Tara & Neal's Goodbye

Jackson & Mommy!

These were all taken yesterday at Petey's Summertime Seafood & Bar - Rye, New Hampshire!

Jackson is looking at his Nana in this one...

Jackson's Blabla - Leonardo the Lion

This is Jackson's favorite new toy! It's a gift from his auntie Lynnie... thanx Lynnie... as you can see he LOVES it!!!!

This jacket is a new score from auntie Julie aka JuJu's... thanks JuJuz!!!

New Pictures of Jackson - 3 + months old

Jackson's got the best facial expressions!

Jackson looks so much older than 3 months in this next picture.... don'tcha love the drool hanging off his chin!

Jackson's 1st unassisted Roll!

Yippie-Hooray! Jackson just did his very first roll all by himself. He rolled from his tummy onto his back! I have been assisting him in rolling from tummy to back & then from back to tummy, but this one was a solo roll. Another proud moment for Mummy & Daddy!

Yesterday, Jackson turned 3 months old. Crazy how fast he's growing & developing.

Pollinators of the world

(Yes, it's a bit crooked & off center, sorry, I was trying to do my best w.out the flash on laying on my back w. Jackson asleep next to me.)

This is what Jackson looks at when he wakes up in the morning & from napping. Jerrod & I got this poster at the Worm Gruntin' Festival in Sopchoppy, Florida.. yes, you did read that correctly. It was a very small, but really fun festival in the "big bend" area of Florida, which is south of Tallahassee, right on the Gulf. It was our first trek up to the big bend area w. Jibbies (Jackson's nickname via Daddy). We acquired the poster from a few representatives from the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which is also located in the "big bend" area. The poster is vibrant & gorgeous, plus Jackson really seems to enjoy looking at all those pollinators. We talk about each pollinator & what they are, teachable moments abound.

Plus, now that Daddy (Jerrod) planted a few things in the spring garden, we get to actually see some of these pollinators at work in the vegetable garden, along with the blueberry bushes & in many of my flowers.

Our sweet baby boy

Jackson's Baby Jogger

Here's Jackson...

Jackson's starting to roll....

Jackson's growth & development has been WOWing us... I will upload some pictures soon to share his progress, but for now words will have to do. Here's what been happening for Jackson:

He was 16. 5 lbs on Thursday May 24th He's reaching for items & grasping them He's laughing - yes, an actual laugh - so funny to hear him laugh! He likes to stand up & then squat down He has an activity center where he can sit in & scoot around using his feet & stand-up too During tummy time:

• lift his head up off the blanket for extended periods of time,
• rotate his head while lifted,
• do push-ups with his hands (a mini-push up)
• roll from his tummy to his side, then to his back w. only minor aid from Mummy tucking his arm under his chin

These next 3 pix were taken almost 2 weeks ago...

One of his favs is to suck his thumb while nursing! He's double-dippin already -That's our boy!

hmm...what else, he's outgrown almost all of his 3 month old clothes. We just ordered his crib mattress from Naturpedic (I'm so excited for him to be in his own special crib, plus my Mum aka Nana, is making his bumpers & crib sheets). We've got his room almost done, except for painting it & a small area rug, but that'll come later.

Gosh, I know there's more. Oh, our trip to see my sister & Mum, Auntie Julz & Nana, what a special time for all of us, pix to follow!

Jackson met his Grandpa Eddie on Grandpa Eddie's birthday, May 12th, another special day. Then Grandpa Eddie came to visit "The Kid" (that's what he calls Jackson) on his big ole Harley this past Saturday. He wants to take The Kid for a ride to "cruise"...we'll see about that!

Jackson at 8 weeks old

(Mommy needs to work on centering Jackson in the picture!)

Jackson at 7 weeks old

A few of the big boy!

quick update

Jackson's grown some-more...he had quite the feeding frenzy over the weekend & thusly gained a bit more this past week... today he weighed 15 lbs 13 oz. (he was almost 15.14 #)

I'll have more pictures this weekend to share here!

Oh, fun news... my mom & I found Jackson a great dresser, mirror and matching bedside table. So on Tuesday we arranged Jackson's room, it's coming together so nicely. I'll have to take pictures of his room when it's complete - it's getting close!

Jackson is 2 months old

Today, May 3rd, Jackson is 2 months old...

We had our 2 month check-up at the Pediatricians office yesterday. Our boy weighed in at 15.6 lbs. His length measured out at 25" and his head circumference was 41cm. WOW! His height & weight are both in the 95th percentile and his head circumference is in the 90th percentile. And, our Ped, Dr. Michelle Massias, said that Jackson is functioning developmentally at a three & a half month old level. That's our boy! We are so proud.

