We have a cruiser!

Jackson FINALLY started cruising today! He has been pulling up forever (probably 2-3 months), but never moved his legs to actually walk. He just happily pulled up on any and everything and sometimes danced or smacked whatever he was holding onto. Then, today, he finally walked along the couch!! Yay Jackson! He had pulled up to see me on the couch and walked over to grab one of his favorite things, the remote!  Did I capture this great  moment on camera? Unfortunately, no.

Jackson went to his first Gymboree class on  Wednesday. I guess it’s already paying off. At least, that’s what I am claiming! I got an awesome deal on Groupon for Gymboree and we are so excited about it! This week we did a free class and next week will start our Groupon month. We are going with our friends Courtney and Kristin. Jackson and Courtney are exactly 4 months apart, but they are able to be in the same class (they wouldn’t be normally since Jackson is not walking yet) because on Wednesday morning they have a combo level 2 & 3 class. So, it works out really well. We get to go to Gymboree and we get to see our friends every week! I did have some Mommy guilt though. Jackson had SO much fun and did so good. He wasn’t clingy or fussy. He just played with the other babies and did the activities. I was so proud of my little cubby! I have not done a good job of getting him out of the house to play with other kids or do fun things. This really encouraged me to do more with him.

Since I don’t have pictures of him cruising or at Gymbore, I will leave you with some pictures of Jackson playing his favorite game with Mimi. Peek-a-boo! Jackson is a master peek-a-boo-er! These are from last week when Mimi came to help when I was on crutches.

Special Delivery from Minnesota

Today when we came home we had a surprise box at the door. It was a baby quilt for Jackson from my mom’s side of the family!Grammy, Mimi and Grammy’s aunts and cousins each made a square. Grammy’s cousin Doris sewed the quilt together. It was so special for everyone to do this for Jackson. I don’t know how Grammy AND Mimi kept this a secret!

This is the square Grammy cross-stitched.

These are Mimi’s squares that she quilted. I just found out that the squares Mimi made were from Daddy's pajammas when he was little. I love that!

Here are some of the other squares. They are all beautiful!

Grammy even made a family tree square and a square with Jackson’s birth info.

d

And my favorite!

Love that stinkin’ face!

Thanks everyone! We love it!

Christmas 2010

Ok, so I know this is a bit late. But, better late then never! This is some of the highlights of Jackson’s 1st Christmas. I’m so glad I was able to be home and enjoy the day with the whole family!

Here is Jackson helping us decorate the Christmas tree. He really did not know what to think of the tree.

Jackson refused to touch the Christmas tree. His hand accidentally touched a branch and his entire body shuttered. It was hilarious!

Jackson loves to feel his teeth with his tongue. So, it’s not unusual to see him doing acrobatics with is tongue. He has 4 teeth on top and 2 teeth on the bottom!

This is Jackson on Christmas morning. He went straight to his new toys that Santa brought and started playing! It was very cute!

Jackson did make sure he took time to do his morning push ups!

Grammy and Grandpa got Jackson a wagon with blocks in it. He loves his new wagon!

He can stand behind it and walk too. He’s not quite cruising yet, but I hope this will help him.

Jackson found something even more fun to do with his wagon! Ride in it! He fits perfectly and he gets so excited being pushed around and around!

Uncle Chris thought it would be fun to put a bow on Jackson. He is one cute present!

Then Uncle Chris took Jackson outside to see the snow. Jackson had a white Christmas for his 1st Christmas! He is one lucky little boy!

This was when it had just started snowing. And I didn’t think to take him back outside for any pictures when it was all nice and white :(

Here is Jackson and Grammy the day after Christmas. I was at work, but Daddy and Grammy and Grandpa and Mimi and Uncle Josh got to spend the day with Jackson!

A few days after Christmas we met Nannan at Cracker Barrel to have another Christmas. My camera battery died so I didn’t get to may pics. Jackson got to color for the first time. ( I had a “Bad Mommy” moment when I realized I had never let him color before…oops!)

Jackson got to finally meet his Aunt Jordan! Some how it has never worked out for us to get them together, but they had so much fun together. You could just tell they were so tickled with each other. Jordan did one of Jackson’s favorite things… read his book to him!

This year we really need to make sure they get to spend lots of time together. They look so much alike, they could pass for brother and sister!

Well, that was our Cash family Christmas in a nutshell! I think it was probably one of (if not the best) Christmas’ ever! Having a child totally changes everything. I know he probably won’t remember anything, but hopefully we started some traditions that we can do in the coming years. I loved seeing everything from his perspective. While we may not have had the most presents, we enjoyed spending time together with those we love. And that is what matters the most. We celebrated the birth of Jesus, not with lots of expensive gifts, but surrounded by family, thankful for everything we have been blessed with.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Mommy vs icy driveway

Tonight we decided to run out to get some dinner. Well, we didn’t make it that far. I was carrying Jackson to the car and slipped on  some ice on the driveway. My mommy superpowers kicked in and saved Jackson. But, I didn’t make it out so well.  I must have landed/fell on my ankle and could not stand up. Luckily my parents were here and could watch Jackson. Matt took me to the urgent care and they took  some x-rays. No  fracture, but I still can’t walk on my  left foot. So, they gave me an air cast, post op shoe and crutches. I have to wear them for at least 48 hours. I’m not sure yet if I will be able to work this weekend. I’ll have to see how it is later this week. So, for now, Matt will have to stay home and take care of Jackson. Crutches and carrying a baby apparently don’t mix.  At least the cubby is ok. I would have been crushed if something had happened to him!

