Jackson's first Christmas........

Jack with the cookies that mommy and grandma made

Jackson with grandma and grandpa on Christmas Eve

Family picture outside of church before Christmas Eve mas

Jack posing on his changing table

Looking at all the presents on Christmas morning

Everyone wiped out on Christmas night, except Jack looking at mommy take the picture

Like I mentioned below, we had a very busy, fun filled December. I only work two days a week yet I still feel like the other 5 isnt enough time to get things done around the house and also have as much time as I'd like to have fun with little Jackson.

One of the first things we did to get ready for Christmas was pick out our tree. Jack and I went with grandma and grandpa in their truck to Home Depot to pick out his first Christmas tree. The next night we had them over to help decorate it. The boys including Jack ended up watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and drinking nog with whiskey while us girls decorated the tree. It was a lot fun considering in years past I have decorated the tree all by myself. That weekend Toby also put up our lights. We now had a festive house filled with Christmas spirit.

The next week mom and I took Jack to see Santa at the mall. We ended up with a really cute 5X7 and a picture that I had taken on my camera. The picture that I took ended up being the photo for our Christmas card. Jack did so good with Santa. He didnt cry at all and looked at the camera the whole time!

The following week Toby, Jack, and I went out to McAdenville to see the famous lights. We walked down the streets with Jack in the carrier. Boy was it cold that night. We really had to bundle Jack. He slept through most of it which is what he usually does when we put him in the front carrier.

The weekend before Christmas grandma came over and we baked tons of cookies! We made roll out sugar cookies that we decorated as well as chocolate press cookies. They all turned out so well. Jack sat in his bumbo seat at the kitchen bar and watched us bake while we listened to Christmas music.

The week of Christmas I worked Monday and then I was off until the weekend. Mom and I went to get all the food for our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feasts. The Wednesday before Christmas, Jack and I went with grandma and grandpa to the mall just to watch people scurry around for last minute gifts and enjoy the feeling of being done with all of our shopping. It was crazy and busy as we had expected. Christmas Eve morning Jack and I went to go see Erin, Todd, and Cameron so we could take Cam his gift and also pick up a gift from Erin's mom. It was the cutest red pj's with a drop butt that said "Jacks First Christmas". That afternoon we went home to get ready for mass. Jack started out fussy while waiting for the service to start but ending up sleeping through most of it. He looked absolutely adorable in his "Christmas outfit" from grandma Timmons. After church we went back to grandma and grandpas to enjoy our Christmas Eve feast of appetizers and open some gifts. We drank our beverages of choice and enjoyed the toasty, warm fire. I think Jack could feel the excitement of Christmas because he would not go to sleep that night until very late. Christmas morning was at our house. We enjoyed mimosas while we opened all the gifts under the tree. We put Jack in his bumbo seat with all of his gifts around him. He couldnt keep his eyes off of them. I think he liked all the shiny, bright wraping paper. Late in the morning grandpa cooked us a yummy breakfast. After a relaxing afternoon we had a wonderful prime rib dinner to top off a wonderful holiday. I was very sad to see it come to an end.

Back to the grind...

So I realize I have a lot of catching up to do on this blog. This will be my first post in December. Needless to say its been a busy, fun-filled month! I will start from the very first day of the m0nth, though, which was not so much fun.

December 1st, the day I had been dreading for many weeks...my first day back to work after maternity leave! I was originally scheduled to work a 12 that day but a couple weeks before this a prn person posted a need for hours on the employee bulletin board. I couldnt resist so I gave up a few of my hours, shortening my day to an 8 hour shift. I was now scheduled to work 11a-7p. I thought this may ease my transition back into work. The night before I did not sleep well at all. I kept having thoughts of how it was all gonna go down...leaving my new, sweet baby, taking care of patients, charting, finding time to pump at work, and trying my best to get out on time. It was all very stressful to even think about!

The morning of December 1st I woke up early so I would have time to snuggle with Jackson before dropping him off down the street at grandma and grandpas. I had a very heavy heart and was unsuccessful at fighting back the tears that morning. I was ready to get this whole "going back to work" thing overwith. I knew that very first day back would be the worst of them all. When I got to mom and dads the tears really started flowing. When I looked at Jackson with my tear-filled, red eyes he just smiled. That made me cry even more! Luckily I had gotten to their house early so I would have some time to pull myself together before leaving for good ol' CMC. Dad had to practically push me out the door in order to get me to leave.

