The Jackson's

sweetness

2012-01-20T22:01:00.004-06:00

Dear Santa, Thank you for my yellow tractor.
Love,
Garrett

little moments

2012-01-20T16:20:00.006-06:00

Look who's sitting all by himself!
Garrett loves to kiss and hug his brother - and sometimes Reece is nearly smothered by his brother's attention. But don't worry......Reece can hold his own! Garrett had better watch out...It won't be long before Reece will be able to better defend himself!
I love that my boys love books!

My 2 silly monkeys!

3 Christmases & Looking Ahead

2012-01-01T21:23:00.021-06:00

Christmas Eve with the Jackson's
We spent Christmas Eve Day at Grandma Jackson's house in Kansas. Steve's 3 brothers & their families gathered for our annual get-together. We had 2 little helpers on hand to help deliver gifts: 1 wasn't very helpful at all...
...and the other was a blur, constantly on the go & full of energy!
Daddy & Reece taking it all in. Reece enjoyed all of the excitement that surrounded him.
Garrett's first gift was a "gee-tar" from Grandma Jackson. He started strumming a tune as soon as it came out of the box!
Garrett had fun helping Reece open his gifts too.

Christmas Day
We spent Christmas Day @ Grandma Jackson's. Reece was the first to the tree, checking out all the gifts Santa had left.
There were 2 main toys in Garrett's Christmas List to Santa:
1. A yellow school bus
2. A yellow tractor

He must have been VERY good last year, because Santa fulfilled both requests!

Santa also threw in some Toy Story items, including Woody & Buzz character pj's & a shaving kit like Daddy's!
Look at those baby blues!
Santa also helped Garrett increase his herds of livestock.

Christmas in Iowa
We celebrated a third Christmas with my mom & brother at our home in Iowa. We found some gifts Santa had left for us all while we were in Kansas, so we opened them all together New Year's Eve morning.
Garrett found his full stocking hanging above the fireplace.
What's in there???
Reece & Uncle Dave relaxing on the sofa. At this point in the day, Reece was even-tempered...however, as the day progressed, he became more & more irritable. His recent interest in chewing on everything, low-grade fevers, and grumpiness have led us to believe he will soon be sporting some little white teeth. Until then, we pray that he doesn't suffer too much discomfort.
By New Year's Day, Reece was back to somewhat normal. He did a lot of napping, but also enjoyed some cuddling with Nana.
Uncle Dave helped Garrett learn to play his new memory game. He caught on quick, and seemed to enjoy playing the game!

We have been blessed with another Very Merry Christmas spent with family and friends. We also experienced a wonderful 2011, highlighted by the arrival of Garrett's baby brother, Reece.

Our 2012 will begin with many changes as we prepare to move "home" to Steve's hometown, El Dorado, Kansas. I got a job at Butler College, and will be doing pretty much the same job I've been doing at Iowa Central. We have a house to sell, boxes to pack, and lots of arrangements to make in a very short time...but we are excited to move our boys closer to family.
We appreciate any & all prayers for our family as we make our next move.

Happy New Year!

For Aunt Sandy...

2011-12-18T06:13:00.002-06:00

We found Santa's Hat!

2011-12-18T06:08:00.003-06:00

December Fun

2011-12-06T15:41:00.005-06:00

Happy Holidays from the Jackson 4!

Click Here for a good laugh !

Sweetie!

2011-12-02T14:22:00.001-06:00

I am Thankful For...

2011-11-23T09:09:00.008-06:00

My beautiful boys...
Silly grins...

Sweet smiles...

And catching moments like this...

To all my family, friends, and fellow bloggers out there...

Have a Happy & Blessed Thanksgiving!

Acorns!

2011-11-23T08:45:00.003-06:00

I have a new addiction: Pinterest!
It is definitely a time-zapper, but the site has led me to lots of fun new crafts, decorating tips, recipes...you name it!
I recently found a fun Thanksgiving Treat that I tried out last night:

All you need to make your own little acorns:
Nutter Butter minis - I found them in the dollar section @ Target
Mini chocolate chips
Hershey's kisses
Melt half the bag of chips & use the melted chocolate as your "glue" to stick the kiss & mini chip to the cookie.
Super Simple & Super Cute!

Fall Leaves

2011-11-14T08:55:00.005-06:00

This weekend was the perfect time for playing in the leaves.
All 3 of my guys got in on the fun!
Garrett enjoyed kicking the leaves...
...and running through them!
Always the protective big brother...

4 Months

2011-11-14T08:52:00.000-06:00

Look who turned 4 months on 11-11-11!

Mission: Organization

2011-11-14T08:17:00.002-06:00

Having two boys under the age of 3 has made me come to the realization that in order to maintain my own sanity, I must eliminate as much chaos in my life as possible. One of the main sources of chaos for me is the lack of organization within my home space.
Not long ago I opened up the door to my beloved craft room to find it filled to the brim with STUFF. I literally could not make my way from one side of the room to the other without having to step over piles that have accumulated over the past 3 years. I decided that my first step toward my goal would be to clean this room and turn it into a useable space again. I took a day off work and spent 4 hours rummaging through the contents of the room, getting rid of stuff I didn't need, piling together stuff to donate, and organizing the items I wanted to keep. I documented the process with my camera...but, honestly, I'm too embarrassed to show you the "before" pictures! So, following are the after shots!
What I love is that not every space of every shelf is filled...there's room to grow. There is even an armoire that used to be in Garrett's room, and is now mostly empty! Hard to believe that I was able to eliminate most of the clutter!
There is even space for Garrett's desk! Now he has a place to sit and be creative while I work on my own projects.
This weekend I started on the second step toward my goal, which is to clean and organize all of the closets in our home. I started with the kitchen pantry. I decided to create an information station on the back side of the pantry door. I put up a bulletin board to hold misc. notes, coupons, grocery lists, etc. I also added a wipe-off calendar board that I use to plan out meals for the month (which is also a sanity-saver). In the empty spaces I added some hooks for aprons, bags, and other misc. items to hang.
Sharing my goals with my readers is my way of hopefully inspiring you to take on your own chaos-causers. It's amazing how tackling projects around the house really makes a difference in my attitude. (That craft room has been weighing on me for years! I'm so glad to have my creative space back!)

Next step: Reorganizing my bedroom closet & installing a new hanging system (my current system conveniently crashed to the floor last week in the middle of the night!)

First of November

2011-11-06T10:34:00.008-06:00

Reece is so cool he's gotta wear shades!
At the craft show we went to last month I came across this cute, crochet bear hat. The vendor didn't have Reece's size, but I was able to special order one via etsy! Too cute not to get a pic of to share!
Reece has really started to play. He loves toys that crinkle, rattle, and are easy to grasp. Garrett introduced Reece to his first tractor toy!
Do these 2 pictures look familiar?
(November, 2011)

(November, 2009)Reece & Daddy's Boots!
Sweet guys...

