It's almost hard to believe!

We had an interesting weekend with Jaxson.  He has 2 teeth coming in at once.  This makes for one unhappy baby.  Landon and I went to the movies on Saturday night.  Rare occurrence and definitely spur of the moment so we dropped Jaxson off at Landon's dad's house.  "Pop", as we so kindly refer to Landon's dad, said Jaxson didn't want to crawl around and play and he just wanted to be held.  I brushed it off as it being an unfamiliar place that we were leaving him.  Sunday at church, we peaked our head in to check on Jaxson in the nursery.  I guess playing wasn't in the books for him that day either and he was in the arms of one of the ladies that helps every Sunday.  Last night (Sunday) was a PRODUCTION!!!  Jaxson refused to eat his food unless being held.  Even then, it was tough.  Landon and I were eating fajitas so I chopped up some fajita meat and a tortilla with cheese and let Jaxson have that.  I knew the day would come when we no longer could depend on the convenience of food in a jar for Jaxson and I'm afraid that day is today.  Maybe our food just tastes better...who knows??!?!?  So like any mother would do I went straight to the message boards to ask other working mothers what they pack for their children for lunch when they go to daycare.  One mother was so kind to quickly respond exaclty what she does for her 9 month old...here we go:  

Breakfast:  Cut up fried egg, sauteed spinach, carrots and asparagus tips (sauteed until soft), bananas, and a small amount of cheerios.  Everything was sprinkled with wheat germ.

Lunch:  Baked salmon, butternut squash, cut up cherry tomatoes, mango, a few yogurt melts.  Everything sprinkled with wheat germ.

Snack:  Plain whole milk yogurt mixed with wheat germ and chunks of kiwi, cheerios.

For each meal, try to do a protein, vegetable, fruit, and whole grain.  Try to make everything colorful, which means a variety of vitamins - orange carrots with green spinach, red tomatoes with orange squash, green kiwi, yellow banana, etc. 

I think I need to hire a private chef for Jaxson.  I was just thinking maybe a ham and cheese foldover?!?!?! 

HAPPY MONDAY!!!!!

How Do I Say this Politely?

I have a somehow managed to co-create an incredibly cute kid!  When Jaxson was born I thought he was the most handsome baby boy in the world.  That's what a mother is supposed to think; however, he has continuted to grow into his looks.  Brad Pitt look out....I've got America's next heart throb on my hands.  We do have some things to work on before he makes it on the cover of People's 50 Most Eliglible Bachelors though. 

1.  Chewing on your fingers and then wiping your spit on someone's nose isn't that becoming.  I tolerate because I am his mother but I'm sure his girlfriend wont.

2.  Boogers.  We have to work on those.  Jaxson ALWAYS has a booger. 

3.  Calling everyone and everything Mama.  Again I love it but his girlfriend wont.

4.  Pooping at the dinner table.  This one is pretty darn predictable.  For awhile we had concerns about Jaxson's bowel movements.  He just wouldn't poop.  Now he is unstoppable.  As his Nene puts it, he has some "Texas size" poops. 

5.  Hiding Cheerios in his hands and saving them for later.  I can't tell you the number of places I have found Cheerios lately.  In my bed, in the bathtub, under his bed, in Salem's food bowl, in the dryer, in my shoe....the list just goes on....Old Cheerios are yucky.  Please don't save them for a midnight snack.....

I've started planning the big 1st Birthday Party.  Jaxson chose to have a baseball theme.  You are probably asking yourself how does a 10month old child request a theme for his birthday party.  It's easy.  I held up a baseball bat and a farm animal he went for the bat!  You can go ahead and add intellegent to his resume.  I am needing some suggestions on wording for something.  I don't want to sound tacky when I tell people that he doesn't need toys for presents.  I feel like this is the best place for me to get this worry off of my chest.  Jaxson UNLOADED at Christmas.  He has more toys than FAO Schwartz.  We are so lucky to have so many friends and family that want to give give give.  I LOVE IT!  I want to make a smart choice for Jaxson and request in lieu of toys please give money for us to put in his college fund.  Please don't get me wrong.  I know some of our family members have gifts that they would like to give that they have been planning for this year.  Jaxson will enjoy everything he receives and we will always be grateful. Now HELP with the words.  I feel like this is really the only birthday that I can get away with this.  Soon he will look at everyone like they are crazy if they show up with an envelope with money versus the newest baseball glove or Nerf fun.

Parenting Magazine's WORST Nightmare

I've labeled myself as Parenting Magazine's WORST nightmare! I am a total pushover when it comes to Jaxson sleeping in our bed.  I've thought from the beginning that our "bedtime routine" has been awesome.  Jaxson eats dinner when he and Landon get home.  Landon cooks dinner while Jaxson and I play.  Landon and I eat dinner then we all go upstairs for bathtime.  He loves bathtime like I've told you before. We let him snuggle with us while we watch a little TV and he gets his nightime bottle then its off to his own bed.  I know where my mistakes are being made.  He falls asleep in our bed and then I move him to his bed.  It's always been this way. I MUST start getting him to fall asleep in his own bed.  My next mistake is when he wakes up at 11:30 and I go get him and put him back in our bed and he goes right to sleep.  It's not that he CAN'T sleep...he just WILL NOT sleep in his own bed. 