As I approached the parking garage I realized the only thing I missed about this hospital was the day I met my precious baby boy on the best night of my life by far, Seotember 3rd, 2009. Once I got up to the unit and saw some familiar faces I almost felt as if I had never left. Everyone was so welcoming and seemed genuinely happy to see me and the pictures of Jackson that I had brought with me. This place wasnt so bad afterall. Although I could not wait to get home to my adorable baby boy!! I seem to look at babies in a whole new way now that I have my own.

When I got home that night Jackson was waiting there for me in his swing. He gave me a huge welcome home smile. I immediately ran to the bathroom, took the quickest shower of my life, and then snuggled and fed that sweet, little baby I had missed so much! Boy did I look forward to two whole lazy days at home with him. It would feel like maternity leave all over again.

My next scheduled shift was a 12 that Friday. The best thing ever had happened, I got called off!! What a dream come true. I was now off until the following Tuesday!!! Sometimes you gotta love being a nurse!

First road trip

Jackson with his grandma Timmons on Thanksgiving day

Tailgating with grandma Reid for the Florida game

Jackson sleeping in his carrier, where he spent most of the day

Last Wednesday we spent the day packing for Jackson's first road trip. We were going to Gainesville for Thanksgiving and staying through the weekend for the big FL/FSU game. We decided that it would probably be best to drive in the middle of the night for two reasons....1. to avoid Thanksgiving traffic and 2. for the hope that Jackson would sleep the whole time. We left Charlotte at 9 pm on Wednesday and arrived in Gainesville around 3 am. I did most of the driving since Toby worked all day. Jackson slept the entire way without a peep!! We were amazed. When we arrived we transitioned him into the pack and play where he slept until about 8:30 a.m. We stayed at the Gainesville house with grandma and grandpa Reid. They had been down there for about 2 weeks already just hanging out and enjoying the Florida sunshine. Grandma and grandpa Timmons as well as Aunt Jane also came into town for the holiday and game.

On Thursday we had a Thanksgiving dinner catered from Publix since everyone was away from home and really didnt feel like cooking the big feast. It turned out to be pretty good. Jackson got to meet so many friends and relatives during this trip starting with Aunt Jane on Thanksgiving Day. That night Dennis and Bess who live in Gainesville stopped by to meet Jack.

On Friday we had lunch did some shopping for Gator gear to get ready for the big game. After that we took Jack to meet Dianne, Kyle, and baby Ryland who is 6 months old.

Saturday was the big gameday. We packed up the car and diaper bag then we were off for Jacks first tailgate. Once again he amazed us with his great behavior. We tailgated and then watched the game so were out from about 11 am until 8 pm. At times he got a bit fussy but other than that he was a perfect baby. He got to meet Amy and Tyler at their tailgate although he slept through the whole thing!!

Sunday, our last day there, we went out to breakfast with everybody before grandma and grandpa Timmons and Jane departed. After breakfast we took a walk around campus where Jack got to meet Warren, Stephanie, and Krista as they were driving through town. After our walk we had our last meal in Gainesville. Before leaving town we made one last stop to meet Ruben, Zach and Katies baby who is only about 10 days older than Jackson. While we were there Jackson also got to meet Mary and Aaron. Wow, that was a lot of people to meet in one weekend!!

We departed Sunday night and again Jackson did great!! Actually he was a great baby the entire weekend. He slept well and really only got fussy a few times. We are so lucky to have such a good baby. The first road trip proved to be very successful. Hopefully there will be many more in the future!

Meeting Aunt Kara

Jackson with Aunt Kara

I realize I have some catching up to do. We have had a fun and busy past week and a half. Aunt Kara arrived last Saturday, the 21st. She came up to visit and meet Jackson for the very first time. We had such a fun time but it sure did go by fast like most good times do. Saturday evening we grilled out and watched football. Aunt Mary and Kelly even came down for a little while from Boone. They had never met Jackson either. Unfortunately I did not get any pics of them with him though:( On Sunday daddy watched Jack so Kara and I could go to lunch, do some shopping, and get our nails done. We had a good time. It was very cold and rainy that day so it was good that Jackson stayed in. On Monday Jack and I took Kara up to Concord Mills, one of our favorite places to shop. We were probably out for about 6 hours total by the time we drove up there, shopped, and then met Toby for dinner. Jackson was such a good boy. He never really got fussy. Tuesday we just laid low and hung around the house until it was time to drop off Kara at the airport. Im so glad Jackson finally got to meet his Aunt Kara. I'm pretty sure she enjoyed meeting him too.

