The Perfect Snow Day & Jax's First Time Sledding!

On Thursday of this week, we got our own taste of "Winterstorm Q" here in Missouri. In fact, the storm was so highly anticipated that some schools, including my former district, called their Thursday closing on Wednesday night. Before there was a drop of precip. Now, hold the phone! That never happened when I was working there! What's up with that?? Regardless, when I got the automated text message from the school district that school was closed, I might have screamed out loud in the car as we were leaving prayer meeting at church. Then I possibly jumped out of our car, waved down my friend and fellow district employee Crystal and her husband in the parking lot by running towards their moving car, and screamed at her that school was out. Snow days get me excited. Even if I am not a teacher anymore. I'm talking smiling-until-my-face-hurts and I'm-going-to-go-bake-something excited.

The next morning we woke up to the snow flakes starting to fall and we got to enjoy a few minutes of cuddle time in our bed with Jackson after he had his morning bottle. Matt did have to work, but thankfully he only had to drive a few minutes down to our neighbors' house where they are remodeling a kitchen. Jax was kind of fussy {I hate teething}, so he spent the better part of the morning in the Ergo carrier while I made some Chicken Enchilada Soup by the Six Sisters' Stuff. So, so yummy, and perfect for a snow day!

Where we are located in the state, we received a lovely mix of snow turned into mostly sleet. I was so thankful that Matt came home to stay after lunch, because the amount of sleet coming down was crazy! All in all, we probably got about 4 inches, which isn't that much, but it was enough to cover the grass and roads and make everything look beautiful.

Today Isaac and Crystal came out to camp since the main roads had been cleared and we had brunch at our house and then went sledding. Well, Jackson and I napped while everyone else went out for a few hours, then once he woke up, Matt and I took him out on our own. He looked adorable in his little oversized snow bibs that we bought on clearance for next winter! I can't help but think of Ralphie's little brother in A Christmas Story all bundled up and puffy in his snow clothes whining, "I can't move my arrrrrms!" Hehehe. :)

Matt sledded down a small hill holding Jax, and there was something so special about watching my husband take our son sledding for the first time. I am seriously loving all these firsts that we are getting to experience with our son as his parents. There is something precious and dear about each and every one, and I am trying my hardest to remember and cherish them.

We had a great time {even if it was only about 30 minutes}, and I was was so thankful for the blessing of the snow. I know that some people despise snow, and when I was working or commuting places with school, I didn't like it either. But all in all, I love snow. I love winter weather when I am cooped up in my house all warm and snuggly with the ones I love. There is just something about watching it fall and accumulate that makes me feel like a kid again. The kid who prayed every night from October-March that I would wake up and see snow in the morning.

Even as a child I could see God answering 'yes' to prayers like that in His own timing. When I did wake up and see snow, my heart rejoiced and I got the chance to thank the Lord for that gift.

Sometimes it's the simple things that allow us to truly see the character and goodness of the Lord.

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Happy Six Month Birthday, Jackson!

(Please excuse the look of the blog! I am in the middle of remodeling!)

Happy Six Month Birthday, Jackson!

Jax, you are half a year old. Wait. You are half a year old?! Oh my goodness, my mommy heart can hardly stand it! I want to snatch you up and make you stop growing, but when I start to get really sad thinking about all the time of your babyhood that has passed, I try to remember to thank the Lord for the wonderful time that we have had. We have had the joy and privilege of loving you and taking care of you for six months now, and I pray that we will have many, many more months! Our Lord is so good, and He has made each stage of watching you grow more fun than the last. I am certain that we will continue to have more and more fun in the months and years ahead!

Weight: 18 lbs. 10 ounces

Height: 27.25 inches

Diapers: Size 3 during the day, Size 4 overnight

Clothes: 6-9, 9, and 6-12 month jammies, pants, and onesies

You are continuing to grow and develop daily. You are still doing an army crawl and pulling yourself across the floor, but you have made a few movements forward on your knees and hands. I’m sure that soon you will have your belly off the floor all the time when you crawl! You actually crawled all the way to the kitchen a few weeks ago and were so enthralled with the smooth floor. Up until this point you had only been on the carpet, so when you felt the smooth surface under you hands you kept staring at it and patting it just to hear the noise your hands made. Looks like Daddy is going to have to get our gate up over the stairs soon! You also sit up so much better now. You are still a little wobbly, but you have really started to straighten your back out and sit up tall all by yourself.

