A few of Jackson's favorite things...

Strolling...

Swimming...

Swinging...

Sleeping...

Shopping...

Jumping...

Bathing...

                                                                             

Easter weekend.....

We had such a wonderful Easter weekend. Beautiful weather, family, food, and fun.....who could ask for more? This time of year, especially, makes me realize how blessed I really am.

Saturday we baked cookies and colored Easter eggs with grandma. Jackson watched us intently from his highchair....

He even helped a little bit too.....

Sunday morning we went to mass. Jackson wore his adorable Easer outfit....

After church grandma and grandpa came over for a nice breakfast on the back deck. We gave Jackson two Easter baskets. One from mommy and daddy, the other from grandma and grandpa Reid. I think his favorite part was the grass inside the baskets rather than the presents...

After breakfast all 4 of us took Jack and the pups to Freedom Park for a long afternoon stroll. Jackson loves riding in his stroller and checking out everything around him....

He even got to play with daddy on the playground.....

After the park we enjoyed a yummy dinner of ham and scalloped potatoes at grandma and grandpa's on thier back deck. We just cant get enough of this beauitful spring weather and all the outdoor fun that goes along with it.

Busy boy...

Drinking from the sippy cup all by himself!

All strapped in, almost ready!

Zipped in and bundled up!

Off we go!

Jackson continues to learn new skills and take on new adventures. As I mentioned in the last post, we introduced the sippy cup. Well, he has taken on to it very quickly and easily. We practice everyday. Most of the time I just put it in front of him and let him "play" with it. Well the other morning I looked over to see him drinking out of it like a big boy! He still has a lot of work to do though because most of the time he is just chewing on the spout and not actually drinking the juice. Its just another new skill for him to perfect!

Yesterday Toby bought a bike trailer from a friend. Now that the weather is nicer he has been dying to get back on his bike and has always wanted to take Jackson out with him. After we got home yesterday from purchasing it, Toby didnt waste any time, they went for a ride on the Greenway. Toby said Jackson fell asleep during the ride. He came back with dirt in his hair and ears! Toby plans on taking him for a ride most days after work.

6 month check up...

Jackson all ready for his doctor appoinment

This morning was Jackson's 6 month check up. Once again, he was such a good little boy! Daddy went with us this time. Jackson barely whimpered after his shots. In fact he didnt cry the whole time we were there. Not even when he was being messed with. The whole time the doctor was talking he was looking up and smiling at him! His stats were as follows.....

Weight: 14 lbs. 6.2 ounces (10th percentile)
Height: 26 inches (50th percentile)
Head: 16 3/4 inches (25th percentile)

Jack continues to love meal time. We are gonna start training him on the sippy cup! I'll keep you posted.....

Big happenings.....

Well, where do I begin. There has been of lot of new and exciting stuff going on in little Jackson's life. First of all, he is now sitting up on his own!! It started a few weeks ago. He was very wobbly but would sit up on his own for about 10-15 seconds. Now he is able to sit on his own and play with his toys for long periods of time. He isnt crawling yet but you can tell he wants too badly. He is still our good little eater, in fact, one might can him a littl pig!! He loves meal time. The second I strap him in his highchair he gets so excited, cooing and kicking his legs. His favorite meal is bananas and rice cereal mixed together. He also knows the sounds of the microwave and associates them with his bottle at night. Its getting harder and harder to nurse him these days because I find him getting distracted and looking around. Lately his favorite toys are our cell phones and the TV remote. He is fascinated with Sugar these days. He watches her walk around the house and loves to pet her when he gets the chance. In return Sugar gives him big, wet sloppy kisses on the face, which he loves too. We have noticed Jack drooling a lot and gnawing on fingers from time to time. Looks like some teeth may be popping up soon.

Last week marked a big milestone in Jackson's life. One that came sooner for him than it does for most babies. He had his first haircut!! It was getting so out of control, the front was hanging in his eyes and the sides over his ears, so it was definitely time. Grandma Reid and I took him to a cute little kids salon in town called Pigtails and Crewcuts. The second I sat him down in the little red airplane he was all smiles. In fact, the smiles remained the entire time. I was so proud of my sweet little boy! He pretty much just got a little trim around the front, back, and sides, but it still looks much better.

This past weekend was a big one for all of us. Saturday we had Jackson baptized into the Catholic church. Lots of family from Toby's side came into town for the big occasion. Grandma and grandpa Reid took part in the festivities as well. This was the first time Jackson was meeting his aunt, 2 uncles, 2 cousins, and great grandma from Toby's side. The first to arrive were the godparents, Pat and Brittney, who are also Toby's sister and brother-in-law. They got here on Thursday night with their boys, Wes and Nate. Friday afternoon grandma and grandpa Timmons, great grandma Timmons, and Uncle Todd arrived. That night we had a belated, surprise birthday party for grandpa Timmons. We enjoyed a nice dinner with cake for dessert. He was very surprised and enjoyed having the family all together. Saturday morning we woke up and got ready for the baptism which took place at noon. It was such a nice ceremony. There were 3 other babies there also getting baptized. Before it was Jack's turn he fell asleep so needless to say he was a bit startled when they poured the water on his head. After the baptism everyone came back to our house for drinks and appetizers. That night we all went to dinner at Charley's. On Sunday morning Pat, Britt, and the boys had to head back to Florida but the rest of us went to mass together. Sunday afternoon was spent at our house just hanging out spending good quality time together. All in all it was a very successful weekend full of food, fun, and family.

