Happy Birthday to Ross!

Today is Ross' b-day, and I think he's had a great day especially since the Cowboys just won! Being from Louisiana, we certainly cheer the Saints on and have been very excited about the season they're having, but Ross has been a lifelong Cowboys fan. With the two teams playing each other, he had to rout for the Cowboys. He's even been teaching Jackson to say "Go Cowboys!" He couldn't have asked for a better gift today.

Catching Up (Big Announcement Too)!

There's been another delay in posting, but at least I can say our lives have been busy! I'll just hit the highlights for you. Backing up to the last post about the weekend we had an offer accepted on a new house...that very same day we found out that I am pregnant again! My first doctor's appointment was last week, and everything looks good. The expected due date is March 4th!

Since then we have also sold our house. It was only on the market for a whopping 9 days and had well over 20 showings in that short time.

Jackson also had his 1 year doctor's appointment where he got his first serious bump on the head...at least we were at the doctor's office right? He was toddling around the room and landed forehead first on a low shelf beneath a bench. A bruise and welt showed up almost immediately. Fortunately, he recovered quickly, and otherwise, he's doing great. He is now in the 50-75th percentile in height and the 35th percentile for weight. Both are higher than the curve he's been on, so he's definitely growing well.

I also turned 30 since the last post. The shuttle finally launched that day, which was a good present, and Ross and Jackson gave me some beautiful red tulips. I had fun taking pictures of them as you can see.

Happy 1st Birthday Jackson

Friday was Jackson's 1st birthday, and he has had a great birthday week filled with several firsts. Monday Jackson had his first taste of whole milk. We're combining it with his formula this week, and he seems to love it. Tuesday Jackson started letting go and taking a few steps on his own at day care. When I arrived to pick him up, his teacher ran to grab him, stood him in front of me, and let go. He wobbled his way over to me with the biggest grin. I was filled with very mixed emotions! Wednesday I gave Jackson his very first hair cut, so he has less of the "faux-hawk" look as I like to call it. I followed him all around the house to get it done, but he did pretty well. He even took the comb from me at one point and tried to comb his own hair. It was very cute!

Friday was lots of fun as well. We started the day by visiting Jackson's old day care teachers. They were so excited to see him...one of them even cried, which was very sweet. You could tell how much they loved him. From there we went to the mall for a special birthday treat. While Jackson was taking his nap, Ross got home from his week-long trip to Canada. He was so excited to see Dada when he woke up! Bailey had a vet appointment that afternoon, so we made it a family outing. Jackson got LOTS of attention from everyone there once they found out it was his birthday. I think it even helped us get in a little sooner. :-) We ended the day with an early dinner at Lupe Tortilla with our friends, the Montpools. Their three adorable kids played with Jackson keeping him laughing and smiling the entire evening. By the time we got home Jackson was ready to crash. It was such a wonderful day!

Yesterday we took Bailey to the new dog park where she got to run around with a pack of beagles. They were all much younger than Bailey, and it showed. She had more fun watching them run around in circles than joining them in the fun. Jackson got to play at the park too. He had a great time swinging and rocking on a horse. That afternoon we went to a birthday party for Jackson's friend, Chase, from day care. Jackson and Chase actually share a birthday, so it was a special celebration. They had all kinds of fun activities including moon walks and a ball pit. Jackson was in heaven!

Today we went to church as usual, and then spent the afternoon running errands. When we got home we all spent some time lounging in the baby pool in the backyard. Jackson had a great time splashing around and putting grass in the pool. Our friend Heather then came over to watch Jackson so Ross and I could have an evening out. We stumbled upon a restaurant called La Tapa Tapa, which turned out to be one of the best places we've been in Clear Lake!

It's been an amazing year with Jackson. Ross and I really can't remember what life was like before he got here, but at the same time this year just flew by. We have been so blessed to have such a healthy, happy baby boy and to be surrounded by such loving friends and family. It's amazing to see how much he's changed in such a short time. Here are my favorite photos from each month of his life so far.