The Welch Family

A bit of November

2010-11-24T00:52:00.000-08:00

November flew by didn't it? Here is a random selection of photos from this month.

Jack and Brecken. They seriously have to hold hands anytime we go ANYWHERE. Pretty darn cute.

Jackson's great Aunt Kathy sent him an awesome Green Bay Packers bean bag in the mail for his birthday. Jackson LOVES it and also loves the box it came in. It is seriously still in out house as I type this. Daddy made part of the cardboard into a street for Jackson's cars. So fun.

So I am the QUEEN of swaddling, and Jack was totally a baby who LOVED to be swaddled. We were playing around one day and decided to see how he would react to being "swaddled." Well, he loved it, so cute.

Here are a bunch of random fall photos of Jack and Brecken. (I am pretty sure I have mentioned Brecken on here before, she is our friends little girl and we take care of her during the week. He and Jack are buddies.)

Just like Mama, loves a good burrito!

Jack loves to pretend that he is asleep.

I took some family photos for our friends, The Wilsons, great looking family!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

Jack randomly started to love Monsters this fall so of course, he had to be a Monster for Halloween. We started off our day making Halloween cookies with Mima then after nap time we headed to Zoo Boo at the Zoo where we met up with our good friends Cody, Anna, and Reid. The boys looked so cute especially together. Before leaving the Zoo we went on a short train ride. Next we headed over to the Lail's house for dinner and then we took the boys out to trick-or-treat. They did really well and had so much fun! After trick-or-treating we went BACK to the Lail's house to put the boys to bed, watch movies, and eat way too much junk.

The cutest Monster ever.

Trick or treat!

Who knew an air mattress could provide so much entertainment?? And don't the boys look adorable in their skeleton jammies?

The gang after trick-or-treating

Trips to the Pumpkin patch!

2010-11-24T00:26:00.000-08:00

We made two trips to the pumpkin patch in October and had so much fun. Jack is at such a fun age and has really started to appreciate holiday adventures. We took one trip with our friends, the Wilson family, and another trip with the Bohlmann family. So much fun!

Jack loved petting the animals

Jack and Brecken at Lee Farms

One of Jack's favorite parts of the day

Not so sure about the baby chicken

This particular pumpkin patch had a giant bounce pillow that Jack would not stop talking about. He had fun going "boom" with Daddy.

2nd trip with the Bohlmann Family

Corn maze

Norah escaping photo time

Jack picked a perfect pumpkin

Christmas Cards!

2010-11-23T23:45:00.001-08:00

Every year since Marty and I have been married, we have sent out Christmas cards. Our first year they went out two weeks before Christmas, the next year about a week before Christmas, last year about half of them got sent out after Christmas. OOPS. This year WILL BE different. I hope. :o)

My cousin told me about Shutterfly offering 50 free Christmas Cards and I decided to check it out. We usually do the main card through Costco, and Marty creates a photo letter of sorts that tells about what we have been up to this past year. It's quite the process and is probably why the cards go out later every year. After looking at some of cards that Shutterfly has to offer, we decided that we could bring both ideas together and just create ONE card to send out. Here are a few links to some of the great (and very affordable) products Shutterfly has to offer.

Christmas cards with FABULOUS layouts: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

Calendars- GREAT gift ideas, especially for family far away and/or Grandparents: http://www.shutterfly.com/calendars/wall-calendars

Canvas wall art, also a great gift idea: http://www.shutterfly.com/home-decor/canvas-wall-art

Well there you have it, I am excited to get my 50 free photo cards and send them out! Here is where you can score free photo cards: Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up: http://bit.ly/sfly2010

Beautiful fall days

2010-10-14T15:46:00.000-07:00

We have been having some beautiful fall weather. The last few days as we take trips to the park, we have tried to get some updated photos of Jack. We managed to get a few great shots and hope to take more in the leaves!

He always has to point out the airplanes

Mama's favorite

Jack's Tonka Truck party

2010-10-14T15:37:00.001-07:00

Jackson loves anything with wheels, he is such a boy. We decided to have a Tonka truck party this year at Mima and Papa's house. They have a huge back yard and the first weekend in October tends to be pretty decent weather wise. Papa made Jack and his family/friends a dig pit in the yard so we brought out all of the sand toys, trucks, shovels, etc.
We had such a great time celebrating our little man with some of the people closest to us. He is definitely a loved little boy!

The cupcakes

Opening presents

Silly cousins!

Showing Uncle Stephen around the dig pit

Jackson's Grandma made him this cake. It turned out so cute and tasted quite delightful as well!

Jackson's 2nd Birthday

2010-10-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

October 1st our little buddy turned 2. I will say this every year but I can not believe it. Each new milestone is bittersweet. It's beyond fun and rewarding to watch Jackson grow and develop, and kind of sad that time seems to go by so fast.

Jack's party was on the 2nd but we had a fun busy day celebrating together on his actual birthday. We started the day by opening his gifts from Mama and Daddy and then Daddy went and got doughnuts, a special treat and very unhealthy breakfast but he loved eating all but the frosting, of course.
Next we headed to the airport, one of Jack's favorite places in the world. He could sit and watch airplanes for hours.
After our airport adventure we had lunch at Red Robin then headed to Saint cupcake to meet up with Uncle Stephen, Aunt Kayleen, and Aunt Andrea. Jackson was still full so did not eat his cupcake so we took it home.
Next we headed to Toys R Us to let Jack pick out a new fun toy, he could spend hours in Toys R Us just wandering around and playing in the Thomas the Train section.
Around dinner time we headed to Mima and Papa's house for dinner together. We stayed the night to prepare for Jack's birthday part there the next day.
It was quite the fun day and needless to say, Jack was down and OUT by 7:30.

Opening a present

A fun and unhealthy breakfast

At the airport

One of our favorite photos. At his exact moment Jack is sitting behind the wheel (which he could do for hours) an airplane was landing, two jets flew by, and the choo choo (the Max) went by. I thought his head might explode. He didn't know what to do with himself.

At Red Robin for lunch. Jack spilled some salt on the table so he and Daddy were blowing on it to make it go away. Jack thought it was quite hilarious.

Saint Cupcake. It took him a minute to realize he didn't like frosting.

Jack Jack,

You will never know how much Mama and Dada love you. We are head over heels, crazy in love with you and that love only grows every day. You are such a beautiful, sweet, intelligent, and funny little guy. You make us laugh and teach us something about life every day. We are so thankful that we get to be your Mama and Dada and look forward to many many more fun adventures with our little buddy bear!

