Tubby Time

How did we go from this.....

 Jackson's first "bath" at home (washcloth bath and hair shampoo under the faucet).

To this.....

Jackson in his infant tub at around 5 months old.

To THIS!.....

Gone are the days when our sweet itty bitty baby would just lay quietly in his tub. Jackson loves to crawl all around his tub, run his hands under the faucet, and splash the water in his face. He gets in there and just moves non-stop. What was it about baths being calming for babies?! The good news is that he LOVES the bath. Just the other night I said, "do you want to go take a tub tub?" He got all excited - big smile and arms flapping. We went in the bathroom and I started the warm water running and put his small tub into the big tub. Then I started to walk back into his room so I could take his clothes and diaper off. He absolutely FREAKED out because he thought he wasn't going to get a chance to get in the bath. I hurried and undressed him and as soon as we walked back into the bathroom he was all smiles and flappy arms again. He practically leapt out of my arms so he could get in. He's always been a water baby and it's so fun to see him grow and become more interactive during bath time. It has actually become one of my favorite times of day!

Jackson's RRRRRRs

Here's a little video of our very busy child in his jumperoo. He whips out his rrrrr rolling a few times.

5 months old!

I just found this post I drafted months ago and never published. It's incomplete, but what the heck, I'll just post the unfinished entry.

Jackson turned 5 months old on October 27th....Sam and I can't believe that he is almost half a year old. Holy crap. Time really does go by as quickly as my parents always said it did!

Here's everything Jackson was up to during his time as a 4-month-old...

- His 4 month check-up took place when he was 4 1/2 months old, thanks to a little insurance debacle and my work schedule. He weighed in at 15 pounds, 2 ounces - putting him in the 47th percentile for weight. Skinny bones!

- He started eating solid foods. I would have liked to wait a little bit longer, because honestly it just seemed like one more thing to have to fit into each day. But Jackson was showing all of the signs that he was ready. Whenever anyone around him ate or drank anything, he would grab for it or just look at it longingly. So we went ahead and started with rice cereal...he was a little unsure about it at first, but he liked it a lot and actually ate it very well. So far he's had rice cereal, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocado, peas, carrots, pears, and apples. He LOVES everything except peas. They literally made him shudder with disgust. We are taking a little break from carrots, as he got a rash after eating them. I'm not 100% sure the rash is from the carrots, but I'm not taking any risks. So we'll try them again later. I'm really enjoying this new phase in his life.....it's a lot of fun watching him discover new tastes and textures. Sometimes he just "mmmmms" his way thru it, and other times he screams in between each bite because I'm just not shoveling it in his mouth quickly enough. I'm excited for his grasping ability to get better so he can eat his little bits of soft finger foods :) Jackson also loves to nom on frozen fruit in his mesh feeder thing. He chews on frozen pears for a while and once they start to soften up, he just sucks the juice out. So cute :)

Here are some pics of his new-found love of purees...

- Still rolling belly to back. NOT rolling back to belly (which he really should be by now). He's just perfectly content when he's on his back...kicking his legs and flailing his arms around. He has no reason to roll over! We are working on it though.

- He's thisclose to sitting up on unassisted. He can tripod sit though.

- His favorite toy: empty Aquafina water bottle. I'm not kidding. Give him one of those and he can crackle it and chew on it to his heart's delight. Gotta love free toys!

- He is warming up to his exersaucer and jumperoo. Still not much jumping going on, but he definitely loves to grab at the toys.

- We had some rough nights in terms of his sleeping (thanks teething and growth spurts!!), but he really has started to lengthen his stretches of sleep. Last night he slept from 6pm to 7:45 am with a quick 3 am feeding in between. Crazy! I hope the 12-hour nights last FOREVER.

- This kid totally has a sense of humor. He initiates his little giggle-fests. It's awesome. He'll look at me and just start giggling...basically enticing me to play with him. So I tickle him and play with him and he laughs and SCREAMS. He loves to be tickled. He also loves to be teased. I love giving him the pacifier and taking it away and he just laughs and laughs. It's the best. He is going to be a fun kid!