While Kara was here we noticed Jackson reaching for and batting at his car seat toys. He is becoming so aware of his surroundings. He is also alot more vocal these days!

Visitors

Grandpa Timmons feeding Jackson a bottle before bed

Jackson in his "future Gator" shirt all ready to watch the Gators play South Carolina.

Jackson meeting Brian and Jessie when they stopped through town on Sunday

afternoon.

This weekend was busy with visitors, fun times, and gorgeous weather!! After a gloomy, rain filled and windy week the sunshine and 75 degree temps were a welcome change. Friday evening grandpa Timmons flew into town. Jackson sure was happy to see him again!! We did miss grandma though. Friday we had a nice dinner at Bonefish. Gotta love that Bang Bang shrimp Columbia, SC to watch the Gators play!! I bet Toby cant wat til Jackson is old enough to go to aappetizer. As usual Jackson was such a good boy! He pretty much slept in the carseat next to me the entire time. Saturday morning daddy and grandpa left for game. Jack has so many fun times ahead of him. After they left Jack and I did a little bit of shopping before heading over to Erin and Todds to watch the game with her and Jacks best little buddy, Cameron. The Gators had another victory. Yay!! Sunday morning we went to mass and breakfast with grandpa then it was time to drop him off at the airport for his flight home. Shortly after we got home Brian and Jessie came over for an afternoon visit on their way to the airport from Chapel Hill, where they had been visiting for the weekend. It was their first time meeting Jackson and they just adored him!! Now Jack and I are looking forward to a very lazy and relaxing week at home together, just the two of us. Aunt Kara arrives Saturday so we will be looking forward to that. Only a little over two more weeks of maternity leave left :( I wish time would stand still for just awhile, or at least slow down a bit!

Two month check up

We went for Jackson's two month check up this morning. He is exactly two months old today. I cant believe it! He had another great check up today. He weighed in at 10 pounds 8.4 ounces (25th percentile), length was 22 3/4 inches (50th percentile), and head circumference was 15 1/2 inches (25-50th percentile) The doctor said he is growing very well!!! He commented on his hair, as people usually do! At the end of the check up he got the dreaded two month vaccinations. He was so happy and playful throughout the whole visit. Little did he know what was coming. Poor baby!! It turned out to be 3 shots and one oral vaccination (rotavirus). He did very well!! He only cried a little bit and stopped after I picked him up. I'm so proud of him for handling it so well. Its now been a couple hours and he doesnt seem to be bothered by them but I will keep giving him Tylenol today to prevent soreness in those little legs. Now he doesnt have to go back until January, for a 4 month visit with the same shots all over again.

Also, for an update on Jack's sleep habits....he is still sleeping through the night! yay! Now instead of fussing in the middle of the night multiple times for his pacifier, the last few nights he has only done that once, if at all. I think we may also be able to start putting him down earlier too rather than 10:30 or 11 pm. The last two nights Toby said he had to wake him up to feed and then he has fallen asleep during the bottle (around 9:30 pm). He has forced him to take all of it and then put him down in the pack and play. After that Jack has only woken once in the night just for the pacifier and then has gone right back to sleep until about 7:45 a.m. How wonderful is that? For a long time Toby was having such a hard time putting Jack down at night. It was sometimes taking up to 2 hours after his bottle to get him comfortable where he would sleep. Maybe, just maybe, those days are over! We will keep our fingers crossed.

First mass

Jackson all ready for his first mass. This is one of the first shirts I bought after I found
out I was having a boy. I just love it!


We took Jackson to church for the first time this past Sunday. We put him in his Sunday best and off we went!! He was such a good boy the entire time. He basically slept in his carseat during the whole service. He looked so handsome too. His dress up clothes make him look about 6 months older than he really is. After church we went to grandma and grandpas for corn chowder. It was perfect for such a chilly night.

