Happy 11 Month Birthday, Jackson!

Weight: 21 pounds 6 oz

Height: No clue!

Diapers: Size 4

Clothes: 6-12 in pants and some shirts, 9-12, 12, 12-18 and some 18 months

Jackson Edmond, you are changing so much each and every day! 11 months have flown by and now we are officially counting down to your first birthday this month! We are going to have a lot of family and friends over to our house for your birthday party, and Mommy is planning on going all out with decorations. I hope you will look back on your party when you're older and think about how much fun it looked. We actually had an early birthday party for you a few days after you turned 11 months with all of Mommy's family and friends from the chapel down in Jackson, Missouri at Pop and GiGi's house.  You tried a cupcake and received so many nice presents. When we all sang "Happy Birthday" to you, you hid your face in your shoulder because you were shy from everyone looking at you! It was so cute! You liked the cupcake okay, but I think you were still pretty nervous from everyone looking at you, so you kept reaching for your daddy to get you out of your high chair.

When you play and interact with us, you are curious, energetic, funny, silly, and also have a bit of an attitude. You have started talking all the time and say so much, but most of it makes no since at all! The only words you say for sure are still "Mama" and "Dada," but you definitely have your own vocabulary of sounds and noises. You love to yell into our dining room and listen to your voice echo, so you will stand there and talk to yourself for a long, long time! 

You learned how to play "catch" this month and will roll/throw a ball back and forth with us. You get so excited and throw the ball down hard, but you almost always get it back to us and you definitely understand the concept of the game. When you do throw the ball, we say "Yay, Jackson!" and you start clapping your hands, which is probably your favorite new trick. The funny thing is, it looks more like you are washing or dusting your hands off because you slide and slap them back and forth. We call it the "Jackson clap," and it is absolutely the best clap in the whole world.

There have been a few times that you spontaneously stood up on your own for a few seconds without holding onto anything, and then sat down again. I really think you could be standing on your own or even trying to take a few steps, but you still aren't very interested. I could totally see next month being the month that you start walking though! We'll see!

This month we also started using your inflatable pool and playing outside and you love it! At first you cried and wanted out, but as soon as the water warmed up, you splashed and played for a long time. I love watching you learn and trying to figure out how things work, and while we were in the pool, you kept putting a toy in a pitcher of water and then taking it out over and over again. If I tried to give you something else to play with, you got mad and only wanted the toy and the pitcher. We can really see you learning and putting things together in your mind, and I love seeing that part of you, Jackson. 

How most of the photos actually look when photographing an 11 month old...

Daddy is still definitely your favorite person, and you want him to hold you all the time when he is around. If he walks into the room, you make a beeline for him and beg him to pick you up. I love seeing the relationship that your dad has with you, Jackson, and I know that you have changed him in so many ways. He thinks that you are the most amazing little boy in the whole world (I do too!), and it really shows when he talks with you and plays with you. I feel so blessed by the Lord to get to call you both my husband and my son.

We love you so much, Jax!

**This post is from back in the beginning of July, and I never got a chance to post this or the photos. I am glad that I already had it written, but I can't believe it took me this long to actually post it!**

HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, JACKSON!

Happy First Birthday, Jackson Edmond!

Weight: 21 pounds

Height: 30 inches

Diapers: Size 4

Clothes: 12 months, 12-18 months, some 18 months

I will try not to get all sappy like I did with the letter on your actual birthday, Jax, but I want to share all that you have been learning and doing this month! 

On the night of your first birthday you took your very first steps! We were at the chapel after prayer meeting and were talking with Isaac and Crystal. You had crawled away over by the bookshelf and all of the sudden you just stood up and looked at all four of us. You took three steps toward us, and then promptly sat back down. I was so shocked that I screamed, and we all started clapping and laughing. We tried and tried to get you to do it again, but you wanted nothing else to do with it now that we were paying attention. You haven't tried to walk much since then (crawling is so much faster for you still), but that's okay! It was so special that you took your steps on your birthday and we will never forget it!

You are talking all the time now...the only problem is we have no idea what you are saying! You babble and jabber, but your voice changes in intonation and you look right at us like you are telling us things or asking us questions. It is hysterical! So many people have commented on how they have never heard a baby "talk" like you do, and we haven't either. You are so unique and special in all you do.

