Half an hour later we found Jack like this:
Monday, November 7, 2011
One Thing Led to Another...
Jesse took the following photograph during dinner tonight:
Half an hour later we found Jack like this:
Half an hour later we found Jack like this:
Sunday, November 6, 2011
L-O-N-G Week!
It has been a L-O-N-G week. Frequent family get-togethers, neverending parent-teacher conferences, and massive construction on the interstate has caused a time warp. Here's an abridged re-cap of the past ten days:
Last Friday was a teacher workday with parent-teacher conferences. I met with 14 parents. One of the challenges of the family model is having to meet with so many parents. We are supposed to meet with our math and literacy students' parents...which is about 40 students for each of us. Conferences were both enlightening and exhausting due to so many language barriers and translators. Many conferences had multiple translators with 3-4 languages being spoken within one family.
My saving grace is always the weekend, where I can bond with Jackson while Jesse is at Toys-R-Us. Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and Chinese restaurant on Saturday. We spent Sunday at church, running errands, and napping.
Monday was full of Halloween shenanigans. I dedicated a whole post to this, but trust me when I say it was a whirlwind of a day (in the best way possible).
Tuesday included a parent-teacher conference from HELL. The principal had to sit in to defuse the situation. I was ready to walk out and quit. I left immediately after the conference. My mother-in-law left at the same time to drop Jackson off at the house. We were both stuck in traffic (coming from opposite directions) for over an hour. Once finally home the outside cat ran inside the house and went CRAZY. My mother-in-law and I were screaming and the cats were hissing, which made Jackson cry. By the time we got the cat back outside, it was after 7 p.m. I spent half an hour with Jackson before we both crashed.
Wednesday was another day of nonstop activities.
After school my teammate and I made two home visits to the parents of some of our Vietnamese students. The living conditions were a bit surreal, but the families were incredibly gracious in welcoming us into their home.
Jackson was with his MiMi and Jesse was going to pick him up. I rushed to our weekly Bible study. The leader asked us to make a time line of our spiritual journey from birth to present, making sure to highlight significant highs and lows in our relationship with God. It was my turn to share with the small group. I inevitably ended up crying, though I convinced myself beforehand that I wouldn't. By far the greatest "spiritual high" was throughout my pregnancy. I feel like I have felt God's presence decreasingly less since going back to work in August.
After Bible study I took advantage of my brief time with Jackson before he went to bed. Jesse and I ate dinner. I stayed up baking my brother's 40th birthday cake. I decided on a three layer chocolate and red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. (I didn't take a picture of the cake but it looked very similar to this one, minus the mint leaf:)
Thursday afternoon I had another parent-teacher conference, then quickly headed home in just enough time to get Jackson and drive to Gastonia for my brother's birthday party. Jackson and I enjoyed the food and company. We didn't get home until nearly 10 p.m.
Friday was a pretty good day at work. My class did really well in our geometry rap battle and my kids were very successful in creating an impromptu bulletin board. I had a hodge podge of students while the safety patrol students had an ice cream party. In only an hour, my students created this biome board 100% by themselves (stapled it up and everything)!
Jackson spent Friday with his favorite cousin and friend for their weekly play date. Our friend Elizabeth picks him up and brings him back home each Friday. Jesse had the day off so he mowed the lawn and caught up on TV on the DVR. Jackson was still in Gastonia when I got home so Jesse and I enjoyed our first real date night at our favorite Mexican restaurant. After dinner we met Elizabeth off the interstate to pick up Jackson.
Jackson loves the Gerber puffs. Jesse bought some mango and apple puffs. Jackson still hasn't developed the fine motor skills to pick up the small pieces and put them in his mouth. He likes to throw them in attempts at putting them in his mouth. He can definitely chomp down on them with his front teeth once we put them in his mouth.
Saturday was an emotional day. I was all weepy over severe job dissatisfaction and overall loneliness over not being invited to something. My cycle finally started back (over a week late) and I was cramping and hormonal. More importantly, Saturday marked the four year anniversary of Mom's death. I still get mad that Jackson is missing out on knowing her. My cell phone must have fallen out of my purse on Friday night because it was in Jesse's car the whole day. Instead of going anywhere, Jackson and I literally spent hours curled up in a blanket in bed watching TV. The constant business from the week created one seriously messy house! I managed to be productive for a few hours by cleaning the house, vacuuming, doing dishes, folding laundry, and cooking lasagna for dinner.
That finally brings us up to speed. Today (Sunday) began with our typical pancake breakfast and church. Since it was Daylight Savings time, Jackson was wide awake at 7 a.m. I was able to get all of my science lesson plans and handouts created before breakfast. After sharing my concerns regarding math reteach, I received a VERY bitchy e-mail response from a staff member that once again confirmed my increasing frustration with administration. Unfortunately I have let this dictate my mood for the majority of the day.