You have finally, sort-of, kind-of, maybe started to like purees this month! You are kind of like your daddy in that you just eat food because you like to or are hungry, not like your mommy who (ahem) loves food. You do seem to like all the fruits we’ve given you, but as far as vegetables go, you really aren’t too crazy about them. The orange ones (carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, and mixed veggies) you like OK, but the green ones…forget about it! You make the most horrible faces—especially with peas! I have found that if I alternate bites of fruits and a veggie you will eat more veggies, or if I mix the two on a spoon. Silly boy. We also started to give you Gerber Puffs and Yogurt Melts this month. We are working on you picking up the food with your index finger and thumb and putting it into your mouth, but all you do so far is grab the puffs in your fist and hold on tight! You put your own paci in your mouth, so I think you could put the food in too, but you haven’t quite figured it out yet. You absolutely love the Yogurt Melts though! They help keep you happy when we have to sit somewhere quietly (like church or in a restaurant). Because I will want to remember someday, here is your eating schedule at six months:

7:30 a.m. – 6 ounce bottle

8:30 a.m. – Breakfast (fruit mixed with oatmeal/yogurt mixed with oatmeal)

Snack

11:30 a.m. – 6 ounce bottle

12:00 p.m. – Lunch (Fruit & Veggie)

3:30 p.m. – 6 ounce bottle

Snack

5:30/6:00 p.m. – Supper (Fruit & Veggie/Meat Dinner & Fruit)

7:30 p.m. – 7 or 8 ounce bottle

You are taking 3 naps each day, and I keep wondering when you will drop the third nap, but you still need it. You are definitely a baby who loves his sleep (praise the Lord!) You take your first nap around 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. and usually sleep for about 2 hours. You take your second nap around 12:30 or 1:00 p.m. and sleep for another two hours. Then you take a short third nap around 4:30 or 5:00 pm. This one is usually about 30-45 minutes and is in the car if we have to go into town.

Right around 5 and a half months you started sleeping 10-12 hours a night. Yay!!! I have loved getting a full night of sleep and you have loved it as well! Each night around 7 p.m. you start getting pretty cranky and ready to go to bed, so we start our bedtime routine. You get a bath, lotion and jammies, then your final bottle of the day. Then we read a book, a chapter of the bible, pray together, and put you in your bed. In your bed you get zipped up in your Aden & Anais sleep sack, get your pacifier, and one of your A&A blankets. Then we turn on your glow seahorse and kiss you goodnight. Ever since we did sleep training with you at four months, you have been putting yourself right to sleep! Some nights you roll around and talk to yourself for a little while, but you hardly ever fuss or cry, and soon you are fast asleep. You have been sleeping until 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. and it has been such a blessing. You wake up happy and rested every morning, and we love going in to get you!

You got your second bottom tooth this month, and you look so cute when you smile! You have been pretty fussy some days and come crawling and grabbing at my lap for me to hold you (which I love!), and your drooling is out of control, so I think you are working on the top teeth too. I have given you Orajel a few times, but someone gifted us with the natural kind, so it tastes like black licorice. You hate the taste and make an awful face…unfortunately it’s also a very funny face, so we tend to laugh. Poor Jackson.

Mommy accidentally let you get your first real head bonk this month...sorry, sweet baby! We had just taken your six month photos for this post and I was letting you practice sitting up in the floor in your room. You got excited and waved your arms which set you off balance and you toppled over into your dresser. Your head hit the corner right on, and you immediately started screaming! I snatched you up and felt so terrible that I was crying too. Thankfully you let me put ice on it and give you snuggles, and of course, a paci always helps too!

