One year ago today, my water broke. It was shortly after 9PM on Mother's Day. Chris had ran out to get a pizza because, when we tried to cook dinner at home, the oven filled with smoke. We both ran through the house opening windows, not an easy thing to do when you are 9 months pregnant! My mom was staying with us, because I was scheduled to be induced on Tuesday. I sat down on the sofa and heard a "pop". The next thing I knew, I felt wet. The next 30 or so hours were crazy, amazing, wonderful, scary and happy. And at the end of the journey, Jackson Wesley Neighbours was here.
What a difference a year makes. :)
Monday, May 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Bouncing and Crawling and Standing - Oh My!
My baby can bounce with the best of them. He knows how to lurch his body forward and bounce in a chair. He jumps up as much as he can.
He's a darn fine crawler, too! He goes between the army crawl and the all-fours crawl, but either way he chooses, he's speedy! Turn your head for a minute and he's gone, normally towards an outlet, a dog toy or one of Chris's tennis shoes. Yeah, I'm glad we've baby proofed!
He's newest accomplishment is standing. Oh yes, the boy will pull himself up on anything he possibly can. The coffee table and sofa are favorites, as well as his crib. He's also learned how to pull himself up on his music table and bumpo chair.
So you know what this means, right? The kiddo will be walking soon. I think he'll be moving and grooving by his first birthday. Of course, I've also thought he has been teething since he was four months old and not a single tooth has appeared yet. What do I know?
We're also introducing more "real" foods into his diet. I worry about this a little since he doesn't have teeth yet. So far, we've done cheese, blueberries, grits, mashed potatoes, peas and rice. I know he's supposed to start eating more real food and less baby food and formula. He seems to like most everything he's tried and so far, he has had no allergic reactions to anything.
Man, I know I have said this a thousand times before, but my little guy is growing up!
He's a darn fine crawler, too! He goes between the army crawl and the all-fours crawl, but either way he chooses, he's speedy! Turn your head for a minute and he's gone, normally towards an outlet, a dog toy or one of Chris's tennis shoes. Yeah, I'm glad we've baby proofed!
He's newest accomplishment is standing. Oh yes, the boy will pull himself up on anything he possibly can. The coffee table and sofa are favorites, as well as his crib. He's also learned how to pull himself up on his music table and bumpo chair.
So you know what this means, right? The kiddo will be walking soon. I think he'll be moving and grooving by his first birthday. Of course, I've also thought he has been teething since he was four months old and not a single tooth has appeared yet. What do I know?
We're also introducing more "real" foods into his diet. I worry about this a little since he doesn't have teeth yet. So far, we've done cheese, blueberries, grits, mashed potatoes, peas and rice. I know he's supposed to start eating more real food and less baby food and formula. He seems to like most everything he's tried and so far, he has had no allergic reactions to anything.
Man, I know I have said this a thousand times before, but my little guy is growing up!
Monday, January 17, 2011
A mommy issue
It took almost 8 months, but my son is sleeping in his crib. It’s not where we just purchased the crib, or that we were missing the mattress, or the bedding or something like that. No, no, no. Jackson has always had a beautiful crib…scratch that…a beautiful bedroom, waiting patiently to be used. The reason Jackson had never spent a night in his room is, well, me. I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t cut the cord. I absolutely loved waking up at any time during the night and seeing him right next to me in his bassinet. I loved hearing his coos and deep breathes. I loved waking up to giggles and seeing that little head pop up with a big old smile on his face. Yup, this growing pain was all mine.
