life is what happens when you are busy making other plans!

Whew!! It has been a busy few days! Sorry for the delay of keep the updates current! Here's a short recap on what we've been up to... Daddy came home on Sunday (YAY!!) The guys had a great show at a sold out Madison Square Garden in NYC so with the tour ending on such a great note Daddy wasn't too sad about being away for those two week ;) Jackson suuuuuure missed daddy -- and for a special treat he decided to say "DADA" the morning Daddy was flying home!! Thats right, mommy was so sad - Jackson decided after being drilled every day with "MAMA" he decided to say 'dada' just to break my heart! hahahaha.... but outside of that he is a creeping boy! He sure is getting close to crawling - we are almost in a LOT of trouble -- this boy is a mover and a shaker thats for sure!

We have been busy with Janssen and Gracie (the two little ones I nanny for) - Yesterday we had lunch at the rainforest cafe - the one place i was SURE jackson was going to freak out in -- wrong again! he LOVED it! he loved the animals, the colors and even the thunderstorm -- he ALSO loved being in a HIGHCHAIR (outside of the one at home) for the first time!! He looked so grown up sitting next to me at the table -- I couldn't believe my little munchkin was sitting up in the highchair banging on the table talking to all the animals -- wow time flies.

Rick, Jackson, Janssen and I also took a trip into the aquairum today! The boys had a blast -- short of being a bit tired - they had a ball! I will post those pictures later once I upload them in the next few days...

Here are just a few favorites from the last few days -- its been so cold but no snow so we've still been playing indoors most days...

Until next time -- hope these make you smile!

After tubby time with Daddy the new thing is to just scream in little bursts of excitment!



The rainforest cafe

Jackson LOVES books! Not only to eat but to read too ;)



Thomas the train - whats more fun than that?



A little smile.. look at the teeth -look at the teeth! :)


Mom is so funny! Those teeth are lookin' good!


And after a long day of playing... the 7 mile stare!!!!

CHERRIOS!!!!!

Well its official -- Mr. Jackson takes after his mommy -- he hates textured stuff already! haha... We FINALLY got him to eat a cheerio!! I have put cherrios or those little star puffs or wagon wheels on his tray for a solid month and a half... when i put them on his tray -- HE CRIES!!! haha... thats right- he doesnt even get them to his mouth - he would just look at them on his tray and cry! haha... but we've slowly started to venture into touching them and then finally yesterday - HE ATE IT! it got a little wet from his cup that spilled a little water on his tray - he put it in his mouth - had to think about it for a while and then squished it up - gagged a bunch and then cracked up laughing!! Of course Mommy was saying "HOORRRRAAAYYY - YAY JACKSON! YAY CHERRIOS" the whole time and he was laughing so i guess that was a good thing :) We tried it again last night and today for lunch -- we had 3 whole cherrios each time!! YAY JACKSON! :) here are a few shots as he was figuring it out! Enjoy :)

yay for friends - of all ages!

Meet Cindy Lou Who! Don't you just want to eat her up -- with Pirate Booty all over her face and all? Actually this is Ms. Gracie -- We had an awesome playdate with Rylan and Gracie on Thursday this week - FINALLY getting together after what seems like weeks of trying to make it happen! So much fun - can't wait to do it again soon guys!!

Rylan - that little smile is going to melt some hearts one day!!!! ;)




Auntie KIMMY!!! What would mommy do without a best friend like Auntie?? We sure would be lost -- thank goodness we have her :) hehe.. We were so happy to have her over for dinner and to play (even though we missed Uncle Chris!)-- we've also been trying to get to see her for weeks now and finally we were able to catch up!! yay yay yay! can't wait to do it again soon!



We have been trying to stay warm around here -- the freezing temps have been making it hard to get out lately -- hopefully next week wont be this cold -- not to mention DADDY COMES HOME ON SUNDAY!! HOOOOORRRAAAYY!

A few pictures from the past few days -- especially for daddy who is away for work!

Jackson had a hysterical hairday! I think its from going to bed with his hair wet from the tubby but check out that spike!! That little mohawk is starting to stick STRAIGHT up!! silly boy...

Do you see them?!???!!!!!!!!! Do you see them!??!?!?!?!? thats TWO TEETH!!!! :)



mommy went to get her water in the kitchen 3 feet away... and when she came back.... where oh where did my jackaroo go????............

oh thats right - he rolled CLEAR across the room UNDER his jumperoo



some of Jacksons favorite toys at Grammy's house..


"LOOK AT THAT BABY IN THE MIRROR GRAMMY!! HE IS SO FUNNY!!!!!!"


precious smile!


peekaboo jackson david!!