Back to Blogging

Well, a few blog posts in and I totally blew it...I have been lagging on updating since October. I was on the phone with Audra today and she reminded me that I really need to update the blog. So here I am! I've only missed three months of Jackson's life...no biggie. He is now walking, talking, and smoking cigars. Not really, obviously, but I'm sure there have been so many great little "milestones" that I've forgotten even took place because now they are part of our daily life.

Here are his 4, 5, and 6 month pictures.

Here's a quick update of what's been going on....Jackson had his first Thanksgiving in November. He slept thru dinner and woke up just as it was almost dessert time. He had a few bites of sweet potato and was done! Christmas was great. Jackson was spoiled (surprise, surprise) by all. He was just as happy playing with all of the wrapping paper and boxes as he was with his new toys. But it certainly was a joy to experience his first Christmas as a family. In January, Jackson and I flew out to California for Auntie Mishel's baby shower. The trip was wonderful, but I'm not sure I'll be flying alone with a baby any time soon! Once we got back, Jackson got his first really nasty upper respiratory infection and then Sam and I got the flu. It was a long week with all of us sick, but we all survived (due in large part to the fact that Jax went to Yaya and Papa's for the weekend so I could rest up and be baby-free).

Here is Jackson's 7 month picture. That's the most updated one I have...we haven't even done his 8 month yet...whoops! I love his expression in the picture. He is such a goofball.

 These crack me up. RAWR! Make love to the camera Jackson!

Jackson is, as usual, the perfect kid! I wish I could push pause on time because it's flying by way too quickly. He isn't crawling yet. He pushes up on all fours and rocks but then decides he'd rather just keep playing with his toys. He LOVES to stand and play at his activity table and is starting to move around it. I think he may walk first. He babbles a lot but has yet to say a real word. In fact, his favorite thing to do is roll his rrrrrs (think rrrrruffles have rrrridges....remember that old commerical?). It's hilarious. He uses that as his main communication tool whether he's happy, sad, mad, excited....doesn't matter. He just loves to do it. I'll try to figure out how to post a video of it.

Life around here is very busy. Sam is in EMT classes this semester and working full-time, I'm working full-time, and we are both just juggling life day by day. It's a crazy time but we are doing our best to stop and enjoy time with Jackson and take it all in before it's over in the blink of an eye.

I promise I'll work on updating more!

Pumpkin Butt!!

Sam always calls Jackson "Pumpkin Butt." I have no idea why. But never has that nickname been more appropriate.


Check out our little pumpkin butt :)

We took about 50 pictures and this was the only one where he was not playing with the plant in front of him, not staring at us like he was braindead, and not crying because he was pissed that he was touching slimy pumpkin guts :)

Waking up from a nap

Jackson is usually a very happy waker-upper. We usually let him hang out there for a bit so he is comfortable being alone in his crib. One afternoon I took pictures of his face on the monitor as he woke up and Sam went to get him, just to prove it. I also love the way he looks on the monitor :) Here we go....

"Hello! I'm awake!" 

(Doesn't he look like a troll doll? Big eyes, tall hair, and wrinkly face)

"HELLO!!! Come get me!"

"Ok, I'm looking at the door because I know someone will be coming soon."

"Oh HI Daddy! I knew you would come get me."

Then they chatted for a bit and Sam kept the camera on him so I could watch him just be cute :)

LOVE this kid!!

Jackson's Boating Adventures

We have been out on the boat a few times now and Jackson seems to be enjoying it more each time we go!

Here is Jackson's first trip on the boat on June 26, 2010. He was a mere 4 weeks old. He mostly just slept thru it. I think the roar of the engine, the soft rocking motion, and the wind blowing in his hair was a perfect combination to relax him. 

He didn't really love the sunglasses though....

The next trip (that I actually took pictures of) was on September 5, 2010. We thought Jackson might enjoy feeling the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Not so much! I think it was a tad too cold for him! I am confident that one day he will love floating in the water off the island just as much as we do.

Then we were back at it on September 18, 2010. 


Jackson loves being on the boat with yaya!

And daddy!

And papa!

The boys decided to go on a little sightseeing expedition to check out the lighthouse on the island. Sam brought Jackson back after about 5 minutes...it was just way too hot for the poor guy. So he sat on the boat with me and yaya and relaxed under the bimini.