Fire Station Visit

2011-11-06T10:19:00.003-06:00

Last weekend Garrett & Daddy went on an outing to the local Fire Station. Garrett was given the grand tour of the fire station including the kitchen that smelled like popcorn, the lounge, and the sleeping quarters (where I was told they had blue and green pillows). And then Fire Fighter Doug took Garrett to the garage where he was able to climb on the big, red fire truck! There was also a red "gator", an ambulance, and a yellow fire truck, which Garrett likes to talk about most.
While chasing Garrett around the station, Daddy did get a chance to snap a few pictures of the outing:

Inside the ambulance
Fire Fighter Doug showing Garrett the fire truck.
Here comes Fire Fighter Garrett!
Garrett's checking over every detail of the fire truck.

Jumparoo!

2011-10-28T17:10:00.002-05:00

Reece is getting stronger every day, and has often been attempting to pull himself up to a sitting position. So last weekend, we decided it was time to get out the jumparoo. He absolutely loves it! It didn't take him long to figure out that if he wiggles a little, the motion activates music and animal sounds.
As you can see, the new contraption tuckers him out!

Halloween Parade

2011-10-28T16:53:00.005-05:00

Today was a big day at daycare...the Halloween Parade!
Garrett dressed up as his favorite Toy Story character, Woody.
From his hat to his boots, he's pretty stinkin' cute!Garrett's class, the Jungle Room! His buddy, Conner (on the far right) was Buzz...a fun coincidence!
The parade - all the kids (except Reece's room) paraded around the block together.
While Garrett was out & about, Reece stayed back where it was warm & cozy with his friends - and teacher, Karen!
Garrett & Mama - God Bless Cowboys!

Crafts & Some Cute Li'l Pumpkins

2011-10-19T09:05:00.003-05:00

Check out my friend, Darci's blog for fun pics of our crafting weekend! Included are pics of Reece & his buddy, Adelyn!

What is that?

2011-10-19T09:01:00.004-05:00

No, my camera lens does not need to be cleaned...

...what you see are snowflakes.
in October.
enough said.

Good Morning

2011-10-19T08:55:00.004-05:00

Reece has really been more expressive and smiley lately. He definitely makes the early morning routine go a lot smoother when he flashes me his beautiful, toothless grin!

(Aunt Sandy - Reece loves to snuggle next to Mr. Frog!)

People always comment on how bright-eyed Reece is...My response is that he's always on the lookout for the kissing bandit! Look out Reece!

Reece - 3 months

2011-10-10T18:31:00.002-05:00

Look who's 3 months old!
Check out those thighs!!! Love it!

He melts my heart...

2011-10-10T18:24:00.005-05:00

Today on the drive to daycare:
Garrett: (singing) "A B C D...la la la..."
Me: "You make me smile, buddy...I love you"
Garrett: "I love you too, mama!"

My first I love you! (that was totally clearly spoken and not prompted)
What a terrific start to a Monday!

Random

2011-10-10T18:16:00.002-05:00

Remember the day that the annual Christmas catalog came in the mail...and how exciting it was to flip through the pages to pick out your favorite toys? I recently got to re-live this experience through watching Garrett as he spent at least 30 minutes, carefully going over each and every page of the Mills Fleet Farm toy book the other day. He tended to ponder the green tractor and Tonka truck pages the most...
This picture says it all...
Rock Chalk boys!

Applefest 2011

2011-10-02T14:48:00.014-05:00

Today our family made a trip to the local apple orchard/pumpkin patch for the yearly Applefest celebration. Our favorite part of the outing was riding in a wagon pulled by a tractor pulled to and from the pumpkin patch to find the perfect pumpkin for each of the boys.
Garrett enjoyed both running around the pumpkin patch and watching the tractors come and go dropping off and picking up loads of passengers. (Truth be told, he was much more interested in the tractors this time around!) If you take a look at our Applefest 2010 visit (click here), you'll see how much our little guy has grown!

On the hunt!
Will it be this one?
Or maybe this one?
This is it!
Now that we have found Garrett's pumpkin, he & Daddy are looking for Reece's perfect pumpkin...
This one doesn't look too bad!
The final selections being weighed on the pumpkin scale...

Here comes our ride!
Garrett loved the wagon ride. We sat right up in front in the seat closest to the tractor, of course.
After the pumpkin patch we stopped for a drink. Garrett got his own pumpkin sipper full of apple cider!
Look how tall I am!!
In case you're wondering, Reece was there too. He spent most of the outing looking like this...

On to the play area to check out the wooden train...
The look of a happy boy...

Lazy Saturday Morning

2011-10-01T09:44:00.008-05:00

Happy Saturday!
Steve had to work at the AppleFest Run registration/packet pick-up desk a short time this morning, so mama and the boys are hanging out in our pj's while he's gone!
Look at this sweet smile...Garrett is looking at his little brother, so to me this is the look of a proud little boy who loves his brother to bits!
Garrett introducing Reece to Mr. Moose!
Reece has been working on finding his thumb...he's pretty close in this picture!
Sweet baby boy...

Tomorrow is Applefest, so I'm sure there will be plenty of pumpkin patch pictures to come!!!

Super Reece!

2011-10-01T09:42:00.000-05:00

(Thanks for the Super-Tee Cousins Shelly, Doug, and Colt!)

Woody-Buzz!

2011-09-24T09:19:00.005-05:00

Every single day, one of Garrett's first requests of the day (other than SNACK) is, "I watch Woody-Buzz!". It's also the first request he makes when he gets in the car after daycare, and the last request before bedtime. He LOVES Toy Story, and I cannot tell you how many times he has watched that movie! (If asked, Steve and I could quote most of the movie, I'm sure!) Though I realize it's probably not good parenting, it is convenient when he becomes entranced by his mini-tv for a few minutes while I tend to Reece when Steve is not around...but we have had to do a lot of compromising in order to limit the Toy Story viewing each day!
Last night we caught this picture as he was in the middle of his daily viewing. He's got a good setup - he prefers to watch his movie on our portable dvd player, and thinks his new chair is the perfect viewing spot!
(By the way - the scratch next to his eye is a daycare battle wound. I was told that he and another child got stuck under an easel and had to be pulled out. How, exactly, does that happen?? Who knows...leave it to our mischievous little man to figure it out!)

Mini Bulls

2011-09-24T09:10:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, we went to the Tuff-N-Nuff Miniature Bull Riding finals, right here in Dodge! Of course we dressed up the boys in their cowboy duds, so I had to get a few pics to share!

