Fun Fall Festivities

Over the past few weeks we have enjoyed some wonderful fall outings! We went to a pumpkin patch, a fall festival and a costume party with Jack's play group. Enjoy the pictures!

Jack's first time on a pony

Enjoying the fall festival from dad's comfy arms.

About to go on our first hay ride!

Pumpkin patch fun!

Jack's and his friends at the playgroup party.

Jack's first Trick or Treat!

Our happy little guy!

Our big boy is 8 months old

New York- part 2

Hanging out with Great Grandma and Grandpa Champlin in NY

My Grandparents, Jackson and Me

Jackson with his Great Aunt Kathy and Great Uncle Joe

Family lunch at the local maple farm's restaurant, so yummy!

Playing on Great Grandma's lap

New York part 1

We survived our first family vacation!

This past week Daniel, Jackson and I took a trip to New York state to visit my father's side of the family. More specifically, we went to visit my grandparents and my aunt and uncle. Danny and I had been twice since we've been married and love going up there. The weather is nice (usually) and it's just so different from Texas. It was on our trip last year that we suspected I was pregnant with Jack. Looks like we were right!

Anyway, to say I was nervous in the days and weeks before the trip would be an understatement. I was weight down buy all the logistics concerning the trip; Do I pack diapers and food or buy them there? How much should I pack for the plane? How many changes of clothes should I bring, how many toys, how many book? And on and on...through many sleepless nights. Then I got into research mode, asking advice from all friends who have traveled with babies and doing much googling. After all that I felt a little better but still not mentally or emotionally prepared for what I had built up in my mind as what would be the most exhausting week of my life. Then I prayed, a lot. I prayed that we would have safe travel, that our luggage would not get lost, that Jack would do ok on the plane and so on and so on.

God truly answerd our prayers on this trip. We had a great time and Jack was the most amazing traveler. He never cried once on the plane rides. Got fussy only when tired or hungry and kept his cool with two flight delays on our return home. He blew our minds, we never expected him to do so well! People all around us remarked about how happy he was and what a wonderful flier he turned out to be. We were truly blessed. I think between the two of us I was the more fussy due to being airsick and tired ; ).

So we are home now and more or less back on our regular schedule. Jack did have a few night wakings while in New York where he had to be nursed or rocked back to sleep. He was teething and I also think he was a little freaked out when he woke in the middle of the night and was not in his crib. So becuase of that little hiccup he is still waking up alot earlier than normal and we are slowly getting him back into the routine of sleeping till 6:30/7:00. We had a good time but returning from out trip really made us appreciate that there's no place like home. Even Jack seemed genuinely excited to his toys and his room, it was adorable.

Check back soon for pictures!

Big Boy Bath

Tonight was Jack's first time to sit up like a big boy for a bath!
He loved it and I loved not bending over to wash him in the actual bathtub : ). I know we will have to transition to the actual bathroom for bath time soon so I'm enjoying the ease of washing the kiddo at waist height for right now.

This and that, photos from this past week

happy after a nap!

Ready to go for a ride

Playing in the front yard

Reading a good book

Jack has really started babbling this week. His favorite things to say or shout is "mamama", "thethethe" which we think sounds like dada and "Hi". Jack also waved bye for the first time this week to our wonderful neighbor Shelia! It was adorable. He hasn't made any progress toward crawling yet and seems to be content to shout and babble while sitting up and playing. Oh! Jack's first tooth has finally broken through, but we still don''t have a picture of it.

7 months young

Jack is now 7 months old and getting cuter everyday. Nothing too exciting has happened over the past month. We have had lots of play dates and outings with the mom's group I joined. It's a group for first time mommies with young babies and Jack and I both enjoy the time out of the house when we get together.

We spent a great deal of time trying to put some weight on my string bean baby this month and it worked. Jack put on a pound and a half and his doctor was really pleased with the weight gain. Jack is now in the 25th percentile for weight in his age group. We did this by adding an extra nursing a day and feeding him more solids. He eats every last drop at every meal and even asks (grunts) for more at times. He is such a big eater but I'm trying not to over feed him or set up any bad eating habits for the future. He may just be like his dad, high metabolism combined with a big appetite. Which translates in to me being one cooking mama! I feel like I'm constantly making this kid baby food. Right now his favorites are avocado mixed with bananas, yogurt mixed with fruit and carrots mixed with apples. Yum!

We (and I do mean we) had our first and second colds this month. I guess being social has it's drawbacks but everyone is on the mend and almost back to normal. Jack's bottom teeth are about to come through any day now. Daniel and I can see the whites through the gum when Jack takes a break from his constant gnawing on plastic objects. Check back soon for teeth pictures : )

My big boy!