So, flash back to about three weeks ago. When Jackson and I went to bed about 9:30 on a Sunday night (Chris stays up later to let the dogs out). Jack was incredibly fussy and would not stay asleep for more than 5-10 minutes. By the time Chris came up for bed, I was exhausted. We tried everything – putting him in our bed (which I hate), walking him, giving him a bottle, giving him a bath – nothing worked. Every time we put him in the bassinet, he would jump and shake and I was really worried that he would cave the thing in (mostly because he outgrew the weight limit about five pounds ago!). Finally, about 3AM, Chris said, “Amanda, we need sleep and he needs to be in a place where we can put him that he is safe. I am putting him in his crib. I’ll sleep in there with him on the floor.” Chris drug the futon mattress into the nursery, and I attempted to put the breathable bumper on the crib (a lot harder than it sounds at 3 in the morning!). We put the baby in the crib and he screamed and screamed. It was heartbreaking. We rubbed his back and sang to him and finally, about 3:30, he fell asleep. I went back to our bedroom and slept until 5:45. We decided at that point to keep the baby in his crib at night. We had a streak and didn’t want to break it! ;)
Over the past three weeks, we have fixed the breathable bumper, organized his bedroom a little more and opened our lovely video monitor. Do you know what I discovered? With that video monitor that I keep on my nightstand, I can still wake up at any time during the night and see him. I can still hear his coos and deep breathes. I still wake up to giggles and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I guess it’s true what they say…you have to grow up sometime.
So, flash back to about three weeks ago. When Jackson and I went to bed about 9:30 on a Sunday night (Chris stays up later to let the dogs out). Jack was incredibly fussy and would not stay asleep for more than 5-10 minutes. By the time Chris came up for bed, I was exhausted. We tried everything – putting him in our bed (which I hate), walking him, giving him a bottle, giving him a bath – nothing worked. Every time we put him in the bassinet, he would jump and shake and I was really worried that he would cave the thing in (mostly because he outgrew the weight limit about five pounds ago!). Finally, about 3AM, Chris said, “Amanda, we need sleep and he needs to be in a place where we can put him that he is safe. I am putting him in his crib. I’ll sleep in there with him on the floor.” Chris drug the futon mattress into the nursery, and I attempted to put the breathable bumper on the crib (a lot harder than it sounds at 3 in the morning!). We put the baby in the crib and he screamed and screamed. It was heartbreaking. We rubbed his back and sang to him and finally, about 3:30, he fell asleep. I went back to our bedroom and slept until 5:45. We decided at that point to keep the baby in his crib at night. We had a streak and didn’t want to break it! ;)
Over the past three weeks, we have fixed the breathable bumper, organized his bedroom a little more and opened our lovely video monitor. Do you know what I discovered? With that video monitor that I keep on my nightstand, I can still wake up at any time during the night and see him. I can still hear his coos and deep breathes. I still wake up to giggles and the most beautiful smile I have ever seen. I guess it’s true what they say…you have to grow up sometime.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Why hello again!
I can’t believe it’s been over a month since my last posting! I can’t believe it’s 2011! I can’t believe my baby is almost 8 months old! Needless to say, it’s been an exciting, tiring and fun time of our little family! Here’s a highlight reel of the last 45 or so days:
Thanksgiving: Jackson had his first baby food: SWEET POTATOES! He absolutely loved them! He tired them on Thanksgiving and since then, we’ve done all the baby foods. Pears, apples, bananas, sweet peas, peaches, carrots, butternut squash, green beans and prunes. He’s not really a fan of sweet peas or green beans, but he’ll get there. We’ve also started the sippy cup, but he thinks is more of a toy, but he’s getting the hang of it.
On the first day of Christmas…: The holidays were hectic. Beyond hectic. Chris and I always say we aren’t going to overscheduled ourselves, but sure enough, we had something going on most every weekend in November and December leading up to Christmas. Not that I mind. I feel very blessed that we have so many family and friends who love us and want to spend time with us, and vice versa. But it does make for very tired parents, and sometimes a cranky little baby.
I’m dreaming of a White Christmas: Jackson’s first Christmas was a White Christmas! It was the first time in over 100 years that we’ve had real snow in Georgia on Christmas! Yup, it was truly magical and something very special for such a special little guy!
