Making The Vanns

My big 2 year old??

2011-05-18T10:46:00.000-07:00

Now that I have recovered from our vacation and the birthday bash I have time to dwell on how big my boy is. 2 years old already? It's so bittersweet that my baby is getting so big. He is the most darling, sweetest boy I have ever laid eyes on (coming from his mother of course). I just adore him so much. He is quite a little talker, repeats everything we say, his train obsession is continuing and he know all the Thomas Train names. He loves to be outside, likes water, eats well, sleeps all night and takes a 2-3 hour nap. He can count to 20, knows his shapes and colors and tells us what he wants, when and how he wants it. He loves his Mommy and Daddy and his Grandparents. He is social, learning to share and all in all a very happy, content little guy. He weighed in at a whopping 34 pounds on Monday and it's getting harder for me to carry him around with my growing belly. I'm trying to make the most of these last few months we have with him before his sister arrives. I hope to have a fun filled, busy summer! Here are a few more pics from the birthday party last weekend. What a fun day!!!

Choo Choo Jack is 2!

2011-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Phew, the birthday bash is over and the birthday boy had a great time. The Mommy is tired...so instead of making my own post I'm going to steal our good friend Sandi's who was kind enough to take some amazing pics of the party. Thanks Sandi!!!!

Jack's B-Day pics- Sandi's Blog

San Diego

2011-05-10T18:09:00.000-07:00

I know there are a ridiculous amount of pictures below but we got so many good ones in San Diego it was hard to choose which ones to post. We all had a great time on Coronado and made so many great memories. Jackson had a blast at the beach, in the pool, at the Zoo and visiting his Great Grandma & Grandpa Eubanks. Traveling with a toddler is challenging, especially when he is 33 pounds and sitting on your lap! We were all happy to be on the ground after an only 2.5 hour flight! Next up....Jack's 2nd B Day party. Pics to come this weekend!

16 Weeks

2011-05-03T08:42:00.000-07:00

Baby is starting to swim around in there! I love feeling her move and am looking forward to many more months of her squirming

.

Buds

2011-05-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jackson and his buddy Cole have been having lots of fun together lately. These guys are about 2.5 months apart and have lots of good times to look forward to!

Hopping down to Grandma and Grandpa's

2011-05-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

We spent Easter weekend at my parents house. It was a whirlwind but lots of fun! Jimmy was too busy with work to make the trip so my brother and I drove the boys down together. 4 hours in the car with 2 toddlers...was surprisingly not that bad. They did pretty well and had a blast playing with the grandparents for a few days.

The weather has been looking up a little and Jackson loves to get outside and play. He likes to dig in the dirt and he could walk around the neighborhood and look at things for hours. Apparently everything outside is exciting to a 2 year old. Who knew the grass, birds, puddles, airplanes, cars, rocks, etc could be so exciting??

We are leaving for San Diego on Thursday for a mini vacation. We wanted to go somewhre with Jackson before baby girl gets here so we are going down to Coronado for a few days to relax in the sun and play on the beach. I can not wait to get there! Jackson has never been on a plane before so we are all so excited for our little adventure.

When we get back it's train party central for the birthday bash!

14 weeks

2011-04-13T10:27:00.000-07:00

Whoa belly!

Sugar & Spice

2011-04-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

...And everything nice...a little baby GIRL is on the way. I can't hardly belive that I am having a daughter. It is really sureal. Just the thought all of the little pink clothes out there is overwhelming. We have absolutly nothing pink so I had to run out to Target today and get a little dress or two to start our collection! OMG the little girl clothes are darling!

I'm 14 weeks today and this pregnancy is already going so much faster than the last one. I'll take a belly pic soon and post it so you can see the growing baby in all her glory.

We had a bit of sun, we could use some warmth but at least it wasn't raining, so Jackson took advantage of it with some time outside. He is such a sweet, funny boy. He is talking up a storm and in full on 2 year old tantrum phase. I just adore him, he always has me laughing. I can't believe he will be 2 next month. I am in full Choo Choo train party planning mode. Can't wait to celebrate my little stud muffin (no not you Jimmy).

Here we go again...PART 2

2011-03-04T13:55:00.001-08:00

I know I've been a little off the grid the past couple of weeks but I've been working very hard, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and it has been EXHAUSTING!! The project I am working on is sucking the life out of me and even making me sick. Thankfully I'm happy to working so hard and the rewards I will eventually receive from the hard work I put in will be priceless.

That's right folks....I'M GROWING ANOTHER BABY!!!

We did a frozen embryo transfer with one of our 8 little snow babies at the end of January and we got really lucky. This strong little baby nuzzled right in and began growing like a weed. It's been a bit rougher this time around with the nausea and exhaustion. I'm sucking on lemon drops, drinking ginger tea, and wearing sea bands around the clock and I'm already dying for the 1st trimester to come to a close. I'm about 9 weeks right now so I still have a few to go before I can hope for some relief. Baby is due on Oct. 11th.

So there you have it. Other than the baby news we are all struggling with cabin fever and dying for spring so we can quit feeling like we're cooped up inside all the time. Jackson is growing away and a crazy, full of energy toddler who is keeps us both running.

I'll get some pics of the new bean up soon.

Chuga Chuga Chuga

2011-02-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

Jackson is OBSESSED with trains. He knows all the Thomas train names and can't get enough of it. He is never without something Thomas in his hands. We are lucky enough to have a train museum about a mile from our house. Last weekend we took him down to walk around and the whole time he said "Wow...Wow". Looks like we have a train themed 2nd B Day party in our future.

We take them to Costco...

We play with them everywhere...

And we see the real thing...

Jimmy and I are just chugging along!

Scared of the dark

2011-01-27T18:45:00.000-08:00

Oh my, Jackson has decided he is apparently scared of the dark. It was actually heartbreaking before we figured out this was the issue. Usually we read a book, give him some milk, put him in his crib and close the door but for the past week he has been screaming bloody murder when we put him in his crib at night. I'm serious...you would think someone was torturing him and he was scared to death. We tried everything, rocking him, rubbing his back, trying to reason with him (yeah right) and finally last night I just had to sit in the glider in his room until he fell asleep because if I tried to leave the room he FREAKED out. Tonight I got smart and turned the hall light on and left his door wide open when I put him in the crib. I told him I'd leave the light on and he needed to be a big boy and go to bed by himself. Guess what? He hasn't made a peep. Apparently he is scared of the dark all of a sudden. I'm so glad we have figured this out because this new bedtime issue was getting a little old.

I've been momarazzi lately because I got a new I Phone(how did I ever live without one?) and the pics and videos it takes are amazing. I whip it out constantly and snap away so I have some fun videos to share.

This little guy is a talker. He counts, says his ABC's and basically bosses us around all day. Proof below!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

The Vann Family Cabin

2011-01-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

We are so lucky that over 40 years ago, Jimmy's grandparents built the Vann Family Cabin at Crystal Mountain. They put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into the process and have spent countless hours cleaning, repairing and maintaining it. But, they have also spent countless hours cooking family meals, roasting marshmallows, sledding, skiing, building fires, playing games and spending time as a family. Jimmy spent a lot of time at this cabin growing up and has so many fond memories of spending time there with his grandparents and cousins. Jackson is already making memories of his own and we are so thrilled we will all be able to enjoy it for years to come.
Last week we took a day trip to the cabin because of the Vann Great Grandchildren were going to be there. This the first time they have all been together and the Great Grandparents were beaming with pride! It wasn't easy to get a pic of them all but you get the idea!

3rd generation Vann Family to enjoy the Cabin!

This is a very special Grandma/Grandson/Great Grandson relationship

Nothing beats roasting marshmallows in the snow!

A few weeks ago Jackson was hanging by the fire with the men.

The cabin is even lots of fun for little's when there is no snow...especially little boys who like sticks!

Wheelbarrow rides...I think this wheelbarrow is from about 200BC

Thanks for cleaning up that dirt buddy!

Here we go again

2011-01-02T08:25:00.000-08:00

Ok I know, I know! I am now justifiably the worst blogger in blogger land and I apologize to anyone out there looking for an update (all 2 of you...aka Mom and Dad). I promise to do better in 2011 and keep you updated more often. Life just got away from me and now some how we have ended up smack dab in a new year.

2010 has been an amazing year for the Vann family. We have really been blessed! We are happy, healthy, comfortable and more and more in love with our little Jackson everyday. He is such a special little person and I feel so lucky to be able to watch his little personality form.

