And the Beat Goes On and On.

Jackson Daniel keeps growing. He keeps growing while I'm away at school, while I study, while I'm trying to figure out who and where I am in this big, wide world. My parents watch him Monday night so that I can go to lab and when he comes back on Tuesday evening he is often a different baby altogether, making new noises and faces. But that is what babies do. They grow and change and develop in spite of everything else going on around them. And I'm glad for it.

Jackson is 3 months old now going on four months. He really is becoming such a little sweet boy. He laughs, coos, dances (with my help, reggae is his favorite), and he's gaining control of his hands. He now grabs and reaches for things, his little soft babies, my hair, or a necklace, if it's in his way. He wants to talk badly, I know it. He tries very hard and it's the cutest thing to listen to him talk to his "jittery pals" that hang on his bouncer and car seat. He is wearing 3-6 month clothes mostly now and eats 5 ounces every 3-4 hours. He likes his schedules and I do too!

I can't believe what a big part of our lives this little boy is. When he is gone visiting with a grandparent there is an emptiness in the house, maybe it's just the quiet but either way there is a sort of loneliness in it.

Let's Back up to Christmas...

Okay. So Christmas was super duper busy and since I just recently found my camera cord I think it's time to blog about Jackson's very first Christmas.

Jackson got a Play mat from his Aunt Jessica and Uncle Jeff that offers him endless entertainment. It really is awesome with lights, music, and nature sounds he can get absorbed by it for up to an hour.

(We love it just as much as he does : )

Christmas day offered just as much excitement. We visited with Jackson's Pappy Dan and Kathy. Although he wasn't very interested in "opening" gifts he certainly liked to be entertained with them.

And of course after a delicious dinner of Turkey and the works (for us, formula for Jackson, poor baby) he was so ready for a nap on Kathy's shoulder.

From there it was off to Jackson County for more Christmas Fun.
There Jackson talked boy-talk with Great Grand Pap,

Entertained the Ladies,

And we got to open all his presents.

Of course we had to take some pictures around the Christmas tree!

I love my boys so.

We spent the night at Mamaw and Papaw McQueen's house and then the next day Dave and I went Skiing!

This was my first time. I fell twice on the bunny hill before we decided to move on to the slopes. I could feel the fear pulsing through me as the lift took us higher and higher. Oh My! What exhilaration! Oh yes I fell. I fell lots and lots. Head first down the hill but it was amazing.

And by the end of the night I was a real pro. And the whiplash wasn't anything that couldn't be fixed by the Chiropractor two days later. ; )

We had a wonderful Christmas and I felt so blessed to have my two healthy, beautiful boys to share it with.

Inspiration, Jackson, and Me

I've been a little less than inspired lately, but just this week it seems as if Inspiration has been throwing itself at me like boulders from the gods. An awesome and random movie gives me insight to my own life, a visit with a friend is enjoyable and enlightening, snowflakes whip around me in all directions, and I finally feel the pull of the universe that is tugging me in the right directions. I realize that it is all in my mindset, how I see the day, and I'm just trying to have more days like that. It really is a stellar feeling and Jackson Daniel is benefiting in more ways than one.

Jackson smiles endlessly at my silly songs and dances, self-imposed rants, and recitations of old poems and stories that I had written so long ago. He thinks I'm quite the entertainer what he doesn't know is that he is the one that is entertaining me. We have learned (I guess it is he that has learned) how to stick out our tongues in mimic of one another and he babbles with me as I ramble on. I love to hear his voice develop as he tries on new sounds and shapes with his mouth. It is just so cool, and to think that we all started out that way.

Our boy is also growing Fast! He has grown out of most of his 0-3 month onsies and now wearing his 3 or 3-6 month ones. At his two month check up he weighed 12 pounds and 3 ounces, in the 60th percentile, and was 23 and 1/4 inches in length, in the 70th percentile. He is a big eater and his growth reflects that nicely.

Another new, and not so pleasant, change with our boy is his new "night cries." He seems to be having a hard time going to sleep lately and while a bottle is his preference to comfort him into sleep I refuse to feed him 30 minutes after he has already downed a 4 oz. bottle. Call me mean, but it just doesn't help with the gas that he combats daily. This usually ends with Jackson crying on and off for at least an hour while either Dave or I hold, rock, or walk with him until he finally shuts those sleepy eyes. Tough love is a new and hard concept for me as I'm sure it is with all mothers. It wears you down as much as it seems to wear the baby down, which generally leads to a deep sleep for all.

It has been such a pleasure to be home with him without the stress of study or school even though I know the madness is about to begin again so very soon. I have worked out a schedule where I will go to school for a few hours on Monday for a Lab in the evening and then Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8 am - 3:15. I know I will be exhausted and yet it really seems that is a familiar aspect of Motherhood.

Lil' Jack Daniel would just like to say:


Yo! Peace.