So Long January, Hello February!

AIN'T HE SWEET?

Isn't this neat looking? I wish I could somehow get it on canvas. Maybe I'll just print it and frame it. The color version was horrible. The color was all off, so I liked the picture so much that I started messing around in Photoshop and came up with this. I like it. I have signed up for a Learn Your Digital Camera class at the local art college. It's just a Saturday class from 1-4:00 in February. I would really love to learn to use my camera. I know it can do so much, and I haven't even scratched the surface. Then after that class, I want to take some Photoshop classes. Maybe someday I'll be taking the kind of pictures I wish I could take now!

Pawpaw came into town yesterday to visit us (my dad), and he left today. Jackson had a lot of fun with him. I was able to check into a couple more Mother's Day Out programs while Dad was here. I really hope I can get Jackson into one this fall. He would really benefit from it, I think.

I am still amazed at how easily Jackson transitioned from me rocking him TOTALLY to sleep before he went into the crib to him just hopping into the crib and not making a sound. I let him take a flashlight to bed with him tonight and I could hear him in there clicking it on and off, but now it's all quiet. I guess he doesn't need me anymore. Ha! Just kidding. Heck, half the time he won't eat unless I am spooning it in his mouth! Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps!


Mimi found this in a consignment store and thought Jackson would like it. And he does! Thanks, Mimi! He get s a little aggravated with it though because he has to pump the handlebars to make it go forward and sometimes he can't do a complete forward pump and it shoots him in reverse. And he has NO patience (unfortunately a gene he acquired from me) for that!

He and Pawpaw had fun reading books before Pawpaw had to leave.

Until next time...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

Today is my mom's birthday, and we hope it's a good one.

Well, Jackson is still a big boy and holding. He has been going into his crib without rocking for almost a week now. Boo-hoo. He didn't nap at all yesterday. Ugh! I was just going to let him cry for a while because I thought he needed to unwind a little, but then he started getting crazy sounding, so I went in there and as I approached his door, I thought he sounded pretty close to the door. When I opened his door, he was standing right beside it screaming. So I guess now Tom will be converting the crib into a toddler bed, otherwise he might get hurt hurling himself out of it!

Until next time...

Happy and sad?

Well, this is the third night in a row that I've just walked Jackson to his room and helped him into his crib, kissed him goodnight, said our "night-nights" and left the room, closed the door and not a peep. What? Who is this little boy? I cannot believe it. He is really growing up. I had started, at the first of the week, trying to put him in his crib at naptime without rocking him, and he was fine with it, so then I decided to try it at night.

All I can say is he must have just been ready for this change. He doesn't need to be rocked anymore. That is really sad to me. That was always "our" quiet time. It was probably more beneficial for me than for him. I would sometimes fall asleep rocking him! But it's good because now I can work on the computer at night, where before I would be too tired after rocking him endlessly. This is truly monumental.

I really don't have much more to say. I'll leave you with a few more pictures that I don't think I've posted before.

Until next time...

YES, I'M STILL HERE!

Once again, the blog is being neglected. But really, this weather has been keeping me and Jackson indoors, so therefore, not much excitement to relay.

Mary Jo and John came in over the weekend, and Jackson had so much fun with Grandma Hart playing tent. They built a homeade tent with a sheet and it was their special hiding place. John helped Tom put cabinets above our washer and dryer. Wow, was that an undertaking. Our wall didn't have a stud on one side. Are you surprised? I'm not. Thanks, John, for your help. They finally hung cabinets on the side with a stud, and we'll put shelves on the other.

I did take a short little video of Jackson which is cute, but I don't have much more to post. We're going to try to go to story time at Mt. Juliet's library in the morning, and maybe I'll take some pictures of him in a group setting. It's pretty funny. He gets SO wound up around other kids. Last week when they were singing and dancing the Hokey Pokey, he just ran in circles around the whole group squealing.

Anway, here's my favorite little boy:

Until next time...

