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My Baby is 1!!!!!

Jackson is 1!   It was such a happy time celebrating his birthday with our friends and family.  Wow, so many emotions this past month...I have to be honest, I was struggling with him turning one, which I know is a natural thing.  Actually, I think I was struggling with the realization of what he went through a year ago.  It just hit me.  Of course, I often think about his time in the NICU, but especially now, since it was a year ago.  I just can't believe it!

Then...

...Now!

He is truly a miracle.  I spent a lot of time (probably too much time) reflecting back to last year: the fears, uncertainty, and sadness that we were faced with.  It was such an overwhelming time...watching your baby boy stop breathing and realizing there is nothing you can do to help him, but stare at the monitors and just pray that his alarms would stop going off as you hold your breath with him and then step aside as a nurse assists him.  It was awful to watch...waiting....waiting....waiting, until, finally, his oxygen levels rise. I guess there are some things I just can't get over, and I still catch myself watching his chest rise and fall.  And the guilt of being apart from him while we slept in the Ronald McDonald House and he slept in the hospital. 

I don't know how we did it.  That's not true. I know how we got through it.  It was all God.  And it was all of you who are reading this.  God and our family and friends got us through it. We were surrounded by love and God's grace.  In light of the Christmas season approaching us, I challenge those of you who are reading this to have a personal relationship with Christ if you don't have one.  When Jackson was in the NICU we surrendered everything to Him. There was such an overwhelming sense of peace.  You, too, can experience that love and joy.  Although I am no expert, if there is anything I can do to help you in that journey, I am here for you.  Seriously though,  I don't deserve such a wonderful baby.  I am so HAPPY!  I love him SOOOOOOO much!!!!

And look at Jackson now!!!!  He is AMAZING!!!  He is the most fun, energetic little boy EVER!!!  Everyday Jackson learns and does something new.  He cracks us up.  He is hilarious!

Here are his weekly pictures:

50 weeks old, and getting into everything!!
His favorite thing to do lately is to get in the kitchen cabinets and drawers.  This is his ornery face!

51 weeks old in his cowboy boots!  Love this picture!
Such a silly boy!  He pulls up on everything now!

Little cowboy is 52 weeks, one year old!

G-Mo hosted Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for!  I am extremely grateful for my wonderful family!  Jackson loved G-Mo's turkey, mashed potatoes, and green beans!  YUMMY!

Mama's Lil' Turkey!

Thanks for my riding toy, G-Mo and Grandpa B!

A day after Thanksgiving was Jackson's first birthday!!

Opening presents the morning of his birthday.

That evening we went to Krug Park to see the Christmas lights and Santa was there!

Jackson and Daddy at Krug Park.

Giddy Up, it's my Birthday!!!  Thank you Aunt Kate and Uncle Wes for my rocking horse!  Thank you Heather Davis for making my shirt!

We had Jackson's birthday at Papa and Baba's house.  Thank you Baba and Papa!  We had a cowboy themed party.  Thank goodness for Pinterest. That gave me so many ideas to make things for Jackson's party!!!

 

Happy Birthday banner I made using burlap!

This was my high chair as a little girl!  I am so happy my parents kept it.

I LOVE this cake!  Thank you Lisa Steffens for making Jackson's birthday cake!  He thought it was so yummy.  He even cried when I took it away...he wanted more!

We had a Trail Mix Bar for party favors.  We filled Mason Jars with little snacks.  

Jackson had so much fun with his friends and family.  Thank you for coming and showing your love to our little cowboy!  Yeehaw!

Playing with Quinny and Clara.

Tiff, Cortney, Coop, and Andrea watching the kiddos play.

Opening presents!!

Someone is spoiled!!

Playing with my gifts with my friend, Clara!
Music is one of my favorite things to do!!

I love my maracas!

I love my G-Mo!  Thank you for all your help with Jackson's party, Mari!

I love my Baba!  Thank you for all your help with Jackson's party, mom!

My buddy Ben made me this busy board!  Thanks Ben!
I play with it all the time.

My friend, Andrea.  Jackson's future mother-in-law?!?!

Cheryl and Brett came all the way from Arizona!  Look out Brett, you might have some competition.  Jackson was flirting with Cheryl all night!

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Brenny!

Lots of love from Baba and Papa!

We love you guys!  Thanks for everything!!

One spoiled little buck-a-roo!

Jackson LOVED his birthday cake!  YUMMY!

Jackson is all tuckered out after his party.  

Jackson had his 12 month Dr. appointment and is doing great!  He still weighs 21 pounds (50%) and is in the 7th% for his height.  Come on little buddy, grow grow grow!  We still have to be careful with how much he eats.  Because he is on the short end, his BMI is a little high (like last month's blog).  But he does great with his 3 meals a day, and isn't hungry in between meals.  The Dr. said Jax can now have whole milk, so we will do that transition soon.  Jackson still loves to eat!  He loves everything we feed him, which I am sooo thankful for!  So far, he is not a picky eater.  YAY!  

