Oh My!

As I was getting Jackson dressed this morning, I turned around and saw this! YIKES!

Talk about a GASP!

Thankfully I was just a couple of steps from him and luckily I happened to have my camera within reach. I had been trying to get a picture of these cute curls--

I know it's blurry, but you can't see his curls in a picture if the flash is used!

Happy New Year!

We've been taking it easy since Christmas and enjoyed our first weekend at home since Thanksgiving. Jackson is starting to figure out some of his new toys and is still obsessed with one in particular . . .

here he is in the morning,

and the afternoon

(with a yummy snack of grapes and apple jacks!)

and before bed!

He also received some plastic tools for Christmas and when he saw the hammer he immediately went over to the wall and started banging! He had seen Zach putting some things on the wall earlier in the week and using a hammer, so Jackson went over to the same wall and started hitting like he had seen Daddy! We were shocked he even realized he had a hammer, much less to remember how Daddy had used his and where! So, needless to say, we're working on not banging on the walls!

Zach and I want to keep up with Jackson's height through the years rather than just writing it in his baby book, so we put this chart up in his room and wanted to start it on the New Year. I would love to be able to do this on a door frame like my grandmother did, but we figure at some point we'll leave this house and don't want to leave this memory behind.

Our Christmas

Our parents joined us this Christmas at our new house and got to see Jackson on Christmas morning! Since he was still tiny last year, this was Jackson's first Christmas to have Santa drop by and we can't wait until next year when he has a better understanding of what's going on! We had a wonderful time with our families and appreciate everything!

Getting ready to open presents on Christmas Eve!

Someone was excited!

Headed down his new slide . . . once it was finally "snapped" together, Grandpa!

He didn't fall, he just decided to lay down once he made it to the floor and hang out for a while!

Christmas morning

Jackson and Daddy with his new workshop!

Still checking out all of his new stuff!

Jackson loves this car--he loves it so much he doesn't have to be moving, he just likes sitting in it. He also loves cramming all of his new toys in it beside him!

And this morning . . .
with all the toys he just received he rather play with a toothpaste box in a big box!

Sweet Babies

Jackson and Emma, cousins

Looks can be deceiving . . . partners in crime

Hey Emma, where are your wheels?

Priceless

Christmas Card Attempts

I decided I wanted to take the pictures for our card this year rather than a photographer, so we started trying to get pictures soon after Halloween. What an experience . . . or two . . . or three! Going to a photographer for an hour or so would have been easier . . . um, well, maybe not that much easier, we would have still chased him all over a studio . . . and the pictures would certainly have that professional look, but it was also fun to run all over our yard and eventually my parents' yard! Here are some pictures that didn't make the cut!

These two are from the first attempt

On to the next day . . .

Pulling out some props!





"Guys, I've been patient, but enough is enough!"

And at my parents' house during Thanksgiving trying to get a picture of the three of us!

Sitting in the grass after it rained that morning . . . ugh!

I think his thought process was along the lines of "you've had your chances, I'm really getting impatient with all of you, I want down to run around . . ."

"Seriously. I

want

down!"

"Mom, Dad--I'm outta here!"

Ain't Nothing Like 'Em Nowhere

We found ourselves in Tuscaloosa today and decided Jackson was old enough to experience Dreamland! Several years ago while Zach and I were dating, he was taking me to Atlanta to meet his parents and he took me here for lunch. While we were eating that day, I looked across the table at him and he had eaten so much so quick he was breathing hard and sweating! To say he LOVES barbeque is an understatement! I don't know how many hole-in-the-wall bbq places we have been to since we've been together!

Start 'em young!

More please! He loved the appetizer . . . white bread and bbq sauce! Zach gave him some when we first sat down and honestly Jackson's first response was "ummm"!

With our waitress

It was H-O-T hot in the restaurant and Jackson's cheeks were blazing red, so Zach decided to take Jackson's shirt off . . . I was mortified. I didn't notice a "no shirt, no shoes, no service" sign and I know we're not talking upscale here, but does a bib count?

Here comes Santa and there goes Jackson

Santa made a stop in town for the parade tonight, so we had to go! Well, Santa went over so well with Jackson that we don't have a single picture to show for it. Nope. Not one. I was taking Jackson to sit on Santa's lap when all of the sudden he started screaming and huge tears started flowing. He didn't even make it to his lap before the trauma began! Our curious little boy who has never met a stranger was terrified! Oh well, maybe we'll try again when Santa makes another stop in town in the coming weeks! After we terrified our son, we headed to the parade and were actually able to get some pictures!

What! Santa's coming this way?

If he only knew who was on the float behind him!

Looking at these pictures reminds me of the parade last year and how excited Zach and I were to take Jackson to his first Christmas parade! Having Jackson around sure is wonderful and he's so much fun to share these things with! Oh how we love him!