Jackson's First Halloween

What a fun Halloween weekend we are having! It started Friday with a yummy breakfast at Flying Biscuit with grandma and grandpa. Following breakfast we stopped by Target for a few things, one of them being a pumpkin carving kit. We then went back to grandma and grandpas to carve our pumpkins (we had three total), roast pumpkin seeds, and bake Halloween cupcakes. It was a chilly and gloomy day, perfect for these kind of indoor activities. Our pumpkins turned out really cute, courtesy of grandpa because he did all of the carving. Jackson sure did love sitting in his carseat by grandpa and watching him work. Grandma cleaned out the pumpkin guts and roasted the seeds, and I baked the cupcakes. Later that night after Toby got out of work he came over and we talked grandpa into carving the last pumpkin (the first two became quite time consuming and somewhat frustrating). We carved the word Gators into the last pumpkin and it turned out so well! Perfect for the upcoming gameday. Saturday, Halloween, turned out to be a warm but gloomy day as well. We started out the morning with a Fall photo shoot on grandma and grandpas back deck. It was the perfect setting with all the trees and fallen leaves that they have out there. We took a ton of pictures of Jackson in one of his cute Halloween outfits and also in his giraffe costume. After all those pictures he was pretty worn out. Later that afternoon we headed over to Erin and Todds to watch the Florida-Georgia football game. We took Jack over in his giraffe costume. Erin and Todd's little boy, Cameron, had the cutest monkey costume. It was very difficult to get a picture of Jackson and Cameron together because Cameron, being 9 months, is always on the move! We ate barbeque sandwiches with cupckes for dessert. The Gators had an incredible win over the Bulldogs!! After all that Halloween fun, today is turning out to be a lazy day. The gloomy and cold weather (55 degrees) isnt helping! Now that Halloween is over time to prepare for Thanksgiving fun in Gainesville, Florida! I cant believe its already November. Only 30 days of maternity leave are left :(

Smiles

Jackson laying on his changing table the morning before we left to go to Florida. He
loves laying there as you can see by the smiles.

Bath time with grandma! He loves his bath too.

Getting ready to watch the Florida game with TJ and grandma.

Playing in the bubbles!

At grandmas in the pack and play. I LOVE this pic

All fresh in my Gator gear after my bath.

This past weekend was very bittersweet for me. I got to reunite with 5 of my best friends from back home for a wonderful wedding celebration but we decided to leave Jackson at home. He was with his grandma Reid so he was in great hands but three nights was a lot to be away from him. Grandpa is in California so she was on her own with him. My heart was breaking when we dropped him off but I survived. It was so fun coming home and seeing him again. Grandma gave us good reports every time we talked to her on the phone. Never a complaint. He ate great, slept well, and smiled a lot!! In fact his smiles started Thursday morning before we left. I finally caught one on camera. Grandma caught MANY smiles on camera while we were gone. They had a good time together going for walks back and forth between our houses, playing on his playmat, and best of all watching the Gaators play. Ever since we have been back he has been so vocal and smiley. I'm glad he was such a good boy for grandma. He makes me proud to be his mommy!

Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa!!

Last night we celebrated dads birthday. His birthday really isnt until Friday but he left to go to California today so we had an early celebration. We went to Kabuto's, a Japanese steakhouse in town. Dad loves that kind of food and he has been talking about it a lot lately so we decided to take him there for his birthday dinner. I dressed up Jackson in the cutest little overalls that are still a bit big and the adorable shoes that grandpa picked out for him the weekend we found out we were having a boy. Once again Jackson was such an angel at dinner. He slept the whole time!! After we got home Toby and I gave him a bath before his bedtime bottle. Guess what?! He slept through the night again!!!

Progress

Watching football with dad and Sugar before Stellas first birthday party

Sugar watching over Jack while he naps in his crib.

We have experienced a lot of progression in the past couple weeks. Jackson started smiling and cooing. It usually occurs after a meal and diaper change. If you talk to him and smile at him he will try to mimic you back except his form of talking is quite different than ours. He makes movements with his mouth and looks like he is trying soooo hard to make sound then he lets out the cutest little coo you have ever heard! I have yet to capture one of his smiles on camera. I will try hard though. Jackson also started taking naps in his crib occasionally. The other day while he was napping we peaked in and saw Sugar laying by his crib. Its like she was watching over him for us. She is such a good dog around him. Now heres the big one.......... Jackson is sleeping through the night!!! He did once or twice in the past couple weeks but now he is doing it consistantly. So far its been 4 nights in a row. Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We have been putting him down between 10:45 and midnight, depending on what we have going on, and he is sleeping until 6:30 or 7 a.m.!! What a good boy!! Lets hope this pattern continues.