Santa, take this present and shove it!: Jackson did get one thing for Christmas I wish we could take back. The flu. :( We took him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s emergency room on December 26. Basically, they made us feel like we were overreacting and sent us home. But Baby Jack got worse as the night went on, and the next day, we took him to the pediatrician and sure enough, our little guy had the flu! Our doctor was very upset with CHOA, but all that really mattered was getting Jackson well. He was on breathing treatment for a week and several medicines. It took a few days but he was back to his old self again by New Year’s! My mom came over on the Thursday before Christmas and we had our 2nd Christmas, where Jackson opened his presents. We had a wonderful time and he felt so much better.
Start spreading the news: Uncle Jeremy moved to the Big Apple. New York City. I mean, I’ve known for quite a while this was coming, but it didn’t seem real or like it would actually happen. Even now, it’s hard for me to believe that Jeremy LIVES in NYC. The funny thing is Jeremy and I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye. He came over on Christmas, but the plan was to see him Monday before he left. Well, with Jackson being sick, I didn’t get a chance to go to Atlanta. You know what? It’s probably better that way. I can continue to live in my fantasy world that Jeremy is just on an extended business trip.
Welcome 2011!: So, did Baby Jack make it to midnight? Well, the better question is Did Mommy and Daddy make it to midnight. Yes, we all made to watch the ball drop. And while Mom and Dad were quite ready for bed at 12:01, Jack kept us up until a little past 1. He’s a party animal, that kid. He’ll do well in college, I’m sure.
So that’s my update! Here’s to an awesome 2011 and lots of fun things – Valentine’s Day, Easter, FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY (which I may or may not have already starting buying things for…) – to come!
Thanksgiving: Jackson had his first baby food: SWEET POTATOES! He absolutely loved them! He tired them on Thanksgiving and since then, we’ve done all the baby foods. Pears, apples, bananas, sweet peas, peaches, carrots, butternut squash, green beans and prunes. He’s not really a fan of sweet peas or green beans, but he’ll get there. We’ve also started the sippy cup, but he thinks is more of a toy, but he’s getting the hang of it.
On the first day of Christmas…: The holidays were hectic. Beyond hectic. Chris and I always say we aren’t going to overscheduled ourselves, but sure enough, we had something going on most every weekend in November and December leading up to Christmas. Not that I mind. I feel very blessed that we have so many family and friends who love us and want to spend time with us, and vice versa. But it does make for very tired parents, and sometimes a cranky little baby.
I’m dreaming of a White Christmas: Jackson’s first Christmas was a White Christmas! It was the first time in over 100 years that we’ve had real snow in Georgia on Christmas! Yup, it was truly magical and something very special for such a special little guy!
Santa, take this present and shove it!: Jackson did get one thing for Christmas I wish we could take back. The flu. :( We took him to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s emergency room on December 26. Basically, they made us feel like we were overreacting and sent us home. But Baby Jack got worse as the night went on, and the next day, we took him to the pediatrician and sure enough, our little guy had the flu! Our doctor was very upset with CHOA, but all that really mattered was getting Jackson well. He was on breathing treatment for a week and several medicines. It took a few days but he was back to his old self again by New Year’s! My mom came over on the Thursday before Christmas and we had our 2nd Christmas, where Jackson opened his presents. We had a wonderful time and he felt so much better.
Start spreading the news: Uncle Jeremy moved to the Big Apple. New York City. I mean, I’ve known for quite a while this was coming, but it didn’t seem real or like it would actually happen. Even now, it’s hard for me to believe that Jeremy LIVES in NYC. The funny thing is Jeremy and I didn’t get to say a proper goodbye. He came over on Christmas, but the plan was to see him Monday before he left. Well, with Jackson being sick, I didn’t get a chance to go to Atlanta. You know what? It’s probably better that way. I can continue to live in my fantasy world that Jeremy is just on an extended business trip.
Welcome 2011!: So, did Baby Jack make it to midnight? Well, the better question is Did Mommy and Daddy make it to midnight. Yes, we all made to watch the ball drop. And while Mom and Dad were quite ready for bed at 12:01, Jack kept us up until a little past 1. He’s a party animal, that kid. He’ll do well in college, I’m sure.