Rather than go into a detailed synopsis of our last couple of months, here they are in pictures.

Jackson was a Duck for Halloween. It was the only costume he would actually put on so we went with it. He was a pretty cute duck if I do say so!

We had a big snow storm at home and then spent a few days at the cabin in the snow. Jack's really just into eating the white stuff but had fun sledding too.

We celebrated our first holiday in our new house.

We had an amazing Christmas. We spent time with all the family, attended lots of parties and Santa was very good. Jackson got more toys then he knows what do with, J got a new flat screen, clothes and BluRay player and I made out with some new Lulu Lemon, a Nook and more clothes. Fun times!

Ok so that should bring you up to speed on the lives of the Vann's. You'll be hearing from me again soon. I promise!!!! Happy New Year everyone (aka...Mom & Dad).

I LOVE YOU TOO!

2010-09-19T14:45:00.000-07:00

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Hood Canal, Pool Time, G&G Camp, HFM, Cabo

2010-09-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

What do all of the above have in common?? They pretty much sum up our REALLY busy end of of summer weeks. I truly can not believe it has been over a month since I last posted anything and I apologize to anyone who may still check in on my blog. I will try harder to post more often now that summer is over and fall is upon us. I'll sum up our last 6 week with pictures (because that is way more fun than anything I have to write)!

In the beginning of Aug we spent a long weekend in Hood Canal with friends. The weather was pretty bad but it didn't stop us from taking advantage of the beautiful scenery and the kids really could have cared less. Jackson fell in love with Ella and we learned that bubble machines are great entertainment even in the rain. They had a great time playing, hiking, checking out the shells and just hanging out.

We had some really hot days and Jackson had some good pool time at both his great grandparents house and our neighbors house. He's a big fan of the water!

Things then took a turn for the worse and Jackson got a pretty bad virus. It was kind of a combination of hand, foot, mouth disease and the chicken pox. He had the fever, rash, runny nose...the whole shebang. Not fun!

Thankfully he managed to recover with the help from my Mom (she's a saint and drove up at the last minute because Jackson couldn't go to the nanny's with his illness) and we all got some good Tristan time. The cousins are really starting to interact and they are like two wild banshees together. They are going to have a lot of fun together.

We also spent an evening with Jimmy's Mom at a Bar B Que. It was a beautiful summer evening in Seattle and we had good fortune to be at a beautiful home on the Lake Washington. Lucky us :-)

Lastly Jackson spent a week at my parents house (G&G Camp) while Jimmy and I spent our 3rd anniversary in Cabo with good friends. While we missed Jackson like crazy it was an amazing trip. We ate too much, drank too much, lay in the sun and just relaxed. I think the pictures pretty much sum it up!

A Picnic in the Park

2010-07-31T19:13:00.001-07:00

We've been going on picnics lately and we are getting pretty good at it. You'd think a picnic would be a very simple thing but being the crazy lady I am I make everything a little more complex. The last few picnics have consisted of grilled chicken, homemade pasta salad, shrimp and mango ceviche w/ chips, of course wine and all the fixins...ie, straws, plates, cups, a blanket, garbage bag, cooler, sippy cup, lots of wipes, etc. It is quite the production but Jackson thinks it's great and it's a lot of fun to eat dinner in an open field. We've been ending our picnics with long walks aimed to wear Jackson out so as soon as we get home he's exhausted and it's bedtime! It's very fun, I highly recommend it!

2010-07-26T21:16:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we had a friend over who happens to be a professional photographer and he snapped a few pics of Jackson playing. They are so great and I forgot to share them. Our friend Matt lives in the Portland area and if you are in need of a photographer for anything he is awesome!

30,000 feet

2010-07-18T12:43:00.000-07:00

I'm currently 30,000 feet above somewhere in Utah on my way to Austin for work. How great is it that you can now be on line while flying. Love this, I feel like the 4 hours in the air are so much more productive now. Who has time to sit on a flight and do nothing for 4 hours on a Sunday?? Now at least I can get the blog updated!

While Mommy is away the boys play and I think Jimmy has plans of feeding Jackson ice cream for dinner and hanging out in PJ's all day (not entirely true but things will for sure be more relaxed while I am gone). Thankfully this is the first trip I have been on in quite a while where I don't have to pump in the airplane bathroom and haul bags of breast milk on ice through security. It feels like I am forgetting something but the freedom from that stupid pump is great.

Jackson is having such a fun summer and we have been loving the sunny Seattle weather the past week. Once I get home on Tuesday night it's time to start getting ready for the next phase of trips and fun times. We are spending a weekend in Hood Canal with friends, heading to Camas for my 10 year reunion, and then the most anticipated trip in the history of trips...we are headed to Mexico for a childless vacation. Jackson is going to Camp Grandma & Grandpa and we are going to Camp all inclusive in Cabo!! We're ready for Ronas and Ritas and a last horrah before we possibly start the long trek down the road of infertility with a hopeful 2nd baby at the end!

Here are a few more summer fun pics...Laughing with Cole on the 4th, Hanging with the ladies on Bainbridge Island, Getting in to trouble with cousin Tristan and playing with his favorite toy...a shovel and a bucket!

It just keeps getting better

2010-07-03T16:24:00.000-07:00

When Jackson was 8 weeks old and first started giving us those sly little gummy smiles and we were sure it was the most fabulous thing he would ever do everyone kept telling us "just wait, it keeps getting better and better." I thought to myself, there is no way it can get better than this. Then he rolled over, crawled, laughed, walked, said Mama and the list goes on and on. And, it is true! It just keeps getting better and better!

We have been so busy and I'm such a bad blogger. I apologize for my tardiness of this post. In the last month we have been to Portland for a weekend with my parents, taken Jack to his first Mariners Game on Father's Day, spent a weekend in Eastern WA, celebrated my nephew Tristan's first birthday at the zoo, while working full time jobs, trying to keep up with housework and chasing a very fast little toddler. We are loving life, waiting for the sun to arrive and spending our days relishing in Jackson's new words, dance moves and cheery personality. Of course I have a zillion pictures from the past month so I'll post as many as I can...enjoy!

The Moves

2010-05-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Watch out JT, you've got nothin' on JV...he's got the moves!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

...and because baby bums are probably the cutest thing ever...here's a little bum ready for its bath. Jackson LOVES bath time!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

But he was still hungry...

2010-05-20T20:06:00.001-07:00

Jackson's 1st birthday party last weekend was a success! We had perfect weather and celebrated with fabulous friends and family. Jackson has been loving all of his new toys has been having a great time playing with them. Thank you so much to all of you who celebrated our sweet boy's first year of life with us. This year has brought us more joy and love than we ever could have imagined and we are so grateful to have such wonderful people around us to celebrate this important milestone!

12 Months of Jackson

2010-05-17T15:50:00.000-07:00

It really is amazing how much babies change in the first year of life. Jackson had his 12 month Dr. visit today and even our pediatrician said she couldn't believe how fast that year went. I feel like we just took him in for his 1 week check up. Now he is running everywhere, telling us no no, and eating us out of house and home (not really but I'm just mentally preparing myself for when he is a teenager).

We had a first birthday bash this weekend for our littler Caterpillar and it was a blast. So much fun to celebrate Jackson's first year of life with friends and family. Thank you to all of you who helped us celebrate! I will post some pics of the festivities this week.

Have your cake...

2010-05-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, so how adorable are these pictures? Loving this B-day photo shoot we did with our friend Sarah a few weeks ago. They are just so fun! Jackson was loving him some birthday cake!

His big party is this weekend and we are super excited to celebrate our special little guy's first year of life. He is such a little joy right now! He is a walking, talking machine and is learning so quickly. He knows a lot of words now and is really starting to communicate and understand.

He has been super sick for the past week and is now on an antibiotic so I'm really hoping his nose stops running by his party on Saturday. We are so busy right now with work and a wedding on Friday and the party on Saturday so I'm off to get more done but I promise a sappy 1st birthday post soon!

New Pics

2010-04-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

We had a little photo shoot with our friend Sarah last week for Jack's 1st B Day and the pics are so darling. We did some special One Year Photos but I'll save those for another post. Here are a few, he's such a big ball of love :-) Thanks again Sarah!