You had an amazing first birthday party here at our house, and it was so special for many reasons. First, the weather was AMAZING! It was July 27th, and in Missouri, that is always a hot, hot time of the summer. In fact, all the days surrounding your party were very warm. However, the day of your party was gorgeous and the weather was in the mid to low seventies all day. We got to have your party outside with the windows all open. It was beautiful and perfect for all the people who came! Another reason why it was so special was because all of your grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins got to be there. We also had all of our friends and neighbors from camp and the chapel here too. Every single person that came loved you so much and was so happy to be a part of your day.

You are such an amazing boy, and we love you so much! We could never imagine life without you, and you have brought us more joy this year of our lives than we ever thought possible. Happy Birthday, sweet baby. 

**This post was almost three months late, but I had taken mental notes of what to write so I wouldn't forget!**

A Letter for My One-Year-Old

My Sweet Boy,

A year ago today I woke up after a night of restless sleep...partly from being nine months pregnant and uncomfortable, but mostly because I knew I would be meeting you the next day. We left for the hospital early, and had a wonderful day (although a little uncomfortable for me) waiting for you to arrive. After only 6 hours of labor, you entered our lives and changed us forever.

From the second we brought you home from the hospital, you have been a perfect and integral part of our family. We did not even know that we were missing you until you came along and showed that to us with every smile, laugh, coo, giggle, and cry. I can still remember the feeling of newborn you, no bigger than a football, cuddling up on my shoulder after nursing in the middle of the night. I told myself to never forget those moments...to impress them on my heart and my memory forever...and I hope that I never, ever do. I can't tell you the number of times I would come in the living room to find you sleeping on top of your dad, or the time I came back to the car after running into the store for a few items and finding your sweet dad in the backseat with you out of your carseat and cuddled to his chest because he couldn't stand to hear you starting to fuss. Those first few weeks and months were hard, but so very precious.

As you've grown your personality has developed right before our eyes, and though we can see ourselves in you, you are definitely your own little person. You are silly, funny, active, extremely curious, and sometimes straight up crazy! We are either laughing at you, keeping you out of trouble and from hurting yourself, or staring at you in shock after you do something we can't believe. Jackson, you definitely keep us on our toes. You are friendly to everyone you meet, and you quickly remember and recognize people that we spend a lot of time with. You have so many family members that love you and can't wait to visit and play with you. Your grandparents love you infinitely, and you have aunts and uncles, cousins, and friends who are like family who also love you and would do anything for you. You are so blessed. Do not ever forget or take for granted how blessed you are, my son. I know we will never forget how blessed we are to have you in our lives.

I can't wait to watch you grow up and start playing with your many cousins and friends. I pray that you will be close with them all, and that you will all have a common bond in the Lord Jesus. You will have a lot of friends here where we live. When your dad first proposed to me, I could not even imagine what my life would be like living at Turkey Hill year-round. The life that we live here is very different from others, but I have grown to be so very, very thankful for its uniqueness. The Lord knew what He was doing (He always does!) when He placed us here...and now we can see that as long as we are here, you will grow up with other little boys, two that are very close to your age, and surrounded by people who love you like their own. It warms by heart to see how sweetly and sincerely others love and care for you. 

Jackson Edmond, more than anything, your dad and I pray for your salvation each and every day. We know that the Lord loves you fiercely, and more than we ever could be capable of, even though it seems impossible that anyone could love you more than we do. As perfect as you are in our eyes, we do know because of God's Word that you need a Savior, and we pray that you will trust in Jesus Christ to be that Savior for you. I want to leave you with a few more things. Things that I pray for for you, and things that your father and I strive to live out in our lives before you. 

Always, always follow God's Word. (Psalm 119:105)

Look to Him for all your decisions and choices in life. (Proverbs 3:5,6)

Trust that He has your very best interests in mind. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

Put the Lord first in your heart. (Mark 12:30)

I don't know when or if you will ever read these things, but I hope that my actions always show you how much I love you and how much you mean to me. You have completely changed me and opened my heart up to a selfless, sometimes almost painful love. Painful in that my heart is so attached to yours that anything that ever hurts you, hurts me. I am constantly worrying about you, and recommitting you and your life into the hands of the Lord. In His hands is the safest, best place for you to be. I pray that I always have the strength to give your life to Him, just as Hannah gave Samuel to the Lord. Your dad feels the exact same way, and we will always, always love you and care for you. 

Thank you for an amazing first year...I can't wait to watch you grow and learn even more as the years pass by. I am thankful for every second, every breath, and every day that we have with you, sweet baby.

Happy First Birthday.