Things to know about Jackson:

• He's cooing - THE most wonderful sound ever!
• He's rolling from his side to his back
• His head control is really good - getting stronger & having more control every day
• He's tracking (eye movement)
• He's learning how to pre-crawl during tummy time
• He seems to enjoy sucking on his hands, fingers & thumb, especially the thumb
• He's drooling (pre teething - maybe?)
• He's smiling (social smile), has been for the past 3 weeks
• He's laughing - so sweet!
• He enjoys reading & looking at the pictures (he loves The Runaway Bunny)
• He loves the ABC song - that's his favorite when his diaper is being changed
• He's learning how to do the Itsy-Bitsy Spider
• He loves spending time with both sets of Grandparents
• He loves going for walks in his stroller w. either Mommy, Daddy or his Nana (Kate's Mom) at the helm
• He loves to snuggle!
• He's going to meet his Auntie Julie in a few weeks, we're very excited!

A couple candid ones...

May I have a moment to my self please? I just need a little alone time, just me & my thumb..

" I ain't got time for your jibba-jabbah's"

Jackson is 15.4 lbs @ 7.5 weeks

Here are a few photo's of Jackson. These were taken on a recent trip to St. Augustine. These pictures were all taken at Crescent Beach.

Here he's thinking..."I was so comfy just a few minutes ago, I had a full belly, I was nice & snuggly in my car seat & now what? The wind is blowing & the sun is shinning...what else is going to happen? Oh Mommy!"
Jackson has yet to feel the cool Crescent Beach waters...

Not sure what he's thinking right now, but it may be close to ...."what on earth has Mommy gone and done with me this time and where are my pants?"

These were taken after we left the beach area. Jackson is so happy to be in Daddy's arms.

Here's a sweet one of Jackson.

Jackson at the Gator's National Championship Basketball Game

Good Morning All,
Jackson is taking his morning nap so I thought I would upload a few of his most recent pictures. These were taken the night that the Gator's won their 2nd National Title in Basketball... needless to say, Jackson was totally worn out at the end of the night from cheering his Gator boys on to victory! Go Gators!

Ps.Thank You Neal for the pictures of Jackson!

Jackson is now 13.1 lbs 4.2.07

This song was written by Bob Dylan & performed by Susan Tedeschi on her most recent album, Hope & Desire. The song is Lord Protect My Child. I first heard this song when I downloaded the album from Itunes... it spoke to me then, and means so much more to me now. Here are the lyrics. As you can probably tell, I love music & I love lyrics, they can express & convey so much of what we are feeling and where we are at in our life's journey.

For his age, he's wise
He's got his mother's eyes
There's gladness in his heart
He's young and he's wild
My only prayer is, if I can't be there,
Lord, protect my child

As his youth now unfolds
He is centuries old
Just to see him at play makes me smile
No matter what happens to me
No matter what my destiny
Lord, protect my child

While the world is asleep
You can look at it and weep
Few things you find are worthwhile
And though I don't ask for much
No material things to touch
Lord, protect my child

He's young and on fire
Full of hope and desire
In a world that's been raped, raped and defiled
If I fall along the way
And can't see another day
Lord, protect my child

There'll be a time I hear tell
When all will be well
When God and man will be reconciled
But until men lose their chains
And righteousness reigns
Lord, protect my child

FLORIDA

This song was written by John "JJ" Grey of MOFRO, which is a local band, with a great love and passion for ole Florida. This song perfectly captures the way Jerrod & I feel about where Florida is headed and how sad we are for the future of Florida - mainly for our son, Jackson, who will inevitably grow up in a very different Florida than the one Jerrod grew up in.