Reece is ready to go in his 100% Cowboy hat!
Daddy & Garrett watching the bull-riders. They ranged from 5 years up to around 14 years...and the bulls ranged from tame to not-so-friendly. It was fun to watch, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about either of my boys taking up this activity!
Garrett loves to wear Daddy's cowboy hat!
Reece smiled for the camera after a quick diaper change at home (those are the curtains my mom made on the right - they hang right above the changing dresser).
I attempted to get a cute pic of the boys together...while this one is cute, it's not really what I had in mind!

Little Helper

2011-09-18T09:54:00.003-05:00

Garrett has been asking to "feed Reece", so yesterday he got his first opportunity to do just that! While daddy had the camcorder going, I reached in to help Garrett get Reece started on the bottle.
Garrett did an excellent job of holding the bottle up so Reece could eat. As you can see, he thought it was pretty great!
Now, if we could just teach him to change diapers...!!

Look-Alikes?

2011-09-17T07:47:00.003-05:00

Everywhere we go, we hear how much Reece looks like Garrett. Recently, an outfit that Reece happened to be wearing provided me with an opportunity to do some comparing...

There are plenty of similarities, but as you can see, each of our boys has his own unique look...not to mention his own personality to match!

HAPPY SATURDAY!

2011-09-10T11:10:00.000-05:00

Reece's 1st Day

2011-09-07T08:45:00.003-05:00

It's a sad day for me...it is Reece's first day at daycare.
I thought I was ready for this day. But after I left my boys & got back into the car it hit me: time's not going to stop for me. My boys are growing faster than I ever expected. Recently I've been hearing countless stories on the news and radio about 9/11 survivors and families of those who were lost. It is clear to me that I need to appreciate every single moment I have with my family. I hope you will do the same!

Weekend Snapshots

2011-09-05T22:28:00.010-05:00

This Labor Day Weekend was a full one for the Jackson's! As you'll see in posts below, we spent some fun family time together. Following are a few snapshots from the weekend...

On Saturday, we drove out to a local state park and enjoyed the beautiful, blue skies, and cool, almost fall-like, weather.
Have I mentioned that Garrett loves his little brother??
Here are some Reece poses...(He is 8 weeks old today!!)

Check out that cute lil smirk!
Playtime w/my boys!
Garrett having fun with his new bouncy-ball his Aunt Deanna picked out for him for his birthday! It's the perfect size, and perfectly bouncy too! (by the way, PERFECT! is one of Garrett's new favorite expressions. along with "Oh, Man!")

Banana Bread with Garrett

2011-09-05T22:13:00.006-05:00

Garrett enjoys "helping" when I do any cooking in the kitchen. The other day I decided to do some baking. I had some ripe bananas available so we made banana bread! He especially likes to stir (and is starting to do a pretty good job). As I mixed up the ingredients Garrett not only helped me, but also mixed his own bowl of dry mixed beans.
He thought mushing the bananas was great!
When I asked Garrett what he thought of the final product, he replied, "Yummy, mama!"

Labor Day Apple Orchard Excursion

2011-09-05T21:46:00.006-05:00

Labor Day in our little community has people all over town craning their necks toward the sky, searching for the bright colors of parachutes and noisy airplanes that send sky-divers floating back towards the ground. The best place in town to view this yearly attraction is from the Community Apple Orchard. We discovered this by chance 2 years ago when Garrett's Grandma Jackson and Great-Aunt Ginger were here to visit. Back then, we enjoyed the view as we ate lunch under the trees.
This year Steve & I took Garrett, not only to see the planes and divers, but to also enjoy the fun play area at the Orchard!

Garrett especially liked climbing in and around the wooden "choo choo".
Look at our Big Guy! He looks more grown-up every day!
Daddy & Garrett enjoyed racing around the Apple County Speedway on John Deere tricycles.

Here is a view of one of the planes that buzzed the orchard after dropping off its passengers in the air. (the airport is right next-door). This picture doesn't do any justice to the experience of the airplane zooming directly overhead!
After play time, we took a break to enjoy some dessert. I chose this yummy pecan-caramel apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. SOOO Good!
From our table, we had an excellent view of the sky-divers!
Garrett must have had a great time...it didn't take him long to zonk out on our way home!
Can't wait until our next visit to the Apple Orchard for Fall Fest & pumpkin hunting in October!

Happy Monday!

2011-08-22T09:11:00.000-05:00

Misc.

2011-08-22T08:25:00.008-05:00

If you spend some time around Garrett you'll find that he has a fun, active imagination. The other day Steve found Garrett pulling his "horse trailer" (red wagon) around. To help him out, Steve found a piece of wire and hooked up the trailer to Garrett's "pickup" (tricycle), and Garrett had a ball driving around the back yard!
Last week Garrett had his 2 year appointment to see his doctor. We were able to add Reece to Garrett's appointment so that his doctor (who had been out of town the month of July) could meet Reece and check him out. Both boys are healthy & growing! Reece has grown an additional 3 inches and 4 pounds since birth - making him an 11 pound baby! Aren't those chubby cheeks adorable??At the appointment, we also discovered that the crying/fussy spells and painful-looking gas that Reece has been displaying are all forms of the dreaded COLIC.
We were fortunate to avoid this the first time-around with Garrett, but over the past week, the big baby C-Word has definitely rocked our world. Though it has been a frustrating and trying time for us, it is good to know that there is nothing wrong with Reece. We are quickly realizing that from around 5 pm - 7 pm every evening, we will have to endure the worst of the seemingly never-ending howls and fussiness coming from our tiny little guy. But we also know that after that time, it's all downhill, and Reece will soon be restfully sleeping for 3-4 hours at a time through the night. We are also comforted with the knowledge that colic is temporary and will (hopefully) be over before long.

Garrett continues to love on his brother, and hasn't shown any signs of aggression or hostility towards Reece (as I'd been warned might happen). On the contrary, he loves to give kisses, pat his back to burp him, and can't get enough of his fingers and toes!
Sometimes we have to remind Garrett to be gentle...
...but for the most part, he continues to be a proud big brother!
Our biggest obstacle now has been trying to teach Garrett the difference between his "inside voice" and his "outside voice". He doesn't seem to understand that it's not necessary to holler a request across the house when mama or daddy are standing right next to him! Fortunately Reece is accustomed to the noise of our home, and doesn't seem to be bothered by it. But it can be frustrating when Garrett chooses to use his entire lung capacity to voice his many different "boy" noises and grunts that are perfectly normal, but hard on the ears at times.
Any suggestions for a quieter home would be greatly appreciated! :-)

Garrett's 2nd Birthday

2011-08-15T08:36:00.009-05:00

For Garrett's 2nd Birthday we celebrated for 2 days!
On his actual birthday, Garrett, Daddy, Reece and I went out for Garrett's favorite food: PIZZA!
While we waited for our pizza to arrive, Garrett opened one of his first presents...
...he was excited to play with his new Woody and Bullseye characters from Toy Story!
CHEESE!
After dinner we headed to Wal-Mart to pick up a few last-minute items for Garrett's party the next day. As we were leaving, we spotted the game area and couldn't pass up letting Garrett go for a drive with Elmo!
He also went for a horseback ride - rodeo style!
When we got home, we dialed up Nana Kae via Skype on the computer and celebrated with Elmo cupcakes and a few more presents. It was fun for Nana to join in on the festivities!