Playdates

2010-04-24T19:32:00.001-07:00

Jackson has had lots of fun playdates with friends and his cousin in the past few weeks. He has been a busy little bee playing with everyone. He is walking everywhere and is getting more stable everyday. He is also understanding a lot of words right now. He knows "outside" and wants to go out all the time. He knows all of his toys too. We can ask him to go get a certain toy and he will walk to it and get it. He is also knows alot of his books and will point at objects in them. It's so cute and so fun to watch him learn new things. By far Jimmy's favorite is the "hoop", he will tell him to "get the ball and put it in the hoop" and Jackson will pick up the ball and put it in a little hoop we have. Jimmy thinks this is fantastic and Jackson is right up there with Kobe! Watch out NBA...here comes Jackson Vann ;-)

I am in full blown 1st B Day party mode. It's only three weeks away!! Last year at this time I was on bedrest...hard to believe!

Below is our week in pics-

War Wounds

2010-04-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Our little bruiser got his first real bruise this evening with a crash into the tile. I knew it would happen sooner or later and I'm sure this isn't the only time he'll go barreling into the tile ledge in our living room but he got a good knot on his eye and I got some good snuggle time out of it (not to take advantage of my child's suffering or anything)!

I think we can officially say he is a walker now. He stands up on the furniture and then lets go and walks around all over the place. He always has his arms up in the air and he usually goes from one piece of furniture to another and often stops and sits in the middle of the path. It is darling and Jackson is really pround of himself. I'm off to do more baby proofing...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Hopping (okay waddling) down the bunny trail...

2010-04-04T19:28:00.000-07:00

We've had a tough week with a very sick baby. Jackson woke up with a really high fever on Wednesday morning. He'd never had a fever before so of course it was a little scary for a neurotic, first time Mom. He has no other real symptoms except for messy diapers until today when he got a bad rash all over his body this afternoon. We figured out he has Roseola which is apparently a common virus in babies. The fever is now gone I think he feels a lot better. He slept for the entire day on Friday, waking only for milk and has been really fussy and tired all weekend but things are looking up. The rash looks pretty bad but it doesn't seem to bother him.

Today was Jackson's first Easter and despite being a little fussy he had a great time with family. We had a really nice brunch with my parents, brother, nephew and Jimmy's family. The Easter Bunny made his first trip to our house last night and Jackson was a very lucky boy! He loved his basket and got fun new toys and books from his Grandparents too.

The other big news here at the Vann house is that Jackson took his first steps this week! He took about 5 or 6 steps over and over again but he hasn't been doing much of it since he got sick. It is really cute and of course I have a video share. I think he may be running by his 1st birthday!

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How Big is Jackson??

2010-03-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

My Dad taught Jackson this last weekend...is it the cutest thing ever?

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Luck of the Irish

2010-03-17T19:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best Hubby and Daddy we know! Thanks for all you do for us honey...we love you!
PS...Have fun in Vegas with your buddies. You deserve it!
PSS...Come back with some $$$$

Celebrating J's B Day and St. Patricks Day with Corned Beef & Cabbage, Green Wine and Carbomb Cupcakes!

Who Doesn't Love Ice Cream?

2010-03-09T20:49:00.000-08:00

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Home Sweet Home

2010-03-07T19:39:00.001-08:00

I'm home and we are all finally back to normal! No one is sick and contrary to my belief we all survived my travels! I actually think my trip to Vegas was great for all of us because Jackson FINALLY started sleeping through the night while I was gone and has kept it up all week! I thought the day would never come. He is a solid food fiend so at at 9 1/2 months it only makes sense that he would finally be done nursing in the night! Jackson still loves to eat and he can really put it away! He eats pretty much everything we do and thinks it's tons of fun to feed himself and make huge messes. I've gotten pretty good at just letting him get after it at every meal and deal with the mess and clean up. Yea for me for getting over my fear of food being smashed all over every inch of Jackson's face!

I had a great time in Vegas with the ladies. We shopped, saw two great shows, visited all the hotels, ate great meals and even went on a field trip to Hoover Dam (we went on the dam(n) tour). It was nice to be away with the ladies with no distractions (except pumping four times a day...which was utterly, pun intended, unbelievable with all my travel in the past 2 months...MOO).

Jackson is starting to stand for a second or two on his own and I think walking isn't too far off. He is such a happy little guy and babbling a lot too. He still doesn't have any real words but he is starting to put sounds together and it is so cute. His little voice is so sweet and I could listen to him babble all day! He has learned how to do high 5 and knows how to give kisses. He LOVES his mommy and daddy but is pretty happy to be around anyone who will give him attention. He also loves to be out and about. He's likes to be a man on the town.

We've had a great weekend hanging out with friends and family and enjoying the fabulous Seattle spring weather. Have a great week everyone! Happy Boy!

Ready for practice

Looking at the birdies

My brother Joe and nephew Tristan ready for a walk

Double Trouble!

Studs and their boys

Love!

2010-02-21T18:11:00.001-08:00

Ugg, we are finally starting to get well over here. It's about time! After the stomach flu ran it's course Jackson got a pretty nasty cold that is just starting to go away. His poor little nose is red and raw from running non stop but he is finally back to his cheery self and is back to actually sleeping....woohoo...much needed rest!!

I have one more crazy week ahead and then things are going to start slowing down (lol yeah right). On Wednesday I'm heading to Vegas with my Mom, Grandma and Aunts for a little ladies trip. It will be a blast and I'm really excited to relax and just hang out. Unfortunately it will be my 4th overnight trip in 2 months (I was in Denver last week for a night) and I am SOOOOO tired of hauling the pump through the airport and pumping in weird and obnoxious places. I feel really bad for any mothers out there who travel often and pump. It is not a fun thing to do and that stupid pump is so heavy to haul around. After this week the next time I go anywhere Jackson better be done with the boobs!

On top of the Vegas trip we have a new nanny starting this week and my boss is in town on Monday and Tuesday. By the time it is over Jimmy is really going to need a vacation too. He has had a lot of alone time with Jackson lately and he is going to be on his own almost every night this week. He is such a good Daddy and I'm so thankful I can be gone and not worry about Jackson at all!

We have spent the weekend enjoying the unseasonably warm Seattle weather. Sunny and 60 degrees in Feb?? Weird but oh so welcome! We had a fun visit with my Grandma and Aunt Julie who came up for the day on Sat and the highlight of my day today was finding some Jeggings at Target. I've been wanting some and was oh so happy to find them for $19.99!

I forgot to mention Jackson had his 9 month appt last week and he is honestly as big as some 2 year olds. He weighs 22 pounds and is 29 inches long. He's in the 75% for weight and 90% for height. He is huge!!! We aren't tall so I'm not sure where this height is coming from but I'm assuming he's going to slow down soon. As you can see he has almost outgrown the elephant.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

From our handsome, little Valentine!

A REALLY crazy week...

2010-02-10T19:36:00.000-08:00

No, it was not crazy in a good way either! I headed off to Atlanta last Sunday for a work conference, already thinking it was going to be really tough to pump for 4 days, deal with the time change and REALLY crappy flights. All of that really was really nothing compared to the stomach flu I came down with on Tues night. Stomach flu + clogged milk duct + hotel room + flying home in the middle of the night + exhaustion = absolutely miserable Mama!!! Thankfully I managed to survive (barely) and then I got home and gave the flu to both Jimmy and Jackson. Jimmy got lucky and didn't have it too bad but Jackson is still dealing with a lot of bodily fluids. Good thing he has a lot of extra fat because he has had no interest in eating since Friday. He is in really good spirits though and is laughing and playing like normal. If I could just get out from under the constant laundry from the sickness we would be doing good! If any of you out there have any trips planned where you are not taking your nursing baby...don't go!

Anyway, we are trying to get back to normal and get caught up. We had a pretty uneventful Super Bowl and Jimmy and I are going out for dinner on Valentines Day but it should be pretty low key.

Jackson is ALL over the place and refuses to sit still. He is babbling a lot more lately too. No real words yet but I'm really pushing for Mama! Sounds like we still have a ways to go though before we get there.

Here are a few pics of my precious, squishy, big ball of love (who is almost 9 months old...wow)!

Hood Canel

2010-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we spent the night in Hood Canal at our friend Mark's house. It was fabulous and a really nice little get away. Jackson was a little angel and had a great time. Unfortunately we got home on Sunday evening and it was back to reality. Now we all have colds and Jackson just got another tooth (his 7th...crazy). We've been dealing with sleepless nights and a lot of snot this week. I'm a stress case too because I am going to Atlanta for work early Sunday morning and I won't be home until late Wed night. I'm dreading it because it is a really long time to be away from Jack...especially because he is still nursing! I'm hoping we all survive, wish us luck. I'll post again soon but right now I'm in panic mode trying to get things ready to go!

