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.

Happy Birthday Jamie

With Dave and my birthday only 2 weeks apart we always get to have a lot of fun pampering each other in June. Dave always is so good to me and so thoughtful! When we were dating 2 years ago, Dave took me up to Sundance and we rode bikes down. Being 9 months pregnant, bikes were out of the question . . . but Dave still made it special. I thought we were just going to lunch, but Dave had bigger and better plans. He had taken a half day of work off and made a picnic lunch. We rode the lift and Sundance up to the top and ate in the shade as we enjoyed the beauties around us. We read, walked, talked and enjoyed being together. To top it off, we also went to Happy Sumo, for the best meal I've had in over a year . . . I am still tasting it in my dreams! Thanks, Dave! You make my life completely happy! I love you!

Summer Fun

We are trying to do many of the things we enjoyed doing last year, (but it just isn't the same with the belly bubble).


Here we are enjoying a bonfire (but we didn't stay the night),




















Climbing to Bridal Veil Falls (but we didn't go all the way up)
Watching fireworks at Orem Summerfest (I rested uncomfortably on Dave for support)




















And attending the Manti pageant (Dave played and ran, while I waddled to dinner and back to the show)













Even though this is one of the ugliest pictures we have of me, I think it is a good representation of how I feel . . .like a beached whale trying to find it's way back to the ocean. Slow, massive and thirsty for home. I am excited to "feel like myself again" once the baby is in my arms, rather than on my bladder!

Happy Father's Day

Dave is the new big daddy in my life, with a baby only a month away. I decided to go with the classic father's day gift of a golf driver. Also seen in the picture is last year gift (a smaller and slightly less expensive version of a grill) and a gift from mom (a pan to grill vegi's on). I did make him cook for me on Father's Day, but that is only because he is so good at grilling! I love you Dave, thanks for being willing to try out being a father!