After church Jackson and I briefly went home before making the hour long drive to Bessemer City to celebrate my niece's birthday. We shared in food and hugs, then drove back home a few hours later. Now I'm just fighting to keep Jackson awake past 7 a.m.
Here's to hopes for a more relaxed week ahead...
Last Friday was a teacher workday with parent-teacher conferences. I met with 14 parents. One of the challenges of the family model is having to meet with so many parents. We are supposed to meet with our math and literacy students' parents...which is about 40 students for each of us. Conferences were both enlightening and exhausting due to so many language barriers and translators. Many conferences had multiple translators with 3-4 languages being spoken within one family.
My saving grace is always the weekend, where I can bond with Jackson while Jesse is at Toys-R-Us. Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch and Chinese restaurant on Saturday. We spent Sunday at church, running errands, and napping.
Monday was full of Halloween shenanigans. I dedicated a whole post to this, but trust me when I say it was a whirlwind of a day (in the best way possible).
Tuesday included a parent-teacher conference from HELL. The principal had to sit in to defuse the situation. I was ready to walk out and quit. I left immediately after the conference. My mother-in-law left at the same time to drop Jackson off at the house. We were both stuck in traffic (coming from opposite directions) for over an hour. Once finally home the outside cat ran inside the house and went CRAZY. My mother-in-law and I were screaming and the cats were hissing, which made Jackson cry. By the time we got the cat back outside, it was after 7 p.m. I spent half an hour with Jackson before we both crashed.
Wednesday was another day of nonstop activities.
After school my teammate and I made two home visits to the parents of some of our Vietnamese students. The living conditions were a bit surreal, but the families were incredibly gracious in welcoming us into their home.
Jackson was with his MiMi and Jesse was going to pick him up. I rushed to our weekly Bible study. The leader asked us to make a time line of our spiritual journey from birth to present, making sure to highlight significant highs and lows in our relationship with God. It was my turn to share with the small group. I inevitably ended up crying, though I convinced myself beforehand that I wouldn't. By far the greatest "spiritual high" was throughout my pregnancy. I feel like I have felt God's presence decreasingly less since going back to work in August.
After Bible study I took advantage of my brief time with Jackson before he went to bed. Jesse and I ate dinner. I stayed up baking my brother's 40th birthday cake. I decided on a three layer chocolate and red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. (I didn't take a picture of the cake but it looked very similar to this one, minus the mint leaf:)
Thursday afternoon I had another parent-teacher conference, then quickly headed home in just enough time to get Jackson and drive to Gastonia for my brother's birthday party. Jackson and I enjoyed the food and company. We didn't get home until nearly 10 p.m.
Friday was a pretty good day at work. My class did really well in our geometry rap battle and my kids were very successful in creating an impromptu bulletin board. I had a hodge podge of students while the safety patrol students had an ice cream party. In only an hour, my students created this biome board 100% by themselves (stapled it up and everything)!
Jackson loves the Gerber puffs. Jesse bought some mango and apple puffs. Jackson still hasn't developed the fine motor skills to pick up the small pieces and put them in his mouth. He likes to throw them in attempts at putting them in his mouth. He can definitely chomp down on them with his front teeth once we put them in his mouth.
Saturday was an emotional day. I was all weepy over severe job dissatisfaction and overall loneliness over not being invited to something. My cycle finally started back (over a week late) and I was cramping and hormonal. More importantly, Saturday marked the four year anniversary of Mom's death. I still get mad that Jackson is missing out on knowing her. My cell phone must have fallen out of my purse on Friday night because it was in Jesse's car the whole day. Instead of going anywhere, Jackson and I literally spent hours curled up in a blanket in bed watching TV. The constant business from the week created one seriously messy house! I managed to be productive for a few hours by cleaning the house, vacuuming, doing dishes, folding laundry, and cooking lasagna for dinner.
That finally brings us up to speed. Today (Sunday) began with our typical pancake breakfast and church. Since it was Daylight Savings time, Jackson was wide awake at 7 a.m. I was able to get all of my science lesson plans and handouts created before breakfast. After sharing my concerns regarding math reteach, I received a VERY bitchy e-mail response from a staff member that once again confirmed my increasing frustration with administration. Unfortunately I have let this dictate my mood for the majority of the day.
After church Jackson and I briefly went home before making the hour long drive to Bessemer City to celebrate my niece's birthday. We shared in food and hugs, then drove back home a few hours later. Now I'm just fighting to keep Jackson awake past 7 a.m.
Here's to hopes for a more relaxed week ahead...