I remember my grandpa tellin me

about the early day of Florida

Born a swamp cracka two miles from Granny's Bay

comin up the way of the wilderness

No car, phone or electric light

yeah just livin life one day at a time

no newspaper, no wars, no strife

just the elemental keys that provide for life

Florida I know you're out there hidin from me

you get harder and harder to find

Everyday she keeps slippin away

Florida please don't fade on me now

Autumn sun set morning skys ablaze

the oaks and the pines turn their palms up to the sun

The kind of beauty that hits down in the soul

and still we're hell bent to destroy it all

With concrete and steel we pave

a road to hell on a land we've killed

So take a good look and remember it now

cause one day you gonna wake up and find it gone

Now skyscrapers and superhighways

are carved through the heart of Florida

building subdivisions while the swamps are drained

makin' room for people and amusement parks

It's like watchin someone you love die slow

yeah they killin her one piece at a time

I know some fools who think that I should let go

but they've never seen Florida through my eyes

Florida I know you're out there hidin from me

you get harder and harder to find

Everyday she keeps slippin away

Florida please don't fade on me now

Jackson, weighing in at 12.7 lbs, in his new Baby Sling...3.27.07

Hi All,

Just a quick picture & update on Jackson. We made our 3rd week postpartum visit to the Birth Center yesterday, March 27th. Jennifer, one of the midwives, weighed Jackson and he's now 12.7 lbs. Can you believe it? I still can't believe how jynormous he is sometimes... I joke that he's my 3 week - 3 month old... have any of you seen The Best of Will Ferrell...the one where he's the 30-year old newborn? (here's the youtube link in case you haven't seen it). Our friends Tara & Neal commented on Jackson being that 30-year old newborn. Jerrod was joking at church on Sunday how we had just shaved Jackson's beard on Saturday! Oh, Jackson how amazing you are!

Here is Jackson, with Mommy, in his new baby sling.

Jackson's Birth Story

It all began on Thursday March 1st, with an acupuncture appointment. My acupuncturist Clare Fenn did every down-bearing point that is called for stimulating uterine contractions, essentially "bringing-on" labor. The next day was Friday the 2nd & I was at home doing some work out in the yard - I guess my "nesting" struck outside with doing yard work, which isn't that different from any other day at home for me. Anyway, I felt great all day long. Jerrod had called on his way home from school to ask if I needed anything from Publix. Of course, eggplant. I was going to use eggplant, another uterine stimulant to get the ball rolling. Jerrod arrived home a bit after 6pm, where I began making eggplant Parmesan. Jerrod's not a big fan of this meal, but I was ready to dig in, and I did. It was good, something I haven't eaten since becoming pregnant so many months ago. After dinner Jerrod & I spent our last "quiet" night together.

Little did we know that at 12:30 am, I would wake with contractions. My contractions were a bit sporadically spaced at first, but within an hour they were approximately 6 minutes apart. I lost my mucus plug around 2:30am, then my water broke around 4:30am. I called my midwife, Jen Love, around 4:30am and informed her of my progression. I asked if we could come into the birth center early since we live so far away, approximately 45 minutes. She said of course, so Jerrod & I got ourselves ready to go. Jerrod was a bit nervous as he spent more time getting ready & making sure we had everything known to man that we probably needed. (Jerrod's motto in life is Better to have it & not need it, then to need it & not have it.)

Finally, around 5:15 am, we were on the road heading towards downtown Gainesville. We arrived at the Birth Center around 6:00 am, settled into bed where my contractions were now at 4 minutes apart. My labor progressed rather quickly throughout the morning & into the day. I will say that looking back, it wasn't nearly as hard as I had originally thought. Please don't get me wrong, it was still tough, but I had a wonderful midwife, and a fabulous doula, Melanie Grogan - who I actually did my master's with at UF. Melanie totally helped me with my breathing, thinking about each contraction as if it were me riding in on a wave -breathing right through the crest of the wave all the way through to that "floating" feeling.

Jerrod & I took a nap together during early labor, then things started to progress begining around the noon hour. Then around 3 or 4pm my labor was rapidly progressing. I was moving from the birth ball to the tub allowing the labor to progress all the while concentrating on my breathing and doing my best to stay relaxed. By 5 or 5:30 pm I was fully dilated, now the hard part had begun. I was in the tub and things were not progressing, as in Jackson was not moving through the birth canal. Jen Love suggested that I get out of the tub and move around, climbing the stairs, sitting on a birthing stool, sitting on the birthing ball, getting on all fours, and walking around. Jerrod & I walked around for a good solid hour, up and down the stairs (Jerrod was getting in quite the workout!). After all that walking around, Jackson still hadn't moved past my pubic bone. Jen suggested that I get back in bed and try out several different birthing positions. We tried all these different positions for approximately an hour with no progress in the birth canal. Jen then informed us that she was calling Dr. George Buchanan to inform him that he was needed and that Alachua General Hospital was also being called and to expect us in the next few minutes. Jen did say to Jerrod & I just prior to these two phone calls that if I could get the baby to move past my pubic bone that I could potentially have the baby at the Birth Center, which is what I really wanted. But, alas, that was not the case, and the baby did not move, even a centimeter down the birth canal. After making the two phone calls, Jen came back in the room, asked if there was any progress, and No was the answer. I asked Jen what should I expect from the hospital? She said either they would use suction to get the baby out or the dreaded c-section. At this point I was still adamantly against a c-section, not that I wanted out child to be sucked out either. So, we packed up our things, and made our way the 2 miles to AGH. While en route to AGH I finally realized that all my strength and energy was gone. I had nothing left to give, nothing left to push, my will was finally broken and God's will finally took over.

