more pics from our family photo shoot...

pics of my men!

So I've been away from the blog for a little bit.  Busy being a mom, I guess.  And other stuff.  Here's a list.

• Had a parent night at school and had to help serve dinner to 300 people.  
• Had PTA night at school and the Specials department was in charge of the entertainment.  I had to put up an art show and we had a one act play and some games that night.  
• I've been sick.  Had a cold and cough and it wasn't getting better, so I finally went to the doctor today.  Bronchitis.  Yikes.  I'm now on some antibiotics and hoping to get better.  
• We had Jackson dedicated last Sunday at church.  I cried through most of it.  It was so special.  
• We had professional family pictures taken this past Sunday.  It was so much fun.  I felt like I was on America's Next Top Model.  Our photographer was great, as you can see from these sample pictures.  We took some in Barnes and Nobles and at this really cool local park.  I will show you more when we get them.  
• Jackson is starting to eat solid foods.  We tried oatmeal for the first time this week and he did really well with it.  He got the hang of the spoon really quickly and actually likes it thicker than the recommended runny way.  I'm such a proud momma.  
• I mean, really, look at that picture again.  Isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?
• We moved around the furniture in the house so that we can actually use more space and enjoy it.  The dogs had the run of our den and we never really went in there.  Now, the dogs are in the old guest room which is now the office and we can use both the living room and the den.  Yay.  
• We are trying our best to keep our house uncluttered.  Trying.  
• I had a slumber party with my mom the other night and we watched Iron Man.  So much fun.  

I've been reading up on most of you and know there is a lot going on with everyone.  The holidays are coming and we are very excited about sending out our first family Christmas card.  Totally excited.  We are going to use one of the pictures from our session, but since I haven't seen them all, I don't know how that will go.

Can I tell you again about how fun taking pictures was?  So fun.  I talked with Charlie about a week in advance about being cooperative and just going with what I wanted.  So, he wore what I wanted and did what I wanted and was great that day.  I know he was probably a little embarrassed in BN when we were kissing for the camera, but no one seemed to even care about our little photo shoot.  Even when our photographer Amy was laying on the floor, no one really commented on it.  Jackson tolerated it pretty well and we got some really awesome smiles out of him.

And I wore skinny jeans for the first time.  Go me!

Well, enjoy the pics of my little man!  

bananas about mommy

I'm sorry it has been awhile since I've posted.  With school starting back and now being a mom, there is less time for the other stuff I used to do once the dinner dishes were done and I could collapse on the couch.  Now, there is bathtime and storytime and bedtime and kisses and cuddles and then I get about an hour and a half to veg a little bit before I get into bed and sleep.  I love to sleep.  Yessiree!

I will admit that we are spoiled and Jackson started sleeping through the night about two weeks ago.  He goes to bed between 8 and 8:30 and sleeps until 7 am.  It was certainly a gift from God, because the loss of sleep was the most difficult part for me. 

We've been having more fun with him, taking him on little trips and to the county fair the other day.  And while he slept through most of the fair, except the really loud tractor pull, it was fun to have a family outing.  We enjoyed walking around and the weather was great and I was so glad that we went.  I know it will be so much more fun in two years when he can pet the animals and ride the pony. 

I hope all is well with you guys and you don't feel like I've abandoned you.  Life has taken on new meaning, I guess. 

Photo Book

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Back to reality

I go back to work tomorrow.  I am excited and nervous and ready and not ready all at the same time.  We have great childcare in place, so I'm not really worried about that, but I'm more worried about me.  My bladder (I have Interstitial Cystitis) has been acting up lately and I'm more stressed about that, I think.  The last couple of weeks haven't been that great, and I'm sure that the newness of having a baby hasn't made it better.  I haven't had a totally hard time adjusting, but there have been days where I haven't known what to do with Jackson.

So, tomorrow will be quite the dose of reality as I get up and leave my house and get back to my classroom.  Prayers, please. 

little toes

While life may never be completely normal again, it is getting into more of a routine, which is good for me.  Although, the routine will change once again when I go back to work Thursday of next week.  School starts on the 27th and Jackson will be 7 weeks old by then.  I didn't really want to miss the first day of school, even though I could have taken more time. 

I'm still getting used to thinking of myself as a mom.  It comes and goes.  When I'm with him, I understand it and what I'm supposed to do, but when I'm alone, I'm not obsessed by it.  I can enjoy being alone and not worry that he's okay.  I think that's good.  Yesterday I called the dentist because the filling I got two weeks ago was still sensitive and I thought it needed to be adjusted.  They asked if I could come right then.  Two months ago I would have gotten right in the car, but instead I blurted out, "We just got a baby, so I have to arrange childcare."  So I went today and my mom came and stayed with Jackson.  Would it have been appropriate for me to take him? 

He's doing well and growing and starting to have more of a personality.  He likes baths, which is good, cause I do too!  He likes his swing and his Boppy and the pacifier from the hospital. 

Ok, he's awake and crying so talk to you later!

i crashed

Last  night was my night to get up with Jackson and it didn't go well.  I fed him at 10:30 or so and crawled into bed a little after 11, but I had a headache and got up again at 11:30 to take something.  I figured Jackson would sleep until 3 or so, because that has been his pattern the last couple of days, but he woke up at 12:45 and wanted a bottle.  At that point I had slept maybe an hour. 

So I'm sitting in the rocker, feeding him the bottle and bawling my eyes out.  I was so tired.  So tired.

I know this isn't anything new to anyone with a new baby.  They get up in the middle of the night and that wasn't a surprise and it was the thing that concerned me most about adopting a newborn.  I don't cope well on little sleep and it is making me cranky, weepy and otherwise irritable.  I knew this would be a big problem when we finally got a baby, probably causing a little rift in our marriage as I get snappish with Charlie when sleep deprived. 

This morning Charlie and I were laying in bed and talking and I started crying again about how getting sleep in two to three hour increments is wearing me down little by little.  Charlie and I made a plan for me to get a little more rest and hopefully it will work. 

In other news, I was thinking today about R (our birth mother) and how we can never fully express what Jackson means to us and how we can never express as much gratitude as we want to.  We did get her a gift and sent it through the agency after gotcha day, but I would empty out my bank account again and again and still not feel like I've given her enough.  Would any of you like to share what you did for your birth mothers?  If you don't want to comment publicly, then send me an email and share.  I know each situation is very personal and not all adoptions are completely open or amicable, but I'd love to know if you want to share. 

Hope all is well with everyone out there!