Day 22- Date Night- well evening

Jackson and Dad watching Jeopardy

A HUGE thank you to Candy and Patricia for watching Jackson this afternoon. It was great headed out not worrying about feeding, naps or diaper changes. Russell and I went to see The Dilemma, it was pretty funny and then grabbed dinner. Jackson really seemed to have a good time and was tired out.

Today's pictures are a result of diaper laundry. I have some diapers coming in the mail, either ones that I won or ones that I got a really good deal on- so I decided to take stock of what we have. I have a picture of Jackson with our diaper stash, then pictures of how we store our diapers. In the mail I have 2 diapeze diapers, a nifty nappy fitted, a click-a-doo AI2, a WAHM trout diaper, and a nifty nappy swim diaper. He's growing out of some of his sized diapers, so those are all replacements.

Here is Jackson with his stash- the fitteds are in the top left, all the BG and Kawaiis go to Miss Brenda's and the hodge podge of brands left over are ours. Those are SBISH longies in the center, CC Baby longies to the left, Sbish soaker in blue bottom right, a mama bear wool wrap in merino wool in the tan, and the cream is a little to big beetle wool cover. I'll be reviewing all of these throughout the year.

Our diaper pail with a pail liner from Etsy which rotates with a planetwise diaper pail.

This holds extra inserts, some prefolds, diapers he doesn't fit in yet, and his swim diaper. Great storage space.

This is the basket we keep all the pockets, AIOs and AI2s

This is our basket of fitteds

Extra inserts that I use for long trips or naps

All the PUL covers I used with prefolds when he was itty bitty.

View of the set up and his A&A cozy sleeping bag

Our wipe container- flannel wipes on the left, terry scrubby wipes on the right

The beautiful shelf that Russell built that is directly above the changing table. The peri bottle has our wipe solution which is 3 drops tea tree oil and the rest is water. The big white tub is CJs BUTTer (an all natural diaper cream), vitamins, tylenol, eye drops, tooth brush, vaseline, the basket on the left has snappis and his amber teething necklaces. This is a very handy shelf :)

This is our bumble pocket http://www.bumbledoo.com/ I won it on a FB comment game. This hangs off the side of the crib (behind his kick n play piano) and holds all of the wool. This is extremely durable and a perfect solution to keeping the wool in a place it can dry without taking up too much space. As he gets older the wool will go to the storage underneath space for easy access and this will start to hold his favorite toys and books. I love this and am really happy I won it b/c I'm not sure that I would have bought it and I never would have known what I was missing out on. There are a ton of patterns and each one is hand made- you can't beat that!

Day 21- I'm a mom

Yes, the title of the blog is obvious, but sometimes there are days that it hits you- you're a mom. Today was one of those days. Jackson slept fine but woke up with a stomach bug. He puked all over me and his toys multiple times, had diarrhea, and a fever. He only wanted to be with me, but wasn't fussy as long as I was right there. Then we had a call to go out to the bar to hang out with friends for a birthday. I was going to take Jackson to dinner with them, but then he passed out. By the time he was up from his nap, it was too late and way too cold. So I stayed home while Russell went out. The funny thing is, I didn't mind it at all. I enjoyed the time to play with him, give him his bath, and get him to bed. I got a nice shower and was thankful that he wasn't too miserable and was doing much better by the end of the night. Looking back, I would have been so sad to miss out on an impromptu get together with friends before, but now it didn't phase me. Would I like to visit with friends- definitely, but I know I'll have time to visit with them. I am just surprised at how many things have changed in my life in the past year.

Ok onto the blog. Today's pictures are of Jackson playing on his play mat in one of my favorite outfits, Jackson in his Seuss outfit with a version of baby legs called Rock A Thigh socks, and two picture to compare for this week's challenge- ISO. There is a picture of Bernie on ISO of 80 and the same picture with an ISO 0f 1600. Bernie was torturing himself just staring at the WV teether- he wanted it so badly. This was a neat challenge that has allowed me to see what my camera can do. I'll definitely try to do more with my pictures!