Make a Wish!
I was excited to find this Little People School Bus book for Garrett - it is one of his favorite books at daycare but it's out of print. Fortunately Amazon.com saved me!
PARTY DAY!
On Sunday we had a small get-together with some of our close friends to celebrate Garrett's birthday. One of Garrett's favorite buddies, Brody, came & Garrett was a great host to his friend!
The highlight of the day for Garrett was when we showed him a giant bouncy house in our back yard. Below, Garrett and Brody get tossed around on their backs while the older kids jump & make the house bounce!
FUN Times!!
After enjoying ice cream sundaes, Garrett opened presents from his friends...
One of his favorites is this red fire truck from the Pearson family. It makes lots of noise, the ladder moves, and it rolls fast - perfect for a 2-year-old!
Garrett also received a Woody doll from his new friend, Adelyn (Darci's baby girl!). He loves to pull Woody's' string & hear his cowboy phrases. Below, Garrett is looking for Andy's name on the bottom of Woody's boot (as it appears in the movie) - but it wasn't there. Guess we'll have to put Garrett's name on the boot instead!
We had a fun-filled, low-key birthday weekend that I think Garrett enjoyed very much. We love to celebrate with fun, food, and friends...and that's exactly what we did!

Family Outing

2011-08-11T08:24:00.007-05:00

Yesterday afternoon it was a beautiful 80 degrees here in Iowa (check out that blue sky above!), so we made sure to take advantage of the cooler weather! While Reece and I headed out with the stroller, Steve picked up Garrett from daycare and met us at a local park. As you can see in the pictures below, Garrett enjoyed his special time out!

Such a handsome boy!

PEEK!
Steve found out quickly that Garrett likes to race down the slide...
After the park, we all loaded up in the truck and headed to the Ice Cream Store! What a fun afternoon!

Growing Boys

2011-08-10T09:46:00.003-05:00

Can you believe Reece is already 4 weeks old? Or that Garrett will be 2 on Saturday??

Reece is a growing, happy, healthy boy. He spends most of his days as a typical newborn does: sleeping and eating. He definitely does not miss an opportunity for a meal, as you can tell by the double chins and adorable leg rolls he is developing! His nighttime schedule is still in the works. Some nights he will sleep 2-3 hours at a time, others only around 1-2. Hopefully we'll get some longer stretches of sleep by the time I go back to work in September (fingers crossed!).

Garrett loves his little brother. He gives lots of kisses and hugs. He is also a fantastic helper around the house. He likes to throw away Reece's diapers and fetch things for mommy as needed. He has also been interested in "helping" in the kitchen as I prepare meals. Just the other night, he made his own biscuit pizza. He was very proud!

Here, Reece is wearing a shirt that Garrett picked out for him. Elmo is one of Garrett's favorite characters, so this tee was perfect for his little brother!
It is fun to see Reece and Garrett interact. Reece will calm down and become attentive to Garrett whenever he's nearby. I can't wait to sit back and watch the boys interact in years to come!

Where did Reece's neck go??
Garrett enjoys going to the store with me for one-on-one "mommy time". He helps out by throwing things in the cart as I hand them to him. He also likes to open/close the freezer doors. Just the other day the grocery bagger at Hy-Vee gave Garrett this orange freezer pop. He was disappointed that he had to wait for it to freeze before he could have it...but was very excited when we got it out of the freezer the next day! It was a perfect treat on a warm Sunday afternoon!
"See you later!", says Reece!

Reece - August 1

2011-08-01T16:11:00.002-05:00

I almost missed getting a shot of this little grin!
Sleepy boy...
Reece is almost due for a haircut! (But I love those curls!)

Garrett - August 1

2011-08-01T16:09:00.002-05:00

Do we have a future band member in the family??
Yee Haw!!

Mama's Boys

2011-07-24T10:55:00.000-05:00

Bruiser

2011-07-24T10:47:00.002-05:00

It occurred to me that many of you might be wondering about the bruise that has appeared on Garrett's head in recent pictures. At a July 4th party, he had a run-in with a wooden step, resulting in a purple goose-egg on his head and 2 black eyes. Fortunately, there was a nurse at the party who kept an eye on Garrett to make sure he hadn't given himself a concussion...if he hadn't of been there, I'm pretty sure we would have made an ER run!
Though the injury didn't seem to phase our tough guy for long (he was up & running around w/in 5 minutes of the crash), the visual after-effects have lasted a few weeks. As of today, his eyes look good, but he still has a little bruise on his forehead.
Following is a picture taken around July 5...

Garrett's Food Fun

2011-07-24T10:36:00.004-05:00

While Nana Kae was here she brought Garrett a cookie decorated like a cow.
As you can see, Garrett enjoyed the frosting very much!

It's a cute cookie...but we quickly learned for future reference, black frosting is not the best idea for toddlers (not that it bothered Garrett in the least!)
The same night as the cookie, Garrett experienced an Iowa first: Corn on the cob! He caught on to how to eat it pretty quick, emulating how daddy devoured his corn typewriter style!

Brothers

2011-07-21T13:42:00.002-05:00

Garrett loves his little brother, Reece. We're working on being more gentle. For example, Garrett likes to grab Reece's head and move it to give him kisses, not paying attention to fingers jabbing eyes, or the direction he moves the head...but, overall, he is very sweet and proud around his brother.

Reece - Days 5-7

2011-07-17T17:50:00.006-05:00

Day 5: Family picture time...

Day 6:
Notice anything missing?
Reece was taken off of oxygen today. He continued to wear the pulse oximeter on his toe, which registered around 100% all day long.
Reece had some Daddy time!
This is TOTAL relaxation!
Day 7:
Today we received excellent news!!
Reece's fantastic nurse, Jenni, was able to take off all of the cords and monitors today! We also got to move Reece into my hospital room for the first time. No more middle-of-the-night trips to the nursery! Big Brother Garrett was right there to help Jenni move Reece down the hall to my room. He was a proud little helper!Mommy and Reece with no cords or monitors!
Tonight (Sunday) Reece will do a car seat test to make sure that his oxygen levels are maintained for the ride home.
In the morning (Monday), he have to be a brave little boy and endure his circumcision. After all Reece has been through this week, I'm sure he'll do fine.
As long as Reece's Monday morning checkup goes well, we should be on our way home sometime during the day on Monday!
Though it's been a long week in the hospital, we are blessed that Reece received the care and support of a loving staff of nurses who not only helped him, but also were a support system to me and Steve.
In coming days I won't have the "free" time that I've had to post to my blog while in the hospital...but I will try to continue with frequent updates about our boys to share with my readers!

