Some Current Favorites

I LOVE this face!! It's "Mom stop taking pictures of me!" Jackson loves his toys and cries when he is done playing with them.

AHH! Isn't he the cutest napper EVER! Snuggling with dad.

We get asked a lot if Jackson likes the dogs, he LOVES them! This is him petting Daisy in the morning while I get ready. Thanks Kyle for prepping the dogs for poking and pulling!

Just so stinking cute!!

I am trying to be better at posting and am going to shoot for once a week posts! Right now though I have been putting together Jackson's baby book and saw some current photos that I need to get up before I move passed them! I also wanted to write a note about some ofmy favorite things he is (and is not) doing right now!

· Doesn’t like to talk much, he learned raspberries while in the tub one nights (out of the blue and on his own.) Now that is how he communicates. He thinks it’s hilarious when you do it back to him. I talk to him all the time, explain what I am doing, etc. to try and stay on track for the talking. Raspberries have also replaced sticking his tongue out.
· Loves looking out the window in his big boy car seat
· Has decided bed time is 6 PM, so we start getting ready a little after 5 with play, bath, feeding, singing, rocking and holding. He has been sleeping 4-4.5 hours at a time which is helping mom out a lot!
· The silliest things make him laugh like doing bicep curls with him in your arms or pretending he is sledding down the mountain by rocking him in big motions saying “swoosh.” He also loves the Pink Panther theme song.
· Likes carrots, squash and peas, not so sure about beans or sweet potatoes.
· Pinches and bites!
· Swats, grabs, brings to mouth, etc. anything he wants! Really good eye hand coordination already. Time to start working on smaller objects.
· Can squirm out of the bumbo.
· Hates getting dressed and won’t stretch his arms out to help anymore.

Snowshoe Saturday

Grandpa and Jacks on the way down the mountain.

I adore this picture!! My little snow angel.

Check out those sweat marks! Badge of honor.

We made it! Our first adventure.

Doesn't he just look ready for anything?

On Saturday my dad and I took Jackson with us snow shoeing. We went and climbed donut falls and had a blast! Right now you have to walk from the road which makes it a long enough hike. I bought a back pack carrier for Jackson (which I am sure will get so much use!) I put him in it and put both on my back. We were off. Now, did you see that Biggest Loser episode where Bob puts all the weights on him to simulate what the contestants are going through? That is what it felt like with 30 extra pounds on my back climbing the hills and trail. My dad was teasing me because of the breaks I needed to take. It just solidified it, I can never be a Navy seal. Jackson slept the whole way, no surprise right? But at least the trail was quiet. It was so much fun to hang out with my dad and just talk. We used to go on monthyl daddy daughter dates when I was growing up, so this felt like one of those! Once we reached the top, I took off the carrier, I woudl have thrown it off if my baby wasn't it in. I celebrated making it to the top with him! You can see in one of the pictures the sweat marks on my back from the carrier. Jackson woke up when we reached the falls and played in the snow for the first time with grandpa and mom! Everyone up there could not get enough of this kid, but we are used to that. I have never seen so many people stop to see a baby than with him wherever we go! Dad took the carrier on the way down (thank you!) Jackson fell back asleep part way down. Good to know the carrier is comfortable! I have to say that way down was very nice! Jackson was fantastic on his first adventure and I am so excited for the next!

Four Month Check Up

First ride in the new car seat! He's so big!

Fit test!

The remnants of the first jar of baby food: carrots on the sleeves!

The first taste of rice cereal.

I love this face!

Jackson went in for his four month check up on Thursday afternoon. I was a little worried that the doctor was going to put him on a diet, but not at all! Ends up that Jackson is in the 99% for weight at nearly 20 pounds, but in the 95% for height at nearly 27 inches! He is technically smaller now than he was at his 2 month check up since his height went from the 35% to 95%! He is just our little lineman right now! He is perfectly chubby just the way we like babies! I did get more information at that visit that I was not expecting! Jackson has just about grown out of his infant car seat so the doctor recommended we make the leap and get the size one! We went out today and bought a big boy car seat that should last him for a few years! He looks so big! Dr. Brownstein also confirmed my suspicion that Jackson is indeed getting his front two teeth already! His gums were swollen at the appointment and then today while we were out getting the car seat, he started screaming and ended up just chewing my finger or his bottle nipple. So we also got a teether and orajel while we were out! I started Jackson on rice cereal on New Year's day and was also afraid that the doctor would get mad about me starting earlier than four months. Ends up that she would have started him then too. She also let me know that studies now are suggesting parents skip rice cereal since it is high in calories and has the same nutrition as formula and go right to veggies and fruits! So that night after the appointment we bought jars of veggies. Jackson had his first taste of real food with a jar of carrots last night! He loves them! He ate them so much better than rice cereal. So my little baby boy is alreayd turning into my big boy! It is my first thrust into the realization that Jackson is growing up really fast! To top it off our friend Andy was trying to teach Jackson to walk last night too. I swear the child will be walking next month at the rate he is going! He is just so much fun and we love him to death! Just a fun little note, he learned to do rasberries tonight while in the bath tub! Oh, and you may notice in these pics that the start he has started his baby fro! The curls are finally here!

Lydia Rose Cory- my friends baby joy!

Jenny, my mother in law, introduced me to Betsy over the summer. She and I were both going through fertility treatments and thinking about adoption. It was so incredibly nice to have a friend to talk to about all those hurtful emotions you had about not having a baby. We knew exactly how each other felt! I told her about the agencies we were looking at including Heart to Heart, we both signed with them and got to share a new story together. We got Jackson in September and I offically met Betsy at his baby shower. The next best news came when they. Betsy and Aaron, were chosen and got their baby girl, Lydia Rose, January 11! I am so incredibly happy for Betsy and Aaron. They are the cutest parents. It was so fun to register with Besty as she literally bounced and skipped betweeen the aisles of Babies R Us because it was finally her turn! I got to relive all of my emotions and experiences with Jackson which was really special. Lydia is beautiful and tiny and we already know that she and Jackson are going to be the best of friends; so here is the first of many pictures of the two of them!

Oh NO!!!!

I stupidly deleted ALL of my pictures from the holidays! A new camera, plus a tired mom, makes for buttons pushed that shouldn't have been. I am working to gather pics from family and friends so we will have something from Jackson's first Christmas! I feel so bad!!

Ode to my babysitters

My Babysitters are the best

They are steps above the rest

Who else could I trust

Their sitting is a must

Stacie has the magic touch

Nothing is too much

Tauni is the queen

Her child rearing skills are keen

Betsy is so sweet

Her baby love can't be beat.

My thanks to you all

For being so on the ball!!!

I really do have the best sitters and I can't tell them enough how grateful I am for their care that they give my son! Here are some pics that they have taken while I am at work and sent to me to brighten up my day! I love you all and thank you, thank you, thank you!

Shields Family Christmas Party

Who needs cookies, Santa? Your fist is always there!

Not so sure about Santa.

Kyle's turn....my guess he asked for a viper! Oh a Packer's win!

Hanging with Grandma Great.

The Shields family Christmas Party was fun as could be! We played the traditional candy bar game which is the greatest game EVER! Best of all it was Jackson's first encounter with Santa Claus! I was so excited he was awake. My name got called first though and I took him up with me and he cried! I started to think this was not going to work when he got to sit on Santa's lap alone. But then at his turn I put him on Santa's lap and.......he ate his hand! Shocker right? No, that kid eats his hands all the time! Last week he discovered his thumb moves though, so he has been a thumb sucker ever since, but the fist still has it's turn!