Halloween
We were able to celebrate Halloween at school with Book Character Day. Hands down, my favorite book character is Amelia Bedelia. I got really excited the day before and found a perfect blue dress at Goodwill and apron from WalMart. I had to get creative with scrapbooking materials for the hat.
Jesse had the day off so he and Jackson toured Charlotte and the surrounding areas. They came to visit us at school during lunch and recess. The kids LOVE seeing Jackson. They were especially excited to see him dressed in his duck costume.
Jackson was so tired he actually fell asleep during recess. Jesse took him home earlier so that they would still have time to go grocery shopping before heading off to visit MiMi and PaPa. (Please note that Jesse's visitor pass says "Daddy and Ducky"!)
MiMi was delighted as always to love on her grandsons. Levi made an adorable UPS man. Jackson had a quick wardrobe change into his second Halloween costume, a dinosaur. Jesse was able to briefly visit with his brother before they went trunk or treating.
It was a very busy day visiting family and friends. Jackson crashed in the car and slept peacefully the whole ride, then the rest of the night.
Jesse had the day off so he and Jackson toured Charlotte and the surrounding areas. They came to visit us at school during lunch and recess. The kids LOVE seeing Jackson. They were especially excited to see him dressed in his duck costume.
MiMi was delighted as always to love on her grandsons. Levi made an adorable UPS man. Jackson had a quick wardrobe change into his second Halloween costume, a dinosaur. Jesse was able to briefly visit with his brother before they went trunk or treating.
Genius me scheduled four parent teacher conferences for Monday afternoon! I was meeting with parents until 6 p.m. Thankfully traffic wasn't too bad. I literally called Jesse when I pulled into the neighborhood so he could have Jackson in the car already. We immediately left for Gastonia to visit my family.
Jackson had his first trick-or-treating experience with my Aunt Jan and Uncle Dale. He was really intrigued by the colorful candy and kept grabbing everything from their basket. (Obviously he didn't eat any!)
The many cousins gathered together on the couch for the required photograph. We binged on hotdogs, beans, and chips before beginning the candy swap.
Jackson's MeMe (my oldest sister) was thoughtful enough to buy him Gerber puffs since he couldn't feast on candy. He had never eaten puffs before but they were a huge hit!
The festivities ended with my favorite Halloween tradition. My entire family sits on the floor, dumps out their candy, and trades for the candy of their preference.
It was a very busy day visiting family and friends. Jackson crashed in the car and slept peacefully the whole ride, then the rest of the night.
Happy Halloween, Jackson Lee!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Pumpkin Patch
As much as I love my husband, I must admit that I LOVE my weekends with Jackson while Jesse is working. Yesterday we went to the local pumpkin patch. This is something I've been wanting to do as a family all month but Jesse wasn't interested. I distinctly remember looking forward to picking out a pumpkin as a child. I fondly recall removing the pumpkin guts with my small hands and then baking the seeds.
I waited until after Jackson's two hour afternoon nap and feeding before driving 15 minutes to the farm. Jackson was amused by the goats, cows, and horses. He had a good time on the ground playing with the pumpkins and he was content in the wagon. The wind started to pick up and it was already chilly out. Jackson's mood quickly declined. (Sad note: I didn't even think about the farm only accepting cash and I only had my debit card so we didn't even get a pumpkin!)
I waited until after Jackson's two hour afternoon nap and feeding before driving 15 minutes to the farm. Jackson was amused by the goats, cows, and horses. He had a good time on the ground playing with the pumpkins and he was content in the wagon. The wind started to pick up and it was already chilly out. Jackson's mood quickly declined. (Sad note: I didn't even think about the farm only accepting cash and I only had my debit card so we didn't even get a pumpkin!)
I'm so happy to begin another favorite fall tradition and spend another wonderful Saturday with my boy!
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Six Month Well Check
This past Tuesday (Oct. 25) was Jackson's six month well check. This was his first appointment with a pediatrician. Various concerns with our family physician over the past few months caused us to seek out a pediatrician. (He showed zero concern with Jackson's allergic reaction to the cloth diapers, poor weight gain, or psoriasis.)
We originally made an appointment with a pediatrician the day after Jackson turned six months old. We've actually had to cancel two previously scheduled appointments because Jesse forgot to ask off work. Technically Jackson was 6.5 months old.
It has only been five weeks since our Urgent Care visit where Jackson only weighed 14 lbs 9 oz. Stress and pressure resulted in my body no longer producing milk, forcing us to switch to formula. It was clearly a good choice because Jackson weighed 16 lbs even at his well check on Tuesday and measured 27 inches long.
Here are his 6 month stats:
The pediatrician was thorough, friendly, and professional. I asked about the knot on his neck and she said it was related to his cradle cap. (I don't understand what those two things have to do with one another, but she's the specialist so I trust her.) She also said that Jackson had excellent trunk control and should begin sitting up within the next few weeks, and that his top gums are swollen so we should expect the top two teeth to come in very soon.
