42 Days to Fit Week 4

Technically we started the week four, 42 Days to Fit challenge on Monday. However, after week three I have only lost four pounds (total since I started), and I was feeling a bit tired of trying so hard (I least feel like I'm trying hard). I should be happy that I'm trending downward, but it seems like I'm saying 'no' a lot and the results are minimal. But if I were to stay this course for the entire year, I would be more than 52 pounds lighter.

That being said, I went totally off track on Monday night at dinner. We had Mexican food. Chips, burrito, and DESSERT! And the brownie sundae was awesome (read sentence in a sing, song voice to get the full effect).  I had been pretty good about the 'no dessert' rule up to that moment. Which brings me to my next point, since we haven't been eating much sugar, when I do eat sugar it's way more potent.

So here's the wrap up of last week: I met all of my exercise goals, but cheated on my eating. I've lost 4 pounds and a few inches. But most of all, I really do think I'm developing better habits and am making intentional decisions about what, when, and how much I eat.  I also seem to have more energy.

Week four's food challenge: eat a healthy lunch & dinner, watch portion sizes. Jeremy said that was code for start counting calories. So he has started using the Lose It app. I'm going to just be mindful of my food choices, striving to stick with more fruits and veggies. I want to finish this program out before I hit it hard with calorie counting. But (sigh) I see that stage on the horizon (in say, two weeks).

Perhaps the hardest thing (for me) about trying to make positive lifestyle choices is dealing with stress in a healthy way.  And life is just full of stressful moments which make me want to eat an entire... 10 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. I'm very thankful for the gift of life, for each new day full of it's joys and stress. I'm learning to let things go (I create my own needless stress sometimes). Perfection is not mandatory. In fact, seeking progress over perfection should be deemed success.

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we will capture excellence."

~ Vince Lombardi

Jackson's First Birthday Party Posted on His 2nd Birthday

Only one year late, I present Jackson's 1st birthday party. We used The Very Hungry Caterpillar  as our theme. It's amazing how much kids morph in that first year, so that book is very fitting!

We used paper lanterns to make our caterpillar and hung it with fishing line and push pins. 

Caterpillar with a photo from each month of Jackson's first year

 We only served the food mentioned in the book.

We got a little pie maker to make the cute little mini pies with the number 1 cut out.

These were super easy to make!

 For the ice cream cones, we baked cup cakes in the cones in the oven and decorated with icing, sprinkles, and a cherry.

 Yay presents! He didn't really get it then, and still doesn't a year later.

Besties! Gabi and Jackson getting ready for cake!

We made matching shirts- aren't we cheesy! 

 The Isley men.

 Throwing back a bottle after a long day of partying.

I'm one!

I choose to not look at the camera because I do what I want. Eventually my parents will realize this.

Praise God for blessing us with our miracle boy. We are so grateful for the opportunity to care for this little man. Children are truly a gift from the Lord.  Now bring on the Elmo Party!

A Mom's Valentine Gift to Herself- Jackson's 2 Year Photos

Jackson turns two this week! Wow! He is a very independent, strong-willed, busy, bossy, leader-to-be boy. Yay boys!

I went to his valentine's party at school yesterday and he was definitely the child leading the class into chaos. I promise I do work with him on listening and obeying the first time. He can even say that phrase. But he doesn't do it, and usually not even after the tenth time.

Anyway, being the awesome mom that I am, I decided that I needed to document this momentous birthday by setting up an appointment to get photos taken at Photo Innovations. I had never tried this studio, but I had a coupon ( Photo coupon expires 2/16/14) so I thought, why not.  I'll tell you why not...

This morning (our appointment is at 9) Jackson wakes up at 5:30 a.m. (after being up through out the night and then sleeping in my bed) with a poopy/ pee soaked diaper. ON MY BED.  ON A PILLOW! Good morning to me. So we get up, change him, me, and the bed and start our day. I give him a quick shower and dress him for his photo shoot! We practice saying 'cheese' and everything. He's got it, and he looks super cute! After wrestling him into his car seat, we get to the studio. Then, even though I had an appointment some people walked in right before us and got to go first. They were adults. I have a toddler! So we waste twenty minutes waiting for one of the workers to come and start taking Jackson's picture. Disaster. He wasn't having it. He did not like the lady. And honestly, I wasn't that impressed with her either. She finally decided we just needed to reschedule. She also said, 'he's just a really clingy boy.' Obviously she doesn't know my son. He just wasn't impressed with her. He knows good people.