Reece - Day 4 Pics

2011-07-14T19:24:00.003-05:00

Garrett was excited to see his "Baby Reece" today!
Our little Angel after a big meal.
Garrett has noticed that everyone in his family has a bracelet on but him (Steve, Reece and I are wearing identification bracelets required by the hospital). Reece's WONDERFUL nurse, Janet, overheard Garrett inquiring about the bracelets, so she put one together for him that has his name and "Big Brother" written on it.
Garrett is very proud of his new bracelet. :-)

Reece - Days 3 & 4

2011-07-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

Today has been a very good day for Reece...but I'll start by finishing up info from yesterday.

Day 3:
Reece had a chest X-Ray that brought to the doctor's attention a touch of pneumonia. What this means is that Reece will need to remain on his antibiotic for a total of 7 days in order to hopefully clear up the infection. Reece's nurse did some figuring, and since he started his antibiotic on Monday, she calculates that 7 days of antibiotic in it's entirety will be roughly 2 a.m. Monday morning. SO...we will be here until at least then. We pray that we will be able to go home sometime Monday afternoon.

Day 4:
As I mentioned above, Reece has had an excellent day today. The doctor lowered his O2 intake, and he has responded well. So hopefully he will be off Oxygen by tomorrow. Another stipulation for going home is that he remains off O2 for at least 24 hours.
Yesterday afternoon we started to feed Reece with a bottle, which he took very well. Today, my milk started to come in, so I have finally been able to nurse him. As Steve says, Reece is definitely a Jackson...he knew just what to do, and is nursing very well. He continues to look very healthy, and is often alert, with his eyes open and looking around. He's such a little blessing!

Garrett was happy to see his little brother yesterday. He had just given Reece a kiss when this pic was taken. He's going to be such a wonderful big brother!

Welcome Baby Reece!

2011-07-13T09:30:00.004-05:00

Reece Allen Jackson arrived on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:46 a.m.
He weighed 7 pounds, 7.25 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long.

My last "pregnancy picture"...
Reece's first diaper!
Snuggling with mama...

...and daddy.
Day 1:
Baby Reece was born via a scheduled C-Section...but it turned out that he would have had to be delivered that way regardless because he was breech. After the surgery, my doctor said that he reached in and grabbed what he thought was 2 legs, but turned out to be an arm and a leg. Reece was practically doing the splits - which I'm sure was not too comfortable.
Because he was breech, when he took his first breath he was still inside the womb, and therefore inhaled amniotic fluid, which went straight to the lungs. This has caused some breathing issues, and the doctors have kept Reece in a warmer, hooked up to oxygen, various monitors, and an IV containing antibiotics.
Day 2:
The doctor heard a slight heart murmur, so she ordered an EKG to check it out. Today we were told all is ok with his heart.
Day 2 & 3:
As you can see, Reece looks very healthy, has good color, and is a content little boy. The main issue now is that his respiratory rate gets too high and oxygen levels lower whenever he eats - which results in a kind of hyperventilation that could cause him to aspirate his food. So he will continue to be in a special nursery where he can be monitored until we get his breathing under control. This could take anywhere from 3-5 more days.

Reece has a thumb-like big toe just like his big brother Garrett!
Garrett is very sweet around his baby brother, but because of all of the wires and tubes, we haven't gotten him close enough to Reece for pictures...but I'm sure there will be many to come. At this point, Garrett seems to be more interested in the hospital's elevator and waterfall than baby Reece.
Steve and I are doing well. I should be released sometime on Day 4 (Thursday), but we will be able to keep a room at the hospital for us to use while Reece remains in the nursery.

Garrett Keeping Cool

2011-07-01T20:32:00.007-05:00

With a heat index of over 100 degrees these past few days, Garrett found the best way to beat the heat by running through his beach ball sprinkler...

37-Week Belly & More Tie Dye

2011-06-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted many pictures of my belly, mostly because we simply haven't taken many this time-around! Here are a few pictures of Garrett and me reading books on Saturday morning. The pics were taken to show off our matching tees - but you can also get a good look at my belly. It doesn't seem very big in the picture - but when I stand, I feel like I'm about to pop!

Only 2 weeks to go until my scheduled delivery date of July 11!

Craving: Hot Fudge Sundae

2011-06-27T10:23:00.003-05:00

On Saturday I was having a craving for a hot fudge sundae - so we ventured out to Culver's for frozen custard! We were feeling brave and got Garrett his very own scoop in a dish (mostly because we both knew that he is too independent to share with either of us).

Do you think he liked it???

Tie Dye Friday @ Daycare!

2011-06-17T08:48:00.001-05:00

Every Friday this summer, Garrett's daycare has a theme day. Today is:

TIE DYE FRIDAY!

Mommy & Me Swimming

2011-06-17T08:39:00.002-05:00

Garrett and I are taking Mommy & Me swim lessons twice/week at the Rec Center where Steve works. He has had SO much fun singing songs and learning different skills in the water. It's been a bit difficult maneuvering him in the water with my BIG belly...but we're both enjoying the time together!
Blowing Bubbles! One of his favorite things to do!
He really enjoys doing actions to "The Wheels on the Bus", and "Itsy Bitsy Spider". At our last lesson he was brave and stood on the edge to jump to me. Too bad Daddy wasn't there with the camera on that day!

Glasses!

2011-06-12T16:37:00.003-05:00

Garrett has been wanting a pair of glasses like Daddy's lately, so today we found the perfect pair of "Cars" glasses at Target.

After a few attempts to put them on over his ears, he almost had it right...
...he thought he looked pretty good with upside-down glasses!
He finally got it figured out!

Garage Sale Find

2011-06-10T16:29:00.002-05:00

I haven't done much garage-saling this summer...but today I decided to venture out to see what I could find. I came across this little Elmo couch/bed & couldn't pass it up. As soon as I got it in the door, Garrett enjoyed playing on it. He's tried it out from every angle, including spreading it out like a cot, stretching out sideways like mommy & daddy, and sitting up to read his books...plus, without any direction from daddy, he has practiced "high jump" over the back side of the couch. I think it was $2 well spent!

Zoo Trip

2011-05-30T20:42:00.010-05:00

Memorial Weekend was the last weekend my doctor gave me the OK to travel out of town, so we decided to take a quick weekend trip to Omaha. We started out at the Henry Doorly Zoo, and got there just as the rain subsided for the day. It ended up being a nice day, which was apparent by the many other families who also ventured out to the zoo for the day!

