A Lovely Day and Ace "Jackson" Ventura

Wow, we finally had some sunshine over the weekend. I had to get some photos of this because it simply is a miracle considering the miserableness we've endured the last few weeks as far as weather goes around here. Jackson and Daddy played golf in the backyard, Jackson mowed a little bit and then they both rested in their chairs on the back porch (after Jackson and Maggie made out with Allie Cat). The pictures above should give you a good idea of how our afternoon was spent...

For Jackson updates:

~ he will say "we're home" when we pull in the driveway. He recognizes his house and MawMaw's house, and when we pull up to the gym he knows he's about to play "ball" and tells me so. He'll say, "ball, ball, ball" until someone takes him to the gym or the racquetball court with the balls so he can play! It is definitely one of his favorite activities.

~ He'll give us loud smooching kisses when we tell him we love him. He puckers up like a fish and gives us a big smacker. I love it!

~ He absolutely loves feeding the dogs and his favorite thing to do is take little amounts of dog food and dump it in their bowl before going back for a little more. They follow him like they've never had a meal in their life. Sadly, I think he gets a big kick out of teasing them.

~ He played with his first baby doll tonight - my cabbage patch kids from my childhood. He would give them kisses and MawMaw taught him to rock them in his arms. It was hilarious and was a shining example of the perfect big brother he would be. He even starting singing, "baby, baby, baby..."

The final pictures are of the hairdo his daddy gave him after a bath. It was too funny not to post!

We love our little boy and thank God for the blessing he has given us everyday...

Out and About with Olivia and Bailey

Last week, we had a nice long visit from Olivia and Bailey. The week kicked off with Olivia's birthday party at MawMaw's house and on Monday we all went to the Fort Worth Science and History Museum (which includes the Children's Museum). Jackson and I got to herd cattle! Well, not actually, but we did herd 19 heads on a simulated horse riding game (check out the picture above)!

The highlight of the week was our night at Medieval Times - Jackson had a blast and so did everyone else. He didn't take his eyes off the action for a minute during the 2 hour show. He absolutely loved the horses and the falcon flying show. He would "oooh" and "aah" at the fight scenes and yell loudly at the knights in the ring. It was pretty funny to see his excitement. The girls were little princesses in their new hats and Mommy had a crush on the green knight (innocent, of course)!

Tuesday was a snow day and the girls spent the night with us. Jackson couldn't be more thrilled to have not one, but two, friends to play cars and playdoh with him. On Thursday we all went to Paradise Pond where Jackson had Bailey climb the three story "jungle gym/obstacle course" over ten times with him. Finally, he wore her out! I'm not sure where he gets his energy but he seems like the Energizer Bunny sometimes. He would slide down the three story slide after climbing three flights, then come running out around the other toys before heading back in for another go at it.

All this activity left mommy pretty tired and I developed a sinus and upper respiratory infection over the weekend. I'm now on heavy meds and feeling much better!

On Sunday we celebrated Uncle Brian and Aunt Sharon's birthdays. Aunt Macie's birthday is today. So to three of our favorite people: "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"The Present Is a Gift"

Because Jackson is doing so many things, I'm going to outline some new ones so I don't forget how much he is progressing right now. These days go by like a whirlwind once you enter "toddlerhood" and because he does so much, it's easy to forget that even these small things are milestones that we don't want to let us pass by without taking the time to write them down (so we can remember them later)! Thanks MawMaw for this reminder...

~He will say "I want see" when he wants something and "I did it" when he is proud of something he has done. His absolute favorite word (and toy) is "car" - he says it constantly when we're driving down the road and when he's at home and wants us to play cars/trains with him.

~He will open a book, find an animal then make the noise for me. Today, he found a toy monkey and began doing "oh,oh,ah,ah" and sounds just like a little monkey. When we go to Chick fil'A he moos constantly at the cows all over the place.

~He will let the dogs out the door and back inside once they have gone potty. He will also help me feed them their food and pours out the cup into their bowl. He is such a big helper and is so proud to do it!

~He hates to get his hair wet so last night when David was bathing him, he kept telling him, "No, No, No, No." He definitely knows when he does or doesn't like something. This morning when I fed him french toast, he said, "oooh" and ate almost the entire things. Suffice it to say that he loves them. He also loves fruit chews, oreos, goldfish, cupcakes, and, just recently, cheese pizza!

~ When we're driving in the car, he will say, "Mama, ..." then launch into this long discussion that I barely understand. He is quite the talker, that's for sure.

~ He loves to look at pictures and say everyone's name. We practice with him so he will remember all his family that live far away (or in heaven).

~ And, one of my favorites is that he gives eskimo kisses. I taught him this and absolutely love it when he gives me one. He's not too stingy with them so that is nice. Though I'm sure that won't last long - he is a boy afterall!