Nursing our boo boo

Your favorite toys are your Jumperoo, the laptop and iPad (too bad you don’t really get to “play” with those!), and any toys with lights and music. You have also taken an extreme liking to ripping paper, especially magazines. You laugh harder than ever when someone helps you tear the paper, and it is hilarious! You laugh so hard you almost can’t breathe, and I have had to put all the magazines up and away from you because you will destroy them if you get the chance! You also love sticking out your tongue and blowing raspberries ALL THE TIME (thanks, GiGi.) When you get mad and cry you also blow raspberries then and tend to get spit everywhere. What are we going to do with you, Jackson?

I want you to know that we pray for you each and every day, Jax. We pray that you will grow healthy and that we will meet all of your needs. We also especially pray that you will grow up surround by individuals who are examples of the Lord Jesus and His love daily, and that you will make the decision to trust in Him as your Savior. Every time you smile, laugh, cuddle, and “talk” we fall in love with you more and more. You will always be loved, and we will always support you and take care of you—no matter what.

We love your silly side and your mad side. :-)

Jackson's Birth Story, Part IV

“I think we might have a nine-pounder!” Dr. N yelled. “He’s heavy!”

The first thing we noticed was just as Dr. N said, Jackson looked like a big baby! He was red and crying, and his skin was wrinkled and almost clean. I didn’t think about it until later, but my due date might have been a little off considering how big and clean he looked. His poor head was also very pointed and long from his trip into the world. It slowly went away, but was crazy to see at first! Matt got to cut the cord, and then they rubbed my baby--I couldn’t believe it was really my baby--with a towel and plopped him right on my chest. I wish I could put the feeling into words. It was almost like I was in shock. I wasn’t crying like I thought I would be, and I just felt like I was floating through some sort of dream. My son was in my arms. My son that I had waited for, dreamed about, prayed for, felt move in my belly, and loved for so many months was finally outside of my body and in my arms. It was so incredible, and it took me a long time to finally realize what had happened.

Of course I was so in love with him, but it felt like we were really, actually meeting for the first time.

It turned out that Jackson’s umbilical cord was tied into a knot too! Dr. N said that she has only seen this a few times and she begged Matt to take a picture. I will spare you the photo, but we have one to keep forever! She told us that this can sometimes be life threatening, but thankfully God protected our son, and the knotted cord was never a problem. Now it will just be a cool story we tell Jackson about his birthday.

The sweetest moment happened when Matt wrapped his arms around both of us and prayed aloud, thanking the Lord for Jackson and his safe delivery. Matt committed Jackson’s life to the Lord and it was so very precious, and I made sure to try to tuck that memory away too.

For all the crying I wasn’t doing, my baby was making up for it. He was screaming his head off! I kept shushing him and rubbing his back, but he just cried and cried, bless his little heart. I instantly had my first case of mommy worry and was asking the nurse over and over if it was normal for him to be crying so much. Yeah, I was a crazy person. Of course, he was fine, she kept reassuring me. They eventually took him away to be cleaned up and weighed, and still he screamed.

Poor little babe, being born is hard work.

He weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. Not quite the 9 pounds that Dr. N had guessed, but she was close! “I can’t believe you were hiding that big of a baby in there!” she said as she finished stitching me up. Unfortunately, being a “really good pusher” and having a fairly big baby meant that I tore pretty badly. Nice. I honestly didn’t even know until later how badly I had torn, and it really didn’t matter. Stitches heal, and I had my prize.

Matt leaned over to me and asked, “What is his middle name going to be?” We knew for a long time that he would be Jackson, but we hadn’t decided whether to call him Jackson Luke (after my hubby, Matthew Luke) or Jackson Edmond, using the town I grew up in in Missouri and the town that Matt grew up in in Oklahoma. “You pick.” I urged. “I love them both.” He thought for a moment and said, “Edmond. Jackson Edmond.”

Jackson Edmond. It was the most perfect name I had ever heard.

Matt left the room to go and announce our son’s arrival into the world. I was so excited for my family and friends to come in and meet him, but I wanted to spend a few moments alone with my little family when Matt returned. Soon Jackson was back in my arms and I got to nurse him for the first time, which was so precious. I wrote about that experience here. He finally stopped crying (it had been at least 30 or 45 minutes), and I was so in love with him at this point I thought my heart would burst.