One of Garrett's favorite spots was the petting zoo. He walked right up to the goats to pet them.

We saw many different monkeys, apes, bears and wild cats, but they were mostly indoors, so I didn't get many good reaction photos of Garrett - but I did get a good shot of Garrett & this big lion! He waved bye-bye as we left the lazy cats.
Another favorite for Garrett was the "choo choo" (which is what he was saying when I took this photo below). We were able to see far-off parts of the zoo, including the Rhinos. This zoo has a LOT of steep hills to maneuver! Taking 30 minutes to rest while on the train was a good plan, and saved us a few steps as well!
Daddy & Garrett ready to go on the train! (I'm pretty sure Garrett is saying "choo choo" here too.)
Mommy & Garrett outside the Giraffe area. He was pretty impressed by the giant giraffes we got to see up close.
After the zoo, we checked into our hotel to rest a bit before heading off for dinner @ Texas Roadhouse, one of our favorite spots. After dinner Garrett and I took a dip in the pool before exhaustion kicked in and we both fell asleep on the sofa in our room.

The next morning we checked out the Bass Pro Shops across the street from our hotel. Garrett took a spin in this old truck before we hit the road again...

On the way home we stopped for a photo opportunity in front of "Albert the Bull" in Audubon, IA. Garrett also enjoyed the playground next to Albert.

The trip was quick, but ended up being a perfect getaway before Baby #2 arrives in 6 short weeks! We look forward to going back to the Omaha Zoo with the boys, as well as some other Omaha points of interest in the future!

New Slide

2011-05-30T17:11:00.003-05:00

After a few trips to the local parks, we have found that Garrett loves slides & steps! So when I came across this play set that has both, we decided to add it to our back yard. As you can see below, he was very excited when he first saw this new addition! He enjoys going down the slide...up the slide...under the slide...etc.

the view from my window

2011-05-26T16:52:00.003-05:00

Lately I have been tracking this little goose family of four from my window at work. It has been fun to watch the goslings follow their parents as they glide across the pond or lie in the sun. They are growing up very quickly!

Makes me wonder if it's a family similar to ours with 2 little boys???

Garrett's 1st Lunchbox

2011-05-17T14:55:00.002-05:00

Today, Garrett's daycare classroom went on a walk to a local park to play, see some native Iowa animals, and also have a picnic lunch. Following is Garrett and his very first lunchbox, which he took with him for the picnic.
He is growing up too fast, isn't he?

New Dresser

2011-05-17T14:34:00.002-05:00

We've recently done some changing around in Garrett's room to accommodate the baby. The main issue was finding enough space for 2 boys, 2 beds, and a place to put everything. We decided to get rid of Garrett's changing table and moved his dresser to a downstairs bedroom. In their place, we found a new dresser that will double as a changing table, which will allow enough floor space for the boys to play with toys/books/etc.
As you can see, Garrett approves of the dresser we chose...and I guess it's good to know that at least the bottom drawers will hold up to 30 lbs. :-)

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T20:55:00.003-05:00

Happy Mother's Day to all my Mommy friends and family!

This morning I woke up to muffins baked by Garrett & Daddy, and a card & picture from Garrett (baby-to-be also contributed some mighty kicks throughout the day!). We all spent the day together, which is the best Mother's Day I could have asked for!

Big Boy Bed

2011-05-08T20:47:00.005-05:00

In preparation for the new baby (who is scheduled to be delivered in 9 short weeks!), we decided to start Garrett's transition from crib to toddler bed. He wasn't too sure about it at first - but quickly realized that the bed is for him! In fact, he wouldn't even let Daddy sit on it!

Garrett took his afternoon nap on the bed, and ended up waking up on the floor...thankfully we thought to put a pillow on the floor beside the bed! I don't think he's quite ready to spend the night in it yet...but hopefully he'll start to gravitate toward his big boy bed!

Bucking Bull

2011-05-05T13:35:00.002-05:00

Another gift dropped off by the Easter Bunny was a bucking stick bull that moo's when you press his ear! The stick is a little long for Garrett to maneuver, but he has a fun time trying!
He likes to mimic the PBR bull riders he sees on TV...Yee Haw!

Easter

2011-05-05T13:29:00.002-05:00

On Easter Morning, we all bundled up and headed to the Flint Hills with a crew from Rosalia Christian Church for sunrise services. It was cold and windy, but a beautiful way to start the day, with scripture and song.
When we returned to Grandma Jackson's house, Garrett discovered that the Easter Bunny had paid him a visit! This bunny knew exactly what Garrett likes! He pulled some books, a fire truck and school bus, and some gummy snacks out of his Elmo basket.

The afternoon was filled with food, fun, and of course an egg hunt in the front yard (see pics posted on my FaceBook page). By the look on Garrett's face, I'm pretty sure he enjoyed the day!
On our way back home to Iowa, we stopped by a furniture store in Des Moines, hunting down the perfect dresser for the boys to share. Garrett got to be in the driver's seat as we looked around. Turns out he is a pretty good driver!

Uncle Dave

2011-05-05T13:22:00.002-05:00

On our way to Kansas for Easter, we met up with Uncle Dave at the T-Rex restaurant in Kansas City. Though it was extremely noisy, and there were lots of distractions, Uncle Dave and Garrett got on very well. As we waited for our food, they meandered around the place, looking at fish in the aquarium and the giant dinosaurs throughout the restaurant.

After lunch, Uncle Dave introduced Garrett to a horse statue at another restaurant in the area, and then chased after Garrett around the outdoor mall.
We don't get to see Uncle Dave as often as we'd like...but Garrett always has a ball when he's around!

April Showers???

2011-04-19T08:55:00.004-05:00

Today is Tuesday, April 19, 2011.
This is the view from my office window:
Yes - You do see SNOW - Giant flakes falling (which started out as icy flecks of rain early this morning).
Yes - You do see two little ducks on the pond enjoying (?) the snow.
Yes - We are ready to move back to Kansas.

(Mom - does snow in April bring back any memories??)

Rock Chalk!

2011-04-14T09:43:00.001-05:00

Today's theme: Favorite Team Day! (see previous post RE theme days)
Thanks for the tee, Aunt Jodi...it's a perfect fit!

Garrett the Cowboy

2011-04-14T09:35:00.004-05:00

This week is "Week of the Young Child", and our daycare is celebrating with special theme days each day of the week. One of the themes is cowboy day, so Steve thought it was time for Garrett to try on one of his belt buckles we have collected for him. We tested it out on a Sunday morning, when Garrett was already dressed in the cowboy pj's, and Daddy's hat was nearby. Throw in one of Daddy's old belts, along with Garrett's buckle, and he had the perfect outfit ready to go!