So that’s my update! Here’s to an awesome 2011 and lots of fun things – Valentine’s Day, Easter, FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY (which I may or may not have already starting buying things for…) – to come!
Thursday, November 18, 2010
The past six months
My baby is growing up. Fast. I mean, he’s already six months old! I cannot believe how fast it’s gone and how much has changed in six short months. He’s really lost that “baby” look. He looks like a little boy (which, I guess, is a good thing – I mean, I hope he wouldn’t look like a little girl!). He’s a wiggle worm! Not a snuggler – unless of course, he’s tired. Then he’ll cuddle with me. I love those moments and I wish I had treasured them more when he was little. He’s trying so hard to crawl. And sit up. And talk. He plays with toys now! He grabs and shakes, and yes, even throws! I can’t tell you how many times he’s thrown his paci onto the bed from his bassinet (yes, he still sleeps in his bassinet in our room. I know. I know. I can’t let go.) He’s trying out a sippy cup and, even though he has still has that toothless grin, he puts everything in his mouth. I can’t imagine where he’ll be in the next six month. Or heck, even the next month.
There’s so much going on over the next few weeks – Thanksgiving (where he’ll get his first big boy food – sweet potatoes!) and, of course, Christmas! He’s already been to see Santa and he was absolutely mesmerized by jolly old Saint Nick! Santa sang to him and it was so very sweet. The picture turned out great! Jack even smiled a little bit. It wasn’t his normal big smile, because he was sleepy, but his little smirk. The tree will be going up next weekend. I can’t wait to see what he thinks about it! All the lights and present! Of course, as Santa told us, we already got the best Christmas present ever, just a little early this year!
There’s so much going on over the next few weeks – Thanksgiving (where he’ll get his first big boy food – sweet potatoes!) and, of course, Christmas! He’s already been to see Santa and he was absolutely mesmerized by jolly old Saint Nick! Santa sang to him and it was so very sweet. The picture turned out great! Jack even smiled a little bit. It wasn’t his normal big smile, because he was sleepy, but his little smirk. The tree will be going up next weekend. I can’t wait to see what he thinks about it! All the lights and present! Of course, as Santa told us, we already got the best Christmas present ever, just a little early this year!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
I'm a Scaredy Cat...and I'm okay with that.
One thing about me that has changed in a big way since being a mommy is what I watch. I’m much more timid now than I used to be before have Jackson. Things really upset me more, too. I’m also much more picky with my time. Normally, I look forward to the start of TV season, but this year, unless I loved the show, it was definitely off my radar. Sorry, Grey’s Anatomy. This means you. Last year’s seriously messed up finale freaked me out for days, so, you’re off my TV watch list. Additionally, very few “new” shows make their way into my schedule and if they do, they’re normally DVR’ed and watched Saturday or Sunday morning between 6-8AM (because one can only take so much news and/or Phineas and Ferb). I’ve also stopped watching pretty much anything that’s based on real events, including Dateline and most Lifetime movies. They are all about bad things happening to people. I can’t watch that stuff anymore. It freaks me out. Even on the news, hearing about child abuse, or kidnappings, or things of that nature really affect me. It’s not that that those things didn’t bother me before; they just hit very close to home now. The kinds of movies I would have enjoyed a year or so ago have completely changed. Example: Paranormal Activity 2. Anyone who knows me knows I love scary movies, but this movie has a baby in it – a sweet little baby boy – so, nope, not happening. I even went so far as to mute the commercials. Recently, an episode of a TV show we watch opened on a mother hiding under the bed with her little baby while a man was walking through her house. Could. Not. Handle. It. Turned it off within the first 15 seconds.
I guess being a mother makes you more sensitive to the world around you. I’m definitely protective of Jackson and want to make sure he’s safe and secure. All of these things – whether it be a silly TV or a serious news story – make me realize the dangers in the world. I want to protect him from that. You know what? Maybe Phineas and Ferb isn’t so bad after all.