8 Months

2010-01-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

Jackson is such a little joy to be around right now. He loves to play with his toys and he is funny and happy most of the time. He is easy to take places and even does really well at restaurants.

I've been having a bit of cabin fever lately because our weather has been so wet. Today we had a sunny afternoon and I could hardly wait to get Jackson out and about in the sunshine. We went to the park and he loved the swings! I am so looking forward to all of the fun outdoor activities we can do in the summer.

I won't go on and on about how I can't believe Jackson it 8 months already but I will say that he just gets more and more fun everyday. I just love him to pieces! I could honestly just kiss his squishy cheeks all day long!

Jackson at 8 months

- Very good at telling as what he wants mostly by grunting, whining, laughing, crying or reaching.

- Crawls everywhere and is very fast. He will not sit still!

- Stands on everything and always trying to pull himself up on the things around him.

- Loves to eat, some favs are tomato, avocado, mango, tofu, rice, sweet potato, muffins, banana, yogurt, oatmeal, gardenburger and he had a salmon and mashed potatoes the other day and thought it was great!

- Loves his Mom and Dad.

- Not very vocal, grunts a lot and shrieks but no syllables.

- Likes reading books.

- Bangs his hands on everything, such a boy.

- Knows the words Mama, Dada and Milk...but has no interest in saying them!

- When the word Milk is said he will fuss and force himself into my chest until I give in.

- Sleeps 9-10 hours at night, nurses, and sleeps another 2-3.

- Has 6 teeth. 4 on the top and the bottom 2.

- Takes 2 good naps a day.

- He is huge and so heavy to carry around. Starting to outgrow 6-12 mo clothes.

Playdate

2010-01-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

We had a little play date last week with some of Jackson's friends and it was super fun. The kiddos played while the Mom's got to chat. Jackson, aka Bruiser, had a blast with all of his friends. As you can see below he was all business when it came time for a group pic!

Jackson has become VERY mobile in the past week. He is now climbing stairs, pulling himself up on everything and is constantly on the go. I can't take my eyes off of him for a second. We still have some baby proofing to do but I think there are a lot of falls, bumps and bruises in his future.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

We have been busy bees around the house the past few weekends. Jimmy has almost completed a fireplace makeover and I've been Mrs. Crafty. I'll post pics of our new decor this weekend.

Professional Pics.

2010-01-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

We had professional pictures taken back in Oct but I'm just finally getting around to posting them. We love them and have already gotten some good mileage with them (ie. x mas presents, x mas cards...). As you can see Jackson has already grown so much and he wasn't too happy toward the end of the shoot!

From US to YOU...

2009-12-31T16:53:00.000-08:00

Baby's First Christmas

2009-12-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

Jack's first Christmas is over, it went by way too fast but it was fabulous! We had a great time with my family over the holidays. My nephew Tristan was with us too which was a blast...so fun to have the boys together for the holidays. Other than some sleep issues at Grandma and Grandpa's Jackson was a very good boy and I think Santa noticed because he got so many fun new toys that he is loving! He loved playing with the wrapping paper, ribbon and bows and managed to even get a present open on his own (by complete accident). My Dad made the boys the cutest little wooden walkers that they loved and Jimmy's Dad gave Jackson a motorcycle rocker. Very fun things! I must have been a good girl too because I was also spoiled with my new FAVORITE Lulu Lemon sweatsuit, a new digital camera and a trip to Mexico!!! That's right, a trip to Mexico from Jimmy. We aren't going until Sep so I have plenty of time to get Jack off the boob! We are going with our good friends The Williamsons and I can't hardly wait!!

It was a great holiday and now it's back to the grind. I'm dying to get my house back in order and put all the Christmas stuff away. It's fun at first but by the time Christmas is over It all feels like clutter. Thankfully we have a quiet long weekend ahead of us so we'll fill it up with organizing and baby proofing. Jackson has really gotten the hang of this crawling thing and is all over the place. He is working on figuring out the stairs and is into everything. It's time to baby proof the house!!

We have so many pics from the holidays so here is a taste of the festivities!

What a mess

2009-12-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

Jackson is quite adventurous with food these days. He loves to feed himself and he is very interested in what we are eating. He's pretty much done with purees and now likes to eat chunks of food. On the menu currently are chunks of banana, avocado, tomato, fresh mozzarella, blueberries and sweet potato. He also LOVES yogurt and applesauce and he had scrambled eggs for the first time and thought they were fabulous. This is what meal time is like...

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

7 Months??

2009-12-18T23:09:00.000-08:00

Oh my, it seems so weird to say that Jackson is 7 months! That seems so old...lol. I used to look at mom's with 7 month old babies and think that they were old, what happened? It's life I guess and Jackson is oh so much fun right now. He is getting very good at crawling and is all over the place. We are in serious need of baby proofing but we'll just have to watch him like a hawk unitl after the holidays because there is NO time. He has 3 teeth coming in on the top, one has broken the skin and the other 2 are so close. He is a drool machine but doesn't seem to be in too much pain although we have had a couple of rough nights. He is full of laughs and smiles and I could just kiss on his squishy little cheeks all day! Of course I'm super busy with the holidays and my every minute is filled with something to be doing. Fun stuff but sooooo busy!!! Therefore, I will try to post more later but for now, here are 7 month pictures...

Milestones!!

2009-12-14T19:21:00.000-08:00

What a big day in Jackson's little world. Not only was today his 7 month birthday but he crawled for the first time and had another tooth break the skin! Wow, that's a lot for a little guy! I was so bummed because I was out of the house working but Jimmy was working from home so he caught the first real crawl on video. Jack's been rocking on all fours for several weeks now and he's been army crawling for a few weeks too so I knew the real crawling was only a few days away.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Surprisingly Jack isn't too fussy but he has 3 teeth on the top that are close to coming in. His two front teeth have almost poked through and the left side tooth broke the skin today. I guess all Jack wants for Christmas is his two front teeth. Perfect, sounds cheap to me!

I'm off to San Fran early tomorrow am for a a work X Mas party. I'm already missing the little guy so much and I haven't even left yet. Luckily it's only one night but wish me luck while I pack the pump through the airport. If anyone see's a weird lady trying to get breastmilk through security and running the pump motor in the airport bathroom stall please ignore me!

I'll post 7 month pics when I get back!

Santa Baby

2009-12-06T16:12:00.000-08:00

A few days ago we introduced Jackson to Santa for the first time! I was really excited and Jackson wasn't so sure about the beard. We braved the crowds and went downtown which I hope will be a tradition because it's so fun to go downtown during the holidays and the Santa is at Nordstrom. I can't think of a better place than Nordstrom to see Santa :-)

Blessed

2009-11-30T20:02:00.000-08:00

Words can't even begin to describe how thankful I am this year. We have been blessed ten times over with our little turkey. I thank my lucky stars everyday!

We had a very busy and really fun Thanksgiving. We spent the day at the Vann Family Cabin with J's Family and my parents. We had tons of food and lots of little kiddos to play with. My Dad brought Jackson a sled he made him. We pulled Jackson and his cousin Naomi around the living room in it and it was too cute! Now we just need snow!

On Friday braved the crowds and went to the Macy's Day X Mas parade downtown. It was very fun and I think might need to become a tradition! We also managed to get our tree and get the house decorated (thanks to my Mom) and we had Jimmy's Mom over for dinner on Saturday. I think Jackson is still recovering from all the commotion, he has slept for 14 hours the past two nights and taken long naps. If only I could do the same!

Wow, I know everyone is thinking this but I feel like Christmas is tomorrow. Now that Thanksgiving has passed Christmas is so soon and we are so busy between now and then it is going to be here before we know it! I'm hoping we can get to see Santa this weekend. I'm excited to introduce Jackson to him for the first time :-). For now he just likes to look at the tree and the lights!

A great invention

2009-11-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

This little thing is fabulous! They have it at Babies R Us and for any of you mams out there worried about their little one choking before they are old enough to eat chunky food this thing is perfect. It also entertains Jackson for a good 1/2 hour while he munches on it. I've put banana and frozen mango in it and he gets most of it out and works at it for quite a while. I highly recommend it!

We're in trouble

2009-11-23T15:32:00.001-08:00

Jackson is already macking on the ladies. We are in big trouble when he's in high school! This weekend Jackson tried to put the moves on Nevaeh, my friend Mary's little girl. She is a year older than Jack but they are almost the same size! They are too cute together!