So I tried to coerce him one last time to sit on the block marked '2' and Jackson said, 'NO, bye bye'. After spending two hours getting my child ready for his pictures, driving him over, waiting our turn, and then trying to get him to sit for just ONE photo, what do I have to show for my efforts?! Nothing!

Happy Valentines to Mama, Love Jackson.

Maybe next year. 'Sigh'

Here is a photo of us last year at his first birthday.

42 Days to Fit Week 3

Week three has begun, but I am definitely behind. Last week was rough, not necessarily because of the new food challenge (eating a healthy breakfast), but because Jackson and I both got sick. You'd think throwing up for a day and then not eating for a day would be helpful. But I think my body was designed for starvation mode, because I still only lost three pounds this week. I guess something is better than nothing. And I didn't really complete the exercise challenge (cardio 3x & strength training 2x) because we were sick.

Enough excuses. Week three, here we go... So we are still watching sugar (primarily in dessert form), eating a healthy breakfast, and now we are adding an eating curfew (three hours before bedtime). Because I'm not always super good about going to bed at a certain time, I'm setting my kitchen curfew for 7 p.m.

As for exercising, this week I'm going to try to actually do all five workouts for the week. I know, I'm setting the bar really high. I'm just trying to be realistic and hoping that, three weeks into the program, I will actually follow all of the guidelines this week without cheating. Fingers crossed.

One of the authors of 42 Days to Fit comments in week three that motivation is 'fickle and unreliable'.  Her comments are what spurred me to look up the definition of motivation: a force or influence that causes someone to do something.  This made me think about various character qualities that could be of more use than motivation.  So perhaps better tools for achieving success might be determination, commitment, diligence, planning , and preparation. Rather than assessing your desire to workout and then making a decision based on that feeling, treat it more like any other responsibility in life and 'just do it'.

"Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal- a commitment to excellence- that will enable you to attain the success you seek." 
~ Mario Andretti

42 Days to Fit week 2

I survived the birthday party with only one bite of a cupcake. I count that as a success. I also did well at the Super Bowl party. My doom came on Monday when I walked passed the leftover cookie cake sitting in the kitchen; it was whispering my name. I stayed strong until the afternoon hit. Then I gave in and ate some! (I should have just thrown it in the trash or given it away!) But, now I'm back on track. The moral of this tale, make sure your guests (especially the really skinny ones ;) take the junk food home with them after the Super Bowl party so you don't end up eating all the cookie cake.

So this week in 42 Days to Fit, Jeremy and I are just adding a healthy breakfast to the previous week's food challenge. We've been eating a healthy grain, protein, and fruit each day for breakfast. And since we are doing it, so is Jackson. Plus we are doing a circuit workout together as family twice a week. Jackson watches us and tries to do shoulder presses, squats, and wall sits. It's so cute!

As far as seeing visual changes in our bodies, Jeremy lost five pounds the first week. I lost ZERO! But I'm trying not to get too discourage. We also remeasured our bodies and I lost a minimum of 1/8 of an inch everywhere. I'm counting that as progress. Jeremy is very self disciplined. Whenever he sets his mind to do something, he almost always goes through with it and achieves success. Progress is success. So I am not surprised at all with his success. I, on the other hand, struggle more with persevering through the hard times. It's fun and exciting to start something new, but about half way through I think 'is this really worth it' and derail myself. I think that's why doing this program with a partner is very important for me. Jeremy motivates me on a daily basis to stick with making healthy decisions. As long as we are trending downward, even if it is only 1/8 of an inch, we are heading in the right direction. I also meet with a friend bimonthly. She is a great encourager and motivator as well.