My parents came in about half an hour later, and it was the sweetest moment when they finally met their first grandchild. My parents have given me so much throughout my life, so I felt so honored to give them such a precious gift.

Isaac, Crystal, Kate, and Andrew came in soon after, and Jackson got to meet all of them for the first time too. I think Isaac was the first one to hold him, but I’m not sure. I was feeling kind of light headed and they had just taken my amazing epidural out, so I remember aches and pains starting to creep up on me. A night nurse came in to move us to another room, which really stunk by the way because I was so tired and drained from the last few hours. All I wanted to do was to curl up in the bed I was in with my squishy little baby and eat a huge pizza because I was suddenly starving. Our friends said their goodbyes, but not before Andrew told me that he had bought me a whole pizza as a congratulations!

When you have just pushed out a baby and spent all day not eating or drinking, a large thin-crust pepperoni pizza sounds like the best food in the world. True story.

The new nurse, bless her heart, wasn’t super thoughtful and when she tried to pull me to standing, my legs gave out because my epidural hadn’t completely worn off. She and Matt caught me and put me in a wheelchair, and we started our trip to the new room. Matt pushed Jackson down the hall in his little rolling bassinet beside us, and while we were walking, the nurse knocking me in the back of the head with the IV stand. I rode the whole way to our new room bent over just so she wouldn’t hit me. Funny now, not so funny at the time!

Once in our new room, I got the chance to inhale the pizza that Andrew had bought for me (don’t worry, I shared a little with Matt), and we settled in for the night. I won’t lie, that first night was really long and hard. Jackson was fussy and hungry, I was very sore and in a lot of pain after the delivery, we were all tired, and I was trying to learn how to breastfeed. I don’t know if it was simply because it was during the wee hours of the morning, or because I had really encouraged Matt to get some sleep, but I felt really lonely and like the hours of the night were dragging by. I tried to sleep when Jackson did, but he didn’t like lying in the rolling bassinet, so I had him lying on a Boppy on my lap. I could only doze off for a few moments at a time because I was worried that he would slip off of me or that something else was wrong with him. Of course, everything was fine, and I was just overwhelmed with new mom jitters! I got some of the sweetest photos of Jax when it was just the two of us together that night. It was the first chance I got to really look at him. Learn his face. His features. Count his fingers and toes. He had his little eyes open for a while and we just stared at each other. It made the tiredness and pain all worth it.

Around 5:00 in the morning I texted my mom and asked when they were coming to the hospital (sorry, Mom!). She and my dad came over within the next two hours, and my mom helped me take a shower. Let me say, I felt like a whole new woman! We spent the rest of the day cuddling our son (he was such a little love bug!), visiting with friends and family, and praising God for all our blessings. My Granny, Aunt Lisa, Aunt Jo, and my cousin Erin came to visit that day, and it was so sweet to see them meeting little Jax.

We were discharged the next morning, but we had to wait until after Jackson finished getting circumcised. It was about an hour that he was gone and we packed up our things while we were waiting, but it seemed like it took forever! I missed him so badly, and when the nurse returned with him sleeping and content, I burst into tears as she was showing us how to clean his incision place. I couldn’t even speak to her I was crying so hard. It was clear that Jackson was perfectly fine, but I was so overwhelmed with emotions and hormones I just couldn’t help myself. I scooped up my baby and sat on the bed crying for a while.

Then they taped a sign to my back that said, “BEWARE OF THE CRAZY, HORMONAL, OVERPROTECTIVE NEW MOM.”

Just kidding. But they seriously probably should have.

We went home soon after, and Jackson slept the whole way. I couldn’t stop thinking about how immensely blessed we were and how the Lord had dealt so bountifully with us. We had been given a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and we had family and friends who loved us and loved Jackson so much already. As I looked at the face of my sleeping son driving home, I could see the Lord’s goodness radiating back at me.

Thank you, Lord, for blessing us with sweet baby Jackson Edmond. He is everything we ever wished and prayed for. Please help us to be good parents and to use Your Word to guide us as we raise him for Your glory. May we be examples to him of Christ’s love so that he would desire to trust in Him as his Lord and Savior.