My review today will be of the Rock A Thigh socks. I'm not so sure if I like them yet or not. The fit is great and I love that I'm not fighting to keep socks on, but I'm not sure how I feel about them on a boy. I'm afraid they look too much like tights. The baby legs that I have are baggy and look more pant like. I think I'll use them at home for now for the convenience and make up my mind about them later on. What is the point of these and baby legs? Well with a sick baby who needed frequent diaper changes, they are wonderful for quick diaper changes. Other days, with all of my cute diapers, I love to pair them with a plain colored tshirt to show off the diapers. They will protect his knees when he gets to crawling in warmer weather without the heat and they show off the cute designs on outfits like his seuss onesie that would be covered up by pants. So I really love the concept, but still not sure how I feel about their appearance. For now they are wonderful to wear around the house!

ISO 80 with sunlight

ISO 1600 with sunlight

Day 20- it's a long week, but it's SNOWING

Even though we had Monday off between watching basketball, doing laundry, and staying late at school- I'm beat! I won't be complaining if this storm has us enjoying another day at home tomorrow! I had extended day today and then Russell, Jackson and I went out for dinner. When all was said and done and we were settled it was already after seven. Russell insisted on hogging the camera today so he's the photographer of tonight's picture. Jackson is playing on his new foam play mat. I'm so excited it is here because now he has a safe place to practice sitting, crawling and trying new things without the punishment from the hardwood floor. I think he'll enjoy it for a long time! I'm really happy with the quality so far. Another mom from the August Mom group from the bump recommended it to me and it is fabulous! http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2786146

Tonight I'll do a quick review of a very popular pocket diaper, BumGenius 3.0. This diaper is great and very, very easy to use. I can't write a whole lot about it because I send it to Miss Brenda, our sitter's house. They velcro gets a little pilly, but there are easy solutions to help it last a little longer. These are one sized and will be the only diapers that my sitter will need for Jackson. They have great fit and don't leak unless I don't have enough in the pocket (which is my fault). They come in a lot of great colors and are reasonably priced. I have one dozen and got them with the buy 5 get 1 free special from cotton babies. Below is a picture of Jackson in his Grasshopper BumGenius when he was 2 weeks old! Bumgenius were my starter diapers and I recommend them to anyone who is just starting out with cloth or wants something very close to disposables that can be easily converted for any situation.

Publish Post

Day 19

Today begins my months of long days. I have to be at work at 7:30 (and I swear I'll try my hardest!) and I don't leave until after 5. This makes for some super long days! I'm forcing myself to stay up to watch this WVU game, but as the game gets worse and worse- I'm thinking bed sounds great!

I enjoy the extra money from extended day and I'd hate for Jennings not to have a basketball team, but it does stink that I get an hour less with Jackson 4 nights a week. It might not seem like a lot, but that time adds up! I do love teaching and I know I couldn't hack it as a stay at home mom, but I'd love to work part time. I really got spoiled with all these snow days and holidays. However, I think once I get used to this new routine and the 1/2 hour less of sleep I'll settle in and be OK again.

Tonight's pictures are from our playtime on the blankets. Jackson spit up all over his outfit from Miss Brenda so we went with the diaper and fleece shirt. The shirt is a 0-3- I can't believe it still fits him! I feel like he's getting so big but then I see pictures of other babies his age in the same equipment that we have and they fill it up so much more.

Now the diaper is another pocket diaper. It's one of his two Babykicks diapers of the chocoholic collection. Both diapers I got for free from Kelly's Closet. They are one size pocket diapers. These are definitely not my favorite. Some people really love this diaper and I think I might like it a lot more when Jackson is bigger, but I'm not a fan of how the insert fits on the smaller sizes. These have a pocket that is stuffed from the front with a special one size insert. Since the front is folded down, I always have extra insert sticking out on top that I have to fold down. That wouldn't bother me, but they don't fold down very well and then there is a tag that sticks out. They also have side snaps and I still haven't decided if I like those yet. I have to snap one snap tighter in the waist than I do at the thigh which provides a good fit. I hear that the side snaps are better for when they are older though because it makes it harder for them to undo the diaper.

