Brace Yourself....

I was DETERMINED to get caught up on my blogging from the last month tonight...so you all have 4 posts to read! Make sure not to stop reading until you get through them all...I tried to be brief and I made sure to post them in order of occurrence, so sit back, relax and ENJOY! :)

We {heart} Grandma and Grandpa H

My parents came to Utah again for a few days in mid-November. They claim it was to see all three of us...but if we are being honest with ourselves the main purpose was to get another "Jackson fix." No matter the motive, it was wonderful having them here, as always!

One of the highlights of this particular trip was Jackson's first snow/sledding experience! With just enough snow on the ground, my parents INSISTED that it was necessary that Jackson get a snowsuit. When we got home from shopping for the snowsuit, my Dad and Travis headed back to the store for the second necessary thing we had somehow managed to forget, Jackson's first sled! Of course we had to try out the new stuff....


Jackson LOVED sledding down our 3 ft hill in front of our house! Thanks Mom and Dad for the fun visit and we can't wait for you to come back again soon! :)

Thanksgiving

Travis and I had the opportunity to host Thanksgiving with his family (minus his brother Ben and his family) at our house this year. I had never cooked a turkey before and so I was nervous to be doing it for the first time on such an important day. Everything turned out great with my cooking skills, and Travis also did the honors of carving the bird for his first time (with a little bit of instruction from his Dad) and we all had our share and then some of all the traditional fixins'. We played lots of scrabble and rock band and also made time for some good ol' R & R! Here's some pics...

Shallon and Heidi (Travis' mom and sister)

Jackson also had his version of turkey and sweet potatoes!

Our little family with my masterpiece turkey

Grandpa A and Jackson

Keith (Heidi's husband), Derek (our Nephew), and Parker (Travis' youngest brother)

Guardian Angel

"Perhaps they are not the stars, but rather openings in Heaven where the love of our lost ones pours through and shines down upon us to let us know they are happy." ~Author Unknown

My sweet Grandma O. passed away a couple of weeks ago and Jackson and I were able to go back to Iowa for a couple of days to be there for her funeral services. I am so happy that she is no longer suffering and back with her sweetheart again! I know that she must be rejoicing to be free from the vascular dementia that she endured for far too long. I love you so much Grandma and I will miss you until we see each other again someday!

Meeting Santa

A fairly momentous event in any child's life is meeting the one and only Santa Claus...

...Jackson took a long and hard look at the jolly ol' St Nicholas...

...and decided that he wasn't quite sure what to think!

I haven't forgotten...

...that I have a blog! Although it may appear otherwise. I have the best intentions of updating this week...so hopefully I come through. In the meantime, please know that all is well in our household. Everyone is happy and healthy and REALLY busy....why isn't there more than 24 hours in a day?!

Jackson's First Haircut

Last Saturday our little man reached another big milestone (well kind 0f) He got to have his first haircut! We love to spike his hair up with a little bit of gel and we hadn't been able to do that for some time since it had gotten too long.

BEFORE (looking a little shaggy):
DURING:

AFTER:

Isn't he a stud?!

He was such a good boy through the entire process. Thanks to our neighbor Analise for trimming him up so nice!

Happy Halloween

This is NOT my favorite time of year. I hate anything scary...scary movies, scary costumes, haunted houses, haunted corn mazes...pretty much if it's going to make me jump, want to hide, or cry, or raise my blood pressure I avoid it like the plague. Travis on the other hand LOVES Halloween and all it's glory. He is a fan of AMC's Fear Fest and has been watching scary movies in what little spare time he has this past week....mostly because it's the only time of the year he can get away with it! (I refuse to sit through scary movies 99% of the time) Now there is ONE thing that we can agree on where Halloween is concerned...

...that Jackson makes the CUTEST little scarecrow we ever did see!! We hope that everyone has a wonderful Halloween weekend! Be safe and eat lots of candy (the ONLY other thing about Halloween that I love!)

6 months old already?!

Time flies! I can't believe that Jackson is already 6 months old! Here are some DARLING pictures that Travis took of him a couple of weeks ago...



We had our 6 months check-up and I was surprised to find out that although he is a healthy and growing baby, he wasn't as big as I thought he would be comparatively speaking...16lbs 4 oz (30th percentile), 25.25 inches long (15th percentile) and 17.25 in head circumference (50 percentile)

The perfect description of him right now is PURE JOY! Jackson can bring a smile to anybody's face at anytime. He is such a happy baby. He is babbling up a storm, sitting up on his own, rolling over all directions (it's especially cute when he rolls over and over towards where one of us is sitting!) He is eating oatmeal cereal and trying lots of new fruits and vegetables. He loves the little Gerber puff snacks and if we show one to him he will grab our hand and pull it towards his mouth (he doesn't quite have the fine motor skills to feed himself one yet although he does try.) In the last week or so he has decided that he would rather sleep on his belly than his back and if we put him back onto his back he rolls back to his belly within moments. He loves to play with mommy and daddy, watch the dogs, giggle, talk to family on the webcam, jump in his doorway jumper, and even has a ticklish spot underneath his chin!