I'm already two days into week two and have had a giant misstep yesterday (cookie cake). But today is a new day, and I am determined to stay the path.

"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." -Andy Warhol

saying, 'no, no temptation!'

Jackson doesn't have a wide vocabulary as of yet (he isn't even two), but he can say NO, NO clearly and emphatically. In fact, I often overhear him telling himself 'no, no...(insert indistinguishable jibberish here). When I sneak over to see what's going on, many times I see him standing by the stove or holding a spoon aimed to drum on a wall or about to dump his milk on the floor. He sees the temptation and tells himself no, out loud. Not such a bad idea...it doesn't seem to always help him make the right decision, but at least he's trying. Perhaps I can learn from my sweet and sassy toddler.

It's only been two days since I've started 42 days to Fit, and I've already had to exercise my self-control muscle several times. Now that I'm trying to steer clear of 'desserts', I realize how often sweets are presented to me throughout the day...in the teacher's lounge at school, at the bank, on a friend's coffee table, at birthday parties, in our own pantry. They are everywhere! The flip side- they are everywhere! I don't need to feel like I'm being deprived when there will be plenty of opportunities for me to eat some m&ms tomorrow or the next day, etc.

In fact, I'm gearing myself up for two big celebrations this weekend: a toddler birthday with cupcakes and ice cream, oh my! And, of course, the Super Bowl. I'm not going to completely deprive myself at these events, but I think coming up with a strategy and food limit will be wise for me. I don't want to derail myself and undo all of the hard work I've put in this week.

I've also done some meal planning. Here is a link to the meal planning template I chose to print out: Meal Planning Template

Here are two new recipes that we plan on having again on 'meatless Mondays':
Portobello Pasta and Angel Hair Pasta with Artichokes, Zucchini, and Lemon

Both of these pasta dishes have subtle flavors, but my family enjoyed them. I like having something light and refreshing for dinner.  And the angel hair pasta was delicious in my lunch the next day. I even shared some with a friend who also had positive things to say about the recipe (we didn't have any portobello pasta left-over).  Nummy! (That's what Jackson says.)

Fitness Test- 42 Days to Fit

I survived the fitness test. It really wasn't too bad, but definitely showed me how out of shape I currently am. Jeremy did it with me (what a supportive husband). The first exercise was to see how many push-ups we could do in a minute. So I measured a stack of books to equal three inches from the ground to make sure we were pressing close enough to the ground.  Jeremy went first and it didn't look too hard. Then I got on the floor to assume the 'real' push-up position...Yikes! I felt like that should have counted for something! My goal was to do one and I did it, but I'm sure I looked pathetic. (I definitely felt pathetic after watching Jeremy doing his first one seemingly effortlessly). However, Jeremy was encouraging and I ended up getting a whole 4 pushups (nose to the books and all) in just 1 minute- ha.  I definitely think I have room to grow in this area! So here were the rest of my stats:

1/2 Mile Walk/Run:   9 minutes 8 seconds
Push-ups (in 1 minute):       4
Tricep Dips (in 1 minute): 24
Wall Sits (hold as long as you can): 1 minute 30 seconds
Sit-ups:  Level 2 (Arms folded across your chest-complete one full sit-up with elbows touching thighs,  
              heels can not leave the ground)

Pretty pitiful! I don't even have a good excuse like I just had a baby or major surgery or something. Oh well, I've got to start somewhere. The good news: I have plenty of room for growth! I just keep telling myself, "Practice makes progress!"

42 Days to Fit

I'm trying out a new fitness program called 42 Days to Fit. Each week there is a food and exercise challenge that snowballs into the following week up to six weeks. The hope is that by making gradual changes each week you build good health habits over the course of the program. Plus the changes aren't so radical that you end up completely giving up after two day (supposedly-I'll keep you posted).

This week I need to take the fitness test...nothing too scary. As for the week one food challenge: no desserts and only water to drink (I'm going to drink 1 cup of black coffee in the morning-that's permitted). I'll be doing a cardio work out three times this week for 20 minutes and some strength training on two additional days.