Jack's half birthday

Jackson turned 6 months old this past Sunday! I can't believe he has gotten so big so fast. I still don't feel the urge to have another baby (ever!) but I will miss him being this small and cuddly when it's gone...sniff sniff.

So about Jack! He grew an inch and a half since his last dr.'s appointment but gained less than a pound. The doctor was a little concerned and suggested I up his caloric intake (if we could all only be so lucky to have a dr. suggest that). So he is now on 3 solid meals and nursing 5-6 times a day. I have to say when I put him on the scale and he still weighed less than 16 lbs my stomach dropped! He is over the 95th percentile for height but only in the 20th for weight. Maybe I should puree him some pizza and Twinkies ; ).

He is still sleeping like a champ. Sleeping through the night with 2 big naps and one small nap during the day. Can I hear an AMEN for Dr. Ferber! I know his method doesn't work for everyone. My mff "mommy friend forever" tried it with her son about the same time I did with Jack and the results were not as great. So I'm not saying it's for everyone but it did work for us.

Jack is rolling over, but not sitting unassisted yet. He did use a restaurant highchair for the first time today which is a step in the right direction. I wasn't sure how well he'd do since they are far less supportive than a Bumbo type seat, but he was fine for about 25 minutes.

Other than that no real big milestones, still awaiting his first teeth. He laughs, smiles real bashful like and puts his hand over his eyes, babbles and blows raspberries. He thinks Daddy is the funniest person ever and likes to read books on the floor with mom. His hair is coming in more and more everyday and is a light brown similar to mine as a baby. We still are sure who he favors more, Daniel or I. I think it depends on the day, the face he's making or who's holding him. He's changing so fast it'll be interesting to see who he looks more like in a few months.

Bring out the SPF 50+

Today was Jack's first trip to the pool! Thanks Karmin for inviting us and getting this reluctant mom into a swimsuit. I needed the push or I would have kept my pasty self indoors. I had visions of being able to fit perfectly into my old bikini by the time Jack was 6 months old and old enough to wear sunscreen. Well I got into the suit but it definitely fits different than last year so I kept a cover-up on the whole time. Jack seemed to like the water OK, he didn't whine or fuss and was pretty content, so I'd say it was a successful outing. Note to self-next time take more towels!

Random Acts of Cuteness

Playing with dad before bedtime

Hangin' with Pops

Big smiles for Dad

Pick me up mom!

Waiting for mom to get ready

So happy in the morning

Love my baby. Miss my body

Like the title says I love Jack. More than love him! There should be a new word for love to describe the way I feel for him. But I miss my body. I miss my old clothes. I miss my butt, thighs and flat tummy. I don't know what I thought my body would look like after childbirth. I've been pleasantly surprised. Things are still in the same place and look relatively good considering what happens during the child growing and birthing process, but I still want the old me back. I'm about 8-10 lbs shy of my pre-pregnancy weight and seem to have plateaued in the losing weight area. Before Jack was born I would have done what any rational woman does when they want to lose 5-10 lbs, starve and workout like crazy. Since I'm still breastfeeding that rules out starving. If I don't eat then Jackson doesn't eat and a hungry baby cries a lot ;). So that leaves working out like crazy as the means to shed the last 10 lbs. Well here's the thing, I'm tired by the time dad comes home or the kiddo goes to asleep and I finally have the opportunity to go to the gym. I know some serious working out is just on the horizon. We are taking a trip to New York in two months and I'm determined to take my old jeans and sweaters! New winter clothes will so much more expensive than the few clothes I've purchased to supplement my summer wardrobe while I'm inbetween sizes and I dont want to spend our money that way. So I'm wondering all you moms out there...how did you lose the weight and how long did it take to get back to your old self, more or less?

Jack on YouTube

Danny here again. This is now my SECOND blog post. EVER. So here's whats up: Jack on YouTube.

Background
Knowing I wanted to record our fun times with Jack, I started doing research on HD camcorders about a year ago, a few months after we learned Frances was preggers. I had my feature wish list all picked out: Full HD (1920x1080), a decent sized disk drive (no messing with memory cards), light weight, reputable brand, etc. But I planned on waiting as long as possible until actually purchasing anything because camcorders go the way of all electronic equipment: as time increases, cost decreases and quality and features increase. In other words, roughly speaking,

T = (Q + F) / c

HOWEVER. December 25th came and with ZERO prompting, my MOTHER bought us a camcorder as a celebration of that magical holiday where we all get presents. Now, upon opening up that gift, here's what went through my mind: "WHOA. A CAMCORDER. Awesome! Oh wait. How is this going to line up with my feature wishlist? Given the vast array of possible camcorders she could have purchased, the odds are fairly low." But after a cursory view of the specs, astonishment came over me as my eyes parsed the important parts: Canon HG20, Full HD, 50GB HDD. So naturally, I thanked my mom asked how in the world she ended up buying the perfect gift. She replied that she asked the salesperson at Best Buy which camcorder was a good one then WENT TO READ REVIEWS ON BEST BUY'S WEBSITE. Why in all caps you may ask? Because I work for the company that provides Best Buy with their superior online Reviews/Questions/Answers services (Bazaarvoice). User Generated Content (UGC) saves the day!