And, in appreciation for the "present" life we have, I want to look back on some of my favorite pictures of Jackson's during these short but wonderful 21 months we've had with him. It's truly amazing how much he has grown! We are blessed for every day - past, present and future.

These Are the Days of Our Lives

Dear Diary,

It's been fifteen days since my last entry. It's sad that I'm losing my memory at such a young age, but I've had to look at my calendar to see where the time has gone. And as I look, it comes to me that my last entry was just a day before we held our first annual Supper Club dinner at Casa Little (that would be our home) for ten of our friends. The theme was "A Cajun Mardi Gras" and I relied on a couple of Mimi's trusty recipes and threw in a few new ones just for kicks. It was a blast! And took a couple days to recover from... Then, two days later we got 13 inches of snow here in Trophy Club - the most ever recorded in one day. It was unbelievably beautiful and quiet, especially when the power went off at midnight. After spending a frigid night bundled under the covers - all 5 of us! - we headed over to MawMaw's to warm up our web feet. We're not used to this cold weather and snow where we come from (imagine my southern accent saying that). We put as much winter weather gear as we could find on Jackson, which took about 15 minutes, then headed outside for some fun in the snow. Jackson took about two steps into the yard and protested with lots of pouting and wailing until I finally carried him back inside. I don't think it was the snow that bothered him so much as the all the gear we made him wear. I'm pretty certain of this because days later he had lots of fun walking in the snow that was remaining in the yard, while wearing only a jacket and his tennis shoes, and giggled plenty. So, he and I watched Daddy build the biggest snowman you've ever seen in the back yard. He even used Jackson's legos as the eyes, nose and ears. The metal bucket on his head didn't last too long and by the next day we had a headless snowman hanging out in the middle of our backyard. Days later we found the legos after all the snow finally thawed. And that weekend, we went to the mall and stocked up on winter wear for the whole family - If I must survive in this weather, I'll need the proper equipment!! I"m wearing my nice, warm uggs as we speak and the web feet are feeling pretty toasty.

Jackson's cousins have been in town this week - he's loving it and so is Mommy. He finally has playmates that have endless energy for trains, cars, books, colors, playdoh, balls, golf, and on and on. Mommy, not so much! He talks up a storm - we had the longest conversation last night at the dinner table where he told his daddy all about his day at the Children's Museum. When he threw a few words I knew in there, like, "cars, choo choo, Moo, ball, roar, MawMaw, bubbles, up, etc.", I would fill in the details for David. We were so amazed as he just sat there jabbering away and would answer questions I asked him (though, again, we didn't understand much of the answer). He also told me to "say please" when I asked him to "say please" - but, hey, we're getting there - he atleast says please now!

He's growing up so fast right before my eyes but he still gives me the best hugs and kisses... I hope they never stop even if he is a big boy now.

What a Week...

Jackson and I had a whirlwind of a week that began with a last minute flight to Lake Charles on Tuesday. My grandfather, Paw Bush, was very sick and had to undergo extensive surgery on his entire abdomen. True to his character, he never stopped fighting and made it through the surgery. He continues to amaze everyone, including the doctors, with his progress. Though I know he would never miss a chance to see the Saints in the Superbowl considering what a big football fan he is!! So, we spent time with him at the hospital and had a nice, though quick, visit with our family in Louisiana. Jackson was successfully spoiled rotten by his Mimi and Aunt Macie in just two days! He had a great time playing with his cousins, Keighly and Kolby, and they taught him to say "cheese" for pictures. Once Paw began doing better, we flew back home to Texas but plan to go back again very soon... In the meantime, we pray for him everyday and are so proud of the progress he makes each hour of every day.

As most (if not all) of the readers of this blog already know, the Saints pulled out a major upset over the Colts and won the Superbowl last night. Not only did they make their first appearance in the playoffs but they went all the way, defied the odds (and the bookies) and took down Manning and his great team. I personally believe that my handmake cake (see picture above) generated some good luck for the Saints - I mean, have you ever seen a more professionally done "Who Dat?" cake? We celebrated the win with the other diehard Saints fans in Trophy Club - our family! Even Jackson got in on the action and was giving commentaries like, "Oh!", "Football!", "Touchdown!", "Go!" and pretty much anything else we said. It was a great celebration after a long and difficult week.

The weather here is cold, rainy and downright depressing. We're spending most of our time indoors which is frustrating for both Jackson and Mommy. It leaves us very little opportunity to get the wiggles out. Other than the gym, we really don't have much activity outside of the house. We're just counting down the days until spring; it can't come quick enough!

We're In! We're In! We're Finally In!

