Happy 1st Birthday little man

So moving day has come and gone. We've been official South Carolinans for 2 weeks now and with each passing day, I can't believe all the craziness we've had going on! Let's start with a few days before moving:

On Mother's Day, we celebrated Justin's graduation and Jackson's 1st birthday at our house with family and friends. It was a great day...uncharacteristically cold for Oklahoma in May, but a great day. We had a little cookout, visited, and then watched Jackson eat his cake. At first, he wasn't really into it at all! He poked at it a little bit before he finally dove in. He wasn't really about the messyness, but I think he liked the cake over all. It was a cute cow cake that our friend, Ben, made.

A few days later, he really did turn 1. I took the day off work and took him to his year checkup. He was 29 1/2 inches long (25th percentile) and a little over 22 pounds (about 50th percentile). He's a healthy, happy boy that's for sure. We made it! I'm just so proud of my little man. In the last few weeks since he turned 1, he is doing the following new things:
1 - Full time milk drinker - He's drinking soy milk and he LOVES it. The first few days of soy milk he drank a whole lot! He's slowed down quite a bit since then, but the first few days were miserable b/c he was hungry all the time.
2 - Full time table food eater - There is NOTHING this boy won't eat. He loves everything and there's nothing he won't turn away. He loves strawberries and all sorts of other fruits. He even eats peas now and he didn't really like them at all before, but now he eats them all the time. He just loves food.
3 - Full time sippy cup drinker - At first, he refused to take a sippy cup with his milk. I was sure that he would never take it, but I think it was just too much change too quickly when we first tried it. He was horribly unhappy and wouldn't take it and threw a fit to end all fits when I tried to give it to him. It was so sad! But I took it slowly and waited a few days after we had settled into the apartment.
4 - Full time walker - He's been taking a few steps at a time for awhile, but never on his own until last week. Justin and I were passing Jackson forth and then all the sudden, Jackson just started walking and he's been unstoppable ever since. He just waddles everywhere and it's the cutest things b/c he does it with his arms out like he wants a hug where ever he lands. It's awesome, BUT he's just busier than ever now. It's hard to slow him down and he always wants to move now. It's much harder now to get anything done now! He still only has 2 teeth, but he can walk...go figure!

So Jackson is a busy little man and he's been keeping me on my toes since I'm the one staying home with him this summer. I'm trying to find ways to get out of the house...taking walks, excuses to go to the store, etc. etc. He's been great though and it's been a joy to have him home with me. He still isn't napping the greatest for a 1 year old, but we'll work on that! I'm hoping he'll pop his top 2 teeth soon, but I kinda gave up trying to look for them!

Since we got to South Carolina, we've been busy busy busy! We got there and spent our 1st 3 days running errands and getting our licenses. Then we jetted up to Knoxville on the way to the Cincinnati for the weekend of Diana's wedding. It was great to see Uncle Timmy and Austin. Then, the next day we drove the rest of the way to Cincinnati, where we discovered Jackson's love for dogs. Everytime he saw my friend Erica's two dogs, he just squealed with delight. It was precious. I was so proud of Jackson b/c he traveled well and even was good for Auntie Erica and Uncle Kenny while his momma and daddy went to the wedding. Justin and I had fun and Diana just looked beautiful. It was a very Diana-esque affair and I was so happy we could go. Then before we knew it, it was time to head home so that Justin could start his job. When we got home, Justin went to work and I started my stay-at-home mommyness. By the end of the week, we packed it up AGAIN and headed for Myrtle Beach for the weekend to visit Justin's parents.

We had a great time! We took him to the beach and he LOVED it. As soon as I put him down, he started walking towards the water. It was beautiful. He loved playing in the sand and even ate a little bit himself. He found a shell and the first thing he did was taste it! YUCK! He had fun though, digging and squishing the wet sand in between his toes.


We're home now and for awhile....at least until mid-June when we head up to Chicago for my cousin, Stephanie's wedding. We've got to stay put for awhile. Right now, we're waiting to hear back about my job interviews. I've had 2 now...one with an elementary school and the other one with a middle school. I'm really hoping to get one of them and I'm hoping to hear back soon. I'm really excited about both of them...maybe a little more on the elementary side of things just b/c it's what I'm used to, but I'm up for the challenge of the other end too! Well, I think I've updated ya'll long enough. Stay tuned for more South Carolina adventures!