Hope those pictures are enough to get you through Daddy -- they are some over the last few days! We miss you and cant wait till you are home on Sunday :) Jackson LOVES when you call - he gets a smile from ear to ear on his little face when he hears your voice -- We love you!!!!!!! xoxox P.S. Happy Anniversary -- thanks for the best year of my life! xoxoxo

that little face :)

couldn't you just eat him up!! that little face just melts my heart -- its late here and this mama bear is tired so i wont write too much but just wanted to share a few pictures from the last few days... the little bear has been a funny one!

enjoy :) xoxo

Jackson was studying his ABC's on his highchair tray during lunch time... what a smart little boy!



as if those little piggies aren't cute enough by themselves - these (AWESOME) shoes called ROBEEZ (which every baby should own!) make those little piggies just as cute when they have to be covered up in this cold weather!



its that time of day again........ TUBBY TIME!!!

chubby cheeks!!!



"this tubby is SO funny mom!"


Meet our duck family. Mr & Mrs Yellow Duck and Baby duck! :) These were in our room waiting for us on our honeymoon - now they are some of Jacksons favorite tubby toys! :)


Jackson decided he was going to try to drink from a cup all by himself tonight in the tubby....


it didnt go so well......


haha.... oh that funny boy!
Well thats all for now... hopefully we'll get some sunshine and we'll finally get some good lighting for pictures this weekend!

Be well...

pictures

edit: so i resaved the photos below for the web and they lost a LOT of quality -- I wont be doing that anymore!! it ruins the shot!!!!! sooo nevermind :) -- sorry the pictures look so off but i dont have the patience to go back and reupload the originals and repost blah blah.. so from now on i promise they wont be so pixilated :) deal? great.

wheres the jackaroo????

.....where is jackson???


THERE he is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


PEEKABOO!!!!!

Oh my funny boy!! We are cutting our second bottom tooth so its been a rough few nights.. and im sure it will be another long night tonight... but on the upside i did get to catch him with a few little smiles through lots of tears today - the poor little man couldnt bite on little chew toys hard enough today :( you can see the edge JUST poking through on the end.. which probably means another few days of hell for him :( i hate when they are in pain and there isnt much you can do but try to comfort them ...

I have been meaning to post these pictures for a while now... Papa MADE jackson this beautiful toy box for christmas!! MADE it --and didnt even give us an idea he was doing in it! (just in time too seeing as he got a bazillion toys for christmas) he took a knob from his dresser to match the wood in his room and i didnt even notice! we love it papa - its beautiful :)





Another big event -- Mommy just HAPPENED to have the camera out for this one......

JACKSON IS UP ON HIS KNEES!!! He was reaching for a toy and the next thing i knew he was rocking on his knees!!... i guess crawling isnt too far away!!!!!!!!!!!



Its also time for daddy to head back out to work... Tour starts tomorrow and in honor of that Jackson was sportin' his O.A.R. onesie daddy made for him when he was born ;) as you can tell he was just enjoying a little baby einstein and relaxing before his tubby -- thats after some hugging and giggling with daddy of course! We love you daddy -- tell everyone we say hello and to have a great tour -- we'll be sure to update the blog often for you!!
(excuse the bad lighting!) (drewbear -- startin' him out early!)



Having said that - off to help daddy finish packing... Until next time.. Be well... :)

i know this is jackson blog but...

i'm so freaking excited i had to post! 24 IS BACK!!!!!!!! the first hour and my blood pressure is already a gazillion... man i love this show... and nobody is even here to share in the excitiment!!

JACK IS BACK!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!!!

on a sidenote it did make me think about this time last year -- i SWORE that i was going to go into labor early because of Jack Bauer! every time i watched the show Jackson would kick kick kick and my adrenline was pumping like crazy! hahaha im such a sucker for emotional tv!! now my little angel face is sleeping all snuggled in his crib with his little froggy.... aww my little jackaroo!

okay -- second hour begins now... happy blogging ;)

Apples and Blueberries are a HIT!

We've finally gotten over the cold, the teething and the cranky pants so we decided to FINALLY try some of the new food combos we've had in the pantry! Apples and blueberries... they are a HIT with the jackaroo!! As you can see by the pictures below he loved them - and no allergies ;) thats a plus! I took these with my new lens -- love that thing! Its been a bit cloudy here so when the sun poked through for a few minutes yesterday and jackson was in his highchair next to the window i had to take advantage of it! Can't wait to get some good sunlight in the next few days...

Its MLK day tomorrow which means mommy's off from work! :) another day with daddy and jackaroo - yay! Daddy has to leave for work on thursday so we're happy to have all the time together we can get in the next few days... the tour is only 2 weeks, but thats 2 weeks without the best daddy in the whole world :( Don't worry daddy.. we'll post lots of messages and pictures on here for you!

I also just joined a great photography group.. - 2 Peas -- its a photography group and that really feel like will help me grow artistically and technically -- there is a photo-a-day challenge that i'm going to subscribe to as well -- just havent gotten the time yet! I will post my blog link to that on the side of this page for anyone who wants to see it...