Weekend Fun

This past weekend was a pretty busy one for us. Friday night Toby, Jack, and I went to Brixx for dinner with grandma and grandpa Reid. We had a yummy meal, good company, and a very well behaved baby, who could ask for more! On Saturday morning daddy ran some errands while Jackson and I relaxed at the house. That afternoon Jackson and I went over to Leah and Jeff's for Stellas first birthday party. Unfortunately I did not get any pics because I was there without Toby and Jackson ended up being quite a handful by myself. We couldnt stay long though because we had visitors waiting for us at grandma and grandpas. Uncle Bob, Aunt Chris, and Katie came from Virginia to meet Jackson for the first time. We had a nice chili dinner with cream puffs for dessert. Yum! Sunday the girls went shopping while the boys stayed home to watch football and babysit Jackson. I think everyone had a good time that day. That night we had a cookout at grandma and grandpa Reid's followed by a campfire. Monday morning Jackson and I made an early stop at grandma and grandpas so everyone could see Jackson before they headed back to Virginia. We had a very enjoyable visit with our company. I know Jackson enjoyed meeting more of his family!!

One month check up

Jackson had his one month check up today, although he is actually 6 weeks old. This was the soonest appointment we could get with the doctor that we wanted to see. He checked out well! He weighs 9 lbs 14 ounces(50%), his length was 21.5 inches(50%), and his head was 15 1/4 inches(50%). Our little guy is just perfect:) Toby was able to come with us to the appointment which is always nice. The doctor gave us some tips on how to help Jackson sleep through the night. He thinks it will happen soon considering how well he has been doing all along. His next appointment is in a few weeks. He will get all his two month shots then:( Not looking forward to it. Today is an unusually cold day, low 50's and drizzly, so we had to get Jackson all bundled up for the first time. He has been sleeping very soundly all morning. I think he likes the cozy warm clothes.

Over the River and Through the Woods.....

Jackson sleeping on grandpas lap before bed

Laying with grandma and TJ

Sleeping in the pack and play at grandmas for his first sleepover.

Jack had his first sleepover and night away from mom and dad this past Tuesday. Grandma and grandpa Reid every so kindly offered to have him over for the night so that we could get some rest. After a trip to the mall with grandma and grandpa, Jack and I came home to say hi to daddy, eat, and get ready for the big sleepover. Jack went over to their house around 9:30 p.m. and didnt come home until about 8:30 the next morning. Overall he did pretty well. He only gave grandma a hard time after she fed him at 11 p.m. She said he got fussy and fidgety and wouldnt go back to sleep until around 1 a.m. After that he didnt wake up again until about 6:45 a.m. Not too bad! They said they would be happy to do it again. In fact at one point I heard grandma say that she could have him over once a week! Not so sure how serious she was or if she even remembers saying it. We may have to take her up on the offer again. I dont know about once a week though. I would miss him! I wasnt sure how I would do with our little one gone for the night but it ended up being fine. Toby and I got to spend some time together and with Sugar before bed. Sugar was sniffing around the house, esp the pack and play and nursery, looking for baby Jack. I slept pretty well except I did wake up at 3:30 am out of no where. That is normally when Jack feeds in the middle of the night. My body must be on a schedule by now. When I realized I didnt have to feed Jack I went right back to sleep. This one night away was a just a small taste of what next weekend will be like when we leave hime for 3 nights to go to Laura and Robb's wedding. Its gonna be hard to be away from him especially for mommy.

Wow, how time flies!

I'm new to this blogging stuff so bear with me until I get more comfortable with it. I've never in my life been the type of person to keep a journal so I never thought I would be one to start and keep a blog. Now that I am a mother I feel it is necessary though. Without this blog I am afraid I will forget the simple little moments in Jackson's life such as his first smile, doctors visits, and holidays. As I look back on the 5 weeks of his life thus far I find myself forgetting some of the small yet important details and its very sad and frustrating to me. I have always been told that "they grow up so fast" well, now I am experiencing it for myself. I cant believe Jackson has been in this world for 5 weeks already and that I only have 7 weeks of maternity leave left! The last couple months of my pregnancy seemed to creep along but the moment Jackson was born things have moved full speed ahead. I wish I would have started this blog the moment I found out I was pregnant but I didn't so here's to many documented memories from here on out!