Thanksgiving 2008

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Shreveport this year. Thanksgiving day was spent with the Taylor family and some close family friends. As you can see here, Uncle Philip has become one of Jackson's favorite people.

Friday we spent the day with my family, which included a visit that was way too short with my aunt, uncle, and cousins from California. My grandparents also came by and got to visit with Jackson for a little while before we braved the crowds and went shopping at some of my favorite local stores.

Today we picked out Jackson's first Christmas tree! There are a few pictures in the album along with more from our trip to Shreveport. It's been a wonderful weekend...now it's time to refocus and check email again. :-)

Oh yeah, this is one of Jackson's new favorite things. Ross turns him upside down, and he starts giggling. It's the cutest thing!

Working in Hawaii

Ross is still planning to do a post about his trip, but here's an article about what he did. It even includes a quote from him!

Ross has also posted some pictures in the album. He really did spend the majority of his time working really hard, but he was able to get some amazing pitcures during his time off. Here's one of my favorites.

Welcome Home!

Ross is finally home! After three weeks "working" in Hawaii, this just shows how much he was missed!

Three weeks ago when Ross left for Hawaii, Jackson had just started rolling over while swaddled. Now he flips over easily unwrapped, he sits up, and he's learning to eat from a spoon! Ross said the biggest change he noticed aside from those big milestones was how much more coordinated he seemed. He still has some work to do when it comes to eating though. He likes to face plant into the spoon!

Of course, there are a few more pics in the album, and you can expect a post from Ross about his trip soon.

5 Months Old!

Jackson is 5 months old today! I can hardly believe 5 months have gone by since he entered the world. A friend from work asked me today if I ever thought I could love someone so much, and words really cannot describe the amount of love I have for him. I absolutely LOVE being a mom. I'm not saying it's an easy job, but it's definitely the best one in the world!

Ross' mom has been here with me this week to help take care of Jackson while Ross is "working" in Hawaii. It's been wonderful having her here, and Jackson has especially loved it, which you can tell by this huge grin.

In the last couple of weeks Jackson has changed so much. He has developed a lot more arm strength, so he's rolling over more, grabbing and playing with anything he can get his hands on, and has even started trying to sit on his own! He's one of the happiest babies I've ever known. So far he really only fusses when he's hungry, but he loves to talk and coo and laugh, which is the best noise in the entire world!

There are more pics from this week in the album.

Tagged...

My friend Emma tagged me for this post. I'm supposed to list seven random things not everybody knows about me...

1. I have seen every episode of Gilmore Girls.

2. I almost made dancing a career before choosing engineering as my major.

3. I have almost no depth perception, which makes driving at night especially scary.

4. My parents let me splatter paint one of the walls in my room growing up.

5. I like designing furniture and have considered interior design or furniture design as a second career.

6. I've been pulled over for speeding 3 times, but only gotten one ticket for it.

7. I love to fix things, so I often find myself looking for problems.

Now I'm supposed to tag 3 other people, so...Kammy, Candace, and Wendy...you've been tagged!

Nana and Pop, See how I've grown!

My parents, now known as Nana and Pop, came down for a quick visit while Ross is "working" in Hawaii. We had a great time hanging out and eating way too much candy and food. Jackson's first Halloween was very laid back. I took the day off to spend time with everyone. I've been telling Ross about Jackson's new habit of sucking on his lower lip, so I thought I'd post a pic to show him along with a couple of really cute ones with Nana and Pop. Of course, there are more pics in the album. We weren't able to capture any smiles, but he has started to laugh for what seems like no reason at times. It's absolutely adorable!

Lots of Love...and time...and money...

Anyone who has ever had a dog knows how quickly they become a member of the family. Today, Bailey took priority when she limped into the kitchen from outside with her dew claw barely hanging on...it must have gotten caught in her collar. I immediately called the vet to find the closest emergency animal clinic number since I knew the vet would be closed. Then I called our wonderful friends, Heather and Todd, who came to my rescue more than I expected. I was calling to have them come over and watch Jackson while I took Bailey to the clinic because he was sleeping. Once they arrived, I loaded Bailey into my vehicle hopped in to start the car, and you guessed it...nothing happened! Todd graciously drove me and Bailey to the clinic so I wouldn't have to try to transport her with her bleeding foot in Ross' car.

We ended up spending close to 4 hours at the clinic because two poor dogs had been hit by cars, and one of them had a broken neck! They ended up sedating Bailey while they removed the claw, and when they brought her back, her entire foot was wrapped with an adorable little heart on it to remind her of how much she is loved! After the insane bill, hours spent waiting in a freezing cold little room, and lots of love and attention, Bailey is doing her best to hop around and rest as best she can.