9 Weeks

Here are just a few snapshots that were taken before church.

All Things Motherhood

Wow, we have made it 2 months! Both Jackson and I have seemed to fair pretty well. I cannot believe how quickly time passes, how fast babies change, and how much fun being a "momma" ( as a true Tennessean would say) has been. The learning curve involved in all of this process is quite large. I feel like I learn something everyday, and Jackson just looks like a sponge soaking in all that is around him. His personality comes through a bit more daily. I have noticed that he is not a fan of loud noises, the church choir, or wearing shoes. On the flip side, he loves splashing in the tub, dry diapers, and naps on the couch with me. Like his father, he is fascinated with anything on wheels. He prefers to be riding over nearly everything. It matters little if it is the car, the truck, or the stroller. The important part is that we stay in motion! We often go for very long walks in our neighborhood together. If I pause momentarily to cross the street or speak to a neighbor, Jackson begins grunting and kicking. I am just waiting for him to scream out, "keep it rolling lady"! He used to snooze during the strolls around the blocks, but now he is all eyes watching every moment around him. When sleepiness starts winning out, he fights desperately to avoid it, but we always end up back home with a baby fast asleep. Mind you, when the wheels stop on the front porch, Jackson wiggles around and grunts himself awake. The rolling has stopped and he does not approve!

Jackson and I have a little arrangement going on. He is working hard on chubby thighs and dimples here and there while I am working on loosing the very same thing! I have officially lost 30 pounds, but we are not done yet. He looks much better sporting the bulging belly than I do! I must admit that the big smiles in the morning and the lazy naps together in the afternoon are certainly worth a dimple here and there for the time being! All things considered, I have never been more happy. I am so fortunate to have a healthy baby and the ability to be with him all day watching him grow. I treasure every nap and every walk. The two of us have had a lot of fun learning all about each other. Nothing melts my heart more than a big toothless grin from him letting me know I made everything just right. Just now, he has drifted off to sleep with his blanket on his cheek, but right before the last droop of the eyes I got a smile. That is what being a "momma" is all about!

The Tennessee Mountains

The following are pictures of our Labor day weekend to the mountains of Tennessee. Myself and Leah along with Jackson, Shaun and Christin along with Kaitlyn, and Danielle and Lance along with Colby. We spent most of the day Sunday at Cades Cove. This is an eleven mile loop filled with lots of wildlife and bike paths. The guys rode our bikes. We like to think of ourselves as Tour de France material. The girls pressed on with the kids and the cars. We stayed at a little cabin just outside of Pigeon Forge. We saw turkeys, deer and a couple bears. We had a great time. It was a good chance to get away from it all pretty inexpensively. Traffic was another story, but Leah and I rode with Lance and Danielle so Lance had to deal with all the traffic. We look forward to our next opportunity to do stuff like this with Jackson. He did great on just his second road trip!!