I guess being a mother makes you more sensitive to the world around you. I’m definitely protective of Jackson and want to make sure he’s safe and secure. All of these things – whether it be a silly TV or a serious news story – make me realize the dangers in the world. I want to protect him from that. You know what? Maybe Phineas and Ferb isn’t so bad after all.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Crib? We don't need no stinking crib!
My son still sleeps in his pack and play next to our bed. Wait a second, let me back up. Before I had a baby, I swore I was going to be one of these bad ass moms who made a plan a stuck with it. One month - TOPS - in our bedroom. Breastfeeding for at least six months. Tummy Time everyday. The list goes on and on. Well, I learned very quickly that things always don’t turn out the way you thought they would. My boobs didn’t work as well as I wanted or needed them to and six months turned into eight weeks. Jackson’s screams quickly ending long Tummy Time sessions. And the crib, the beautiful crib that we took so long to pick out (and cost more than our bed), well, he hasn’t even napped in it.
I was totally freaked that we wouldn’t have the crib in time. We went to probably ten different baby stores looking at furniture. I called maybe 15-20 places to find the best deal once we found what we wanted. By the time we ordered it (in January), we were told it would arrive the first week in April. I was just sure that it would be late – or the baby would be early. I just knew we wouldn’t have the crib in time. But we did. Chris and Jeremy did a fantastic job putting it together. It looks amazing. The room is super cute.
That first night home, we put Jackson in his travel crib, which we eventually brought to Chad & Mandy’s to use while she watches the baby. Even thought that would have been the perfect time to move Baby Jack to his crib, I couldn’t do it. So I bought another pack and play and set it up right next to me in our room. That’s where that baby has been. And where he’ll stay – at least for now.
The problem is we’re coming up on the weight limit for the bassinet portion of the pack and play. I could just as easily put him on the base of the playpen, but I feel like it’s almost time to make the change. I know good and well that he can’t stay in our room forever (oh but I would love it!), and there is nothing in the world as wonderful to be woken up by giggles and look over and see your baby’s beautiful face smiling at you.
So, I told myself by 6 months, I would put him in his crib. Another problem: 6 months is Nov. 11. That is very close! Maybe we’ll try over Thanksgiving break. That way, I can sleep on the floor with him in case there’s a problem. Let me be very clear. I do not think there will be ANY problems with him. He’s the most laid back, easy going kid I know! I do think, however, that I will be emotional wreck, so it will just save me the trouble of having to go from our room to his room in the middle of the night. Good thing we have a blow up mattress! :)
I was totally freaked that we wouldn’t have the crib in time. We went to probably ten different baby stores looking at furniture. I called maybe 15-20 places to find the best deal once we found what we wanted. By the time we ordered it (in January), we were told it would arrive the first week in April. I was just sure that it would be late – or the baby would be early. I just knew we wouldn’t have the crib in time. But we did. Chris and Jeremy did a fantastic job putting it together. It looks amazing. The room is super cute.
That first night home, we put Jackson in his travel crib, which we eventually brought to Chad & Mandy’s to use while she watches the baby. Even thought that would have been the perfect time to move Baby Jack to his crib, I couldn’t do it. So I bought another pack and play and set it up right next to me in our room. That’s where that baby has been. And where he’ll stay – at least for now.
The problem is we’re coming up on the weight limit for the bassinet portion of the pack and play. I could just as easily put him on the base of the playpen, but I feel like it’s almost time to make the change. I know good and well that he can’t stay in our room forever (oh but I would love it!), and there is nothing in the world as wonderful to be woken up by giggles and look over and see your baby’s beautiful face smiling at you.
So, I told myself by 6 months, I would put him in his crib. Another problem: 6 months is Nov. 11. That is very close! Maybe we’ll try over Thanksgiving break. That way, I can sleep on the floor with him in case there’s a problem. Let me be very clear. I do not think there will be ANY problems with him. He’s the most laid back, easy going kid I know! I do think, however, that I will be emotional wreck, so it will just save me the trouble of having to go from our room to his room in the middle of the night. Good thing we have a blow up mattress! :)
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