It is amazing watching his development and to think that it was only a little over 6 months ago that he came into this world. He has grown so fast and taught us both so much! I can't even say how much we love our little boy and we can't wait to continue to relish in each and every moment!

Better Late then Never

I think that it is best if we all come to terms with the fact that my blogging abilities are sub-par lately...updating our blog has taken a backseat I am afraid...I mean have you seen how cute of a baby I have to entertain on a regular basis?!

A few weeks ago Travis and I ran the Dirty Dash 10K at Solider Hollow. It was SO much fun and we can both honestly say that we have NEVER been that dirty before.

Our team name was the "Mud Monkeys" and Travis even designed us the awesome shirts we are wearing! Here is a before shot....

...left to right: Kami, Heidi, Sarah, Travis, Chris

We ran up hill through mud, down hill through mud, over hay bails, through tunnels, through a swamp, over walls surrounded by mud, down a water slide, and waded in a gigantic mud pit and this was the result....

...left to right: Sarah, Kami, Hedi, then Travis and Chris behind us

Who knew that full grown men and women could have so much fun getting dirty?! Well we had such a blast that in May next year we are already signed up for the Dirty Dash 5k!! Can't wait :)

Are you Hungry?

This is what happens when you delay feeding a growing boy his rice cereal...

Jackson Takes a Trip

At the beginning of this month, Jackson got to do what many adults have never done....he took his first plane ride! As Jackson and I made our way through the SLC airport (Travis couldn't come with us for this trip due to school and work) he was fascinated with all there was to see around him. He just sat in his little stroller and took it all in. Since this WAS his first big trip, I knew that he probably wanted a picture with an official pilot....

...so we found one! (I love how Jackson is looking at him in this picture!)

Of course we needed a picture of the two of us with the airplane....

...and of Jackson sitting in the empty seat next to me like such a BIG boy!

I was nervous to fly with a baby because I had heard plenty of stories of why babies aren't the greatest travel companions from well meaning friends, coworkers, etc. I am SO PROUD to report that Jackson was an angel on all four of our flights (and the layovers in between). The only time he got a little fussy was going down on our first flight when his ears were popping (at least I am assuming that was the problem since mine were popping too) and even then it was very brief fussing.

We had a VERY busy few days in Iowa and Jackson was a trooper with all the new faces he met and passing from person to person that occurred. Some highlights of our trip included:

Meeting Great-Grandma and Grandpa H. (thanks again for surprising us at the airport!)

Meeting Great-Grandma O. (so glad we could make her smile!)

Meeting 5 week old Max (my BFF Stephanie's darling little guy)

Webcam with Daddy (Jackson was VERY excited to see Travis on webcam. He recognized him right away and I was so glad...I'm pretty sure it made Travis' day! We missed him and he missed us terribly)

Hanging out with Uncle Matthew and Aunt Jana (sorry again about the hair pulling Jana!)

Reading books and cuddling with Grandpa

Bath time and cuddling with Grandma

Thank you SO much to all of the family and friends that came over to meet Jackson while we were home! It was so great to be able to introduce our little guy to everyone! An extra special thank you to my parents for making our trip back so comfortable as always. I know it was a little extra effort getting ready to have a baby in the house again. :) We love our Iowa friends and family and can't wait for our next trip home this winter!

August...

Does anyone else think that it is CRAZY that we are into September already?! August just snuck right away from me and I have been slacking big time on posting on a regular basis. I will try my best to be better...in the mean time, here is what we have been up to since my last post:

"Camping" at Tony Grove in Logan Canyon...and by camping I mean we drove up, enjoyed yummy dutch over dinner and s'mores with friends, and then came home and slept in our warm comfortable beds!

Jackson and his friend Sam (who is 5 weeks older) hanging out trying to stay warm and dry.

Jackson had his first official day of daycare, so we had to get the traditional picture with his diaper bag....because he has no backpack yet! :)
We discovered how cute it was (and how quickly he fell asleep) when Jackson had something to cuddle.

A new discovery...TOES!

Jackson (in the orange) with his friend Greyson during a playdate (thanks again Rachel!!)He is growing SO fast!! We can't wait to see what September brings :)

4 months

It's hard to believe how fast time is going by! Jackson turned 4 months old on the 9th of this month. He is now giggling (inconsistently), smiling all the time, rolling from tummy to back, standing with support, sitting with support, raising up onto his arms during tummy time, and baby-talking up a storm! He is totally aware of his surroundings and loves to watch what's happening around him. He loves having a story read to him during his bath time each night. He is fascinated with the TV, the dogs, his hands, and his newest discovery...his feet! (he still can't quite figure out how to hold onto them for more than a second or two) He sleeps 8-10 hours at night most of the time which is fabulous, but I actually told Travis the other night that I sort of missed getting up with him at night. It is starting to feel like our little munchkin has always been a part of our family. We love him so much and he brings so much joy into our lives. Waking up at 6:30 or 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning isn't even bad when it's his cute little baby face we're waking up for!

