Just wanted to do a quick post about a year ago today.  I called Joe on his way home from work to stop and get a pregnancy test because the one I had forgotten to throw out suddenly had two lines, and once he got home I took two tests and made him go get another one, a digital this time because for some reason my brain needed to see the word "PREGNANT" to believe it!  Oh how time flies and how a year has changed our lives completely!  I now need to go enjoy putting my precious little baby to sleep...and while I rock him and kiss him goodnight I will thank God for the gift he gave us a year ago and the gift we have today because of it.

Well it has been a while since the last post so instead of doing some work while Jackson sleeps I figured I would update everyone on how fast our little man is growing!  He rolled over this past week from his tummy to his back during tummy time...I really think the main motivation for him was the fact that he HATES tummy time!  I was so excited I started clapping and it scared him so he started getting the quivering lip that is so darn cute!  After this I put him back on his tummy and turned on the camera hoping to get it all on tape, but he just cried...poor guy thinks the camera is attatched to my head or something!  And just to make sure I don't get it on film he has not repeated the roll over yet.  He is also enjoying sitting up like a big boy and often times tries to sit up on his own, but only does a crunch type motion.  When he does sit up we only really need to give him minimal support and help with the balance part so I am sure he will be sitting up on his own in no time.

He made out like a bandit on Christmas, he got tons of presents from grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course his mommy and daddy.  He was overall not to impressed with the whole process...he was interested in some shiny wrapping paper and maybe a toy or two but other than that he was more interested in taking a nap!  Oh and we did get him to the mall and got a picture of him with santa, he was of course unimpressed, but he didn't cry so that was a small miracle!

Another recent development is that Jackson looooves to watch tv.  We are trying to avoid that until he is two, that is other than his Baby Einstein DVDs, but he has other plans, he was craning his neck so much the other night I was afraid he was going to hurt himself.  I guess this goes to show you that you can't fight genetics...he's going to be a couch potato, just like his parents!  We also got his three month pictures done, make sure to check them out in the photos section, he was super cute and loved the girl taking the pictures so he hammed it up for her!  I will try and post more Christmas pictures later...hard to believe he is three months already!  I can't wait until his four month checkup because I am hoping we get the thumbs up to try cereal because Jackson also likes to watch other people eat, makes me feel guilty to eat in front of him!  Ok off to get some things done before he wakes up, or maybe I will just sit and stare at his beautiful face!

Sorry we have not posted in such a long time, seems the holidays are kicking our butts!  Plus poor Jackson has a cold!  Well the last few weeks Jackson has grown so much and is discovering so much!  He now knows he has a hand and puts it in his mouth a lot!  He is laughing and giggling more but of course we are still having a hard time getting a picture of him smiling, I really think he likes to tease me!

He also went to his first family Christmas party when we attended Grandpa T's side of the family Christmas party.  Of course he got lots of presents!  He just looooves his cow puppet he got from Great Aunt Diann, as well as the cool rattle he got from Great Aunt Darleen!  Of course he was a little grouchy that day but still pretty stinkin' cute!

So here is a little of what Jackson is up to these days...rolling over from back to stomach on the bed, holding his head up pretty well, he has discovered he is quite the handsome little boy, talking more and more (has started to say some b and m sounding words...and no they are not by accident, he likes to imitate his mommy!), loving bath time and kicks his legs and splashing with his arms, and he has become somewhat of a celebrity!  Yes a celebrity, we submitted his picture to the local news for a contest and he was put on the 5:30 news that very same night!  Check out the website! http://www.wbng.com/younews

Well that is just a little of what has been going on in the last few weeks.  I am sure the next week or so is going to be pretty busy so we many not be on to post until after the holiday, but JAckson wishes everyone a happy holiday and if he is cooperative and lets us get his picture with santa then we will post it!

So tonight for the first time we can say Jackson had a real giggle, he was sitting on his daddy's legs and Joe was making raspberry lips at Jackson and he giggled!  It was one of those moments where both Joe and I looked at each other and were soooo excited, and darn it don't I wish I had the camera rolling, but we will try and get it on film some other time.  HArd to believe he is old enough to giggle and smile, seems like just yesterday he was being born and still in the hospital.  Joe made a comment today about how big he was getting because he was in his swing and we both remember the first few times he was in it he looked so tiny and had to have his head propped with a rolled up burp cloth.  It is just so amazing how fast they grow and there is something new every day that either he or we are discovering.  For example we now know that Jackson loooved being naked...comes by that honestly I guess, seeing as how his momma liked being naked when she was a baby as well!   And Jackson has repeatedly discovered his hands and fingers, it is too cute to watch him wave his hands back and forth and all of a sudden he gets this wide eyes look on his face as his hand hovers a few inches from his face.  And no sooner is he facinated by this new discovery something else catches his attention and then a few minutes later he rediscovers his hands like he has never seen them before!  It's times like these that make me ask myself what we have done to deserve such a fantastically beautiful boy like Jackson, he is truley a blessing and it is now hard to remember a time without him, it's like he was alway meant to be here and has always been in some way.  And as he sits in his boppy next to me trying to get my attention I think to myself how lucky we are and how happy he makes us.  Just look at this picture and try not to smile, it is impossible!!!

yes we have finally gotten a few pictures of him smiling! YAY!!!