All that said these aren't diapers diapers that I'm getting rid of just yet. They are extremely absorbent and I like that the inner leg gussets are a breathable material. I have never had a leak from these. They are really trim and great diapers for under jeans. Because the inner material takes a lot longer to dry, I run it through the dryer for 15 minutes after I hang it to dry with all the lighter diapers. This makes them dry and softens them up b/c hanging to dry makes them stiff and rough. So overall these are OK diapers for now, but I have a feeling I'll like them a lot right before we start potty training.

So here are a couple of pics of Jackson playing in his 0-3 shirt and Babykicks!

Day 18- A full day of work

This is for real going to be a short post. This full day of work stuff is rough, I'm exhausted! This week has a lot of to dos. IEPs, SATs, grading, and report cards! I am in an awesome group full of August moms and I have a pen pal who has a son who was also born in August. I would like to send her a good letter by Friday too. Basketball started today- extended day starts tomorrow. The end of the nine weeks is always rough. However, I have learned that these things will get done. I have learned to multi-task and use my time more wisely at school b/c my time at home is now 100% Jackson, Joe and Bernie.

So I have 3 pictures for today b/c it's soooooo hard to choose just one! and then I'm off to finish the diapers and get some sleep- 5 am comes really early! I do promise to add another diaper review tomorrow though, I just haven't decided which one.

The first is a rare shot of Bernie spending some time interacting with Jackson. The second is his goofy grin. I LOVE that grin, it's my very favorite, and I was so happy to catch it on film. Finally, a picture of Jackson enjoying my glasses after he ripped them off of my face (yes I'm totally blind and those thick lenses are actually the thinned version).

Day 17- I love 3 day weekends

Today's will be short. We went to eat with some good friends and got back late. Jackson didn't get to bed until late and I've got to work tomorrow sooooooooo no time to work on the blog tonight! I promise this blog won't be all- "I have the greatest kid ever" because I'm a teacher and I know how those parents sound. However, I do have to say that I'm really lucky because we stayed an hour past his bed time, he was around new people, and only had 2 toys to play with, but he was awesome. A little fussy here and there but easily settled and still laughing as we walked out of the house. I love that I don't really have to worry about taking him places, handing him off, or straying a bit from schedule. He's an awesome kid and I just love when I get to be reminded on nights like this.

So today's picture is of Jackson and Joe. Jackson has begun to learn how to pet Joe. He was rubbing his hand up and down Joe and being very gentle with him. He still loves to grab ears, which we are working on, but it's so neat to see how much he has grown to love his dogs. He'll reach out for them when they walk by, laugh when they come to see him, and pout when the don't. I'm not trying to make anyone mad, but I feel bad for the babies that never get the chance to get to play with pets because their parents get rid of them. It took a lot of work, but seeing Jackson with Joe and Bernie makes it totally worth all of it.

Day 16- Mounties pull the upset

Another full day to blog about, I love when I get to spend the whole day with my family! Today, as the title implies, the Mountaineers pulled a big upset over Purdue. It was an awesome game to watch. Jackson loves his WVU basketball and I got a hilarious picture of him with the ball so I'll share that today.

We also got our high chair up and ready for Jackson. We aren't going to get him really eating until 6 months, but we want him to get used to sitting in the high chair while we have dinner. It will be good for us to begin family dinnertime as well. That is something super important to me. Growing up, I remember that if I had some type of sports practice and couldn't be home for dinner with the family either my dad sat with me and we enjoyed that time or he took me to the Siebenbuerger Club where you get this HUGE dinner for like 1.50. I always got to play the gambling machines too- and sometimes I won. Some of my favorite memories growing up were from family meal time and I hope to pass that tradition on to Jackson.

