 25 Random facts about me. This took quite a bit longer than I first thought, but then I found that I could keep going, but I do realize that most people probably don't even care to read the 25 let alone more! They really don't follow any certain order- I just wrote them as they came to me.

1. I can't believe how popular this note thing is! I think I've been tagged five times this week, but I love reading what people have to say!

2. I am happily married to my college sweetheart, Derek. It will be three years in June. We have a 3 month old son, who is named after Jack Bauer. We love him so much.

3. I have an older brother (26, who just got accepted in the MBA program at Georgetown) and two younger sisters (17, a singer/performer and 16, a talented gymnast).

4. I am getting my Master's in Counseling Psychology with a certificate in Child and Adolescent Psychology. At graduation, I will be able to apply to be a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) though I would like to get my certification as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) eventually.

5. Derek and I will be debt free by the time we are thirty.

6. I lived in 5 states (7 cities) by the time I was in eighth grade. My dad wasn't in the military- my parents are just nomadic.

7. I was a band nerd in high school and loved it. I played the flute, but switched to the saxophone my senior year. I played the bells in the drum corp. as well. I did play volleyball, ran track, and was a cheerleader too.

8. I decided to go to Missouri State (SMSU at the time) because of their marching band. It was WAY to much work, not enough credit hours, not enough scholarship so I didn't do it after my freshman year.

9. I was in a wheelchair for a few months in high school because I was in a car accident and broke my pelvis. A year after the accident, I witnessed a car accident in the same intersection, which was so upsetting because I don't remember mine and there was blood everywhere.

10. I graduated 6th of 69 in my class in high school with 29 college credit hours.

11. I graduated college in 3 1/2 years and never took a summer class.

12. I went somewhere new every summer in college-- China (2003), Myrtle Beach (2004), Kanakuk Kamps (2004), Colorado Springs (2005).

13. Attending the Focus on the Family Institute was the most life changing experience I've had.

14. I gained 22 pounds when I was pregnant and have lost 25 since having Jackson. I'm smaller now than I have been since my freshman year of college.

15. I worked for my dad's company for two years before I moved to Raymore this summer. I miss working with him now.

16. In college, I worked at Lambert's Cafe in Branson (Ozark). I was the Okra/Fried Potato girl. No, I did not throw rolls-- boys do that.

17. I am very bummed that I never got to attend the Price is Right while Bob Barker was still the host. Someday I will still make it to the show.

17. I am so very excited about having tickets to go see Britney Spears in April with my sisters. I have always and will always be a Britney fan.

18. It is my goal to visit every continent. So far, I've got Europe, China, and of course North America (I don't count traveling in US, but I've been to Mexico and the Canadian part of Niagra Falls)

19. I had an opportunity to go to Africa when I was in high school, but my best friend and I wanted to go to Windermere instead because of the "Buffalo Boys."

20. I will make a tape to submit to be on Survivor. I actually looked into it this year before the deadline ended, but I wasn't ready to spend a month away from Jackson this August had they actually (yeah right) picked me. Derek doesn't think I'll be good at it, so I especially want to go to spite him!

21. I have started a fire from rubbing two sticks together and it was so incredibly hard.

22. I love to read. I love the Princess Diaries series and I read the Twilight series before the movie hype. My favorite is the Size 12 is Not Fat series. I have tried to read Pride and Prejudice three times but just cannot make it through.

23. I like Coke better than Pepsi, Chocolate better than Vanilla, and do not like tea or coffee.

24. I love being a stay-at-home mom. I have always wanted to stay home because my mom was always home for us. I am very grateful that we are fortunate enough to make it work.

25. I genuinely love my life.