Jack and Reid

2010-10-14T12:47:00.001-07:00

Two of our good friends, Cody and Anna, have a little boy named Reid. Jack and Reid are exactly two weeks apart and are quite the pair. We do a lot together and it is beyond fun watching the two of them grow together. We have MANY photos of the fun the two have together but here are a few favorites and currents!

The first time Jack and Reid met.

First friends Thankgiving. About 4 and 6 weeks old I believe.

A Christmas gathering with cool new hats. 3 months old.

Reading books. About 15 months old.

At the Zoo in August 2010, 22 months old.

So many hugs

The Dad's are quite the pair too... Upside chicken fighting? Or hugging perhaps? :o)

They also have had several pairs of matching PJ's, shirts, etc.

So cute. Jack sure loves his buddy Reid!

September 2010

2010-10-14T12:18:00.001-07:00

September was a busy month filled with several activities. We tried to do as many outdoor activities as possible while the sun was still out, or at least while it wasn't raining.

Making cookies

Loading up his piggy bank

We got to see a training session at the zoo. Jack loved watching the elephant paint, spray water, and the elephant even waved at us!

One of Jack's favorite spots at the zoo... "Driving" the safari jeep.

Bubble gun fun

One of many trips to the park. Daddy like to take Jack on wild wagon rides.

Having a cupcake at cousin James' birthday party. Jack prefers his cupcakes without frosting.

Riding the train at Oaks park. During the summer through September they have preschool hours where the little kiddos can come and ride unlimited rides then have story time, milk, and cookies!

sharing a snack with Brecken

Down the slide with Daddy

This was Jack's favorite ride

One of Jack's favorite past times... Playing cars.

Our nephew James came to stay the night with us and we went to the zoo again. Jack absolutely LOVES James. Here they are checking out the sea lions.

While at the zoo, anytime there was something Jack could not reach, James would lift him up. Such a nice cousin.

Jack hung out at Mimi's house so Mama and Daddy could get some things done and go on a much needed date. Here is is holding his first fuzzy caterpillar.

More updates coming...

2010-10-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

We are SO behind but we have more updates coming including September fun and Jackson's birthday festivities this past weekend!

August 2010

2010-10-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

August was a month filled with random adventures, several trips to the water park near by, trips to the zoo, a fun day in Newport with Mima and Papa, and our annual trip to the state fair.

Jack and Brecken at the water park

Spontaneous dinner date with the Bohlmanns

We had some hot days and are very thankful for AC!

Jack and his buddy Reid. They are two weeks apart and so much fun!

At the Newport aquarium with Mima and Papa.

In one of the tunnels with Papa

He loved the sharks

Silly!

Checking out the boats with Papa

The sea lions were very entertaining

Petting a pig at the fair

Mima got Jack a bubble gun, big hit!

"Driving" the motor home. He would seriously sit behind the wheel for hours.

Fun trip to the zoo with the Lails

Bird show at the zoo

We took a ride on the zoo train to Washington Park

Train ride!

So cute

Jack was pooped too!

Bye Bye Bink and the rest of July 2010

2010-10-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

We always said we would take Jack's bink away by the time he was two. DADDY decided the time had come to say bye bye to bink the week after we got home from our camping trip. We decided to take Jack to build a bear and pick any animal he wanted, he chose a dog we now know as Woof. Jack's bink was stuffed into Woof and Jack wasn't thrilled. He rejected Woof for the first day and a half but now they are best buddies and we hardly leave home with out him.
The first night was rough, Jack was so sad. Mama was ready to end the madness and made Daddy take over. Jack was out after about fourty-five minutes and did fine at bedtimes after that. The process was smoother then we thought, thank goodness.

I don't mean to make Daddy sound like the bad guy because he had the best of intentions. He was definitely the strong one in this situation! :o)

Helping "stuff" Woof

Putting in the heart. (Mama is shaking behind the camera)

Not ready to give up bink

So sad but the next photo is the real heart breaker

This photo still makes me so sad, look at that lip!

This is how Jack eats an ice cream cone

Who is that handsome boy!?

Playing with his easel

One of his last sessions of swim lessons. Jack did AMAZING and we both learned a lot. He loves the water and by the end of swimming lessons he was swimming under water from mom to dad or vise versa for five to seven seconds! We have a pool where we live and have had several people comment on his skills! Look out Michael Phelps!

Loved the slide. The first few weeks his teacher guided him into the water but half way through we would just let go and he would hold his breath and fall into the water and come back to the surface on his own.

Loon Lake 2010

2010-10-06T13:31:00.001-07:00

In July we went on our annual Loon Lake trip. This year was a little more exhausting with a busy little man who had much to explore but it was definitely one of our more fun years. We are beyond thrilled that Jack loves camping as much as we do!

Lining up his cars

Loves the water!

Checking out a bug on our morning walk

SO cozy!

SUCH a water baby!

Family ride on the tube. This was his 3rd year on the tube. His first year he was still in Mama's belly, last year he was 9 months old, this year he was 21 months!

Jack had his own little tent inside of our big tent, we did this to keep him warm and to make it darker for naps, it worked out very well and he loved it!

Enjoying our last campfire

Big boy bed

2010-07-02T23:35:00.000-07:00

One night we folded out Jack's Thomas couch and randomly put him to bed on it just to see what he would do. He fell right asleep and stayed there until I moved him because he kept rolling off. After seeing how easy he was with sleeping NOT in a crib we thought maybe we should just move forward and put him in a big boy bed. He is quite the mover in his sleep so we decided to go with a full size bed, we also already had a full size bed so it was convenient. We were blessed with a pair of amazing train sheets and we found another pair with cars, trains, trucks, etc on clearance at Target for $9.49!! We are still working on finding him a versatile comforter and bed frame. Tonight was his first night in the big boy bed and he fell right asleep and is still comfy and sleeping in his bed. It's a very bittersweet event for me personally. Taking down the crib struck some emotions. I just can't believe how fast my baby is growing up! Marty brought up photos today of us setting up the crib for the first time so it made the event even more emotional for Mama. I love his bedding though and look forward to him running into our rooms to snuggle in the mornings! :o)

Last night in his crib

Laughing on his bed

He loves it

Down for the count!

A little of this, a little of that...

2010-07-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

Jackson really loves Thomas the train. He loves anything with wheels but has really taken in interest in Thomas or as he calls it, "choo choo." We found this little Thomas couch at a garage sale for dirt cheep and it was super clean. I am not usually about buying character things like this but Marty and Jack both thought Jack needed it. Jack LOVES to lounge around or watch a movie on it. Pretty cute.