We arrived at AGH only to experience the worst labor & delivery triage intake nurse known to man. She was so mean, so unsympathetic, so uncaring, dealing with her was actually more painful than my final hours worth of contractions. I will spare you all the horrendous questions she asked, only that it took them over an hour to do my intake, meanwhile I was still experiencing contractions every few seconds, only to be flat on my back with a fetal monitor attached to my abdomen, a catheter inserted, IVs jammed in my arm, and Attilla the Hun yelling at me because I failed to inform her of my latex allergy. She originally asked if I was allergic to any meds, where upon I said yes, to morphine, she never asked if I had any other allergies. Also, during this wonderful Q & A session, Jerrod and my midwife were not allowed to be with me. Finally they let Jerrod in, where he did his best to calm me down and try to get me to cooperate.

Then the anaesthesiologist showed up, this guy was hilarious! Thank God for him. He asked a few questions, then Dr. Buchanan came in, checked my cervix and declared that I was the next contestant for You're Having a C-Section! Amen to that, just give me that spinal & get this kid out of me, was all that was thinking. Finally, Attilla was done with her interrogation, and Dr. Buchanan was ready for me. They wheeled me down to the OR, where Louie, the anaesthesiologist, was awaiting my arrival. He informed me that my spinal make take as long as 15 minutes to do, depending on how easy or difficult I was... needless to say I was saying to my body "Take the needle, you like the needled, your body wants to the needle, the needle is good for you". After he numbed the area, I leaned over onto one of the nurses, where upon Louie inserted the needle and within seconds I stared to feel my pressure decrease, and listening to Louie, who informed me that I just experienced my last contraction! WHOO-HOO! Celebrate Good Times Come On!

After, the needle, they laid me down on the operating table where Louie began to pinch my abdomen, asking what I could feel and what was numb. He said that once I was numb past a certain point, Dr. Buchanan would come in & perform his magic. It seemed like only a few minutes has passed before Dr. B. was slicing & dicing. The OR nurses did ask if we knew what we were having & I said "No, we're waiting". So once Dr. B. opened my up the nurses were desperate to know what the baby was. Dr. B. informed us all that he couldn't tell by the baby's head of hair, but within a moment he announced that the baby was a boy! What joy! Jerrod was so excited as was I. Dr. B. showed us the baby over the partition, where upon they whisked him away to do the APGAR, then weigh, measure, and clean him up. Jerrod was with our precious boy the whole time, he's such a great Daddy! Then of course, we had to decide on a name. I hollered over to Jerrod that he could make the final decision, either Jackson Lee or Colt. As you already know, Daddy decided on Jackson Lee! The nurse informed us all that Jackson was 10 lbs, 4 oz, and 22" in length - a whopper of a baby boy!

The nurse brought our beautiful boy over to me, I said hello to my beautiful boy Jackson, gave him multiple kisses, then she took him away to do some tests, the standard hospital tests, CBC, Vitamin K shot, eurethromiacin for his eyes, and and an IV for antibiotics, as I was GBS+. Jerrod went to the NICU with Jackson, and held his hand and talked Jackson through the hole process. Back in the OR they were stitching me up, putting everything back into place. Let me just say how weird it is to be awake and have someones hand inside your abdomen, squeezing your uterus, getting all the blood clots out and actually knowing what they are doing. Weird, just totally weird!

Once they put me back together, they wheeled me back down to labor & delivery, where they brought my boy back to me, with Jerrod right by his side. Jerrod said that Jackson was hungry, so mommy duty kicked right in. Jerrod's Mom & Dad had just arrived. They got to say a quick hello to their newest Grandson, just before I started to nurse him. Jerrod has also called my Mom when we had arrived at AGH to inform her of what was going on. He called her again to let her know that the baby was a boy, that we named him Jackson Lee, and he informed her of his birth weight, how long he was, and how beautiful he was. At this point Jerrod, Jackson & I had a uniquely beautiful moment together, our family- all together, and all doing just beautifully! Thank You God for this Amazing Blessing!