Love, 

Mama

Happy 10 Month Birthday, Jackson!

Happy 10 Month Birthday, Jackson!

Sorry to be so late in writing this...in just a few days you will actually be 11 months old! When people have been asking me how old you are recently, I have been replying, "He'll be one next month on July 24." Um, whoa. That's crazy, baby boy. 

Weight: 21 pounds or so

Height: No clue!

Diapers: Size 3, but they are getting pretty tight!

Clothes: 6-12 in shorts, 12 months in onesies, some 9-12, and some 12-18 months in rompers

This month it was so hard to get you to sit still at all for your 10 month photos. I tried two different times...and neither turned out well. I literally could not distract you or get you to stay in the chair for a second. All the pictures were blurry and one of the only clear ones has my hand holding you still in it. Sheesh. So that's why at this point there is only one picture of you for this month. I will have to see what I can salvage of the other ones, you busy boy! At first, I was very upset that your photos would be less than perfect, but this is who you are now at this stage. I will always remember you as an on-the-go baby who did not have the time to sit still for his mommy.

Speaking of which, I have never, ever been around a baby who moves as much as you do! You are a high-speed crawler and you go from toy to toy to toy all over the floor! You are constantly moving, rolling, pulling up, and cruising everywhere. One thing doesn't interest you for very long before you are on to the next...it's hard to keep up with you! You are so sweet though and love to be around your dad and I as well as other people. You are very friendly, and have only shied away from a few people. Most of the time you are happy to chat and go to anyone, and living in the place that we do at camp, your personality could not be anymore perfect!

You still have zero interest in walking and even when I try to hold you up by your hands to stand, you immediately want to sit down. I guess you are just too good of a crawler! You could surprise us all and suddenly take off one day because you are definitely strong enough, but for now, you are content on all fours. 

Sunday mornings at church are proving to be very difficult as of late. It is so hard for you to only sit on my lap or Daddy's lap and play with toys quietly. You understand the word "no" so well at home, so I knew you were ready to start learning to sit and not be on the floor playing in church, but wow it has been a hard lesson for you to learn. I spend most of my time outside with you because you throw the biggest fit when we won't let you go and play on the floor like you want to. I know this time is temporary, and I want you to know that we are only teaching you this lesson because we love you so very much. We want you to sit quietly during that time at church so that you can hear God's Word and learn about the love that He showed us through His Son, Jesus. I am going to start having a few minutes a day of quiet time at home with you so we can gradually work up to the length of time we sit in church on Sundays. You'll catch on soon, my sweet boy.

Jackson Edmond, you are truly a piece that completed our family. Having you has shown me a type of love that I never knew before. I was just telling your GiGi that the love I feel for you is the closest to knowing the way that God loves us. It is a selfless, infinite love that is unlike any other. Thank you for completing our family and showing me that love.

Happy Nine Month Birthday, Jackson!

Sweet Jackson, you are nine months old!

The weather is getting warmer and warmer, and plans for a full summer at camp are stirring in everyone's hearts. I can't help but remember this time last year you were still in my tummy, and I was also looking forward to the end of the school year and camp starting. With the warm weather I know that your first birthday is only three months away, and I am still surprised at how fast this first year has flown. I must admit that though I am sad that you are growing up, I am looking forward to starting the planning for your first birthday party!!! It's going to be so much fun!

Weight: 20 pounds 1 oz

Height: 29 inches

Diaper Size: 3 during the day, 4 overnight

Clothes: 6-12, 9, 9-12, and some 12 months

A funny story about your diapers...we started ordering them from Amazon about five months ago, and have been getting a great deal through Amazon Mom. They send us a box of diapers once every two months, and it has been so convenient to have them arrive right at our door. Well, up until now we've had to switch diaper sizes every couple of months because you grow so fast and have always been an adorable chubby baby. So I decided to plan ahead and order some size 4's for you a couple of months ago instead of the size 3's assuming you would be ready to fit into them during the day by now. Unfortunately when we put you into the size 4's you had TWO poopy blowouts in one day and the diapers hung down between your legs. I guess you weren't ready for those during the day just yet! So that night Daddy had to go to the store and buy you more size 3's. Whoops.

Another reason you probably weren't ready for bigger diapers is because you have really slimmed down! You've been speed crawling everywhere, pulling up and cruising along us and the furniture, so it isn't really a big surprise that your once obvious belly rolls have all but disappeared. Your thighs still have some chunk on them, but your waist and belly are skinny, boy! It's funny because pants that were tight on you a month ago are now loose around the waist. When we were at your 9-month well-child visit, the doctor showed us how your BMI had dropped significantly, but said that it was perfectly normal for an active, cruising baby.