One day Jack was playing in his bedroom and it got quiet so naturally I went to find him. He had found his grape hair pomade and decided to do his hair and taste the pomade as well. Silly kid.

Doing his hair

Jackson started swimming lessons two weeks ago. Marty and I have taken turns being in the water with him so far. Jackson LOVES water, we go to our pool here all the time and spend most hot days at the water park. He hasn't been to sure about lessons yet though. We are thinking he gets too hot. This place keep the air and water at about 92 degrees since smaller babies take lessons at this place as well. Jackson is usually done halfway through and begging for a drink. We are still working on it and I honestly thing he will get the hang of it.

Fun in the Sun!

2010-07-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

First skinned knee... He had two more falls after this in the next few days so both his knees are pretty banged up... Poor guy!

Playing with sidewalk chalk while Daddy BBQ's us some dinner!

Waiting "patiently" to go to the park

SO CUTE

The rest of the photos in this post are from the water park right by our house. Jackson LOVES it here and I honestly think we would play in the water all day and be fine without stopping to eat.

Clearly he did not want to leave!

Fathers Day 2010

2010-07-02T23:09:00.000-07:00

This year for Fathers day Jackson and I surprised Marty with Mariner tickets. I scored some FREE tickets in the very front row in left field, these were amazing seats and we are so blessed to have had this opportunity!! Jackson did AMAZING and sat through the WHOLE game. One the way up we both agreed that since Jack had not slept in the car and the game was starting at what is usually his nap time, we should not expect to sit for more then the first few innings. Jack loved the action and has started to like baseball or "bay-ball." We had so much fun, it was such a perfect day!

Enjoying some berries at the game

Exhausted, he fell asleep probably 3 minutes after the game was over!

Last half of May

2010-06-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

This is how Jackson eats breakfast, see those little chubby toes? This cracks us up because Anna often has her right foot on her chair when she eats.

Jack and the giant strawberry

We ended up cutting it up

And he oh so nicely shared with Mama

Playing with clay at the Children's museum

He DID NOT like touching the clay with his hands though...

Story time

The "dig pit" at the Children's Museum

He would stay and play in the water ALL DAY if we let him

First time having strawberry shortcake!

A sunday trip to the Zoo

Making elephant noises with Daddy

Jackson LOVES the lions!

One of the lady lions came to say hello to Jackson

On the "Choo Choo" at the zoo

Catching up... The first half of May

2010-06-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

One of these days I will be more consistent in updating this thing. Life get's busy, you know how it goes. Here are several photos of what we were up to the first half of May.

Jackson and Daddy went to the airport to watch airplanes

Bubble beard

This photo was a few days after Jackson fell and almost bit through his lip.

This is Jackson's new FAVORITE thing, his Thomas the Train table set from Great Grandpa Thomas. :o)

Daddy loves the new train table too!

We took a trip to Bend with some friends, Jackson LOVES the outdoors.

Jackson's first time on a tire swing

Mama and her boy on Mother's Day

Smelling the flowers

Jackson loves going down slides

He also loves to laugh, especially at Daddy being silly.

Jackson and cousin Ronnie going down the slide

LOVES olives

Blowing bubbles

Running around at Auntie Jenny's soccer game

More April Fun

2010-04-20T22:24:00.000-07:00

We have been blessed with some beautiful weather so we try to get out and to the park as much as possible. Jackson LOVES being outside. Marty's best friend and his little girl, Norah came for a play date last week as well. So much fun!

"Choo Choo!"

Swinging

Norah!

Dad's and babies

Jackson went down the big slide by himself!

Oops the pics are out of order but this was on the way to the park.

Someone forgot to buckle our little escape artist. He climbed out of his chair and got into the Easter eggs!

I get to witness this daily! How lucky am I!?

Jackson's excited face

The Wednesday crew

2010-04-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

Every Wednesday Jackson, Brecken, and I head up to my bothers and watch his two youngest kiddos Ronnie and Haydee. It's just for a few hours, but even a few hours with four kiddos under 2.5 years of age can be quite the adventure. I love every minute and enjoy watching the kids interact. They are quite adorable!!

Jack and cousin Ronnie

The Wednesday crew!

Brecken was done with photos at this point but these three were still game. :o)

Easter 2010

2010-04-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Easter this year. One of my favorites so far!

We went to church Sunday morning then headed home for Jackson to find his Easter basket. Then around 1:30 we headed to Mima and Papa's house for fun family time, some of the best ham I have ever had, and of course, Papa's famous Easter egg hung. The hunt did have to be inside this year since it was raining but Jack still loved it!

Jackson, looking fabulous!

Dying eggs at Mima and Papa's house

He's saying, "A BIRRRRRD!"

Easter goodies

Our little family on Easter!

2010-04-02T22:39:00.000-07:00

Playing at Mima and Papa's house. He loves cars.

This next series of photos are from an afternoon walk/trip to the park. :o)

Chris and Andrea

2010-04-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

Marty's younger sister, Andrea and her boyfriend got engaged a few weeks ago. We are beyond thrilled for them. The week after they got engaged we ventured out to take some engagement photos. Pretty cute little couple if you ask us. :o)

Catching up/March 2010

2010-04-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ok so this post is a little massive... March absolutely flew by. Here are a few photos of some fun we had this month...

Rainy day fun... Playing in the sink!

Jackson and Brecken at the Zoo

Checking out the Zebras

We had a picnic of sorts at the zoo, doesn't Jack look comfy?

Elephant!

Char and Norah @ the Zoo

Jackson had a pretty bad ear infection a few weeks ago so we made him a "spot" and he has to have one every day now.

Peeking through a hole in a barn...

Buddies

This darling little lady is Brecken. She hangs out with us 5 days a week while her parents work. We absolutely adore her and love having her around.

Cute buns

We find Jackson like this AT LEAST once a day. His sound machine is under his bed and he loves to play with it.

California trip

2010-03-10T21:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago we made an impromptu trip to California to celebrate the amazing life of Marty's Grandpa. We left on a Wednesday night and returned the next Sunday. It was absolutely amazing being with family during this time. We feel so incredibly blessed that Jackson got to meet his Great Grandpa last March when we were down there. He was truly an amazing man and made such an impact on so many lives. I know Marty really looked up to him and though he will be very missed, we know he is in a much better place and that we WILL meet again. It was also such a blessing to get to spend some time with Marty's Grandma, she is one of the most amazing and beautiful women I have ever met. We really hope we can make another trip in the near future so we can spend some more quality time with her and other family in the area.

