Look How I've Grown!

Just thought I'd prove to everyone how much Jackson has changed in the past 11 weeks.

Starting with the most recent pictures...

First Easter. Slept right through it...

April 12, 2009

Relaxing on the dryer.

April 9, 2009

Our first walk outside at Grandma Lynne's house. He loooooves the Snugli!

April 7, 2009

Uncle Curtis left for Iraq the next day. We miss you Curty!

March 30, 2009

Bath Time!

Old Man River catchin' a snooze.

February 24, 2009

Panda was upset that we didn't tell her she was going to be responsible for more than just Kaitlynne. As soon as she figured out there was another baby around she dutifully did her job as the protector.

February 16, 2009

Great Grandpa John and Jackson

April 17, 2009

Great Grandpa Crayton and Jackson.
February 16, 2009

This lucky kid has a great, great Grandpa, three great Grandpas, a great Grandma, two Grandpas and two Grandmas.

Happy First Valentine's Day!

February 14, 2009

At first, Jackson was a little small for his swing. Look at those eyes!

On the way home from the hospital.

He grew out of that outfit by the end of the week.

February 11, 2009

A little more sleep...

Jackson has become so much more interactive over the past week! He started smiling around 5 weeks, but his coos and smiles are now in reaction to things he likes and he can practically carry on a "conversation" with me. I love it!

For the past four nights Jackson has been falling asleep around 8:30... and staying asleep for at least a few hours! It's marvelous!! When he does wake up throughout the night it's just to be fed or changed and then rocked back to sleep. Last night I watched Celbrity Apprentice and I actually got to see who was fired! (Poor Herschel... I think I'd marry him if given the chance.) I feel incredibly rested for someone who hasn't slept through the night since February 9th. I wouldn't trade those sleepless nights for anything though!!

Two Months!?!?

I realize that for the next however-many-years-until-I-die I will often say all those phrases that old people in my childhood said. "Where has the time gone?" "Every time I blink you're getting bigger!" "I think we should put a brick on your head so you stop growing!!" "It seemed like just yesterday..."

I can't believe my baby is already two months old.

Jackson had his two month well-baby visit and had to get shots. :( The poor little guy never even saw those giant needles coming. I, however, did and I'm pretty sure I felt his pain. He instantly burst into an angry/hurt cry with a big pouty bottom lip to boot. He weighs a whopping 15 pounds (95th percentile) and is over 24 inches (90th percentile). His pediatrician said he'll be a "tall and handsome boy" but right now his body looks a little bit like a toad. He's so cute. And so perfect.

This week was pretty crazy for the two of us. We babysat cousin Kaitlynne (15 months) while my sister-in-law (aunt Farren) visited a friend in Florida. I guess I did most of the babysitting, but Jackson helped by sleeping just a little bit longer, being just a little more patient when he was hungry and tolerating curious pokes. It was so much fun, but I am exhausted. We went on walks, we danced to the radio, we ate yogurt with our hands, we crawled up the stairs, we crawled down the stairs, we took naps, we laughed, we cried. I feel like I changed seven-million diapers. There were so many moments that I wanted to capture completely and knew I wouldn't be able to by just taking a picture or writing it down. It was wonderful. Did I mention that I'm exhausted?

I look forward to watching Jackson explore his world like Kaitlynne does now. But I can't believe he's already two months old...

Our First Blog
I'm pretty sure there was a point when I said "I will never blog." I'm awful at journaling. I have a journal, but it's been four years since I received the book as a gift and I still haven't filled it up. There are entire quarters of certain years missing and most of the entries involve boys who made me mad. Ironically, the journal is from a boy who eventually made me mad- twice. With that in mind, this is purely experimental.

My new title of "mama" makes me suddenly want to chronicle every moment of every day because I know I'll never get those moments back. Jackson grows and changes every single day and I can barely keep up with him. He's only two months old and I'm already looking back at pictures from his birth and thinking of how tiny he was then. With each additional chub roll I'm reminded of how little he was, to appreciate these moments and to be excited for what's to come.
So, welcome to our blog. I hope you enjoy growing with us.