....the EXACT size of your fingers? Well, Mr. Jackson just discovered this very fact! And he has been showing us every day since the discovery. Luckily he hasn't discovered that there is anything up there to dig out- YET. I have to say it is pretty darn funny. He gives you this sly grin, his "I'm a little troublemaker smile" and slowly puts his finger into his nose. Then he starts laughing so hard, for he finds himself incredibly hilarious. I know I shouldn't encourage it, but you honestly can't help but laugh. He already has such a sense of humor about life and does the silliest things. All day long he has me laughing.
The other afternoon he just didn't want to nap. After 20 minutes of walking and bouncing I just laid him in his crib for "Mandatory Quiet Time". I walked out of his room and settled down to read some of my book for Book Club.
Mr. Jackson just did not want to sleep. I went ahead and let him play in his crib for a good 45 minutes. He was having a heck of a good time, so I didn't need to interrupt it. Although I was getting more and more frustrated knowing he NEEDED the nap, and knowing that we were approaching the time when it was either sleep or not because it was getting too late in the day. I finally went back in there to try and settle him down one last time. I picked him up and tried to calm him down. He was wiggling, and giggling. I said to him firmly "No Jackson! This is not playtime this is naptime. You need to sleep." And what did I get in return....he broke into the biggest fit of giggles you have ever seen. I was obviously sooooo hilarious! Here I am trying to be so stern, but how can you when he is so happy and innocent?! Veteran Moms out there, how in the heck did you do it?! I finally gave in and just let him get out of bed and play. I just figured he would crash early. Which I was right- he was in bed and asleep by 6:30!
I've decided we gave birth to a silly, silly monkey!
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Yay for Green Vegetables!!!
So our little man has not been a big fan of any green veggies since he was able to eat solid foods. Ok, that is putting it nicely- he DISPISED them. He would gag on them like I was trying to feed him cardboard. Either that or he would spit them out all over me, himself, the walls, his highchair- in other words they weren't going anywhere near his tummy! This posed as a bit tricky for me, because I know how essential those vitamins were. I could sometimes sneak them in if I mixed them with his carrots. But he usually figured it out about halfway through.
Well I decided to give them another shot seeing as he IS one year old now; such a big boy! I started with 'Sweet Peas' because I thought they would go over the best. And boy did he gobble them up! Mommy was so excited! The next day I thought I would try 'Spinach and Carrots'. He loved this one even more! But then again, it did have his favorite veggie, carrots in it. Yesterday I moved on to the biggest obstacle thus far- the dreaded 'Green Beans'. These have been on his "Yuck List" for a long time. I could never sneak these things in- he knew every time. So I was really going out on a limb today! The one I choose was 'Green Beans and Turkey'. ...Ok, fingers crossed....let's give it a shot, I have my washcloth and face mask ready ....Wow, you would have thought these were his favorite food all along! Now, I think Jackson has been fooling Mommy all this time because he couldn't possibly love them all so much all of a sudden. That stinker... hahahaha. Well either way I am thrilled. So now maybe we can finally get rid of that orangish tint to his complexion :) Yay!
Well I decided to give them another shot seeing as he IS one year old now; such a big boy! I started with 'Sweet Peas' because I thought they would go over the best. And boy did he gobble them up! Mommy was so excited! The next day I thought I would try 'Spinach and Carrots'. He loved this one even more! But then again, it did have his favorite veggie, carrots in it. Yesterday I moved on to the biggest obstacle thus far- the dreaded 'Green Beans'. These have been on his "Yuck List" for a long time. I could never sneak these things in- he knew every time. So I was really going out on a limb today! The one I choose was 'Green Beans and Turkey'. ...Ok, fingers crossed....let's give it a shot, I have my washcloth and face mask ready ....Wow, you would have thought these were his favorite food all along! Now, I think Jackson has been fooling Mommy all this time because he couldn't possibly love them all so much all of a sudden. That stinker... hahahaha. Well either way I am thrilled. So now maybe we can finally get rid of that orangish tint to his complexion :) Yay!
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Being a Mom
My friend sent me this little story and it warmed my heart so. I just wanted to share it with all of you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Love,
Amie
BEING A MOM
We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."
"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking.
"Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says,"no more sleeping in on weekends, No more spontaneous vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all.
I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?"
That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.
That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub.
That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.
I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.
She might arrange for child-care, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.
That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.
I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man
who carefully bathes the baby or who never hesitates to feed, change or play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women
throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.
"You'll never regret it," I finally say.
Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand
and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.
Love,
Amie
BEING A MOM
We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family."