And boy, are you active. You never, ever seem to stop moving. You are constantly moving all around the living room from one toy to another. You pull up to the window, crawl up and OVER baskets of toys, walk along the edge of the couch, and try to pull everything off my shelves. Because of that, my home decor has had to be put on hold for convenience for awhile. I've been recording videos of you playing because it is so cute and I want to make sure and remember it forever. Any chance you get you are trying to play with the remote, our phones, and the computer. You actually popped one of the keys off of the laptop this week {don't worry, Daddy fixed it!}, and you conked yourself in the head pulling the iPad off the couch. Even though you are a handful, we are enjoying this stage of your growth so much, Jax.

I think your dad is enjoying it especially, and I'm pretty sure he's your favorite person right now. As soon as you hear the door open of him coming in from work, you race over to the couch where I have you blocked in and stand up and whine for him to come get you. You are so excited when you see him and he picks you up that you grin and bury your face in his shoulder. I must admit I do get a tiny bit jealous, but my heart also melts to see my two boys having such a wonderful relationship. Your dad loves you so much, Jackson, and he would do anything for you...don't ever forget that!

You decided about three weeks ago that you were pretty much "over" baby foods, and you only wanted what we were eating. I knew this day was coming, and I feel like you seemed so much older as soon as we started giving you solid food. You love it and will eat almost anything we give to you. You've had so many new foods this month, and I'm actually having fun giving them to you! You like veggies that you would never eat pureed, so that's a plus, and you LOVE fruit. Your favorites are mandarin oranges and strawberries. You also figured out how to hold and suck food out of packets, and those are the only "baby foods" you still have tolerance for so we take those when we go out. Tonight you also enjoyed some Go-Go Squeeze applesauce and you held the packet up to your mouth with one hand and acted like you had been eating that way your whole life.

I have been working on a few baby signs with you, but you still don't really seem interested. We are also working on clapping and waving bye-bye. I wish I knew what was going on in your head when I am waving my hands and arms around in front of you trying to teach you. You must think I am so silly, and I hope you catch on soon so I won't feel so silly anymore! You still say "da-da" and "ma-ma," and you have also started saying "ba-ba" too. You really seem to be discovering your voice and love screeching and yelling at us from your crib and while you are playing with your toys.

I know the time left in your babyhood is short, but I feel like we are finally to the point where we are really enjoying each stage of your development. We love teaching {or trying} to teach you new skills, and when you do them, your dad and I get so excited. We still pray with you and for you every night, and we also pray for ourselves as your parents. We love you, Jackson Edmond, and are trusting in the Lord for your life, your salvation, and the wisdom to raise you into a man of God.

Easy Chicken Taquitos

I am always on the lookout for quick, easy recipes that I can whip up with things I have at home. You see, I've been saying that I am going to start meal-planning for` about a year now and I have never really gotten into the swing of that consistently {lame, I know}. A typical week for me involves make a quick list in my head and on my phone as we are driving in to Walmart for groceries. I know my system is flawed because I always forget something, or I will realize I didn't account for a night that we were going to be home and needed dinner. Thankfully for absentminded wives and mothers like me {who need to start meal planning!}, there are recipes like this that are yummy and simple to make. We liked these chicken taquitos so much in fact that my husband actually asked me when I was going to make them again...and that, my friends, is the sign of a successful dinner!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or pre-cooked/grilled chicken strips if you are in a time crunch)

1/2 C of cheddar cheese

1/3 can of diced green chiles 

1-2 T Taco Seasoning

8" Flour Tortillas

Serving Size: 

About 7-8 Taquitos. This was perfect for just Matt and I with a couple left over for the next day. If you have more than 2 people in your family, I would double the recipe! Shredding the chicken rather than just cutting it up would also make the recipe go farther! 

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Start by opening the pre-cooked chicken strips and slicing them into smaller pieces. You don't want big wraps, but small skinny taquitos. I think it's important to share that when I made this the first time I cooked the chicken myself because I always have frozen chicken breasts on hand. I thawed the breasts, cut them into small strips, salted and peppered them, and cooked them in a little olive oil and butter in my skillet. I also added the taco seasoning while they were cooking. This time I had a package of pre-cooked chicken strips that were already seasoned, so I just used those and added the taco seasoning. After you've cut up the strips to a size of your liking, throw them in a bowl.