Anyway, we started Jackson sitting in the highchair tonight. He had a little bit of a fussy day b/c he's having a hard time cutting those top two teeth. So we decided to let him teeth on a carrot. He was totally loving it. So I've included a picture of Jackson and his carrot. I'm really excited to start solid foods when he turns 6 months. Like everything else parenting, after reading way too much, I think we are going to start with using baby-led weaning. I'm looking forward to blogging about the ups and downs of this method, but the super condensed version is that Jackson will feed himself and he will eat "real" food from day 1. There won't be me spoon feeding him purees. Here is a link to the book if you are interested: http://www.babyledweaning.com/ This was a recent decision, so thanks to my sister, if I change my mind I am set to make my own baby food. If not my brother is getting the kit ;)

Finally tonight I'm going to talk about another pocket diaper, Fuzzibunz. In honor of the Jets victory (which let's be honest, every Steeler fan let out a huge sigh of relief- not that next week is an easy win, but a team that mirrors ours much more closely and will lead to another hard hitting game) I'm going to cover the Fuzzibunz One-Size. I've included a picture of Jackson in his macaroni and cheese OS fuzzibunz.

The Fuzzibunz OS was by far my favorite diaper when Jackson was smaller. It is very unique in that you aren't customizing the size by snapping, but rather by adjusting the elastic in the legs. Many of you know Jackson was a little baby (6lbs 11oz) and had some skinny legs. He leaked out of his bumgenius when he was tiny, but the Fuzzibunz never leaked. I could make the diaper perfect for his size. It took a little adjusting to get it right at first, but has been great ever since. While it does come with a microfiber insert, I had extra BumGenius OS inserts which snap down at one end, doubling the absorbency. Since the FBs OS have a skinnier pocket while I have them set for Jackson's skinny legs, this insert is perfect. I put the doubled up part in the front for my boy and we're all set to go. I love the snaps and know that these diapers will be the first I reach for for the next baby. I have these in 2 macaroni and cheese (yellow), 1 royal blue, and 1 white. Some would think the white is boring, but it's actually really cute. And since I do use cloth, white is such a novel color- it's nice to have.

I hope you all are enjoying this blog- I'm enjoying writing it and reviewing my stash. I hope it helps people. As always if you have any questions about anything we are trying, please send me a message or leave a comment. I'd be happy to share why we decided what we've decided and I'm always open to new ideas!

Day 15- Steelers pull it out :)

Today will cover a couple of things. First Way to go Steelers! It was a rough first half, but the Steelers got it together. Jackson slept on me the whole game so I had silent lamenting as well as silent celebration. However I did yell out in excitement with the pass to Brown b/c man did they need that! Looking forward to another good game next weekend. So I've included a picture of Jackson in his Steeler gear, he celebrated after the game.

Next, Jackson had some pictures taken today. I was so proud of him, he sat for the whole hour and only fell over once! He's getting so big, so fast! We ordered a foam play mat for him so that he can practice sitting on a sturdier surface than the blankets and not worry about hitting his head on our hardwood floors. I've included some pictures from the session today, so sorry ahead of time, this is a photo rich blog post today.

Finally, one of the pictures has Jackson modeling his Blueberry Minky Pocket Diaper in "Green Camo." It is by far one of my favorite diapers for him. He has another Blueberry as well and both of these are extremely absorbent. I love that the pocket is huge for quick and easy stuffing. They come with bamboo inserts, which are really absorbent and easy to fold or snap to different sizes. I have one velcro and one snap, I prefer the velcro and the Blueberry velcro has held up better than any of our other velcro diapers. These diapers are some of the ones that I save for "going out." Pocket diapers are some of the easiest to use and clean and they are great for customizing. I think for the fit, now that Jackson is getting bigger, I prefer these over our Fuzzibunz, but we'll see if this remains true. Looking at these pictures, how can you NOT want to use cloth diapers. Not only does this help the environment (over 244 trees are killed a day to make diapers!) but Jackson has never had a diaper rash, will potty train earlier (so they promise), they are super cute, and we are saving a ton of money!

If you have any questions about these diapers or how to get a good deal on them (I've never paid full price!) let me know, I'd be glad to help!

