Happy Mother's Day!

What a wonderful day today--I got to spend time with my mom (and Dad), my mother-in-law, the man who made me a mother, and my little baby boy. We went to church, where JW played on the worship team, then after nap, took everyone out to brunch at Jake's. Jackson was so good at a fancy restaurant, with only a booster seat to keep him out of trouble. My favorite part of the day was just watching Jackson play--he is such a show-off, especially around his grandparents. They've been calling him "Cheeser" because of his cheesy smile--I just love him! Happy Mother's day to all you moms!

Yoga anyone?

So I finally got myself motivated to go on a nice long run today, and I took Jackson along in the BOB stroller. It felt so nice to get outside and do something to help myself feel better. J did really well; he took off his shoe, which I had to confiscate along with his sock so that he wouldn't toss it into the road. What is the nursery rhyme about the little boy with one shoe off and one shoe on? Jackson is in that state a lot. :)
When we got home, I was stretching on the ground outside, and Jackson got down on the ground with me and imitated the position I was in. It was so cute! He really liked it when I bent forward to touch my toes, he thought I was playing peek-a-boo!

"Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John.

He went to bed with his socks on.

One shoe off and one shoe on.

Diddle diddle dumpling, my son John!"

Spring has Sprung!

Wow, it's been way too long since I've blogged, a whole month! I've been truly enjoying this time in Jackson's development. He is so cute, and continues to get cuter. I think what's so fun is watching him learn so much--new things to explore, new sounds to try out, the outside... What a blessing! He seems to be smiling 24/7, except when he's crying, which is usually when he's clinging to my legs. Separation anxiety is still an issue at times, but I try to treasure it since I know all too soon he won't want anything to do with me and I will be missing these days. Sleeping through the night continues to be a blessing, as we are all resting better. Also this month we visited North Carolina with our friends and had a blast--check out my Snapfish photos, they're great. It was sad because I really want to be in North Carolina, but I'm also feeling very blessed that I have such wonderful friends there that I can count on anytime. Jackson loved the sand and the ocean, and it makes me excited for his continued discovery of nature.

Where's Baby's Tongue?

I know it's been awhile since I blogged--things have been pretty hectic. I just was at a conference in Ann Arbor for 2 days, commuting each day, so I haven't seen my little J in awhile. We had a fun reunion today, with lots of hugs and kisses. Our favorite thing is to stick out our tongues at each other. What a cutie pie! He's been going thru some separation anxiety, which is hard on all of us, but the good news is that he has been sleeping thru the night in his own bed, praise God! It's been a long time coming (a year!), but all in God's time, right? He's starting to say "mama" a bit more audibly, which is very pleasing to my ears. Otherwise, he kind of sounds like a character from Sesame Street most of the time. :)

Out of Hibernation

Today was 70 degrees, can you believe it? All of the neighbors were outside, it was great! JW washed the car, Jackson and I played on the new swing he got for his birthday from Grandma and Grandpa, and he went about discovering grass, woodchips, and leaves. He handed me every leaf that he picked up. His favorite, though, was the flag that stands outside our house; he sees it from his window inside every day, so I think he was excited that he finally got to touch it.

Today was also his one year check-up. He now weighs in at 21.25 pounds and is 31.5 inches tall. He was very brave when he got his 4 shots, and he had a great day playing with Mommy and Daddy.

Happy Birthday Jackson!

This weekend we celebrated Jackson's big first birthday! It was so much fun--we had a house full of guests, and J. had a blast. He was not interested in the presents, however, as Grammi brought him a balloon, and he just thought that was the coolest! He also enjoyed his first sugar rush, eating a cake that I made for him in the shape of a basketball. JW showed his creative side by creating his T shirt and a scoreboard for decorations--thank you darling! As the title of my blog states, I was literally "on call" this weekend at 2 hospitals, so I was a bit overwhelmed (to put it mildly, just ask my loving husband); but God saw me thru it and here I am, still with energy to write at 11pm!

Back to Michigan!

The long delay has been because we were skiing in Seven Springs in PA with my family last week. We had a blast--it was great snowboarding weather, we didn't get frostbite, and little J had a great time bonding with Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Paula. We all memorized "Brown Bear, Brown Bear" because J wanted us to keep reading it over and over and over...

J is more active than ever. We just bought him new shoes today, with Elmo on them, so that he can walk outside as the weather starts to get nicer. It took him about 45 minutes to adjust to them before he would start walking, it was so funny! It was like he had lead bricks on his feet, and he would only crawl. But he's a pro now, so if it starts to warm up and start raining, we're back outside for sure!

This week we're preparing to celebrate Jackson's first birthday! I'm excited, but sad too, because my little baby is getting to be a big boy, and as I prepare to start weaning, I'll just have to find other ways to bond with him. But overall I'm super proud of the little boy he is becoming and of the great dad JW has become. It makes me smile to see all of the progress. God continues to help me realize the kind of mommy I am, but it helps to remember that I'm HIS child as well.