A few weeks ago we took the kids to the Rocky River Nature Center, or "Little Zoo" as we like to call it. They have lots of animals there to look at, deer, turtles, fish, raccoons, bunnies, and even a bald eagle. Anna loves this place and even had her birthday party here one year. But boy oh boy did the babies love it this time! They got so excited every time they would see a new animal. It was so cute! So we knew they were defiantly ready for the big stuff....
So on Friday Bonnie and I decided to take our chances on the iffy weather (they had been forecasting rain off and on all day) and take the kids to the zoo for some fun and exercise (for Bonnie and I!) Bonnie has a zoo membership so it works out nicely that if it does indeed rain you won't be wasting money since it is free to get in. The first animals we saw were the elephants. Oh my goodness did Sophie get excited! She and Jackson have just learned how to make the elephant sound, with the arm up and everything, so this was very cool for them to see elephants so big and close. Every part of the zoo was such an experience for them, all the people, the animals; the pretty trees in the breeze- everything! They couldn't get enough. And Anna loved being the big sister and cousin and made sure to point out all of her favorite things to them.
We even discovered an itty-bitty baby turtle that was lost, walking on the main path by the swans. We made sure to scoop him up and put him back into a safe place to save him from an unsuspecting foot. He was only about the size of a half dollar- so cute!!!
Another absolute favorite of the day were the seals. Boy do these guys know how to put on a show! Their trainers were in there with them today so we got to see them do tricks, watch them be fed and groomed and of course perform with their silly antics. The babies couldn't get enough! They were squealing and laughing every time the seals did anything new. If this didn't convince me that I needed to get a zoo membership this year I don't know what will!
It ended up being a gorgeous day, without a cloud in the sky (mommy even got a little sunburned!) and definite blast for everyone. We can't wait to go back- and this time bring a camera with a fully charged battery! Zoo anyone?!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jackson Goes to Bed Like a Big Boy Now!
We didn't want to say anything about this in the worry that we would jinx it- but since it has been going on since February, I think we can finally talk about it outloud...
Jackson goes to bed like a big boy now! YAYAYAYAYAY! Ever since he was born we couldn't just lay him down in his bed while he was awake- we had to bounce him quietly until it put him to sleep. He was a FIGHTER too! Sometimes it would take up to an hour for him to finally give in to sleep. This prooved to be frustrating on all of us! I would read in my books and magazines how you need to lay them down awake so they can learn how to put themselves to sleep. We always thought "Yeah Right!" How is that even possible?! He would scream and cry and fight and drive us all crazy. Finally Scott and I decided that we were going to try letting him "Cry It Out". I was never a huge fan of this, but it has worked for friends of ours so to make it easier in the long run we would give it a shot. We were going to try it the next night.
Well guess what- the next night after giving Jackson his bottle he was squirming in my arms like he was having a hard time getting comfortable, so I thought...hmmmm, I am just going to give this a try and see what happens. I kissed his face, told him we loved him and Jesus loved him, covered him up with his blanket and said good night and walked out the room. He babbled for about 5 minutes and then was sound asleep. Each night we would do this, every time expecting to get the screams that we would get in the past- but they never came. Can I just say how wonderful this is! No more stressful nights, no more frustrations of me and Scott having to take turns getting him to go to sleep. Jackson is a big boy now and we all like it better this way! Good job little man!
Jackson goes to bed like a big boy now! YAYAYAYAYAY! Ever since he was born we couldn't just lay him down in his bed while he was awake- we had to bounce him quietly until it put him to sleep. He was a FIGHTER too! Sometimes it would take up to an hour for him to finally give in to sleep. This prooved to be frustrating on all of us! I would read in my books and magazines how you need to lay them down awake so they can learn how to put themselves to sleep. We always thought "Yeah Right!" How is that even possible?! He would scream and cry and fight and drive us all crazy. Finally Scott and I decided that we were going to try letting him "Cry It Out". I was never a huge fan of this, but it has worked for friends of ours so to make it easier in the long run we would give it a shot. We were going to try it the next night.
Well guess what- the next night after giving Jackson his bottle he was squirming in my arms like he was having a hard time getting comfortable, so I thought...hmmmm, I am just going to give this a try and see what happens. I kissed his face, told him we loved him and Jesus loved him, covered him up with his blanket and said good night and walked out the room. He babbled for about 5 minutes and then was sound asleep. Each night we would do this, every time expecting to get the screams that we would get in the past- but they never came. Can I just say how wonderful this is! No more stressful nights, no more frustrations of me and Scott having to take turns getting him to go to sleep. Jackson is a big boy now and we all like it better this way! Good job little man!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Awwwwww......
Jackson has started doing the cutest thing! If you say to him "Jackson give Mommy an Awww..." he goes up to you, lays his head on you and says "Awwww". It is his sweet way of giving a hug. Now if this doesn't brighten your day, I don't know what does!
Our little man has another tooth coming in which of course has made him feel a bit under the weather. So please send some "Hurry Up Tooth!" and "Feel Better Soon" wishes our way.
Our little man has another tooth coming in which of course has made him feel a bit under the weather. So please send some "Hurry Up Tooth!" and "Feel Better Soon" wishes our way.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Did you know your nose has holes in it....
....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!
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!
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!!!!
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