In other news Jackson weighed 18lbs 9.5oz at his appt last week and for anyone out there who was worried he also got the regular and the swine flu shot! I was a little skeptical but the pediatrician convinced me it was the right thing to do. Now at least I don't have to worry about him getting really sick with the flu.

Dear Jackson

2009-11-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was your six month birthday and you are so much fun right now. You've become Mr. Personality lately and you keep us laughing all the time with your drama. If we happen to forget that this is Jack's world and we are just living in it, you let us know. You would like to have our constant, unabiding attention at all times and you'd prefer if we were giving you this attention while you are being held. Good thing we are pretty much obsessed with all things Jack but I'm not sure how this is going to work out for your future. I don't look forward to the day when you realize the Earth revolves around the Sun (and not our Son). But, for now we relish in giving you constant attention and snuggling with you every minute we can.

You are fabulous little eater and love meal time. Mommy loves feeding you but I could do without the constant stench coming from your bum area. Your Dad and I will never look at sweet potatoes the same! We've entered a whole new world with solid food poo.

You've recently really found your voice and you have a shrill, shriek that you like to do all the time. It sounds somewhat like a baboon. Hopefully you find a new sound to make soon! You have also started to become more mobile. You aren't crawling yet but you can scoot around on your stomach and sit for quite a while by yourself. Mommy and Daddy aren't looking forward to Jack proofing the house. You can stay stationary for a little while longer if you want :-). So for now Jackson Ray you are the sweetest, most handsome, funniest baby your Mom and Dad have ever seen. I am in complete denial about how big you are getting. Please, I'm begging...take your time. Mommy needs you to be her sweet, immobile, snugly, squishy baby for a little while longer.

Love,

Your Mommy

Adventures in Baby Food Making

2009-11-13T17:30:00.000-08:00

Little baby J is a very healthy little eater! He loves meal time and scarfs down his food so quickly. It's actually really cute, he opens his little mouth and I shovel it in! Right now we are doing 2 meals a day. At breakfast he has oatmeal and a fruit (banana, applesauce or pear) and at dinner he has veggies (so far sweet potato, green beans, peas or avocado). With the exception of applesauce I've been making all of his food and it has been really easy and I think it ends up being cheaper in the long run. In between his meals Jackson is still nursing about 4-5 times a day. No wonder he is almost in 12 month clothes! For any of you mama's out there thinking of doing this, here is what has worked for me so far.

I buy frozen peas and green beans and fresh sweet potato, avocado, pears and banana. I have a little Cuisinart that is perfect for mashing the banana, avocado and pears in. It's super easy and I just do it before I feed him. For the veggies I find the blender works well and I've been doing big batches and freezing it in baggies. I just pull a baggie out every few days and stick in the fridge and we always have some ready to go. Here's the process for the peas and sweet potatoes...

Steam the peas for a few minutes in water and then add the peas and some of the extra water they steamed in to the blender and puree adding more liquid if needed.

Aren't the pretty?

Chop peeled sweet potatoes into big chucks and boil until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes to the blender with some of the liquid they boiled in and puree adding more liquid until they are smooth and the right consistency.

I bag them all in Ziplocs and stick them in the freezer.

This is what happens when Daddy feeds you your banana and oatmeal!

My pudgy little Doughboy

2009-11-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the tardiness of our Halloween pics. Jackson is working on getting over his first cold and it's been a long week. We lucked out and the cold never produced a fever or turned into anything worse than a cough and lots of snot but it did make for a crabby baby for a couple of days.

On Halloween we made the rounds and showed Jackson off in his little dough boy costume. We were gone most of the day and he was such a good with no nap all day. We ended up spending the evening with friends and had tons of fun with the other little kiddos.

Without further ado...the cutest Dough Boy ever!

Hi Friend...what happened to our clothes?

Buds

Tristan the frog

Uncle Joe & Cousin Tristan

Teethies...

2009-10-29T17:12:00.000-07:00

I know, baby talk is weird but we've digressed from our adulthood and talk in "baby" now. Teethies is just the beginning but we've been saying it a lot lately because Jackson has 2! They popped through the gums last week and they are sharp little buggers. So far I've been lucky and haven't been bitten while nursing but I have a feeling that is coming. Jack is much happier now that they are through and he slept for 10 hours straight last night (completely unrelated to his teethies but I feel compelled to mention it). I caught a few pics of the shiny whites on camera today!

My little "Jack" O Lantern

2009-10-25T21:01:00.000-07:00

We spent the weekend at my parent's house and had a fabulous time! My parents got some great Jack time, he was full of laughs and was a really good boy. We went to the pumpkin patch (which he will enjoy a lot more next year) and got some great pics. We lucky with the weather too...it was a beautiful fall day!

Jack is doing fabulous. He is sitting up by himself and starting to scoot on his belly. He is also trying to get on all fours but hasn't quite figured it out yet. I'm in no hurry for him to start crawling though, it's nice that he isn't mobile yet. He laughs, coos and smiles constantly and is doing so many fun things. He is full of personality and always has us laughing!

We've been doing well with the solid food too. So far Jack has had sweet potato, applesauce, banana, oatmeal and rice cereal, green beans and avocado. He wanted nothing to do with the green veggies but he gobbles down the fruit and sweet potato. I think peas are next, yum, yum!

We are looking forward to hanging out with friends and little ones on Halloween. Jackson is going to be the Pillsbury Dough Boy (which you can see from the pics below really suits him)! I need to get my bum in gear and get the costume ready this week. I'll post pics of my squishy little dough boy next weekend. Happy Halloween!!!

So tired after a long day!

Snuggling with Grandma

Having a little chat with Great Grandma Dunn

Look how big I am Dad!

Hamming it up!

Happy Boy

Jack's first time swinging!

Taking a bath in Grandma's sink

5 Months

2009-10-17T16:13:00.001-07:00

My little baby is gone and he has been replaced with a smiling, laughing, cooing, jumping, fat, lazy, baby whom I couldn't possibly love any more than I do or my heart may explode!

He Sits!!!!

2009-10-09T20:46:00.002-07:00

Oh geez, he's just getting too big, too fast!!

More to come this weekend!

Solid

2009-10-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

The word SOLID pretty much sums up Jackson. He is a solid little boy. Here's the play by play of our adventure with rice cereal.

Bring it Mom...I'm ready!

Woohoo, here it comes. I've been waiting for this for so long!

Yum...Yum...Yum...Give me more!

Hmmm....maybe I can shove it back in my mouth with my hands.

Are we done? I see more over there...

That was so fun Mom!

If I smile at you can we do it again?

We've been busy...

2009-10-02T20:21:00.000-07:00

We've been so busy. I don't know where the days/weeks go but they are really getting away from me.

Jackson had his 4 mo. Dr appt on Monday. He was actually 4 months 2 weeks and he is a little chunker! He weighed 16lbs and was 26inches long. He is in the 75% for weight and 90% for height. He is growing out of all of his 3-6 month clothes and I can't believe I'm going to have pack them all up and put them away already...so sad!!

He is still a little bundle of smiles and laughs. He is getting close to sitting up (will do it for a few seconds at a time) and he has been giving me a few 8 hour stretches of sleep. They are inconsistent but still fabulous!

My Mom and Grandma will be thrilled to hear that we gave Jack a minute amount of rice cereal tonight! He has been reaching for our food lately and I feel like he is ready for something other than milk so we gave him a little rice cereal. He spit most of it out and probably only ate about a teaspoon. He loved playing with the spoon though and seemed to like the taste. He'll need some practice before he actually is able to eat much of it though.

Let's see...what else??? J and I have both been super busy with work and spending our weekends getting as many Jack kisses as possible. We left Jackson with his Great Grandma Vann for a few hours last Sat and went out for our friend Morgan's 30th B-day. It was very fun to get out. We were home by midnight but it felt soooo late!! I don't know how we used to do it

:-).

My Mom is headed up to get some Jack time on Sunday and we are excited to see her. Here are some pics...more to come!!

Cloth Diaper Questions...

2009-09-26T13:02:00.001-07:00

I've had a few people recently want to know more about our cloth diapering so I'm going to give you all the poopy details!

