Another April Snow

We had one more blast of winter up here yesterday and today, and we are super bummed! Of course it's gorgeous outside, but getting six inches of snow on the last weekend in April when we were supposed to be building a deck off the back of the house is just MADDENING! That's the view from our deckless :( back window. I don't know if you can tell, but even the deer looks confused. It just stood there for a while, not knowing what to think, until it finally gave up and laid down.I cannot wait for spring to arrive again and stick around this time!!! I shouldn't be saying that at this time of year because it should already be here, dammit! We are keeping our fingers crossed for good deck building weather next weekend...

On a side note, remember how I said I'd have a hard time blogging once I was back at work? Well... yeah. It is so hard to find the time! I already feel like I don't have time to get anything done because all I want to do from the minute the kids leave the classroom till the minute I get home is cuddle and play with my baby, and that's pretty much what we've been doing every night! So we'll see if I get any better late next month when part-time hours kick in (I can't wait!).

Being back at work is still going well. It's been easier for me than I thought it would be, and he's doing wonderfully at daycare. Lately Jackson has been getting up just once a night and it's been excellent! He slept through the night for the first time two nights ago and we're wondering when it'll happen again. It's so interesting how different life is now that we have a baby. Sleeping for 7 uninterrupted hours is unheard of around here and I woke up so refreshed! I think Curt might have been more tired than me for once since he checked on him more often than I did. I'm having so much fun watching him be a daddy. :)

Baptism Weekend

Our family had another big weekend this weekend. On Friday, Jackson Ryan turned 2 months old!!! I know I say it all the time, but it is really so hard to believe how fast time flies and how quickly babies grow and change! I got extra time to enjoy him on Friday as work was canceled due to the snowstorm we had up here on Thursday night/Friday all day. I'd say we got close to a foot, and I'm thrilled to say that it is melting quickly and the weather's getting beautiful!

On Saturday and today we got to hang out with Auntie Sheila, Uncle John, and cousin Madelyn. The babies have only seen each other once before, so it was lots of fun watching them together. They smiled at each other a little bit but mostly stared. Wouldn't it be fun to know what they're thinking? They also played lots of monkey-see, monkey-do: one would start crying and soon the other would follow! Jackson didn't feel too good yesterday but he's back to his regular self today after lots of extra sleep. Thank goodness! He was so fussy yesterday and I felt so bad for him!

Jackson was also baptized today! It was a proud moment for us to watch our son officially become a child of God, and we were honored to share it with his Godparents, Sheila and John, and the rest of our families. We had lots of fun with visitors over for lunch and meeting Great Grandparents Hines for the first time.

While we celebrated, today also marked a sad occasion for my family in my mom's cousin's death. He went into the hospital about a month ago for frequent headaches and was diagnosed with brain cancer. He had a fast-growing tumor and there was not much hope for him. It is astonishing to think how much life can change in such a short time. While I am saddened by the loss in the family, I am also reminded of how precious life is and how important it is to not take things for granted. We are so thankful for all our blessings...

D-Day

Today is the day I have been dreading for eight weeks... back to work. :( This weekend I was an on-and-off basketcase with several crying jags, both short and long-lasting (just ask Curt). I held Jackson extra tight and gave him tons of kisses to hold him over while I'm away from him. (Like he'll even notice, right? I'm trying to make myself feel better by telling myself he'll miss me just as much as I miss him.) This morning I got my car stuck in the driveway and have never been happier about doing so! That meant I got to spend extra time with Jackson while I waited for Curt to come home and bail me out! I was so proud of myself for being ready to go on time and then the inevitable happened. It seems I get stuck after every fresh snowfall of over an inch. I hope it is gone soon...

Anyway, I had to wake my son up to get him ready and he was being so cute and cuddly and smiley, making it extra hard. That's when the tears welled up but I am surprised to say that I held it in and haven't cried yet today! School was cancelled due to the weather, and it has been surprisingly easy to be here, even without distractions from the kids and with being all alone in the office. Since I've been gone, I have no prep work to do, which is why I have time to post this. Of course I'd rather be home with Jackson since I'm really getting paid to not do much today, but his first day at daycare had to come sooner or later. I am looking at his picture all the time and wondering how he's doing. Is he fussy? Is he taking his bottle well? Is he overwhelmed with all the other children around? Daddy is picking him up this afternoon and probably won't get the details from Kathy, our daycare provider, like he did from me every day, so I'll have to talk to her tomorrow and find out. I hope he is doing as well there as I am here.

Thanks for all the positive encouragement and well wishes! It's much appreciated and it helps to know you guys are thinking of me today! :)

90%

Today Jackson had his two month wellness check-up, and he is a very healthy baby! Weighing in at 13.5 lbs, he is in the 90th percentile! His height is also up there at 23 3/4". What a big boy! I figured he'd be right around that mark... his double chin really gives it away. :) We are so lucky to have such a healthy little boy!

He was also given his first dose of shots today. When I gave him some medicine before we left, he spit it all out and cried, so I was very worried about him. I even chose to wait in the waiting room rather than be there while he was given the shots. Is that terrible? I felt like a bad mother! But he doesn't know the difference anyway, right? I was still there to give as much comfort as I could when it was all said and done. He came out crying, but I've actually seen him cry harder at home a few times when he's desperately hungry, so I was surprised that it wasn't so bad. Once I got him in the car seat and started walking he had basically calmed down; then we went to visit Daddy and his friends over in the radiology department and he got lots of cuddling, which really helped a lot. :) After that we went on to get even more admiration and cuddles while visiting Mommy's work. I think the pain set in when we left there because every time he'd move his legs he'd cry. I gave him more medicine and he actually swallowed this time, and now he seems to be doing fine. We lived to tell about it and I hope round two goes just as well at 4 months.

We also went to visit our daycare provider today and drop off Jackson's stuff for Monday. We spent about half an hour with her and she loved him up the whole time! I do feel comfortable with her, just sad to have to leave him at all and return to work. Being distracted by other children all day will help, though - I'll barely have time to think about him!

We had a very busy day today and are ready to relax this weekend and cuddle a lot before Monday. :) Get out and enjoy the nice weather if you're lucky enough to have it!

The Final Countdown

The time has nearly come already. On Monday, I return to work. I write those words with such a heavy heart. I am going to miss my little boy so, so much, and it will be tough for me to know that he is in the care of a virtual stranger. The good news is that we have heard that she's a very nice woman and a good provider, and she's right down the next street off the highway we live near. Everyone has been saying it'll get easier with time and I know it will, but that first day is always the hardest. Especially when I'm not looking forward to returning to this particular job! I have been looking at and cuddling Jackson more intensely today and it's sure to be an emotional weekend for me, but I am so grateful for the wonderful bonding time we've been able to enjoy these past eight weeks.

On a brighter note, Auntie Brea and Grandma Paula were here this week to spend some time with us! We had lots of fun playing with Jackson and laughing at all his funny expressions and mannerisms. They couldn't believe how much he's grown since they've last seen him, and I told them I can't believe how much he changes each and every day. Time truly does fly by, doesn't it? Thanks for another great time, girls! :)

Boy Genius

I guess the classical lullaby CD we have is really developing Jackson's brain - our baby can read!!! Daddy's getting him up to speed on the issues affecting the local outdoorsmen.

Auntie Brea and Grandma Paula are here visiting for a couple days and we're having lots of fun! More pictures and details to come later.