Turkey Day and Family Time

Gobble Gobble everyone! Hope everyone had an absolutely wonderful Thanksgiving....I sure did! We've been very busy with the grandparents visiting Jackson and I haven't had time to blog. Last weekend, Grandma and Grandpa Kirk came for a visit. They were here for just the weekend and it just flew by. We tried to take Jackson to see Santa at mall near OKC, but the Santa was just absolutely terrible. I've never met or seen a Santa that was so totally not into making a kid smile or talk. He just mumbled at Jackson. Didn't try to hold him or make him smile. It was so disappointing. I'm hoping that a Santa will come visit Stillwater, so we don't have to drive as far this time. Hopefully, his 2nd meeting will go better than his 1st! Other than that, we just enjoyed the time we had with my parents. They got to watch the little man as I went to work on Friday and then we just played and laughed the rest of the weekend. Justin had a 2nd job interview in Amarillo, Texas so he wasn't there Thursday and didn't get home until late on Friday, but we had a great time.

My parents left on Sunday and then Justin's parents came on Monday. Shoo one out and welcome another in :0) The Gerbers got to watch the little man for me on Tuesday when I went to work. He's been wonderful all week and just a bundle of smiles since they got here. We had a very quiet and low-key Thanksgiving....barely any leftovers with a small turkey! We got to play board games and they also watched Jackson while Justin and I got to go on a date for the 1st time since late July...it was so nice to get out of the house without a diaper bag and a plethora of other baby items, but we missed the little guy! On Friday, we got to visit Jackson's Auntie April and Uncle Ben at their restaurant in Guthrie. Granny Had One is just DELICIOUS! Check it out Oklahomans! Saturday was a little scary because Jackson had a slight fever. He wasn't really fussy or anything...just really warm. I think he was just having an overly bad teething day b/c he wanted to chew and eat just about everything that day! We took him to Urgent Care though b/c I'm paranoid and overly worried momma. The doctor said he had the start of a viral infection and that we should give him some Motrin. Well, he woke up this morning and was fever free and was all day. Didn't have to give him Motrin at all, so whatever has started has hopefully just been nipped in the bud! He's been so sweet and quiet today, just studying everything and laughing up a storm. We put up the Christmas tree today and he enjoyed eating some of the ornaments (the soft fluffy kind..no worries) as he watched me. He loved looking at the lights, so it was awesome! He just played on the floor for about an hour as I hung the ornaments...he's such a sweetie! Other than that, we've had a pretty easy going Thanksgiving break. Speaking of Thanksgiving, here's just a few things I'm thankful for this year:

1 - Probably more than anything, I'm thankful for my healthy, happy baby boy! Jackson is just as sweet as could be and happier than any baby I've ever met. I've been so blessed to have him in my life and I'm so glad that eventhough he wasn't planned, he's been the absolute best gift this year has given me.

2 - I'm very thankful for my Justin, too! He's a wonderful husband and the very best father a man could be. We've been through a lot since Jackson was born, but we're working hard to become a stronger better parents/married couple.

3 - Our amazing family is something else I'm grateful for. Both sides have been so supportive of our journey together as a couple from start til now. They've also been so great to talk to and get advice from over the last year and I'm so glad they've been there for us through it all!

4 - A great job has been a blessing for me as well.

5 - Last, but certainly not least...a great support system of the coolest, awesomest friends a girl could every ask for. I'm so incredibly lucky to have people to rely on for support and who will make me laugh when I need it. I'm glad to have people who can offer a different perspective on things when I need it! Thankful for all of you out there who've loved me through all my crazy pregnancy hormones and through my first year as a momma!

So....other than that, just bracing myself for a very busy December. Can't believe Christmas is less than a month a way...so much shopping to do still! We're also hoping to have Justin come home in the next few weeks with a couple of job offers to hash out! He's had about 6 interviews and 3 2nd interviews, so we're hoping to know where we're going after he graduates here in the next few weeks. Pray for us...we've got big decisions to make!

Here's a few pics to show our little man @ 6 months:

6 Months Old and a Nasty Cold

Yesterday, Jackson turned 6 months old. Instead of celebrating his birth, I was at the doctor's office. Yep, Jackson has his 1st official ear infection and 1st official "nasty cold" according to the pediatrician. Instead of the happy, smiley, giggly little man I know and love, he was replaced with a tired, irritable, and whiney little guy :0( It was horrible seeing my son so miserable and scary too! All I wanted to do for the last 2 days was cry b/c I couldn't just fix it. I've felt like a horrible mom b/c I wondered what I did or didn't do that made him so sick. Should I have stayed home more last week instead of making excuses to get out of the house? Should I have fed him more or less? Should I have held him more or less? Should I have picked him up more or less? But when I wanted to cry, I reminded myself I needed to be strong b/c the more upset I was, the worse off he would be :0( So I tried to keep his fever down as best I could before I could get him to the doctor. I was hoping he wasn't sick, but last Friday he developed a runny nose and a cough. I chalked it up to allergies b/c he has them pretty bad, but Monday he came home with a pretty high fever and I just knew that something was wrong. So yesterday on his 6 month old birthday, we went to the doctor's office and I was just worried sick it was the swine flu. Luckily, it wasn't...just an ear infection and a nasty cold. He was so lethargic and whiney yesterday....didn't want to play or eat or do anything...he slept most of the day and I was terrified that he wouldn't sleep at all last night, but he did. He slept like a rock in fact and he slept until 8:30am and he could've slept longer if I hadn't woken him up! Thank God for small prayers :0) So today he's feeling a lot better. He's still coughing and has a little bit of a runny nose, but he's been hopping and playing and as smiley as he ever was. His fever has also broken, so I think we'll be going back to school tomorrow! I'm so glad it wasn't worse...

Now, I just need to get me well and all will be back to normal again! Jackson coughing in my face for almost a week has gotten me all sick and yucky :0( Oh well...can't last long! I'll post some new pictures of the cuteness soon...gotta take our 6 month pics!