Jackson's competetiveness (or his parents)

Jackson met his cousin Dayton Ryan Ahlstrom yesterday. He is crying in this picture because Dayton already beat Jackson' current weight in only one day of life and Jackson has been working at it for 4 weeks.
Welcome to the world, Dayton! We are excited to have a buddy for Jackson to play with the rest of his life! MaryAnn endured a long and rough labor and delivery. We are so proud of her and Ryan. Congratulations!Here we are trying to prove that Jackson has grown. He is now up to 20 1/2 inches. We are convinced that with us as parents he will be unusually tall, but any signs of this have yet to manifest. This is the family height wall. Dave has secured the TOP place in the family, and Jackson is now the shortest. (P.S. Despite his mother's complaints and fears, Jackson actually doesn't mind being hung upside down)

Forget-Me-Nots

These pics were taken 2 weeks ago and already Jackson looks so much older and different. Since these were my first 4 weeks as a mom (and Jackson's first weeks of life), I want to write my top ten things I don't want to forget about our little guy (Thanks for the idea, Megan). These photos were taken by my talented hubby.

10. The confused look that always crosses your face as you study the world around you . . . "Where am I? and why is it so bright here?"

9. The peace and calm that you bring to us as we watch you sleeping. How can a non-moving being be so entertaining? You are better than TV or a movie, even when you are unconscious!

8. Your grunts and squawks that tell us you are unhappy with the way things are going. Either you are getting smacked in the face (someday you will discover you are doing this to yourself) or you can't move your arms (someday we will tell you it was only for your own good, but you don't seem to understand this now). 7. The boxing matches you engage in with your food source. You want it so badly, your arms go crazy with excitement . . . just when you think you are in food heaven, you discover a hickey on your fist . . . Once again, your arms being bound is for your own good!
6. The pain it looks like we cause when we lovingly pin your arms to your side and strap you into your blanket (swaddle), but the peace is worth the protest.
5. How you forget to breathe because you are so interested in eating (takes after dad?) but then get so mad when you have to stop and gasp for air.

4. Your huge, dramatic backward stretches. Your back is arched so tightly you fall to the side when I lay you down.
3. Yawning with your whole, body and showing us you have a neck and not just a double chin.
2. Hiccups, sneezes and coughs that jolt your whole body. It doesn't seem to bother you though, in fact it it has the opposite effect of rocking you.
1. The peace that only a mother sees when you are full and sleepy. I live to see you smack your lips,make a tight little "o" and lick like a lizard.
I am amzed when you are soothed sometimes just by my voice.
One to grow on (these things you'll always have so I won't forget them, right?): Your flawless skin, long fingers, daddy's foot in minature, and your cute little toosh.

Tagged

Random information about me you may or may not care about.

Four random things I like about my husband:
1. He can be silly in singing (made up songs or otherwise) and dancing (definitely made up moves), but it is only for my eyes and ears, no one else knows this about him☺
2. He is an awesome photographer. I wish he took more and more pics
3. He loves to buy things, but hates to spend the money. He gets so excited for new “toys” but then feels like maybe he shouldn’t . . .
4. He remembers and thinks about the “little things” that make me happy (He warms up my side of the bed for me, he shaves when he knows we will be together, he takes the baby in the morning so I can sleep in, he puts his shoes away after work . . . well, we are still working on that one!)

Four jobs I have had:
1. Forecast- (Scoring honesty tests- coolest “manager” ever!)
2. EFY counselor
3. Macey’s night stocker
4. 6th grade teacher

Four movies I have watched more than once:
1. Much Ado about Nothing
2. Incredibles
3. I hate watching movies more than once

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Eli stone (commercials taken out by my father-in-law)
2. Seinfeld (I still can’t get enough)
3. Reality TV (Home decorating/ building and cooking shows)
4. Don’t watch much TV

Four people who e-mail me regularly:
1. Sandra Nixon
2. Dave
3. Blog comments
4. Mom

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Sushi
2. Thai food
3. Lime Chips
4. Ovaltine

Four places I would like to visit:
1. Fiji
2. Japan
3. Germany
4. Beaches

Four things I am looking forward to in the coming year:
1. Teaching PE
2. Watching Jackson learn and grow
3. Christmas with my in-laws
4. Our 2nd anniversary in December at Zermott’s

Four People I tag:
1. Sally
2. MaryAnn
3. Jenny
4. Dixie

Bragging Rights

I think I have the cutest baby in the world. As a new mom, I get to brag about my baby right? Really, I just want to show off Jackson and didn't think the many shots I already posted did him justice. I am starting to learn the many expressions he makes and put them with his "personality". He continues to be a good baby. He sleeps well at night and is feeding like a champ (except when he combines the two and sleeps while he should be eating!) Dave and I are just overly anxious parents. We are excited for his first doctors appointment on Friday to reassure us that everything is fine so we can stop worrying every second (it goes away right?)
He can stretch himself in half backwards! It is amazing! That's what he was doing in the womb all this time!

He's smiling!














Here is his old man face!