Jackson absolutely loved the dairy. He is SUCH a boy and loves to explore, it's so much fun. Little boys are the best. I just can't get enough.

Jackson did great on the car rides. He slept most of the way down and only slept about an hour on our way back. Considering his lack of sleep on out way home I think he did amazing.

Here are a few photos from our trip. I didn't take near enough, we were too busy enjoying family and often forgetting our camera. oops!

Taking it all in

Giving his Night Night loves to Grandma

Hanging out with Great Uncle Rob

Having fun with Uncle Stephen

Making some new friends

Checking out one of the newborns

The infamous Cottonseed

Welch boys and Cottonseed go together quite nicely

Exploring like the boy he is! I love it!

Marty and his brothers and cousin after a 34ish mile bike ride

Jackson loved is first In and Out burger

Playing us some tunes in the car

Outside!!

2010-02-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

We have been blessed with some sun this week so we try to get out as much as possible! It still isn't "warm" but we will take it! Jackson LOVES LOVES LOVES being outside!

Valentine cookie making at Mima's

2010-02-19T23:18:00.000-08:00

Little Sicky

2010-02-19T23:13:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it 16.5 months without illness then were hit with an ear infection and pneumonia on top of teething last week. Poor Jackson was the most miserable we have ever seen him. He was out of it for a good week but is finally back to 100% thankfully.

When we was sick I made him a comfy spot to be cozy on and we would read, watch videos, or just snuggle. While I loved the extra snuggling, I love having my silly happy boy back to normal.

Jackson LOVES his blankies. He hold them right up to his face to cuddle them and also holds them in his hand and rubs the fabric between his fingers. It's so cute!

2010-02-19T23:08:00.001-08:00

Happy Kid!

Exploring

Snack break at the park

Such a ham!

This is what Jackson does when we ask him to be patient. :o)

OMSI and more

2010-01-31T10:49:00.000-08:00

Best Buds

I love my handsome little man!

"AIRPLANE!"

Discovering at OMSI this past Friday

Samson the Dinosaur

I think this was his favorite thing at OMSI

2010-01-31T10:24:00.000-08:00

About a week and a half ago Jackson fell and his his mouth on the ledge of our big window in the living room. As soon as he hit it, I had a bad feeling that it was going to be worse then a fat lip. And much to my bad feeling, as soon as I picked him up and saw the amount of blood it was confirmed, he would probably need stitches. I stayed calm for the most part, though I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears. I called Marty and told him he needed to get home then while we waited for Marty to get home I called Jackson's Dr and they said to go ahead and bring him to the office. Jackson only cried for a few minutes while I was cleaning him up then was fine until we would have to clean around him mouth again. He wasn't constantly bleeding but was off and on while we waited for the Dr.

It was just a few weeks ago that Jackson had his 15 month check up and got shots, so once again, as we got into the exam room he got pretty upset. The Dr took a look then decided the cut on the inside of his mouth would heal on it's own fine but the cut on the outside, which was the worse one needed 2 stitches. I knew deep down before we saw the Dr that he would probably need them but once she said for sure, my stomach sank. I was so nervous. Thankfully they were able to do the stitches right in the office.

Marty had to hold Jackson's body down and the nurse had to hold his head. Jackson was screaming and I sat in the corner and cried and cried. It was the hardest thing. I am even tearing up now thinking about it. Call me a wimp if you want, but I am sorry, there is nothing worse then seeing your child scared and or in pain then not being able to hold and comfort them.

Once they were done Jackson came right over to me, I wiped our tears away and he snuggled with his blankets in my arms. He was physically drained and his whole body just kind of crashed in a sense. Though I was loving the snuggle time, I think the three of us were still traumatized.

After the Dr, we picked up an antibiotic for Jack, came home for a much needed nap, then when Marty was off work we headed to ToysRUs to get Jackson a new fun toy.

All in all, Jackson did really well, he hardly noticed the stitches in the following days. Until he had to get them taken out anyway... He freaked out again once we got into the exam room but was fine once his Dr was done taking them out. It took less then 5 minutes and she was quite pleased with how the wound had healed.

Needless to say, while Jackson is fully recovered, I am still a little on edge. Whenever he is running close to anything he could fall on I tense up. I am not sure that will change anytime soon and I am sure more injuries are in our future. I am the Mama of an active little boy after all. :)

Having a Popsicle the night he got his stitches

The best shot we could get of his "boo boo" though it's still hard to see.

"The itsy bitsy spider..."

A few randoms

2010-01-31T10:16:00.000-08:00

We have been busy with nothing in particular lately. Jackson is growing by the second it seems and keeps us very entertained. Here are a some random photos of the last few weeks.

Jackson and Reid at dinner one night

Playing at the play area @ Bridgeport

Daddy "getting" Jackson

Feeding himself oatmeal

All things Jackson- 15 months old

2010-01-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

Our boy is 15 months old already! I feel like Jack has grown up so much in the last 2 months or so. He is changing, growing, and learning so fast, it's crazy! He had his 10th haircut last week and this time it was a big boy haircut. We love his shaggy hair but it grows so fast that he was ready for another haircut only 3 weeks after the previous cut. His new do makes him look so grown up and while I miss his hair, I love his new cut as well. :)

Jackson had his 15 month check up last week as well. He has started to remember the exam rooms. He hasn't had to go to the Dr except for his check ups so he must remember his 1 year check up. He was happy and playing and being friendly in the waiting room and as we walked back to the exam rooms, but as the nurse guided him to the room he quickly turned around and tried to escape. When we brought him back into the room he got a little upset but didn't freak out. Jack weighs in at 25 1/2 lbs and is 331/4in long. Oh, and if you are wondering, yes he still has a big head. :o) His head has never been lower then the 95 percentile. Jackson's Dr was very pleased with his development and he even showed off some of his new tricks like identifying body parts, saying words, etc. Once Dr. Corso was done doing her part the nurse came in with that evil blue tray and Jackson recognized it right off the bat and began to cling to me and get upset. He handled his shots like a champ but freaked out a little before she even touched him.

Jackson has learned to say about 20 words now and his first phrase, if you don't count "all done" was "Go go Ducks", or "go go dus!" Marty is so proud. :o) As you saw in a previous blog, he loves airplanes and all things with wheels for that matter. He went through a stage where he wasn't as into books but has passed that and loves reading again. I can ask him to bring me a book and he will go pick one out and then come sit on my lap. One of his favorite books is, "Goodnight Moon" and there are two parts that talk about the old lady whispering "hush" if we pause before saying hush he will say, "shhhhhhh." It's pretty cute. He is good about following other basic instructions like "Bring me the... " or "Where is the..." as well. It's amazing how fast they learn and pick up on things, we have loved each new stage in his life and feel so blessed that we GET to be his Mama and Dada.