Landon and I have discussed the method of letting him cry himself back to sleep.  Not only is this just heartbreaking to me but I can't sleep throught this.  It disturbs my night of sleep and it's just easier to go get him and snuggle him next to me.  At this rate we will not be having our baby #2 for the next 15 years.  I don't know what I expected.  I was this same way with my parents.  I know my mother still hears my whispers in her sleep....."Mom...Mom.."! *snicker*

This is Landon's childhood bear Snuggles.  Jaxson loves to Snuggle

with Snuggles (Landon does too but we won't tell..ssshhh)!



Better late than never

I have been a very bad blogger.  I slap my own hand over the extreme neglect that has fallen upon my blog. There is so much to write about but I figured I must summarize because it may be another 2 months before I post again.  SORRY!!!!!!!!!!! 

Christmas in a Nutshell

Landon and I were a bunch of crazy people around Christmas and Jaxson had absolutely no idea what was happening.  We drove to Livingston on Christmas Eve Eve and spent Christmas Eve morning/afternoon/early evening with Pop and Ma-Maw (Landon's Dad and Grandmother).  We then drove to Fannett that night for Christmas Eve with Grammy (my Grandmother) and that side of the family.  We made it back to our house that night around 9:30 with one EXHAUSTED little munchkin.  After Jaxson went to bed, Santa's Helpers laid out Jaxson's presents and made it to be around 11:45.

Christmas morning we had to wake Jaxson up at 7:30 to open his presents.  I thought I plugged in the camera battery to charge the night before....but I had the battery turned the wrong direction in the charger so we had to "stage" opening gifts. 

Mom and Dad came over for Christmas breakfast and then we headed back to Livingston for presents with Nana and Papa.

Jaxson hit the jackpot with all of his gifts.  He is one lucky little boy.

I was able to spend a full week after Christmas at home with Jaxson.  It reminded me of our first days together. We slept late, took naps, ate, took more naps, and maybe took a shower by the time Landon would make it home from work. 

New Years Eve

My child stayed up until MIDNIGHT....and then fell asleep one minute after.  Not lying.  He's a party animal. 

A Day in the Life

Jaxson is a professional crawler.  His Honey bought us a baby gate for the top of the stairs so that he could "safely"  play in his room without turning the corner and tumbling down our stairs. Guess what Honey...we need one for the bottom of the stairs now.  He thinks he needs to pull up on everything. Bright lights are just so fascinating to him.  He is amazed with the little blue light on the laptop charger.  The clock on the cable box is his next conquest.  No surface is too hard, no toy too big to plow over.  Bath time is awesome!  He loves loves loves playing in the water.  "Mama"!  Yep EVERYBODY  is Mama, even Salem.  Jaxson is a big fan of food.  Some days its a struggle to get him to eat his baby food at supper.  He never hestitates to eat big people food though.  He has already had tortillas, cheese, pork chops, bananas, and cheerios. 

Riding his horse from his Great Aunt Bebe

(His gate. This is hilarious to him!)

Helping Mommy with the laundry

Wishing he could be helping Dad and Pop with the garage project. 

He was stuck inside the house with Mommy and Salem instead. Boo!

He surprised me with this one.  He crawled to his car and stood up!

T-R-O-U-B-L-E. How can you resist this face? 

And this is how black eyes appear......Dare devil.

He was watching TV on his couch.  Contrary to the picture, he WAS having fun!

Jaxson had his 9 month check up today.  He got the all clear from Dr. Derrick.  No SHOTS!! Yipppeeee.  He weighed 20.70 lbs and was 29" tall.  It really is amazing how time has flown by.  I remember the first time I brought him to Dr. Derrick for his 2 week well baby appointment.  (Tears) 

I am in the process of planning the big 1st birthday party.  Details to follow.........



Santa's Helper

Jaxson came home from school yesterday with a Countdown to Christmas craft!  Have I mentioned how much we love Ms. Frances?!?! I never imagined in my wildest dreams that my almost 8 month old would come home with a craft already.  I honestly think that I was more excited about the project than he was.  As a child, my mother had a little cloth "Christmas House" looking calendar that we would move a little cloth mouse around each night to countdown the days to Christmas.  I'm pretty sure it was my favorite part of decorating for Christmas.  Jaxson also came home from school with his 1st Letter to Santa, complete with his signature.  I had tears of joy when I saw his letter.  It was one of the sweetest things ever!

Note: Please notice his signature at the bottom right hand corner of the page!  He has such wonderful penmanship. 