Bath time: He hated the sponge bath- everything but when his head was under the running faucet, but tonight he had his first real bath (yes, he already lost his umbilical cord . . . he's growing up so fast!) and he loved it. He was so relaxed in the tub, but apparently didn't want to contaminate his water so he waited until he was in his mother's arms to pee all over.

Tribute to the Best Baby ever!

After months of preparing and worrying about labor, delievery, recovery, breast feeding and anything else there was to worry about, I am finally living through it and discovering that I am so lucky and blessed. Everything is going very smoothly and better than I could have imagined (labor excluded). Jackson is eating like a champ. He is peaceful and easy to put to sleep. Last night I had to wake him up to eat. He is patient with me as I learn to feed him, even though I tease him several times before actually giving him the food (I am still scared). He loves to look around.

I am recovering quicker than I thought possible. However, it is still a mystery to me that I can get so worn out taking a walk around the block. But I guess that is all part of giving birth to something you have been nourishing for 9 months.

Dave loves to see him sleeping, but gets scared when he is awake because he might cry. Dave is an awesome "swaddler". Despite Jackson's protest's, he loves the swaddle because it allows him to sleep without getting hit in the face by his own hands.

We feel so lucky to have supportive friends and family and love to show him off anytime we can. Thanks for your love and excitement for us.

Happy Birthday Jackson Thomas

We welcomed our cute little boy into the world on Saturday July 12, 2008 at 9:19 pm. He is 7 lbs 12 oz and 19 inches. Beautiful and Healthy! Dark hair (but not too much :))


I started having regular contractions about 5:00 pm on Friday. I was surprised since the dr. said I was all closed up on Thursday, so I didn't think it was coming for a while. The contractions got more intense and closer together so we went to the hospital at midnight to check it out and I was still completely closed up. I was so sad. They said not to come back until the contractions were 3 mins apart. The meds they gave didn't help at all, so I spent the night have contractions 5 mins apart. They got really intense and without sleep I became pretty emotional, thinking that it wasn't progressing me at all. I spend all morning breathing through contractions every 5 mins while Dave cleaned the whole house. At first we were really excited, but 24 hours later, I just felt exhausted and emotional. We went back at 3:00 to get checked again. The nurse said I was at a 1 . . . and I lost it. But then apparently while she was checking I opened up more and was at a 3. So I begged to be admitted. An hour later I had an epidural and was in Heaven. It was seriously the best choice I made in my life. I could finally think logically about having a kid. Then Dave and I got excited again. Everything progressed very quickly and by 8:30 I was ready to push. I guess all the working out I did was good because after 30 mins of pushing, the doctor told me to cough, and out he slipped!
It was the most amazing, sureal feeling to look down and see this little boy who has been inside so long. He is beautiful and perfect. He scored a 9/10 on the APGAR scale. He is so healthy and we couldn't be more blessed. He is feeding really well. He loves to stick his tongue out and we love to watch him. We are so happy.

Showered with Love

I am so lucky and blessed to be so close to so many of my family. At my double shower with MaryAnn we received lots of baby advice and inspiration for motherhood- as well as the necessary supplies to accomplish it! Compare this pic with one from May 31 (Pampering the preggos). We all look so different, I guess that is an indication of how different all our babies will be different.

My Grandma made me a beautiful quilt (Part of tradition that Jackson will be lucky enough to be a part of)My beautiful sisters and sister in law. Our family is growing exponentially now!My Aunt Vickie (hosted the shower . . .THANK YOU) and her beautiful daughters who I look up to as the bets mothers I know. Hopefully I have a few of their genes!My mom made me bumper sheets, a valence and a matching quilt. She is incredible. I will post a pic of the babies room when we get it done and you will be amazed at her talent.

For those who are interested, I took notes on the advice we recieved to be a good mother. One advice was to journal or blog about the progress the baby makes and so here I go blogging this.

Advice

*Start right from the beginning toing scripture study, prayers, FHE and other routines. When they are young they are still willing and excited to do it.

*Enjoy their childhood it goes fast and ever child is so different, enjoy each one.

*Tone of voice is vital, keep the peace in your voice.

*Time is NEVER wasted when you are with your kids. It is the most important thing you can do! Play with them

*Watch family home videos for FHE. Take l0ts of video for each kid to remember them

*Do sign language so they can learn to communicate with you

*Don't stop dating your husband weekly

*Make a game of cleaning up (Here comes gunny bag . . .)

*Have clean up only 1 or 2 times a day so you aren't cleaning all day.

*Make traditions they turn into the memories.

*Crying relieves stress, don't be afraid to let go.

*Train your kids, don't let them train you (But answer ever cry until they are 4 mo.)

*LOVE with all your heart

*Be proud to be a mother

*Have an FHE journal or a kid journal. Write one good thing they do a day- tell them what you loved about them that day

* Laugh, don't be uptight- These kids are from out of town and don't know the rules and procedures here. WE need to teach them

*Motherhood is the one thing we develop in this life that is exactly what we will be doing for the rest of eternity. Thus, our heart needs treasure motherhood.