We currently have 20 diapers in rotation. We started with 15 and added 5 ore a few weeks ago. With the 20 we have now we are washing them about every 4 days. It would be nice to have about 25! The washing so far has been pretty easy. We are still in the runny breast milk poop phase so I'm not sure what will happen when we start solids. For now, we just toss all the whole diaper into a diaper pail (this one) and then when it's time we toss them all in the wash, no extra steps necessary. We do a rice cycle and then a wash/rinse cycle and toss them in the dryer. When it is nice out I line dry them...3 reasons for this. The sun completely bleaches the diapers so if there are any stains, they come out when drying in the sun. The sun also deodorizes them and of course it saves energy costs. Since we are in Seattle I think our sunning is coming to a quick end but we have done this a lot this summer.

We have 2 different types of AIO (all in one) diapers...Happy Heiny and Bum Genius. The Bum Genius work a lot better for us, the Happy Heinys tend to leak. The only downside to the diapers is that they tend to be a little bulky, especially on small babies so some clothes don't fit great or you may have to go up a size earlier than usual. Not a big deal but something to be prepared for. When it comes to diaper changes (people have asked how Jimmy is with the cloth) it is really pretty easy. Nothing is different than when using a disposable. I do always keep disposables on hand, we usually use them if we are going to be away from the house for several hours but I have only purchased 2 packs since we started using cloth.

There is a time commitment to washing and stuffing of the diapers. The liner comes out of the diaper in the wash and therefore the diapers need to be stuffed again before use. It takes me about 10 minutes to stuff all the diapers and put them away, not a big deal but obviously more time than opening a package of disposables.

We have purchased all of our diapers from Cottonbabies.com or Nickidiapers.com. Jilliansdrawers.com is also a great resource and pinstripesandpolkadots.com has some great resources on washing and detergent use.

I hope this is helpful, any other questions???

Here's a few pics of my little fluffy butt!

Rolly Polly

2009-09-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

If you look up the words Rolly Polly in the dictionary there is picture of Jackson! He is fat, happy and rolling all over the place! He has been rolling from front to back for a while but about a week ago he started rolling back to belly. He thinks he is hot stuff and rolls all over the floor while playing. On top of the rolling around his body is covered in rolls! We think he weighs about 16.5lbs. He is so funny right now, always laughing and watching what we are doing.

We have finally made some progress in the sleep dept. He had his best night ever a few nights ago and slept for over 8 hours straight. Since then I've gotten some 6-7 hour stretches and for the past 4 nights he has only been up once to eat rather than his usual two times. I'm sure I'm jinxing myself for writting this but this kid doesn't miss a meal so going to only one feeding in the night is a huge deal for us!

Because I can't help it...more pictures...

Two for Two

2009-09-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

Jimmy and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary last weekend and it was a fabulous much needed evening. We left Jackson for the first time overnight and went out to dinner and stayed at the Heathman in Kirkland. Jack did great with his Grandma Judy (thanks Judy!!) and we had a great time. We really missed Jackson and talked about him a lot but it was nice to get out alone and have some adult conversation and a great dinner.

I am such a lucky girl to have such a supportive, loving, hilarious, and fun husband. I love you with all my heart and I can't wait to see what the future holds for our family. You are such a fabulous daddy to Jackson! I love watching you with your son and I know your bond with him will grow stronger every year as ours does as well. Thank you for all you do for us honey! I love you!

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

2009-09-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

We love you Mom & Dad. Hope you had a great day...thanks for everything you do!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Dear Jackson

2009-09-05T16:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Jackson,

Today is a big day. 1 year ago it was a REALLY big day. 1 year ago you were conceived. Don't worry, it wasn't what you are thinking. Through the advancements and miracles of modern medicine 24 eggs were extracted from my body and one of them made you. On this day last year I was full of hope, fear and pain. 1 year ago today I could have never imagined I was about to become so lucky...I was about to become your mother. It's amazing what can happen in a year. Last year at this time you couldn't be seen to the human eye. You were part mommy and part daddy, trying to become an embryo. You were no more than 2 cells. One of these is you right before you were put into my belly for your 9 month growth spurt.

I'm not sure what has happened in the past couple of weeks but my little infant has disappeared and in it's place I have laughing, smiling, grabbing, playing, cooing, rolling, strong, big baby. You are so much fun right now. Everyday is different and you are doing something new. You love your toys and can grab them. Everything goes directly to your mouth. You have teeth coming in and they seem to really be hurting you. You've had a couple of rough days of teething but the pain seems to come and go. No teeth have broken the skin yet but I have a feeling they will be here soon. The faucet of jack is always on and between the drool, spit up and blow out poops you can easily go through 3 outfits a day. You are doing well sleeping. You take at least one, 2 hour nap a day and a few smaller ones as well. You love your milk and still like to eat every 3 hours during the day...you don't miss a meal but you have become distracted while eating. You like to stop, look around, play with my shirt and reach for my face. Sometimes you play a little game with me and look up and smile while you are nursing. You don't start eating again until I give in and smile back. I'm sure it's not a good habit to start but it is just too darn cute. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of you becoming distracted by your surroundings.

I could spend all day every day kissing your fat little cheeks and trying to make you smile. I am absolutely amazed by everything you do. You turn your head and look for me when I talk and smile when you find me. The recognition is the best thing ever. I think you know who your mama is!

I love you Jackson Ray...more than I ever thought possible. 1 year ago today I had high hopes of conceiving a child but I never could have guessed how amazing it would feel to be a mommy.

Love,

Mommy

Teeting Bites!

2009-09-02T17:24:00.000-07:00

Seriously, teething is tough. Jack has his first tooth popping up on the bottom and it has been an exhausting process. It is still just a hard, white lump but it is really bothering him. He is constantly gnawing on his hands, drooling all over, pulling on his cheeks and ears and very fussy. Sleep has been tough but I've been resorting to Tylenol at night and it really helps. I've also tried teething tabs, orajel, and teething rings but none of it seems to work well. I'm hoping the tooth breaks through soon so he can get out of his misery and I can get some sleep!! Any suggestions on other ways to ease the pain?

Cabin Fever

2009-08-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Jackson took his first trip to the Vann Family Cabin at Crystal Mtn. this weekend. He was a trooper and had a great time hanging out with his Grandpa & Great Grandpa. Jimmy was so excited to take him up for the first time because he has so many fun memories of growing up at the cabin and he can't wait for Jackson to be able to do all the fun things he did there as a kid. It is a really fun place for little ones to hike, sled, roast marshmallows and play games and we are so lucky have such a fun place for our family to hang out.

Jackson is doing great, he is over 15 lbs and full of smiles and laughs. We are SUPER busy with work and life and trying to keep our head above water but enjoying every minute of the little one.

I'm exhausted because Jack wanted to be up this am at 4:45 so I'm off to bed early but I'll write more this week.

Like father, like son

2009-08-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

It's Seahawks Season and Jack is ready!

It's exhausting being a fan!

Where does the time go?

2009-08-16T10:46:00.001-07:00

Seriously, I feel like I never have enough time! It's crazy how fast the hours, days and weeks fly by. Jackson turned 3 months on Friday and he is so big and so fun! We decided to try out tummy sleeping rather than swaddling on his back and he is sleeping a ton better now. All of his naps and night time sleep are in his crib and he is doing great. He is still waking 2 times a night to eat but the napping is going great and he is going to sleep a lot easier. He smiles like crazy and is such a sweet, precious little boy. He's fat, lazy and happy!

I survived my 1st two weeks back at work. The first week was tough and there were a few tears shed but the 2nd week was easier and I think I will be ok! My job is going well and Jackson is loving being with his Grandma's who give him their constant, undivided attention. The transition has been a little tough and stressful but we are starting to get into a groove.

I could go on and on about the cute things Jackson does on a daily basis but that would probably bore most of you to tears so I'll leave you with pics and try to get back in the next few days with more updates!

Hot & Bothered

2009-08-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

We survived...I wasn't so sure it was going to happen at times but with a little help from my Mom, we did it. The hottest day ever on record (since the 1800's) in Seattle was last week and our city it hit 107. I know this happens in a lot of areas all the time but with no AC and a newborn it is miserable. Our house was 97 degrees for a few days and it was unbearable. All the AC's and fans were sold out and we were a crabby, hot family! My Mom came the rescue when she found out that the hardware store in her town was getting 18 AC units in. She picked one up, got in the car and headed north to meet us and hand it over. It turned out to be a 51/2 hour car ride for us and 4 hour for her but it was soooo worth it. We had a nice cool bedroom and a WAY happier mama and baby! Thanks Mom!!!

Today is the last day of my maternity leave. I feel like it went by so fast. I'm not going to get into how sad I am and whine about my sob story but I will say I'm going to miss Jackson so much! We will survive and it will all be fine but this is going to be a tough week. Please send me positive work vibes!