I love this stage that Jackson is in.  He is very inquisitive, smart, active, and tender-hearted.  He is going through this bashful stage, where he tilts his head down and raises his eyes towards you.  Oh my gosh, it just melts your heart.  He is so stinkin' adorable!  He is still very interested in books and music.  He kisses everything!  It is so cute to see his mind working.  New things he is doing this month are pointing to things, dancing, talking, playing by himself, mimicking sounds.

My new riding toy!  Thanks Baba and Papa!  This is how Jackson points.  So cute!

This blog was a tear-jerker!  Time for bed.  Night night!  Before I go, Jackson wanted me to share his latest dance moves.  Hilarious!

11 Month Update

Fall is here!!!  We love Fall!  It has been a fun month full of pumpkin patches, playing outside, doing many new things, and trick-or-treating!  Our little boy is 11 months old.  I am in complete denial that he is almost one.  Where did the time go?  He is growing up so quickly...

Here are Jackson's weekly photos:

Jackson, at 45 weeks, playing in the leaves in our backyard.  

Jackson at 46 weeks old.  He is pulling up on everything!

Our little pumpkin at 47 weeks old sitting on our front porch.

Sweet Jackson at 48 weeks, surrounded by his favorite things:  books!

Jaxosaurus 49th week bday was on Halloween!

This month began with a trip to Red Barn Farm in Weston.  It was a gorgeous, Fall day.  Jackson had a great time watching the animals and going on a tractor ride.  One of his favorite things is to be outside!  

Here are some pictures from our fun day:

Look how excited Jackson is!  He loves animals!

Doesn't he look like such a big boy?!

One of my favorites.

Me and my boy!

Jackson has been a busy, busy baby this month!  Wow, he is such an active boy!  He is crawling all over the place and pulling up on everything, and getting into everything!!  Last month's post, I wrote that he was dong the army crawl.  Now Jackson is on all fours and loves to crawl!  He is starting to crawl faster and faster.  He is so proud of himself!  He likes to pull up on his toy chest and dig through his toys and toss them out.  He also loves to pull up on kitchen chairs and cabinets.  I want to put padding on everything or make him wear a helmet!  I love this stage though-Jackson is so much fun!  He is full of energy, talking much more, and giggling.  I know I keep saying this, but he is such a happy baby which makes me feel so, so, so thankful that I have this little bundle of joy that makes me extremely blessed!  He is doing so many new things-it is so fun to see him learn and grow.  It seems like everyday he is learning and doing something new.

Jackson loves music.  When we sing to him or when he hears music, he bounces up and down to the beat (well, a little off beat-he doesn't quite have the rhythm yet, haha!) and just smiles.  As funny as it sounds, this was one of the things that I was looking forward to; I couldn't wait for Jackson to get down to music!  He has started to do the motions to "Patty Cake" that Baba taught him.  It is adorable!

The new meal plan I mentioned last post is going well.  Jackson is continuing to eat three meals a day.  I was really worried about how Jackson would transition to quite a bit less food, but he doesn't act hungry at all.  He LOVES food.  So far, there isn't a food Jackson doesn't like.  He is a hoss, and I love it!  It's been hard teaching him to chew...he just throws food in his mouth and swallows it!  Any suggestions on chewing, send them my way!

Here's Jackson getting into his toy box.  He looks pretty proud of himself, doesn't he?!  
We are so proud of him!

We visited another pumpkin patch later in the month!  Jackson got to see more animals and pat more pumpkins!  It was another beautiful, Fall day.

Picking pumpkins with my Papa!

The Parents as Teachers Organization hosted a Halloween event for kids.  Jackson had a great time playing and watching the other kids play.  This will be his first Halloween!  He is the cutest dinosaur I've ever seen!  Baba and Gmo came, too!

Fishing! 

Photo op' with the Grandmas!

Our little Tyrannosaurus Jax

Showing off his skills!

At the end of the month Aunt Kate, Uncle Wes, and the girls came to visit us!  They were here for Halloween.  Yayyy!  We went trick-or-treating to a few houses.  We also went to Baba and Papa's Annex to play and have a cook out.  It was such a fun visit.  I wish we lived closer to one another.  It's always tough when we have to say goodbye.

Trick-or-treating at Baba's house!

Helping Daddy build a fire at the Annex

Cousins at the Annex!!

Uncle Wes snuggles!  Uncle Wes is always good at making Jax laugh!

A few other favorites from this month:

In our living room we have huge windows that go all the way down to the floor.  Jackson loves watching the animals, cars and people that go by.  On this day he was watching the squirrel.

Oh, so sweet.  Thanks, Aunt Bren, for making this towel for Jax!

Both my boys on their laptops.  This picture cracks me up!

One day after work, I came home to find my little Bubba waiting for me at the door.  Precious!