(Though this outfit is a cute one...I think we'll stick to jeans & a cowboy shirt on Cowboy Day. We don't want Garrett to be sent home for using the buckle as a weapon! Ha!)

Garrett the Musician

2011-04-14T09:30:00.003-05:00

One of Garrett's favorite Elmo videos features "Monica the Harmonica", and Garrett loves to mimic with his hands & "toot toot" noises the way the harmonica is played. Steve recalled that he had picked up a harmonica when we were in Nashville years ago, so he dug it out and proceeded to teach Garrett how to use it. After some trial and error, Garrett has mastered how to make loud, annoying "music" with his new toy.

Spring Day @ the Park

2011-04-06T08:49:00.002-05:00

Garrett and I recently took advantage of one of the first nice, dry Spring Days of the year by visiting a local park. He had lots of fun running around the playground. His favorite thing to do was go up the steps, through the tunnel, and then down the steps on the other side. The park is only a block away from our home, so I'm sure we'll be making plenty of trips to play this summer.

Cousins

2011-04-06T08:46:00.002-05:00

Too cute not to post: Garrett & his cousin, D.J., hamming it up at Grandma Jackson's.

Garrett loves all his cousins, but he seemed to be attached to D.J. when we were back to KS for Grandma Orton's funeral a few weeks ago. I'm guessing it's because D.J. is the only boy closest to Garrett's age. They had lots of fun, and D.J. was a very patient guardian of his younger cousin.

What a MESS!

2011-04-06T08:42:00.002-05:00

Garrett really likes his new Pink & Blue Trix Yogurt! I think it's supposed to be blueberry flavored - but it turns out to be a big mess & lots of fun for the little guy.

Silly Boy

2011-03-20T18:50:00.003-05:00

We were cleaning up after dinner & heard Garrett saying "Hat"...so we both looked over and this is what we saw: Garrett with his yogurt container on top of his head. Fortunately he had eaten most of the yogurt...and it is bath night, so we all had a laugh!
Another "Cheese!" picture. This one taken on St. Patty's Day - Garrett wore his John Deere Green!

Prayer Request

2011-03-14T14:05:00.003-05:00

Please pray for my high school friend, Tara, her husband Greg, son Grant, and 2-year-old daughter Emily. Emily recently had a golf-ball-sized tumor removed from her brain stem. She is now doing well, but will require PT and rehab to re-learn some skills. Please pray that God will give Tara and her family the strength they need - both physically and mentally - as Emily is on the road to recovery.

Laid Back

2011-03-14T13:30:00.002-05:00

Steve & I do not condone propping one's feet upon the dining table...but I couldn't help but capture this picture of Garrett, laid back and relaxing with his juice, after a good meal.

22 Weeks

2011-03-14T13:29:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe that baby boy #2 will be here in 4 short months!
So far everything has been going well with this pregnancy. It definitely has not been as smooth as my first - I've had a lot of nausea, aches and pains - but then, I wasn't chasing after a rambunctious toddler last time either!
Garrett doesn't really understand that the "baby" in Mama's tummy is actually a BABY - like the ones he waves at every night as we leave the daycare. But I know that he will be a Great Big Brother! He likes to "help" Mama & Daddy around the house, so I'm sure he'll continue to do so when baby arrives.

Spring is Coming!

2011-03-14T13:26:00.007-05:00

The snow is starting to melt away, and the sun is shining every day...does this mean Spring is coming?? We recently spent some time on the back deck pointing out some evidence that proves this to possibly be true!

It was "warm" enough for Garrett to wear a light jacket...but because of the wind, he still needed his hat.
Garrett and I spotted some signs of green grass and listened for birds...

This is a common look that we see from Garrett as he says "Where go?", which is often followed with an excited "There it is!" I think we were looking for birds that had been close by in this photo.

Garrett & Daddy looking at birds on the high wire behind the house.

Garrett is definitely Daddy's Boy!

Say Cheese!

2011-03-14T13:25:00.004-05:00

Recently it was picture day at Garrett's daycare...so we practiced saying "Cheese!" for the camera as he got ready on the morning of. Hopefully his school pictures are more natural-looking than what we captured at home...

Giddy Up

2011-03-14T13:23:00.003-05:00

Look at our little buckaroo on his horse! He's finally big enough to get on/off his horse by himself...something he's very proud of.

Hats

2011-03-14T13:18:00.005-05:00

Garrett is on the road to independence - this is evident in the frequent "NO's" he shouts out when we attempt to help him with simple things like putting on socks or his coat in the morning. One thing he has (kind of) mastered is putting on hats. It doesn't matter if it's his hat or Daddy's, when he finds a hat he likes to put it on like a "big boy".

Garrett's Hat:

Daddy's Hat:

Surprise!

2011-03-01T19:07:00.002-06:00

Garrett says "YAY!"

February Cutie!

2011-02-21T16:12:00.001-06:00

More Just Like Daddy...

2011-02-21T16:08:00.003-06:00

Garrett thought he'd help take out the trash, so he put on Daddy's gloves to get the job done!
Daddy thought it was time for Garrett to try on the Track & Field National Championship ring Steve earned last year. I don't think he's quite ready for it....

Sucker!

2011-02-21T16:05:00.003-06:00

For Valentine's Day, Garrett received some cute Valentines from classmates at daycare. Along with the cards came...CANDY!!! (Something Garrett doesn't get at home.) So we gave in and let him have a sucker. Not sure if a BLUE sucker was a good idea...but he sure loved it!

Happy Monday!

2011-01-24T15:34:00.002-06:00

Garrett loves Daddy's boots and his JD ball cap!
ELMO JAMMIES! We literally searched at least 3 states to find these pj's. I spotted them in our local Wal-Mart, but they only had larger sizes. My mom checked in Georgia and had no luck...so she contacted my sister, who found them I think in Illinois on their way here at Christmas! Garrett loves his "Melmo"!
Doesn't Garrett look like a handsome little man? He's wearing a flannel shirt - just like Dad!

A Garrett First: Playing in the Snow!!!

2011-01-09T17:23:00.004-06:00

During the Christmas Break, the weather was warm enough to go outside and play in the fresh snow. Garrett LOVED it!
Garrett & Mama
Making a snowball perhaps?
Garrett & Belle

Christmas 2010

2011-01-09T17:06:00.008-06:00

This year we were able to celebrate Christmas with both sides of our family - something we try to do every year, but it doesn't always work out that way.

Our first Christmas was spent in Kansas at Grandma Jackson's. We were all able to get together again, which is so much fun. We ate, and ate, and ate...watched basketball/football, and enjoyed the day together. Garrett made the announcement that he's going to be a Big Brother by wearing his new t-shirt (see previous post for pic). It was fun to see the surprise on everyone's faces!