Overall, this seems like a program that will fit with my life. The real problem is sharpening my self-discipline and self-control skills. It seems like I always have a reason for not working out or for 'celebrating' something with food. It also seems if I don't think about whether or not I want to get up and work out, but rather just do it (like on autopilot- or like going to work) then I will find success.

So my six week fitness journey starts today. If anyone wants to join me, come on! I seem to do better when I know other people are denying themselves that delicious piece of chocolate cake (or that second piece).  If you have any great motivational tips on how to get healthy, please share...I need all the help and encouragement I can get!

Feel the burn, y'all!

Christmas Plague 2013

Now that we have a baby, time seems to pass so quickly. I barely have time to eat, potty, and shower before another month has passed and I've yet to accomplish any of the goals on my 'to do' list. But it's a new year so I've resolved to get out my list of goals from 2012 and get to work on that list rather than making a new one.  One of those goals is to try to better document what's happening in our crazy life. Christmas is a great place to start.

The original Washer 6, plus spouses and children, minus Jeremy Washer, celebrated Christmas at the new Isley house. We moved the second week of December (in freezing weather) and thought it would be a great idea to host Christmas. This deadline helped us to prioritize our unpacking and get the house some-what set up and livable. 

Christmas was so much fun this year because of the kids. They get so excited about Christmas...it makes it more magical for the rest of us. Jackson still doesn't seem to understand how to open a gift, but it didn't matter because Eva Grace was busy unwrapping ALL the gifts in an attempt to find her presents. Thankfully Santa still comes for all of us (despite our age-thanks Santa). And this year we attended the Christmas service at St. Paul's Church where the kids acted out the Nativity. Jackson and Eva Grace were both angels (ironic ;).  Christmas Eve was filled with chaos and crying (Thomas and Jackson were fighting over trucks) lots of food and fun had by all. We had a great time playing a game called Nouns in a Bowl (or something like that). David explained the rules and, in typical Washer fashion, we kinda listened/followed instructions. Nonetheless, we had a great time laughing at one another! I took some good pictures of this game, but Laura made me delete them. BOO!

The Christmas break was filled with many more magical moments, but also what I'm calling Christmas Plague 2013. Eva Grace and Laura started the epidemic that spread through the entire family. The flu did not discriminate based on age, race, sex, eye color or anything else. We all got it, including my in-laws who were only at the house for a few hours on Christmas Day. Through experiential learning, I think we've all gained a complete understanding of how the plague can wipe out an entire village. Thankfully none of us died, we just felt like we might for about nine days.

We definitely won't forget about our involuntary participation in the 2013 Christmas flu microcosm, but we also won't forget celebrating the birth of our Savior with almost(we missed you Jeremy Washer) all of our immediate family. I'm so thankful that everyone made an effort to travel all the way to dusty, West Texas for Christmas...who knows when we will all be together for Christmas again!

(Jackson fell in love with Aunt Sophie, who he calls Shoop)

Happy 8 Months!

Jackson is officially eight months old as of today! I haven't had a moment to update the last couple of months, but I thought I'd start where we were and then I can (hopefully) fill in the gaps at some later date.

His eight month tricks:

He can hold his own bottle! I can hardly believe it, but it's true. He drinks a 7-8 oz bottle 4 to 5 times a day. He is also chowing down on solids. He loves to eat and gets really fussy when he doesn't get enough or if he's waited too long in between meals (very much like his daddy)! I'm thankful that, so far, he likes everything we introduce to him. I've been very slow and deliberate in what I've tried: rice cereal, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes, squash, bananas, and apple sauce. I just want to make sure he doesn't have any negative reactions to any of the foods.  It's hard to believe that for the first 5 weeks of his life we were so concerned about his eating/weight.  Now he's turned into a big boy; I'm thankful for our great eater!

He is now  over 29 inches long and weighs over 22 pounds. 