I wasn't as impressed with the nurse. She was rather slow with each shot and Jackson was expectantly upset. He still has dark bruises on his legs from the shots four days later. I've heard such terrible things about six month shots, but Jackson wasn't fussy at all in the hours and days afterwards. If anything, he just seems to sleep more.
We originally made an appointment with a pediatrician the day after Jackson turned six months old. We've actually had to cancel two previously scheduled appointments because Jesse forgot to ask off work. Technically Jackson was 6.5 months old.
It has only been five weeks since our Urgent Care visit where Jackson only weighed 14 lbs 9 oz. Stress and pressure resulted in my body no longer producing milk, forcing us to switch to formula. It was clearly a good choice because Jackson weighed 16 lbs even at his well check on Tuesday and measured 27 inches long.
Here are his 6 month stats:
Weight | Height | Head | |
Birth | 8 lb, 15 oz | 21.75 in | 14 in |
1 Month | 11 lb, 1 oz | 23.25 in | 15.25 in |
2 Month | 12 lbs, 15 oz | 25 in | 15.75 in |
4 Month | 14 lbs, 4 oz | 25.75 in | 16.5 in |
6 Month | 16 lbs | 27 in | 17.5 in |
The pediatrician was thorough, friendly, and professional. I asked about the knot on his neck and she said it was related to his cradle cap. (I don't understand what those two things have to do with one another, but she's the specialist so I trust her.) She also said that Jackson had excellent trunk control and should begin sitting up within the next few weeks, and that his top gums are swollen so we should expect the top two teeth to come in very soon.
I wasn't as impressed with the nurse. She was rather slow with each shot and Jackson was expectantly upset. He still has dark bruises on his legs from the shots four days later. I've heard such terrible things about six month shots, but Jackson wasn't fussy at all in the hours and days afterwards. If anything, he just seems to sleep more.
BEACH!
Quick vent: I have seriously been working on this post ALL week. Ever since we switched our Internet services my Internet has been extremely inconsistent. It will work for 5-10 minutes, then disconnect.
So...last weekend was the Annual Robinson Family Beach Trip. This began several years back and we have continued the tradition of going to the beach each October. This year it was just Jackson and I with my oldest sister, Christina, and her family.
I was very aggravated that Jesse wouldn't ask off work for the weekend. We knew the dates of the trip several months in advance and I asked Jesse to request the weekend off when he was hired at Babies-R-Us. He didn't ask off and I really didn't want to go without him. After talking with Jesse on Thursday night, we decided it would be okay if I drove Jackson down by myself and we spent the weekend with my sister.
We drove down Friday night. I was dangerously tired and debated whether or not I should spend the night in a random hotel when we were only halfway there. Jackson slept the entire time and I was able to drive with the window down and sing along to the radio to try and keep myself awake. We didn't check in to the hotel until nearly 11 pm. Christina helped me unload the car and set up the pack-n-play in the room. After initial excitement, we both slept very soundly.
Jackson was wide eyed by 7 a.m. We had a relaxed morning watching the sunrise.
The chilly morning air was the perfect excuse to break out the ASU sweatshirts!
After breakfast (food brought from home) we headed down to the beach. It turns out that Jackson is NOT a fan of the actual ocean. He screamed and cried when the waves hit his feet. He was only content on the beach when someone was holding him.
He certainly didn't mind the lazy river or pool though.
My brother-in-law, Scott, helped me load up my car by 10 a.m. Jackson was exhausted from his busy morning so I decided to let him nap as long as he could in the car before stopping for breakfast. He must have been really tired because my stomach was growling so loud I finally decided to stop at 1:30 and wake him up. We had a long, leisurely lunch at Cracker Barrel. Jackson ate some of my mashed potatoes and green beans. He slept the entire car ride home. I drove straight to Concord Mills so we could visit Jesse. Both my boys missed one another tremendously and they were adorable during Jesse's break.
As apprehensive as I was about going to the beach alone with Jackson, I am so very happy that I did. Ever since I stopped nursing I feel like I've lost special time with just Jackson and I. This weekend was such a wonderful experience to share with my sweet boy that I will always remember.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Sweet Potatoes
We gave Jackson sweet potatoes for the first time tonight. (Jesse and I ate sweet potatoes and pork tenderloin for dinner.) Jackson liked it alright...not as much as bananas but more than avocado.
As always, eating solid food turned into a wrestling match over the spoon. Curiosity won over.
Jackson's favorite thing to do at the dinner table is a mixture of yelling and laughter.
And after everything was cleaned up, Jackson smiled and continued to babble over Jesse and I.
Love him!
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