We all received some nice gifts, but Garrett's were the most fun! He received this fun Elmo hat...
...and a John Deere lawn mower from Grandma Jackson. We literally had to pry the lawn mower out of his hands in order to take our family picture!
Uncle Jim thought he'd be funny and gave Garrett a set of 2 wooden whistles. Fortunately, Garrett doesn't quite know how to use them yet...but Daddy has been having some fun with them!
Our second Christmas was celebrated right at home! My side of the family all made the trip to Iowa, which was a gift in itself! On Christmas Eve, Uncle Dave & Uncle Billy made Garrett a cardboard maze in his play room. He loved it...but I wonder if Uncles enjoyed it even more???
Garrett & his Nana
Stocking Stuffers!
Reading with Auntie & Uncle Curry
Time to shop!
Daddy trying to figure out how to remove the toy from the box!
Reading with Aunt Sandy.
BIG box from Nana!
Garrett is a little small for his new basketball hoop...but he'll be shootin' hoops in no time!
Driving Uncle Dave around in his new pickup truck!
Overall, we had a wonderful Christmas time. It was sad to see everyone go and have to get back to "normalcy". Be we feel blessed that we were able to spend our Holidays with all of our immediate family members...and we send wishes for a Happy New Year to all of you that we didn't get to see this year.

Follow-Up to Yesterday...

2011-01-07T15:22:00.004-06:00

Yes - We're expecting Baby #2!
After 6 years of trying for Garrett, it only took 2 months for our second little peanut! God works in mysterious ways, doesn't he?

Yesterday (1/6), at our 12-week appointment we got to hear the heartbeat - after a few panicked, anxiety-stricken moments. The doctor tried to hear baby's beat using the hand-held machine. We waited...and waited...and nothing. So he very calmly brought in the portable sonogram machine. We could see baby, but it didn't appear to be moving around much, and it was a grainy picture, so it was hard to see the flicker of the heartbeat. So...Doc sent Steve and me down the hall to the high-tech sonogram machine. It only took about 5 minutes to get it set up, but those 5 minutes seemed like an eternity! Finally the technician got going and right away we saw little baby squirming around, legs and arms kicking all over the place, and it's tiny little heart flickering away. Whew! That was a moment of Joy I won't forget!!! (Steve claims he heard the baby when the doc couldn't...so he wasn't nervous at all - Hmmm...?)

So baby's heart rate was 157 bpm - which some have told me means it's a girl. This pregnancy has already been a lot different than my first - nausea, exhaustion, heartbeat scare, etc., so maybe they're right?? We'll have to wait at least a few more months to know for sure. Until then...here's another cute pic of Big Brother Garrett!

Something New...

2011-01-06T16:10:00.002-06:00

Garrett's First Haircut

2010-12-10T09:39:00.009-06:00

Garrett's first haircut was LONG overdue! His beautiful curls were starting to turn into a tangled mess - especially after we took his hat off! So we took him to my friend Dawn for a new 'do!

Here's the Before picture:
Look at all those curls!!!
Garrett did an excellent job. He sat still on Daddy's lap as Dawn clipped away! (it helped that he had 2 cookies in his fists the entire time)
He liked to look in the mirror.
Final touches...
...and here's the finished product! (He's saying CHEESE in this pic) He's gone from a baby to a handsome young man. Awww...

(But he still has some curls for his mama!)

Daddy's Shoes

2010-12-10T09:32:00.002-06:00

Look who found Daddy's shoes!

New Boots

2010-12-10T09:18:00.008-06:00

Back in August, Garrett received his first pair of John Deere boots for his birthday. Unfortunately, the boots he received were too small...so they were exchanged, and now Garrett has his own Johnny Popper boots!
(I know, he should be wearing his Wranglers, and not Gap pants with his boots..but he still looks stinkin' cute!)

A New Kitchen

2010-11-15T14:47:00.004-06:00

I've been trying to figure out how to create a diversion for Garrett - other than television - to keep him busy while I fix dinner in the evenings. I got to thinking about the toy kitchen set at Grandma Jackson's, and the many occasions I witnessed the nieces and nephews contentedly playing with it. So I was excited to come across a toy kitchen set for only $29.99 at the local Aldi Supermarket! I thought, "What a GREAT DEAL!"

Well...I soon discovered the reason for the low price. The box contained about 150 pieces to be put together with screws and snaps. Below is just a fraction of the pieces that had to be cut apart, and then puzzle-fitted back together...

...but it turns out all the sweat & frustration was worth it! Garrett LOVES his new kitchen! He enjoys opening/closing the doors, and playing with the dishes. Plus - it's a corner-style, and fits right in our "real" kitchen! I don't think he really gets the concept of it being a kitchen like mommy's...but it keeps him busy, and that's all I need!

SUPER-GARRETT

2010-11-15T14:43:00.004-06:00

Check out who got new Superman jammies!

It's probably not considered good parenting to allow a 15-month-old to stand on the edge of a diaper box while you stand aside & take pictures...but, I'm sure it's not the first - nor last - poor judgment call this mommy will make!

Close-Ups

2010-11-15T14:41:00.003-06:00

A Step Up

2010-11-05T09:19:00.004-05:00

Garrett is growing more & more every day. But he's been getting frustrated lately because he couldn't see out our front picture window. I remedied that when I found a cute, sturdy step stool on a recent trip to Target.
Now he loves to look out the window. It's the first place he runs to when we get home each evening. Too cute. What's also cute is when he's on the lookout for Daddy's arrival at the end of the day. He's definitely a Daddy's Boy!

Baby It's Cold Outside...

2010-11-05T09:11:00.005-05:00

The temperature has been dropping here in Iowa. Some mornings it's been around 25 degrees when we head out. Garrett has been staying cozy in his new hat and jacket...
...but it's nice & warm inside. Garrett doesn't even think he needs pants! (Aunt Jodi & Uncle Jim: He LOVES his KU chair!!)

Pudding Decoy

2010-11-05T09:00:00.003-05:00

As some of you might be aware, Garrett has had fevers and ear infections off & on for the past few weeks. His doctor prescribed him 2 different liquid antibiotics that Garrett was determined NOT to take. So we had to get creative. We found that the best route to get his medicine in his tummy was chocolate pudding! It's not a treat I was planning to give him yet, but we were desperate. Garrett, as seen above, was very pleased! He LOVES his chocolate pudding, and he also loves to feed himself.

Which reminds me, it's time to pick up another bottle of Garrett's bubble bath...

Happy Belated Halloween!

2010-11-05T08:55:00.003-05:00

I'm a bit late with this post...but I don't really have much to report about Garrett's 2nd Halloween. Since he's too young to really appreciate the day, we didn't get him a costume this year. We did find a cute skeleton tee from Old Navy that he wore to daycare the Friday before Halloween. This isn't the best pic to show it off, but he was determined to NOT look at the camera and smile this day.