 

He is sitting up all by himself, rolling all around the floor (his preferred mode of transportation), and trying so hard to crawl. He is very social and loves to make babbling sounds and play with other kids. Any time he has the opportunity to hang out with another toddler, he begins to work so hard on his crawling. He can't wait to start exploring; he is very curious. He loves books (he likes to eat them). But he also likes it when we read to him. Yesterday we were reading Bear in the Square. Jeremy read the English and I the French. When I started the French, Jackson turned and looked at me and made a babbling sound and it seemed like he was communicating to us, "mom, you aren't speaking the right language." It was too cute. (Thanks Uncle Jeremy for getting us these books! Jackson loves the big, bright pages.) 

Playing with his sweet friend, Gabriella. (She is 20 months and they are almost the same size!)

We are getting more and more sleep at night (probably jinxing myself by saying that). He tends to go to bed around 7:30 p.m. and get up around 7:30 a.m. He likes to sleep with his monkey, lion, monkey blanket, and pacifier. Can't forget the paci! He is still taking a morning and afternoon nap. One is usually around 2 hours and the other 45 minutes. 

He likes to chew on EVERYTHING and drools like nobody's business. Right now I think it's because he's working on his top two teeth. I'll be thankful when they finally cut through! He loves to play with the little tags on his toys, clothes, blankets, or anything else. He is fascinated with them! Other than that, he loves any toy that rattles or shakes! He also still likes music. I think his favorite song is still "Twinkle, Twinkle" and he likes it when we sing it in a round.

He wears size 9-12 month clothes and size 4 diapers. I had a few size 3 diapers left and was squeezing him into them, but decided it wasn't worth it after having to wash multiple outfits due to blow-outs.

He is a very independent little guy, and prefers not to be cuddled. That kinda makes me sad because I always want him to snuggle, but he is not interested. He is too busy checking everything out. He does like to laugh and is very ticklish under his arms and on his belly! He also likes it when you give him kisses. He thinks it's so funny (I think he likes the sound). He loves looking at himself in the mirror and will laugh with a wide-eyed expression whenever the wind or a breeze blows across his face. (Sometimes we lightly blow in his face to calm him down...he loves it.)

He has crazy, curly blond hair that we still haven't cut. It's getting pretty long!

He loves his mommy and daddy. He definitely recognizes our voices and will turn when we speak to him. He has also started to reach out for us. I love that! It's just so cute! And when Jeremy comes home from work Jackson is so excited to see him! It's amazing that at 8 months he visibly shows excitement when he sees his daddy...that make me so happy!

It's been a busy and sometimes stressful/exhausting 8 months, but I'm very happy. I love being a mom and seeing how my little guy grows and develops each day. It is so amazing! Our family is loving the fall, and I'm excited for Jackson to experience all of the fun holidays that are rapidly approaching!

Go Colts!

First Day of School

So Jackson has decided to no longer sleep through the night (I think sleeping through the night lasted about a week...just long enough for him to psych us out). This morning he woke up at 4:00 a.m. screaming and crying. Since today is Jeremy's first day of official summer band and he had to be there at 6:45 a.m., I thought maybe I should be the one to tend to our darling, little son. After I settled him down, I tried to get back in bed for a few more minutes of much needed sleep. Unfortunately, my mind would not quit racing...thinking about everything I needed to do (today and ten years from now). So after wrestling with myself for about thirty minutes, I just got up and jumped in the shower.

By the time I was getting out, it was time for Jeremy to be up. It was nice starting our day together. We had breakfast, had a few quiet moments to talk about what was going to happen today (him at work and me at home), and make a few evening plans. Then it was time to get him out the door and me on to the treadmill! I'm supposed to be doing a 1/2 marathon in September with Ashley, but at this rate I'll be fortunate if I even finish a few miles! But I'm doing it! I've found that I'm way more likely to work out if I'm talking to someone, so Jeremy and I continued our morning conversation via cell phone while he was commuting (what did people do before cell phones?!).  By 7:00 a.m. I have gotten dressed for the day, breakfasted with my my hubby, worked out, had my quiet time, cleaned up the kitchen, and looked over my 'to do' list. I feel pretty accomplished.

 5 months-first ride in the jogging stroller- He loved it!