So since Jack was born, we have recorded several videos, and a few of them were quality enough to post on YouTube for family and friends. So I uploaded the first video file in its native format to YouTube, and it worked! Woohoo! Here it is:



After a few months, we recorded 2 more videos that I wanted to post, but YouTube changed their video processing at some point recently and they came out all garbled up. GRRRRRRRRR!!!! What this meant was that I either had to buy video converting software ($50-$100), or spend the time to learn how to convert each video to a YouTube friendly format with open source tools. Long story short, after a weekend and a few late weeknights of research, I figured out a way, and so here are the next two videos:






So sorry for not posting these earlier. We hope you enjoy them :)

First Play Group Date

So Jack and I went to our first play date with the mom's group I found on meetup.com. We really enjoyed it and the other moms and babies were very friendly. The meet up was at a coffee house/romper room in Round Rock called Jungle Java. I would highly recommended this place to mom with children of all ages. The high points- first of all it's air conditioned, that all by itself is would be reason enough to check it out in this heat. It has a really nice coffee selection along with baked treats and some sandwiches. There are two play areas that the kids get to enjoy, a huge indoor play scape and an area for babies with a slide and other fun little toys. There are also comfy chairs like other coffee houses and all in all its nice. The noise volume was a little loud but not so loud that it bothered any of the younger kiddos.

Jack and I took our first trip down a slide together! I think I enjoyed the slide more than he did but that'll change soon. I forgot to take my camera so I don't have any pictures to show, check out their website.

Wow! Jack is 5 months old!

Jackson was 5 months old last Thursday. This has been whirlwind of a month in so many ways. Jackson has changed a great deal in such a short amount of time.

The biggest change has been sleep. Since we posted last we hit a brick wall in our sleep time routine, both bed time and nap time. I was nursing Jack to sleep every nap and at bed time. I was pretty happy with this plan, it was working and he was sleeping. It was very time consuming but I thought it would only last a few months and he'd learn to go to sleep on his own. Boy, was I wrong. One night the nursing wasn't working, daddy rocking wasn't working, none of the trick up our sleeve were working. In an instant I said to Daniel it's time to cry it out or Ferberize this baby. Daniel was pretty shocked I was willing to do it, but I was desperate! I''ll spare you all the nitty gritty details, let's just say with in 2 1/2 days my little guys was going to sleep on his own for all naps and bedtime with minimal fussing or crying! Our lives have changed! Daniel and I now eat dinner together. I'm able to leave the house with out worrying if he'll be able to sleep with out me. It's been wonderful!

Now on to other stuff. Jack is rolling over now but not consistently. He seems content to chomp on his arm during tummy time or just look around. I'm getting frustrated :). He is sitting up really well in his Bebepod seat (like a bumbo) and this is where we have been feeding him. A highchair will be our next purchase but I just can't decide which one to buy and I'm overwhelmed with online reviews. If you have a recommendations I love to hear about it!

Speaking of feeding, we started rice cereal a few weeks ago and have also introduced bananas and applesauce. He really likes it and gets a little serving in the morning and right before bath time at night. Jack has really learned to use his voice and is making all sorts of grunts, high pitched squeals, and general babbles. He thinks Daniel is hilarious and those two have a ball together before bedtime. That seems to be when he is most excitable and will laugh at anything Daniel says or does.

Jackson has also officially made his debut into society. We have joined a play group on meetup.com and have our first date this week at a coffee house in Round Rock. Jack has also been to many lunch dates over the past month and does so well out in public. We are right in the middle of a big teething spell and being out and about usually distracts him from the discomfort of teething and also gives mom a break from the whining and fussing associated with cutting those first teeth.

4 months old!

Sorry to those of you who still check in on our blog for not posting sooner. Life has be hectic, good but hectic. Just to update you Jackson was 4 months old on Tuesday the 9th! He is changing so much with every week.

At his appointment he was 15.2 lbs and 27 inches long. He is in the 65th percentile for weight and above the 95th in length. Looks like someone is still on target to be a tall and lean boy. His eyes are still a grayish brown but turning more brown with each week. His hair is beginning to grow back in lighter than his newborn hair. It looks like the color I had as a baby, very light brown. He is laughing, smiling, cooing and talking to us. He just start blowing bubbles and making wet raspberry sounds when he is happy. He can hold is head up so well when on my hip, in his bebepod seat, or when we hold him sitting. He loves to chew on things, especially his own hand. Teething has begun! He likes his excersaucer and doesn't like his playmat anymore. He loves looking at our faces and watched us to see what we are doing even when I try to give him independent play time. He is so close to rolling over but has only done it once. Per our dr.'s advice I have increased tummy time which he hates! He usually starts off fine and then fusses and sucks on his arm.