Well i guess i should take advantage of the time the little bear is sleeping... until next time...

Hugs..
Mama bear..
(pics are SOOC, no editing yet!)

i was going through some old files when i came across this saved document... i wrote it a few weeks after jackson was born... it so funny to reread now.. i remember every second of feeling like this....

What I’ve Learned Being a Mom So Far:

-When people say it will get easier, they aren’t lying, it will.
-Everything in the world should be drive through
-When people say ‘sleep when the baby sleeps’ you want to respond with ‘yeah it would be nice, but I would also like to feel a bit human and function in the real world too! so that whole sleep thing – that’s out!’
-Anything you wanted to do alone, you can’t. get over that right now!
-Peeing is now an event
-Eating has become a privilege. Sometimes you get to, sometimes you don’t!
-The second that you do get to eat, the baby decides he needs something! Hot meals are no longer.
-The ‘to do’ list that you start on Monday is just tripled by Friday, none of which is crossed off!
-All the little things you thought were so important (do the curtains match the comforter?) have transformed into ‘do we even have curtains?’
-I should buy stock in laundry detergent.
-You don’t get your ‘own body’ back after delivery – its still a while to get back to close to where you were – be fine with never being the same again. After all, you did push something BIG out of something SMALL!
-My whole life has become one big nap!
-I can cry at the drop of a hat – commercials, stories, a adorable look from your child
-Everyone has an opinion – and they’ll tell you what they think you should be doing.
-Strangers think they have the right to touch your baby just because they are adorable.
-There is no such thing as sound sleep anymore; even when you’re sleeping you’re listening to make sure they are all right
-All the baby items you ‘have to have’ don’t really matter – diapers, a place to sleep, blankets and clothes are about it!
-Life has become broken into 3 hour increments! Anything beyond that isn’t guaranteed!

I have also learned….
-Looking into the eyes of your child can melt your heart.
-As much as he can cry and push you to the limits, you still just want to kiss their face off!
-Nothing can prepare you for the amount of love you have for them
-It is incredible to know love created another human being
-When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told them ‘a mom’ I was being honest – it’s the best job in the whole world.
-Its unbelievable to see both my husband and I in our son
-Everyday is a gift
-Cherish every single day – even the difficult ones because remember, you’ll never get these days back.
-When people say ‘it goes so fast’ they are telling the truth
-Little piggies are so freakin’ cute!
-I can change a diaper in my sleep – or with the lights off – pretty much the same!
-When I reach in my pocket at any given time, a paci is likely to be in there
-Even when you can leave them with someone else, you’re afraid you’ll miss something special
-I have a whole new understanding for protection – I would do anything for him
-Now I know why I was born, to bring him here….

for all you moms....(or childcare providers)

A man came home from work and found his three children outside, still
in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers
strewn all around the front yard.
The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house
and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an
even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was
wadded against one wall.
In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon channel, and the
family room was strewn w ith toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on
the counter, the fridge door was open wide, baby food was spilled on the
floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was
spread by the back door.
He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of
clothes,looking for his wife. He was worried she might be ill, or that something serious had happened.
He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the
bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys
strewn over the floor. Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste
had been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the
bed in her pajamas, watching TV. She looked up at him, smiled, and
asked how his day went.
He looked at her bewildered and asked, "What happened here today?"
She again smiled and answered, "You know every day when you come home
from work and you ask me what in the world I do all day?"
"Yes," was his incredulous reply.
She answered, "Well, today I didn't do it."
So there's your answer!
:)

rub-a-dub-dub-jacks-in-the-tub!!

we have SO many squirty toys from christmas -- they are so fun and jackson thinks they are hysterical!! when you say 1......... 2........... (thats when he starts to blink really fast in anticipation and scrunches up his nose and shoulders) ......3!!!! and then you squirt him he cracks up and nearly falls over giggling! hahaha... then jackson tries to put 4 of them in his mouth at once... he tries to bite on as many as he can at once - its so funny!!

anyways -- just wanted to share our new friends.... here are some of the favorite dinos... (we have cars, trucks, ducks, football ducks, and many more!) they make great teething toys too!! even out of the tubby.... haha...

rub-a-dub-dub!!!


(he was trying to pick up the orange guy which is his favorite which is why there is only the yellow and blue dino! the orange was there but he grabbed it just before the picture! haha)

WE HAVE TEETH!!!!!!!

warning - pictures are TERRIBLE and a little gross! hahahahha......

WE HAVE TEETH WE HAVE TEETH!!!!! thank GOD they finally cut through.... after 16 nights of no less than 3 hours of SCREAMING - we have TWO BOTTOM TEETH!!!!! hoooorraaayy.... but that also means my little bear is growing up :( awww....