But what I really want to reflect on is the first day of school. This morning while Jeremy was getting ready for school, I kinda felt like I was having flashbacks to my school days.  It's that time of year when the air is full of hope...it's a fabulous new chapter in life, for everyone. Things seem so exciting, there is much to anticipate, new goals to set...and then reality sets in. (But the Isley household has much to be thankful for, especially Jeremy's new job as percussion coordinator at Frenship High School!)

Yay drums!

Anyway, it made me think about my mom and how she was always the first one up every morning in our house. She got us all up and running for the day by flipping on the lights and singing, 'rise and shine and give God the glory, glory...' usually throwing in a few hand claps here and there. (Perhaps this is where all four of us got our great musical prowess.) We all promptly responded with grunts and groans and with large huffs while pulling the covers up over our heads to shade the light from our sleepy eyes.

David, Jeremy, Laura, Rachel- back in the day!

Mom also made sure to have breakfast ready for us each morning. I always loved breakfast (I still do). One of our favorite breakfasts was always monkey bread- biscuits covered in butter and lots of sugar...yummo! I think my brother, Jeremy, always called it monkey brains...it does kinda look like a brain with all of those biscuit chunks. Good memories!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sugar-rush/monkey-and-gorilla-bread-recipe/index.html

My sweet brothers!

Seeing how hard it is for me to get up with my husband, makes me really appreciate my mom and all of those mornings that she made so memorable for us! Perhaps that's one of the reasons why all of my sibs are so close...my mom created a home with a warm, loving atmosphere. We didn't realize it took any energy or effort on her behalf...I mean, she's mom! But now that I'm on the flip side, I recognize her hard-work and sacrifice as well as her joyful attitude. I'm thankful for my wonderful mom; she set such a great example for us to follow. I'm excited about creating fun moments for my wonderful husband and sweet baby boy! So it stinks that I couldn't sleep this morning, but I'm thankful for the time to reflect...time to think about how to make the first day of school...each day of school, for that matter, start off on the right foot! Thanks mom!

Back before digital cameras-sorry Dave! Ha Ha!

Four Month Update

It's past time for Jackson's four month update!

Another month has passed and our boy is just a growin' and a growin'! He is such a happy boy. He loves to smile and laugh out loud, but most of all he just seems content. In fact, tonight was a late night for Jeremy so Jackson and I got to just chill all day together. The best part of today was putting him in his pjs, combing his hair, reading a book, giving him one last bottle, and then rocking him to sleep. It was such a sweet evening. I'm so blessed to have such a happy, healthy, bundle of joy! So here are a few pictures of our sweet little man at FOUR MONTHS! Yikes!

 fun with daddy

 more faces

 he loves his daddy

Four Months- Stats

Height: 26.5"

Weight: 17 pounds 5 ounces

Head Circumference: 17.5"

Diapers: Level 3

Clothes: 3-6 months (and some nine months!)

Tricks: Rolls over front to back, sucks on his hands and feet, can reach for a toy, likes to sit up, can almost roll over from back to front, he turns and looks when you talk to him

Favorite song: Twinkle, Twinkle

Favorite book: Whatever mom reads to him

Favorite toys: A little green rattle and a monkey rattle

Favorite activity: Trying to sit up

He continues to sleep from about 8:00 p.m. -7:00 a.m. And he still needs his miracle blanket in order to keep from waking himself up with his spastic arms! He's a cutie!

He still takes a morning, afternoon, and an evening nap, and he's eating 6 ounce bottles 5-6 times a day.  We are slowly switching over to the Playtex VentAire bottles instead of the dropins...so far so good!

I'm thankful for my sweet baby boy. Each day I pray for him to have the wisdom of Solomon, the strength of Samson, the faith of Abraham, a heart for God-like David, and be transformed into the likeness of Christ.

Rolling Over

Jackson officially rolled over yesterday! It was time for the dreaded tummy time, so we headed to the floor to play. I put him down on his play mat, and he really started lifting up his head and chest. Then all of sudden he rolled over on to his side. He gave himself one final push with his leg, and BAM...he rolled over to his back! I was so excited! He just looked up at me like, 'Mom, what's the big deal.' Pretty exciting day in the Isley house. Here are a couple of pictures of the pre-roll (I couldn't get him in action) and some other random pictures of him at 13 wks!