3. Toss in your taco seasoning (you can add more or less to your liking) and diced chiles. Make sure to drain your can of chiles first. I used about 1/3 of the can of chiles. You can certainly use the entire can but be prepared for a little more kick. :)

4. Add your cheese and mix it all together.

5. Lay out one of your tortillas on a plate or cutting board and scoop a spoonful of the chicken mixture on the tortilla. You will want to spread the mixture along the edge of the tortilla and not in the middle. I even went with the curve of the tortilla, and you will see why in a moment.

6. Begin to roll the tortilla starting on the edge with the chicken mixture. Roll the tortilla as tight as possible, but not so tight that you are going to tear the tortilla. I used flour tortillas instead of corn for this very reason, but if you only have corn tortillas on hand, just heat them up in a skillet before topping and rolling them and that should help their flexibility.

7. Lay the tortilla seam-side down in a well-greased 8x8" baking dish. You may also use a 9x13" if you are doubling this recipe. Then repeat steps 5-7 until you have filled the entire dish.

8. I then sprayed the tops of the taquitos with cooking spray as well so that they would crisp up nicely. The tortillas won't really brown in the oven (except around the edges), but you want the shells to feel crispy to the touch.

9. Bake for about 20-25 minutes. The taquitos are done when the cheese is melty and bubbly and the shells feel crispy.

10. Serve as an appetizer with salsa or with other Mexican sides as a meal. We loved ours with salsa, and I think next time I will make a corn casserole to go with it as well. Yum!

The only thing I will do differently when I make these again is to actually cook the chicken myself and then shred the chicken finely in my stand mixer. I think the texture of the shredded chicken would be amazing! I hope you enjoy these soon! 

Dear Jackson: Do Not Live Your Life In Fear

To my sweet baby boy,

As I sit here watching the news on television and viewing the devastating and terrible events of the last week in both Boston and Texas, my heart is hurting. The scenes and videos of this terror are difficult to watch, and it is impossible to look at them without a knot forming in the pit in my stomach. I can also recall this same feeling back in December when sweet, innocent children and adults were shot and killed in a school where they had come to learn. When I was in the sixth grade I also witnessed thousands of people die in a terrorist attack on America when planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City as well as the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania.  Unfortunately these types of events where people die and are killed in acts of evil are not new. As you grow up you will learn of many, many other events in not only America, but world history that paint a terrible view of the human race. 

I want you to know something...because you are going to hear many different things. You are going to be told that we must all live in uncertainty and fear because the world in which we live is a terrible, evil place. You are going to hear that we need to love these evil people. You are going to hear that we need to kill these evil people. You are going to hear that if the world would only love one another, then all hatred and evil would cease. Others will say, "I have lost all my faith in humanity." Oh, my dear son...before you listen and let your heart be moved...look to one place and one place only...

God's Word. The Bible. 

The Bible does teach us that the world is a very evil place. God says in the Bible that not only that there are evil people in the world, but that we are ALL actually sinners. {"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23} Because of the free will that God gave to us, we do choose to act on our sin nature, and some individuals choose to do terrible things like you will witness here on earth. It can be a scary, scary thought. God did not intend the world to be this way, and when He created the world it was a perfect place with no hurt, sin, or evil. He created man to have fellowship and a relationship with him. Unfortunately because of our free will, man choose to disobey God and sin in the garden of Eden, and sin entered the world. I am reminded of this verse:

"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." Romans 5:12

Does that mean that we should live our lives in fear? No. There is good news. There is comforting news. And it also comes from God's Word.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Jesus assures us and reminds us that the world is a terrible place and full of tribulation, but that He has overcome the world. My dear, sweet son, I want you to remember that Jesus, God's Son, because He loved you, came and died on the cross where God placed all of our sins on Him. He paid the price for our sins, and your sins, so that He did overcome death and the sin of the world.

We do not have to live in fear. We do not have to wonder and be anxious over what our fate may be here on earth.

Jesus conquered all.

If you trust in Jesus Christ to save you from your sins because of what He did on the cross, you will be saved, and the troubles of this world are for naught. Yes, the world is a scary place full of people who destroy others' lives and happiness. Could we be injured or killed in this world because of people like this? Yes. But do not fear, Jackson. Live your life in peace because of Jesus and the eternity that we may spend with Him if we accept Him as our Savior.