Hiking

Last Friday Daddy took the day off from work and we escaped to the mountains. I had Saturday off, which never happens, so we wanted to make the most of our time together. We wanted to go to the Smokey Mountains, but that didn’t work out. So, we went to Grammy and Grandpa's instead. It’s so nice being able to go to their house in the mountains whenever we need a break. On our way up to their house we stopped and went hiking. This was Jackson’s first hiking trip. I think he enjoyed it. He was bundled up well and didn’t seem to mind the cold.

Daddy wore the Baby Bjorn and carried Jackson.

I love this picture of Matt, but I wish Jackson was looking at the camera.

This was the best we could get of the three of us together.

We didn’t hike to the top of the falls because it was getting late and Jackson needed to eat. I’m really glad we went.

Jackson made some new friends at Grammy’s house!

Saturday we stopped and ate at a restaurant on the river. They had this huge “Happy Chair” outside.  Matt set up the camera and ran and jumped up on the chair before the timer went off. It was quite funny. Ironically this was the only time Jackson was not happy. He was fine all day except sitting in this chair.  Inside the restaurant he was flirting with the waitresses and smiling at everyone who walked by. He has a habit of checking out girls already. He will always flirt with the waitress whenever we go out. And if he see’s a pretty girl he will look her up and down. I don’t know what I am going to do with my little womanizer when he gets older!

We had a great weekend together. I’m so glad we were able to go off together. And it’s always good to see Grammy and Grandpa.

Mimi and Uncle Josh came to see Matt and Jackson on Sunday  while I was at work. Daddy didn’t take any pictures for me to put up. :(

Where’s Jackson

Can you find Jackson?

Here he is!

Silly boy! Someone likes crawling underneath his exersaucer. I guess he’s spent enough time playing in it, now he wants to play under it. (Can you guess what show is on TV in the background? It’s one of Jackson’s favorites!)

More 9 month news:

-Monday night while I was giving Jackson his bath, he started clapping for the first time!! Yay Jackson!

- Jackson has a new tooth coming in! His first tooth on the top. I expect the one next to it soon, since they usually come in two at a time. I'm such a bad mommy, I didn't even notice it. Dr. Jennie saw it at his check up. To be fair though, he hasn't acted like he's teething. He's so chill about everything.

-Today we went to see Dr. Jennie for Jackson’s 9 month check up. He grew one whole inch! So he’s 27 inches and 17 lbs 3.5oz. That puts him in the 6th percentile for weight and 13th percentile for height. His head is 44.2 cm (20th percentile). Not surprising his head is the biggest considering he is his daddy’s son! He’s either growing a big ego or a big brain, probably both, definitely both from his daddy! We almost got away with no shots. But, since its the winter, he had to get his flu shot. He was such a trooper though. We could hear a 12 year old girl next door screaming bloody murder getting her iron checked. Dr. Jennie says we have 3 months to get on the sippy cup. No more bottle after 1 year. (I can’t believe my baby is going to be a year old in 3 months!) She said we could try yogurt and cheese and eggs too. Hopefully he will do ok. Especially with the yogurt and cheese, we are hoping he will outgrow his milk allergy.

Speaking of allergies, today Dr. Jennie asked if I had him tested for allergies. Um, no. When I asked her about it a few months ago she said it was unnecessary/inaccurate before a few years of age. Now apparently it would be a good idea to go see an allergist. Why do doctors have to be like that? When I ask/suggest something its wrong, but if they suggest it, its fine. It’s not like I might actually know something. I think she forgets that I am a pediatric nurse. She talks to me with the “you’re a crazy mom” tone sometimes. I know that tone from using it myself! (I still like Dr. Jennie, I just think doctors are frustrating sometimes.) (Alison we were there at 2:15, so it was probably before you got there. Our appointment was for 1:45, but Dr. Jennie had to go pick up her sick daughter from school, so they called and asked us to come later.)

I never thought I would have a blue eyed baby. But, at 9 months old, Jackson still has the bluest eyes! Maybe they will stay! Uncle Josh likes to call him the Viking Baby because of his blue eyes, BLONDE hair and fair skin. And his long fingers and toes. He says Jackson got my mom’s Viking genes.

9 months

Happy 9 month birthday Jackson!! Mommy and Daddy love you so much! We are so proud of you!

Everyday Jackson is learning so much. He is now a great crawler. He can pull himself up to standing. He can kneel on his own without holding onto anything. He can go from sitting to crawling to sitting again. He can pull up and sit back down (thank goodness!). He can feed himself really well, his pincer grasp is better everyday.

He can say  “Momma”, “Dadda”, “nini”, “nana”, “baba”, “hey”, lots and lots of babbling. He’s a talker just like his daddy!

No cruising yet, but I don’t think it will be long. Even though he LOVES to feed himself, he wants nothing to do with the sippy cup. He is perfectly content to let me feed him his bottle. So, those are things we are working on. He doesn’t quite understand that you have to turn the cup/bottle up the drink from it. Straw cups are for biting in Jackson’s world.

 

We love you Man Cubby!!!

Keep your fingers crossed that Jackson will have gained weight when we go see Dr. Jennie on Wednesday for his 9 month check up!!