I finally caught some of Jackson's smiles on camera yesterday. He is such a smiley little guy now and loves to laugh and coo at us. Here are a few pics, actually a lot of pics, because I just can't help myself!

Cousins

2009-07-31T08:33:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday I babysat for my new little nephew Tristan and the boys were just so cute together I couldn't help myself...I had to do a photoshoot! Arent' they too funny? They were cracking me up. I felt like I had twins! It looks like Jackson is going to eat little Tristan but Tristan is gaining a lot of weight everyday and I think he'll be able to hold is own next to Jack soon!

He's a faker!

2009-07-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

A few nights ago Jackson gave me a 6 hour stretch of sleep. He then ate and when back down in his crib for another 3 hours...it was heaven!!! Ever since then, he has been up every 2-3 hours. He hasn't even given me a 4 hour stretch. What the heck?? He's trying to fake me out! Good thing he's so cute!

So behind...

2009-07-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind on blogging I don't even know where to start so lets see...

Jackson is now two months old and he is doing new, fun things everyday. He is so full of smiles and he is really working on a schedule. We had his 2 month appt today (he's now 2 mo. 6 days) and he weighs 12 pounds!! Wow, the Dr. said no wonder he is still usually eating almost every 2 hours. He's gained almost 3 pounds in a month. He's getting super chunky and looks so much like his daddy! He also had to get his first shots today which I thought was traumatic! He did well but it was pretty sad and he's fussy tonight so I think he isn't feeling great. Poor little guy, I know how shots feel! Not fun, especially for such a little one. Here is Jackson on his 2 month B day.

In the last two weeks Jackson has been busy. We had a wedding and bar-b-que two weekends ago. My parents were also here for the wedding so we had a great time and we hung out with Tristan for a few hours as well. My parents were in heaven with their two little grandsons!

Last weekend we went on a little mini vacation east of the mountains to Crescent Bar. We took off on Thurs and just got home today. It was SO hot...over 100 everyday but we had a fabulous time. We made great meals, played games, drank wine and just relaxed. It was a much needed little trip and Jack did great. He loved the sun and the heat and did great in the car too.

We are now back to reality and I'm trying to get everything back in order. I have only two more weeks before returning to work so we are going to spend the time working on sleep. Jack has basically put himself on a 3 nap/day schedule but often times those naps are in his swing and I'd like to get them in the crib. He also sleeps in the crib for his first stretch of sleep but I've been bringing him in bed with me after he wakes and I'm going to work on getting at least the 2nd stretch in the crib as well. Any tips??

Dear Jackson

2009-07-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Jackson,

Yesterday marked your 8 week birthday. I can't believe you have already been here for 8 weeks but then again I can't believe you have ONLY been here for 8 weeks. I can't even imagine not having you here with us and it's almost already hard to remember our life without you. You are the most special little boy!! It's amazing you can love someone so much that you have only known for 8 weeks!

You are getting so big!! I think you weigh about 11 pounds and you have started to out grow some of your newborn outfits. You are starting to get chunky with rolls on your arms and legs and your cheeks are getting huge...I could kiss them all day long! I have a feeling you are going to get a lot chunkier because boy do you love to eat. I think you would eat all day long if I would let you!

You are really a Mama's boy and love to be held by me all day. I have to admit, I don't really mind. I know that soon enough I will be fighting for you to sit on my lap so I'll take all I can get right now. You love your Daddy!!! When you hear his voice you turn your head and look for for him and he is the only one that you share your smiles with. He can really get those smiles going, you think he is really funny!

You have had a really great month, you went on your first road trip to Grandma and Grandpa's and you did great. You met all of my side of the family and most of our friends at our shower and of course everyone loved you. You started to smile and you started wearing cloth diapers. You also celebrated your first holiday, 4th of July. You are sleeping in your crib at night now and we are working on the longer stretches of sleep (still have a ways to go)! You like to nap in your swing and you love to go on walks both in the stroller and in the Ergo. You love your bath time and you also love bedtime! You are constantly messy...if you aren't spitting up the milk you just drank you are blowing out your diaper and I am constantly cleaning you up.

Jackson, we are so in love with you. You are the most amazing thing that has happened to your Dad and me. We are in awe of you and so proud that you are our Son. I love watching you do new things and couldn't be happier spending everyday with you. We have so many hopes and dreams for you Jackson, and we will do everything in our power to make sure you have the best life we can provide. You will never be lacking in love.

Your Dad and I will always be your biggest fans Jack.

Love,

Mom

Fluffy Butt

2009-07-07T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sorry these pics are all in weird order but for some reason I can't fix them.

Jack's 1st time in his new diapers.

Grandparents again!

The cousins

Happy Family on the 4th

Moo!!!!

I'm really not an environmentalist...I recycle and all that jazz but I wouldn't call myself crunchy although I have decided to use cloth diapers. They are WAY better for the environment but I'm mainly doing it for financial reasons. Buying diapers is painful! They are so expensive and babies go though them like McDonald's goes through french fries. They are also sooo cute and it gives me another reason to love dressing Jackson...I get to match his diaper to his outfit! These aren't your mother's cloth diapers. They are so simple to use, really just like disposables but you obviously have to wash them. Right now we have about 17 in rotation but I think I'm going to need about 5 more to keep us going. The initial output is pretty expensive, each diaper is about $18.00 but in the long run it is way cheaper. The diapers actually grow with the baby so the ones we have should last Jackson until he is potty trained and then we will hopefully be able to use them on baby #2 (actually scratch that, hopefully baby #2 will be here before Jack is potty trained :-).

We had a nice 4th of July weekend. My parents were here for a night to see their 2nd grandson in 2 months! We went to a friend's for a bar-b-que and had a much needed relaxing day at home on Sunday. Yesterday and today Jack and I have been home working on our nap schedule. He is starting to get the hang of napping in his crib but last night was up every 2 hours all night again. We had a few nights with 5 hour stretches last week but we are regressing. At least it is happening sometimes. I'm assuming the long sleep stretches will start to increase soon!

Tristan Hunter Leedom

2009-07-03T17:44:00.001-07:00

I'm an auntie!!! Tristan Hunter Leedom made his debut via emergency c section 3 1/2 weeks early today the 3rd of July at 1:05pm. He is a little peanut weighing in at 6lbs 2oz but mom & baby are doing great. Jackson is so excited his new cousin/playmate is here. They are going to be best buddies and partners in crime! Congrats Joe & Val!!!!

Just Because :-)

2009-06-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

6 weeks

2009-06-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Jackson was 6 weeks old on Thursday. He is growing so fast and changing everyday. Here are the highlights...

Jackson at 6 weeks-

Very alert and focuses on objects

Turns his head toward voices

Really likes his mom and dad and calms when he is held by them

Going to bed between 8-9, waking at 1, 4 and 7

Sleeps in his crib until 4

Still eating every 2-3 hours during the day

Stays awake for about 1 hour after eating during the day

Only likes to nap while being held or in stroller/car

Grunts a TON

Very close to smiling but we have yet to see one that wasn't when he was sleeping

His hair on top of his head is growing back

Baby acne is better

He is SOOOOO darling!!!

Worth the weight

2009-06-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

That's right Jackson, you were worth the weight...IVF weight and pregnancy weight! I bought some fat jeans today because I've already given up! I've lost my pregnancy weight (I gained 20 pounds) but I still have about 7lbs of infertility weight to lose and I don't have much motivation to get it off. I think my body is going to hold on to a few pounds until I'm done breast feeding which could be another year from now. Then I plan on getting pregnant again (that's right, I can't hardly wait to do it all again...I would do it now if I could)! Therefore, I said forget it. I'm not going to kill myself trying to get into my skinny jeans...I'll just buy some fat ones and I'm so comfortable in them. I couldn't be happier about it ;-)

In other weight news, Jackson had his 1 month appt on Monday. He was actually 5 weeks 4 days and he weighed 9lbs6oz and was 21 inches long. He is in the 25 percentile for height, weight and head circumference. He is still a little peanut but he has gained 3 pounds in the past 4 weeks so he is doing great.

Tomorrow Jackson will be 6 weeks old. HOLY COW!!!! Where does the time go. I'll post some 6 week pics tomorrow, he is getting so big!