Tomorrow Jackson will be 6 months old and I just cant believe it!


Jackson sitting up on his own for a very brief moment

Jackson getting his very first haircut

He was all smiles the whole time!

Before the baptism with godparents, Pat and Britt

Jackson waiting his turn to get baptized

The whole crew at dinner Saturday night. Notice Jackson passed out
in my lap.

The boys outside grilling on Sunday evening.

Happy 5 Month Birthday, Jackson!!

I cant believe my baby is 5 months old today and that it is already February. 2010 is gonna fly by, I can already tell! Since the last update we have introduced sweet potatoes and apples into Jack's diet. He LOVES meal time! As soon as we put him in the high chair he is all smiles and coos the whole time. Last week we started sweet potatoes and after three days of straight sweet potatoes we started three days of straight apples. He has done great with them both, although, we will have to lay off the apples just a touch because his bowel movements increased dramatically today. This morning I had my first try at making my own baby food. I have to say it went very well. I do have grandma and grandpa Timmons to thank for that. For Christmas they bought us a baby food steamer/blender. Its so easy to use! I made apples and sweet potatoes today. Its about time to introduce a new food. Will it be peas, bananas, or perhaps squash? Who knows! The possibilites are endless! It so much fun showing him all the fun foods that are out there and watching his facial expressions each time we give him something new.

Jack is so much more active these days, especially with his legs. He is constantly rolling to his side when he is on his back but has yet to roll completely from back to front, or to sit up completely on his own. I dont think it will be long though. Pretty soon we need to baby proof the house because he will be crawling before we know it!

Over the weekend we had the first snow (only about an inch or so) of the season. Along with that was alot of sleet and ice, which can be very dangerous driving conditions so we pretty much spent a very lazy weekend at home. On Sunday we did get out and do some sledding down our icy street. We also walked down to a highschool down the street to sled down a very steep hill that runs into the football field. It was a lot of fun!



Jack on the back deck with Daddy in his first snow!

Standing in the snow looking over the backyard

Family photo in grandma and grandpas driveway

New discovery: putting Jack in his bumbo seat in the bath tub so he

can play!

Jackson's 4 month check up

This past week was a big one in the simple life of Jackson. It started Tuesday morning with his 4 month check up. He received round two of the shots he got at his two month check up. Once again he was a champ and did so well with his shots. He quit crying pretty much immediately after I picked him up. The doctor did a full examination and said that Jack looks great! Since he is now over 4 months the doctor said it is time to start feeding him solids. So based on his recommendation we started feeding him rice cereal twice a day. We will do this for a week just so he can get the hang of using a spoon and all. Then we will start adding in veggies and fruits. One at a time of course so we can pin point any allergies or digestive problems, if they develop. He is now been getting the rice cereal for about 4 days and seems to like it ok. I think it will be much more exciting for him once we start adding in some variety. As far as eating off the spoon, he has done well with that. Grandma and grandpa have enjoyed feeding him too on days that they watch him. His stats were as follows............

Weight: 12 lbs 10.6 ounces (10th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (55th percentile)
Head circumference: 16.5 inches (40th percentile)

He has always been in the 50th percentile for weight and has now dropped to 10th but the doctor didnt seem to think this was a problem. I'm hoping that with adding in solids he will pick back up. He is our tall and skinny boy!!

For other updates......Jack started rolling from stomach to back at the end of December. He likes to do this in the mornings when he plays on his mat. He is constantly reaching and grabbing for things in front of him now. He is getting to the point where he wont just lay in his swing or bouncy seat anymore. He wants to be playing and if you leave the room he will notice right away and start wailing!! Its getting much harder to get things done around the house when he is awake. This past Tuesday after his appointment I put together his jumperoo that he got way back before he was born at my baby shower. He loves this new toy because he can be upright and see everything going on around him while he plays. His legs still arent long enough to touch the ground when he is in it so we have to put a pillow or box underneath him so he can use those legs to jump!! He is at such a fun age right now. He is still sleeping well at night, in his crib!! We put him down around 9 after a bottle and he sleeps until about 8 am!! We are very lucky. Lately he has been extremely fussy in the evenings. It always happens to be after Toby gets home from work. So he hardly ever gets to see Jack at his best. Jack doesnt like to nap very long during the day unless we are out running errands so we are currently working on getting him to take a decent morning and afternoon nap. I think that is why he gets so crabby at night.



Jack ready for his first feeding!!

Trying to figure out what this stuff is and he likes it or not

In his jumperoo for one of the first times. He loves it!