I started wrapping presents 2 nights ago.  I figured we have such a pretty tree that needed presents to go underneath.  Jaxson was the first one to have a present wrapped under the tree..go figure!  I think the fact that my little one is a paper monster slipped my mind when I started this adventure.  Note to self:  do not wrap presents with an 8 month old mobile baby hanging around.  HE TRIED TO EAT EVERYTHING!  I couldn't get the presents wrapped fast enough.  

After Landon dropped Jaxson off on Monday morning, he called to let me know that Jaxson will be having his Christmas party for school in about 2 weeks.  Jaxson drew a name for one of his friends at school and gets to pick out a gift for him.  Landon asked Ms. Frances if Moms were invited to the Christmas party.  I think I'm really the only Mom that has expressed interest in ever going because she didn't sound so sure about saying YES.  I guess I will have to accept this.  I really don't want to be labeled as one of those crazy moms that have to be at every event that their child participates in.  I can just imagine myself being the mom that chaperones school dances and such just so I can get pictures!!!!!!!!!!! hahah I'm laughing so much right now. 

"Don't mind me honey I just want a picture of you dancing with Sally Sue Romero....keep dancing!  Ok turn and smile and say CHEESE!"

Independence Day

I have a disclaimer to put out first before I begin any sort of writing for the day.  I am not good at spelling nor grammar.  If there is a misspelled word somewhere in my blog or a misplaced comma, please excuse the dummy. 

I was going to make this a sappy, make-you-wanna-cry post but I decided against it.  It's Friday for goodness sake.  I looked at the calendar today and realized that Jaxson is almost 7 months.  We have accomplished sitting in our high chair without assistance, he has moved into size 2 diapers, he is sleeping in his OWN bed for most of the night, and we are no longer taking a bath in the bathtub "net" as I like to refer to it.  I freak out every time he passes one of these milestones.  Part of me wants him to stay a baby forever and not grow up.  I feel like it's happening so fast.  I remember the first night we brought Jaxson home from the hospital.  Neither Landon nor myself would sleep for fear that we couldn't hear him breathing.  I laugh to myself on occasions on how paranoid we were that first week.  Jaxson slept in the bassinet right beside Landon's side of the bed and he still insisted on sleeping with the baby monitor by his ear!!!! 

Last week we decided to eat out for dinner.  I felt Jaxson was ready to sit in a big boy high chair at the restaurant. It's getting a little hard on me to eat my dinner and hold him while he tries to grab EVERYTHING on the table.  I found the key to this is keeping a toy strung to the highchair so he can't throw it on the ground. Otherwise we just have a very unentertained child who gets slightly moody.  Who would have thought......

On Saturday we went to Home Depot to buy some new blinds.  I figured if Jaxson was physically stable enough to sit in a highchair then we could definitely sit in a shopping cart.  I did buy one of those things that you drape over a cart or highchair that keeps him from sitting on the direct seat.  Genius I tell ya!  It was a good thing I had it because Jaxson tried to put the handle of the cart in his mouth...GROSS!

I cannot wait for the next milestones and tricks that we are able to accomplish within the next upcoming months.  Jaxson is developing into a wonderful little person who is a perfect fit for Landon and I.  I couldn't have made a better baby if I say so myself. 

Monkeyin' Around

Sorry I feel like I've been a little bit of a slacker this week.  Work has been super hectic and I couldn't find the time to write.  Halloween was exactly what I expected.  Jaxson wore the monkey costume for a total of 1 hr and that is being pretty generous.  We started our Saturday by attending the benefit that my sister helped organize for a friend's sister.  The benefit was being held at Mom and Dad's house so we decided to hit them up for trick or treat first.  When we arrived at their house Landon made sure that Jaxson was fed and changed so that he wouldn't have that as a reason to be fussy.  I decided it was Trick-or-Treat time.  Please everyone keep in mind that it had to have been 83 degrees outside on Saturday. 

I think Jaxson truly wouldn't have minded wearing his costume except when it came to putting on the monkey head. 

After seeing this unhappy monkey, I quickly removed all monkey parts.  I attempted to move on down the road to Trick-or-Treat at my grandmother's house but my little one had fallen asleep by the time we made the 5 minute walk to her house.  Grammy pulled through with one of the most clever Trick-or-Treat's a little monkey could have....Banana's and Banana cookies.  Jaxson secretly wishes that he could have Grammy's banana muffins even though he has only tasted such while he was living in my belly.  Maybe next year...

After our Trick-or-Treating adventure, we took Jaxson to his first pumpkin patch.  I don't think he knew how to perceive these huge orange things laying on the grass. 

Jaxson was worn smoooooth out by the time the day was over.  On Sunday we attempted to Trick or Treat again at the Noble's house and at Pop's house.  The monkey costume only made the appearance once.  We were just too tired to monkey around AGAIN!. I think I was just as tired as he was by the time Sunday night rolled around.  Our first Halloween was a success in the face that we were able to wear the costume, take some pics, and make memories for many MANY years to come.