"We're taking a survey," she says half-joking.
"Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says,"no more sleeping in on weekends, No more spontaneous vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all.
I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?"
That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.
That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub.
That an urgent call of "Mom!" will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.
I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.
She might arrange for child-care, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.
That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.
I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man
who carefully bathes the baby or who never hesitates to feed, change or play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women
throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike. I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time. I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.
"You'll never regret it," I finally say.
Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand
and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Jackson's 1 Year Doctor's Appointment
On Thursday I took Jackson to see Dr. Lash for his 1-year doctor's appointment. We couldn't see his regular doctor because she took an extended maternity leave, so Dr. Lash is was. He was actually a very nice man; I would definitely take Jackson to him again if Dr. Biglow wasn't available. At first Jackson wasn't so sure about him. He has a beard and Jackson doesn't know anyone else besides Pop with one of those. He freaked out a bit when the doctor tried looking in his ears but then Dr. Lash let Jackson hold the stethoscope and play with the light on it, which he thought was wayyyyy cool. So then they were instant friends. His appointment went really well. Jackson is growing and progressing just right. He now weighs 19lbs 4oz, and is 29 1/2 inches tall, which is 2 feet 2 inches. Yep, that means that I am only 3 feet taller then my one-year-old son. Hahahaha.
I opted for him to get the Chicken Pox vaccine, which Jackson was so good for, hardly cried at all. As soon as it was done he was smiling again. What a champ! Since we live in an old house Dr. Lash said it would be a good idea for Jackson to get tested for lead. He said that there is probably nothing to be concerned about, but he just likes to make sure. And I told him that the way Jackson bites and chews on everything, that it probably wasn't a bad idea. After his regular appointment we had to go down to Outpatient Screening where he would have his blood test for lead. Jackson did NOT like this. And I don't blame him. They had me lay him down on this board and they Velcro straps around him like a little papoose so he would be still. I would imagine that that would be pretty scary. Jackson cried so hard, it was just awful. I hate seeing him in pain. Made Mommy get all teary too! But we were brave and handled it OK.
After the appointment we went out and met up with Mimi, Auntie Bonnie and Sophie to bum around Target and then get some lunch. This definitely made his day better. Those two babies together are so darn cute! They love each other so much. It just warms your heart to see them interact. While we were out we picked out Jackson’s Easter outfit; boy is he going to look handsome! Wait until you see pictures! So all in all it was a good day.
Oh, and by the way...did you know that Jackson is part Termite? Well he is! Take a look in the pictures and see what he has done to his crib..... we need to call Babies R Us ASAP! He shouldn't have been able to do this much damage!!!!
I opted for him to get the Chicken Pox vaccine, which Jackson was so good for, hardly cried at all. As soon as it was done he was smiling again. What a champ! Since we live in an old house Dr. Lash said it would be a good idea for Jackson to get tested for lead. He said that there is probably nothing to be concerned about, but he just likes to make sure. And I told him that the way Jackson bites and chews on everything, that it probably wasn't a bad idea. After his regular appointment we had to go down to Outpatient Screening where he would have his blood test for lead. Jackson did NOT like this. And I don't blame him. They had me lay him down on this board and they Velcro straps around him like a little papoose so he would be still. I would imagine that that would be pretty scary. Jackson cried so hard, it was just awful. I hate seeing him in pain. Made Mommy get all teary too! But we were brave and handled it OK.
After the appointment we went out and met up with Mimi, Auntie Bonnie and Sophie to bum around Target and then get some lunch. This definitely made his day better. Those two babies together are so darn cute! They love each other so much. It just warms your heart to see them interact. While we were out we picked out Jackson’s Easter outfit; boy is he going to look handsome! Wait until you see pictures! So all in all it was a good day.
Oh, and by the way...did you know that Jackson is part Termite? Well he is! Take a look in the pictures and see what he has done to his crib..... we need to call Babies R Us ASAP! He shouldn't have been able to do this much damage!!!!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
It is official- spring is on it's way....
Sort of. At least Cleveland Style. On Monday, Jackson and I woke up to the most beautiful day! The sun was shining and the snow was melting big time. At a closer look, we could see the sidewalks were pretty much all clear- wait a minute! Does that actually mean we could go for a walk today?! Yay! Daddy must have been thinking about us and wondering the same thing because in his good morning phone call he told us that it was going to be really warm today and that we should go for a walk to get rid of the cabin fever we had both been feeling since being sick. Hot Dog- outside it is!
