Day Thirty Six...

Today was the opening day of The State Fair of Texas! And it was Jackson's first trip to the State Fair! And it was Aunt Lauren's first trip to the State Fair!
We did a lot of walking around (both inside and out)! I definitely burned some of that baby weight today...
I decided that every year, we would go to the State Fair. Every year Jackson and I will take a picture next to Big Tex! Big Tex is about a million feet tall - so Jackson will always look like my little boy (at least next to Big Tex)!
We really wish that Griffen and Delaney would have been able to come to Texas on this trip, but maybe in a few years! They would have LOVED the State Fair! And I am sure they would LOVE LOVE LOVE Baby Jackson!

Day Thirty Five...

Cousin Griffen had a birthday on September 1st! It was a tie-dye party, and they made Jackson a tie-dye onesie! It is super cute! Aunt Lauren can't believe how little he is, but I still can't get over how big he is!
Look at this sweet face... Don't you just want to eat him all up?

Day Thirty Four...

We are on our way to go meet Aunt Lauren. She came into town tonight while we were at work. Gigi picked her up, and we are going to meet for dinner! She will be here until October 1st, and we have some big plans while she is here! Most of them include Aunt Lauren loving on Baby J!
Aunt Lauren is having twins soon (March/April), and she needs to brush up her newborn baby skills. It has been a few years since she had a baby this little at home, so she wants to practice. She even offered to sleep in the room with Jackson and get up with him in the middle of the night, so Momma can get some rest! We will see if that lasts past the first night she is here...

Day Thirty Three...

This is probably the world's worst picture... But I love it! Jackson and Gigi were talking about something - and aparently it was really funny! If you look really close, you can see Jackson's blury little face smiling and giggling! He loves his Gigi!

This is a much better picture (but I still think the first one is so precious!)! Jackson loves to talk to his Gigi - they have some of their best talks at night! Gigi can't wait to see Baby J when we get home from work! She spends all day at work, and then we are at work until after it is dark outside! When we get home, she is more than happy to change diapers, feed him, bathe him - ANYTHING to do with Jackson. (I, on the other hand, am starting to feel like chopped liver!)

I am so glad Jackson has such a special place in Gigi's heart! She loves him so...

Day Thirty Two... One Month...

So, we tried to take some really cute pictures of Jackson today because he is
ONE MONTH OLD!!!!
It didn't really work! I bought these really cute stickers to put on onesies or t-shirts, but Jackson was not a fan! Even if this picture was cute, I would have retaken it because the blanket is in it!

Gigi tried to comfort and calm him while Momma tried to quickly snap a picture of a pleasant Jackson... Still he wanted nothing to do with this photo shoot!

This one isn't too bad! I love that his arms and legs are stretched out, so you can really start to see how big he is! I thought we could be done with that sticker...

But there was another sticker! (There were two packs of stickers that I thought were super cute... I couldn't decide which one I liked better, so I bought both of them!)

We tried the WubbaNub to see if he would be happy after that... But of course I took a picture of Jackson looking away from the camera, and with the WubbaNub in his mouth...

Still with the WubbaNub in his mouth... He really does love that thing... And it is so hard to lose... Which is great!
We finally thought he was calmed down... So, Gigi took the WubbaNub out of his mouth, and I immediately snapped the picture... And this is what we get...

I was done... Jackson was done... So we called it a night!

Happy One Month Birthday Baby J! Momma loves you so much more than she ever thought was possible! You are such a delight to have in my life (even when you are screaming and not cooperating when I want to take a million pictures)! I am so lucky that I get to have you every day for the rest of my life! Love you bunches! ~<3~ Momma

Day Thirty One...

Today, something changed...
I looked at my tiny baby boy, but he did not look so tiny anymore! I put him in a footed sleeper for pajamas tonight... Something about that outfit made Jackson look really big! I guess it is a reality that I need to get used to, but I just wasn't ready for that yet!
I may or may not have shed a tear or two...
How sweet is this sleepy head? I love him to the ends of the Earth...