I have a very good excuse for my extended blog hiatus - it's called moving with a 20 month old! I do feel incredibly inept for not posting anything sooner (the last post was on the 5th of Jan!) but c'est la vie (of a mother, for sure). But, we are now in the home and "comfortably unpacked" - meaning we still have boxes everywhere but we unpack more and more each day and we have our main rooms live-able. It's driving me crazy to see everything still in such disarray but I have to deal with that because it's not something that can be done overnight - or even over a week. Everything does look just wonderful though and we couldn't be more in love with the house. Even the dogs and Jackson love it! Allie is still a little skeptical about this new house but the poor cat has been moved so much she doesn't have a clue about what's going on. We've been keeping her in the garage until she becomes more acquainted with her surroundings. Jackson likes to go out and visit her but I'm not sure she enjoys it nearly as much as he does.

Jackson is now sleeping upstairs by himself while we are now downstairs - I love it more than I ever imagined. It's so much easier for all of us except when we have to come up to put him back down but it's a lot quieter for everyone through most of the night and when David gets up early in the morning. We had a few really beautiful days last week and were able to enjoy the backyard - with this current frigid weather it's too cold to even look outside! But, I know the yard will be a favorite spot for Mommy and Jackson over the coming months....

Jackson is doing so many new things it's just so hard to update on them all at once. He said "I did it" last night when he touched my belly button. So, we're talking in sentences! He answers the TV when the characters ask questions. For example, I heard him yell "Stink!" to Diego last week when they were talking about stink bugs. You should have heard him try to tell Dora "cumpleanos" this morning - it was hilarious. It's amazing how much he talks now! He also is still in love with trains and when "Thomas the Train" goes off the TV, he says "Oh man!" He plays with his trains constantly and when he hears one outside he'll say "toot toot". He also will say "uh oh" when he hears police or fire engines sirens. He had a sinus infection during the week and weekend of our move so that was rough but after being on antibiotics for 10 days, he's feeling much better. Anyway, during our visit to the doctor, they weighed him again and he was up to 21.7 lbs - which is great! We're gaining, little by little! Life is busy but we're happy and very blessed.

We hope to see everyone soon - we've got plenty of room for guests at the new place! Just book your travel in advance for a nice discount!

"Tis the Season to Be Jolly"

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... Oh wait, that wasn't a dream - we got 8.5 inches of snow on Christmas Eve! The snow stayed on the ground for a few days - Mimi got to see some when she arrived on the following Sunday and it snowed again while she was here. They're saying this is the coldest winter they've had in North Texas in over ten years and the first white Christmas since 1975. All I know is that it is cold; way too cold for my delicate sensibilities.

Christmas day was wonderful for our "Little" family - Jackson loved his new train set and all the toys he got from Santa and his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Most of the toys are still in their boxes awaiting the big move next week. That leads me to my update on the house... As you can see from the picture, the landscaping was in before we had the big snow. After Christmas our new iron/glass front door arrived and they've been installing that all week. It's absolutely beautiful and really heavy! Crews are going through the house and doing all touch-up work and minor repairs. We will have our walk-through this Friday, Jan 8th, and our closing is sceduled for the 15th. Simply saying we are is excited is quite the understatement - I'm about to burst with anticipation!

Back to updates on the "Little" man. He really got excited about opening presents this year though he is still not impressed with Santa Claus. I'm sure that will happen in a couple years though. He has played with his train table every day since we got it which allows me some time to drink my coffee in the morning without listening to NickJr on the television. An unexpected present for Mommy! Ah, the little things that bring us happiness...

Mimi came for a visit after Christmas and we had a great time. Jackson was just getting used to having her around when she had to leave us - bummer... We all look forward to when he will be able to spend a couple weeks in Sulphur this summer with everyone. The time he has with all his grandparents and family is so important; This is something that is always evident after spending holidays together.

Last night, he said "agua" in the bathtub about the water; he loves saying "choo choo" when he plays with his toys; and he is now saying "Maggie" or his version of it that sounds more like "Mage." He will show you his feet, head, hands, toes, fingers, hair, mouth, teeth, nose, eyes, ears on command - he knows his anatomy thanks to daddy!

He will now go to "Kids' Camp" at the gym while I work out and doesn't cry at all when I leave. This is a huge step for us (and a giant leap for "mom"kind). He actually likes to go and play with his friends there so it has become a welcome outing for us both. I'm hoping this will be a preview of how he will be when Mother's Day Out starts this summer.

We welcome 2010 with open arms - the last year was a tough one for us. We moved to a new city, and state, and finally sold our "new" house in Baton Rouge in June; we lost my adopted mother, CC and David's father, Mr. Roy which will continue to be a struggle for us; I left my old job to begin a new one at home - and I think this one has been the hardest of all, and David started a new, challenging one as well; we built not one, but two houses over the course of the year and will have lived in four homes in two years; Jackson left babyhood behind and became a walking, talking toddler with a strong personality (that gives his Mommy fits) and a curious mind, and has always kept us moving so fast we barely know where the time went.

So, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to update the blog more often; stay tuned to see if that one sticks!