Jackson had a really good morning nap and woke up, ate a big lunch (finally his appetite is starting to come back!) and just as we were about to call our neighbor to join us with her kids, Lora rang us and asked if we wanted to play outside. Two stay at home mommy's dying to get the kids out of the house- and us too, really! I decided to try out our brand new stroller from Grandpa and Grandma Kanengeiser. It is this really cool lime green umbrella stroller- but updated to today's standards. It has a basket underneath to hold a diaper bag, etc. and a canopy, plus it is taller then most umbrella strollers so you don't have to hunch over to push it. Jackson also gets to sit up more to explore the world better then in his huge travel system. For our walk today it worked out perfect. There was still snow in spots, and this stroller made it so easy to maneuver around and over it. So thank you again Grandma and Grandpa- we love it!
I can't even tell you how wonderful it was to get outside. And we all felt it. Jonah drove his Jeep, and Jackson and Mari enjoyed their stroller walks- and Lora and I got to get a little exercise. Much needed at least for me, I have to say! After the walk I took Jackson out of the stroller and let him walk around a bit. He is such a boy. What was the first place he had to go play in- yup, the huge water puddle! He ran right to it and stomped around. *Mental Note* I'm going to have to get him a pair of boots to play outside in! And then, even better he eyed up an even bigger, even muddier puddle and sat right down in it. Boy was he surprised when he got all wet! It was too cute! But he didn't mind, and if it weren’t time for a nap we would have played out there longer!
Unfortunately the next day turned cold again and now I am looking out my office window to ice covered trees and a few inches of snow. Blagh. But the forecasters are saying 40's for tomorrow. So there is definite hope for spring soon enough- well maybe not soon enough, but coming never the less!
**On a side note** You can now view the pictures in each album as a slide show. Now you don't have to click through each one if you didn't want to. Nice new feature!
Jackson had a really good morning nap and woke up, ate a big lunch (finally his appetite is starting to come back!) and just as we were about to call our neighbor to join us with her kids, Lora rang us and asked if we wanted to play outside. Two stay at home mommy's dying to get the kids out of the house- and us too, really! I decided to try out our brand new stroller from Grandpa and Grandma Kanengeiser. It is this really cool lime green umbrella stroller- but updated to today's standards. It has a basket underneath to hold a diaper bag, etc. and a canopy, plus it is taller then most umbrella strollers so you don't have to hunch over to push it. Jackson also gets to sit up more to explore the world better then in his huge travel system. For our walk today it worked out perfect. There was still snow in spots, and this stroller made it so easy to maneuver around and over it. So thank you again Grandma and Grandpa- we love it!
I can't even tell you how wonderful it was to get outside. And we all felt it. Jonah drove his Jeep, and Jackson and Mari enjoyed their stroller walks- and Lora and I got to get a little exercise. Much needed at least for me, I have to say! After the walk I took Jackson out of the stroller and let him walk around a bit. He is such a boy. What was the first place he had to go play in- yup, the huge water puddle! He ran right to it and stomped around. *Mental Note* I'm going to have to get him a pair of boots to play outside in! And then, even better he eyed up an even bigger, even muddier puddle and sat right down in it. Boy was he surprised when he got all wet! It was too cute! But he didn't mind, and if it weren’t time for a nap we would have played out there longer!
Unfortunately the next day turned cold again and now I am looking out my office window to ice covered trees and a few inches of snow. Blagh. But the forecasters are saying 40's for tomorrow. So there is definite hope for spring soon enough- well maybe not soon enough, but coming never the less!
**On a side note** You can now view the pictures in each album as a slide show. Now you don't have to click through each one if you didn't want to. Nice new feature!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Jackson has 2 more Teeth!
After some super tough teething days, Jackson's top two teeth next to his middle ones finally broke through! Yay! He now has 6 teeth total- 4 on the top and two on the bottom. We noticed they came through this past weekend on Sunday, February 24th.
But along with the good news we got some bad....
Poor little man, on Sunday afternoon while shopping at Borders with Mommy and Daddy, got what seemed to be a case of being overheated. He had dozed off in the car and we just kept him in his car seat in the stroller. Took his hat off, unzipped his coat but just let him snooze. Well he woke up while we were shopping and just didn't look right. He had a greenish tint to his skin and a glossy look to his eyes. We immediately took him out of his seat, took off his coat and sweater and gave him some nice cold water to drink and crackers to calm his tummy. He was so out of it he was actually shaking and giving the look of being ready to throw up. After a little bit he finally started looking a bit better. We fed him some lunch and let him walk around a bit to get his blood flowing. Once he started looking more himself we decided to get him home. Once we got there I sat down with him to give him a bottle. He drank for about a minute and then sat up and proceeded to throw up everywhere. Ugh, the poor little guy! He has never thrown up like that before. It scared him a bit and made him weepy. But after he calmed down he seemed to feel almost back to normal. He was playing and acting silly. He went to bed that night and that is when the coughing started.