He is sleeping through the night with one early morning feeding (yay for sleep!) and usually gets up between 6:30-7:00. We are in the trenches of the Ferber sleep method though. Nighttime is going well, but naps are another story. Since Jack was colicky I was doing whatever necessary to get him sleep, mainly nursing to sleep. While that was working great, mom was beginning to think I needed an ankle monitor because I felt like I was under house arrest. I am constantly anxious about leaving the house for any length of time. What if he gets hungry? Dad can't feed him he's boycotting bottles! What if he gets sleepy? Dad cant nurse him to sleep! How can I leave the house! For my sanity and the well being of everyone else I come into contact with we decided something had to give. Don't get me wrong I love breast feeding but I knew I was setting myself up for a long battle if I let the habit perpetuate.

So naps are a battle. Jackson was so tired today. He had a good morning nap because I nursed him to sleep...shame shame. But I needed him to have somewhat of a decent nap before we dove into the Ferber method. Then he was pretty out of it from taking only two 30 minute naps this afternoon. I'll post soon about our progress. He went out like a light tonight, but I'm still prepared for some (haha lots) of crying in the coming days. So hard! But it will be better in the long run.

Memorial Day Weekend: Mother's Day Redux

Hi boys and girls, Danny writing. This is my first posting, so if you are a regular at this blog and the following post seems... different, then that's why.

As you may recall, Mother's Day was terrible at the McPherson household. We had planned on so many fun things, but all was put on hold because I threw out my back. Yes, there's nothing quite like the pain of muscle tearing near your spine. But two weeks later, I'm surprised to say that it feels completely healed. So this weekend Mother's Day was redone in the form of much needed landscaping, and me taking care of the kid all day Sunday.

When Frances and I bought our house, it was a foreclosure in need of work. Because we prioritized the inside of the house before the outside, the yard has looked pretty terrible since we moved in. Last summer, however, we did make a significant improvement by replacing several large sections of the front "yard" (the worst section being 50% dirt + 40% weeds + 10% bermuda) with St. Augustine grass. Here's a pic from last summer:

If you look close, you can see the new grass on the right side of the yard, bushes by the sidewalk from the driveway to the front door, bushes to the left of the front door, and trees that have apparently never been pruned.

So last week Frances called the tree dudes to come rip out the bushes in front and prune the trees. Then here's what we did on Saturday:

8am came early. Up, out of bed. Get dressed. Get kid ready. Two cars to Home Depot, with Frannie taking a detour to Starbucks. 4 bags of DARK mulch, 2 bags of native Texas dillo dirt. Back home. Move pretty white border stones to drive way for a rinse. Clear out old "decorative" rocks (using the word decorative loosely) and over turn soil in front of porch. Mix in dillo dirt. Place stones in circular pattern around tree bases. Fill mulch in each. Spread dillo dirt to low places in yard. Back to home depot. More mulch, more dillo dirt, 6 pieces St. Augustine sod, 36 monkey grass plants for porch border. Back home. Plant monkey grass while getting sun burned. Cover with mulch. Add art. Plant sod. Watch it rain. Go to sleep exhausted. (In the pic, notice how well the St. Augustine filled in from last year)

Sunday I take over Jack responsibilities for Frances while she experienced freedom. This mainly consisted of her running errands, but it was a good break for her to get away from the house. And since I'm always cold (at work and at home) Jack functioned as a cosy portable heater while I studied about church doctrine and its roots.

Monday. Nothing planned except Frances wanted to trim the remaining bushes near the front door, and maybe spread the last bag of dillo dirt. I don't know what came over us, but we agreed the 3 front bushes by the front door needed to go as well. So what was going to just be another 1 hour of work, turned into 7. Frances + Danny + branch cutters + an ax + two shovels + synchronous tugging and pulling + tending to Jack + 3 hours = victory over the bushes. After Frances made a quick trip to the Home Depot to get more dark mulch, a welcome sign, and some plants, we set it all up and called it good. Check out the before and after:

And finally, here's a close up of Frannie's artistic skillz:

So then we took nice long naps. Thank you Jack for respecting the nap. He did so well through all of this! When he wasn't napping he was outside with us in the shade grabbing his toys and yelling at them with excitement. But there was one tramatic incident where the ice-cream truck stopped at the house across the street to service some kids. It was interesting to him at first. But his interest soon turned to discontent (joining mom and dad).

So here we are at the conclusion of the long weekend. One of these days we're actually going to relax and take it easy. But we'll enjoy it more if all the chores are done first :)