Day 14- back to work

Well, it was a 2 hour delay, but we are back to work. Today's a short one b/c I'm worn out, but here is a picture of me and Jackson ready for the day in our Steeler gear, ignore my goofy face, I was trying to get Jackson to smile- it worked. This was actually the only picture I had time to take today. And yes, that's our bare Christmas tree still up. Russell has a hard time parting with things and now it's snowed in. As soon as we get a break in the weather it's out of here! Here's hoping for a big win tomorrow!

Day 13- Another Snow Day

I was able to enjoy another snow day home with Jackson, Joe and Bernie. Russell was home too today- so I have a few pictures for today's post. I've decided that starting tomorrow I'm going to showcase one of Jackson's diapers/brand each day. I'm going to talk about the positives and negatives of each diaper for him. I hope some of the readers will get to see how cool cloth is now and maybe be tempted to give it a try!

Tonight, however, I'd like to give a quick blurb about his amber teething necklace. People have seen pictures of Jackson in a necklace and were shocked that Russell would let his son wear a necklace. But as shocked as you are, that's how much of a believer you should be. The amber is so cool. It means that even though Jackson's teething, I don't have to constantly be giving him teething tablets, orajel, or tylenol. Now, don't get me wrong, some days call for some or all of those, but for the most part he's going through teething OK and med free. Here's a link to learn about the amber. The amber necklace, might I add, is from another Work at home mom- Inspired by Finn. http://hyenacart.com/stores/inspiredbyfinn/index.php?c=63&p=14913

But, back to the pictures. I've included Jackson buried in the snow by our fence, Jackson with Dad, Jackson, Joe, me and Bernie, and an action shot of Joe and Bernie playing in the snow. Hope you all have a great night!

Day 12 Lazy Snow Day

So today we got hammered with snow. We had a very lazy day inside and didn't get out of our PJs until this afternoon. They cancelled school for tomorrow at 3:00 so I decided we'll go out and play in the snow tomorrow instead of today. I'm looking forward to having some snow pictures for tomorrow. I did include a picture of Joe at 8 am this morning when I was taking out the trash, prior to getting snow ALL day. I'll bet the snow will come up to Jackson's chest!

I'm so grateful that I have a job that allows me to spend so much time with Jackson. I have to grade papers this weekend, but I have learned to manage my time much better so that I have time with him. He's growing up so fast and it's hard to keep up!

I was thinking about ways we have made our lives more green this year. One way that came to mind today while I was doing laundry was using additive free laundry detergent (rockin' green and country save) and using wool dryer balls. We don't use any detergent that is not clean rinsing and we use no dryer sheets. I love that it saves money and I find them to be really effective. My dryer balls come from Buddha Bunz and The Green Sheep. Buddha Bunz has beautiful colors and awesome scents. I bought all of my colored/scented ones from Buddha Bunz and then my undyed, unscented ones from the Green Sheep. This worked out really well because I just remove the BB ball when I dry my diapers and I don't have to worry about the scents getting onto the diaper.

One more revelation. I love buying from work at home moms. The customer service is great, I've met some great people, and I love that my money is going to good people. I may pay a little bit more than buying these things at Wal-Mart, but it is money well spent. The quality is amazing. I bought an amber teething necklace for Jackson (I'll write about this another time) from Inspired by Finn. It broke so I emailed to ask how to fix it. They quickly replied not to worry and replaced it for me.

I am thankful for Jackson because having him in my life has really pushed me to research living healthier, greener, and appreciate small businesses even more. So while he enriches my life with his antics daily, he also enriches it by encouraging me to be a better person so that I can teach him to appreciate people and nature.

Today's photos are from Jackson and Joe playing upstairs on the fall safe bed (where we practice sitting) and one of Joe next to the snow at the end of our driveway at 8 am this morning. I'll have to get an updated one tomorrow morning.

Day 11- 5 months old

I can't believe it's been a whole 5 months! This will be short b/c it's quarter to ten and Jackson is still celebrating. Laughing, playing and chatting away in his exersaucer. To follow up on yesterday's post and add to this week's challenge theme of blue, I have included Jackson with his favorite blue item- the bathtub. Being a boy I had a lot of blue to pick from, but the tub was a no brainer. This kid loves bath time and it can change his mood within seconds. So here is my baby with his favorite blue item on his 5 month birthday! Time is going by way too fast.