Well what we thought was only a case of being over heated ended up turning into a double ear infection and the beginnings of a sinus infection! The past few days have been pretty trying on all of us. Jackson has this terrible cough that makes him gag afterwards. He has all this phlegm from his sinus infection he is trying to cough it up but doesn't know what to do. So he gags, and many times coughs so hard it makes him throw up. He had been running a low-grade fever off and on and that was while taking Motrin. The doctor was a little concerned that he had a fever of 100.1 while under a fever reducer so they had me bring him in. And I am so thankful I did it when I did! Out doctor told me that if I would have waited even one day his ears and sinus would have been full blown and he would have been in terrible pain. So we had perfect timing. They prescribed Jackson some Amoxicillin that he needs to take for the next 10 days. After just two doses of it you could tell he was already feeling much better. The tough part though is getting it in him- and keeping it in. He HATES it. The moment you put it in his mouth he spits it right back out. And of course it is bright pink so now everything he has been wearing and everything I have been wearing has these lovely bright pink stains on them. Between the medicine and the throw up my washing machine has been on over drive! I finally figured I had to try something else. He HAS to take this stuff to get better and I can’t keep wasting it. So I found that if I put it in his oatmeal with his fruit he has no idea and gobbles it right up. Thank goodness! Success!
Now after 3 full days on antibiotics he is much more himself and actually playing again instead of just wandering around. He is still really clingy and a bit weepy, but at least he is on the mend. Taking care of a sick baby is hard work! Mommy is worn out! But I am just happy he is doing better. 4 days of throwing up will tire anyone out! Get better soon my little prince!
But along with the good news we got some bad....
Poor little man, on Sunday afternoon while shopping at Borders with Mommy and Daddy, got what seemed to be a case of being overheated. He had dozed off in the car and we just kept him in his car seat in the stroller. Took his hat off, unzipped his coat but just let him snooze. Well he woke up while we were shopping and just didn't look right. He had a greenish tint to his skin and a glossy look to his eyes. We immediately took him out of his seat, took off his coat and sweater and gave him some nice cold water to drink and crackers to calm his tummy. He was so out of it he was actually shaking and giving the look of being ready to throw up. After a little bit he finally started looking a bit better. We fed him some lunch and let him walk around a bit to get his blood flowing. Once he started looking more himself we decided to get him home. Once we got there I sat down with him to give him a bottle. He drank for about a minute and then sat up and proceeded to throw up everywhere. Ugh, the poor little guy! He has never thrown up like that before. It scared him a bit and made him weepy. But after he calmed down he seemed to feel almost back to normal. He was playing and acting silly. He went to bed that night and that is when the coughing started.
Well what we thought was only a case of being over heated ended up turning into a double ear infection and the beginnings of a sinus infection! The past few days have been pretty trying on all of us. Jackson has this terrible cough that makes him gag afterwards. He has all this phlegm from his sinus infection he is trying to cough it up but doesn't know what to do. So he gags, and many times coughs so hard it makes him throw up. He had been running a low-grade fever off and on and that was while taking Motrin. The doctor was a little concerned that he had a fever of 100.1 while under a fever reducer so they had me bring him in. And I am so thankful I did it when I did! Out doctor told me that if I would have waited even one day his ears and sinus would have been full blown and he would have been in terrible pain. So we had perfect timing. They prescribed Jackson some Amoxicillin that he needs to take for the next 10 days. After just two doses of it you could tell he was already feeling much better. The tough part though is getting it in him- and keeping it in. He HATES it. The moment you put it in his mouth he spits it right back out. And of course it is bright pink so now everything he has been wearing and everything I have been wearing has these lovely bright pink stains on them. Between the medicine and the throw up my washing machine has been on over drive! I finally figured I had to try something else. He HAS to take this stuff to get better and I can’t keep wasting it. So I found that if I put it in his oatmeal with his fruit he has no idea and gobbles it right up. Thank goodness! Success!
Now after 3 full days on antibiotics he is much more himself and actually playing again instead of just wandering around. He is still really clingy and a bit weepy, but at least he is on the mend. Taking care of a sick baby is hard work! Mommy is worn out! But I am just happy he is doing better. 4 days of throwing up will tire anyone out! Get better soon my little prince!
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