Thanks for letting me brag a little. Every Mama has to every once in awhile. :)

15 months old

Ready for bed

Reading with Dada

Playing on Auntie Andrea's computer

Eating one of his FAVORITE foods, Lasagna

Jackson insists on feeding himself everything now. He has been feeding himself for quite some time but we were still "helping" with messy foods like yogurt, oatmeal, etc. He is doing a really good job of doing it all by himself though.

Airplane watching

2010-01-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

Jackson loves Airplanes. He first recognized airplanes this past spring/summer when we were outside a lot. He would hear the airplane and we would point to it in the sky and tell him it was an airplane. This lead to him being able to hear airplanes even when we are inside. Anytime he hears an airplane he gets excited and points up.

Last weekend we decided to take Jackson out by PDX to watch airplanes land and take off, we parked off of Marine drive and had a perfect view of the runways. Jackson got excited at first then was in this zone, staring and pointing. It was so much fun to watch him!

SNOW

2010-01-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

We didn't get a white Christmas, but we did get about 4 inches of snow before New Years. Jackson loved the snow and didn't want to come back inside after being out playing in the snow.

Watching the snow come down

Digging in

So happy

Hot Chocolate upon our return indoors. :)

Eugene Christmas

2010-01-06T11:02:00.001-08:00

Sunday the 27th, we drove down to Eugene to celebrate Christmas with Marty's side of the family. We started at Tom and Andrea's where we hung out and did our gift exchange then headed over to the Mohr's for some yummy Chicken Lasagna and more conversation/catching up. We missed Stephen and Kayleen but hopefully we will all be together next year!

The "kids" minus Stephen and Kayleen

Jackson LOVED the piano at the Mohr's. When we decide to buy a house someday we will get Marty's Dad's old piano which I am sure he will love as well. :)

Christmas #1

2010-01-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Now that things have settled down a bit, I will FINALLY do some updating on here. :o)

We had a fabulous Christmas. We had our traditional Christmas Eve and Christmas in Dayton where we ate great food, laughed, watched the cousins play, opened gifts, and relaxed. On the 27th, we celebrated Christmas in Eugene with the Welch/Vosseler side which I will do in a different post. The Christmas season seems to get better and better every year, LOVE IT!

Daddy putting together Jack's new kitchen

Playing with the kitchen Christmas morning

Such a handsome guy!

Our little family of 3!

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2009-12-21T15:01:00.000-08:00

We were SO late on getting our tree this year, we have just been so busy! We still had a great time decorating though. Jackson and Daddy did most of the decorating since Mommy was moving slow while recovering from her surgery.

Time for the star!

Funny boy!

Daddy and Jackson smelling the Christmas tree

Random December fun

2009-12-21T14:47:00.000-08:00

December has been a pretty busy month but very fun and about to get even more fun! We love the holidays, traditions, birthdays, etc. Anna's family has 5 December birthday so there is A LOT to celebrate. Here are a few photos of some our December fun so far. I have been WAY worse about taking photos, I must be more focused on chasing a toddler or something... ;o)

Jackson with Ravioli on his head. Silly boy.

Ronnie and Jack enjoying Ronnie's birthday cake. Ronnie turned 2 on December 11th.

The Birthday boy!

Yummy candy cane

A new game Jackson made up for him and Daddy to play.

Jackson did a craft with Lacee and he REALLY wanted to taste the paint.

Mint Oreo milkshake! Yum!

Who dresses this child!? :o)

2009-12-08T21:21:00.000-08:00

We were visiting Mima and Papa Sunday and Jackson took a bath right before we left. It was COLD so we had to be creative to keep him warm on our way home. :o)

Zoo Lights

2009-12-08T21:15:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Auntie Jenny used her zoo pass to get us all into Zoo Lights! We had so much fun!

Excited about zoo lights

The Leopard came out to say hello. We also got to see the Elephants, fish, Monkeys, etc.

Jackson checking out the gingerbread house.

Auntie Jenny and Jackson

Oreo

2009-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

Yum Yum!

End of November

2009-12-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

The end of November got busy with the Holiday and what not. So here are a few "catch up" photos. I didn't take ANY photos with my camera on Thanksgiving! That is a first, for sure. I took some with my Mom's camera so I will have to get the copies from her.

Haydee bug with her two cute pony tails

Jackson and Aziza making a mess, but having so much fun. :o)

Sweet lil Aliya! So cute!

Mega Block fun

Flying his Green Bay Packer airplane. (Thank you Aunt Kathy and Uncle Pete, he LOVES it!)

On Nov. 21 we had our annual "Friends Thanksgiving." Jackson enjoyed feeding the cows.

The boys checking in on the Duck Game

Char and Anna

Our cute babies in their buddie PJ's. Jackson, Norah, and Reid.

2009-11-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

I've got all my cars in a row...

2009-11-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

Jackson has been very into cars for quite some time. He pushes them on tables or the floor and makes car noises. One day, a few weeks ago, he started lining up some of his cars on one of the DVD shelves. It's ALWAYS the same shelf and if you try to put DVD's back on it, he clears it off for his cars. :o) He has also started to line up his toys in the bath. Maybe he is going to be very organized? ;o)

More Fall photos

2009-11-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Our boy loves to be outside and LOVES playing in the fall leaves. This makes for fun photo opportunities!

Jackson and Daddy being boys

2009-11-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

Jackson and his Daddy are best buds and love to do all sorts of boy things together. Build Forts, play with Tonka trucks, wrestle, build things, the list could go on and on...

Playing with Tonka trucks

"Getting Daddy"

Halloween 2009

2009-11-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

We had a very fun Halloween with the Lails and the Bohlmanns. We all met up at the giant pumpkin races in Tualatin then all went back to the Lails house to play, eat way too much, laugh, and watch scary movies once the little once went to bed. A good time was had by all!

The Dad's with their boys

Giant pumpkin races!

The cutest little Dinosaur ever!

A sweet little monkey and cute little Dinosaur? Or King Kong and Godzilla? :o)

Bath time!

Jackson, Norah, and Reid

Pumpkin patch and carving fun!!

2009-10-16T22:07:00.000-07:00

Today we made a trip out to Roloff Farms with our good friends, The Bohlmanns. The weather was very good to us and we had a great time!! After the pumpkin patch, a LONG nap, and dinner, we did some fun pumpkin carving as well! Jackson was not afraid to get his hands dirty and much to our surprise he didn't try to eat the seeds. He was putting his spoon into the pumpkin then taking "bites" though. :o)

We are LOVING holidays and new traditions with our sweet boy and look forward to many more!!