Day 10

Jackson's top teeth are starting to come in. I hate seeing him so miserable, and it absolutely amazes me the power of a good bath. He slept very little at Ms. Brenda's today and was very fussy she reported. He slept in his car seat for about 1/2 an hour was up and cried or ate for the remainder of the night. He did help me stuff the diapers, which calmed him for a bit. However, no matter what we did, he was crying within 15 minutes. Until bath time. I set him in the tub and he turned and smiled then kicked the hell out of the thing. He splashed and laughed for 1/2 an hour. He was in a great mood while I got him dressed, in his dad's favorite Mossy Oak diaper, freshly washed wool cover, and comfy pjs. I put him in his blanket and he was sound asleep within 1/2 an hour. It just totally amazes me- despite orajel, teething necklace, teething tabs, and teething toys- Jackson was miserable. 30 minutes and a warm bath and he was so chill. I'm just so glad he loves water so much, I can't wait to take him swimming!

On top of the water, I also wanted to add that I'm so thankful that he's a thumbsucker. A lot of people give me crap about not breaking the habit now, but the following two pics for today show you all why his thumb is so wonderful. What to expect the first year says that 85% of kids break the habit on their own by 5 and 95% by the time they are six. No damage is done until they are 7. So I'll start worrying a few years from now. In the meantime you can see the transformation- totally worth the risk!

Day 9- Big Boy Cup

Jackson is growing up so fast! We tried to introduce sippy cups over Christmas, but he wasn't very interested. However, recently he has started reaching for my cups. I always have a huge cup of water with me and I decided to share. He loves to grab it with both hands and will fuss if I take it away too soon. He does really well with it, I'm not sure if he's ever going to take to a sippy cup, but I do know he knows exactly what to do with a cup and like so many other things- he wants to do it himself. We ordered his high chair today so we'll start letting him drink himself soon- thank goodness I have a splat mat b/c I think we are getting ready for a very messy venture. I can't wait!

I'm also adding this picture of what I saw when I went to check on Jackson before I went to bed. Bernie, though not always as cuddly and giving as Joe is with Jackson, was watching out for him. It's so wonderful to see the great relationships that have already formed.

Day 8- Transitions

Last night we moved Jackson's Rock n' Play and humidifier to the nursery. So today I'm very tired. He's used to having me right next to him and combine that with a cold, made for a very long night. (I was the paranoid mom who had to go and check on him after every cough, hiccup, and moan all night long) He was up at 1, at and went back down by 1:30. Then he was up at 4:00 am for the day. He napped on me from 6-8 and then only slept in the car the rest of the day. He was a trooper though. Awesome behavior at the first birthday party for Bradie, then a doll while we shopped at the mall, babies r us and sam's club. He came home, ate, had a bath, played and now is in his room. I'm headed to my room, so it's a short entry tonight. Here is Jackson trying to play peek a boo with me from his exersaucer at 4:30 am, I'm not really in the mood to play, but he is so cute. I'm hoping his late bed time tonight will help him to get back onto a healthy sleep routine!

Day 7- First Snow Day of the New Year!

One of the greatest things about being a teacher is that you still get up early to look out the window and then subsequently check the school closing reports. I live by the weather in the winter months here and this year, I appreciate snow days even more. Today Jackson and I shoveled the front walk way and then just enjoyed the snow (not for very long b/c it's still cold!). Joe and Bernie love to play in the snow too. After all our fun outside, Jackson must have been tired out b/c Bernie, Jackson and I cuddled up on the couch for a long nap. Joe napped in the recliner so he could really spread out. Here is my favorite picture from today! He was wearing his big boy snowsuit and in continuance of the big boy theme, he is sleeping in his nursery tonight for the first time. We are keeping him in the rock n play until he's 6 months, but we've moved the rock n' play so phase one has begun!