Day Thirty...

Jackson is getting ready for Halloween a little early this year...
After I fed him a bottle this afternoon, I picked him up, burped him, and he fell asleep! This is not abnormal...) I took him into my room to lay him down in his bassinet so he could lay down and stretch out a little. When I picked him up and put him on my shoulder, his little arms stuck straight out!
Mummy loves this little Zombie!
(Cheesy... I know... But I couldn't resist!)
By the way... I hate that I look like I haven't showered in most of these pictures! I promise that I do shower! I guess when you spend the whole day with a baby who doesn't care if your hair is straightened or your make up is done... I don't care either! But I wish I did...

Day Twenty Eight...

Look at this sweet angel face... (Sorry the picture is a little blurry)
I have this internal struggle...
I went back to work this week (more about that later), and I get home pretty late each night! The great thing about my job is that I get to take Jackson with me, and keep him with me all day. The drive home puts Jackson to sleep - EVERY TIME! So when we get home, he is still asleep. Most times he is in a deep sleep - one that I don't want to wake him from...
That is precisely the problem... He is asleep in his carseat and I don't want to wake him up!
I feel terrible for letting him sleep for a few hours in his carseat, but I know that if I wake him up when we get home his sleep schedule for ethe whole night will be thrown off!
What to do, what to do...

Day Twenty Seven...

Aunt Jamie brough over a sling today for us to use! After studying the directions, I put it on and we stuffed Jackson in it! I was really nervous, but he seemed to love it! He looked like a little nugget! It seemed to be a tight fit when we were getting him in, but once he was in he fit perfectly! He was snug, but not too tight! I was a little hesitant to take my hands off the bottom of the sling, but after a few minutes I realized that I did not need to support the sling. It is great... I can still hold him so close to me, but have my hands free! I still find myself rubbing his bottom and back - just like I did when I was pregnant! I love having his so close, and I think Jackson is pretty fond of it as well!

Day Twenty Six...

Clearly, I spoke too soon!
Tonight at bath time, Jackson screamed the whole time! From the moment I set him in the tub to the second I took him out! Maybe the water was too warm... Maybe the water was too cold... Maybe Jackson could sense my nerves... Whatever it was, he DID NOT like it one bit!
However, when I took him out, he was the sweetest baby ever! I wrapped him up in his choo-choo towel and cuddled with him for a while! If I wasn't so afraid that he was going to pee or poo all over his clean self, I would have cuddled with him like that for hours! (Who am I kidding... I didn't want him to pee or poo on me either!)
Bath for Jackson... Check!
Bath for Mommy... Not So Much!

Day Twenty Five...

Boy, does Jackson love bath time... Today was Jackson's first 'in water' bath! And he LOVED it! I have been so afraid to give him a real bath (although we were cleared to do so several days ago) when I am home by myself! There is something about soap and water that just makes a little baby SO very slippery! Gigi gave Jackson his bath today, and he was perfect! He cooed and aaahed! There was no crying - even when she washed his face! He did pee in the water - no surprise! But he did great! I hope he loves bath times!

Day Twenty Four...

Jackson loves to sleep in his bassinet... Jackson loves to sleep in his swing... BUT sometimes Jackson just needs a chance to stretch out! He REALLY LOVES to sleep on the couch! We lay him down on his back, but tonight he turned toward the couch! He curled that leg up under him (maybe to keep him on his side). He pulled his arms up in front of his face. I was a little worried that he would suffocate himself, but he was doing great! The weird thing is - When I don't feel well or when I am really tired, I like to sleep on the couch - facing the couch! Such a sweet naptime this evening!

Day Twenty Three...

Let me tell you... This boy LOVES to squirm! His favorite time to squirm is while his diaper is being changed. He has started to roll onto his side while we change his diaper. I think he would probably roll all the way over, but he just cannot figure out what to do with that arm! I bet it won't be too far down the road that he will be rolling onto his belly!

Day Twenty Two...