Picking out his pumpkin

Taking a ride in the wagon

Being adorable... What's new right??

Norah enjoyed the pumpkin patch too!

The Bohlmann 3 looking fabulous

The Welch 3

Best Friends and babies

Time to carve some pumpkins!

Such a big boy

So much fun!

His pajamas match his pumpkin

Jackson and his monster

Anna and Jack's 15 seconds of fame...

2009-10-15T15:25:00.000-07:00

A few fall photos

2009-10-11T22:06:00.001-07:00

We are LOVING the fall weather. After church and a nap today, we went on a little walk and took some fun photos. I can't wait for the leaves to fall just a little more so I can take photos of Jackson in piles of leaves! Fun!!

Then and Now

2009-10-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

For the last week or so Marty and I have taken several trips down memory lane. We can't believe our sweet boy is one and we feel so blessed to get to be Jackson's Mama and Dada. We feel so incredibly lucky; Jackson has always been an amazing baby, great sleeper, has been very healthy, and is just a happy kid.

Jackson brings so much joy to our life and makes us laugh everyday. He amazes us every day with how quick he learns things and while we have our moments of missing him being a little baby, we look forward to all that life has to bring our family and watching our boy grow.

Today we had Jackson's 1 year check up and his Dr. was very pleased with his growth and development. He was a bit grumpy because he is getting at least 3 teeth right now but he was still able to show off some of his tricks. He also got 3 shots today, you would think these things get easier as time goes on but I still dread when he has to get shots.

Here are two more photos, one from the day Jackson was born and one from him at his birthday party. It's amazing/crazy how fast they grow and how much they change. Though, there are still times when I am looking at Jackson and I get glimpses of that hairy little newborn he once was. :0)

Jackson on the day he was born. 9lbs 2oz 21in long.

Jackson now, 24lbs 30 3/4in long.

Jackson's Birthday Party

2009-10-08T12:52:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, the 3rd, we had Jackson's birthday party at my parents house in Dayton. The weather was so good to us. It got a little chilly but we build a fire in my Dad's fire pit and it DID NOT rain! Woo hoo! We had a really good turn out even though there were several families who were not able to make it due to illness. Jackson was a trooper and all in all it was a fabulous day!

Jackson's own pirate cake to dig into

The Birthday boy!

He sat through opening all his gifts, what a good boy!

Happy Boy!

Jackson's (real) Birthday

2009-10-08T12:31:00.000-07:00

Marty had Jackson's birthday off of work so we were able to have an incredibly fun day together celebrating Jackson's birthday. We got up and had breakfast, let Jackson open a few presents, then headed out the the Children's museum. Jackson LOVED exploring and playing with new things at the Children's museum and I am sure we will be making many more trips! After we were done at the Children's museum we had a birthday lunch at Red Robin then headed home for nap time.

A few of our friends were not going to be able to make it to Jackson's birthday party Saturday so they came over in the evening to have cupcakes and watch Jackson open a few more gifts. He is one loved little man! We are so blessed!

Jackson played with his cupcake more then he ate it but still made a mess. :o) After getting a good scrub down in the bath Jackson was more then ready for bed, he had a long busy but wonderful day!

Happy Birthday Jackson Paul!!

2009-10-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

We can't believe it, our boy is 1! We have had a fabulous day and when things calm down after Jackson's party this weekend, we will have a blog with photos of our day today and of his birthday party. For now here are photos of Jackson right after he was born on October 1st at 10:03pm and from tonight at 10:03pm. There is also a random photo from earlier today of our cute one year old at the bottom. Man, we love our baby sooooooo much!

Some of our first moments together

Jackson after his first bath

Tonight at 10:03pm. Sweetly sleeping.

Precious

Earlier today at the Children's Museum

Haircut # 4

2009-09-29T22:46:00.000-07:00

Testing out the jet before the cut

There goes some of his hair...

So nice to see those beautiful blue eyes!

Playing in a car post hair cut

The next morning at breakfast. So cute.

A few random photos

2009-09-29T22:40:00.000-07:00

One of our many favorites ;-)

Naked baby

He loves his blankies

Fort building with Daddy

Loves his new Tonka Truck!

First Mariner game

2009-09-13T20:57:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month ago now, but Jackson FINALLY made it to his first Seattle Mariner game outer-utero. :o)

It took him awhile to appreciate the train, it really freaked him out. Other then that a good time was had by all!

Uncle Tom, Jack, Dada

Uncle Tom and Jackson pulling each others hair...

And he is OUT

Another photo update

2009-08-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few fun photos I took this last week. Jackson is growing up so fast. He will be 11 months old on Sept. 1st then before you know it we will be celebrating his first birthday!!

Such a silly boy

One of our favorites

We got to have Taylor spend the night with us last week so that Lacey and Bryan could have a night out for Bryan's birthday. She was such a good girl and we had so much fun loving on her!

Camping @ Detriot Lake

2009-08-26T14:30:00.000-07:00

I have been a bad blogger lately. My apologies. :o)

A few weeks ago we went camping with my family at Detroit Lake. It wasn't super warm, but it was still a great time!

Happy Jack

Silly Ronnie

Lil Haydee Bug

Tasha and Kayla

Fun at the lake

Cute boys

Evening boat ride

Cooler Baths!

Morning walk

Jackson's first cooler bath

Chewing on steak

Norah Louise Bohlmann

2009-08-06T01:37:00.000-07:00

We have been waiting for this little sweetie pie to get here and she finally made her debut at 4:11am on the 5th!

Norah is the daughter of two of our best friends, Eric and Charlotte. Eric and Marty are best friends from High School and the four of us went to Concordia together. It seems like just yesterday the 4 of us were having our daily hang outs as just friends and now we are married with babies! Where does the time go!?

Norah is absolutely precious and we are thrilled that she is here. She is definitely blessed to have Eric and Char for a Mama and Dada! Such a cute little family!

If things go according to plan, Jackson and Norah should be getting hitched in about 22 years or so! ;-)

Dad's and babies

Precious

Cute lil hoot!

First of many kisses I am sure!

Hot days

2009-08-06T01:29:00.001-07:00

Whew! It's been warm around here! Last week we were having temperatures of 100-107 degrees and we don't have AC yet so we retreated to my parents house to enjoy some AC and pool time! We have a pool here but the water was actually too warm for the heat we were having! So off to Mima and Papa's we went!