Look Mommy- I'm sitting! Day- 6

Ok- so he only sat for like 30 seconds, but he was very proud of himself and I was very proud of him.  He finally sat long enough for me to snap a picture. I'm really glad that I'm doing this photo challenge.  Playing the working, single mom for the majority of the week makes it easy to put off time with Jackson letting him play by himself while I clean bottles, do laundry, wash diapers, sweep the floor, etc. would be so easy to do.  However- I think to myself, I don't want all of the pictures to be with him in the exersaucer or jumparoo.  So I have started doing 1 chore while he plays and then making sure that we get some good play time too.  I know that I can't put off all the chores until he goes to bed, I've tried it- and I was way to exhausted.  But if I can split them up- I know I won't regret how I spent my evenings.  He gets his independent time, but more importantly he get's undivided, uninterrupted time with me.  So I'm so thankful that this challenge has motivated me to put myself in situations to capture the great moments.  Tonight was an surprisingly good night for pictures so I have 3 entries.  I say it was surprising because we went to Wal-Mart and I didn't get home, pumped and unpacked until 6:30 and it was 7:00 before he was changed and done eating.  However, from 7-8 Jackson has demonstrated mastery of the belly to back roll (yes I know this sounds like an IEP goal, it's that time of year), we read our nighttime story together (he helps me turn the pages), and he sat for 30 seconds!  It was an awesome night together and diapers are done, laundry is mostly done, and bottles are cleaned and sterilized and I will still be in bed by 11, having enjoyed time watching Grey's.  It took 4 1/2 months, but we're finally getting into a healthy routine and I'm really starting to enjoy this life.

So without further ado: picture 1, Jackson practicing sitting:

Picture #2:
My very favorite time of night, Jackson led story time (this is a time where I read the pages he turns to, we do mommy-led story time in the crib where I hold the book)

And I've finally got Jackson in action- his film debut of rolling belly to back :) 

Day 5, Puppy Lovin'

Jackson sitting with Dad and checking out his furry brother.  Joe is so tolerant, I love him.  Bernie was cuddling with me on the couch.  It was a fantastic family night.  Russell pitched in and gave me a bit of a break tonight so I'm going to finish this load of diapers and head off to bed :)

Teething Sucks- Day 4

This is how Mr. Jackson has spent the majority of his day.  At least he has begun to realize that the snot sucker makes him feel better and doesn't fight it or cry anymore.  There weren't a lot of pics to choose from today b/c I went back to work and he was only awake for 45 minutes outside of the bathtub this evening.

I've also added a video from over break that makes me see my very happy baby and his puppies.  I feel very strongly that from day one he "plays" with Joe and Bernie, is comfortable with them, and respects them as family members.  I'm so happy that this has already started to pay off.  The dogs love to come and lick Jackson's hands and Jackson reaches for them anytime they are nearby.  I've been so proud of Bernie because I know how hard it is for him to let his guard down, but he's been such a trooper.  I LOVE Jackson's laughter so much, but even more because no one can make Jackson laugh like Joe and Bernie can :) 

Future Basketball Star Day 3

Steeler Win and a Baby's Grin- Day 2

Here is Jackson today celebrating the Steeler's victory over the Browns in the exersaucer. It has been so neat to watch him grow in that. First he would just stand in there, then jump a bit, then hit the music buttons, now he is playing with all the toys, figuring out what they do, moving himself around. It's amazing how quickly he is growing and how much he learns each day!

Happy New Year- Let the Challenge Begin!

I am putting in two pictures for this first day.  It's so hard to pick one lol.  One however, is New Years Eve- he was all dressed up in his tuxedo t-shirt and ready to party hard.  However, Jackson doesn't know that it's a holiday so he went to bed at bed time.  Believe me, I'm not complaining.  The second picture is Jackson's first picture of the new year.  I snapped it just after midnight and fortunately, he didn't wake up- even when I gave him a new years kiss :)  2010 was an awesome year and I'm looking forward to enjoying every moment of 2011!

                                                             Ringing in the New Year