 

Time is flying!

 

10 wk picture

Ok, so this is my third try to get this 3 month update finished! I never realized how precious my time was until Jackson arrived...now EVERY SECOND counts! I can't believe Jackson is already three months old...time really is flying and often times I find myself asking, 'what day is today?' So much is happening, it's often hard to find a moment to document the memories! But it's been four weeks since I've updated his stats, and I don't want to forget all of these sweet moments with my precious baby boy.

 9 wks hanging out with his buddies

 9wks, getting so long!

Jackson Alexander at 3 months:

• He loves to smile at his mommy and daddy! He will also smile at strangers who talk to him. He really likes being included in the conversation.
• Squealing, laughing, and 'talking' are a few of his new tricks that I LOVE! It is just the cutest thing when he's laying on his play mat squawking around. He also makes a ton of sounds before falling asleep.
• Sleeping...well he's not the biggest fan. He always fusses before falling asleep.
• His first full night of sleep was on his 3 month birthday, May 15th. He slept from 10:00 p.m.-5:00 a.m. Hallelujah! This hasn't become a regular routine, but it's getting closer.
• Our daily routine goes like this: sleep, eat, play repeat. 
• Sucking on his hands is a hobby that started in utero. In fact, we have a sonogram picture of him doing this. He definitely prefers his hands to a pacifier. However, he does like to use a pacifier before falling asleep. This is a recent development.

 

12 wks

• He is wearing size 2 diapers (thanks to two blowouts and mom picking him up and getting blindsided by poop) and 3-6 month clothes. He can't even wear plain old 3 month clothes! He's a big boy! In fact, Jeremy has started calling him tank!
• This boy can eat! We are giving him 4.5-5 oz bottles 5-6 times a day!
• Jackson already likes music. Before bed, when he starts cranking up, we sing to him. My go to songs are Twinkle, Twinkle and Rudolph. Jeremy scoffed at the latter, until he saw the magic. Now he's a believer in the power of Rudolph even in the month of May!

 

9 wks

• He is so alert now and really enjoys looking around at new toys and being outside! 
• Tummy time...bum, bum, bum....not his favorite activity.  However, it is a necessary evil. Right now he can push himself up to a 90 degree angle. He kicks like nobody's business, but he's not turning over yet. Jeremy said, 'once he starts turning over, tummy time will be over'...he hates it!
• We are starting to use the bumbo chair. He seems to doing well with it so far. He'll be sitting up in no time.
• He sleeps in the miracle blanket (thank you Uncle Dave). This thing has lived up to it's name. Unfortunately, we aren't going to be able to use it much longer...Jackson is starting to break loose! When he sleeps without it, he always puts his hands up by his head...like 'I'm sexy and I know it'

 

11 wks

• Jackson his big blue eyes like me, and a serious expression like his dad!
• The little cyst on his forehead is looking smaller each day. The Dr. said there is a small chance it might shrink...and it has. 
• Jackson loves bath time! He likes to kick, kick, kick and splash, splash, splash. 
• I love our bedtime routine...we put on pj's, read a book, sing a song, say a prayer, and usually do a little rocking before he falls asleep. It's a really sweet time (usually). 
• He went to his first percussion concert on Sunday, May 20th in Hemmle Recital Hall. This was where Jeremy and I met. Jackson did well at this concert, he slept through most of it even though they were banging on loud instruments!

Picture taken at 8wks...gotta love the drums

Our little boy is growing so fast. Today when I was putting him down for his afternoon nap I was holding him (he likes to be cuddled) and I thought, 'this is true joy'. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be a mother and to stay at home with Jackson. It's not the most glamorous job, but I really love it. I've never experienced joy like this. I love watching my sweet little son sleeping...he often smiles and laughs in his sleep. And I LOVE when I go into his room in the morning and he smiles when he sees me! He loves his mamma and it shows! I'm blessed with my sweet little miracle boy and wonderful husband!

 

13 wks