This week has been much nicer. If it's under 90 degrees our apartment stays pretty nice so we are back home and have enjoyed the pool, park, etc. I took a bunch of photos when we went to the park the other day... Enjoy!

Loon Lake

2009-08-06T01:11:00.000-07:00

Well! Now that we have been back from our camping trip for almost 3 weeks I think it's about time I posted some photos!!

We were very excited to bring Jackson on his first camping trip. He is a fabulous camper and really seemed to enjoy himself! The only thing that seemed to throw us off was Jack waking up 1-2 hours earlier then usual because of the birds chirping and daylight. We made the most of our early mornings, usually around 7:00 or 7:30, by going for walks and enjoying an early morning campfire. After a morning nap we would walk down the hill to the beach until Jackson was ready for his next nap. Jackson loved playing in the sand and watching some of the big kids but LOVED being in the water even more! He is seriously such a water baby. We love it!

After Jackson's afternoon nap, if there was time before dinner we would head back to the beach, if there wasn't enough time we would just go ahead and take our showers and get ready for one of our amazing meals!

Jackson went to bed a little later then normal most of the week, usually around 9:00pm but had no problem falling asleep and did great! We are so proud of him.

Last year at Loon lake I was 30 weeks pregnant and rode the tube, this year Jackson was 9 months old and rode the tube. He actually almost fell asleep during our family ride. It was still a lot of fun though!

As always, Loon Lake was a blast and we are already counting down until next year! :-)

Loon Lake Baby!

Sunscreen hair

Playing in the sand

Tube!

Swimming

Happy Camper

Mama kisses on the dock

Outdoor loving boys

Our first camping trip together!

Jackson update

2009-07-09T16:13:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy is 9 months old now. Insane! Time flies so quick when you have a baby!

Today we had Jackson's 9 month check up. He is 21lbs 10 oz and 29 1/4 long. Dr. Corso, his pediatrician, was very pleased with his development and growth which makes us feel like we must be doing something right... :-)

We are having so much fun being Jackson's parents and enjoying watching him learn and grow. Jackson crawls, pulls himself up, gives high fives, claps, waves, gives very slobbery kisses, and almost always has a smile to offer.

Since he has been more on the go he has got hurt here and there. In one day, he bonked his head pretty good on one of the DVD shelves, bit his lip resulting in a fat lip, and closed his finger in a drawer... He did get to have a Popsicle after biting his lip though so some good came of it. ;-)

We are leaving Sunday to go on our annual camping trip to Loon Lake. We are so excited to take Jackson on his first camping trip! He loves the outdoors so we have a good feeling he will love it but I am wondering how he will sleep in a tent, and nap with so much going on. We will find out! :-)

4th of July... I may have already posted this one

He has been doing this shy/flirty head tilt a lot lately.

Good Morning! He always wakes up in a wonderful mood.

Fat lip, poor baby! But he did LOVE the popsicle!

4th of July

2009-07-06T23:35:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. To celebrate the 4th we had our annual pool party/bbq at my parents house. There have been 3 babies born since last 4th of July. It's so fun to get all the cousins together. I must say, our family makes some of THE cutest babies! We ended the evening watching fireworks. Jackson didn't seem to mind the fireworks. He actually started to fall asleep so we brought him in the put him to bed. Here are a few photos of our fun Holiday!

Sweet baby Taylor! 2.5 weeks old

Ronnie and Jackson hanging out in the little pool. They both LOVE the big pool too!

Our water baby

Falling asleep during fireworks

Uncle Marty showed James how to write his name in sparkler

Sweet Haydee bug!

Our little family of 3

Happy and CUTE boy!

Zoo!

2009-06-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday we decided to take a trip to the zoo. The weather was perfect and the three of us had a great time! Jackson loved all there was to see and really seemed to enjoy it... We will definitely have to become members!! :-)

Checking out the Gazelle.

Checking out the Zebras

Cute little penguin!

My boys

Taking a break to enjoy an elephant ear. YUM!

Jackson made a new friend. He ended up picking out a stuffed orangutan in the gift shop.

Our little bear. :-)

Right as we started to head for the exit, he crashed on Daddy's shoulder. So sweet.

2009-06-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

8.5 months old and so much fun. We sure love being Jackson's Mama and Dada!

Our new niece, Taylor.

2009-06-17T20:57:00.001-07:00

We proudly introduce our newest niece. This is sweet little Taylor who was born at 6:51am. She weighs 7lbs 4oz and is 19 in long. Everyone is healthy and doing awesome! Welcome to the world sweet girl, we adore you!

Pickle

2009-06-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

"Hmmm, what's this?"

"Oooooh, I like it, more please!"

And this is what happened when we took it away...

Hot Days

2009-06-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

So I know I am super behind on blogging... But here are a few photos from the VERY warm weather we were having a few weeks ago.

After swimming, one of his most favorite things to do.

Playing at Memorial Park.

Loves the water

Heading home from the park. Ready for a nap.

Jackson was waking up super hot almost every night when it was hot so he was sleeping in just his diaper.

Love those baby thighs.

2nd hair cut

2009-05-31T22:43:00.001-07:00

Jackson had his 2nd haircut last week. Here is a before and after shot. If you look by his right eye you will also see his first boo boo. He fell against one of his blocks and had a little shiner.

Amazing weekend @ the Beach!

2009-05-31T22:31:00.000-07:00

We were blessed to be able to spend a long weekend at the beach this past weekend with my family.

This wasn't Jackson's first time to the beach but it was his first time ON the beach. He loved playing in the sand and much to out surprise, he didn't try to eat it. He did eat his toys that had sand on them though... He also liked the FREEZING Ocean water. We only let him put his feet in and I thought he wouldn't like it at all but he still wanted to splash and grab the water.

We had a wonderful time eating, laughing, watching the kiddos play, visiting the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and hanging out on the beach or at the beach house.

We took SOOOO many photos so here are a few. If you are interested in seeing more you can visit my facebook page.

Videos of Jackson in the water

2009-05-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Playing in the pool

2009-05-25T00:13:00.001-07:00

Today we took Jackson to the pool. He absolutely LOVES bath time so we were pretty sure he would enjoy the pool as well. He LOVED it! He kicked his feet, splashed, and had a great time!

Here are a few photos and I will try to put up a video tomorrow...

Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Once again, we had a very busy weekend, but it was a good one! Saturday we had my sister, Lacey's baby shower. Baby Taylor is due at the end of June. We can't wait to meet her! The sun came out for the shower, Lacey's, Bryan, and Taylor got some great gifts, and we had a great time!