Wild Things

2009-06-23T17:16:00.000-07:00

I'm so behind with blogging, I need to get my act together! We had a fabulous weekend in Portland with my family. The shower my mom threw was amazing! She did such a great job, it was gorgeous and it was so fun to show Jackson off to all of our friends and family. See the pics below, the shower could have been featured in Martha Stewart! My mom is so creative! My parents absolutely loved having Jack at Grandma & Grandpa's house and wanted him to stay for weeks and he did well being away from home. The four hour car ride was even pretty easy. I need to go feed Jackson but I have more posts coming. Here are pics of the weekend for now, tomorrow I'll post more updates!

Hanging out with his boy cousins

Loungin on Great Grandma Dunn

So lucky to receive such nice gifts!

The darling cupcakes my mom made

Diaper Cake my Mom made

Snuggling with his his Auntie Angie

Meeting Great Grandpa Dunn for the 1st time

Bonding with Grandpa

One Month Old!

2009-06-11T09:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, Jackson is already one month old...time is flying. I have a feeling that before I know it I'm going to be writing that he is one year! Everything is going great on the home front. Jackson is getting bigger and starting to interact a little. I'm waiting for that first deliberate smile but I haven't quite gotten one yet. I think it will be soon though!

The nightly all you can eat buffet that Jackson has been attending lately has decided to close it's doors early for the past couple of nights and it is going well. We are getting a little routine in place for bedtime and I'm getting quite a bit more sleep. He is going down at about 9pm after a bath and waking at 1:30 and 4:30 and getting up for the day about 7:30. He is sleeping in his crib for the first 2 chunks of sleep and then comes in our room for the last few hours. For some reason by 4:30 he has had it in his crib and refuses to go back to sleep in it. He sleeps great in our room though. This is fine with me because I get some good snuggle time those last few hours and we both get to sleep longer rather than get up at 5 or 5:30.

Our days are just flying by. I feel like we are so busy but I'm not sure what we are doing all the time. I try to go on a long walk every day and I feel like we have constant errands to run. Since he eats every 2-3 hours during the day, everything just takes a bit longer and all of our activities are planned around Jack's meals. While we were out yesterday I nursed in public for the first time. I was proud of myself and it was really easy. I picked a quite bench at the mall and used a big blanket to cover up with and it went great. It added about thirty minutes onto our mall trip but it was a success!

We are headed to Portland this weekend for our first road trip. Due to my bedrest situation I never had my shower in Portland with friends and family so my Mom is doing it this weekend. Such a fun treat! We are super excited to take Jackson to Grandma and Grandpa's for the first time and I'm excited to introduce him to all of my family. Hopefully the four hour drive isn't too bad!

And of course...some pictures...

Dear Jackson

2009-06-10T16:23:00.001-07:00

Dear Jackson,

Tomorrow you will be 4 weeks old. I can't believe that 4 weeks ago at this very moment I was bouncing on the exercise ball wishing you were in my arms. My water was about to break and I was about to embark on the most rewarding and exciting journey of my life.

I stare at you and I still can't believe you are here and you are mine. I don't know what I did to deserve such a sweet, beautiful baby but I can't get enough of your adorable faces, sweet smell and cuddly little body. I feel like I've won the lottery by being your Mom.

I just love how tiny you are. I love how you fit in my arms when you are feeding and I love how you swim in your tiny little clothes. It's hard to believe how big you will be getting so soon but I look forward to watching you grow and develop your personality. I know you will be the light of my life forever. Although I love the way you are right now I know every stage will bring just as much amazement and awe.

Thank you Jackson...for choosing me to be your Mom.

PS- Although I love our time together in the middle of the night, you are welcome to space it out from 2 hours to 4 or 5. I wouldn't mind!

Happy Birthday Grandmas!

2009-06-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was both J and my Mom's birthdays. Weird that they were born on the same day isn't it?

We are all so luck to have you both in our lives. I love watching you both with your first grandson and I am looking forward to watching your relationships with Jackson develop. Thank you for everything you both do for us. We so appreciate you! We hope you both had a great day!!

We are awful parents :-(

2009-06-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

Oh my, Jimmy and I are feeling our first bout of parental guilt this morning. We have been hugging and kissing and apologizing to Jackson for hours. Jimmy's grandparents are in town from San Diego to visit Jackson and they generously bought us a video monitor. We are thrilled and already love it. It is such a cool little gadget and it's so nice to be able to see Jackson when he is in his crib without constantly walking into the room to check on him. He has been taking naps and sleeping at night for at least one stretch in his crib and when he is in it I was constantly checking on him to make sure he was breathing. Last night after I fed him I put him in his crib and he was sound asleep. Jimmy and I went to bed and put the new monitor on. We watched him sleeping for a few minutes and then went to sleep ourselves. We must have been exhausted because at 1:30 I woke up, looked at the monitor and saw Jackson SCREAMING in his crib. We hadn't heard him and the sound on the monitor had been turned all the way down. He could have been screaming an hour! We were devastated and Jackson was hysterical!! We ran into the room and it took a while for us to calm him down. I was almost in tears and was so sad thinking that Jackson had been screaming for a long time and was thinking his parents had deserted him. I just held him the whole rest of the night and apoligized over and over again. I think that he is probably over it now but I'm sure Jimmy and I get the worst parents award for last night.

We are doing well and have had a nice week.

We had a serious heat wave in Seattle, temps in the 90's and we survived and even got out and walked every day in the sun. Jackson is growing and growing and eating and eating!!

I'll post more in the next day but I've got to run so here are some pics!!

Sweet Baby J

2009-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, I feel like time is flying and we have been running non stop since Jackson's arrival. We had another really busy week/weekend. My mom got into town on Wednesday. We went on walks, went to the mall and Babies R Us and hung out in the gorgeous Seattle weather. On Friday my Dad flew into town as well and we had a Bar B Que at my brother's house. On Sat. we went to a pool for a while and then went to friends' for another Bar B Que and today we have a 1st birthday to go to. I am thankful for all of the fun activities we have to attend but I'm getting tired and I'm looking forward to a few days at home with just Jackson and me. We have another busy weekend next weekend so I'm going to try and get some r & r in the next few days.

Little Jackson is just so good and so easy to haul around town it makes it easy to get out and go. Yesterday we were out and about all day and he basically just wakes to eat and then falls back asleep. He is such a little angel. Now I know why infertility was so hard on me (and everyone who experiences it). Having a baby is such an amazing experience. Jackson is the center of my every move now and the love I feel for him is so intense. The thought of never being able to experience mommyhood is heartbreaking. I just feel like the luckiest mommy in the world and I think I appreciate our little miracle so much after everything it took for us to have him.

Jackson at two weeks...

- likes his bath (hated it at first)

- sleeps most of the day

- turns his head from side to side during tummy time (and accidentally rolled over the other day)!

- likes his vibrating chair & the swing

- sleeps in the bassinet at night

- eats about every 3-4 hours

- weighs about 7.5 lbs (just an estimate)

- likes to be swaddled at night

- most newborn clothes are still too big

- smiles in his sleep when he is milk drunk

- likes the car and the stroller
- doesn't like his diaper change

- grunts a lot!

Of course here are a few pics from the past week

The 12 days of Jackson

2009-05-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

Day 12 and we are still doing great! Jackson is still a happy little guy and has started being awake a little more during the day. He is such a little joy and we are having a blast! We had a great, relaxing weekend...went on a few walks, hung out with some friends, and watched movies. J went back to work today so Jack and I are hanging out just the two of us and I'm loving every minute of it.

We have fallen into a little bit of a night time routine. I'm sure it's subject to change at any minute but as of the last week Jackson is waking about every 2 1/2-3 hours at 10:30, 1:00, 4:00 and about 6:30. He sleeps well in between and although I'm tired I'm starting to get used to sleeping in 2-3 hour stretches. I've found the if I just roll over and nurse in bed I can get a lot more sleep rather than take Jackson into the nursery and get him too awake. I am producing enough milk to feed all of the octuplets which has it's positives and negatives. Jackson can eat really quickly, no more than 10 minutes per feeding because my milk is pouring out but I have so much it is really hard for him to latch on at first because the milk is just too much for him. He gags and chokes and the milk pours out the side of his mouth! Poor little guy is drowning in milk! My milk should start to even out and not be so much for him soon but in the mean time he'll just have to get used to it!

My mom is headed up tomorrow to spend a few days. It will be nice to have her here again! Below are some pics from the weekend. I think he is starting to fill out a little more. At his Pediatrition appt on Thursday he was 6lbs7oz, up from 6lbs on Monday. By now he should have surpassed his birth weight. We may be nearing the 7lb range now!