Here are a few others from the Holiday and just him hanging around the house:

So today was Jackson's veryt first Thanksgiving!  He had a blast...sleeping that is!  He had his big dinner a few days ago and now is going through a growth spurt we believe so he is sleeping a lot.  But he got to meet his great grandma for the first time today and got to see some of his aunts and uncles and cousins.  And he was super cute in the onsie that his Aunt Margie sent up for him!  Right now he is sleeping in his boppy and looking like a little angel! 

We are just so thankful to be blessed with this beautiful baby boy!  In times like these (the economic crisis, a costly war, and all the other dismal things going on in this world) it only takes one look at his face to have all our worries melt away, and when he gives you one of his elusive smiles it leaves you speechless, seriously one of these days I will get a picture of it, but I swear he knows then the camera is coming out!  We are also thankful for all of our family and friends who supported us on our journey to become pregnant, stay pregnant, and to welcome this miracle into the world and our lives, we are thankful to now be able to call ourselves a family. 

Oh and all I want for Christmas is the family I already got!  Jackson is the best Christmas present ever, and hard to believe at this time last year he was on his way to being created and now he is a 2 month old, almost 11 pound happy, healthy baby!

Ok this is about as close as I can come to getting a pic of him smiling, he was smiling in between takes and I caught the tail end of this one...isn't he cute?!

Wow hard to believe it was a week ago that I went back to work.  Well Jackson is loving daycare and we are starting to adjust to the change in schedule, slowly but surely!

This past weekend Jackson got to meet his Great Grandpa Peters!!  Unfortunately he was sleeping the whole time, typical Jackson!  And he also got to meet his Aunt Margie and Uncle Ryan for the first time too, but they got to see him awake!  But we didnt get any pictures of Jackson with them either.

So after a busy weekend it was back to daycare and work, but today was a half day because we had to take Jackson to his 2 month check-up and his first round of shots.  First for the good part, he is now 10lbs. 13oz. with his clothes off (he did weight the same weight a week and a half ago but with his clothes on), he is 22 inches long, and the doctor is very impressed with his physical development.  He is able to pick his head up at a 90 degree angle and hold it steady for a little bit, however he only does this when you are holding him on your chest, when he is on his tummy time mat he is pretty darn lazy.  I think he is a couch potato in the making, I can only imagine in a few years coming home and finding Jackson and Joe on the couch with a bag of chips watching Simpsons!  Anyhoo he was talking away at the appointment and really enjoying the sound the crinkly paper makes and something really interested him on the wall, we aren't sure what exactly it was but he really liked it.  Then came the hard part, the shots!!!  He wasn't too impressed with the oral vaccine but it got even worse from there with the other three shots in the leg, but he handled it like a champ and only cried for a few minutes and by the time we left he was calm and even gave me a little grin.  So now he is ok as long as he is sleeping but when he wakes up he is pretty fussy, then again I would be too if someone poked me three times with a needle (maybe that was why I was so grouchy the entire time we were trying to get preggo, shots stink!)  Hopefully he will be ok throug the night and at daycare tomorrow, it's times like these that make me wish I was a stay at home mom!  Well off to download some more pictures so be sure to check them out, he is growing so fast, it makes me want to cry...there's a whole lot of that going on in the Roth house tonight!

Jackson chilling on the couch after a hard day of shots...isn't he sweet?

Ok here is a picture of the raging mullet...thought it deserved it's very own seperate post!

So today was my first day back to work and Jackson's first day of daycare.  He did great, adjusted well as far as we can see and loves the other little boy there.  I did better than I thought, teared up a few times but luckily was so busy today that I didn't have much time to be sad, and at the halfway mark I just kept telling myself a few more hours until I got to squeeze my beautiful baby boy again.  So now I am home with my little man and so tired I can barely see straight but don't want to go off schedule so trying to stay awake until 10, then it is off to bed for me, let's just hope he sleeps for a few hours straight!  But no matter how tired or sad I am over the whole day I would not trade it for anything in the world, today I was blessed to have this experience exaustion and all!  I will post more later but right now I am going to put my feet up, eat some chocolate and stare at Jackson sleeping!