This year was my first Mother's day with Jackson outer-utero. ;-) I had an absolutely perfect day! Jackson slept in later then usual so we were actually late to church, oops! After church Marty, Jackson, and I went and had lunch together then went home where my sweet boys spoiled me with presents. After presents I fed Jackson and then we fell asleep on the couch, it was wonderful! Late afternoon we headed to my parents house where we had a big BBQ with the fam. I love when all of the cousins get together. They love each other so much!

My little man and I with the presents from him and Daddy

Again, me and my buddy.

Happy lil Haydee Bug

Buddies Jackson and Ronnie

Mima and Papa with the grandkids. You can even see Taylor in the background in Lacey's tummy! :-)

Lacey and Taylor

This was Monday night at Burgerville. Oh the things we do to make our kids laugh...

Catching up

2009-05-06T23:55:00.001-07:00

Whew... It's been awhile! A lot has probably changed since the last time I really sat down and blogged so... Here we go..

We moved back to Wilsonville the last weekend in April. It needed to happen mainly because being a half an hour away from the church/Marty's job was getting pretty hard on us. Between the commute, random events, long days, etc. Jackson and I were missing him a lot. There would be one week a month that Marty pretty much wasn't seeing Jackson from about 5:00pm on Sunday until he got off of work on Tuesday because of work, youth group, and meetings. This was just not ok so we made the decision to move back and it has been great. Jackson and I get 4 more hours a week with Daddy if you only eliminate what he was commuting. So if we were to add up all the other randomness, it's clearly a move well worth moving. He leaves later in the morning, can come home for lunch, between events, and gets home earlier now. It's so wonderful!

The move went pretty good, moving is stressful and I felt much more unorganized this move, but we are here and life is good so oh well! Thanks to everyone who helped! :-)

Jackson is 7 months old now... What!? He is such a fun little man, we absolutely love his personality. He keeps us entertained for sure. He has two (bottom) teeth now, is finally liking solid foods (especially bananas, peas, and carrots), and thankfully still sleeping like an angel. I was a little nervous that the move might mess him up but so far so good.

Jackson LOVES to swing! We now live a 4 minute walk away from two different parks so when it's nice we stroll off to the park to swing and play! My Mom and Dad also have a baby swing up at their house that Jackson loves.

Jackson rolls ALL OVER the place, he isn't crawling or even scooting much. He can, I have seen him do it a number of ways, but he really doesn't care that much. I am in no rush though. I keep telling him to stop growing up, so maybe he is just listening to his Mama! :-)

We are so blessed with this little man of ours, he's laid back, very healthy, and is a happy kid. Thank you, Lord!

We have managed to stay pretty busy. What's new, right? We moved last weekend in April, had my Dad's 50th birthday party last weekend, and have a baby shower this weekend for my sister. We have a going away bbq for a friend next weekend then are STAYING HOME. Marty has a retreat this month as well. It never ends! :-)

Anyway, I have rambled long enough. Here are some photos of the last few weeks.

At the park last week, there were a ton of kids and Jackson couldn't get enough. He loves to watch other kids.

Our handsome boy

Still loves bath time!

What the look about Mr. Jack Man??

One night we were out way too late and Jackson was not very happy in the car so I kept handing him toys from my bag. None of them kept him quiet for more then a minute until I found this...

Exploring the sand. MUCH to our surprise, he didn't try to taste it. YET

Loving life... And swinging

A pretty cool dude!

Yay, more swinging!

Easter 2009

2009-04-14T19:56:00.001-07:00

We had a busy but wonderful Easter. Marty and I were talking on our way from one gathering to another and agreed that Holidays have been so wonderful as a family of 3! We are very blessed!

We went to church at our church in Wilsonville, my Mom and youngest sister joined us. Our church service and message was soooo good. After church we went back to Dayton, got our food contributions and headed out to my Aunts house where we have Easter every year. As always, great food and great family time.

After dinner we headed to Marty's family's house for desert and to celebrate Auntie Jenny's 13th birthday. We had a great time hanging out and eating WAY too many sweets. :-)

Jackson went all day with only two short naps in the car and was so good. We are so fortunate to have such an easy going kid. Jackson loved watching the dogs at Marty's family's house. Uncle Tom brought his chocolate lab, Porter who loved to sniff and lick Jackson.

Here are a few photos of our weekend. We hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Jackson with his Easter baskets from Mommy and Daddy, and Mima and Papa

New favorite toy

Yay! A new guitar!

Auntie Lacey, Uncle Bryan, and baby Taylor

Two of the cutest boys in the world!

Our little family

6 months old

2009-04-09T10:30:00.001-07:00

As I say with every month blog, I can't believe Jackson is 6 months old! He is growing way too fast but is sooooo much fun. We decided to celebrate Jackson's half birthday by going to Barnes and Noble to read some books then Jackson got to pick a few new ones out. Marty is SO proud that he seems to love books.

We had Jackson's 6 month check up on Friday. He weighs 19lbs and is 28in long. He has more then doubled his birth weight now and my back definitely feels it! Jackson's Dr was very pleased with his growth especially since he had never had formula or cereal. She also commented on his overall development which makes us feel like we must be doing something right! :-)

Following his check up, Jackson had 4 shots again which are never fun for Mama but he did great! We started Jackson on Rice Cereal Friday evening as well. The very first bite he opened his mouth right up and seemed to like it. A few days later we were busy and I didn't have time to pump so I made it with water. He wasn't as much of a fan and was spitting it out. It made quite a mess!

Jackson is moving around quite a bit. I used to be able to lay him on the floor with toys while I did dishes or something else but now when I leave the room for even a few seconds he is almost across the room by the time I come back in. He isn't crawling but he rolls all over and will sometimes scoot on his back.

I'm thinking his teeth must be moving or trying to. He has had some moments of just not being himself. He will start to make this whiny sound and just look out of it. It's so sad.

Here are a few photos of our little stud muffin.

Jackson ready to go out on his half birthday date with Mama and Dada

Reading with Dada. He has to touch and pat EVERY page.

First time having Rice Cereal. He would laugh almost every time we put the spoon in his mouth. Apparently it was pretty funny.

Clearly enjoying himself

Jackson loves to be outside and especially loves to swing.

Gotta have more Cowbell!

2009-04-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

First hair trim

2009-04-03T10:51:00.001-07:00

I finally came to grips with the fact that we needed to trim Jackson's hair. It was always in his eyes. So, we decided to trim it up a little.

A week before... And in his eyes

It was long in the back too

No turning back

My handsome boys

We survived

He can see again. And we can see those beautiful blue eyes again!