At his checkup he was 14lb 4 oz (45th%), 24.5 inches (25%), and 16.5 inches head circumference (45%) The doctor said that he had a nicely shaped head, average weight gain, and was simply darling! Jackson was so brave during the two shots that he got and was excited when we were told that he could start introducing to rice cereal whenever we were ready. Last night we gave it a try for the first time and this was the result...

...Once it was all said and done, for his first time Jackson did great! I know that most of you are probably wondering if ANY cereal got into (and stayed in) his mouth. Quite frankly, I was wondering the same thing myself until I changed a dirty diaper today that was a little different than the last 4 months' worth. We still have a little bit of learning to do as far as moving food from the front to the back of his mouth without spitting it out goes before he is able to take cereal a little better, but you know what they say...practice makes perfect!

Today I received some very wise advice in an email from my Grandma ..."hold his hands until he is old enough to realize that he can't chew on his hands while his mouth is full"...I think that we will try that next time, but watching him make a mess this first round was priceless!

We're Gonna Get Dirty!

Travis and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a fall morning in September than running, crawling, and jumping in the mud at Soldier Hollow (the location of the Cross Country Skiing Events for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games) and so we signed ourselves up for the 2010 Dirty Dash 10K! We are going to be on a team with Travis' brother, his wife, and her sister... it is going to be a blast! There really is no advantage to running the race as a team...it was the same price and we all still have to run the entire distance...so I guess the point of being on a team is to be there for physical and moral support through the obstacles...and for great photo opportunities! :) To learn more details about the race click HERE

We have been alternating days going for runs to prepare for the main event. It feels so great to be back into running again. Once I find my pace I could run for hours. Historically, when I have mapped out my routes I avoid incline like the plague. Seeing as this course has been described as "rolling" I decided I had probably train some hills so last week was my first attempt and I about died. I have a whole new respect for people who love to go trail running in the mountains (Travis is one of those people) So far I have done a 3.5 mile run with hills and a 4.5 mile run with hills and I must admit that although it is tough it feels great afterwards! I can't wait for September 25th to arrive! If anyone is interested come out and cheer us on! :)

Lately..

We have had quite a bit going on these last couple of weeks...

For Pioneer Day (a July 24th Holiday here in Utah for all of my out of state friends and family) we were with Travis' family up in Heber City. Derek, Jackson's cousin turned 1 on July 23rd so we started the weekend with his birthday party Friday night. Saturday we had a picnic brunch and later made homemade snow cones...yum!

Derek, Jackson, and Kyla

Heidi A. and Keith

The rest of the Atwood clan (minus myself and Parker)

Last week we went up Logan Canyon with a few of our neighbors for a bonfire. Jackson was fascinated by the campfire! I LOVE the smell of a campfire...until you aren't around it anymore. We didn't get home until 10:30 that night (2 hours past Jackson's bedtime) and you better believe that he got a bath before going to bed!

Our neighbor Brooke and her little boy Ryder (she is due any day now with another little boy and I am so excited that Jackson will have little neighbor friends to play with when he is a little older)

Ryder and Jackson in the "big people" chairs

Troy and Travis building us a fire

A few weeks ago Jackson made an amazing discovery...the TELEVISION!! I told Travis that it is time to get out the Sesame Street and Baby Einstein shows. I came downstairs one night to this....

...are you wondering what he was watching? Don't worry...it was just a good old fashioned beauty pageant...Toddlers and Tiaras!! :)

In other news, Jackson is OFFICIALLY giggling. We have gotten it on video, but blogger doesn't like the file sizes that I have tried to upload so I will have to figure something else out. Let me just tell you, it is the CUTEST thing and melts my heart every time I hear it! I love my little boy SO much!

Grandpa and Grandma H came to visit!

We were so lucky to have my parents come out to visit us from Iowa for 10 days at the beginning of this month. If you ask me it's pretty awesome that they have visited twice since Jackson was born and he is only 3 months old! :) The weather was absolutely beautiful the entire time they were here. Amongst the relaxation time, my dad helped Travis hang a couple of ceiling fans, we got to go on a couple of picnics, several nice walks, the park with the dogs, and fishing at several locations here in Cache Valley. Much to his baby sitter's dismay, Jackson got to spend lots of quality time with Grandpa and Grandma while Travis and I worked.

Jackson, Grandpa, and Grandma

Grandpa taught Jackson all about how to change the line on a fishing pole

Grandma made sure that Jackson's belly stay full while I was at work

Jackson showed Grandpa and Grandma how much fun he is now during bath time...

...and how much better he is getting at tummy time (even though it still isn't his favorite thing)

Thanks SO MUCH mom and dad for coming out to spend more time with us! We love you lots and look forward to when we get to see you again soon!