Jackson has started doing tummy time at home! And, surprisingly, he seems to like it. I would not say he loves it, but he enjoys spending time on his tummy. He does well - he holds his head up, turns his head from side to side, and presses his chin out. I am always right beside him while he does tummy time. I pick him up when he gets frustrated. We try to do tummy time once a day, but sometimes we do it more! I can't believe that soon Jackson will push up on his arms...

Day Twenty One...

Last night was not too bad... Once Jackson fell aslepp, he did his normal 4 hour stretches! I am noticing that Jackson is awake more and more during the day. Right after his feedings, I will burp him. After he burps really good a few times, he is ready to stay up for about 45 minutes. I love these times - he coos and he is playful. Sometimes he just cuddles. He will rest on your shoulder, and he is starting to lift his head on his own. His eyes are so bright and wide open. He looks all around - and especially at lights! He will look at me, but I am not quite sure that he knows he is looking at me.
I thought I love him when he was born, but I fall more and more in love with him each and every day!

Day Twenty...

So... Like I said earlier... This is about the time we put Jackson to bed (between 10 and 10:30pm)... NOT TONIGHT! This boy is wide awake! He thinks it is time to party. We have tried changing him, feeding him, rocking him. We have tried the swing, the pacifier, and walking around. He isn't crying - he just does not want to go to sleep! Oh well... It might be a long night!

Day Nineteen...

I could seriously look at this face for hours! He is so perfect! His skin is so soft and so smooth! His lips are perfectly pursed. His tongue rests silently between his lips. His short, quick breaths are a welcomed sound.
This is about the time I put Jackson down for the night. He is getting better at sleeping, but he doesn't sleep through the night yet. He gives me a good 4 hour stretch each night - so he is doing pretty good. I really thought that I would hate getting up with him in the middle of the night, like it would be a hassle. However, it is the complete opposite. I love it! Sometimes I wake up before he does. I listen to him breathe, grunt, and squirm. I change him, feed him, and rock him. I hold him until he is asleep, and some nights I think about holding him while he sleeps for the rest of the night. But then I remember that I cannot hold him all the time. Plus, if I held him all night, who would take care of him when I needed to sleep?
We both had doctors appointments today - I will update about those later!

Day Eighteen...

Like I said before, Jackson loves to sleep in his swing! When he doesn't look like he is deep in thought, he has his hands up. It is one of the funniest things he does. He will be sleeping with his hands down (by his side, on his belly, on his chest) and all of the sudden he will get startled. His hands will shoot up into the air - with his fingers spread as wide as they will go! Slowly - really slowly - they will float back down. Sometimes his hands will be in the air for almost 5 minutes before they go all the way back down. Through all of this he never wakes up! He is such a cute boy!

Day Seventeen...

Today was Jackson's first trip to church! He did, well, as good as can be expected of a newborn. We did not make it to the 9am service, but we made it to church around 10:15am. We hung out in the Crossing (the lobby at church) and so many friends came to get their first glimpse at Baby J! Everyone ooohed and aaaahed at him. They said he was beautiful, perfect, and absolutely adorable. We would get squeals of glee from friends when they would see us across the Crossing. They would leave their own children behind and run over to see us. Everyone was very careful - no one touched him unless I allowed them. Even strangers commented about how sweet he was! He wore brown pants (we had to roll them a few times to make them fit his skinny little waist - so they really looked like shorts) and a striped long sleeved shirt. On the front of the shirt, it said "Born in '11".
We went in to the sanctuary when church was close to starting. We got in our normal seats, except I sat on the outside because I may have had to make a quick escape with a screaming baby. We made it through music - I was a little worried that the loud music would hurt his ears, but Gigi said he would be okay! He actually slept through all of the music, but, as things got quiet and the pastor began to talk, Jackson woke up and started to get fussy. I took him out before he let out a big wail.
We went into the nursing mothers room, where there is a screen showing the service. There were a few other mothers in there with their little ones. I looked like a complete newbie. I must have apologized to those ladies a million times. We all started talking, and they gave some great advice - things I will have to try for next week! They were great, and completely accepting and forgiving!
After church was over, we met Gigi in the Crossing. Of course, more people came and ooohed and aaahed over Baby J. We went out to lunch with some church friends, and Jackson did great (until he was ready to go)!
He has had an eventful day so far. We are home to take a nap, but we might need to run to Target later this afternoon! We will see - Jackson is now the boss around here!