Weekend Recap

Sorry it's taken me so long to post again, but I've been pretty tired here lately. Jackson hasn't felt well, and so he hasn't slept very well either. Anyway, here are some pictures from Wesley's birthday party from last Saturday. It was held at Pump-It-Up and it was a blast! Jackson had so much fun, and thankfully, Tom went on all the inflatables with him. My body just wasn't up to it. I think he gave Tom a pretty good workout, trying to keep up with him!

Wesley blowing out his three candles on his Curious George cupcake!

Jackson really liked his cupcake and ice cream!

Jackson climbing the rock wall with Daddy's help!

I love this picture of Jackson!

Here's one of the inflatables. Torture chamber, I call it!

Jackson's face sums up the fun he was having!

Wesley flanked by his playmates, Jackson & Kathleen

For those of you who are interested in digital scrapbooking, this blog has great freebies. She has templates for an A-to-Z book, so I'm going to make one for Jackson to give him on Valentine's Day, I think. Here are my first two pages, A and B:

Well, our Destin vacation plans have changed. The Flecks are no longer able to go, so we're planning on going by ourselves. I am disappointed, because the boys would have loved playing together, I think, and I would love to spend time with Shawn and Cathy on vacation. They're a lot of fun. But I'm determined to go. I have really missed the beach. Even though we did go to Cancun when Jackson was nine months old, I prefer Florida. I really DO NOT like Mexico. I'll stay in the states, thank you very much.

I really wanted to capture a video of Jackson tonight, but he's being very elusive. So I'll try to get you a video in the next couple of days.

Until next time...

Vacation Lollapalooza 2008!

I will be seeing this view sometime in June. Ahhhh. Can't wait!

Finally, we are starting to plan our summer vacation. We are going to Destin, Florida, with our friends from Texas, the Flecks. I am soooo excited! I have been wanting to go to the beach since Jackson was born. I can't wait for him to see the ocean for the first time. I think he'll really love it. Cathy and Shawn have twins, Connor and Evan, (shown here):

Such cuties!

They are six months older than Jackson, so there will be all kinds of boy craziness going on. I really am excited for them to meet each other. I talked to Cathy this morning, so I feel like the planning wheels are beginning to turn! I'll keep you posted on Vacation Lollapalooza 2008!

We have Wesley's birthday party on Saturday. He'll be 3! Hard to believe. His party is at Pump It Up, so I will have lots of pictures to share come Monday. The last time we took Jackson to Pump It Up he was scared and didn't want to go on any of the inflatables. I hope it's not like that on Saturday. We'll see...

Until next time...

Potty Time!

Jackson hasn't ever been too excited about his little potty that we bought him that sings and does all kinds of tricks, so Tom decided to try this little potty seat that fits on the toilet. It's a Bob the Builder one, and since he's a huge Scoop fan, it might work. He sits on it, but he hasn't actually used the bathroom in the toilet yet. That's okay. He just turned two for Pete's sake! Once he's potty trained, why will he need me? Just kidding. I just see him growing up so fast, I'd like all this growing business to stop for a little while. He's really cute, sweet and funny right now. The growing can pick back up when he's a smart-alecky (sp?) teenager. Yeah, right.

He was really excited to put it on his toilet and he didn't mind sitting on it, but fully clothed, mind you.

We played outside on Sunday while Tom painted his shed. That project is done, thank goodness. This is one of my favorite pictures from that day. And then the next picture is a picture of Buster, in case people think he died or something since I haven't taken pictures of him since Jackson was born. He's still alive and well and as stubborn as ever.

Buster and Barney helped themselves to a bag of semi-sweet morsels that I bought to make cookies with. I came out of my room from my shower and there was the shredded bag all over the living room. They almost ate the whole bag too. Well, I had always heard that chocolate is toxic to dogs, so I panicked and then called my vet. They said it takes 10 lbs. of dark chocolate to be toxic to a dog, and since this was just a 7 oz. bag of semi-sweets, they said not to worry. Seriously, you can't leave anything even remotely close to the edge of the counter. These dogs are old, but they can go the extra mile for food!

Doesn't he just ooze orneriness?

Until next time...