Day Sixteen...

Gigi dressed Jackson today! She loves this little onesie - she thinks it is just perfect! We often describe Jackson as a little tree frog. Whenever you pick him up to take him anywhere or you hold him close against your chest, he will pull his legs up. He pulls them up so high that they are even with his cute little butt. He looks just like a little tree frog. He perches on your arm, gets comfortable, and will sleep for hours!
I also happen to love this little smile! I know, it is porbably just gas pains. But that is the cutest smile on the planet! Maybe he is dreaming happy thoughts...

Day Fifteen...

Jackson is TWO WEEKS new today... I cannot believe how times flies!
Jackson loves to swing... When he swings, he always falls asleep... And when he sleeps he often looks like he is deep in thought! It is so cute! He will scrunch his forehead up and make those cute little wrinkles. He sometimes will pull his hand to his head - sometimes at his ear, sometimes covering his eye, and sometimes carefully placed on his forehead. It is almost as if he is saying "Oh no, What is wrong with this world?!" Sometimes he looks like a little old man when he is sleeping and in such deep thought. I often wonder what he is thinking about - it must be something very important!

Day Fourteen...

So... I didn't take a picture yesterday, but hopefully that won't become a habit!
I did manage to capture this precious moment with Jackson and Gigi sleeping on the couch tonight! Gigi could probably sit like this for hours on end... And Jackson will stay like this until his little belly is running on E - like completely empty! But I cannot get over that precious angel face! I love that boy...

Day Twelve...

Like I said before, Jackson loves his Gigi! I am so thankful for my mom - she has been my rock through all of this. She has helped so so much since Jackson was born. She helped me recover from my c-section (more on that later), she gets up at night with me and Jackson to help with diaper changes and feedings, and she plays with Jackson when I need a nap! She is beyond amazing! We love her!

Day Eleven...

Jackson loves to play in his bouncer! The doctor thought he was a little jaundice, but nothing too concerning. They suggested that we put him in the sunlight with as little clothes as possible. He likes to sit in his bouncer even when he is not sunbathing - I think he likes to be involved in the conversations that any other people may be having around him. His bouncer seat makes that possible! He loves to be the center of attention - and we all love to let him!

Day Ten...

After eating one night, Nanny and Jackson had aboout an hour of playtime. Nanny kept him awake to see if he would sleep longer at night. They played patty-cake, sang songs, and laughed! Jackson did sleep better that evening - we may have to continue this tradition of playing after he eats! I can't wait for him to really PLAY and LAUGH! But I want to keep my little boy little for a long time!

Day Nine...

Jamie and Ronnie came to visit us one night. They bought a Texas Longhorns onesie for Jackson to wear, but he wasn't really a fan of being changed! Again with the diaper thing - the second Jamie pulled off his diaper, Jackson peed all over his changing table - and my curtains! He was not too sure about the Longhorns onesie, but he is a fan of football! Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Jamie loved on him for a few hours - and he was sad when they left! Good thing they are going to be around for a while! They are the meaning of true friends! We love them both (and can't wait for them to have a friend for Jackson to play with)!

Day Eight...

Nanny came to visit Jackson while he was still so small - and she fell in love! She gave him his first bath at home! It was an adventure - for sure! He doesn't like the cold air when we take off his diaper, and he tends to pee all over everything when we take his diaper off. This time was no exception! Even though Jackson peed all over her, Nanny still loves him!

Day Seven...

Jackson loves his Gigi - and his Gigi loves him! He loves to stare at her and coo. Sometimes he is fussy, but Gigi always knows how to fix things! She is so amazing - and someone that I will forever try to imitate! Love you, Mom/Gigi!